Bottom Up Local Security

Shockingly, local Somalis seem to be more successful than a bunch of bumbling western naval vessels.

Somali vigilantes have captured 12 armed pirates in two boats, as coastal communities begin to fight back against the sea raiders. Regional leaders at Alula and Bargaal in Somalia’s northern Puntland region told the BBC they have put together a militia of fishermen to catch pirates. They decided to act as they were fed up with their fishing vessels being seized at gunpoint by the ocean-going bandits.

Although this may be a one time or short lived venture, it represents yet another small move towards decentralized security. We’ve discussed this with regard to potential Mexican vigilante groups fighting cartels and John Robb has recently highlighted the trend in this country. Yet, although I suspect there will be much discussion of a Somali awakening or the tide turning against pirates, I remain doubtful.

First of all, piracy prevails due to the absence of the rule of law and most importantly because it is profit driven. Resistance will not change that, nor will it create some alternative source of income for those currently employed as pirates. The same goes for drug cartels. Indeed, resistance can often drive up the profit margin as is the case with the American War on Drugs.

Like the Awakening movement in Iraq, this and any further Somali vigilante action against pirates will arise from local interests, such as maintaining local tribal authority against pirate encroachment and providing local physical and resource (food) security. If we can find overlapping interests with such tribes and importantly make it profitable (in terms of resources, money, security) then perhaps there is an opportunity to work together. But we can’t assume it.