The political economy of Somali piracy : unravelling the actors, their motivations and activities, 2005-2011
Abstract
Understanding piracy as a criminal business enterprise only presents a
partial portrait of what is otherwise a complex phenomenon. Somali piracy
could be better understood if it were framed as a multi-layered engagement
whose various actors’ participation is driven by varied motivations beyond
commentators, scholars and analysts’ explanations of the phenomenon as
a struggle for control, domination and fierce competition among actors.
This article seeks to illustrate the facets of Somali piracy through the lens
of a political economy approach to provide a nuanced consideration of the
various actors who participated in the piracy economy, what motivated them
to participate in this economy and suggests the functions of the economies
which emerge. Such an endeavour, unlike the past, will not glorify a few
people or groups but will attempt to reveal the many other actors and their
activities. Through the mining of secondary sources and newspaper articles,
the authors demonstrate how the collapsed economy of Somalia after the Siad
Barre regime opened many economic opportunities for a variety of people in
Somalia and beyond. This provides not only a different but also a disaggregated
explanation of piratical activities in the Horn of Africa and a foundation of
targeted interventions to end the scourge.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Competitive intelligence in emerging economies: A comparative study between Brazil and South Africa
Sewdass, N; Du Toit, A S A (2015)Competitive intelligence (CI) has long been recognised as a strategic management tool that could enhance competitiveness. CI is expected to play an essential developmental role in emerging economies. The need to enhance ... -
A comparative assessment of the economic benefits from shale gas extraction in the Karoo, South Africa
Wait, R.; Rossouw, R. (UNISA, 2014)It has been said that the development of a shale gas industry could be a 'game changer' for South Africa. Proponents of shale gas tend to emphasise the benefits, whilst opponents emphasise the environmental costs. This ... -
Tax reform within a digitalised economy: tax, technology and assurance
Strauss, H. (North-West University (South Africa), 2021)Tax administration within the digitalised economy is currently under scrutiny, globally, due to the disruption that the digitalisation of the economy caused in traditional tax administration processes and policies. The ...