Laden 1 Daniel Laden Ms.

Troy AP English Literature February 28, 2014 Poverty and Piracy: The Way of Life in Somalia Somalia is a failed country. It is a country of death and destruction, locked in a seemingly endless civil war. It has no central government, an impoverished, famished population, and is run by brutal warlords. To simply survive, Somalis must resort to illegal activities like terrorism and piracy. Somali piracy has been much publicized in recent years, even resulting in major Hollywood films like Captain Phillips. What isnt as highly publicized however, is why this war-torn country has had to resort to piracy. Somalia is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, and is in the midst of a brutal famine. It has a horrible infrastructure, no healthcare, and drastically low levels of education. To make matters worse, due to the lack of a stable government and economy, agriculture is the largest legal industry, and with a very unpredictable and drought-ridden climate, farmers produce little crops, and make barely any money. With no stable government to work for, no education to better allow them to make money, and a crumbling agricultural industry Somalis were backed in to a corner with nowhere else to turn. Simply to survive, they have had to resort to piracy as a means to combat their horrible living conditions and feed themselves and their families, as well as improve their communities.

Laden 2 Since 1991, Somalia has been torn apart by a brutal and bloody civil war, resulting in widespread poverty and famine. Unemployment is very high in Somalia, with some of the more impoverished areas reaching almost 100% unemployment, with almost all residents living in horrible slums. Somalis live on almost no income, and with an average income of only $140 a year, families struggle to survive. Fishing used to be one of Somalias major industries, but the industry has declined so much that fishermen earn just $5 a day if (they are) lucky enough to land a decent catch (Freeman). Somalias legal economy is very sparse, with its major exports being agricultural products like bananas, coconuts, and sugarcane. There is little industry in Somalia; textile factories exist, but are few and far between. The horrible quality of life in Somalia expands far past solely income and economics. Somalia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with over 10% of children dying before they reach the age of five. This high infant mortality rate can be attributed to a number of factors. The World Food Program estimates that at least 70 percent of Somalis are undernourished (World Vision). This lack of proper nutrients can lead to mothers being unable to raise healthy children. The children that do survive live lives of poverty and famine, with fewer than a quarter of them being able to attend school. This minimal school attendance rate has caused Somalia to have a terrible literacy rate as well. Fewer than 40% of Somalis are able to read and write. Somalia also has a very low life expectancy, with the average person dying around 50 years of age. The high infant mortality rates as well as the very low life expectancy can be caused by malnourishment, but also widespread disease and famine. Many of the diseases that affect Somalia may be

Laden 3 waterborne, due to the fact that only 30 percent of Somalis have access to safe and clean water, and even less people have access to adequate sanitation facilities (World Vision). Somalia is a poverty stricken, third world country with a starving population living on minimal wages. The vast majority of its population is uneducated, and illiterate. All of these factors contribute to the terrible economic conditions in Somalia, and drive its citizens to illegal acts such as piracy. The first instances of piracy in Somalia werent exactly typical actions of pirates. Somalia piracy began as an effort to drive commercial fishing vessels, and stop them from completely destroying the already much depleted Somali fishing grounds. Before the overharvesting of the local fish population, fishing was one of Somalias largest industries. The original pirates were only seeking to protect their way of life. These Somalis were attempting to protect their marine resources and were not interested in looting the merchant marine (Samatar, et al. 1385). As commercial fishing continued to destroy Somalias fishing grounds, the Somalis had to turn to other means for income. With a devastated economy, the Somalis had nowhere else to turn; they returned to their previous fishing grounds with an entirely new purpose: Piracy. The Somalis found piracy to be a very efficient means of acquiring money to support their families and improve their communities. One pirate stated that, I became a pirate because I realized it was the only way a Somali like me can make good money (Freeman). As the piracy industry grew, more and more money was made. The piracy business began to flourish, ransom cash from piracy (provided) the first boom in living memory. Smart new villas were popping up amid the

Laden 4 squalor, and brand new SUVs cruised the streets (Freeman). It rapidly became a multi-billion dollar industry (Ford). As piracy fever took over, it changed from a way to escape extreme poverty and help the Somalis simply survive, to a means to get rich. They began throwing big parties, with girls, lots to drink, and plenty of qhat [the narcotic leaf chewed by Somalis] (Freeman). The way of life of those who turned to piracy was dramatically changed. Pirates became greedy, desiring more and more money to support their newfound lavish lifestyle, which led to increased pirate activity. Piracy in Somalia began as a means to combat poverty, but soon transformed into a way to get rich and live a wild life of excess. While poverty might have triggered the first wave of attacks, it is greed that has built the momentum of piracy in Somalia. (Ford). Piracy is without a doubt a heinous crime, but the Somalis view the pirates as modern day Robin Hoods, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. In a sense, this is true. One pirate claimed that were not murderers, we just attack ships (Bahadur). Pirates base their strategy on speed and intimidation, speeding toward target ships, shooting their weapons in the air. But rarely do the pirates actually resort to violence when it comes to their victims. Often times, they kidnap the crew of the vessel and hold them for ransom. While the pirates do treat their victims harshly, they rarely actually kill or seriously injure them. Once the pirates are able to obtain their ransom, the money is divided amongst various parties. Approximately 30% of the money goes to the pirates themselves, those who actually carry out the attack. 10% goes to the local militia who guard and control the pirates territory. About half of the money is delegated for the sponsors and financers of the

Laden 5 operation. The remaining ransom money is then distributed out into the community as charity, with most of it going to the villages elders, and the disabled. While the pirates do keep a considerable amount of the loot for themselves, they give a good portion of it to the community, thus making them be seen as Robin Hood like figures. While piracy remains a prominent threat to ships traveling of the Somalia coast, the number of successful attacks has actually decreased. One pirate guessed that only 20%-30% of attempted hijackings met with success, for which he blamed speedy prey, technical problems and foreign naval or domestic intervention (Bahadur). While the U.S. navy does intervene with piracy cases when American citizens are at risk, this comes at a great cost. The direct expenses associated with deploying a single frigate to the Horn of Africa amount to around $1.3 million a month (Chalk). While most of us feel relatively unaffected by piracy occurring half way around the world, it still affects American taxpayers due to the expensive nature of launching a warship to combat piracy. The cost of deploying one frigate to the Gulf of Aden for six months could theoretically cover the wages of 100,000 police officers over the same time period (Chalk). Piracy doesnt only cost those directly affected by the crimes, but also those who have to finance their rescue. Piracy is a grave issue facing Somalia as well as the rest of the world affected by their crimes. Piracy can be fought with force, or solved by paying ransom; however, neither of those options offer a long-term solution to the piracy problem. The only way to truly combat piracy in Somalia is to move from the ocean onto the shore. Somalia is in desperate need of a strong and stable central government,

Laden 6 something it has lacked for a very long time. A central government will be able to stimulate, and regulate Somalias devastated economy. It will allow Somalis to rebuild their country, and move on from barbaric acts like piracy. It will take a very strong leader to rally Somalias citizens, and overcome the countless brutal warlords battling for control, but if someone is able to do so, it will have a profound affect for the countrys well being. Somalias current president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has made it his mission to create a stable Somali state that can deliver essential services throughout the country to reduce poverty and create opportunity(World Bank). If he is able to do this, he will instill a new era in Somalia, an era defined by the absence of piracy. However, like the countless leaders before him, his task will prove very difficult, almost impossible. Somalia is in the midst of a horrific famine, and a time of great political and economic strife. Its people were forced to take up piracy as a way to stay alive. As the piracy industry grew, greed began to take over, causing the pirates to desire excess, instead of the bare essentials they originally wanted to obtain. However, the pirates do tend to be nonviolent toward their victims once captured, and even give some of their ransom money back to the community. Even though many Somalis view it as a positive thing, piracy must be stopped. It is very costly to combat it and to pay countless ransoms. The only way for Somalia to escape this time of great strife, highlighted by the presence of piracy, and no longer be a failed nation, is to rally around a strong leader who can repair the broken country. Somalia is a failed state, with a devastated economy, an impoverished and starving population. However, it is not a country without hope. If this hope and desire for a better

Laden 7 tomorrow is able to flourish, Somalia might be able to pull itself up from the dark hole it has fallen so far down.

Laden 8 Works Cited Bahadur, Jay. "Somali Pirate: 'We're Not Murderers... We Just Attack Ships.'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 May 2011. N. pag. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.

Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Chalk, Peter. "Piracy Off the Horn of Africa: Scope, Dimensions, Causes and Responses." The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Spring 2010. N.pag.Web.

"Ending Somali Piracy Will Need On-Shore Solutions and International Support to Rebuild Somalia." Worldbank.org. The World Bank, 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

Ford, Neil. "The Calm Before the Storm." N.pag., Aug. 2012. Web.

Freeman, Collin. "Piracy and Terrorism: Why Somalia?" The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. N.pag. 04 Dec. 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Samatar, Abdu Ismail, Mark Lindberg, and Basil Mahayni. "The Dialectics of Piracy in Somalia: The Rich vs. the Poor." Third World Quarterly, 2010. Web.

"Somalia." World Vision. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Laden 9 RIP 1 Freeman, Collin. "Piracy and Terrorism: Why Somalia?" The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 04 Dec. 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. Colin Freeman is a journalist for The Telegraph, a newspaper based in Great Britain. Freeman is the Chief Foreign Correspondent for The Telegraph and has worked there for 5 years. He covers stories spanning the globe, from Africa, Europe, the Middle Ease and Asia. While reporting on Piracy in Somalia, he was actually kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom, giving him a first hand account of the lives and motives of Somali pirates. In this article, Freeman outlines his experiences with the Somali pirates, as well as discussing the pirates motives, and their reasons for becoming pirates. By including quotations from the pirates themselves, Freeman presents his argument that Somalis initial resorted to piracy because they had no other option, but then became greedy, which increased pirate activity. Somalia has been the textbook definition of a failed state ever since lapsing into an intractable clan-based civil war in 1991 (Freeman). This quotation shows Somalias lack of a stable government. It is run by brutal warlords whose only goal is to make as much money as they can. Without the stable government it so desperately needs, Somalia continues to plunge further and further into poverty. It is tragic that an entire country can be devastated by poverty and piracy for so long, and continues to be unable to help itself. Ransom cash from piracy was providing the first boom years in living memory (Freeman). This quotation illustrates how widespread piracy is in Somalia. Piracy and other illegal activities are the only successful industry in Somalia. This

Laden 10 quotation also shows how greed began to become a motive for piracy. With their ransom money, pirates became very wealthy, and the economy boomed. After living lives in horrible poverty, the pirates enjoyed this sudden excess, and desired to continue their extravagant lives, instead of their original motives of providing for their families and communities. Nearly 100 sailors are still being kept hostage from past hijackings, some of them having spent more than three years as captives (Freeman). This excerpt shows the unwillingness of some countries to pay ransoms, and how piracy affects a great number of people. Piracy is a great hassle and pain to the countries it affects causing them to sometimes have to delay ransom payments, which harms the innocent captives. It also causes great distress to the families of captives, knowing their loved ones are being held hostage for long periods of times. However, this passage also shows that the pirates are normally true to their word by not harming their captives, and holding them until the ransom is paid.

Laden 11 RIP 2 Bahadur, Jay. "Somali Pirate: 'We're Not Murderers... We Just Attack Ships.'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 May 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. Jay Bahadur is a very accomplished journalist, working for The New York Times, The Times of London, The Guardian, as well as being a correspondent for CBS News. He also is an advisor to the U.S. State Department on the issue of global piracy. He wrote a book titled The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World describing his journey through Somalia, interviewing and living amongst pirates. He began to fish a different species, lashing out at those who could outcompete him on the ocean floor (Bahadur). This quotation shows a Somali mans motive for becoming a pirate. Commercial fishing vessels decimated the Somalis fishing grounds, eliminating one of their most profitable industries. The now jobless fisherman turned to piracy, and began attacking the commercial fishing vessels that had put them out of business. Somalias already poor economy and fishing capability could not compete with the large foreign vessels, and their lack of government made them unable to stop the overfishing. The depleted fishing grounds then became the pirates hunting ground. He and his men do not discriminate, but would go after any ship hapless enough to wander into their sights (Bahadur). This excerpt highlights the rash and indiscriminate nature of the pirates. They attack ships with a reckless abandon, and with complete disregard as to where the ship is from our what cargo it is carrying. This careless nature is one reason the Somali pirates are so infamous. Any vessel large or small unlucky enough to be seen by pirate vessels is an immediate target.

Laden 12 Boyahs moral compass seemed to be divided between sea and shore; he warned me, half-jokingly, not to run into him in a boat, but, despite my earlier misgivings, assured me that he was quite harmless on land (Bahadur). This quote shows that piracy is a true business in Somalia, with normal men becoming pirates. The pirates believe themselves to be modern day Robin Hoods, taking from rich corporations that own the vessels they hijack, and giving to their impoverished communities. They do not harm their victims; they just hold them hostage until the ransom is paid. While they are violent and intimidating on the sea, once they return to land, they help their communities and dont harm their victims.

Laden 13

RIP 3 Chalk, Peter. Piracy Off the Horn of Africa: Scope, Dimensions, Causes and Responses. The Brown Journal of World Affairs. 2010. Peter Chalk is the senior political scientist for the RAND Corporation and graduate of the University of British Columbia. He investigates international security issues in in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Chalk also testifies before the U.S. Senate on international security issues, and terrorism. He is a professor at the Naval Academy Postgraduate School, and he has previously taught at multiple other universities. He focuses his studies on terrorism and piracy throughout the world. The pirate commander will be connected to his community and thus able to draw upon an extensive personal network for protection and problem solving (Chalk). Pirate leaders are pillars of the community, giving portions of their ransom to those in need. Somali communities often revolve around piracy, with them men taking to the seas to support their families and improve their lives. Everyone in the pirate community, from the elders to the children support the piracy process. They help in any way they can to better their communities using the pirates ransom money. In the words of one gang member: When you capture a ship people treat you like a president (Chalk). In this excerpt, Chalk illustrates the high status that pirates hold in Somalia. Pirates are heroes, some of the rare few Somalis that are able to better themselves and the world around them. Pirates make more money than most Somalis could dream of in their horrible economy. When pirates capture a

Laden 14 ship, the whole community benefits. People know that once the ransom is obtained, it will be distributed out into the community, all of whom so desperately need it. In the mind of Somalis, piracy is a very positive thing, and when the pirates are successful, their triumph is celebrated. The scale and incidence of maritime criminality in this region is, at root, an extension of the land-bases violence, lawlessness, and general poverty that has plagued Somalia since the fall of the Said Barre Dictatorship in 1991 (Chalk). This quotation illustrates the fact that the lack of a stable government in Somalia is one of the major factors contributing to the rampancy of piracy. On land, Somalia is run by harsh warlords, where crime is the way of life. This widespread crime was then expanded into the sea in the form of piracy. With no government to stimulate the economy to give Somalis a viable alternative to piracy, they are forced to continue to make money in illegal ways.