"Tim Walker, senior researcher for transnational threats and organized crime at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, says the pirates now perceive fewer deterrents along Somalia's 3,300-kilometer (2,050-mile) stretch of coastline, which is the longest in all of continental Africa. "Some groups, organized by ... piracy kingpins, are now looking to seize vessels and hold them for ransom, along with the crew on board sometimes demanding a high ransom for""
Global shipping faces multiple crises as the Strait of Hormuz is largely closed to commercial traffic and threats persist in the Red Sea. Many vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf bypass the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to earlier attacks by Iran-backed Houthis. Ships instead take a longer route around southern Africa, passing near Somalia’s coastline and the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint area. Piracy has returned in that region, with three ships hijacked off Somalia and nearby Yemen in the past three weeks. As of May 8, 2026, the Honour 25 and Eureka oil tankers and the cargo ship Sward remain under pirate control. Organized crime groups are believed to exploit the Iran war while naval patrols are stretched thin, reducing deterrence along Somalia’s long coastline.
Read at www.dw.com
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