Somali piracy returns: a warning from the Western Indian Ocean

Piracy has re-emerged off Somalia's coast in 2026, with the Joint Maritime Information Center raising its threat assessment to 'severe' following several hijackings in April and May. The document highlights that while international naval efforts like Operation Atalanta and Combined Task Force 151 have previously suppressed piracy, they are currently stretched thin due to crises in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. The author argues that piracy is driven by the collapse of sea-dependent livelihoods caused by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. While Türkiye has signed agreements to safeguard Somali territorial waters, the document suggests Turkish forces may prioritize their own deep-sea drilling assets. The report concludes that unless the Somali federal government and partners address community grievances and governance gaps, the region remains vulnerable to a sustained piracy cycle.

• Piracy has returned to the Somali coast in 2026, with the Joint Maritime Information Center upgrading the threat level to 'severe' after multiple attacks on dhows and merchant vessels in April and May.
• The resurgence of piracy is linked to the collapse of coastal livelihoods, specifically driven by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which leaves populations with few income alternatives.
• International naval responses are currently compromised by redeployments to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and the US-led Combined Task Force 151 is hindered by the US-Iran conflict.
• Türkiye has assumed responsibility for safeguarding Somalia's territorial waters through agreements signed since 2024, but may prioritize protecting its own deep-sea drilling mission that arrived in April 2026.
• Recent hijackings, such as the seizure of the Eureka oil tanker on 2 May, indicate a potential increase in sophistication and the possible emergence of a third pirate group.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2026). Somali piracy returns: a warning from the Western Indian Ocean. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/somali-piracy-returns-a-warning-from-the-western-indian-ocean

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Somali piracy returns: a warning from the Western Indian Ocean. 2026. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/somali-piracy-returns-a-warning-from-the-western-indian-ocean.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Somali piracy returns: a warning from the Western Indian Ocean |date=18 May 2026 |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/somali-piracy-returns-a-warning-from-the-western-indian-ocean |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2026somali, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Somali piracy returns: a warning from the Western Indian Ocean}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/somali-piracy-returns-a-warning-from-the-western-indian-ocean}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }