Somalia Piracy
Outline Thesis: Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Introduction I. Making Somalia more safe and stable A. Starting an effective government B. Establishing higher demands of security II. Improving Infrastructures A.
Forming a steady and firm framework B. Creating and enforcing treaties III.Finding individual or private solutions A. Hijacking ships back B. Providing private security (undercover) Conclusion Currently, “[t]he International Maritime Bureau (IMB) considers the Somalia coast to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world”. (Zijlma 1) Piracy has been an ongoing problem off the coast of Somalia of the Indian Ocean for many years now. The country of Somalia is in the need of a quick and effective change to rapidly decrease and eventually eliminate modern seaborne piracy.
Somalia will need several solutions and back-up plans in order to help make a quick and clear stop to this modern seaborne piracy. Modern seaborne piracy off the coast of Somalia can be controlled by making Somalia more safe and stable, improving the infrastructure, and finding individual or private solutions. Any of these solutions can help play a role in fixing and eliminating these unbelievable criminal acts on the sea. The first goal to help solve the problems taking place on the sea is to get Somalia going in the direction of being more safe and stable. “[N]ow that American crews” have stepped in to help out Somalia, action “against…piracy” will be “taken by the international community”. To help destroy piracy, a reasonable solution would be making Somalia safer and more stable. To begin this process Somalia will need to get “an effective government in place (Zijlma 15).
The Somali government didn’t use to take action because they were a “barely functioning government, and a few years before that there was no government at all”. Zijlma 11) The current Somali government would love to get involved and help out, but they don’t know where to exactly start. The Somali government should start by gaining “complete control of the capital Mogadishu and regions like Puntland” (Zijlma 11). They will also need to begin taking greater action as a whole in order to decrease the piracy going on in the region. An effective government would consist of taking chances, realizing and accepting it could possibly take more than just a few solutions to totally wash away the pirates, and have multiple plans in case one fails.Throughout this whole process, maintaining patience while gaining control will be the biggest challenge they will most likely face. While putting together an effective government, higher demands of security will need to be put into the equation.
The demands of high security is in high needs because “Somalia is among one of the most important shipping lanes dealing with piracy on these lanes cause lot’s of chaos and commerce” (Arons 2) without the high security ships are now paying “nearly twice what they would have paid a year ago for ransom insurance”. Arons 2) The security will need to protect the ships on and off the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean and perhaps they might need to attempt to try and take control by maneuvering the speedboats containing pirates. A step to this may deal with hosing them down with fire-hoses and firing back at any given time. However, this is up to the “captains because the pirates are operating in an area approximately four times the size of Texas, there are slim to no chances to ensure that every ship in this area will obtain a safe passage. (Zijlma 13) The other concern with raising the security and possibly taking action is keeping the captains and crew safe along with the captured crew they may fire at. Once again it’s taking chances and figuring out the most effective way for the government to take action that will lead to great success in resolving piracy. No matter what solution or route the Somali government chooses to take, improving infrastructures will be in the equation at one point or another.
To start, we will need a firm and steady framework in order to begin any process and complete any process in the hopes of getting rid of the piracy and keeping it gone and off the seas of Somalia. The first framework should be the government and working to save as many hostages taken by the pirates in a non criminal and least harmful way as possible. “The assets of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), acting with the support of an Amphibious Ready Group, are perfectly suited for this type of operation. (Lloyd 5) To begin this you will need to improve the framework of how, when, where, and take into consideration how many you will save and how many you may possibly have to let go if the infrastructure is not operating to the fullest potential possible. A way to begin improving infrastructures would be to create a well formatted treaty that can be agreed and signed by both parties.“The treaty process has evolved over the last 50 years into the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Today, almost every country on the planet has ratified the convention…except the United States.
(Porter 4) This solution may take several trial and errors to get the treaty that is right and equal full all parties involved. “The United states needs to show the pirate ringleaders that they will lose life, limb, and property if they continue with their piratical ways. ” (Lloyd 11) This is no game to play, improving the infrastructures and finding solutions that work is the best way to change the rules and not give up without a win over piracy. “Only by changing the rules of the game will the international community succeed in tackling Somali piracy. (Lloyd 11) Perhaps, just trying to hijack one of the Somalia ships back could be a fresh start to eliminating the violent acts on the seas of Somalia. In order to do this there needs to more negotiators who will be needed to watch out for any ships getting hijacked when they are to be left alone or are already Somali’s. The only problem with attempting to hijack ships back is the worry of losing American fighters and or hostages.
“These activities seem to be overshadowed and will only treat the symptoms rather than the disease itself” (Lehr 3).Hijacking back ships without the knowledge of the pirates will give the Somalia’s a better chance of losing as many men as possible because the pirates will be unprepared and not have a framework in place to take action. “The legality of different security measures (as well as their effect on insurance claims and premiums), the negotiation process with pirates and, ultimately, how to secure the safety of ships, cargoes, and crew, take priority when a ship is at sea and a threat is imminent. ”(Lawyer 8) However, this action could possibly cause harm and chaos, that Somalia must be fully ready for and be able to take ction against it. The last and final solution to modern day seaborne piracy would be to put private security around and on the seas of Somalia. These means of security will have no labels and will remain as seldom seen as possible. They will need to partake in a “list of services which include specialized antipiracy and maritime counter-terrorism operations.
” (Lehr 3) The problem is significant, and the approaches to it varied. The best way to defend against the piracy is at their point of attack — aboard the ships they approach and attempt to board.Well-armed security teams will need to be aboard them and they will need to be able to sink approaching speedboats and other vessels deemed a threat before they can come alongside, and can kill pirates as they attempt to board if that fails. Somalia needs to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don’t have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. With no government there was no hope chance in trying to make peace among the criminals participating in the violent acts on the sea.On the flip side, now that the Somalia government is back into action and ready to be in full control of the situation, it will make the process of eliminating the pirates go smoother because working together as one can help build and put together an effective government. Together they will be able to help create a safer and more stable reliable boating experience, along with the society supporting and encouraging the actions of the government.
The society should be willing to fight for what it takes to help make their seas safer and more enjoyable without the risk of outrageous acts happening right in front of their eyes.After the “welcoming release of Captain Phillips, President Obama stated his resolve to halt the rise of piracy” in the Somalia region. By taking “four immediate steps the U. s. international partners to crack down on pirate bases and decrease incentives to engage in Piracy; develop an expanded multinational response; engage with the Somali government and regional leaders in Puntland to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territories; and work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in self-defense measures. (Library 2) With this being said by the United States president, within a couple years there should be a stop to the outrageous and violent acts happening on the seas and Somalia should be in full control with an effective government on its side.Works Cited Arons, Matt.
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