Journal of Indian Ocean Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1, April 2010, pp.

67-80; ISSN 0972-3080

Somalia and its Lawless Coast:

India’s growing security responsibility in the Indian Ocean

By:
Mohammed Khalid*

Formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, Somalia occupies part of the
Horn of Africa and fronts on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Somalia has a land
area of 637,540 sq. km and land boundaries running for 2,366 km, which include 58 km
with Djibouti, 1626 km. with Ethiopia, and 682 km. with Kenya. The Country has a long
coastline of 3,025 km in the Indian Ocean.1 Geographic importance of Somalia stems
from its location on the tip of the Horn of Africa along the oil shipping routes leading
through the Bab el-Mandeb straits, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. It was strategic
location of Somalia which forced the colonial powers --after the Berlin Conference in
1884-- to “Scramble for Africa”. The arrival of Britain, France and Italy into Somali
lands began in the late 19th century and quickly the area was divided into British
Somaliland and Italian Somaliland.2 Its archipelago of Bajuni on the southern coast of has
six main islands such as Chandra, Chovaye, Chula, and Koyama. Other islands of minor
importance include Kandha Iwu, Fuma, Ilisi, nyambangozi and Kisimayu. These islands
are strategically located in the Gulf of Aden and can be effectively used to control, check
or monitor the sea traffic. Its ports include Chisimaio, Mogadishu, Berbera, Merca. The
port of Berbera in the Gulf of Aden and Mogadishu on the Arabian Sea front have been
historically significant in their location for trade and commerce and were frequently used
by the ocean going ships.
As per UN estimates Somalia had a population of 9,890,000 in 2003. With a
density of 14 persons per sq. km, about 28% of the population lived in urban areas in
2001. About 60% of the population is nomadic and a majority of it is Sunni Muslim.
Ethnically, about 85% of the population is Somali, 15% Bantu and the rest from other
non-Somali (including about 30,000 Arabs) origins. About 26% of the population lives
below poverty line. Somali is the official language but Arabic, Italian, and English are
widely used. In 2001, about 37.8% of the population was literate (could read and write)

1
 *Associate Professor in Political Science, Department of Evening Studies, Panjab
University, Chandigarh.
which included 49.7% males and 25.8% females.3
Somalia has been an important center for trade and commerce and its sailors and
merchants were the main suppliers of spices to Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians and
Babylonians. During the rise of colonialism it successfully repulsed the British and
Italians in early 20th century. Somalia was an ally of the Ottoman and the German
empires during the First World War. In the interwar period, Italy established control over
parts of present day Somalia in late 1927. This occupation lasted till 1941 and was
replaced by a British military administration. Northern Somalia became a protectorate
while southern Somalia came under UN trusteeship. British Somaliland became
independent on June 26, 1960, and the Italian Somaliland followed suit five days later.
On July 1, 1960, the two territories were united to form the Somali Republic.4
During the Cold War Somalia was ruled by socialist parties and preferred close
association with Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. Somali democracy
began to crumble by the late 1960s and its president, Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was
assassinated and military staged a coup on October 21, 1969. Mohamed Siad Barre
became the President which he remained till January 26, 1991 with the help of armed
forces. During 1970s and 80s Somalia underwent coups, and controversies under Siad
Barre and finally the rebels of the United Somali Congress (USC) led by Mohamed
Farrah Aidid attacked Mogadishu and on January 26, 1991, throwing Barre's government
out of power.5
Since 1991 Somalia has been ripped apart by violence. The Country is facing
killings, suicide bombs, beheadings, and medieval-style stoning. It is a violent free-for-all
on the land and seas in Somalia.6 Chaotic situation has encouraged the rise of piracy
which has threatened 20,000 ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden every year. These
heavily armed pirates have hijacked scores of vessels netting millions of dollars in
ransom. It's the greatest piracy epidemic of modern times. Their lethal activities span
through the thick swamps around Kismayo in the south, labyrinth of Mogadishu and
pirate den of Boosaaso on the Gulf of Aden. The country has become a breeding ground
for warlords, pirates, kidnappers, bomb makers, insurgents, freelance gunmen, and idle,

2
angry youth with no education. Common man has been left to fend himself and the chaos
is spilling across Somalia's borders, stirring up tensions and violence in Kenya, Ethiopia,
and Eritrea, not to mention its pirate-infested coasts. It is also fast becoming a safe
heaven for terrorist networks.7
Somalia is extremely impoverished country. Its GDP was estimated at US$3.3
billion in 1994, $4.1 billion in 2001, $4.809 billion in 2005 and US$ 5.73 billions in
2009. Per capita income was calculated at US$ 600 in 2008. Economy had a growth rate
of about 2.4%-2.8% in 2008. Of its total land area, only 2% is arable with no land under
permanent crops. About 69% of land is permanent pastures and 26% are forests and
woodland according to 1993 estimates.8 Agriculture is the mainstay of economy with
livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads
and semi-nomads, dependent upon livestock for livelihood, make up a large portion of
the population. Somalia had total exports of US$300 million in 2006 which included
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, and scrap metal. About 56.2% of its exports
went to UAE, 21% to Yemen, and 3.6% to Saudi Arabia. Its imports were estimated at
US$798 million in 2006 which mainly comprised of manufactures, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, construction materials etc. In 2008, about 29.2% of its imports came from
Djibouti 11.9% from India, 7.6% from Kenya, 6% from US, 5.6% from Oman, 5.5%
from UAE and 4.7% from Yemen.9
Somalia tried to develop petroleum refining, sugar plants, oilseed-crushing and
soap making industry before the start of civil war in the early 1990. A cement plant at
Berbera was completed in 1985. Besides it had industries manufacturing corrugated iron,
paint, cigarettes and matches, aluminum utensils, cardboard boxes, polyethylene bags,
and textiles. Industry suffered major losses during the civil war. Many of the industries
were either looted or were sold for scrap metal. Industrial sector contributed only 10% to
the GDP in 2000. At present industries mainly serve the domestic market and meet the
needs of Somalia's agricultural exports. Major enterprises are government-owned and
private industry produces food, beverages, chemicals, clothing, footwear, milk
processing, vegetable and fruit canning etc. Some of the investors have returned to invest
in recent years. A Coca-Cola bottling plant was opened in Mogadishu in 2004. Somalia
has meager natural resources which include uranium and largely unexploited reserves of

3
iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, and salt. There is one natural gas field, but
exploration and exploitation of oil and natural gas has been suspended since 1991.10

Emergence of piracy and its implications

After the chaos and violence following the fall of Barre’s government in 1991, its 9
million people faced economic deprivation and an uncertain future. The people began to
grasp at any means that could help them to survive. The situation pushed many fishermen
into the realm of piracy in order to feed themselves and their families. These pirates
became predators as they had no mission other than acquiring money. They include local
fishermen due to their skill and knowledge of the sea, ex-militiamen who used to fight for
the local clan warlords and technical experts who operate equipment such as GPS
devices. 11 Piracy off the Somali coast gradually began to threaten international shipping
after the early 1990s. International Maritime Organization, the World Food Programme
and many trading countries in the Indian Ocean felt concerned over the rise in piracy. It
contributed to a enhance shipping costs and shipping insurance premiums, and impeded
the delivery of food aid shipments.12

In August 2008, a multinational coalition task force called as Combined Task Force
150 was formed to take the role of fighting Somali piracy by establishing a Maritime
Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden. In September 2008, Russia
announced that it too will soon join international efforts to combat piracy.13 On October
5, 2008; the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1838 calling on nations
with vessels in the area to use military force to repress the acts of piracy. At the 101st
council of the International Maritime Organization, India called for a United Nations
peacekeeping force under a unified command to tackle piracy off Somalia. On December
2, 2008, UN Security Council deplored all acts of piracy and urged the States and
regional organizations to fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of
Somalia and enter its territorial waters to repress acts of piracy.14 To give a coordinated
effort against piracy, Security Council adopted Resolution 1851 on December 16, 2008
and called upon the “States, regional and international organizations that have the
capacity to do so, to take part actively in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea

4
off the coast of Somalia”.15 Somalia was more occupied to control the insurgency and
violence. It had a very small navy rendering it almost powerless to stop piracy.
Meanwhile the pirates kept on expanding their area of operation into the Indian Ocean in
some cases more than 1850 km off the coast of Somalia and attacked ships close to
Seychelles. Rising piracy has threatened the reduction in world trade through the Suez
Canal by about a third. It also has grave economic implications as some shipping
companies have already decided to reroute vulnerable vessels around the Cape of Good
Hope. Rising shipping costs could raise petroleum prices that will be worn ultimately by
the consumers throughout the world.

To tackle this problem, more than 20 nations contributed to maintain an international

naval force in the Gulf of Aden. On any given day maintain about 17 naval ships on
patrol in the Gulf of Aden. They have created an internationally recognized transit
corridor that provides security for about 30,000 cargo ships that transit that corridor every
year. Several multinational initiatives have been launched to chalk out anti-piracy
strategies. A multilateral Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was
created in January 2009 and in the same month, under the leadership of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO), a conference on Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian
Ocean was convened in Djibouti.17

India and Somalia

Indian merchants have been trading with Somalian ports for centuries. They
brought large quantities of cinnamon from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Somali
sultanates and republics of Merca, Mogadishu, Barawa, and Hobyo had flourishing trade
with India.19 In the 1500s many ships from the Kingdom of Cambaya of India sailed to
Mogadishu with cloth and spices for which they in return received gold, wax and ivory.20
In 1940s and 1950s some of Indians were recruited by the Italians as foremen on
plantations, mainly around Qoryoley (near Mogadishu). Indians established businesses in
Somalia during this time. At present there are about 200 Indian --mainly Bohra Muslim--
families in Mogadishu and Merka, engaged in cloth dying. There had also been
approximately 200 Indians in Kismayo at one time but they left the city, mostly for

5
Mogadishu in early 1980s. Many Indians left Somalia relocating to Mombasa (Kenya)
after 1991 civil unrest which resulted in widespread attacks on foreign nationals in early
1990s. Thereupon India was compelled to close its Mission in Mogadishu.21

India and Somalia enjoyed favourable political, economic and cultural relations
until 1991. During Somalia’s nternal violence these relations remained dormant. After
August 2000, a Transitional National Government took over in Somalia and expressed its
desire to re-establish close relations with India. It sought India's help in training of
disarmed militias, rehabilitation, modernization and equipment of the reactivated military
and police camps, training of staff in human health sector and rehabilitation of public
infrastructures.22 During Asia-Africa Summit held at Bandung (Indonesia) on April 23,
2005, Somalia’s Foreign Minister sought India's assistance in diverse areas including
reconstruction, education, fisheries and energy sector. He also desired for early
resumption of grant of scholarships and training courses in India.23 Meanwhile India
continued to export petroleum products, foodstuff, construction material which amounted
to about US$ 269 million in 1994 import live animals, fish, hides and banana amounting
to about US$ 130 million from Somalia. In March 2010 both signed trade agreement for
less taxation on imports and exports from each other. 24 India is a favoured destination for
Somali students with approximately 2500 of them pursuing different degrees and
probably this is the largest number of overseas Somali students anywhere in the world.

India’s growing security responsibility

India is fast emerging as a responsible global power. It is now a recognized

nuclear power integrating itself into global nuclear regime. India's growing influence can
sustain only if it develops new doctrines and diplomatic capacities. Moving beyond its
immediate confines, it is broadening its horizon of relationship with Southeast Asia and
Africa. Its nuclear programme has been widely recognized. The recently signed civil
nuclear deal with United States testifies an emerging India. Approval of its nuclear
programme by nearly 50 countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of
Governors and in the Nuclear Suppliers Group is recognition of its nuclear programme.25
India and United States have begun to coordinate and work in tandem on vital issues such

6
as counterterrorism, defense, and intelligence cooperation --as demonstrated by the joint
U.S.-Indian response to the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. With the growth
of its economic weight in recent years, India has begun to yield new strategic possibilities
and evolve new interests in the Indian Ocean. India has taken many unprecedented
foreign policy decisions in recent times. It has backed three U.S.-supported resolutions
against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency and is enforcing UN Security
Council sanctions against Tehran mainly to thwart the emergence of another nuclear
power in the Indian Ocean region. It is the fifth-largest donor of reconstruction assistance
to Afghanistan. It provided tsunami relief to Indonesia in 2004 through an ad hoc naval
partnership with the United States and two of Washington's closest military allies,
Australia and Japan. Its military has conducted exercises with every branch of the U.S.
armed forces.26 Similarly, India has shown its concern to the growing pirate networks in
Somali waters --including the entire Horn of Africa-- and has taken part in various
international efforts to fight piracy and stabilize Somalia’s domestic politics.

India considers the rising piracy on Somalia coast as an integrated part of global
terrorist networks. Somalia’s proximity to the Middle East and important shipping routes
makes this concern more vital. Somalia continues to be in turmoil and remains without
properly functioning state institutions. These deficiencies pose significant challenges to
both regional and global security. Increasing threat posed by piracy has caused significant
concerns in India since most of its shipping trade routes pass through the Gulf of Aden.
The menace of piracy is threatening not only trade and commerce but also nationals of
many countries. For instance, when Somali pirates captured a North Korean-flagged
Libyan cargo ship, it had a crew of 10 members belonging to Syria. When they abducted
the UK-flagged ship Asian Glory in February 2010, the ship had eight Bulgarians on
board among the 25 crew members, which also includes 10 Ukrainians, five Indians and
two Romanians. A Spanish tuna trawler captured by the pirates had crew members from
Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, Senegal and Seychelles as well as Spain. The Stolt Valor,
a Japanese-owned ship seized in November 2008 with 18 Indian sailors aboard, was freed
by Somali hijackers after its shipping company reportedly paid a ransom of 2.5 million
dollars.27 Pirates seized two new ships including the MV Delight - which has seven

7
Indians on the 25-member crew --after they hijacked the Saudi Arabian supertanker
Sirius Star, which was carrying 100 million dollars of oil. Similarly, the pirates attacked a
Taiwanese fishing vessel and Ukrainian, German and Turkish freighters. In 2008, more
than 130 merchant ships of different countries were attacked by the pirates, an increase of
more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy
Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur. According to Ecoterra International, at least 163
attacks have been carried out by Somali pirates since the start of 2009 alone, 47 of them
successful hijackings. Around 30 vessels owned by Indian companies pass through the
Gulf of Aden every month carrying oil and goods worth over $100 billion. It is estimated
that pirates have collected a ransom to the tune of US$150 million since the beginning of
piracy on Somalia coast.28
Since piracy raised its head Indian ships have been occasionally attacked by the
pirates. Indian dhow MV Safina al-Birsarat with 16 member crew and its cargo of coal
was hijacked on January 16, 2006 and was released after 6 days. Its bulk carrier MV Jag
Arnav was attacked on November 11, 2008 but its capture failed. Indian Tanker
MV Abul Kalam Azad having 30 crew members on board was attacked on January 2,
2009, but its capture failed. As piracy threat became more rampant India began to deploy
its naval war ships in the Gulf of Aden after October 2008. Since then 16 Indian Naval
ship have been deployed in these waters from time to time. As a result no merchant ship
under the escort of an Indian Naval warship has been hijacked since 2008. Indian navy
has prevented more than 15 piracy attempts by the Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
During this period, Indian Naval ships have safely escorted more than 930 merchant ships
of different nationalities, with over 7780 Indians as crew. These include about 124
merchant ships with Indian flags.29
It became necessary for Indian Navy to operate on the Somali coast as apart from
Indian vessels there are many non-Indian ships plying on those waters carrying many
Indian crewmembers. India provides one-sixth of the workers in the global maritime
industry. Growing threat of piracy on Somalia coast has pushed India to plan how to deal
with Somalia. India is capable of long-range maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction
and patrolling, air interdiction and strategic airlift. It has already established its
worldwide military influence through counter piracy, peacekeeping, humanitarian

8
assistance, and disaster relief efforts. India can play a joint proactive role to forge
regional cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Iran, the three worst sufferers of piracy. With
the growth of its military capabilities, India’s responsibility has also increased to provide
security to the sea lanes in the Indian Ocean. On authorization of United Nations,
Government of India has given approval to its navy for "hot pursuit" of pirates in Somali
waters and deployed warships to tackle piracy in the region. This was previously
restricted to the navies of US and France. Unfettered access to Somali waters is expected
to enable the Indian Navy to tackle piracy more aggressively. The INS Tabar, an Indian
warship patrolling waters off the Gulf of Aden, destroyed a pirate vessel in international
waters south of Oman.30

Options for India

India has so far been too busy in protecting its sea lanes in Malacca strait but due
to growing threat of piracy on Somalia coast it has to shift focus to the western stretch of
the Indian Ocean. India needs to define a roadmap to enforce a credible response to
piracy in the area. To make commercial shipping in the area safer, India can strengthen
the presence of its navy by deploying more ships around the Gulf of Aden. Secondly,
Indian warships can join an international coalition such as Combined Task Force 150
(CTF-150) to battle piracy in the area. Thirdly, it can build a regional response that could
include deployment of warships and sharing of information by countries belonging to the
Indian Ocean littoral. To initiate a shared effort, in February, the Navy had established
the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) --a forum of regional naval chiefs-- to
counter threats to Indian Ocean security, including piracy, through coordinated action.31
There are many pitfalls in the way to establish order in Somalia and peace on
its coasts. Efforts can be made to restore UN-mandated order in Somalia, but its long
term viability is in doubt. Military strikes at the pirates’ shore bases in Somalia can only
be a temporary measure as the pirates are highly mobile. Putting armed guards on ships,
apart from being expensive, would heighten the risk of crew deaths and damage to
vessels (both of which the pirates have so far generally avoided). 32 There is possibility of
attacking wrong ships at sea as it is very difficult to ascertain if a ship carries pirates or
cargo etc. It happened when Indian Navy fired upon an alleged “Pirate” ship off the coast

9
of Somalia which came out to be later a hijacked Thai fishing boat with its crew tied up
inside. All the tied up crew members but one perished. India had to face embarrassment
when Thai government summoned the Indian Ambassador and issued a formal complaint.
There is need to boost the presence of, and rules of engagement for, European, Russian
and Indian naval vessels, ideally supplementing them with carrier-based aircraft.
There are only few countries in the Indian Ocean whose navy has blue water
capability. While Australia’s tilt to its Pacific coast is well known, its navy is unlikely to
play a decisive role on Indian Ocean waters. Pakistan has naval capability but worthiness
to operate for longer durations in far off Somilian coast can be seriously doubted. Iran‘s
navy is more busy patrolling the Gulf of Hormuz and Persian Gulf. Its operations have
rarely included the wider arena of Arabian Sea, let alone the Indian Ocean. South Africa
has naval capability but neither its trade is so much dependent on the Gulf of Aden or
Somali Coast, nor it is close to pirate infested Somali coast. Among the littoral states
Indian navy stands out as the best bet to combat piracy in the region. Therefore India’s
responsibility to provide security to the sea traffic and to shape the security scenario in
the Indian Ocean becomes more pronounced in the 21st century.

References:

1. Miller, Frederic P (et al) (Ed): Geography of Somalia, Alphascript Publishing, Beau
Bassin, 2010; Metz, Helen Chapin (Ed): Somalia: A Country Study, GPO for the Library
of Congress, Washington, 1992.

2. For Berlin Conference (1884-1885) and Scramble for Africa see, Robinson, R,
Gallagher J. and Denny, A: Africa and the Victorians, OUP, London, 1965, p. 175;
Shillington, Kevin: History of Africa, (Revised Second Edition) Macmillian, New York,
2005, p. 301.

3. Somalia's first national census was taken in February 1975 whose reliability has been
questioned. So, most of data is based on estimates. See, Metz, op., cit.,

10
4. Turton, E. R, “Somali Resistance to Colonial Rule and the Development of Somali
Political Activity in Kenya, 1893-1960”, Journal of African History, vol. XIII, no.1.
1972, pp. 119-143; Ahmed, Ismail I, “The heritage of war and state collapse in
Somalia and Somaliland: local-level effects, external interventions and
reconstruction”, Third World Quarterly, vol. 20, Issue 1, February 1999, pp. 113-
127;

5. Zalatimo, Dima, “Fall of Barre Government Welcomed by Somalis in Washington,

DC”, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March, 1991, p. 24.

6. Gettleman, Jeffrey, “Chaos in Somalia as Fighting Intensifies and Death Toll Rises”,
The New York Times, April 23, 2007; Gettleman, Jeffrey, “For Somalia, Chaos
Breeds Religious War”, The New York Times, May 23, 2009.

7. “Terrorists look to Somalia as an emerging safe haven”, The Sunday Morning Herald,
November 4, 2006; Kaplan, Eben, “Somalia's Terrorist Infestation”, in, Lyman,
Princeton Nathan and Dorff Patricia: Beyond humanitarianism: what you need to
know about Africa and why it matters, Council on Foreign Relations, New York,
2007, pp. 113- 32.

8. Little, Peter D: Somalia: Economy without State, Indiana University Press, 2003, pp.
1-20, 123-160, 161-174; For Somalia’s economic statistics, see,
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/so-somalia/eco-economy

9. For Somalia’s major trade partners, quantity, trading commodities Somalia, Exports
and Imports, see, http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/somalia/export-
import.html

10. See, The World Fact Book, Central Intelligence Agency, at,
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/so.html

11. Security Council dispatched a group of investigators to Somalia who released an

exhaustive, 100 plus page report on arms trafficking, aid diversion, and other criminal

11
activities in Somalia. For details see, Goldberg, Mark Leon, “The Somali Pirates'
Business Model”, UN Dispatch: Global News and Views, March 17, 2010; also see,
Baldauf, Scott, “Who are Somalia's pirates?”, The Christian Science Monitor, November
20, 2008; Uher, Pam, “The History of Piracy in Somalia”, available at,
http://www.helium.com/items/1418240-history-of-somali-pirates
12. Gettleman, Jeffrey, “Somali Pirates Tell Their Side: They Want Only Money”, The
New York Times, September 30, 2008; Brook, Tom and others, “Off Africa's coast,
pirates 'out of control”, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2008; Costello, Miles, “Shipping insurance
cost soars with piracy surge off Somalia”, The Times, September 11, 2008; “Shipping
insurance sky-rockets as pirate attacks increase”, http://www.dw-
world.de/dw/article/0,,4278642,00.html.
13. There are currently three navy missions in the Gulf of Aden region: the Combined
Task Force 151 (CFT – 151) led by the USA, “Operation Atalanta” under the European
Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) and NATO’s “Operation Ocean Shield”. Moreover,
at different times several countries additionally deployed warships in support of the
ongoing missions, among them China, Japan, Iran, India and Russia. Altogether, around
40 naval vessels are engaged in the combat against piracy. See, “Maritime Security Patrol
Area (MSPA) in the Gulf of Aden Established”, Marex Newsletter, at,
http://www.newsletterscience.com/marex/readmore.cgi?
issue_id=320&article_id=3469&l=%3C; “EU naval operation against piracy”, at,
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/090325FactsheetEUNAVFOR
%20Somalia-version4_EN.pdf.
14. See, Lynch, Colum, “U.N. Authorizes Land, Air Attacks on Somali Pirates:
International Effort to Secure Sea Route May Stumble Amid Political Disarray in East
African Nation”, Washington Post, December 17, 2008; also see, Security Council,
SC/9514, Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, New York,
December 2, 2008.
15. Acting under chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, the UN Security
Council Resolutions 1814, 1816, 1838, 1846, 1851 (all 2008) and 1897 (2009) were
passed that allowed and actively encouraged international naval forces to “enter the
territorial waters of Somalia” and to operate on shore for the purpose of suppressing acts

12
of piracy and armed robbery at sea. For relevant Security Council Resolutions against
Piracy in Somalia, see, www. un.org
17. Kraska, James and Wilson, Brian, “Combating pirates of the Gulf of Aden: The
Djibouti Code and the Somali Coast Guard”, Ocean & Coastal Management, no. xxx,
2009, pp.1–5
18. Warmington, E. H:
The Commerce between the Roman Empire and India, South Asia Books, 1995, p. 54
19. Northrup, David, “Vasco da Gama and Africa: An Era of Mutual Discovery, 1497-
1800”, Journal of World History, vol. 9, no. 2, 1998, pp. 189-200; Warmington, E. H:
The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India, South Asia Books, 1995, p.54;
Edward A Alpers, “Gujarat and Trade in East Africa, c, 1500-1800”, International
Journal of African Historical Studies, vol.9, no. 1, 1976, pp. 22-44.
20. See, DAMES, Mansel Longworth, The Book of Duarte Barbosa: An account of the
countries bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants, Asian Educational
Services, 1989; also see, Coupland, Reginald: East Africa and its Invaders, Clarendon
Press, 1956, p.38
21. Lewis, I. M: A Modern History of Somalia: Nation and State in the Horn of Africa,
Westview Press, Boulder, 1988.
22. See, “Somalia”, Indo Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industries, at,
http://iacci.org/country-somalia.html
23. Ibid.,
24. Somalia: Somali government signs trade relation with India and China, Somali News,
May 20, 2010.
25. See, "NSG clears nuclear waiver for India". CNN-IBN, September 6, 2008. "India
joins nuclear club, gets NSG waiver". NDTV, September 6, 2008.
26. Rautava, Jouko, “Is India emerging as a global economic powerhouse equal to
China?” BOFIT Online (A Bank of Finland online Publication), Helsinki, 2.2.2005;
Feigenbaum, Evan A, “India's Rise, America's Interest: Fate of the U.S.-Indian
Partnership”, at, http://www.ihavenet.com/India-Rise-American-Interests-FA.html
27. “Relief as Stolt Valor sails past pirate zone”, Hindustan Times, New Delhi,
November 19, 2008.

13
28. The amount of ransom has increased over the years. It is estimated that millions of
Dollars have been paid to Somali pirates all these years making piracy a profitable
business in Somalia. See, “Ransom paid for oil tanker, Somalia pirates’ feud”, Reuters,
September 27, 2009.
29. “No ship under Indian Navy’s escort hijacked in Gulf of Aden since October 2008”,
The Gaea Times, April 13, 2010.
30. “Somali pirates attack Indian warship in latest brazen attack”, Telegraph, November
19, 2008.
31. Due to big jump in pirate attacks, India’s shipping industry has pressed for a new
security strategy to safeguard vessels in the waters off Somalia’s lawless coast. See,
Panchal, Salil, “India shipping industry seek new anti-pirate strategy”, (AFP), Apr
10, 2010; “Somali pirates release British ship with 6 Indians on board”, Deccan
Herald, May 14, 2010; “Somali pirates hijack chemical tanker with 22 crew
including Indians”, The Times of India, New Delhi, May 14, 2010. For Indian Ocean
Naval Symposium see, http://indiannavy.nic.in/ion.htm.
32. See, “Piracy in the Indian Ocean”, at,
http://wmmbb.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/piracy-in-the-indian-ocean/

14