International Relations Research draft

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ResearchProposalEastandWestAfricaMaritime.docx

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Importance of East and West African Maritime’s Security on the International System

Research Topic/Working Thesis Statement

The primary research question that drives the rest of the research proposal is “what is the importance of East and West African maritime to the international system?” In particular, the paper will be aiming at examining issues related to maritime in both East and West Africa.

Abstract with the Framework Outline

East and West African maritime are considered the most ignored coastal region in terms of security by their authorities and those in international positions. Over the past decades, the coastal regions on both sides have experienced numerous challenges that have resulted from insecurity issues. This has, in turn, affected the social, political, and economic activities typically conducted there. The paper will therefore seek to determine whether such ignorance that has led to insecurity issues has concerns with the international system. In the introduction section, the paper will focus on introducing the audience to the research topic, where both concerns will be described. For instance, it will analyze how piracy in both regions affects activities taking place there and how this concerns the international community and system. Besides, the paper will examine various factors that provide access opportunities to the international communities within the two regions, East and West African maritime. It will analyze the international system's relationship with the activities taking place and how insecurities affect the relationship. Moreover, the paper will introduce the theory of regional security complexes within the East and West African maritime regions. The paper also juxtaposes two likely maritime security definitions involving a negative one that merely follows threats' absence and a positive one that regards maritime security as an end state of desirability.

Introduction

African maritime has faced numerous issues related to security over the decades bringing the international system to the concern over the region. Critical factors, including economic and political forces, have contributed significantly to the concerns of the international system. Trade activities or transactions in the maritime region have paved the way for other illegal activities, such as territorial conflicts, substance smuggling, and many more[footnoteRef:1]. In particular, the maritime domain in the EAC (East Africa Community) has been impacted by numerous maritime security threats, such as armed robbery against the ships' vessels, and maritime conflicts, such as the dispute between Kenya and Somalia over the border. The paper will continue by determining whether neither EAC nor any of its member States have holistic and long-term maritime security policies in place. It examines why the region's authorities, like the EAC, have not yet claimed the maritime territories against the international community. The primary reason for structuring the paper in such a manner is to bring the issue from complexity to simplicity. In other words, the paper intends to explain and describe the issue in detail by breaking large or general topics into segments that specify the actual causes, impact, and implications of the maritime insecurity issue. [1: Grare, F., & Samaan, J. L. (2022). Indian Ocean Africa, from Mere Stakeholder to Future Power Broker?. In The Indian Ocean as a New Political and Security Region (pp. 179-204). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. ]

A Preliminary Annotated Literature Review

Rembe, Nasila S. Africa and the International Law of the Sea: A Study of the Contribution of the African States to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Brill, 2022.

Based on the article, Rembe, 2022 states that the international community has gained more interest in the security concerns over the East and West African maritime regions. The author states that the 16000-mile coastline of Africa, especially in East and West Africa, tends to provide approximately two-thirds of nations within direct access to the riches of oceans. According to the article, some of the most potential activities conducted in maritime regions include tourism and fishing. The regions represent or act as the key cultural reference point and a significant livelihood source for both inland and coastal communities. The article uses the increasing interest in venturing into Africa by the international states to strengthen its argument. As more tourists and other trade activities continue to nourish the coastal regions, the international community sees the need to reinforce security to protect the interest it obtains from such activities. The article's author claims that due to the strategic advantage East and West African maritime offers to the international system, the international community is forced to instill security and protect its interest like the tourists and other shipment activities that join other foreign nations with the region through trade.

Vreÿ, Francois. "Maritime Security off Africa: Perspectives on East and West Africa." In  Routledge Handbook of Conflict Response and Leadership in Africa, pp. 225-235. Routledge, 2021.

Vrey, 2021 argues that an escalating hijacking spate across the East and West African coastal region has been more visible over five years. During the period, the coastal regions of East Africa, as he claims, have been placed into a global spotlight triggering an unprecedented response from the international community. The author mentions that despite the costs associated with the region's people, finance, politics, and economy, the international community has shown concerns with the potential geo-strategic implications that might result from the insecurity issues facing regions. Gilpin states that the increased unrest rate in such regions could lead to broader regional insecurity due to the formation of illegal extremist groups. The author analyses the cause factors and implications of maritime insecurity in the eastern part of Africa and how the international community is overseeing the security situation in the future. Moreover, the author examines the manifestation, progression, and evolution of criminal activities related to maritime operations. He integrates the implication such crime activities might have on geo-strategic perspective within the region in the long-term.

Siebels, D. I. R. K.  Maritime Security in East and West Africa. Vol. 13. Springer International Publishing, 2020.

Siebels, 2020 also communicates the integration between the West African maritime and the international community's concerns. Instead of discussing maritime security in the abstract, the author examines the vital relationship between the good governance of the ocean, durable security outcomes of maritime, and investment. He illustrates that regional insecurity threats disrupt the three elements of the international community's interest. With that being said, the author connects the maritime security measures and the region's authorities to protect the interest of global transactions. Skillfully, the author introduces detailed, coherent, balanced aspects of current maritime security, the blue economy, and regional cooperation in East and West African coastal regions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a vital relationship between maritime security in East and West African coastal regions and the international system. As globalization continues to shape world interaction, primarily through trade activities across the two regions, the international community has been forced to ensure security measures are in place to protect the interest of global partnerships between foreign nations and the two geo-political regions. Threats such as piracy, overfishing, and other irregularities that occur in the maritime of the two regions have negatively impacted trade activities. Such activities are some of the significant interests of the international community, thereby bringing the system into the picture. The international system believes it can enforce security measures across the two coastal regions.

Bibliography

Grare, F., & Samaan, J. L. (2022). Indian Ocean Africa, from Mere Stakeholder to Future Power Broker?. In  The Indian Ocean as a New Political and Security Region (pp. 179-204). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Rembe, Nasila S.  Africa and the International Law of the Sea: A Study of the Contribution of the African States to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Brill, 2022.

Siebels, D. I. R. K.  Maritime Security in East and West Africa. Vol. 13. Springer International Publishing, 2020.

Vreÿ, Francois. "Maritime Security off Africa: Perspectives on East and West Africa." In  Routledge Handbook of Conflict Response and Leadership in Africa, pp. 225-235. Routledge, 2021.