Piracy and Indian Ocean

Edward A. Edward A. Alpers ()
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Edward A. Edward A. Alpers: Department of History, University of California

Journal of African Development, 2011, vol. 13, issue 1, 17-38

Abstract: The current maritime crisis being caused by Somali piracy may be of recent origin, but the phenomenon of piracy in the Indian Ocean has ancient roots. In this paper I seek to place the recent Somali experience in this wider and deeper context, arguing that what is piracy to some, may be legitimate maritime action to others. I suggest that if piracy is often in the eyes of the beholder, for others it is a response to political and economic marginalization. At the same time, in some cases piracy becomes divorced from such sources of legitimization and those who practice maritime violence become simple outlaws.

Keywords: Africa; Somali; Piracy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: K42 N00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:afe:journl:v:13:y:2011:i:1:p:17-38

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