IMO Secretary-General Urges Release of 44 Somali Captives

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called for urgent international action on July 6 to secure the release of 44 seafarers held captive by pirates in Somali waters. Speaking at the IMO Council's 137th session in London, Dominguez reported that the hostages are held aboard three vessels—the MT Honour 25, Eureka, and Sward—which were hijacked between April and May 2026 in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

The crew of the Honour 25, boarded on April 24, faces a dire humanitarian crisis with critical shortages of food and drinking water, resulting in five crew members suffering significant health setbacks. Tensions have escalated as rival pirate groups have engaged in gunfire near the vessel. The Government of Indonesia has attempted direct negotiations with the hijackers since May but has not yet secured a release.

Dominguez warned that maritime insecurity is rising, noting 24 piracy or armed robbery incidents in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the last three months and a 17% global increase in incidents between 2024 and 2025. He also reported a recent attack on the Palau-flagged bulk carrier Lady Naeima in the Red Sea. The IMO continues to coordinate security through the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment while urging shipowners and regional bodies to conduct thorough risk assessments before transiting these regions.