Piracy in Somalia

Done by: Wong Wai Yan Tan Chor Hian

Egypt’s Profile

• Egypt has a stable economy in the Middle East and North Africa

• Dependent on trade in the Red Sea– Suez Canal is Egypt's third-largest source of income.

• Currently the 36th largest export market for US goods

Impact of Piracy on Egypt

• Egypt is concerned that the recent surge in piracy will prompt shipping companies to opt for safer routes that avoid the Canal– highlighted by the hijacking of the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star

loaded with $100m worth of crude oil

• Three shipping companies ordered some of their vessels to travel around the Cape of Good Hope rather than risk the passage through the Suez

Egyptian-Somali Ties

• Egyptian-Somali ties are deep-rooted– Egypt keeps an eye on what is happening in Somalia.

– Egypt helped Somalis with food and medicine – provided training to the Somalis police, as well as

sent Egyptian teachers and doctors to the country

Analysis of Situation

Somalia’s situation

• Pirates controlling the trade routes from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea

• A failed state, economically and politically

Egypt’s situation

• Egypt’s ships threatened by the pirates

• Economically suffers due to decrease in trade by sea

Egypt’s Stand

• Supports the African Union in exterminating piracy in Somalia

• Reasons: Somalia is State in Africa, and its problem should be handle as a regional affair.

• It can also appease Somali Islamist who are against foreign intervention, especially UN intervention.

Egypt’s Stand

• Against direct UN intervention.

• Reasons: Though Somalia's government requires foreign intervention, Somali Islamist will not agree, thus aggravate the current internal conflict to a large scale civil war.

Proposed Solution

• Support the African Union by providing battalions against pirates in Somalia.

• Accept reasonable loans to Somalia to improve the economical state of the country.

• Prevent direct UN intervention. However, we will accept loans from the UN treasury to support efforts to curb the pirates.