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Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: Strategic Setting and Features AUGUST 2012 No. 236 Institute for Security Studies PAPER Maritime security in the Indian Ocean: strategic setting and features BACKGROUND For millennia the peoples living around the Indian Ocean However, regional interaction and cohesion still leave have benefited from its rich trade, while the interaction much to be desired. resulting from these maritime exploits, whether of a Indian Ocean security is now no longer the domain cultural and religious nature, or of conquest and slavery, of colonial states or superpowers, but has become invariable influenced their lives fundamentally. These multifaceted and dynamic. New role players such as traditional patterns of trade and communication changed India and China have become major powers, and new drastically when first the Portuguese and then other national alliances are changing the scene. But current European powers began sailing around the Cape of Good global realities have introduced maritime security problems Hope to establish trade links and empires in the East. as non-state actors are influencing security in the area Initially Africa was little affected by European maritime directly and fundamentally. This is a serious development activity as the focus was on trade with the East. Africa’s since the rich Indian Ocean maritime trade, which includes primary value was to provide refuge and provisions much of the world’s energy trade, is crucial to the global along a long and often hazardous route. The formidable economy. It seems that many of the lessons of centuries warships of the European naval powers were rapidly gone by are again being learned – rather than doing battle, able to establish dominance in the Indian Ocean and navies have to project power and play a diplomatic role projected their influence to the furthest corners of region. to maintain good order at sea. Naval forces were crucial for the establishment of Maritime security is a broad, somewhat amorphous national interests and for countering the activities of area of focus, and the relevant literature covers everything other European nations. Over the centuries, the British from physical safety and security measures to port in particular, because of their effective utilisation of security, terrorism and more. A coherent definition is sea power, were able to create a large Indian Ocean therefore difficult to determine, but, for the purpose of this empire. During the course of the 19th century, European paper, maritime security deals with the prevention of illicit navies also played an important role in maintaining good activities in the maritime domain. It could be linked directly order at sea, eradicating piracy and countering slavery. to the national security efforts of a specific country, or it The decolonisation process after the Second World could cover regional and international efforts to enforce War ended British hegemony in the Indian Ocean. The maritime security. subsequent Cold War was again marked by superpower This paper centres on the strategic value of the Indian rivalry in the region, enhancing the region’s global strategic Ocean and the relevant maritime security characteristics value. When this period came to an end, Indian Ocean and threats. Particular attention is given to issues relevant countries to a certain extent rediscovered some of the to Africa. The paper concludes with possible solutions and economic, social and cultural facets that made the highlights the importance of international and regional ocean the bridge between Africa, Asia and Australasia. cooperation. THEAN POTGIETER • PAPER 236 • AUGUST 2012 1 THEAN POTGIETER • PAPER 236 • AUGUST 2012 THE INDIAN OCEAN: STRATEGIC barrels representing about 43 per cent of international CONTEXT AND EMINENCE exports.3 The Indian Ocean is vast. Its western border is continental Indian Ocean ports handle about 30 per cent of global Africa to a longitude of 20° E, where it stretches south trade and half of the word’s container traffic traverses from Cape Agulhas; its northern border is continental the ocean. However, the Indian Ocean has some of the Asia from Suez to the Malay Peninsula; in the east it world’s most important choke points, notably the Straits incorporates Singapore, the Indonesian archipelago, of Hormuz, Malacca, and the Bab el Mandeb. As these Australia to longitude 147° E and Tasmania; while in choke points are strategically important for global trade the south it stretches to latitude 60° S as determined and energy flow, a number of extra-regional states maintain per the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. a naval presence in the Indian Ocean. Various criteria could be used to designate states The Indian Ocean seaboard of sub-Saharan Africa as Indian Ocean states. In this paper the term applies has historically not been given high strategic international to 51 coastal and landlocked states, namely 26 Indian priority. However, as competition for scarce resources Ocean Rim (IOR) states, five Red Sea states, four intensifies, and China and India in particular become major Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, France, Britain and role-players in Africa, major Western powers are showing 13 landlocked states. Many of these states are former increasing interest in the region. colonies. The landlocked states included as Indian Ocean Significantly, international interest in the whole Indian states are dependent upon the Indian Ocean for trade and Ocean region is on the rise. The reasons for this include communications but, with the exception of Afghanistan, security concerns about instability that characterises they exclude the central Asian states. This delimitation and destabilises the region, the region’s vital role in oil covers an area of 101,6 million km2, split between an production and its importance for energy shipments, ocean area of 68,56 km2 and a land area of 33,05 km2. the wealth of resources and raw materials in the region, With a total population of 2,6 billion, the region represents involvement of extra-regional powers in a number of 39 per cent of the global population and consists of a vast conflicts, and the rise of new regional powers and their and diverse political, cultural and economic kaleidoscope.1 ability to project their power. The Indian Ocean is an area of conflict. Some conflicts are internal and remain localised, but other local and INDIAN OCEAN MARITIME SECURITY: regional conflicts are of global significance and are prone CHARACTERISTICS AND THREATS to foreign political and military interference. According During the Cold War the newly independent Indian to a recent analysis of global conflicts by the Heidelberg Ocean states of Asia and Africa became subject to the Institute for International Conflict Research, altogether competition between the superpowers. The resultant 42 per cent of world conflicts can be associated with security balance in the region dissipated when the Indian Ocean countries.2 The list is extensive, but Cold War came to an end. The post-Cold War era saw notable conflict areas are Israel and Palestine, Iraq, the region becoming less stable, with much rivalry, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. competition, suspicion and turmoil. Though the causes of these conflicts vary, many can be Moreover, the maritime security environment in the associated with weak or failed states, significant levels Indian Ocean also underwent transformation. Because of poverty, poorly developed institutions, the absence of of weak government structures and a limited capacity democracy, corruption, competition for scarce resources, to control maritime domains, all types of illicit activities interference by foreign powers, the global war on terror began to flourish in many parts of the Indian Ocean. and what can be termed ‘turbulence’ in the Islamic As a result, the region’s maritime security challenges world. The urgent need for both human and sustainable are now considerable and are affected by key variables economic development and for improved security such as militarisation within the region, the involvement cooperation within the Indian Ocean region is obvious. of major and extra-regional powers, and non-traditional The region is rich in energy resources and minerals security threats. such as gold, tin, uranium, cobalt, nickel, aluminium and cadmium, and also contains abundant fishing Military aspects resources. Oil and gas traversing the Indian Ocean is Because of these factors, it is perhaps understandable of great importance to the global economy. Roughly that considerable recent international attention has focused 55 per cent of known oil reserves and 40 per cent of on the maritime security abilities of state, regional and gas reserves are in the Indian Ocean region. The Gulf multinational role-players in the Indian Ocean. An analysis and Arab states produce around 21 per cent of the of the complex maritime security system has led Don Berlin world’s oil, with daily crude exports of up to 17,262 million to identify a number of principal trends.4 The first is the 2 MARITIME SECURITY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN: STRATEGIC SETTING AND FEATURES efforts of the United States (US) and to some extent its essentially a maritime operation that was dependent on international partners – India, Australia, Singapore, Japan, the long maritime reach of the US. France, the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada – to maintain The Indian Navy is undergoing substantial expansion and expand their authority in the Indian Ocean and achieve with 40 ships and submarines, including two nuclear key strategic objectives. These include
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