The history of piracy in Somalia - Motivations and methods from the beginnings to the present

Abstract

Somalia - one of the poorest, most underdeveloped and politcally most unstable countries - has recently become the focus of international attention due to the currently common pirate attacks. The reason for this is the unpecedented increase of piracy in Somalia, which has significant consequences for international trade and for various dimensions onf international security. The present paper wishes to analyze and outline the emergence and process of pirate activity.