High Season

As reported here, we are entering the part of the year when seas are flat and conditions are ripe for pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden/ Indian Ocean.  Therefore, the coming months will likely see a spike in attacks.  The report also includes an assessment that the current military strategy is manifestly inadequate.  As to PMSCs, the chief of staff with EUNAVFOR (the EU naval force patrolling the maritime corridor under attack) states,

“I think a ship with private security onboard will be taken successfully by pirates — it is a matter of time.”

With current methods failing, the UN is faced with a number of proposals for a holistic approach to the problem. Perhaps the Secretary General will take a multi-pronged approach, including development assistance and the creation of a mechanism for prosecution, as part of his proposal due sometime in October.