Hijackings off the Somali coast have pushed piracy to its highest levels since an international agency began keeping statistics in 1991.

Hassan* and Mohamed* were fishermen in Bossaso, in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, but turned to piracy out of desperation and lack of alternative livelihoods.

Five pirates are believed to have died at sea along the Somali coast after collecting a US$3 million ransom payment, Radio Garowe reports.

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia issued the following statement after meeting at the United Nations in New York on January 14:

Twenty-four nations and five international organizations have formed a group at the United Nations to strengthen efforts to thwart piracy off the coast of Somalia.