Written by: Badr Ahmed

Local residents in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of northeastern Somalia confirmed that a fuel and chemical tanker hijacked in the Gulf of Aden last week is now being held by Somali pirates, in a development reflecting growing fears of a resurgence of piracy in the strategic waters off the Horn of Africa.

Two residents of Puntland told Reuters that the Tanzanian-flagged vessel MT Asana is currently anchored in Somali waters after being seized by gunmen while sailing in the Gulf of Aden.

Somali pirates seize fuel tanker

A local resident, who identified himself as a former pirate, explained that the tanker had 20 crew members on board, including eight Germans and ten Filipinos, while the nationalities of the other two were not immediately known. No official information was available regarding their health or the circumstances of their detention.

In another testimony, a resident of the Kalula area in Puntland reported seeing pirates transferring food supplies to the detained vessel, an indication that the detention may continue for some time, amid the absence of any announcement of negotiations for the release of the crew or the ship.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced last week that a ship was boarded by unauthorized individuals while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, before being directed towards Somali waters, and officially described the incident as a hijacking.

The incident brings to mind the peak years of Somali piracy between 2008 and 2018, when armed groups targeted commercial ships and oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, prompting the international community to deploy multinational naval forces to secure one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

Despite a significant decline in attacks over the past years as a result of international maritime operations and enhanced protection measures on board ships, security reports indicate a gradual return of pirate activity since late 2023, taking advantage of security disturbances in the region and international preoccupation with other crises.

The tanker’s detention is raising growing concerns among global shipping companies, especially since the Gulf of Aden is one of the most important international trade routes, through which a large percentage of trade between Europe and Asia passes, making any escalation in piracy a direct threat to the security of navigation and global supply chains.