Why Somali pirate attacks are ramping up again

NPR | By Elissa Nadworny ,

Henry Larson, Michael Levitt

Published September 13, 2026 at 5:03 PM EDT

NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks with Federico Varese, a professor at Sciences Po who studies Somalia's maritime criminal gangs, about why attacks on ships off Somalia's coast are on the rise again.

Elissa Nadworny

Elissa Nadworny is an NPR Correspondent covering higher education. She previously covered reproductive rights and abortion.

See stories by Elissa Nadworny

Henry Larson

Michael Levitt

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