Mombasa-bound ship hijack signals troubling return of Somali piracy

The redeployment of international naval forces to combat the Yemen-backed Houthis and the U.S/Israel war against Iran has created a security vacuum in the Indian Ocean for Somali pirates to hijack ships.

On April 26, a Turkish ship headed to Mombasa was hijacked by pirates, causing fears that the key trade route was sliding into the chaos witnessed in 2011 during the peak of piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Maritime experts in Mombasa said that besides the security vacuum, small and old vessels were forced to sail near the shores of the coast of Somali due to the current rough waters, making it easier for pirates to attack.

Meanwhile, ships also stopped hiring private security firms that had set base in Nairobi to escort ships during the leak of piracy in early 2000s after the drop of the cases in 2019, exposing themselves to the attacks.

Early this year, a French naval ship operating under the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) in the Indian Ocean docked in Mombasa, and her officials inadvertently announced that they will be moving from the Indian ocean to the Red Sea.

“What they did not know is that pirates have leaders in Nairobi that passed this information to their boys in Somalia, and that is when the attacks started,” said Samuel Onyango, a maritime expert.

At least four vessels have recently been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, including three in the past week, sparking concerns of a resurgence in piracy around the Horn of Africa.

Shippers are already paying extra charges due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war on Iran, forcing ships to be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 14 days to each voyage.

The Yemen-backed Houthi rebels have also made navigation at the chokepoint of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, raising the cost of insurance and freight into the region.

Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, located between Arabia and Africa, connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Currently, international naval forces are fighting the Houthis in this area.

“The Bab-el-Mandeb links the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal; that is why it is a very strategic link in international trade,” said Andrew Mwangura, a maritime consultant.

Mwangura said after the United States-led 156, 157 and 158 naval forces left, stopping patrols off the coast of Somalia, EUNAVFOR, led by the French forces, took over.

“After the Houthis started attacking ships at Bab-el-Mandeb Straits, the French naval ship moved to the Mediterranean Sea, creating a security vacuum exploited by Somali pirates,” he said. He however said the attack on April 26 took place inside Somali territorial waters and that the French forces could not intervene even if it was around.

In the latest attack, the pirates hijacked merchant vessel Sward, which was captured near Godobjiran, around six nautical miles northeast of Garacad, a day after they had seized a dhow.

The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) also reports that on April 21, the pirates also hijacked the Honour 25, a motor tanker carrying 18,000 barrels of oil.

MSCIO has warned vessels operating in the area to maintain heightened vigilance, “particularly within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun where feasible”.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia peaked in 2011 with 212 attacks, leading to an increase in the cost of freight as the liners imposed a between $25 (Sh3,228) and $50 (Sh6,457) Piracy Risk Surcharge (PRS).

“An increase in piracy incidents will lead to higher ship insurance premiums, ultimately forcing ships to impose the Piracy Risk Surcharge,” said an importer, Isabellah Kinyua.

She said that in 2010 the Indian Ocean was declared a war zone by the Association of Global Insurers due to the high number of piracy attacks, leading to an increase in the cost of freight.

“At the height of piracy attacks off the Horn of Africa, insurance premiums protecting against vessel damage and delays due to piracy increased to tenfold,” said Kinyua.

During the peak of attacks off Somalia, liners imposed a piracy surcharge of up to Sh19,890 from Sh11,700. Kenyan importers lost about Sh2 billion a month due to piracy.

“A dreaded pirates’ group in Eyl, the oldest port in Somalia, still poses a threat to shipping along this route. Mwangura stated, “Seven pirate groups are still operating in the waters off Somalia.”

He said the pirates were motivated by the January ransom that was paid for the release of a Chinese fishing vessel. “Many ships pay colossal amounts as ransom to secure the release of the vessels and crew members. This is another motivation for these new attacks,” he said.

He said that some shipowners still levy piracy charges in their tariff documents, an indication that the threat was still real.

“It is not a resurgence because these groups still existed; it is only that they went to other services like offering security and dealing with counterfeit,” said Mwangura.

With the latest hijackings, shipowners would be forced to hire armed guards to protect their vessels or resort to using longer routes to prevent their capture by the sea robbers, adding to the cost of freight.

Kinyua said that the disruption of shipping in the Gulf of Aden and along the Red Sea presents an opportunity for Kenya to establish bunkering and ship-chandelling services.

Kenya was selected in 2024 alongside Seychelles to help prosecute maritime crime suspects operating in the region.

“Piracy harms Mombasa Port, but there are legal and economic debates on why Kenya should prosecute those pirates here,” said Mwangura.

There are fears among local marine underwriters that any hijack or theft of the cargo could deal a death blow to a local insurer, given it could wipe out the capital.