Somali pirates hijack a second ship as fears emerge of links with terrorists » Today Latest Stories

After a six-year lull, Somali pirates launched two attacks last week when they seized two boats in the Red Sea, adding to the unrest in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes following missile and drone attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The attacks increase pressure on international shipping companies to follow the example of the German company Hapag-Lloyd, abandon the route leading to the Suez Canal and redirect ships around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. If oil companies do the same, oil prices could rise as Europe enters the cold winter months.

On Friday night, Somali pirates hijacked a commercial dhow in the waters off Yemen’s Socotra Island, once a pirate haven. It is believed to be on its way to Eyl, a coastal town in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region, where it is controlled by militants from Al-Shabaab, the richest branch of Al Qaeda. They drove a small group of rival ISIS supporters from the town in a final battle, sparking speculation that they were involved in the kidnappings and would offer protection to the pirates in exchange for a cut of any loot.

A few days ago, Somali pirates operating from speedboats off Puntland seized the MV Reon, a Malta-registered cargo ship, and took 18 crew members hostage. Sources close to the kidnappers and Al-Shabaab say that ransom negotiations are underway with the ship’s owners.

The sources confirmed that one of the pirates was injured and that 17 other pirates were still on board the ship.

Several foreign warships, led by an Indian ship participating in the Red Sea Protection Squadron, are chasing the pirates but have failed to prevent them from directing the ship towards the coast of Somalia.

“The MV Reun is now being held at a remote coastal location between Qandala and Habu. Ahmed Mohamed, a resident with links to the pirate gang, said the pirates agreed to a 70-30 ransom-sharing deal with Al-Shabaab to provide them with additional protection on board the MV Reun.

He added, “Negotiations have begun between the pirates and ship owners.”

The renewed hijackings come after Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted ships linked to Israel in response to Israel’s ongoing military offensive on the Gaza Strip, prompting the United States to send warships to the region to protect shipping.

Political tensions in Puntland ahead of elections scheduled for January may also have encouraged the resurgence of pirates.

“This time, the pirates who are hunting ships now are mostly aggrieved fishermen. The Puntland administration has granted about 300 licenses to Iranian fishing boats in Puntland,” security analyst Abdi Ali said by phone from Mogadishu.

He said local fishermen complain of being harassed by Iranian boats, which have much more sophisticated equipment, making it difficult for them to earn a living.

Egypt’s Suez Canal provides the shortest link between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, and is the preferred route for many ships sailing to Europe and North America from Asia and Australia. This makes the Gulf of Aden an attractive place for pirates.

“Another group of pirates hijacked a smaller dhow today and took it to Ile along the Indian Ocean, and there are also other pirates currently searching for more ships in the deep sea,” Mohamed, an Ile resident, said on Sunday. “More to come soon for sure.”

Between 2008 and 2018, pirates freely roamed the waters off Somalia, hijacking ships along Africa’s longest coastline. It took the combined efforts of multinational naval anti-piracy missions to stop it. The chiefs retired, many of them moving to new homes built with the proceeds of their labors along the northern coast of Somalia, while others moved into commercial fishing.

Updated: December 25, 2023 at 12:02 p.m