The number of piracy attacks reported this year have already far exceeded those of last year. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as of September 23, 2009, 294 piratical incidents have been reported, with 97 occurring in the Gulf of Aden and 47 off of the remaining coasts of Somalia. Figure 1 shows the placements of pirate attacks within the Gulf of Aden from July to September, 2009.
Multinational concentration has been placed on reducing attacks by increasing international naval defense efforts. In April, NATO allotted vessels from its Standing Maritime Group One to counter piracy activities (Defense News, 2009). Yet, even as the Gulf of Aden becomes inundated with defensive efforts, piracy continues to grow and be an international frustration. This post explores some of the factors likely contributing to this trend and their impacts on addressing this international malady.
Civil Unrest
Since 1991, Somalia, located on the Indian Ocean in Eastern Africa, has had “no permanent national government” due to civil war (US CIA, 2009). The formation of a transitional, parliamentary government is continuing. Since this time, as seen in Figure 2, the government effectiveness index, which measures "the quality of public service provision, the quality of the bureaucracy, the competence of public servants, and the independence of the civil service from political pressures," has decreased to one of the lowest in the region.
Similarly, Rule of law, which measures "the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society," has become nearly non-existent as shown in Figure 3.
Migration
As mentioned in a journal piece from Mark Bowden of The Philadelphia Inquirer, “[o]ne of the things Somalia lacks is a capable, homegrown movement of educated, determined nationalists capable of…standing up for the interests of people who just want a stable, civil society.” For example, from 2005 to 2007, large populations have poured out of the country as refugees and asylum seekers. Figure 4 displays Somalia as one of the top refugee producing countries in the region in 2007, with 5 percent of the population being refugees (nearly 455,000 people).
Hunger
Those who have fled Somalia may have been trying to avoid the plight of hunger attributed to poor rainfall in addition to poor governance felt by many who have stayed. In 2001, the World Food Program estimated a half a million people in southern Somalia suffered from food shortages. From 2002 to 2005, the Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations’ (FAO) Food Hunger Map, as shown in Figure 5, shows Somalia as having one of the highest populations of undernourished people in the world.
Again, in September 2009, the World Food Program issued a warning including Somalia as one of the countries which included 20 million people in the horn of Africa needing food aid due to two years of insufficient rainfall.
The Impact
In a vast population suffering from hunger, a brain drain, and an absence of a stable government, citizens have been left to find their own means of survival. In a domino effect, aid organizations have been left with few resources and allies for collecting information to accurately measure Somalia’s needs. An article (link) written by BBC in April 2009, for example, attempts to estimate an average income in Somalia of “around $650 (£ 435),” but notes that the country is too unruly for “accurate statistics.” Perhaps this also explains why data have been consistently reported as “not available” from the FAO for per capita food supplies from 1999-2001; “no data” have been reported between 1990 and 2005 by FAO on annual rates of change in food consumption and population growth; and data are “not available” between 1991 and 2008 of employment statistics from the International Labor Office. The result is near anarchy with little hope for accurately directed human assistance, a nurturing environment for piracy.
Recent Pirate Attacks
The ICC Commercial Crimes Services tracks the pirate attacks within the Port of Aden and the surrounding waters. This month alone, 2 attacks have been reported. However, limited specific information is available, with no mention of cause of attack.
Conclusion
With nearly no social statistics coming from the state and few documented details as to why the attacks occur, it is difficult to say with certainty the extent which social indicators like civil unrest, migration, and hunger in Somalia are attributing to piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Yet, based on the information that is available, piratical activities strongly appear to be a symptom of these struggles. What is clear is the need for an international focus on stable state governance that could set the stage for exploring such a study in more depth. Without this attempt, defense efforts in piracy could be long standing and fruitless.
EarthTrends Data Sets:
Politics and Freedom: Government Effectiveness Index
Politics and Freedom: Rule of Law Index
Displaced Persons: Refugees by country of origin
Photo Credit:
ABC News
