Somalia: Deni Says Foreign Powers Are Exploiting Piracy to Justify Military Presence off Puntland State
GARACAD, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has accused foreign powers of turning renewed piracy off Somalia’s coast into a justification for sending military forces into Puntland State waters and accessing the region’s marine resources.
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Addressing residents in the coastal town of Garacad, Deni said Puntland State would reject any counter-piracy mission that was used to establish a foreign military presence along its shoreline.
“The intention is to claim that Puntland State has failed to defend itself against piracy, then deploy forces to our coast and extract our resources,” Deni said.
The president also rejected the possibility of civilians being killed during operations targeting pirates. He said Puntland State had the ability to confront piracy independently and did not need foreign military intervention.
Deni pointed to earlier international naval deployments off Somalia, alleging that the country’s marine resources were depleted during the period when foreign forces operated in its waters.
He urged Puntland State residents and the international community to back efforts against piracy, while warning that the crisis should not become a pretext for outside interference or the removal of Puntland State’s natural resources.
Puntland State has previously blamed Somalia’s Federal Government for helping create the conditions that allowed piracy to resurface. Somali pirate groups have stepped up attacks and vessel hijackings in recent months along the country’s coastline.
Reports tracking the resurgence say Somali groups are holding several commercial vessels and more than 90 crew members hostage, underscoring the scale of the latest increase in piracy activity off Somalia.
The vessels reportedly held by 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.
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