Around the Year Change 2008 – 2009 in Somalia - Horn of Africa Piracy Annals. Part 2
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
January 05, 2009
93rd Update 2009-01-01 10h36:26 UTC
Ecoterra Intl. - Stay Calm & Solve it Peaceful & Fast !
Ecoterra International – Update & Media Release on the stand-off concerning the Ukrainian weapons-ship hi-jacked by Somali pirates and related news.
We also can make sea-piracy in Somalia an issue of the past - with empathy and strength and through coastal and marine development as well as protection!
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While our thoughts are with all those who are held captive in Somalia, as well as with the millions of Somalis, who are trapped in the ongoing conflict and poverty, we hope and wish for all that 2009 will bring freedom and relief, new hope and prosperity to those oppressed as well as insight and enlightenment, wisdom and humanity to those at whose hands the people suffer.
Happy New Year!
And we thank all those who have supported in the past year our work as well as the tireless efforts of the Seafarers Assistance Programme - Thank You!
Day 99 - 2348 hours into the MV FAINA Crisis - Update Summary
Efforts for a peaceful release continued, but the now over three months long stand-off concerning Ukrainian MV FAINA is not yet solved finally, though intensive negotiations have continued.
Strong winds are blowing from Russia, which also affect the negotiations concerning the peaceful release of MV FAINA. Not only has Russia's Gazprom cut off any and all heating- and cooking-gas-supplies to the Ukraine, thereby creating a serious crisis at home for Ukrainians, but also the FAINA negotiators in the hot sun of Somalia and Kenya have received the pressure "in the old style" in which Russia liked to deal with all obstacles to its interests in the past. It seems that Russia as well as Israel realize that the United Nations apparently are toothless in the face of the present Gaza-crisis and like to use the opportunity of global breathlessness to push their hard-line advances, even using state media to create blurry visions concerning the real problems at hand.
Some analysts believe that the sponsorship to the sea-jacking of the Saudi supertanker was a tit-for-tat response to the abduction of MV FAINA, which is of Israeli, Ukrainian, Russian, Kenyan and allegedly Southern-Sudanese joint interests. Since the diversion of the Saudi supertanker, the VLCC Sirius Star, on November 15 by pirates off Somali waters, the Saudi press has been publishing echoes of several Arab journalists and analysts, including Egyptians, who warn against "Israel´s aims for playing a key role in the Red Sea" and against "a US-European control of this strategic sea". Yemeni foreign minister, Abu Bakr al-Korbi, had claimed that Riyadh was "conducive to cooperation among Arab countries bordering the Red Sea to ensure the security of the sea", and said on November 20 in Cairo at a meeting of Arab officials bordering the Red Sea, that "the multinational naval presence in the southern part of the Red Sea was "a danger to Arab national security". Not only do columnists and analysts openly accuse Israel of sponsoring acts of piracy that multiply off Somali waters, but they also do not hide their fears of an internationalization of security in the Red Sea, where Israel plays a decisive role. "What is happening in the Horn of Africa is not a simple case of piracy. These acts of piracy raise various questions about the capabilities and equipment of simple outlaws who are seeking ransoms", wrote Nawaf Al-Meshal Sabhan in the Saudi daily Al-Iqtissadia already on 25th November 2008.
Daily Al-Riyadh´s editorialist Dr. Hashem Abdou Hashem added: "These repeated acts of piracy are premeditated. They are sponsored by a State or organization, in any case by a party seeking to create tension, concern and instability in the Red Sea in order to achieve strategic interests". More explicitly, Jalal Aref wrote on 24th November in al-Youm that Arab countries bordering the Red Sea "are now faced with four dangers: The internationalization of security in the Red Sea with the pretext of fighting piracy, Israel´s covetousness of seeking to play a key role in the Red Sea, the theft of Arab oil through piracy, without counting the blow to navigation in the Suez Canal". The same day the daily Al-Iqtissadiya stated in its editorial that the continued piracy - despite air defense, missiles guided by satellites, computers and advanced navigation equipment available to the coalition forces - means that some countries close an eye on these acts of piracy for strategic, political and economic reasons, pointing out that "the Red Sea is the only waterway in the world where residents are dominantly Arab and it must remain so". Amin Sa'ati, a Saudi expert, demonstrated in a long article published by the same newspaper that "the security of Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea are inseparable (...) since 30% of global crude, including the one of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, pass through the Red Sea, the bulk of our desalinated water resources comes from the Red Sea, and our imports and exports pass largely through the Red Sea".
He added: "The Red Sea is our lung (...). The kingdom must convene a meeting of countries bordering the sea to develop a mechanism for strategic cooperation. But it seems that foreign forces do not want stability in the region. Israel remains the main obstacle to such cooperation", added the expert. Israel has been also condemned by Islamists on Internet sites which are full of inflammatory articles, including one written by the former Secretary General of Kuwaiti Salafist Movement, Sheikh Hamed Al Ali, who was quoted saying: "The aims of the Zionist enemy in the Red Sea have never ceased", wrote the Islamist cleric on his website, illustrating his long article with a quote by a former commander of the Israeli navy regarding "a diabolical plan" which aims to "transform the Red Sea into a Jewish lake." Sheikh al-Ali also lists examples of "the Zionist military engagement in Ethiopia," particularly "sophisticated aircraft-radars and 60 military Zionists experts". That is why Sheikh al-Ali called the mujahideen in Somalia "to eliminate pirates whose irresponsible acts will be exploited by western backers to the benefit of the diabolical Zionist plan and to abort the Islamic project in Somalia". The Shebab, who called piracy an offence to Islam, threatened to attack the pirates if they will not release the "Star Sirius".
Ecoterra Intl. repeats it's call to solve the FAINA and the SIRIUS STAR cases with first priority and peaceful in order to avert a human and environmental disasters at the Somali coast. Anybody encouraging hot-headed and concerning such difficult situations inexperienced and untrained gunmen or those, who believe they are capable to try an attempt of a military solution, must be held fully responsible for the surely resulting disaster.
Clearing-house:
News from other abducted or newly attacked ships --------
On the first day in the new year, with EU-critical Czech Republic taking over the helm at the EU, already an Indian tanker holding 89,982 metric tonnes of fuel oil has been attacked today (01.01.09) in first light at around 06h37 (local time/EAT) at position 13:05N-047:03E in the Gulf of Aden. Automatic weapons fire was opened against the tanker from two skiffs. Evasive measures, top speed and the arrival of a Fennec helicopter launched from a Malaysian frigate saved the tanker from being sea-jacked or damaged. All crew is safe and unharmed. Ecoterra Intl. issued a strong statement to immediately stop any further attacks and specifically on any vessel holding dangerous cargo. Due to the present escalation in actually directing RPG and automatic weapon fire at such vessels, the drastically increasing danger of creating a human and environmental disaster affecting all people living close to the Gulf of Aden coasts as well as the ecosystem is imminent.
An ocean-going vessel has reportedly on 31. Dec. at around 13h30 been fired upon at position 13:09N-047:29E in the Gulf of Aden. Winds along the Yemeni coast are predicted to be between 5 - 10 knots over the next several days, favouring small boat operations. An increase in attack activity could be expected.
With the latest captures and releases now at least 18 foreign vessels with a total of at least 350 crew members (of which 92 are Filipinos) are held in Somali waters and are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) have been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (incl. the presently held 18). For 2009 the account is one attack and 0 sea-jacking. Mystery pirate mother-vessels Athena/Arena and Burum Ocean as well as not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the hi-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (also not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail. In the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures.
Directly related news ------------------
Like everything else in China, the anti-pirates voyage of the PLA forces has a symbolic meaning. "Apart from fighting pirates, another key goal is to register the presence of the Chinese navy", China Daily quoted Prof. Li Jie, a naval researcher, as saying. The U.S. and Britain are not pleased with China's advance onto the world's naval scene, one Russian analyst noted. When the Chinese destroyers reach the Gulf of Aden, all five permanent members of the UN Security Council will be represented in this highly dangerous part of the world.
Meanwhile Ugandan peace keeping troops in Somalia are beginning 2009 on a good note following the donation of supplies by the government of China, notes a Ugandan media outlet. The Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Sun Heping at the year-end handed over the 5 million Chinese Yuan (732,000 USD) donation to the minister of Defense, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga. Ambassador Heping said the donation is part of efforts by China to fight activities of pirates and insurgents operating on the Indian Ocean and Somalia. He noted that Ugandan troops serving in Somalia lacked enough logistical support which is urgently required to accomplish its mission in trying to bring peace to Somalia.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday said the mobilization of naval fleets in the Somali coast would complicate the situation in Somalia and the region as a whole. "The mobilization of fleets will not solve the problem.... It is feared that the presence of an international military will be a pretext of threat to the stability of the region", he said in a speech at the opening session of the Sanaa Gathering, which is made up of Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia and Somalia. He said the phenomenon of piracy on the Somali coast is the natural result of the deteriorating situation in Somalia, and "the elimination of the phenomenon of piracy depends on resolving the Somali problem and reaching a lasting peace and stability there". Bashir stressed the importance of a conciliatory solution to the problem of Somalia, and warned that the situation in Somalia, what he described as "chaos", will affect the stability of the whole region. He called on the international community to support the efforts of the African Union and the Arab League which aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the conflicts in Somalia.
Related news from the global village -------
India's people are making demands on their nation to rise up and try to stop the genocidal aerial attacks on the Gaza strip, against which Israel has declared open war. Muslim organisations in Mumbai have openly demanded that India should break all diplomatic relations with Israel and people are asked to boycott all Israeli goods and services. This is a demand coming from India's own citizenry and it is, therefore, a test, if India is more attuned to the dictates of foreign powers than to the demands of its own people. "This is a test of India's freedom, sovereignty and unalloyed commitment to justice and fair-play. India should, not only raise its voices in all international fora, but in practical terms send its naval vessels to break the siege that Israel has illegally imposed on Gaza", Indian writer Ghulam Muhammad proposes and adds: "Let India's naval vessel engage themselves in humanitarian relief work, by breaking the Israeli blockade and providing relief to the 1.5 million Palestinians, who are practically being starved to death". Israel is defying all UN resolutions (e.g. conc. the no-fly zone) and demands and is even blockading UN relief to pass to the beleaguered people of Gaza, that are hemmed in by Israel and Egypt, which the author describes as "a nominal Arab country, but fully controlled by the US as puppet and carrying out the Zionist agenda like an unthinking robot".
On day 5 of the Gaza-war Israeli jets attack a parliament building in Gaza, as Hamas rockets land deep in Israel, after calls for a ceasefire founder. UN Security council can not agree on a resolution.