Piracy off Somalia

The focus of parties interested in African security on violent conflict and international terrrorism can often relegate other important issues, such as piracy and narcotics, to the policy and scholarship periphery. The recent hijacking of a French yacht off the coast of Somalia has once again brought attention to the problem of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa and I wish to address the topic today.

On Friday, the Ponant, a luxury French yacht with a crew of 32 and no passengers was seized in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates and is now anchored off Puntland in northeastern Somalia. The vessel is being monitored by a French naval frigate in the the Indian ocean on NATO duties as well as French aircraft based in nearby Djibouti. The situation will likely be resolved in one of two ways, either a ransom will be paid or military action will be taken to free the crew and the ship.

This incident is not a rare occurence. The Somali coastal waters are considered to be among the most hazardous in the world and the International Maritime Bureau advises merchant ships to stay at least 200 nautical miles offshore. In 2007, more than 25 ships were seized in the region despite a multinational naval force that patrols the area. In February, a Danish-owned tug was released after paying a ransom of $700,000. An act condemned by the Somali government because it would only encourage further piracy.

The problem stems from a combination of complete lawlessness, an absence of economic opportunities in Somalia, and geography. Since the outbreak of civil war 18 years ago, Somalia has been torn by anarchy, famine, drought, and clan-based warlords. The Somali central government exercises little control over the country, has no effective domestic law enforcement, let alone a functioning navy. It is therefore unsurprising that few options exist for men seeking to feed their families. A large part of the population is dependent on United Nations World Food Programme food aid. Taken together with the Somalia's strategic position; 3,300 km of coastline bordering the Indian ocean approaches to Kenya and the entrance to the Red Sea and the Suez canal, the major trade route between Asia and Europe, it is understandable why the area cannot by bypassed and why piracy has become a popular method to make a living.

Beginning with a spike of incidents in 2005, (34 up from 1 the year before) Somalia quickly became one of the world's most dangerous areas for merchant vessels. Pirates in speed boats armed with AK-47's and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), attacked a cruise ship, lured smaller vessels by shooting flares and making distress calls, and attacked ships carrying United Nations food aid. In response, a multinational naval task force was set up to monitor and deter pirates but despite the efforts, the problem continues.

International law (a favorite topic of mine) has also gotten in the way. Legally, the naval task force has no standing once ships enter Somali territorial waters, for example, ships delivering aid. Normally, the national government is responsible for protecting shipping in territorial waters but Somalia has neither the resources nor the infrastructure to combat the pirates, who by default enjoy free reign. Thus, ransom has become the solution for freeing hijacked vessels and will likely continue to be the primary method until such a time as the Somali government can stop the piracy on its own. I suspect that there will be an increase in naval patrols by NATO and other concerned states but until the pirates' bases are removed on land, they will freely operate at sea.

As for the Ponant, French counter-terrrorism and hostage rescue teams are standing by in Djibouti should they be called on but even if they are, few other countries have the capabilities to provide such forces in the event that they are needed and should not be viewed as a viable long term solution.