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Somalia Thread
b real continues to give us fascinating and disturbing insight into U.S. machinations in Somalia. Skim through this thread's comments and you will learn quite a bit on how the empire manipulates the various parties of the conflict and the media reports on it.
What did the Illyushin 76, operated by Aerolift and chartered by Dynacorp, carry when it went down in the Victoria Lake during a flight from Entebbe, Uganda, to Mogadishu, Somalia? Who financed the 20 or so flights it did this month alone?
b real helps us to first ask, and then to find answers to those questions.
Somalia is not your problem? Well – we pay for these misguided empire policies through our taxes now and we will have to pay when the usual backlash will appear near to us.
adding to #38 above (on page one), somehow i completely missed this NYT article on ranneberger’s overt role in throwing the election in kenya, which provides more supporting evidence for the analysis in last year’s thread Coup In Kenya Part II: Exploring U.S. influence in the Kenyan Elections.
i suppose i can be forgiven about missing the NYT story by seven weeks since it hardly compares to the fact that it’s taken them over a year to even publish any serious reporting on what we watched happen in real time more than a year ago! not even when the IRI finally released the poll data five months ago!
A Chaotic Kenya Vote and a Secret U.S. Exit Poll
As tensions mounted, Kenneth Flottman sat in Nairobi and grew increasingly frustrated. He had in his hands the results of an exit poll, paid for by the United States government, that supported the initial returns favoring the challenger, Raila Odinga.
Mr. Flottman, East Africa director for the International Republican Institute, the pro-democracy group that administered the poll, said he had believed that the results would promptly be made public, as a check against election fraud by either side. But then his supervisors said the poll numbers would be kept secret.
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An examination by The New York Times found that the official explanation for withholding the poll — that it was technically flawed — had been disputed by at least four people involved in the institute’s Kenya operations. The examination, including interviews and a review of e-mail messages and internal memorandums, raises questions about the intentions and priorities of American observers as Kenyans desperately sought credible information about the vote.
None of those interviewed professed to know why the institute withheld the results. But the decision was consistent with other American actions that seemed focused on preserving stability in Kenya, rather than determining the actual winner.
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After insisting for months that the poll was flawed, the institute released it last August — long past the point of diplomatic impact — after outside experts whom it had hired determined that it was valid. It showed Mr. Kibaki losing by about six percentage points.
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Heading the institute’s Kenya operations in 2007 was Mr. Flottman, on leave from his job as a senior counsel for a major defense contractor. His position put him in close proximity to Western officials in Kenya, including the American ambassador, Michael E. Ranneberger, a career diplomat appointed in 2006. Mr. Flottman said he was surprised when, before the election, Mr. Ranneberger made public comments praising Mr. Kibaki and minimizing Kenyan corruption.
Behind the scenes, Mr. Flottman recalled, the ambassador was even more direct. A few months before the election, Mr. Ranneberger proposed releasing a voter survey showing Mr. Kibaki ahead and trying to block a roughly simultaneous one favoring Mr. Odinga, according to Mr. Flottman, who said he witnessed the episode during a meeting at the ambassador’s office. The suggestion was dropped, he said, after the embassy learned that the pro-Odinga results were already out.
“It was clear, in my opinion, that the ambassador was trying to influence the perceptions of the Kenyan electorate, and thus the campaign,” Mr. Flottman said.
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Another episode deepened Mr. Flottman’s unease. As the institute assembled its monitoring delegation, the ambassador objected to plans to include his predecessor, Mark Bellamy, according to two delegation members and a former State Department official. The institute withdrew the invitation, citing budget constraints.
“I don’t know the reason why the ambassador wanted Mark off, but he did,” said one delegation member, Joel D. Barkan. He added, “Perhaps somebody in the Kenya government made comments along the way.”
Mr. Flottman reached the same conclusion during a conversation in which the ambassador remarked that the Kibaki camp viewed Mr. Bellamy as “antigovernment,” according to an e-mail message that Mr. Flottman sent to institute officials in Washington shortly afterward.
“In sum,” Mr. Flottman wrote, “the ambassador indicates respect for our independence, but seems to have some agenda in regard to the election itself.”
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Under its contract, the institute was expected to consult with the Agency for International Development and the embassy before releasing the exit poll results, taking into account the poll’s technical quality and “other key diplomatic interests.”
Quality was not expected to be a concern. In addition to retaining a local polling firm it had used since 2000, the institute contracted with Clark C. Gibson, chairman of the political science department at the University of California, San Diego, to oversee the design of the questions, the surveying of voters and the collection of data.
When the voting ended and ballot-counting began, Mr. Gibson and others involved in the exit poll said they expected its results to be announced soon.
But senior institute officials decided to withhold it. Most opposed to releasing the numbers, Mr. Flottman said, was Constance Berry Newman, the institute board member leading the monitoring delegation. In an e-mail message to another delegation member shortly after the election, Mr. Flottman said Ms. Newman opposed “any kind of release from the outset — essentially suggesting it would be inflammatory and irresponsible.”
Ms. Newman, who had worked with Mr. Ranneberger when she was the Bush administration’s assistant secretary of state for African affairs, declined to comment.
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Mr. Gibson said he told the institute that its technical concerns were baseless, to no avail. His contract barred him from publicly disclosing the polling data for six months, and in March of last year the institute asked him to sign a new contract that would have restricted him from speaking publicly about the institute’s polling program without written permission.
“I think they were trying to shut me up,” he said. “I refused to sign it.”
In July, after his contract expired, Mr. Gibson and one of his doctoral students presented their analysis of the data at a seminar in Washington. A month later — one day before Mr. Gibson was to testify before Kenyan investigators — the institute announced that, after the outside review, it “now had confidence” in the poll and released the results.
very interesting info on ranneberger’s behind the scenese incident w/ bellamy & the inclusion of barkan, since all three of them still played nice at the CSIS event we highlighted. whatever worries ranneberger may have had about bringing bellamy on, he was still obviously complicit w/ the entire fraud. and barkan was part of the contingent of observers.
Posted by: b real | Mar 20 2009 19:29 utc | 51
London to boost funds for peacekeepers in Somalia
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – The government said Friday it would contribute an additional 10 million pounds (14.4 million dollars) in support of African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Somalia as the Somali foreign minister pressed the UN to lift its arms embargo.
Britain’s UN Ambassador John Sawers told a Security Council meeting on Somalia that London would give the additional funds this month to the UN trust fund for the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
“This is in addition to the five million pounds that we have already given directly to the African Union for AMISOM,” Sawers said. “We encourage others also to contribute.”
Newly-appointed Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar asked the AU to deploy three additional battalions of Ugandan and Burundian troops to beef up its mission.
“This needs to be undertaken immediately with improved equipment, logistics and medical facilities,” he added.
AMISOM comprises Ugandan and Burundian contingents totalling around 3,400 men in Mogadishu…
Omaar also urged the Security Council to lift its 17-year arms embargo to help Somali forces properly equip in their bid to defeat hardline Islamist fighters.
The Security Council embargo imposed in January 1992 has been constantly violated with weapons mainly coming from Yemen and financed by Eritrea as well as Arab and Islamic donors, according to a recent UN report.
what the AFP omits, if you read the rpt, is that [1] there are provisions for exemption already in place, however the embargo itself is not taken seriously, esp by the west, [2] the inflow of weapons is “low-level” and [3] a good deal of it comes from the international community’s support for the TFG:
Although provision exists for exemptions to the embargo to be granted by the Security Council under resolutions 1725 (2006), 1744 (2007), 1772 (2007) and 1816 (2008), no exemption for delivery of arms and ammunition or other lethal support to any Somali armed force or group has ever been granted. Consequently, the Monitoring Group believes that every armed force, group or militia in Somalia, their financiers, active supporters and, in some cases, foreign donors are currently in violation of the arms embargo.
The volume and pattern of arms transfers to Somalia has remained fairly constant since Ethiopian military intervention and the overthrow of the Council of Somalia Islamic Courts in January 2007. Somalia’s is a relatively low-intensity conflict characterized by small-scale engagements of limited duration, poorly disciplined and irregular forces armed with conventional infantry weapons, sustained by a constant, low-level flow of weapons and ammunition.
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Another principal source of arms, ammunition and military materiel to Somalia is external support to the forces of the Transitional Federal Government. Although such contributions are intended to contribute to security and stabilization in Somalia, and are eligible for exemption from the arms embargo, most are not authorized by the Security Council, and thus constitute violations. As much as 80 per cent of such support has been diverted to private purposes, the Somali arms markets or opposition groups. On balance, contributions to the Transitional Federal Government security sector have represented a net source of insecurity in Somalia, and an obstacle to stabilization efforts.
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..external contributions to build the capacity of the Transitional Federal Government security forces have provided an important loophole through which arms, equipment and military skills are diverted to the open market or to armed opposition groups.
perhaps the call for lifting the embargo is to facilitate the covert awakening council arming of forces at the clan level as we’ve seen taking place in parts of central and southern somalia. ethiopia has already been deeply involved in this, and sharif just came back from favorable meetings in kenya, uganda, rwanda & burundi
continuing w/ the AFP story
Omaar hailed the integration of transitional government troops and a faction of the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) into the Joint Security Forces (JSF) following UN-brokered reconciliation talks in Djibouti last year.
“If the JSF is to be equipped by the international community to partner with AMISOM and to secure peace, the embargo on the government has to be re-addressed,” he added.
“The JSF is not funded, resources or equipped up to now. Yet it is the essential partner of AMISOM for peacekeeping.”
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..Omaar stressed the importance of the [upcoming] April 22 Brussels conference, sponsored by the AU and the UN to raise funds for AMISOM and Somali security forces.
“Without these resources, visible and effective demonstration of the authority of the state and the rule of law will not be achieved and peace will not be secured,” he noted.
lot going on here. more on this later
Posted by: b real | Mar 20 2009 22:33 utc | 52
from ecoterra international‘s march 20th SMCM (somali marine & coastal monitor) update
on the iranian fishing vessel detained by puntlanders
An Iranian vessel was hijacked off the coast of Somalia by armed fishermen reports the Seafarers Assistance Program office in Mombassa, Kenya. Andrew Mwangura, program coordinator for SAP, told the press that a group of angry Somali fishermen have hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel near the coast of Somalia. Early reports say the hijacking took place after the fishermen confronted the ship for fishing illegally in Somali waters, according to Mr.Mwangura. “I hear that the villagers have taken it because of fishing illegally or for damaging fishing equipment”, Mwangura said. “Vigilantes usually move when you destroy their nets or boats and hold the ship until they are paid back”, said Mr. Mwangura. On March 16, Puntland residents detained the ship for illegal fishery activities, and residents said they will free the ship when the material damages have been paid. Actually the Iranian-flagged vessel is a industry-ship with a huge fish-processing capability and not just a fishing vessel. The tuna targeting factory ship named “SAFARI” has 14 Iranian crew on board and is now held near Kulub (close to Garcad) pending decisions, if the case could be legally tried somewhere.
other fishing vessels
The Yemen fishing boat, during whose capture actually the captain was reportedly shot and killed, has been recaptured by a local militia which guarded its illegal fishing. The vessel is reported now to load more fish off Eyl and is set to sail back to Yemen.
The identity of a Chinese fishing vessel arrested at Bargaal north of Eyl end of February could not yet be established.
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The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says also another fishing vessel was chased by a skiff with six pirates armed with automatic weapons about 540nm off east coast Somalia. The fishing vessel increased speed and headed into the waves and swell and prevented the skiff from coming alongside. Later, the skiff aborted the attempt and left the area. The IMB says that the fishing vessel’s crew and are safe and continuing passage. The IMB, however, would not reveal the name of the possibly illegally fishing vessel and if it believes that the location was reported correctly.
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Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme disclosed that in Tanzania a crew of Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Kenyans was being detained at the port of Dar-es-Salaam / Tanzania for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing in Tanzanian waters on board of the China-flagged vessel F/V TAWAQ. The vessel was arrested earlier this month by Tanzanian authorities, who said the operation of the vessel had fraudulently bagged 300 tonnes of tuna instead of the permitted 70 tonnes.
on the heavily-armed soko fleet
A South Korean warship has begun its voyage to Somali waters to join international efforts to fight piracy in the region, marking the first dispatch of the nation’s warship since the navy was created 64 years ago.
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The dispatched “Cheonghae” unit consists of a 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyer, a Lynx anti-submarine helicopter, a RIB speedboat and 300 personnel, including UDT/SEAL special naval forces. The KDX-II destroyer is equipped with two 30mm Goalkeepers capable of firing up to 4,500 rounds per minute, two Mk. 45 127mm guns, eight Harpoon ship-to-surface missiles and 32 SM-2 ship-to-air missiles, the news agency said.
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The Korean contingent will not only escort Korean commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden, a vital route for international energy transport, but will also conduct operations to monitor, inspect, stop and seize pirate vessels, using force if required. The task force’s deployment mission expires Dec. 31. The mission shows, according to governmental statements, that South Korea, the world’s 13th largest economy, is willing to play a bigger role in protecting fishing and cargo vessels and their crew from Somali bandits..
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So far only one Korean merchant ship was sea-jacked by Somali pirates – the 15,000-ton bulk carrier Bright Ruby – holding eight Koreans and 13 Myanmarese in captivity for 36 days, while Somalis still remember the arrest of several illegal Korean fishing vessels, including the tuna fishing ship Dongwon with 25 crew members who were released in return for payment after 117 days of captivity in 2006. In November 2007, two other illegally fishing boats, Mavuno No. 1 and No. 2, were also seized and held with their crew for 174 days until a settlement could be achieved. Many observers fear that Korea actually dispatched its warship only to secure the illegal fishing activities of its fleet, reaping multi-million dollar loots from the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile two Korean fishing vessels are reportedly operating illegally off the Hobyo coast in Somalia with local militia protection.
on the renditioning of suspected pirates to kenya
The decision by Kenya to prosecute Somali pirates will either expose its population to attacks by pirate sympathisers or bring it out as a hero of preservation of global peace and security, legal analysts have said, according to Steve Mbogo, asking in his Business Week article: “Will prosecution of pirates open country to revenge attacks?” Since January, Kenya has signed two bilateral agreements, one with the United States and the other with European Union, allowing them to hand over arrested pirates to Kenyan Police for prosecution. The analysts are surprised at the zeal of Kenya in signing the agreements, especially because all other eastern Africa coastline nations declined similar partnerships with the EU and the US. Kenya has been a victim of three major global terrorist attacks, and was expected to be more cautious on agreements that could expose its citizens to similar attacks. But it appears the foreign policy priority favoured playing a key role in preservation of maritime security, whose consequences could go either way. There is nothing wrong with Kenya´s decision to agree to prosecute the pirates, some analysts say, because any member of the United Nations can sign a bilateral agreement with the other that includes exchange of suspects.
The fact that some pirates are arrested in international waters, where no country can claim their citizenship makes Kenya´s offer of prosecution practically acceptable. Mohammed Guyo, a Horn of Africa security dynamics expert with the Institute of Security Studies in Nairobi, said the legality of Kenya accepting pirates is questionable because the country does not even have relevant law to prosecute pirates. He said for political correctness, agreements on the prosecution of pirates should be made between the Somalia government and the countries hunting down the pirates. But he said every member of the UN has a responsibility to preserve global peace and security, and Kenya´s decision to prosecute pirates could be based on this conviction. ” Trying pirates in Kenya is very risky!”, states renowned scholar and professor of terrorism and counter-terrorism studies at Murdoch University, Australia, Sam Makinda.
The agreement the Kenyan government is reported to have signed with the US and UK governments as well as the EU to have Somali pirates tried in Kenyan courts is without precedent. The trials carry substantial risks and security threats, and their legality could be challenged under international law, says Prof. Makinda. There is no doubt that the surge in piracy off the Somali coast in the past few years has threatened free international trade, caused shipping insurance premiums to rise and invited strong measures from the international community. Piracy is a war-like criminal activity, but those who participate in it are neither soldiers nor terrorists. Moreover, piracy often takes place outside the territorial waters of most states, which renders the prosecution of pirates complex. To some extent, the prosecution of pirates on the high seas appears to contravene the conventional freedom of the high seas. However, because of concept of universal jurisdiction, actions have been taken against pirates without objection from any country. This situation appears to have changed when the UN Security Council last year passed several resolutions under Chapter VII of its charter authorising member states to use all powers necessary to deal with piracy off the Somali coast. These resolutions went beyond the traditional legal powers and permitted those fighting pirates off the Somali coast to pursue the pirates inside Somalia´s territorial waters and on dry land.
as we followed at the time, those resolutions were penned by the u.s.
Posted by: b real | Mar 22 2009 5:57 utc | 56
EA standby force to be ‘operational’ by Nov
Countries in East Africa and the Horn will soon be obligated to intervene in trouble-spots like Somali and Darfur, instead of relying on help from the entire continent or the United Nations.
This is expected to become a reality next year after the East African Standby Brigade meets the requirements set by the African Union.
The director of the East African Standby Brigade Co-ordinating Mechanism (EASBCOM) Simon Mulongo, told The EastAfrican that the brigade will complete its field training in November after which it will be certified as fully operational.
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The creation of the East African Standby Brigade, to be co-ordinated from Karen in Nairobi, is part of the AU Peace and Security Architecture, which requires the five regions of Africa to develop their own standby brigades.
The East, North, West, Central, and Southern Africa regions are expected to develop their own brigades that will ultimately form an African Standby Force equipped to intervene in conflicts, meaning the continent will no longer have to depend on the United Nations every time a conflict breaks out.
Military commanders from the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region met in Nairobi early this month for a one-week conference that analysed conflicts and disasters in the region, and how to respond to them as a region. The generals came from Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti and Rwanda.
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But as the region moves to strengthen its capacity to respond to conflicts before they escalate, the new arrangement will not have it smooth.
One area of concern remains the political dynamics and ideology of member countries which could lead to some not being willing to contribute or accept troops from countries with which they are in dispute or on the basis of religious differences.
However, there is a provision that the standby force can only be deployed at the request of the country in conflict.
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Initially, the East African Brigade was meant to have 13 countries, namely, Tanzania, Kenya, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Union of the Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius.
But currently, the East African Standby Brigade will only have 10 active members with Tanzania, Madagascar and Mauritius having joined SADC. Still, Mr Mulongo revealed that Tanzania is considering participating in the group as an observer.
Ethiopia PM silent on cost of military mission
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is the commander-in-chief of the country’s defence forces, has refused to disclose the cost of the Somalia military intervention.
Opposition MPs expressed their disappointment after Mr Meles refused to disclose how many soldiers were killed or wounded during Ethiopia’s two-year military intervention in Somalia.
The PM last week told Parliament that he was neither obliged to make the disclosure, nor was it necessary for Parliament to know the details of the operation.
He, however, told Parliament how the Ethiopia intervention was important and successful, and that it was highly appreciated by the international community.
Opposition MP Temesgen Zewide said whatever the cost, both Parliament and the public were entitled to know.
The only independent MP and former Ethiopia President Negasso Gidada said Mr Meles’s position was an insult both to Parliament and the public.
Mr Lidetu Ayalew, the chair of Ethiopia Democratic Party (EDP), the only opposition party that supported the Ethiopian intervention, also expressed his disappointment by the Prime Minister’s refusal to disclose the cost.
“The public, who made the sacrifices, have a right to know,” Mr Lidetu said.
In his recent press briefing, Mr Meles refused to answer the same question from journalists, saying only that, the loss and causalities “were minimal”.
Ethiopia sent about 10,000 troops to Somalia in 2006 till early this year.
more on that
Meles tells parliament it does not need to know how many soldiers died in Somalia
The PM added he is neither obligated to disclose, nor is it important for the House to learn, the details of the casualties and fatalities suffered by Ethiopian soldiers. Ethiopia’s spending in Somalia was also not discussed by the PM.
“The parliament is the one that has ordered the measure in self defence and it is not only its right to learn the details of what its decision has resulted, but it is also responsible and accountable to oversee its decision and its implementation,” MP Lidetu Ayalew explained to Capital, adding that the PM’s response was “not appropriate”.
Lidetu, who chairs the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), which took a different stance from most of the opposition groups by supporting the government’s proposals on Somalia, said like the parliament, the nation too has the right to the information.
“It is the nation that made the sacrifices and for it to be part of such future efforts it needs to be informed what endured.
“We can never tell this nation to simply pay the price and not know the cost. The PM is accountable to the House and when the House asks questions it was not appropriate to say ‘I am not obligated to detail’ when in fact the PM is very much obligated,” Lidetu added.
He referred to international practices, like in the US, where the public is updated daily on its sons and daughters sacrifices in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dr. Negasso Gidada, the former president, who was the only candidate to win an independent seat back in 2005, said it was outrageous for Meles to respond as he did: “He just insulted us by trying to determine which information should be important for us and which isn’t.
“The boss should be the parliament, but it was seen to be the opposite.”
Without going into details, the Ethiopian government on various occasions reported that its soldiers came across very weak resistance from the Somalia jihadists and terrorists groups that had their operations orchestrated by the Eritrea government.
The PM told parliament spending was kept very low, as the soldiers were trained to keep their costs down almost to the level they would have spent if they were home.
However, MPs like Temesgen Zewdie argue that whatever the cost may be, both parliament and the public are entitled to full disclosure.
“It is becoming common in Africa as one way of building a complete dictatorship. Here in Ethiopia it is the executive that controls everything, but I hope we will see a day when there will be accountability, including for what really happened in Somalia,” he commented to Capital.
Posted by: b real | Mar 23 2009 19:07 utc | 60
some excerpts from ecoterra international‘s march 26 SMCM update
on the hazards of being actual fishermen:
Fishermen in Yemen and Somalia suffer from navy atrocities. The war on piracy going on in the waters off the coast of Somalia and Yemen may be making this important shipping lane safer for global commerce, but local fishermen become collateral damage, reported now also Arab News on similar cases as they were reported from Somalia already. Some navies seem to be clearly out of bounds.
There are approximately 12,000 fishermen along the coast of Yemen´s Hadramout province supporting over 3,000 families using more than 4,000 boats of various sizes, according to the Fisheries Cooperative Union (FCU), and Yemeni fishermen have told now stories of brushes with both pirates and the navies that are fighting them.
According to the FCU, an Indian frigate aggressively boarded the tuna trawler Al-Tayser about 69km from Al-Mukulla, the largest port city in the western portion of the country. The Indian seamen allegedly boarded the vessel and tossed all but one of the fishermen overboard. The mishandled fishermen there had to tread water until the search of the vessel was complete. During the interrogation the Indian naval commando even was striking one of the men. After a search of the vessel, the Indian navy men returned to the frigate and left the area. There were no serious injuries or deaths reported in that incident, different to when the Indian Navy just blew the fishing vessel Ekanawat Nava 5 out of the water a few months back.
Part of the problem is that the traditional fishing routes run between the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, and the fishing crews are comprised of men from both countries. At its narrowest, the distance between Somalia and the coast of Yemen is about 300 km in a body of water separating the Gulf of Aden from the Arabian Sea.
Fishermen have also complained of harassment by the pirates when they fish nearer the Somali side of this rift. They say the pirates are using them as decoys and human shields and purposefully trying to mix in with the fishing routes to confuse the pirate hunters.
“We have been working in fishing for ages and our fishing route has been from Al-Mukulla to the coast of Somalia”, said Mohammed Omer Bin Dehbaj. “Our crew consists of two Somalis and five Yemenis. We left Al-Mukulla on the morning of Jan. 18, heading toward Somalia. When we were in Somali waters, a group of pirates on a fiberglass boat rammed our boat”. The armed pirates boarded the fishermen´s vessel and ordered them to retrace their route. The men say the pirates wanted to use them as decoys or human shields. Eventually the pirates found another Yemeni vessel hailing from Hudaidah (a coastal Yemeni port city on the Red Sea) and commandeered that vessel, letting the others go. After breaking from the pirates, the eight men said they headed to Abd Al-Kuri, a tiny, barely populated island between the diving haven of Socotra and the coast of Somalia. Ten days after leaving Al-Mukulla, the men headed home — but their adventure didn´t end there.
On Jan. 29, a day after leaving the island, about 110 km south of Al-Mukulla, the men encountered two looming battleships. “We didn´t know the identity of the giant ships, but they seemed to be from the coalition forces´ Navy which were sent to combat piracy”, said one of the men. “When they saw us, a helicopter took off from one of the ships and, without sending any warning, it started to fire bullets heavily and indiscriminately toward the vessel. One of the crew got injured who was rushed later on to Al-Mukulla. The helicopter hovered overhead for two hours then went back to the ships, which left shortly after”.
Omer Gambeet, the head of the FCU in Al-Mukulla, the umbrella organization for all of the fishermen in the 360 km long coast of Hadramout, told Arab News that his biggest concern is the treatment of fishermen by the Indian naval forces. “Because they are unable to understand their language, the Indians mistreated the Yemeni fishermen severely and, in many cases, they tossed them into the sea like dogs, which is entirely beyond the pale”, he said, without stating that there have been any deaths involved in these incidents.
“Piracy and these actions by the navies has posed a serious threat to the Yemeni waters and the safety of the local fishermen”, he said. “It has terrified the fishermen´s families and if the problem remains unresolved, many will feel obliged to abandon fishing. That would aggravate the ongoing problem of unemployment and the import of fish from outside Yemen”. In a conference held last month and devoted to discussing the stakes of the pirates and the coalition forces on the Yemeni fishermen, Yemeni Coast Guard Forces Commander Ali Ahmed Ras´ee said that some ships of the coalition forces have harmed the local fishermen greatly. The commander urged countries involved in anti-piracy patrols to work more closely with the countries caught between the sea bandits and the forces aimed at stopping them.
a reprint from some form of promotional material by noor & gulf security corp:
Gulf Security Group (GSG) comprises of Somali nationalist elite security forces manned by seasoned, well trained and equipped military and intelligence professionals. Most members have also a good basic education and – coming mainly from the Somali Diaspora in Europe, Scandinavia and the GCC – they have a much wider horizon than local Somalis, who have been trapped for 20 years inside the country and saw nothing but violence, corruption and crime. GSG officers are enlisting in increasing numbers to repulse radical criminal elements, who are guilty of murdering and oppressing innocent families throughout Somalia.
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GSG is pro-government and although operating totally independent is working in clear agreements with the government as well as within the Somali and international laws. GSG can conduct these rather independent operations through reliance on their own resources.
GSG elite direct action strike forces and marine expeditionary commandos share the common goal to totally eradicate fundamentalist and radical Islamists who perpetuate – with so far no consequences for them – terror and human rights violations of epic proportions in Somalia. This situation has now changed. The Somali nationalist commando elements within GSG are highly trained for night raids are accompanied by sniper units, which leave the radicals no place to hide. Night operations will soon be supported also by air and naval capabilities.
GSG marine expeditionary forces are targeting criminal enterprises incl. those engaged in piracy and have focused on hard-line Islamists who have directed their interests on kidnapping, human trafficking and hijackings, attractive to them due to large ransoms which they plan to use to further their terrorist activities on land. The Marine Expeditionary Units have unrestricted access to the entire Somali coast line.
The Somali nationalist assault forces of the Gulf Security Group are greeted with cheering and prayers for success in all the areas they are conducting operations. Now more than 600 in number and backed by the financial and logistical support from the international Diaspora of Somalis [bullshit], GSG is steadily increasing in strength.
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The Somali Elite Strike Forces of GSG hit now back with the same fierce aggression and even harder, but observe clear rules of engagement in combating enemy elements inside Somalia, who have demonstrated no respect for human life or suffering and have displayed a sense of brutality highly offensive to the Somali people, who resent and lament seeing nearly every part of Somali culture being crushed along with their hopes of ever regaining a semblance of normalcy and peace.
Extreme violence had emerged with the arrival foreign terrorist elements, who are supplying Al Shabab and other Al-Qa’ida groups with funds, weapons, vehicles and training. State sponsors of the foreign criminals faintly disguise their culpability and complicity in promoting a violent extremism unknown and unwanted by the vast majority of Somalis.
GSG intelligence units are operating aggressively throughout the regions where the radical extremists hide. These GSG officers are equipped with encrypted communications systems, which are virtually impossible to detect, track or identify as they are widely supported by the local Somalis where they are conducting operations. Additional commando units are anticipated shortly to arrive, who are specialized in interrogation techniques in order to uproot even the last radical element in the country.
wtf? GSG elite direct action strike forces and marine expeditionary commandos? GSG intelligence units? “now conducting operations”? in their heads maybe…
on the international flotilla in the gulf of aden:
Natural Resources & Armed Fish Poachers: Foreign navies entering the 200nm EEZ of Somalia and foreign helicopters and troops must respect the fact that especially all wildlife is protected by Somali national as well as by international laws and that the protection of the marine resources of Somalia from illegally fishing foreign vessels should be an integral part of the anti-piracy operations. Likewise the navies must adhere to international standards and not pollute the coastal waters with oil, ballast water or waste from their own ships but help Somalia to fight against any dumping of any waste (incl. diluted, toxic or nuclear waste). So far and though the AU as well as the UN has called since long on other nations to respect the 200 nm EEZ, none of the countries to which the most notorious vessels and fleets are linked has come up with a declaration nor has any of the navies operating in the area pledged to stand against illegal fishing. So far not a single illegal fishing vessel has been detained by the naval forces, though they had been even informed about several actual cases, where an intervention would have been possible. Illegally operating Tuna fishing vessels (many from South Korea, some from Greece and China) carry now armed personnel and force their way into the Somali fishing grounds – uncontrolled or even protected by the naval forces mandated to guard the Somali waters against any criminal activity, which included arms carried by foreign fishing vessels in Somali waters.
LLWs / NLWs: According to recently leaked information the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden are also used as a cover-up for the live testing of recently developed arsenals of so called non-lethal as well as sub-lethal weapons systems. (Pls request details) Neither the Navies nor the UN has come up with any code of conduct in this respect.
Posted by: b real | Mar 29 2009 5:03 utc | 73
the east african: Uganda deploys more soldiers in Somalia despite Osama threat against Sharif
In the wake of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) withdrawal from a three-month operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kampala has quietly deployed another 1,000 soldiers in conflict-ravaged Somalia, The EastAfrican has learnt.
Senior army officers in Kampala confirmed last week that at least 1,000 troops have been on Somali territory for over a week now, despite growing concerns that the presence in Somalia of Uganda’s army poses a serious terrorist danger to the country.
“We’ve completed deployment of another battalion. We now have two battalions standing in Somalia,” said General Aronda Nyakairima, UPDF Chief of Defence Forces.
Army spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye added that this is an “augmentation force” deployed at the request of the African Union. In the same sprit, Burundi, the other country that has an AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia, will also send more troops to reinforce its contingent.
With 1,600 UPDF soldiers already in place, the new force brings to 2,600 the number of Ugandan troops in the Horn of Africa country.
the papers in kampala put the official number deployed last w/e at 800, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t have been more since last sunday
despite the spin of the article, starting w/ the headline, the threat to the AMISOM forces has absolutely nothing to do w/ any stmts attributed to UBL – foreign troops have never been acceptable to somalis & there is near unanimous opposition to those of AMISOM who have been imposed on the country by western powers. as gen. nyakairima even spells out in the article,
“[UBL] will not stop us, because we have been invited by the international community and Africa union (AU).”
600 is a number that seems to be popping up frequently as of late. first, the mysterious security outfit GSC (see previous comments) was reported to hae brought 600 mercenaries into somalia to wage a counterinsurgency.
continuing w/ the east african article
During Mr Sharif’s visit, it emerged that Uganda had been secretly training nearly 600 Somali nationals on Ugandan territory, under a programme jointly funded by the AU and Kampala. The trainees have passed out and are now deployed alongside the Ugandan troops in Somalia, sources said.
This is not the first time Uganda is training Somali troops, having earlier concluded training of another special unit of 100.
that second number may be low, depending on how it’s qualified
the article also adds
a Muslim scholar Imam Kasozi said that by deploying more troops, Uganda was signalling that “we are now preparing for war” against al-Shabaab.
“Let’s not forget, we went into Somalia on behalf of the US, which two years ago paid Uganda $10 million to enable the troops to travel to Mogadishu. But two years later, is there any peace to keep in Mogadishu? No. It means they are now preparing for war.”
press release: AMISOM welcomes Somali President’s stand
Sunday 29th March 2009, The Special Representative of the Chairperson of The African Union Commission for Somalia Nicolas Bwakira welcomes the firm declaration by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed that AMISOM should remain in the country to continue the important role it is undertaking.
The AU Special Representative who is on a two day visit to Somalia was speaking at the Somali State House today while paying a courtesy call on President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed yesterday clarified his government’s position on the issue following speculations emanating from forces opposed to the peace process that AMISOM is not needed and should therefore leave Somalia.
The AU Special Representative of the AU for Somali Nicolas Bwakira assured the Somalia Government that AMISOM is committed to supporting the establishment of a professional security force to help ensure peace and stability in the horn of African country.
Posted by: b real | Mar 29 2009 17:43 utc | 74
from a press release by CJTF-HOA’s public affairs outfit: U.S. Horn of Africa Personnel Dive for Aircraft Wreckage in Lake Victoria
U.S. Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa have located the wreckage of an Ilyshin II 76 aircraft that crashed in Lake Victoria and are conducting diving operations to retrieve information.
…
The divers have found the aircraft tail.
“It was very tall, and it was in the flight path, so we splashed divers on it and there it was,” said Lieutenant Junior Grade Scott Bryant, the on-scene diving operations officer. “We also located portions of the fuselage, that are not enclosed, they are cracked open like an egg.”
According to Bryant, divers have also located both wings, landing gear with four tires and what they believe to be one of the engines. However they believe the other engines are sunk and will confirm over the next few days.
“Most of the heavy stuff is underneath the silt. We found parts of the tail that are sunk and the divers had to dig five feet under,” he said. “This is very difficult diving and potentially very hazardous. Probably some of the most difficult I’ve seen in 19 years of service. There is no visibility, especially once you touch the bottom; a powder, like talcum powder, floats up everywhere and you can’t see at all. Because of the wreckage, there are very sharp medal objects pointing everywhere and we have fishing nets to deal with.”
Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world. The wreckage is 80 feet under water, buried in approximately 15 feet of silt and 6.8 miles from the closest pier.
…
CJTF-HOA brought personnel and equipment to Uganda from Bahrain, Italy and Djibouti. Equipment includes sonar systems, self contained under water breathing apparatus (SCUBA) gear, surface-supply diving equipment, a hyperbaric chamber for emergencies and three boats. CJTF-HOA is part of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
of course the pr piece omits any mention of dyncorp or its contract w/ DoS so that it can portray (“shape” is the popular term these days) the operation as assisting the ugandan govt.
that’s alot of expensive equipment to bring in for the recovery operations. fortunately for them nobody really is asking any important questions.
here are the captions from three images in the accompanying photo gallery at the site
ENTEBBE, Uganda – Petty Officer 2nd Class John Handrahan, assigned to the forward-deployed U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 (EODMU 11), dives into Lake Victoria in Africa March 28, 2009 as part of a search and recovery operation being conducted by the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and the government of Uganda. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Cory Drake)
and
ENTEBBE, Uganda – Members of U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8) receive a briefing on the Ilyushin 76 transport plane March 24, 2009, which is the same model as the one which crashed into Lake Victoria in Africa March 9. EODMU 8 is part of a search and recovery operation being conducted by the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and the government of Uganda. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Cory Drake)
and
ENTEBBE, Uganda – Lieutenant (junior grade) Scott Bryant, assigned to U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2 (EODMU 2), directs a team member to approach a safety boat provided by the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority on Africa’s Lake Victoria March 27, 2009. Bryant is the diving officer-in-charge of a search and recovery operation being conducted by the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and the government of Uganda. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Cory Drake)
at least 3 EODMU units on the scene?
according to the website global security, this represents both “Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1” (EODGRU 1) and “Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Two” (EODGRU 2)
on the former,
The mission of EODGRU 1 is to provide the Pacific Fleet with the capability to detect, identify, render safe, recover, evaluate, and dispose of explosive ordnance which has been fired, dropped, launched, projected, or placed in such a manner as to constitute a hazard to operations, installations, personnel, or material.
on the latter,
EODGRU 2’s mission is to provide combat ready EOD and Diving & Salvage forces to the Fleet per unit ROC & POEs. Eliminate ordnance hazards that jeopardize operations conducted in support of the national military strategy. Clear harbors and approaches of obstacles. Salvage/recover ships, aircraft and weapons lost or damaged in peacetime or combat.
nothing in either of those missions about recovering tents & water purifiers 😉
and not much in the two major media sources in kampala lately. two briefs in tuesday’s new vision
Bad weather foils search for plane wreckage
Bad weather has affected the team of US and Ugandan divers who are searching for the wreckage of the Ilyuhsin plane that crashed into Lake Victoria on March 9.
Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson Ignie Igundura yesterday said: “The weather is not helping. It is stormy and this affects the work of the divers.”
‘Aeroplane was not hit by missile’
The aeroplane that crashed into Lake Victoria early last month was not shot down by a missile, John Byabagambi, the state minister for works has said.
Speaking to MPs at Parliament yesterday, Byabagambi said: “We suspect the pilots saw fire and were trying to turn the aircraft around after take off.”
He said while turning the aircraft to the runway, the pilots did not get the time to communicate with the control tower.
which is more likely –
1. the EODMU’s are looking for evidence of sabotage
2. the EODMU’s are looking to recover ordnance
Posted by: b real | Apr 1 2009 5:50 utc | 77
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