Why is piracy picking up off Somalia’s coast again?

The Federal Government of Somalia announced on August 29 that the Turkish navy, working with Somali forces, had freed the cargo ship MV Lutuf after a 10-day pursuit, killing 14 pirates and destroying four of their boats.The vessel had been seized on August 17 off Jifle, on the coast of Puntland, Somalia’s semi-autonomous northeastern region. Mogadishu’s Defence Ministry credited its release to a 2024 defence pact between Somalia and Turkiye.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Can a humanitarian disaster be averted in Somalia?list 2 of 3Somalia child hunger crisis deepens after aid cuts, UNICEF sayslist 3 of 3Turkiye, Somalia forces free cargo vessel hijacked by piratesend of listPuntland has disputed that account. Its Ministry of Security said no military rescue had taken place and accused federal officials of securing the vessel’s release through a ransom payment to the pirates.The conflicting accounts have not been independently verified. But the seizure and the military response around it mark the most dramatic episode yet in a series of pirate attacks off Somalia this year, raising fresh questions about how far a resurgence that began in the spring could go.How seriou...