Somalia : Deni Accuses Foreign Powers of Using Piracy to Justify Military Presence off Puntland

GARACAD, Somalia — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has accused foreign countries of using the resurgence of piracy off Somalia’s coast as a pretext to deploy forces to Puntland’s waters and exploit the region’s marine resources.

Speaking in the coastal town of Garacad, Deni said Puntland would not accept counter-piracy operations being used to justify the deployment of foreign forces along its coastline.

“The intention is to claim that Puntland has failed to defend itself against piracy, then deploy forces to our coast and extract our resources,” Deni said.

The Puntland president said the public could not accept civilians being killed during counter-piracy operations. He insisted that Puntland has the capacity to combat piracy without foreign military intervention.

Deni also referred to previous foreign naval operations off Somalia’s coast, alleging that the country’s marine resources were depleted while international forces were operating in its waters.

He called on Puntland’s population and the international community to support efforts to curb piracy, but warned that the issue must not be exploited to justify foreign interference or the extraction of Puntland’s natural resources.

Puntland has previously accused Somalia’s Federal Government of contributing to the conditions behind the resurgence of piracy. Somali pirate groups have intensified attacks and vessel hijackings in recent months along the country’s coastline.

Reports on the piracy situation indicate that Somali groups are currently holding several commercial vessels and more than 90 crew members hostage, highlighting the sharp increase in piracy activity off Somalia’s coast.

Vessels reported to be in the hands of pirate groups include Honour 25, Sward—which was reportedly used as a mothership to hijack another vessel—Eureka Asana, Lutuf and Seamull, the latest tanker reportedly seized on August 20, 2026.

GAROWE ONLINE