STATE ACTION AT SEA: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES
INTRODUCTION
The seas and oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and play a fundamental role in global economic balance. However, this vast expanse is threatened by criminal activities that hinder the operations conducted there. These criminal acts, often targeting maritime navigation, require close cooperation between maritime authorities, naval forces, international institutions such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and private stakeholders in order to combat transnational threats and ensure the security of maritime spaces.
Maritime Threats
On December 14, 2023, the vessel MV Ruen was seized by Somali pirates. However, it was only in March 2024 that the Indian Navy launched a 40-hour rescue operation involving MARCOS commandos deployed from a C-17 aircraft. This operation, carried out three months after the capture of the bulk carrier MV Ruen, resulted in the liberation of the 17 crew members and the capture of 35 pirates, who were subsequently transferred to India to stand trial. Maritime piracy—just one of many maritime crimes—is a form of organized transnational crime characterized by raids, looting by its perpetrators, hijackings, kidnappings, hostage-taking, and ransom demands. The depiction of this event, which drew the attention of the entire international maritime community, is of paramount importance due to the legal implications and the geoeconomic and security challenges it reflects.
From a legal perspective:
This operation demonstrates the international community’s determination to suppress piracy on the high seas or in areas beyond the jurisdiction of any State. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), States are authorized to carry out operations and seize vessels suspected of piracy on the high seas or in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Set out in Articles 100 to 107 of the Convention, these provisions establish an international legal framework for piracy, including its definition and the measures that may be taken to combat it. Added to this is the UN Security Council Resolution on Somalia: Resolution 2608, which condemns piracy and armed robbery at sea off the Somali coast, emphasizing that these acts exacerbate instability by introducing “illicit cash flows that fuel crime, corruption, and terrorism.”…
Read the rest of the article on page 63 of the 8th issue of Maritimafrica Mag : https://maritimafrica.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Maritimafrica-Mag-juillet-2025-Eng-Fr.pdf
