European Union anti-piracy initiatives in the Horn of Africa: linking land-based counter-piracy with maritime security and regional development

Abstract

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has resulted in a steady decline in trade through the Arabian Sea and higher costs of doing business for multiple world regions. The EU has responded to the threat with a large scale anti-piracy operation in the Horn of Africa, which constitutes the first free-standing Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operation that is not entirely dependent on NATO planning and assets. The operation is designed to interdict Somali piracy operations across the Gulf of Aden and to keep some of the world's busiest sea lanes open for reasons of world trade. This article argues that the EU preoccupation with military solutions to the piracy problem, based on interventions through the Somali Federal Government with an emphasis on security, is insufficient because it fails to address the underlying causes of piracy and misunderstands the Somali socio-culturalsecurity nexus and the need for practical longer-term land-based approaches to development. The reduction of Somali piracy activities can be linked to this increased military response capacity as well as to increased security precautions undertaken by shipping companies: but none of these strategies have succeeded in dismantling piracy networks. They therefore offer only a temporary and costly stopgap measure.

Managing Threats on the High Seas: The Role of Naval Bases on Reducing Maritime Piracy

“…Modern literature has done much to increase our understanding of the naval bases-piracy nexus over the last decade. One camp sees piracy as the inevitable result of economic strains; the other ascribes to the notion of piracy as a result of wider socio-political phenomena (Rothe & Collins, 2011; Winn & Lewis, 2017). Collectively, the following factors are frequently listed in the extended literature as key determinants of piracy: overfishing; poverty in developing states; location/topographical environment; corruption/ungoverned spaces; and overlapping jurisdictional claims between the zonal administrations (Gries & Redlin, 2019; Rothe & Collins, 2011; Samatar et al, 2010; Winn & Lewis, 2017).…”

Where has the rum gone? The impact of maritime piracy on trade and transport

“…Improved armament of pirates over time may also play a role (Bendall 2010). The overall decline in pirate activity since its peak in 2011 is, however, attributed to increased naval presence and improved protection of vessels including through armed guards and increased cruise speeds (ICC IMB 2013;Winn and Lewis 2017).…”

Understanding the Connections between the EU Global Strategy and Somali Peacebuilding Education Needs and Priorities

“…Most Western literature on the subject begins by noting in some capacity that the Somali case offers ‘the longest‐running instance of complete state collapse in postcolonial history’ (Menkhaus, , p. 74). Meanwhile, Somaliland‐based authors are quick to point out the stability of their unrecognised state within Somalia, distancing themselves culturally and historically from their Southern Somali neighbours (Ali, ), underscoring Somali violence through the politics of difference (Winn and Lewis, ). In short, there is a large body of literature concerned with highlighting the interconnections between violence, politics and identity in Somali context.…”