Introduction to International Issues
The Bureau of African Affairs (p. 1) describes the geography of Somalia as a territory which is almost covered by a desert. Somalia has also rain reason by monsoon. The rate for well-educated people is 37.8% and their general health is poor because of malnutrition, HIV, and AIDS. Somalia does not have enough natural resources and they have difficult challenge for development. The International Medical Corps (p. 1) also describes East African countries like Somalia with serious problem about famine. The Somalis who seriously face famine are estimated to be about 13.3 million people (p. 1). The International Medical Corps estimates that 17,658 Somali children have hunger problem in the present year. Somalis are facing serious health problems and they look forward to international aid just like those coming from MDCs.
A major international body which is supporting Somalia is the United Nations (UN). The UN announced that three more regions of southern Somalia have famine problem since August 3, 2011 (Mercy-USA for Aid and Development, p. 1). The UN has announced a current information on September 5, 2012 that Somalia’s’ famine had spread out to Somalia’s six regions (p. 1). In addition, the UN’s estimation for dead malnourished children aged below five years old is 29,000 (p. 1). Moreover, 640,000 Somali children who really need immediate help to avoid death are seriously malnourished (p. 1). These demographic facts can be attributed as reasons why Somalis resort to piracy.
In a BBC report, more than 300 people were held hostages by several pirate groups oeprating in Somalia in the Fall of 2011 (Ziljma, p. 1). In 2010, the Somali pirates captured a record of 1,181 hostages wherein they were paid millions of dollars in ransom (p. 1). The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) accounts the Somali coast as the most dangerous stretch of international waters (p. 1). At any given time, pirates can hold at least twelve ships as hostage. These includes the occasional oil super tanker where the pirates can demand up to $25 million as ransom (p. 1).
In a Philippine news agency website, it is said that the Somali pirates are growing bolder and its activities were becoming more intensified (Manila Bulletin Website, p. 1). The pirate population is getting bigger than the past months. According to the news bureau, pirates took 625 hostages and they killed eight and injuring 41 people. The Somali pirates are armed with the latest weapons and they intimidate to police and seafarers. The article mentioned that the number of Somali pirates have decreased compared to last year, but greater problems exist when it comes to piracy related matters (p. 1). The Somali pirates developed a lot of different strategies. Even with their decrease in size, it is not still safe to travel along their territories. This article connotes that in Somalia is not safe area because of piracy and it still remains as a global cause of anxiety and international problem.
According to “The Pirate Den,” a journal article by Bridget Coggins (p. 86), the piracy off Somalia coast as of 2009 is more than half of every pirate attacks worldwide. The Somali soldiers intend and behave like mercenary hired soldiers. Coggins also said that it is really difficult to eliminate to Somali pirate in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean even though the world try as possibly as they can (p. 87). In this report, the potential bias and prejudices are validated by the difficulties faced by the Somali pirates. It also describes how this piracy turned into a global menace in the seas.
In addition, Jones (p. 1) added that Somali pirates change their varieties of tactics such as resorting to kidnapping and killing. Shipping crews from all over the world feel the menace in the Somali areas. Recently, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean became more bog-standard place to appear be hijacked by Somali pirates. However, Jones’ article did not mention why Somali pirates decided to change their strategies and how it became more dangerous than past strategies. He did not also mention how the issues need to care for seriously to the seafarers and people who are from different counties. The article, however, warned that Somali pirates will not stop to pirate. Somali pirates have made coastline a no-go area for shipping crews.
In another article entitled "Who is to Blame for the Somali Famine?” Healy (p. 13) observed that poverty and famine are two main causes why the Somalis resort to piracy. It mentions the strong determination of the US government to stop aid to Somalis after the territories were said to be controlled by the anti-western group Al-Shabaab (p. 14). The only agencies allowed to carry on their work in Somalia were the IRC and RC movements. The bias of this article is the author appear blame to the US legislation due to suspending aid and UN system, and it makes reader the US government and UN are responsible for Somali famine. This journal implies that need to consider what continuous causes allow famine to Somalia. In a similar note, Hogendoorn (p. 1) said that the US government has stop to aid Somalia because of dread that the money can be used by terrorist organization Al-shabaab. In this article, the author is biased on the US government by saying that “it seems to appear as timid for aiding the people” (p. 1). However, those behaviors can bring negative images to supporters who are really willing and very eager to keep helping Somalia. The article showed some problems related to suspending aid because of the American’s dread of terrorist organization such as Al-shabaab. It showed that the aid was stopped even if the US government has scheduled it for the Somali people. The article also featured the famine in Somalia and the response from the international community. He was impartial about the statistics on the Somali people experiencing malnourishment and how many needs help from famine.
Conclusion
There are compounded reasons for the staging or piracy in the Somali shores. However, two things are clear, one is that the Somali people urgently needs help for their famine and poverty issues. Another is that the political economy is not stable and it also needs international help. The United Nations is the most formal and legitimate body which can help a lot n solving the problem. It must be helped by the international maritime agencies as well. The help of the United States, however, is marred with controversy since the superpower upheld its aid in the issue of terrorist linkages with piracy. While it is not clear if this contention is true, the negative impact of the links of the Somali pirates with the Al shabaab is very controversial. It brings more corrosive popularity to the international maritime security concerns. The predominant short term solution to this problem is more security initiatives and more livelihood programs for the Somali people. Another is a long term approach to securing the Somali coasts with more advanced maritime security technologies and equipment.
The research presented above make up a strong body of literature to the various facets of the problem, which are economic, social, and political. The Somali people and its government are helpless in this issue. In fact, the people may have benefited more with the ransom money more than their local government can provide. They succumb to the system of piracy because they have no choice and they can very well execute it perfectly. The Somali pirates are very advanced in their skills and training. They leave the shipping crew terrified and helpless. Ultimately, they earn instant money out of this underground activity. However, this must not justify the crimes committed against the international shippers. Law and order must be established and more international agencies must coordinate their efforts to stop the piracy off the Somali shores. The restlessness of the waters in these coasts reflects the menace and the threats represented by the Somali pirates. The major implications of these bandits are numerous in terms of political and economic terms. The ransom money can be linked with terrorist operations and it signals more international security problems.
Work Cited:
Coggins, Bridget. "The Pirate Den." Foreign Policy, 180 (2010): 86-87. Academic Search
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Healy, Sally. "Who is to Blame for the Somali Famine?.” New Internationalist, 446 (2011): 13. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Hogendoorn, E. J. “Somalia Famine and International Response”. Small Wars Journal. August 7, 2011. Accessed on 01 Nov. 2012.
International Medical Corps. “Famine in East Africa”. Accessed on 30 October 2012
Jones, Bryony. “Fears grow over Somali pirates' 'new tactics' after kidnaps, killing”. CNN. October 4, 2011, Accessed on 31 October 2012
Mercy-USA for Aid and Development”. 2011. Accessed on 31 October 2012
“Somali pirates increase world attacks”. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. Oct. 20, 2011.
Accessed on 31 October 2012.
U.S. Department of State. “Background Note: Somalia”. Bureau of African Affairs. September 26, 2011. Accessed on 30 October 2012
Ziljma, A. Somali Pirates: A Guide to Somalia’s Modern Day Pirates. About.com Website. 2011. Accessed on 11 November 2012 < http://goafrica.about.com/od/africanews/a/pirates.htm>.
