Indian Ocean HRA
Overview
No incidents reported in the High Risk Area during the reporting period.
During 2018 UKMTO released a total number of 18 Advisories, 2 Notices and 5 Warnings, including updates. While this number is significantly reduced from 2017 (56 Advisories, 2 Notices and 20 warnings) all shipping transiting the area should remain vigilant and are highly recommended to fully follow the guidance given in BMP5.
The current assessment is that piracy attacks will remain sporadic and at a low level.
Yemen
Yemen’s Houthi insurgents ‘violating ceasefire agreement’:
Yemen’s government and its two main allies have alleged in a letter to the UN Security Council that the Houthi insurgents have failed to comply with a hard-won ceasefire agreement in the vital port city of Hudaydah. UN representatives from Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE wrote that the Shiite insurgents had launched attacks – including sniper fire and medium-range ballistic missiles – in Hudaydah even after agreeing to a ceasefire. The insurgents accused the coalition on Wednesday of flying at a low altitude over Hudaydah and have regularly accused Saudi Arabia and its allies of attacking areas across the governorate since the 18th December.
Mystery of Yemen’s cholera epidemic solved:
The most likely source of the cholera epidemic in Yemen has been discovered by scientists. Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Institut Pasteur estimate the strain of cholera causing the current outbreak in Yemen – the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history – came from Eastern Africa and entered Yemen with the migration of people in and out of the region. The population in Yemen has experienced two outbreaks of cholera; the first occurred between September 2016 and April 2017, and the second began later in April 2017 and has since resulted in more than 1 million suspected cases.
Somalia
Somaliland and Somalia tensions could reignite in 2019:Â 
Fears are rife that Somaliland and Somalia could go to war in early 2019 following Somalia’s government move to license a consortium of Chinese firms to fish in Somaliland waters.
In a move that has infuriated the people and government of Somaliland, the Somalia government leased some Chinese companies under an umbrella called COFA to trawl inside the waters of Somaliland. The companies have armoured ships numbering 33 and are said to be off the coast of Somalia.
According to reports the Somalia government is serving a 200 million debt it took from the Chinese to build the Mogadishu port. The Somalia government has conned the Chinese companies by informing them that it controls all the coastline of the country before known as Somalia which include the territory of independent Somaliland which has an 800 km coastline.
Somaliland minister of livestock and fishery Mr. Hassan Gafadhi has warned the Chinese companies not to fish in Somaliland waters or they will face dire consequences if they dare.
