Piracy in Somalia: Need to Address the Root Cause

Chair: Arvind Gupta
Discussants: Subodh Malakar and Patrick Hoenig

During the last one year Somalia has captured global attention, due to the surge in piracy off the Somali coast. Piracy off the Somali coast has had a severe commercial, global and regional impact. The piracy and the resultant dangers posed to international shipping has brought an array of naval deployments from various external actors, including, the United States, EU, Japan, China, South Africa and India. The pirate attacks have disrupted the delivery of humanitarian aid to thousands of Somalis and have had a negative impact on the economies of states neighbouring Somalia.

Though piracy off the Somali coast is not a new phenomenon and has been going on since the beginning of the Somali civil war in the early 1990’s. The collapse of Said Barre’s government in 1991 ushered in a wave of illegal fishing and waste dumping in Somali waters. However, few years ago the incidence of piracy was quite limited. The statistics suggest that the incidence of piracy grew from less than five to thirty-five in 2005. In 2006 it declined to a mere ten incidents only to grow in 2007 to thirty-one pirate attacks. In 2008 the problem intensified with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reporting 134 acts of piracy. The pirates have been operating in small fast crafts and have used an array of firearms mainly from Yemen while attacking ships.

Pirates are making full use of modern technologies such as mobile phones and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and in some cases they have used mother ships to allow them a longer range. Currently, there are two main networks of pirates: one based in Puntland (north-eastern Somalia) comprising mainly members of the Majerteen clan, and others based in central Somalia, consisting primarily of members of the Habar Gidir clan. However, to an extent the two networks overlap and cooperate.

Various factors have contributed to the rise of piracy off the Somali coast. These factors include: illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste, existence of busy sea lanes high rewards and ineffective security structure, Eritrea’s hostile relationship with Ethiopia and instability within Somalia.

Several measures have been taken by the international community to prevent piracy. Since the beginning of 2008, the United Nations has issued several resolutions regarding piracy in Somali waters. The US is primarily involved through the deployment of its Naval and aerial units as part of the Combined Task Force CTF-151 under the command of US Navy Rear Admiral Terence Mcknight. In December 2008, France along with other states initiated Operation Atlanta - a joint naval and aerial operation to protect shipping off the Somali coast and the Gulf of Aden. This year long operation involves 20 ships from Belgium, France, Britain, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Regional countries like Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have been extensively involved in naval efforts. Apart from escorting the ships, Yemen is constructing, Global Maritime Distress Service Stations (GMDSS) in Hodeida and Aden. Similarly in a joint project with Italy Yemen is setting up a Vessel Tracking System (VTS) on a chain of bases along the coast that will considerably improve surveillance capabilities. Many Asian countries such as India, Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Russia and Pakistan have dispatched their navies to the Gulf of Aden. However, Yemen remains the most consistent source of arms and military material to Somalia. Though the Yemeni government has introduced some curbs for arms sales in 2008.

Thus, in finding a solution to the conflict in Somalia and consequently the piracy issue is for working towards reduction in tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The African Union (AU) and a panel of African elder statesmen in particular should gently push the two countries towards a dialogue. The international community should intensify its efforts in securing the AU’s early deployment of the African Standby force.

Points in the Discussion:

Need to develop a frame work of cooperation at the regional level to prevent piracy, because regional cooperation is important to strengthening anti-piracy efforts in Somalia.

Efforts should be made to stem financial flows. Unfortunately most non- state actors supporting the pirates and the Islamists have followed the informal route of Hawala, creating logistical problems.

Need to examine cultural linkages between pirates and Islamist groups. Report suggests more than 70 percent of Somalis support pirates.

Conflicts between Ethiopia and Eritrea are also contributing to emergence of piracy in Somalia as well as in the region.

Need to focus Yemeni people’s role in supplying arms and extending cooperation to Somali pirates. What isn’t the Yemeni government curbing support to Somali pirates? There is a need to set up central authority to resolve the problems of piracy.

Need to focus UN resolution regarding piracy

Need to examine Somali concerns regarding India’s support to prevent piracy in the African region.

Emphasis should be given on China’s involvement in the region.

Why does Eritrea support Islamist groups in Somalia?

Prepared by M. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Research Assistant at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.