Piracy off the coast of Somalia - a new era?
Spanish naval forces providing training to Somali personnel. Image: EUNVAFOR
13 April 2022
No successful piracy attack has occurred in the last four years off the coast of Somalia, and the UN authorisation to fight piracy in Somali territorial waters has officially ended. Somalia is looking to focus more on IUU fishing and controlling its own waters. But what does this mean for regional anti-piracy efforts?
By Anna Hatlestad, Security Analyst Intern
In the annual meeting of the UN Security Council regarding piracy off the coast of Somalia on the 2nd of December 2021, Somalia called for only a three-month technical rollover of the UN-authorised international naval missions in Somali territorial waters. Despite scepticism from international actors, Somalia argued that the Security Council’s resolution regarding anti-piracy measures had successfully achieved its intended objectives. After nearly 15 years with UN-authorised forces combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, the anti-piracy mandate expired in March 2022. Without the consent from Somalia to continue militarised anti-piracy operation in its waters, this development marked the end of an era.
Somalia is now more interested in restoring sovereignty over its waters and refocusing international attention towards issues more aligned with their own maritime security concerns – such as combating illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing and exploring opportunities for offshore development. The focus of Somalia in international maritime cooperation is therefore receiving international assistance for capacity building of its coast guard and maritime police units, as well as assistance to deter and combat IUU fishing. Such support includes training of personnel, provision of technical equipment, and building of facilities to expand the maritime law enforcement capabilities in Somalia. The recent inauguration of the new UN and EU-funded operational base for the coast guard, for instance, is expected to increase the effectiveness of Somali maritime enforcement.
There are challenges, however. In addition to the looming threat of famine in the Horn of Africa and a rise in attacks by militant group al-Shabab, Somalia is suffering a political crisis amidst delayed elections, political fragmentation, and rivalry between President Farmajo and Prime Minister Roble. Somali coast guard and maritime police units alone must deter illegal activity in Somali waters, and the limited capacity and insufficient cooperation between the agencies makes this a difficult task.
International naval missions, including EUNAVFOR’s Operation ATALANTA, have redirected their anti-piracy efforts to the high seas. They are now operating under broader security mandates: “Operation ATALANTA remains committed to the respect the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and will continue countering piracy in the high seas, protecting the World Food Programme (WFP) and other vulnerable vessels, countering drugs trafficking, contributing to the implementation of the weapons’ embargo on Somalia and monitoring other illicit activities at sea, such as the illegal export of charcoal and monitoring illegal, unreported and unregistered (IUU) fishing”, EUNAVFOR said in a statement in March 2022.
The new era therefore makes for a shift in regional anti-piracy efforts, by incorporating Somalia’s maritime objectives into the regional maritime security agenda. Anti-piracy will remain a priority as needed for international naval missions, alongside other operations targeting criminal activities.
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