Somalia’s emerging naval forces have rescued the crew of the bulker Jacuar after the vessel grounded and began taking on water, although key details about the incident remain unconfirmed.
The Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport said on September 17 that it was monitoring the distressed ship. Eighteen seafarers from India, Syria and Egypt were aboard, but the ministry did not disclose where the incident occurred.
- Advertisement -
The vessel was identified as Jacuar (IMO 9181821), sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Equasis lists the 1998-built ship as Turkish-owned and managed. The bulker has a deadweight of 8,556 tonnes and measures 100 meters (328 feet) in length.
Jacuar has a record of repeated deficiencies during port-state inspections. Egyptian authorities cited deck corrosion and faulty engine-room gauges in December 2025. Jordanian authorities detained the ship in September 2024 and again in April 2025 over safety concerns.
Somalia’s maritime authority did not identify the cause of the grounding. It said the ship was carrying 7,007 tonnes of unspecified cargo on a voyage from Mozambique to Egypt.
The Navy announced on September 18 that all crewmembers had been rescued. Media reports have said the vessel capsized, but officials have not confirmed that account or stated which part of Somalia the ship was near.
The rescue comes as Somalia works to rebuild maritime forces that have been weakened for decades. Somali media reported in April 2025 that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had appointed a new naval commander after the Somali National Army (SNA) operated without a naval component. Some reports said the navy had been largely dormant since the early 1990s. Recruitment efforts reportedly began around 2022, and the new commander appointed in 2025 pledged to speed up the expansion. The president also said he intended to revive the country’s air force.
In July, the European Union said it had held a 10-day Coast Guard Border Police and Maritime Crimes Course in Mogadishu. Coast guard and navy personnel, as well as members of the police force, took part in the training as part of broader efforts to strengthen Somalia’s maritime-security capabilities.
