As piracy continues to impact shipping off the Gulf of Aden it has been announced a new naval taskforce will be set up to protect shipping in the region.

The signatory states of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment have agreed to set up a Combined DCoC Task Force, to protect shipping from the resurgence of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. The task force will provide a practical regional mechanism through which willing Signatory States can conduct coordinated maritime operations in support of existing international maritime security efforts.

This includes the possible embarkation of officers (sea-riders) from relevant coastal States aboard participating naval vessels.

The chair of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoC/JA), Metse Ralephenya, from the Republic of South Africa, issued a statement to update the international maritime community on the collective regional response being advanced following the recent resurgence of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

“The continued captivity of innocent seafarers aboard MT Honour 25, Sward, MV Eureka, MT Asana, and other vessels remains a matter of profound humanitarian concern,” he said. “The Signatory States reiterate their call for the immediate and unconditional release of all seafarers currently being held hostage and reaffirm that the safety, dignity and welfare of seafarers must remain at the centre of all international efforts.

“The resurgence of piracy has demonstrated that, while considerable progress has been achieved over the past decade, the underlying conditions that enable piracy have not been fully eliminated. The Signatory States therefore recognise that maintaining maritime security requires sustained vigilance, stronger regional ownership, and practical operational cooperation among coastal states.”

The organisation revealed the recommendation to establish the task force was agreed on at the DCOC Steering Committee Extraordinary Meeting. The recommendations were subsequently considered by the National Focal Points of the Djibouti Code of Conduct meeting of 5 August 2026, which endorsed the Steering Committee’s recommendations and agreed that Working Group 3 should lead the development of the operational framework required to establish the proposed Combined DCoC Task Force.

The next stage will include reviewing the existing WG3 Concept of Operations (CONOPS) in light of the proposed Task Force and develop recommendations for consideration by the NFPs, at the DCoC Regional Workshop on Operational Cooperation and Coordination at Sea, to be hosted by Kenya in Mombasa from 7 – 9 September 2026.

The WG3 workshop will consider the proposed Task Force’s geographical scope, operational requirements, composition, responsibilities and resource implications, as well as its relationship with existing regional and international maritime security mechanisms.

The precise composition of the Task Force – including the types and number of maritime assets that could be contributed by participating states – has not yet been determined. These matters will form part of further assessment and recommendations to be undertaken through the WG3 process.

Regional states have emphasised that an effective regional response should extend beyond the deployment of assets at sea to include cooperation and legal processes, including arrangements for the timely transfer of suspected offenders to jurisdictions able to prosecute them.