Somali pirates use crises in the Red Sea and Gaza for comeback

Somali pirates use crises in the Red Sea and Gaza for comeback

WOCKS MOHAMMED ATIK ULLAH KHAN an unpleasant nightmare. In his dreams, he heard machine guns and found himself in a bitter struggle between a group of pirates and marine commands. He woke up sweaty. "I ran and ran ... tried to reach a safe place, but I couldn't," recalls Khan of the repetitive nightmare.

The kidnapping of the MV Abdullah

Khan, 39, was the senior officer of the MV Abdullah, who was driving under Bangladeshic flag, when he was kidnapped on March 12, 2024, about 550 nautical miles off the coast of Somalias. The ship was on board from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates with 55,000 tons of coal. At around 10 a.m. local time, a unidified fishing boat appeared on the radar. Shortly thereafter, the guards discovered six people with automatic rifles who arose on them in a speedboat. Six other pirates followed in a second boat.

The Mayday and the takeover

The crew of the ship spent a Mayday: "But nobody replied," said Khan. "Then I called the machine room and ordered to lift all speed restrictions and bring the performance to maximum. But our speed was insignificant compared to the speed of pirate." Minutes later, 12 pirates stormed on board, opened the fire, took over the ship and took the crew as hostages.

The return of Somali piracy

After almost a decade of calm, Somali pirates have reappeared. This revival follows the campaign of the Yemeni Huthi movement, which aims to attack ship connections in the Red Sea in the support of Hamas in the war with Israel. Analysts believe that the crisis in the Red Sea has distracted the attention of the maritime counter-piracy resources used in the area, which enabled the pirates to return.

crisis in the Red Sea influences the trade

A report by Lloyd’s List, a maritime journal, published in November, cites information from Seahawk Maritime Intelligence, warns that relationships between Somali pirates, Huthis and other regional actors could expand, which could significantly disturb the maritime trade along important shipping routes in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

The effects on the global Seehandel

In the period from January 1 to September 30, 2024, three ships were kidnapped, two were attacked and shot at, and three attempted attacks in the waters from Somalia were reported, according to the international maritime office. The current level of threat is classified as moderate, whereby piracy attacks are rated as a "realistic possibility".

The dilemma of the fishermen and the roots of piracy

Since the 1990s, the resentment of the local fishing community about unregulated commercial trench fish has been a catalyst for the emergence of piracy. Many experts say that it began as an armed uprising of local fishermen against the aggressive presence of foreign trawlers in Somalia's territorial waters. The Marine Waters of Somalia, which are rich in fish stocks, traditionally offered the local fishing community.

The development of piracy

Over time, the Somali piracy used to develop and was organized by wealthy people from the cities of Somalia, who often had political power. These people mobilize the traditional fishing communities to fulfill their own ambitions. Today Somali pirates operate in a strong network with defined roles that extends from information collectors, foot soldiers, experienced seafarers to financiers.

The challenges for seafarers

Khan remembers how he spoke to his pregnant wife on the morning of attack to calm her down. But when the attack took place, the 23 crew members were still unbelief. The MV Abdullah had taken a busy shipping route; They thought they were safe, said Khan. Despite the dangers in the specifically endangered sea area, there were no armed security forces on board at the time of the attack.

life under pirates

The hostages had to lock themselves up in the ship's bridge while the pirates took over the ship. Due to the poor hygienic circumstances, Khan developed severe skin infection. There was a lot of boredom under the hostages, so that they had hardly anything to do, apart from playing card and board.

The creeping change and today's threats

From 2012, the Somali piracy attacks decreased severely due to effective countermeasures from the international marine. But since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, the conditions have changed. The Huthi rebels have attacked commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, which influenced the reasons for the increase in piracy in this area.

an outlook on the future

After 32 days in captivity, Khan returned to Bangladesh. Months later he hesitates to go back to sea, for fear that there are hardly any opportunities on land. While the return of Somali piracy is a threat to global maritime traffic, it particularly affects the seafarers who work in regional shipping.