Blackbeard: Politician, Pirate or Jihadi - The Relationship Between State Failure and Piracy in Somalia

Abstract

Somalia has long been seen as a failed state and a haven for piracy that has refused any external assistance. This has suited many in the International Community (IC) as it has provided a plausible excuse for non-intervention; indeed the will to get involved has been almost non-existent since the US had its nose bloodied in 1993. However, the real situation within Somalia is not so clear-cut. First of all this paper examines what is meant by Somalia, which has never been a unified political entity; in many respects it is 2 separate countries comprising 3 distinct regions. Somalia, as currently defined, is one of the largest ethnically, religiously and linguistically homogeneous areas in Africa. Unfortunately, this has not led to peace and stability. as the regions of Somalia comprise a complicated and interwoven series of clans and sub-clans each with a distinct history, hierarchy and colonial experience. This has greatly affected how each clan regards itself and its neighbors.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2011
Accession Number
AD1020221

Entities

People

  • Philip J. Arnold

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Criminals
  • Failed States
  • Foreign Aid
  • Foreign Relations
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • Money
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • New York
  • Piracy
  • Political Systems
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Naval Engineering and Maritime Security
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Theoretical Analysis.