Countering the Somali Pirates: Harmonizing the International Response

• Main Author: Richard Weitz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Henley-Putnam University 2009-01-01
• Series: Journal of Strategic Security
• Subjects: Africa; International institutions; International security; Maritime piracy; Transnational crime
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=jss

The growing threat to international shipping in the Gulf of Aden and neighboring regions from pirates operating off the shores of lawless Somalia has engendered an unparalleled global response. Over the past year, numerous international security organizations as well as national governments have organized many separate multilateral and single-country maritime security operations in the Horn of Africa region. Despite the unprecedented extent of this effort, this mishmash of ad hoc multinational and national initiatives has had only a limited effect. These various contingents typically have conflicting mandates and rules of engagement. They have also become fixated on responding to immediate problems rather than organizing a robust regional maritime structure, which could replace the foreign fleets when they inevitably withdraw.