Counter piracy and instruments, the example of Africa

Piracy is an ancestral phenomenon and intrinsically linked to the history of seafaring. It was once associated with command of the oceans and naval power play, but today it has a new face, reflecting a very specific aspect of globalisation. Piracy has resurfaced against the backdrop of a global economy and internationalised maritime transport. Neglected populations struggling to meet basic needs are now exposed constantly to vessels carrying inaccessible wealth from the West and Asia. The capture of cargo ships on the open seas off the coasts of Africa is a source of revenue and power. It has redefined how maritime traffic is governed internationally in both the Bight of Benin and the Horn of Africa.
In the past, letters of marque and reprisal were closely tied to the construction of national naval forces, enabling individual states to assert their supremacy in maritime spaces. However, given the now international nature of maritime routes the resurgence of this threat has shown that unilateral responses are no longer adequate. Today, ships are the perfect embodiment of internationalised legal relations (ships registered in countries with which there is no real economic link, multinational crews, remoteness from sites of operation, the legal nature of waters crossed whether territorial, exclusive economic zones or the high seas). To address piracy it is therefore essential to adopt a global approach that transcends individual countries and involves all public and private stakeholders.