Piracy in Somalia : an analysis of the challenges faced by the International Community

Abstract

Piracy in Somalia is a phenomenon which has presented many issues and challenges for the international community since the beginning of the 21stcentury. The objective of the paper is to discuss the roots of this phenomenon in Somalia and the response given by the international community to reduce the threat. Effectively formulating a plan of action against piracy requires the willingness of the international community to work together by implementing not only strong multilateral operations and joint cooperation between countries but also to understand the social and economic difficulties faced by Somalia which has given rise to the endemic phenomenon and its expansion in the region. Eradicating piracy means tackling the issue on land by confronting Somalia’s extreme poverty and lack of economic opportunity and creating a comprehensive legal framework which will serve as a model to fight piracy. The objective of the present paper is to discuss the roots of piracy in Somalia and the cycle it created and provide an analysis on the legal framework in place to judge of its effectiveness on a international level. The method applied to lead this research is based on the analysis of reports from international bodies such as the UN, ICC as well as academic articles. The results have shown that piracy is the fruit of social, economic and political issues which have enabled the phenomenon to spread and established itself in the country. If at the beginning the regime regarding piracy lacked effectiveness, today the different initiatives and international cooperation have helped reducing the number of attacks in the region.