Piracy Somalia

Resurgence of Piracy in Somalia

According to the BBC, piracy is more prevalent in Somalia than anywhere else in the world, particularly along the nation's eastern coastline where political instability has been most rife. "With the breakdown of civil society, Somalia has degenerated into a no-man's land subject to clan or Islamic Shari'ah law" (Coffen-Smout, 1998).The prevalence of piracy in Somalia has caused a humanitarian as well as an economic crisis, as: "Pirates generally use speedboats to steal trading goods" or even humanitarian aid and donated food from other nations, "sometimes impounding ships and crew at gunpoint and then demanding ransoms before they are released" (Doyle 2006). Attacks against luxury ocean liners have occurred, and many other attacks, against smaller traders or fishermen likely go unreported (Doyle, 2006).

However, the Somalia government has begun to deploy a multi-faceted strategy to curtail such attacks. It also has an international obligation to do so, as "despite the breakdown of civil society, Somalia still has international legal responsibilities to treaties it became party to," before it sunk into chaos which mandates that it police its own waters (Coffen-Smout, 1998). Somali clans have made a unified pledge to address the piracy problem. The Somalia government also signed a $50 million dollar contract late last year with a private company based in the United States to engage in coastal patrols. These measures were possible because of a recent agreement to bring peace to the region, signed by warring clan leaders. The contract was a relief to many, as "Somali businessmen and international shippers said the only thing which has stopped piracy in the past is when western navies patrol the area" (Doyle, 2006). This is seen as a crucial step in rebuilding the nation's economic infrastructure.

Works Cited

Coffen-Smout, Scott. (1998). "Pirates, Warlords and Rogue Fishing Vessels in Somalia's

Unruly Seas." Retrieved 8 May 2007 at http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ar120/somalia.html

Doyle, Mark. (5 Jan 2006). "Somali piracy is worst in world." BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2007 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4584878.stm