Despite reduced activity in the Western Indian Ocean Region in recent years, pirate networks responsible for the original Somali piracy crisis have sustained themselves through small-scale attacks and involvement in an array of maritime crimes. The spate of attacks over the last few months off the Horn of Africa, apparently triggered by perceived vulnerability in vessels transiting the area, may point to an elevated risk for a return of piracy. This is a key issue raised in the State of Maritime Piracy 2016, published today by Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP). This annual reportanalyzes the human and economic impacts of maritime piracy and robbery at sea off the Horn of Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea, Asia, and for the first time, Latin America.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has urged liners navigating through the Somali coast to continue with counter piracy measures despite a reduction of incidents.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has urged liners navigating through the Somali coast to continue with counter piracy measures despite a reduction of incidents.
South Africa: Are Merchant Shippers Hiring Pirates To Kill Pirates?' - The Regulation Of Private Maritime Security Companies Operating In The Gulf Of Aden.
Yemen's state weakness due to fragmentation and ongoing conflicts allowed Al Qaeda and affiliates to take and hold territory, possibly enabling them to seize the Port of Aden. If Al Qaeda establishes safe havens in the southern Abyan province, supported by local Yemeni inhabitants, attacks at sea or in near by ports similar to the "USS COLE bombing" in 2000 could become a threat, increasing the danger to Red Sea shipping. Yet Al Qaeda is of secondary concern for the Yemeni government, with secessionist insurgencies in the north and the south threatening the state's unity. Only a stable Yemen can effectively deny Al Qaeda a stable base in the long run.