Somalia's Foreign Ministry Condemns Piracy Resurgence, Vows to Raise Crisis at UN Security Council

Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on September 6, 2026 condemning 'in the strongest terms' the resurgence of piracy off the country's northeastern coast and in the Gulf of Aden, where hijackings have continued in a wave stretching back to April 2026. The ministry said Somalia — which currently holds a rotating seat on the UN Security Council — will raise the piracy resurgence at the Council and work with regional and international partners through mechanisms including the Djibouti Code of Conduct. It cited the August 29 release of the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel MV Lutuf (hijacked off Puntland on August 17), in which Turkey's Ministry of National Defence supported Somali authorities, as evidence of what coordinated action can achieve. The ministry stressed that all maritime-security cooperation should operate 'under federal government leadership with a unified national framework' — a pointed message aimed at unilateral regional/foreign counter-piracy arrangements — declaring: 'The Government of Somalia will not allow the country's waters to become a safe haven for those who commit maritime crimes.'