Countering African Maritime Piracy: Guiding Maritime Security Decisions through Incident-Level Characteristics

• In Event: Criminal Markets: Piracy, Diamonds, Gambling and Counterfeit Goods

Abstract

Maritime piracy off the coast of eastern Africa became international news with the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama in 2009. Shortly after, the United Nations Security Council began issuing resolutions attempting to counter piracy operations off the coasts of Africa. The Security Council resolutions allowed international intervention in the Gulf of Aden and international cooperation between West African states in the Gulf of Guinea. However, these interventions may not be suited to address piracy that occurs in different locations, such as in port, national waters, and transnational waters. Therefore, this study’s research question is how do piracy operations and outcomes compare between incidents in maritime ports, national waters, and international waters? The data to answer this question originates from a database of over 1800 cases of maritime piracy between Eastern and Western Africa from 2000 through 2014 obtained from the International Maritime Organization. This paper will use the data to provide policy-relevant guidance related to anti-piracy operations in the regions.

Author

• Matthew Mark Sweeney, University of Massachusetts, Lowell