Signatory states to the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment have agreed to create a Combined DCoC Task Force to protect shipping from a reported resurgence of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, MarineLink reported on 18 August 2026.
The announcement, as summarised by MarineLink Maritime News, says the task force will be established by the signatory states of the code and amendment. The report links the move directly to concerns about renewed piracy activity in the two maritime regions named.
The Combined DCoC Task Force is described in the report as an initiative to counter threats to commercial shipping in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The factual note supplied to this publication does not specify a timetable, membership list or operational details beyond that reported intention.
Maritime stakeholders in the regions named have in recent months been cited in reporting as the reason for renewed international attention. The MarineLink item frames the task force as a collective response by states party to the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment.
Regional focus
The task force’s stated area of concern covers the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The factual summary supplied does not identify which ports, naval assets or national commands will take lead roles within the Combined DCoC Task Force.
What is known from the report
MarineLink’s item dated 18 August 2026 records agreement among signatory states to form the Combined DCoC Task Force and links that decision explicitly to protecting shipping from a reported uptick in piracy threats. Beyond that, the supplied notes do not list further measures, rules of engagement, or logistical arrangements for the force.
The publication named in the supplied notes is the sole source referenced for this development. No additional primary documents, statements from participating governments, or operational orders were included in the facts provided to this desk.
Shipping interests, insurers and naval authorities monitoring the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden will now await formal announcements from the signatory states for confirmed details on mandate, command and coordination. The MarineLink report serves as the initial public account in the supplied factual record of the agreement to create the Combined DCoC Task Force.