The Pirates of Somalia : Ending the Threat, Rebuilding a Nation
Somali piracy attacks surged between 2005 and 2011. Although maritime piracy is as old as seaborne trade, and currently pirates also prey on ships in the Straits of Malacca and the waters of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean seas, and the Gulf of Guine...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English English |
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Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/17672066/pirates-somalia-ending-threat-rebuilding-nation http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16518 |
| Summary: | Somali piracy attacks surged between
2005 and 2011. Although maritime piracy is as old as
seaborne trade, and currently pirates also prey on ships in
the Straits of Malacca and the waters of Southeast Asia, the
Caribbean seas, and the Gulf of Guinea, what is unique about
Somali pirates is the high frequency of attacks. Somali
pirates almost exclusively attack vessels to hold cargos and
crews hostage and negotiate their release in exchange for
ransom. Piracy has not only imposed a hidden tax on world
trade generally, it has severely affected the economic
activities of neighboring countries. The actual and
potential links between pirates and Islamist insurgents are
another source of global concern. This report evaluates the
nexus between pirates and terrorist organizations. This
report shows that it is in the international
community's common interest to find a resolution to
Somali piracy, and more generally to help the government of
Somalia to rebuild the country. Its findings reinforce the
case for action. The costs imposed by Somali pirates on the
global economy are so high that international mobilization
to eradicate piracy off the horn of Africa not only has
global security benefits, it also makes ample economic
sense. This report affirms that, beyond its firepower and
financial resources, the international community can and
should assist Somalia with generating knowledge-knowledge of
how local power dynamics shape the rules for
resource-sharing, how they drive clan and sub-clan
relationships, and ultimately how they determine national
political stability-to find solutions to the piracy problem.
The report exemplifies the value of using rigorous
analytical tools to address some of the pressing problems of Africa. |
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