Why Ethiopia must be sanctioned for violations of the Somalia Arms Embargo.
Sophia Tesfamariam
July 16, 2009
In violation of the Somali arms embargo, the minority regime in Ethiopia managed to scuttle efforts made by all three Transitional National Governments (TNG) in Somalia, and continues to arm various opposing factions in the country. The facts and its record in Somalia are well known to everyone in the international community, but for whatever reasons, they have been reluctant to call a spade a spade and take punitive actions against the belligerent regime. Ethiopia´s numerous violations of the Somali Arms Embargo are well documented. If the US-led international community really wanted to put an end to the bloodshed in Somalia, it could do so very easily. Unfortunately, it has decided to play realpolitik whilst the lives of thousands lay on the line.
As the Security Council mulls over the situation in Somalia, allow me to present, for the record, Ethiopia´s decade long violations in Somalia.
According to the 3 July 2002 Report of the Team of Experts:
On 30 October 1997, a C- 130 military transport aircraft arrived from Ethiopia with ammunition for small arms, rocket propelled grenades, machine guns, antipersonnel landmines and grenades
One truckload of ammunition arrived from Ethiopia on 1 April 1991
In April 2001, 12 mortars, several M30 artillery pieces, M30 artillery ammunition, mortar bombs, landmines and other unspecified ammunition for militia opposed to TNG were delivered from Ethiopia
Also in April 2001, assault rifles, light machine guns, 4 heavy machine guns, 4 106mm caliber antitank guns, ammunition for the aforementioned items were sent by Ethiopia for Abdulahi Yusuf
On 7 June 2001- Nine heavy trucks containing anti-aircraft guns, assault rifles and mortars of different calibers along with ammunition for the aforementioned items were sent by Ethiopia.
In 1997, the Ethiopian military also trained and armed more than 1200 members of the Somali National Front (SNF). According to the SNF Chairman, Ethiopia also supplied his militia with an assortment of arms and ammunitions.
In 1999, a brigade of Ethiopian troops, supported by tanks, several batteries of artillery and attack helicopters, in conjunction with more than a thousands RRA militia attacked the Somali National Alliance (Hussein Aideed´s) in Baidoa and took control of much of Southern Somalia.
It should be recalled that Ethiopia established, financed and armed the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) to oppose the Transitional National Government of Somalia established in Arta, Djibouti, in 2001. Ethiopia labeled the Abdul-Kassem Salad Hassan TNG as being a "terrorist" government and fueled the conflict that eventually led to its demise.
Ethiopia´s violations are too numerous to list. The list of arms presented by the Panel of Experts in their 25 March 2003 Report can serve as an example. According to the Panel of Experts, on 16th March 2002, a shipment of arms was delivered in four trucks escorted by three Ethiopian army armored vehicles. The cargo included:
19 B-10 anti-tank guns with ammunition
8 DSHK heavy machine guns with ammunition
55PKM machine guns with ammunition
47 AK-48 assault rifles with ammunition
350 G-3 assault rifles with ammunition
10 P-9 pistols with ammunition
The Panel of Experts also reported that Ethiopia had played an "overt military role in Somalia". The Group said that Ethiopia had also invaded and occupied parts of Somalia and used various pretexts to meddle in Somalia´s internal affairs.
Emboldened by the financial, diplomatic, political and military support and shield it received from the US-led international community, the minority regime in Ethiopia, again in violation of the Somalia arms embargo, financed and armed a coalition of warlords calling themselves the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT).
On 6 June 2006, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) after a two month long battle against the US and Ethiopian backed ARPCT, took control of Mogadishu, the Somali capital. Mogadishu's air and seaports were re-opened for the first time since 1995. The UIC expanded its control throughout Somalia and restored peace and security in areas under its control.
Instead of welcoming the peace, stability and security in Somalia after 15 years of anarchy and chaos, refusing to engage the UIC in any meaningful way, advancing a very negative defamation and vilification campaign against it, with 25000 armed troops, ground and aerial artillery, armored vehicles, tanks, helicopters and more, in a clear broad daylight violation of the arms embargo in Somalia, and in violation of Security Council resolutions 1724 and 1744, the UN Charter and the African Union Charter, Meles Zenawi´s regime invaded and occupied Somalia in order to install and "prop up" the Transitional National Government of Somalia with Abdulahi Yusuf at the helm. Ethiopia´s invasion and occupation of Somalia has resulted in the greatest humanitarian disaster in Somali´s history:
Over 17,000 Somali civilians have been killed
Villages and farms have been pulverized
Somalia´s infrastructures, schools, hospitals, markets and more have been destroyed
Over 2 million people have been displaced.
Despite its numerous violations of the arms embargo, undermining of Somali reconciliation efforts, and its repeated violations of Somalia´s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the minority regime in Ethiopia, the Bush Administration´s "staunch ally" in the "war on terror", has yet to be sanctioned for its belligerent acts. The decade long presence of Ethiopian forces in Somalia continues to fuel the conflicts in Somalia. If anyone should be sanctioned for violating the Somalia arms embargo and for undermining all peace efforts for Somalia for the last 10 years, it should be the lawless minority regime in Ethiopia led by the deceptive Meles Zenawi.
The rule of law must prevail over the law of the jungle!
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