Post on 14-Dec-2015
Thesis
• A historical lack of governance, indifferent/impotent international response and a proximity to huge wealth has made piracy a ‘weapon of the weak.’ (Samatar et al 2011)
Scope
• International Relevance and Consequences• Somali Conflict History• Relevant Actors and Perceptions of Piracy• The Economy of Piracy• Theories Applicable to Piracy• Conclusions
Regional Maritime Trade
• 8% of World Trade.• 33 Million TEU per
Annum.
• 50% of Europe’s Oil.• 3.2 Million Barrels Per
Day.
Routes
• Gulf of Aden is a crossroads for East-West trade.
• Economic Consequences of disruption:
• Closure of these sea lanes estimated to add 30% to prices of all freight.
From To NM Via Suez NM Via Cape Horn/Panama
% miles saved
Jeddah Piraeus 1320 11207 88
Tokyo Rotterdam 11192 14507 23
Ras Tanura New York 8281 11794 30
Colombo New York 8600 14073 39
Singapore New York 10133 12506 19
Legality
• Very limited provision for enforcement within international law. UN Convention on the Law of the Sea states that :
• “All States shall cooperate to the fullest possible extent in the repression of piracy on the high seas or in any other place outside the jurisdiction of any State.”
Article 100, UNCLOS.
• “We lack a practical and reliable legal finish.”Admiral M Fox USNCommander 5th Fleet.
Historical Pattern of the conflict in Somalia
• Siyad Barre 1969• 1977-1991• Somali military vs Somali National
Movement (SNM) 1988• Government forces vs growing number of
clan based liberation movements (1989-1991)
Historical Pattern of the conflict in Somalia
• United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM), 1993-1994
• Post 9/11 the Arta Peace Conference in 2000• Transitional Federal Government (TFG) 2004
–current
History and Roots of Piracy
• Different types of Piracy• Political Pirates• Defensive Pirates• Resource Piracy• Ransom Pirates
Causes Of Somali Piracy
• Illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste• Poverty and unemployment• Lack of legal and maritime counterstrategies• Lack of government, security, and
accountability• Globalisation and technology
Regional Actors
Somali Pirates on a fishing vessel, January 6, 2012. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)
International Actors
Flying on board a Panther helicopter dispatched from the French frigate, Le Floreal, a crew member watches a commercial ship during a supervision mission on January 11, 2009, in the Gulf of Aden. (Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)
Different Perceptions
• Sympathetic to pirates
• Pirates as criminals
• Linked to terrorists?
(REUTERS/Bundeswehr)
The Economy of Piracy
- Average ransom: $5 million - Total ransoms collected in 2011: $159 million
(HO/AFP/Getty Images)
Parachute dropping $3 million in ransom to pirates who hijacked the Sirius Star supertanker from Saudi Arabia
(REUTERS/David B. Hudson/U.S. Navy photo/Handout)
Pirate Network
Seized document from 2010 outlining the distribution of shares amongst pirate network (United Nations Security Council, 2011)
Economic Impact on Somali Communities
People gather to collect their share of a ransom (REUTERS/Mohamed Ahmed)
Beneficial?
Theories
• Duffield:– Insured and non-insured/surplus population– Containment
• Rational choice theory/ Greed vs. Grievance – First grievance due to over-fishing and waste
dumping, slowly turned to greed, but not solely founded in greed.
– Islam’s role in order, not economy – Moral flexibility: “one man’s coast guard is another
man’s pirate”
“Robin Hood's conversion to royal archer may be a myth, but the myth records a practice.” Tilly: 1985: 173
Charles Tilly and Somali Pirates
Samatar
• Conditions for piracy to exist • Moral economy • Types of pirates: resource, defensive,
political, and ransom.– A simplicities, unbalanced perception of piracy in
the West enrages Somalis • “Thus Somalis see the discourse on piracy as
a clear manifestation of the double standards used in the international system.” (1389)
Conclusion
• Solutions? – Samatar: addressing the root causes of the
different types of piracy– Tilly, pirates as future state consolidators?– Pirates are not fish, external
interference/commitment– too high expectations, a mediocre government
now is better than a perfect one in 50 years• Answer question clearly