Somalia used the 4th EU–Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels to elevate maritime security, promising closer cooperation and new investment in patrol capacity off the Horn of Africa. Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali said securing Somali waters is now central to keeping trade moving through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where recent attacks have already pushed ships to alter course.
The forum, chaired by the European Union and attended by more than 60 delegations, focused on security and economic resilience. Somalia framed its coastline as a test case, arguing that safer waters would support its blue-economy plans and reassure shipowners moving cargo between Asia and Europe at a time when UN trade data show that supply chains are highly exposed to maritime shocks.
Somalia has the longest coastline on mainland Africa and sits beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and southern approaches to the Suez Canal, a narrow link between the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean. Studies estimate that about 12 percent of global trade and roughly 30 percent of container traffic normally pass through this Suez–Bab el-Mandeb route, making it one of the world’s most sensitive chokepoints. Piracy off Somalia fell sharply after its 2011 peak but never vanished. Since late 2024, reports have logged new hijackings of fishing vessels and suspected pirate groups off Puntland, including a Chinese-owned vessel whose 18 crew were held for ransom off Somalia’s northeast coast, incidents analysts link to the wider Red Sea crisis and reduced naval coverage of the Suez–Bab el-Mandeb corridor.
Ali’s pledge builds on moves already underway. Somali Navy and Coast Guard officers are receiving specialised training in boarding and maritime domain awareness through joint courses run by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the EU’s mission EUCAP Somalia, while the EU Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta remains in the region to deter piracy and escort vulnerable shipping; in December 2024 Mogadishu also opened a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to receive distress calls and coordinate responses with partner navies.
Parallel legal reforms, supported by an International Maritime Organization workshop, aim to tighten the chain from arrest to prosecution for piracy and illegal fishing so that maritime security and blue-economy policy pull in the same direction. Somalia’s promise matters for shipowners, charterers, and insurers because it addresses one risk variable in a corridor already strained by war. More consistent patrols, faster information-sharing with EU and regional navies, and credible prosecutions onshore would narrow the operating space for pirate groups and support safer transits for vessels sailing close to Somali waters.
The pledge also matters for Somalia’s own stability. A rules-based maritime system underpins legal fishing, port investment and potential offshore energy projects that can anchor jobs onshore, and by tying these reforms to a wider Indo-Pacific agenda on sea lanes and the law of the sea, Somalia is signalling that it wants to be recognised as a maritime-security provider.
As Editor in Chief of The Maritime, I lead content development, interviews, and digital storytelling across our multimedia maritime platform. With over 10 years of experience in the maritime industry, I create and publish in-depth stories and video features that highlight key players, emerging trends, and operational realities across global shipping. Before launching The Maritime, I worked as a Vessel Operator at Imza Marine A.S., gaining hands-on commercial shipping and voyage operations experience. I also served as Marketing Communications Specialist at Gimas Ship Supply & Services, where I managed corporate communication, digital strategy, and industry outreach for shipowners and maritime clients. I hold a Master’s degree in Maritime Transportation Management from Istanbul Technical University and a Master’s degree in Publishing from Marmara University. My work is driven by the belief that the maritime world deserves strong, informed, and accessible media representation. I am committed to sharing the stories of maritime professionals and contributing to the sector’s visibility, knowledge exchange, and future development.
