Somali piracy quintuled in 2026, but decreased in the Gulf of Guinea

Oincidents attributed to Somali pirates five times in the first nine months, from three to 15, while in the Gulf of Guinea they decreased from 15 to two, the International Maritime Office (IMB) reported today.

In comparison with the same period last year, this contrast is worldwide, despite the incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships falling to their lowest level since 1992, with 51 cases between January and September, against the 116 registered in the same period of 2025.

Of these 51 incidents, 36 ships were approached, eight were kidnapped, four were shot and three failed attempts were made.

The IMB, a body of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), particularly warned of the resurgence of Somali piracy, responsible for the eight kidnappings of vessels registered worldwide and 94% of the crew taken hostage globally.

In total, 85 sailors were detained by Somali pirates aboard four tankers, two general cargo ships and two traditional sailing vessels.

“ Although the levels of incidents have been at their lowest point in more than three decades, the recent increase in Somali pirate activity recalls that the threat persists,” said IMB director Michael Howlett.

The Somali pirates were also responsible for the four attacks with gunfire against ships registered worldwide.

Most of the hijacked vessels were subsequently released with their crews safely, although the body recalled the exceptional case of the Honour 25 oil tanker, with Palau flag, captured on 21 April.

The authorities of the Somali semi-autonomous state of Puntland reported, at the end of September, that five crew members were killed — 100% of the sailors killed in incidents of piracy and armed robbery registered by the IMB worldwide between January and September — and another five were injured before the release of that ship (83% of the total).

The IMB pointed out that these episodes show that Somali pirates maintain the ability to attack vessels in the region, although their range is not comparable to the offshore operations that characterized the peak of piracy between 2008 and 2013.

The evolution was very different in the Gulf of Guinea, historically one of the main piracy zones in West Africa.

In that area, only two incidents were recorded between January and September, against the 15 of the same period of 2025, and none during the third quarter of this year.

IMB praised the efforts of coastal countries in the region to maintain low levels of piracy and armed robbery, although it called for surveillance to be maintained.

Worldwide, 105 crew members were directly affected by attacks during the first nine months of 2026 against the 72 registered in the same period of 2025, despite the overall decrease in the number of incidents.