Somalia and The Problem Of Piracy in International Law
Somalia and The Problem Of Piracy in International Law

Summary/Abstract: This article looks at the events off the Somali Coast, which have once again thrown the spotlight on one of the oldest topics in international law: the law on piracy. Following an analysis of the situation in Somalia and the origins of, and reasons for, the existence of piracy there, the definition of piracy in international law is examined in detail. This is followed by a survey of the UN Security Council’s reactions to the Somali situation. The main argument made by the authors is that neither the numerous attempts by American academics to broaden the definition of piracy nor the Security Council’s ad-hoc decisions to create new ways of enforcing the law on piracy offer an adequate solution to the problem. No matter how international law is manipulated by outsiders, piracy will continue to be a fact of life in Somalia – and other places – as long as the severe social and political problems of such a dysfunctional, failed state remain unaddressed.

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