Somalia: Iranian ship hijacked off Hobyo (Puntland) May 23

Event

On Tuesday, May 23, Somali pirates reportedly hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel traveling at a slow speed off the coast of Hobyo (known to be a Somali pirate base), in the Puntland region of northern Somalia. The mayor of Hobyo confirmed the incident and added that the vessel had been operating without a fishing license and with no armed security on board. According to local sources, the ship is reportedly intended to be used as a mothership by Somali pirates to attack other larger vessels. No information regarding the number of crew on board is available.

Context

There has been an increase in both attempted and successful piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia since March 2017. Five ships have been targeted, including the first successful hijacking of a commercial ship by Somali pirates since 2012. The five-year lull was due in large part to the deployment of a major international fleet along with security measures implemented by commercial vessels; though pirates have continually sought to attack boats, they had previously abandoned attempts after sighting armed guards on board. The commercial vessels hijacked in the last two months are not believed to have had armed security teams and were vulnerable to attack.

The risk of maritime piracy along the Somali coast, which spans 1000 km (620 mi) from the Gulf of Aden to the Indian Ocean, remains high. Additional factors such as ongoing drought and famine and a surge in smuggled weapons in the country have likely driven the resurgence in piracy.

Advice

Nonessential boat travel along the Somali coast - from the Gulf of Aden to the Indian Ocean - is strongly advised against. Ship captains are required to declare their movements in advance to the European Union's Operation Atalanta and the French Contrôle Naval Volontaire, present in the Indian Ocean.

On a separate note, Western governments generally advise their citizens against all travel to Somalia due to extremely poor security conditions; professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.