THE ALARMING SITUATION IN SOMALIA, DUMPING OF TOXIC WASTE AND ILLEGAL FISHING
Kanini Evans Kariuki
June 24, 2009
THE current situation of Somalia warrants a global collective address of finding a permanent solution to the crisis that will ignite an unbearable effect throughout the region of East Africa, and later on Africa and even to North America.
The most militant groups of the Al-Shabaab are mostly Somalis who are citizens of Canada, USA and Western Europe.
These misguided youngsters need a global Islamic principle for rehabilitating them, settling the middle East problem as well as changing the dictatorship regimes in the developing countries that created the frustration of the citizens of certain developing nations, where their intelligentsia feels that the westerners are not sincere in their democratic slogans, and that their insincere activities had not enabled the developing countries to utilize their untapped natural resources which need the right approach, financial and human resources.
The brain drain that is taking place in the developing countries and the system of the NGO´s participation in the state affairs as well as mismanaging the funds allocated to them makes them get accused of complicity in graft, hence the NGO´s and donors are part of the corruption prevailing in some of the developing countries.
GRAFT
Somalia at present ranks as the second most corrupt nation in the world.
This is due to the unscrupulous Somali businessmen who are bringing expired food and medicines, Somali NGO´s which are working on behalf of international NGOs, international NGO´s which powerfully claim that they represent the donors, and the UN and UN agencies who lavishly spend taxpayers money of the donors without proper financial state procedures of Somalia, nor in a proper fashion of accountability and transparency.
Many a times, Somali workers have blown the whistle on the mismanagement of the Somalia assistance funds from the international community.
During the UNOSOM period from 1993 to 1995, UNOSOM had established the council´s and administrations of eight regions and 557 districts of the Somali 18 regions and 92 districts.
Quoting the United Nations and Somalia 1992-1996 blue book series, volume VIII on page 424, Paragraph 53 text, the following is clearly stated:
UNOSOM II has continued to assist in the setting up of district councils. Two additional district councils have been established in Las Koreh and Dahar in the Sanaag region since the signing of the Nairobi Declaration in March. This was the first time that people from a region located in "Somaliland" had invited UNOSOM II to assist them in establishing their local administrative structures. The number of district council´s established to date now standards at 57 (out of a total of 92). The number of regional councils remains at 8 out of a total of 18.
The UN who had established these administrations, cut off all the funds and vehicles for these institutions.
INSINCERITY OF THE UN
Due to the insincerity of the UN, these administrations fell apart. This is an eloquent demonstration that the UN intends to keep Somalia at bay.
The aeroplanes that carry the UN and UN agency employees are not allowed to carry Somali politicians, civil servants and even the Somali peasants who may be needing rescue for medical treatment to save their lives in safe destinations.
The UN also contributes to the Somali clan conflicts by recruiting only certain clans; but notwithstanding the fact that they are employed on the basis of favouritism, they are still paid at low rates compared with their foreign counterparts who hold the same qualifications.
The UN and its agencies conducts workshops and seminars by choosing participants who should attend these symposiums and other conferences.
Since there is a government and other administrations, the planning of the seminars and workshops and the priorities of projects funding must come from the government and the administration applying the financial state procedures of Somalia in tendering, purchasing and inventory recording according to Somalia´s Central Stores regulations.
This fully indicates that the UN is not working within the premises of transparency and accountability. Throughout the 20 years of the Somali civil war, there was no proper auditing of the funds for Somalia. The only way out of this mess would have been hiring an external auditor.
This discrepancy was bound to pave way for serous loopholes for corruption and fraud.
In order to avoid suspicion or mistrust between the UN and Somalis, the Somali UN has to operate within the framework of the Somali State procedures and regulations.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Recently, the Somali president Sheikh Sharif declared a state of emergency, while the Speaker of the parliament appealed to the neighboring states and the member states of the United Nations, to deploy foreign forces in Somalia to support the Somali forces in countering the offensive attacks of the Al-Shabaab group, and the Muslim party whom the Somali government accused of being linked to the Al-Qaeda.
Furious fighting between the Transitional Federal Government and Islamic radical groups was raging starting from last May 7th that resulted to loss of lives, injuries and internal displacement of thousands of women, children, the disabled, the aged and newly-born babies.
These displaced people are living in appalling conditions without shelter, food and medicines.
LEGISLATORS´ KILLINGS
During the heavy fighting, Somalia´s National Security minister Colonel Omar Hashi Aden was killed by a suicide bomber in a town north of the troubled country´s capital, while a member of parliament Hon Mohammed Hussein Adow was assassinated in a separate bloody incident.
The killing of Colonel Hashi Aden was the most horrific.
The Al-Qaeda allied extremist group, Al-Shabaab, which has territorial ambitions against Kenya and Ethiopia , claimed responsibility for Col Aden´s killing.
Colonel Omar Aden died together with at least 29 other people, including Somalia´s former ambassador to Ethiopia Abdikarim Farah Laqanyo, when the suicide bomber struck at Medina Hotel in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiran region, 335 km north of Mogadishu.
More than 50 people were wounded.
Mr. Yusuf Ahmed Hagar , a former governor of Hiran, confirmed the attack. It was the biggest and deadliest blow that Islamic insurgents have inflicted on the Transitional Federal Government since they stepped up their bloody war against it.
The attack came just a day after the Mogadishu police boss was killed in fighting in the capital.
On Wednesday, the militants who have on more than one occasion made threats against Kenya, demanded that Kenya removes its army from the border.
Both Kenya and Ethiopia have beefed up security on their border with the volatile nation to prevent the flow of terrorists and weapons into their territories.
In 1998 and 2002 terrorists used Somalia to launch attacks against Kenya .
DEAFENING BLAST
Mr. Hussein Yusuf Abdullahi, a resident who witnessed the bombing said: "I heard a huge blast in the morning………it was deafening".
Other residents said that a lone suicide bomber was seen driving a saloon car to the hotel at terrific speed.
Mr. Mohammed Abdi , a shopkeeper near the hotel, said smoke was rising from the building and government forces started shooting after the balls and body parts were scattered in the street.
Col Aden was a key player in the government offensive against Islamists rebels who control much of the Southern Somalia and want to impose a Taliban-style regime in the Horn of Africa nation.
CONDEMNED THE ATTACK
He moved to Beled-weyne at the start of June with heavily armed troops in a bid to recapture more territory from Islamist insurgents.
Al- Shabaab claimed respeonsibility for the attack with spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Raghe alias Sheikh Ali Dhere saying one of the movement´s volunteers executed the bombing.
Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed held a press conference to condemn the attack and blamed Al-Qaeda affiliate groups.
He reiterated that hardliner Islamists want to alter all national symbols, including the national flag and other identities. He also accused them of constituting a threat to Somalia and beyond.
"These people are operating via a foreign agenda that smells terror" said President Ahmed.
Al-Shabaab stepped up their attacks in early May to try to oust President Ahmed, but neither side has delivered a killer blow and clashes have killed about 300 people.
Western nations, some of Somalia´s neighbours and government fear that if the chaos persist, more foreign fighters coming to wage holy war will be sucked into the Horn of Africa nation, increasing risks to the region.
"Al-Qaeda considers Somalia a strategic place. They want to make it a safe haven for criminals", president Ahmed said.
"This is an International war against Somalis. We ask the world to help us fight the international terrorists", he went on.
SEA PIRACY AND TOXIC WASTE
Somalia sea piracy started by the vacuum of authority after the collapse of the then Siad Barre-led government in January 1991.
The Somalia´s interim cycle of civil war which resulted in the breaking of Somalia into warlord and clan cantons authorized the illegal fishing, and some of them also authorized the dumping of toxic waste.
The Somali sea pirates claim that they were forced to organize themselves to defend their sea waters after foreign nations commenced the practice of fishing illegally in Somalia´s territorial waters.
These foreigners had destroyed and overran the fishing nets of Somali fishermen, as well as killing some fishermen and sinking their fishing boats.
Quoting my article dated June 4, 2009 entitled Transitional Federal Institutions Can Only Prevail In Somalia, the claims by the Somali sea pirates were supported by Martin Bell.
In an interview with the BBC late May 2009, Martin Bell who is a former British lawmaker and current goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, indicated that the Somali sea pirates were originally poor fishermen whose livelihood was threatened by the vessels illegally fishing in their sea waters.
NATO FORCES
The extension of the Nato Navy forces in Somalia sea waters indicates that they have failed in their mission of eradicating the Somalia sea piracy.
The patriotic Somalis regard the Nato forces as illegally operating in their sea waters and that they are only protecting their cargo vessels coming to and from the Suez canal, heading to Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as giving protection to the illegal fishing of some of the Nato nations, and that they are witnessing the dumping of the toxic waste, according to a letter published in the American chronicle dated May 22, 2009 by Sophia Tasfamariam stating graphically:
"…. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia, tells me: "Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury – you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia, to "dispose´´ of cheaply. When I asked Mr. Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: "Nothing. There has been no clean-up, no compensation, and no prevention"… At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia´s seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by over exploitation- and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300m- worth of tuna; shrimp, and lobster are being stolen every year by illegal trawlers. The local fishermen are now starving……" End of the quotation from the above-mentioned article by Sophia Tasfamariam.
The Nato forces were patrolling the Somalia sea waters for the last six months but there were no genuine results which were made.
Members of these forces from Britain, France and USA handed over Somali citizens whom they accused of being sea pirates to Kenya and Yemen for trial as sea pirates, curiously avoiding to try them in USA, France and Britain.
LAWS VIOLATED
They violated the international laws stipulating the state of such trials after capture as well as the individual rights of the captured Somalis.
The Somali´s were supposed to have been tried in Somalia particularly in the Puntland area, where Courts and premises for rehabilitation and prisons are available.
The Nato Navy forces are abusing the right´s of the Somalis as well as infringing on the sovereignty of the Somalia state.
The dumping of the toxic waste was well documented in TV programs in Switzerland, and by the Al-Jazeera TV channel both in Arabic and English.
The Somalis must seek compensation and clean-up for gross violation of their rights and the looting of their marine resources.
PREVIOUS ARTICLES
In my previous articles, I did indicate that the Al-Shabaab group and Hizib Islam (Muslim Party) are only together or have patched up with the express purpose of toppling the Sheikh Sharif regime.
Today, the Al-Shabaab group declared that they were not consulted over the establishment of the AFGOI District.
In their statement, the Al-Shabaab indicated that they had forged an alliance with the Muslim Party with the sole intention of overthrowing the rule of Sharif´s regime.
However, the Hibiz Islam (Muslim Party) after the pressure of Sheikh Dahir Awes clan, declined to announce a complete ceasefire;but the Al-Shabaab rejected and insisted on the continuation of the fighting until they defeat the Sharif´s regime or force the Sharif to resign.
The serious Somali politicians regard the rhetoric, oft-repeated support assurances or statements from the UN and other states as public relations gimmicks and diplomatic gestures.
They feel that there is no immediate financial and military assistance for their country, while some of these politicians assume that the world will not come to rescue the current regime in Somalia since its aim is to ensure that the Radical groups finish each other and as sources indicate, Sharif himself too, perishes because he lacks the experience, qualifications and vision of salvaging the war-battered country from its current confusion and chaos.
It is highly likely that the West will impose a new man in Somalia to protect or enhance its interests after Sheikh Sharif exits from the scene.
The next article will be on the way forward for Somalia.
The most militant groups of the Al-Shabaab are mostly Somalis who are citizens of Canada, USA and Western Europe.
These misguided youngsters need a global Islamic principle for rehabilitating them, settling the middle East problem as well as changing the dictatorship regimes in the developing countries that created the frustration of the citizens of certain developing nations, where their intelligentsia feels that the westerners are not sincere in their democratic slogans, and that their insincere activities had not enabled the developing countries to utilize their untapped natural resources which need the right approach, financial and human resources.
The brain drain that is taking place in the developing countries and the system of the NGO´s participation in the state affairs as well as mismanaging the funds allocated to them makes them get accused of complicity in graft, hence the NGO´s and donors are part of the corruption prevailing in some of the developing countries.
GRAFT
Somalia at present ranks as the second most corrupt nation in the world.
This is due to the unscrupulous Somali businessmen who are bringing expired food and medicines, Somali NGO´s which are working on behalf of international NGOs, international NGO´s which powerfully claim that they represent the donors, and the UN and UN agencies who lavishly spend taxpayers money of the donors without proper financial state procedures of Somalia, nor in a proper fashion of accountability and transparency.
Many a times, Somali workers have blown the whistle on the mismanagement of the Somalia assistance funds from the international community.
During the UNOSOM period from 1993 to 1995, UNOSOM had established the council´s and administrations of eight regions and 557 districts of the Somali 18 regions and 92 districts.
Quoting the United Nations and Somalia 1992-1996 blue book series, volume VIII on page 424, Paragraph 53 text, the following is clearly stated:
UNOSOM II has continued to assist in the setting up of district councils. Two additional district councils have been established in Las Koreh and Dahar in the Sanaag region since the signing of the Nairobi Declaration in March. This was the first time that people from a region located in "Somaliland" had invited UNOSOM II to assist them in establishing their local administrative structures. The number of district council´s established to date now standards at 57 (out of a total of 92). The number of regional councils remains at 8 out of a total of 18.
The UN who had established these administrations, cut off all the funds and vehicles for these institutions.
INSINCERITY OF THE UN
Due to the insincerity of the UN, these administrations fell apart. This is an eloquent demonstration that the UN intends to keep Somalia at bay.
The aeroplanes that carry the UN and UN agency employees are not allowed to carry Somali politicians, civil servants and even the Somali peasants who may be needing rescue for medical treatment to save their lives in safe destinations.
The UN also contributes to the Somali clan conflicts by recruiting only certain clans; but notwithstanding the fact that they are employed on the basis of favouritism, they are still paid at low rates compared with their foreign counterparts who hold the same qualifications.
The UN and its agencies conducts workshops and seminars by choosing participants who should attend these symposiums and other conferences.
Since there is a government and other administrations, the planning of the seminars and workshops and the priorities of projects funding must come from the government and the administration applying the financial state procedures of Somalia in tendering, purchasing and inventory recording according to Somalia´s Central Stores regulations.
This fully indicates that the UN is not working within the premises of transparency and accountability. Throughout the 20 years of the Somali civil war, there was no proper auditing of the funds for Somalia. The only way out of this mess would have been hiring an external auditor.
This discrepancy was bound to pave way for serous loopholes for corruption and fraud.
In order to avoid suspicion or mistrust between the UN and Somalis, the Somali UN has to operate within the framework of the Somali State procedures and regulations.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Recently, the Somali president Sheikh Sharif declared a state of emergency, while the Speaker of the parliament appealed to the neighboring states and the member states of the United Nations, to deploy foreign forces in Somalia to support the Somali forces in countering the offensive attacks of the Al-Shabaab group, and the Muslim party whom the Somali government accused of being linked to the Al-Qaeda.
Furious fighting between the Transitional Federal Government and Islamic radical groups was raging starting from last May 7th that resulted to loss of lives, injuries and internal displacement of thousands of women, children, the disabled, the aged and newly-born babies.
These displaced people are living in appalling conditions without shelter, food and medicines.
LEGISLATORS´ KILLINGS
During the heavy fighting, Somalia´s National Security minister Colonel Omar Hashi Aden was killed by a suicide bomber in a town north of the troubled country´s capital, while a member of parliament Hon Mohammed Hussein Adow was assassinated in a separate bloody incident.
The killing of Colonel Hashi Aden was the most horrific.
The Al-Qaeda allied extremist group, Al-Shabaab, which has territorial ambitions against Kenya and Ethiopia , claimed responsibility for Col Aden´s killing.
Colonel Omar Aden died together with at least 29 other people, including Somalia´s former ambassador to Ethiopia Abdikarim Farah Laqanyo, when the suicide bomber struck at Medina Hotel in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiran region, 335 km north of Mogadishu.
More than 50 people were wounded.
Mr. Yusuf Ahmed Hagar , a former governor of Hiran, confirmed the attack. It was the biggest and deadliest blow that Islamic insurgents have inflicted on the Transitional Federal Government since they stepped up their bloody war against it.
The attack came just a day after the Mogadishu police boss was killed in fighting in the capital.
On Wednesday, the militants who have on more than one occasion made threats against Kenya, demanded that Kenya removes its army from the border.
Both Kenya and Ethiopia have beefed up security on their border with the volatile nation to prevent the flow of terrorists and weapons into their territories.
In 1998 and 2002 terrorists used Somalia to launch attacks against Kenya .
DEAFENING BLAST
Mr. Hussein Yusuf Abdullahi, a resident who witnessed the bombing said: "I heard a huge blast in the morning………it was deafening".
Other residents said that a lone suicide bomber was seen driving a saloon car to the hotel at terrific speed.
Mr. Mohammed Abdi , a shopkeeper near the hotel, said smoke was rising from the building and government forces started shooting after the balls and body parts were scattered in the street.
Col Aden was a key player in the government offensive against Islamists rebels who control much of the Southern Somalia and want to impose a Taliban-style regime in the Horn of Africa nation.
CONDEMNED THE ATTACK
He moved to Beled-weyne at the start of June with heavily armed troops in a bid to recapture more territory from Islamist insurgents.
Al- Shabaab claimed respeonsibility for the attack with spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Raghe alias Sheikh Ali Dhere saying one of the movement´s volunteers executed the bombing.
Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed held a press conference to condemn the attack and blamed Al-Qaeda affiliate groups.
He reiterated that hardliner Islamists want to alter all national symbols, including the national flag and other identities. He also accused them of constituting a threat to Somalia and beyond.
"These people are operating via a foreign agenda that smells terror" said President Ahmed.
Al-Shabaab stepped up their attacks in early May to try to oust President Ahmed, but neither side has delivered a killer blow and clashes have killed about 300 people.
Western nations, some of Somalia´s neighbours and government fear that if the chaos persist, more foreign fighters coming to wage holy war will be sucked into the Horn of Africa nation, increasing risks to the region.
"Al-Qaeda considers Somalia a strategic place. They want to make it a safe haven for criminals", president Ahmed said.
"This is an International war against Somalis. We ask the world to help us fight the international terrorists", he went on.
SEA PIRACY AND TOXIC WASTE
Somalia sea piracy started by the vacuum of authority after the collapse of the then Siad Barre-led government in January 1991.
The Somalia´s interim cycle of civil war which resulted in the breaking of Somalia into warlord and clan cantons authorized the illegal fishing, and some of them also authorized the dumping of toxic waste.
The Somali sea pirates claim that they were forced to organize themselves to defend their sea waters after foreign nations commenced the practice of fishing illegally in Somalia´s territorial waters.
These foreigners had destroyed and overran the fishing nets of Somali fishermen, as well as killing some fishermen and sinking their fishing boats.
Quoting my article dated June 4, 2009 entitled Transitional Federal Institutions Can Only Prevail In Somalia, the claims by the Somali sea pirates were supported by Martin Bell.
In an interview with the BBC late May 2009, Martin Bell who is a former British lawmaker and current goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, indicated that the Somali sea pirates were originally poor fishermen whose livelihood was threatened by the vessels illegally fishing in their sea waters.
NATO FORCES
The extension of the Nato Navy forces in Somalia sea waters indicates that they have failed in their mission of eradicating the Somalia sea piracy.
The patriotic Somalis regard the Nato forces as illegally operating in their sea waters and that they are only protecting their cargo vessels coming to and from the Suez canal, heading to Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as giving protection to the illegal fishing of some of the Nato nations, and that they are witnessing the dumping of the toxic waste, according to a letter published in the American chronicle dated May 22, 2009 by Sophia Tasfamariam stating graphically:
"…. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia, tells me: "Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury – you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia, to "dispose´´ of cheaply. When I asked Mr. Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: "Nothing. There has been no clean-up, no compensation, and no prevention"… At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia´s seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by over exploitation- and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300m- worth of tuna; shrimp, and lobster are being stolen every year by illegal trawlers. The local fishermen are now starving……" End of the quotation from the above-mentioned article by Sophia Tasfamariam.
The Nato forces were patrolling the Somalia sea waters for the last six months but there were no genuine results which were made.
Members of these forces from Britain, France and USA handed over Somali citizens whom they accused of being sea pirates to Kenya and Yemen for trial as sea pirates, curiously avoiding to try them in USA, France and Britain.
LAWS VIOLATED
They violated the international laws stipulating the state of such trials after capture as well as the individual rights of the captured Somalis.
The Somali´s were supposed to have been tried in Somalia particularly in the Puntland area, where Courts and premises for rehabilitation and prisons are available.
The Nato Navy forces are abusing the right´s of the Somalis as well as infringing on the sovereignty of the Somalia state.
The dumping of the toxic waste was well documented in TV programs in Switzerland, and by the Al-Jazeera TV channel both in Arabic and English.
The Somalis must seek compensation and clean-up for gross violation of their rights and the looting of their marine resources.
PREVIOUS ARTICLES
In my previous articles, I did indicate that the Al-Shabaab group and Hizib Islam (Muslim Party) are only together or have patched up with the express purpose of toppling the Sheikh Sharif regime.
Today, the Al-Shabaab group declared that they were not consulted over the establishment of the AFGOI District.
In their statement, the Al-Shabaab indicated that they had forged an alliance with the Muslim Party with the sole intention of overthrowing the rule of Sharif´s regime.
However, the Hibiz Islam (Muslim Party) after the pressure of Sheikh Dahir Awes clan, declined to announce a complete ceasefire;but the Al-Shabaab rejected and insisted on the continuation of the fighting until they defeat the Sharif´s regime or force the Sharif to resign.
The serious Somali politicians regard the rhetoric, oft-repeated support assurances or statements from the UN and other states as public relations gimmicks and diplomatic gestures.
They feel that there is no immediate financial and military assistance for their country, while some of these politicians assume that the world will not come to rescue the current regime in Somalia since its aim is to ensure that the Radical groups finish each other and as sources indicate, Sharif himself too, perishes because he lacks the experience, qualifications and vision of salvaging the war-battered country from its current confusion and chaos.
It is highly likely that the West will impose a new man in Somalia to protect or enhance its interests after Sheikh Sharif exits from the scene.
The next article will be on the way forward for Somalia.
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