Increased Houthi Militancy Spurs New Wave of Pirate Activity off Somalia’s Coast

The resurgence of piracy off Somalia’s coast has been linked to the recent increase in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea. According to Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva, a European naval commander, this development has reinvigorated Somali pirate networks, leading to a rise in both the number and sophistication of pirate groups.

The Yemen-based Houthis began targeting vessels in the Red Sea last year as part of their strategy to pressure Israel and its allies over the war in Gaza. This campaign has significantly disrupted global shipping, forcing many vessels to take longer, more expensive routes around southern Africa. The resulting surge in carbon emissions and freight costs has been substantial as ships extend their travel times to avoid the Red Sea.

Pirates in Somalia have seized this opportunity, exploiting the increased maritime traffic along Somalia’s coast. They have ventured further into the Indian Ocean, testing the limits of Western and international naval operations designed to curb piracy. Admiral Villanueva highlighted that pirates are now using tactics that involve hijacking smaller boats like skiffs or dhows, which they use to launch attacks on larger vessels in the middle of the Indian Ocean after about ten days at sea.

The recent surge in piracy includes 30 attacks on commercial vessels, fishing boats, and dhows since November. The pirates involved are reportedly more organized, better armed, and larger in numbers than in previous years. Villanueva noted that recent attacks have involved groups of 25 to 30 pirates, equipped with satellite phones and heavy weapons, demonstrating a high level of coordination and capability.

In December, the first successful hijacking of a vessel off the Somali coast since 2017 occurred when pirates took hostages on the Malta-flagged MV Ruen. The crew of 18 was eventually rescued by Indian, Japanese, and Spanish warships. This incident marks a troubling return to the kind of piracy that plagued the region in the early 2000s, peaking in 2011 with 237 incidents and 736 hostages taken.

The rise in piracy has been fueled by the instability caused by the Houthis, whose attacks on commercial ships reached a peak last month with 16 vessels targeted, according to naval forces in the region. The interplay between the Houthi militancy and Somali piracy underscores the broader geopolitical instability affecting maritime security in the region.

The renewed threat of piracy presents significant challenges for international naval operations, which must now contend with increasingly daring and sophisticated pirate groups. As global shipping routes are disrupted, the international community must find ways to address both the immediate security threats and the underlying political and economic factors driving the resurgence of piracy.