Somalia Piracy: Responses of the United Nations and International Community

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Sunday, March 1, 2009
Author: 
Michael Plachta
Volume: 
25
Issue: 
3
Abstract: 
Piracy is considered to occur in international waters while armed robbery at sea occurs in territorial waters or in port. These activities illustrate a broader problem of criminality which involves ships and seafarers. For long piracy has been a problem mostly associated with the Malacca Straits between Indonesia and Malaysia, but it is now a growing issue for fragile African states. Piracy has been a problem in Somali waters for at least ten years. Piracy off the coast of Somalia is growing at an alarming rate and threatens to drastically disrupt international trade. It provides funds that feed the vicious war in Somalia and could potentially become a weapon of international terrorism or a cause of environmental disaster...[more]