아프리카ㆍ중동

The purpose of this article is to analyses Piracy as a Problem of International Politics, particularly on the Piracy off the coast of Somalia. Although the issue of piracy recently rather dropped out of the top headlines the world's ocean have certainly not become any safer, on the contrary, the level of risk remains high, especially around the horn of Africa. The spectacular rise of piracy along the Horn of Africa in the past years has brought the topic to the top of most international agendas. The international community has reacted promptly the Somalia's piracy: since 2008, the EU, NATO and several countries have sent vessels to protect ships sailing in the area. However, most experts agree that the problem has to be dealt with on the long term and within Somalia, rather than out at sea. The existence of a causal link between Somalia’s internal situation and piracy is now accepted by most observers. However, there is still a significant information gap regarding the true nature of the connection between the situation onshore and offshore, as well as the concrete organization of piracy within the country. The collapse of the central state in Somalia has certainly contributed to the development of piracy. However, it is not sufficient as an explanation of the phenomenon’s main features. Rebuilding state institutions appears to be the most efficient way of fighting piracy on the long term, but the complexity of Somalia’s internal situation requires a realistic approach for the short and medium term. The international community has to take the security,political, economic and social characteristics of Somalia into consideration and make sure that the actors involved in the country’sreconstruction process are willing to and capable of fighting piracy efficiently.