Maritime security in somalia: Implications for foreign policy

This dissertation delves into the issue of the Somali maritime security and how the foreign policy can be utilized as a tactical tool to handle it. Located in a strategically important position along key global shipping routes, Somalia has been exposed to persistent threats such as piracy, poaching of fishes, smuggling of arms and destroying the environment coupled with lack of proper governance, a history of war, and inadequacy of enforcement capabilities on the sea. The analysis is based on Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) and the application of the theory of realism to assess the foreign policy reactions of Somalia in ensuring that the Somali maritime sphere is safe. This dissertation employs a qualitative case study approach supported by elite interviews and secondary international reports to examine how Somalia's foreign policy actors—both domestic and external—shape maritime governance. The findings show that although Somalia actively participates in international cooperation, it struggles to achieve policy coherence due to weak institutional coordination, fragmented governance, and high dependency on external actors. The central argument advanced here is that Somalia's maritime insecurity persists not because of a lack of international engagement, but because the state lacks the institutional capacity and strategic autonomy required to translate foreign policy actions into effective maritime governance. This dissertation that we argue that Somalia should pursue a foreign policy by informed realists and pragmatically aligned to exploit external cooperation to build capacity and at the same time to strengthen sovereign institutions in an effort to realize long and self-sufficient, maritime governance. Keywords: Maritime security, Somalia, Foreign Policy Analysis