GPPi Fellow comments on the Somali piracy

GPPi Fellow Sergey Lagodinsky who is a regular guest and commentator for the Deutsche Welle (DW) TV and radio participated in the program (German) on November 28, discussing the increase in piracy off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia. When asked the question on the options available to counter this phenomenon, Lagodinsky stressed the necessity for coordinated efforts by the international community to fight piracy on the high sea and within the territorial waters of Somali in accordance with international law. Lagodinsky pointed out that according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, piracy is considered a crime under universal jurisdiction and therefore, a conventional peremptory international norm that states must uphold. Building on this solid legal foundation, Sergey suggested that any action to tackle Somali piracy requires a concerted multilateral approach. From his point of view, Russia’s willingness to join the operation to counter piracy is a sign of its interest to engage constructively with the West after the Georgia-crisis this summer. This move should be supported also to avoid Russian unilateral engagement on Somali soil, which could be a risky endeavour for the African country, Russia and the West. Lagodinsky underlined the risks of unilateral actions especially against the background of the complex situation in Somalia, but he urged the international community to have a contingency plan for invasion on the ground if countering the pirates on the sea proves ineffective. Lagodinsky also pointed out that the root causes of piracy lies in the dismembered Somali state.