Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa
Abstract
Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been on the rise over the last two decades. The reason behind this is the failure of the international community to focus on the hub of the region's piracy: the failed state of Somalia. The current maritime efforts to counter piracy off Somalia's coast, though costly compared to the United Nations' and the African Union's missions in Somalia, have so far produced no significant results and may even worsen the situation if expanded. Hostage rescue operations and strikes against pirate assets on Somali territory could trigger an escalation in piracy violence, while pushing piracy organizations into the hands of terrorists like Al-Shabaab that are increasing their influence on the mainland. The solution to this problem is a comprehensive approach to countering piracy, including an extensive stabilization, capacity building, economic development, and state building effort in Somalia. Though the political will to embark on such a mission may be unattainable at the moment, such an effort is necessary if piracy off the Horn of Africa is to be stopped.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 26, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA560250
Entities
People
- Kim Simonsen
Organizations
- United States Army War College