Somali pirates are back: A new threat to global trade

As ships change routes to avoid wars, Somali pirates are making a comeback. Three hijacked ships in three weeks herald a new crisis that will further drive up prices and threaten global supply chains.

The past two months have been a nightmare for global shipping, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed to commercial traffic and threats of new attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Now a third crisis is brewing – the return of Somali pirates.

Even before the latest escalations between the US, Israel and Iran, about half of the ships heading from Asia and the Gulf to Europe bypassed the Red Sea and Suez Canal because of previous attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis. Faced with the threat of attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major shipping companies have opted for a long detour around southern Africa.

This detour adds two to three weeks and thousands of nautical miles to the journey, taking ships directly off the coast of Somalia – the same waters where Somali pirates waged a years-long kidnapping campaign that peaked in 2011. Since then, only sporadic incidents have been reported.

The worrying return of pirates

Piracy is now making a comeback in this part of the sea, with three ships hijacked off Somalia and nearby Yemen in the last three weeks alone. As of May 8, 2026, the tankers Honor 25 and Eureka, as well as the cargo ship Sword, remain under pirate control.

Experts believe that organized crime groups in Somalia are using the war in Iran as an opportunity for kidnappings, as international maritime patrols, first deployed in 2008, are now overwhelmed by events around Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Tim Walker, senior researcher on transnational threats and organized crime at the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa, says pirates now see fewer obstacles along Somalia's 3.300-kilometer coastline, the longest in all of continental Africa.

"Some groups, organized by... pirate 'kings', are now looking for opportunities to seize vessels and hold crews hostage for ransom – sometimes demanding large sums for their safe return," Walker told DW.

The European Union's Operation Atalanta, a naval mission tasked with protecting shipping off Somalia, maintains a permanent presence in the western Indian Ocean, but it does not escort every ship and is responsible for patrolling vast areas.

Well-financed and equipped pirates

According to maritime data company Lloyd's List Intelligence, there are at least two active pirate groups, primarily based in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia. They appear to be very well equipped.

Pirates have seized large traditional vessels known as “dhows” – used for fishing and local trade – and converted them into their motherships. They allow them to extend their reach and stay at sea for weeks before using them as platforms to attack commercial vessels.

"Some of the recent hijackings have involved large 'dhow' ships, which require navigation systems, weapons and boarding equipment," Troels Burchal Henningsen, an assistant professor at the Danish Institute for Strategy and War Studies, told DW. "It's a large operation that requires investment."

Further increase in transportation costs

Shipping industry leaders warn that any major resurgence of piracy could further raise costs and disrupt global trade. Conflicts in the Middle East have already raised insurance premiums, adding about $1 million in fuel costs per voyage.

At the height of the previous piracy crisis in 2011, the economic damage from hijackings was estimated at around $7 billion per year. This included the costs of military operations, ship rerouting, faster sailing, additional security equipment and armed guards on board ships.

Reduction of development funds for Somalia

It wasn't just the war in Iran that helped the pirates - Washington's changing policy toward East Africa also played a role. For years, the US had funded development projects in Somalia to reduce poverty and prevent young people from joining the pirates.

However, under the Trump administration, almost all non-security-related development assistance has been suspended. Washington has instead focused on direct counterterrorism operations against the Al-Shabaab group.

"When you reduce those resources, the intelligence network and maritime patrols don't have the same capacity to operate," commented Burchal Henningsen.

Maritime organizations have meanwhile advised shipping companies to avoid Somali territorial waters. They also point out that employing armed guards on ships is very effective: "There has never been a successful hijacking of a ship off Somalia that had armed guards on board," Henningsen added.