The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a warning for UK tourists planning to visit Somalia. In an update on Thursday, May 14, the FCDO shared "updated information about the political situation" in the country.
Increased Risk of Unrest
The FCDO warned: "Somalia may see an increased risk of politically motivated unrest in the period around 15 May 2026. Past unrest has included protests and incidents of violence, including fatalities." The advisory noted that political and community-based violence is common across Somalia, including Somaliland, and can flare up with little warning. Tourists are advised to take care in public places where people gather and to monitor local and international media to avoid areas where demonstrations, protests, large crowds, or disturbances are taking place.
Safety Advice
The FCDO urged: "Leave any area of unrest quickly and do not attempt to watch or photograph it." This warning comes amid reports that piracy off the coast of Somalia is resurging as ships reroute around Africa to avoid Middle East conflict zones. The resurgence is driving up insurance, transit times, and security costs, putting new pressure on global supply chains.
Expert Analysis
Tim Walker, senior researcher for transnational threats and organized crime at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, noted that pirates now perceive fewer deterrents along Somalia's 3,300-kilometer coastline, the longest in continental Africa. "Some groups, organized by piracy kingpins, are now looking to seize vessels and hold them for ransom, along with the crew on board — sometimes demanding a high ransom for their safe return," Walker told DW.
Troels Burchall Henningsen, assistant professor at Denmark's Institute for Strategy and War Studies, added: "Some of the latest hijackings involved large dhows, which need navigation kits, weapons, and boarding equipment. It's a large operation which requires investment." Walker also highlighted that many ships in the area are not adopting the best security measures, describing how one tanker sailing to Mogadishu was hijacked close to the Somali coast, where it was most vulnerable.
