Somalia, which lies on the eastern coast of Africa, has been a nation of turmoil for many years. Political struggles continue today.
Born from War
Somalia's history is marked by a number of wars. The new Somali government, whose constitution is provided in the banner link, was the first legitimate government in Somalia for 19 years (BBC, 2014). A bloody civil war that lasted from 1991-2006 marked the birth of the fledgling state's new government, which was not established until 2012 (BBC, 2014).
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The Rise of Piracy
The civil war, coupled with continuous exploitation, led to the rise of piracy as the most lucrative form of organized crime in Somalia (Tharoor, 2009). This industry developed from the illegal fishing of many world powers around the horn of Africa. As Tharoor writes in his article for Time, that with "fishing fleets from around the world illegally plundering Somali stocks and freezing out the country's own rudimentarily-equipped fishermen. According to another U.N. report, an estimated $300 million worth of seafood is stolen from the country's coastline each year" (2009). Pirates in Somalia have become notorious for taking hostages and ships, and were even brazen enough to fire upon a US Naval cruiser at one point. The massive pirate gangs have also become quite lucrative, although there has been a decline in recent years. Somali piracy started with poor fisherman defending their enterprises from foreign powers, however, according to Tharoor, "Most of the pirates, observers say, are not former fishermen, but just poor folk seeking their fortune" (2009). Piracy has since dropped sharply, since a major international effort was made in 2012, although the problem still remains (BBC, 2014).
For more information on Somali piracy, click here |
Why It's Important
The conflicts with Somali pirates ultimately had an avoidable cause to begin with. Although now most pirates are only in it for the lucrative criminal gains, the conflict started with illegal fishing (Tharoor, 2009). The face of Somali piracy today might be brutal, but the pirates started as concerned fishermen trying to survive while having no chance at competing with international companies. Somalia has some of the most expansive and most useful coastline in all of Africa, but the Somali people had no chance to reap the benefits. Civil War, international neglect, poor business practices, and an exploitation of Somali waters has led to the country becoming one of the most notorious failed states in the world. Things could be looking up, however, as a new government is in power, and as the first video demonstrates, although the fledgling state is experiencing some difficulty, it seems as if it is ready to take charge of its country and become more politically autonomous. Somalia is looking to a new era that will hopefully not be marked by violence.
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References
Somalia Profile. October 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094503 (accessed April 18, 2015).
Tharoor, Ishaan. Time. April 18, 2009. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892376,00.html (accessed April 16, 2015).
Somalia Profile. October 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094503 (accessed April 18, 2015).
Tharoor, Ishaan. Time. April 18, 2009. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892376,00.html (accessed April 16, 2015).