The lack of central government in Somalia has led to lawlessness on its coastline. Since the fall of national government in the early 90s there has been instability and power struggle between the national government and Islamic insurgents. Today the continuous greed for power has caused many Somalian to live without good shelters, balanced diet, jobs, schools and the lack of good medical aid. The decades of civil unrest has led to insecurity and lack of job opportunity, which has caused young unemployed men to become pirates in order to find a source of income. These unemployed men known universally as Somalia pirates are groups of well- armed men that use fast-moving skiffs to pull alongside their prey and scamper on board with ladders or sometimes even rusty grappling hooks. Once on deck, they hold the crew at gunpoint until a ransom is paid, usually $1 million to $2 million (Brice 1). The International Herald Tribune online publication reported that, as of the month of October 2008, more than 75 ships have been hijacked by Somalia pirates on the Gulf of Aden in demand for ransom over 5 millions before each vessels can be released(Gentleman 1). In 2005, since the rebels captured the national port from the government, Somalia’s lawlessness had extended beyond its territorial waters. The lawlessness has caused piracy on the Gulf of Aden, which has resulted into the worst humanitarian crises in the history of East Africa and the world (Brice 1).
Pirates’ activities in Somalia have caused the majority of the population to starve. Because of pirates attacks on vessels, humanitarian ships have suspended food aid to these poor people who are desperately in need of food supplies and medical aid. The United Nation World Food Program (UNWFP) that has been helping to feed thousands of people in war torn Somalia was forced to suspend its food supplies in October because of the escalating attacks on vessels. According to the spoke man for UNWFP, the organization is currently afraid due to the aggressive attacks on vessels because 95 percent of its food supplies are transported by sea. Today because of piracy on the coast of Somalia, thousands of people residing in displaced camps due to the ongoing instability in the country are currently suffering from food shortage (Brice 1).
Piracy on the coast of Somalia has also disrupted maritime trade. The huge demand for millions of dollars and the aggressive attacks on vessels by Somalia pirates along the Gulf of Aden, which has the southern gateway to the heavily trafficked Suez Canal, has also affected global maritime trade. According to the International Maritime Organization, over 48,000 vessels traveled on these bodies of waters every year, transporting oil from the Middle East to North America and goods from Asia to Europe. The presence of pirates has decreased the amount of vessels and has led to high increases in insurances, shipment transportation and fuel costs. Their danger on the coast has caused ships extra days to deliver goods to final destinations, which has led to high fuel consumptions because vessels transporting goods from Asia to Europe now have to travel around Cape of Good Hope to get to Europe. Instead of one or two weeks of delivery, vessels have to take three to four weeks before delivering goods to customers, which might also lead to products deprecation and damages (IMO).
Even the act of piracy on the coast of Somalia has led to an increase in armed conflict within the country and other parts of the region. Ransom collected from vessels is helping to provide arm and ammunitions for rebels in Somalia and the Darfur region. The Chatham House, a London based institute that study international issues reported in October 2008 that $18 to $30 million paid by hijacked vessels this year is helping to support the war in Somalia. As a result of the financial support, there has been continuous violence in the country. Rebels have burned down towns and villages and they have raped women and forced children to become child soldiers. Their presence on the coast has also inflamed the crises in neighboring country Sudan (Middleton 1).
However, despite all the attacks and instability one possible solution to this problem is stabilized government with well-equipped military that would protect its territorial waters because the present interim government lacks the military power to do so due to Islamic insurgent attacks. Somalia needs urgent western interventions from the international community to possibly help to resolve the war and clear piracy of its coast in order to allowed food aid into the country and restore the ease on maritime trade. With the help of Western intervention and the cooperation of the current interim government, Somalia can have stabilized government and an effective military coast guard and police to stop its sea lawlessness.
Work Cited
Brice, Author. “Somalia piracy threatens trade, boosts terrorists, analysis say.”
The CNN News. 1 Oct.2008. Oct 18, 2008
Gentleman, Jeffery. “Somalia's pirates flourish in a lawless nation.” International Herald Tribune: The global edition of New York Times. 31 Oct.2008. Dec 1, 2008
International Maritime Organization.
Middleton, Roger. “Piracy in Somalia: Threatening Global Trade, Feeding Local Wars.” The Chatham House online publication. Oct.2008. Oct 31, 2008
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