Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government has accused Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni of emboldening pirates after remarks concerning vessels hijacked off Puntland State’s coast.
Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said in Mogadishu on Tuesday that a recent statement from the Puntland State administration effectively defended piracy and the payment of ransoms.
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“Such statements send the wrong message to groups holding vessels and could encourage further hijackings and ransom demands. Any money given to pirates further funds these crimes and encourages them to seize other ships,” the minister said.
Fiqi called on governments and shipowners with vessels held off Somalia’s coast to reject ransom payments, warning that the money would finance pirate operations and increase the risk of further attacks.
He said the federal government was prepared to help resolve the seizure of ships and boats by pirates, while stressing that armed groups must not receive funds that would allow them to continue their activities.
The minister also urged Deni to take a more prominent role in the fight against piracy, pointing to Puntland State’s naval and coastal forces, which have received international support for years.
Fiqi said pirate networks should be targeted on land as well as at sea. He added that the individuals involved are known and that some are based in Puntland State’s towns and coastal communities.
His comments came amid a dispute between Mogadishu and Puntland State over the release of the Cameroon-flagged MV LUTUF, which armed pirates hijacked off Puntland State’s coast on Aug. 17.
Puntland State officials have alleged that Somalia’s federal government and Türkiye paid a ransom to obtain the vessel’s release.
The Puntland State administration has rejected the federal government’s claim that the cargo ship was freed during a Somali-Turkish military operation off the Puntland State coast.
The Ministry of Defense announced the vessel’s release and said the operation had been conducted in cooperation with Türkiye.
Puntland State’s Ministry of Security and DDR welcomed the release of the MV LUTUF and its crew, but denied that federal or Turkish forces had carried out the rescue.
The dispute has added to tensions between Mogadishu and Puntland State as concerns over piracy and maritime security intensify along Somalia’s coastline.
