MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia on Sunday strongly condemned a resurgence of piracy off its coast and in the waters around Puntland, calling on the international community to strengthen cooperation and support Somali forces responsible for maritime security.
In a statement, the federal government said commercial vessels had been targeted in a series of attacks and hijackings since April 2026, with some incidents extending into the Gulf of Aden.
The government expressed solidarity with seafarers affected by the attacks and their families, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all crew members still being held by pirate groups.
Somali forces were taking action against piracy networks operating both at sea and on land, the statement said.
The government cited the recovery of the cargo vessel MV Lutuf on August 29 as the latest operation against piracy. The ship had been hijacked by pirates, according to the statement.
Somalia said it would continue operations aimed at dismantling piracy networks and securing the country’s coastline and territorial waters.
It also called for greater international support for Somali maritime forces, saying security cooperation should be coordinated through a unified national framework in partnership with Somalia’s federal member states.
The government said illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Somali waters violated the country’s sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
It noted that Article 100 of the convention requires states to cooperate in suppressing piracy.
Somalia, currently a member of the UN Security Council, said it would raise the issue of piracy before the council and work with bilateral, regional and international partners to address the growing threat.
The government also pledged to strengthen cooperation under the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment to secure the release of kidnapped seafarers and dismantle piracy networks.
“Somalia will not allow its waters to become a safe haven for groups involved in maritime crime,” the statement said.
