From emergence to resurgence: analysing trends in Somali piracy

International counterpiracy measures off the coast of Somalia contained the global disruption caused by Somali piracy between 2008 and 2013; however, experts suggest those measures did not alleviate the root causes. Since 2024 and continuing into 2025, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports an upward trend in attacks, raising concerns for a resurgence of piracy off Somalia's extensive coastline. Acknowledging the importance of Somalia’s waterways and the sophisticated nature of Somali piracy, this paper aims to inform potential intervention points for maritime stakeholders and support prevention techniques in the mitigation of maritime piracy. This research examines whether the modus operandi (MO) of Somali piracy in 2025 has evolved since the previous piracy peak, by drawing on piracy trend data collected by the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre between 2023 and 2025. Using these reports, this paper conducts a quantitative and Crime Script Analysis of current Somali piracy figures to examine what may lead to a continued upward trend. Based on these analyses, this research finds that attacks during the two time periods present a similar MO, indicating efforts to control piracy incidents have not addressed the causes motivating the attacks.