An analysis of the issue of piracy in the Horn of Africa through the lens of the Securitization Theory of the Copenhagen School

Abstract

During the early 21st century, there was an unprecedented increase in piracy and armed robbery in various regions of the globe, but especially in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea and Southeast Asia. The Horn of Africa in particular has seen an exponential increase in attacks since 2007. These attacks have jeopardised security in the region’s waters and led the United Nations Security Council to adopt six resolutions in 2008, urging the world’s nations to participate in the common effort to contain the phenomenon. This article aims to show that the concepts of the security theory of the Copenhagen School provide a useful tool to analyse the phenomenon of piracy and armed robbery in the Horn of Africa. To that end, we have conducted a brief review of some of the major works produced by that school. We will then address some of the most relevant critics of this theory. Finally, we have analysed the interventions of a significant group of agents involved in the securitization of contemporary Somali piracy. The conclusions section presents the reasons that support our claim that the security theory of the Copenhagen School can be used to study the phenomenon of maritime piracy in the Horn of Africa.