Ecoterra Press Release 241b – The Somalia Chronicle June – December 2009, no 54
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
March 18, 2010
ECOTERRA Intl.
SMCM
Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor
ECOTERRA INTERNATIONAL - UPDATES & STATEMENTS, REVIEW & CLEARING-HOUSE
2009-09-11 FRI 16h01:45 UTC
Issue No. 241b
A Voice from the Truth- & Justice-Seekers, who sit between all chairs, because they are not part of organized white-collar or no-collar-crime in Somalia or elsewhere, and who neither benefit from global naval militarization, from the illegal fishing and dumping in Somali waters or the piracy of merchant vessels, nor from the booming insurance business or the exorbitant ransom-, risk-management- or security industry, while neither the protection of the sea, the development of fishing communities or the humanitarian assistance to abducted seafarers and their families is receiving the required adequate attention, care and funding.
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." George Orwell
EA ILLEGAL FISHING AND DUMPING HOTLINE: +254-714-747090 (confidentiality guaranteed) - email: somalia[at]ecoterra.net
EA Seafarers Assistance Programme EMERGENCY HELPLINE : SMS to +254-738-497979 or sms/call +254-733-633-733
"The pirates must not be allowed to destroy our dream !"
Cpt. Florent Lemaçon - F/Y Tanit - killed by French commandos - 10. April 2009 / Ras Hafun
NON A LA GUERRE - YES FOR PEACE
(Inscription on the sail of F/Y TANIT - shot down on day one of the French assault)
We have the obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears, and believe that anybody who is degrading other people and peoples has to be fought against with whatever appropriate tools people have available.
Clearing-House: Cut out the clutter - focus on facts !
(If you find this compilation too large or if you can't grasp the multitude and magnitude of important, inter-related and complex issues influencing the Horn of Africa - you better do not deal with Somalia or other man-made "conflict zones". We try to make it as easy and condensed as necessary.)
Breaking:
Three Seychellois Seafarers finally really free and save in Kenya.
Minutes ago a plane landed in Kenya with the three Seychellois sailors on board.
First Somalia pirates released the three men held since February and now they were released by the Puntland authorities and flown out of Somalia.
The Somali pirates had freed the three Seychellois who had been held hostage since their catamaran was hijacked in the Indian Ocean in February, the island nation´s government said in a statement already last Sunday.
However the three men were then being held at an airport in Somalia by the authorities of Puntland, who accused the Seychelles of swapping them for 23 suspected pirates repatriated over the weekend.
"Conrad Andre, Gilbert Victor and Robin Samson are expected to be transferred from Somalia, and are awaiting a flight from Somalia to Seychelles," the Seychelles said in a statement last week, but then the three got held up by Puntland authorities.
Joel Morgan, the Seychelles minister for the environment, natural resources and transport, denied allegations that a swap took place.
"The release of the Seychellois hostages is not related to the repatriation of the 23 Somali men this weekend. An exchange of Seychellois and Somalis did not take place," Morgan said in the earlier statement.
"No money has been paid to the pirates by the government of the Seychelles," Morgan also said by telephone, refusing to comment on whether any money had been paid by any other party.
He said that 23 suspected Somali pirates intercepted in the Indian Ocean in recent months had been repatriated over the last weekend because lack of evidence did not allow for prosecution in the Seychelles.
The pirates were dropped off and the hostages picked up in Garaad, a coastal village in southern Puntland, which is also one of the pirates´ main hubs.
Puntland, a semi-autonomous Somali state from which most of the piracy attacks over the past two years have originated, charged that the two aircraft chartered by the Seychelles for the operation landed there illegally.
"The two planes were carrying 23 pirates who are believed to have been exchanged for three sailors from the Seychelles Islands," the Puntland government said in a statement.
The statement alleged that Puntland Minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Elmi Osman had been informed that the two planes were "transporting a cargo of humanitarian aid supplies."
Puntland also lashed out at Kenya, through which the 23 transited, and accused officials at Nairobi airport of condoning "pirate smuggling and ransom transfers."
The Seychelles denied any wrongdoing and insisted that it "followed all the proper procedures in informing and liaising with the relevant authorities."
Two facilitators remained in Somalia and the Puntland authorities said they would be brought to court.
News from sea-jackings, abductions, newly attacked ships and vessels in distress
With the latest captures and releases now still at least 5 foreign vessels with a total of not less than 120 crew members are accounted for (of which 42 are confirmed to be Filipinos) and are held in Somali waters. Three former hostages are held by the local ad ministration. The cases 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 too. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) had been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (for Somalia, incl. presently held ones) and the mistaken sinking of one vessel by a naval force. For 2009 the account stands at 163 attacks (incl. averted or abandoned attacks) with 47 sea-jackings on the Somali/Yemeni pirate side as well as at least six wrongful attacks (incl. one friendly fire incident) on the side of the naval forces. More than 150 Somalis are held in foreign prisons (Kenya, Yemen, Seychelles, France, Netherlands) under charges of piracy. Not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-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.
Piracy incidents usually degrade during the monsoon season in winter and rise gradually by the end of the monsoon season starting from mid February and early April every year. Present multi-factorial risk assessment code: GoA: YELLOW IO: YELLOW (Red = Very much likely, high season; Orange = Reduced risk, but very likely, Yellow = significantly reduced risk, but still likely, Blue = possible, Green = unlikely).
Directly piracy or naval upsurge related reports
Ecosystems, marine environment, IUU fishing and dumping, UNCLOS, ecology
Fish-poachers and notorious purse-seiners cry for protection
Spanish fleet lobbies for naval security on board
The shipowners of the tuna fishing fleet that work near Somalia are calling for armed navy infantrymen to be assigned on board their fishing ships and guarantee the security of crewmembers who fish in the Indian Ocean. They claim the measure, which was undertaken by France in July and next by Italy, will help to dissuade pirates who threaten the region.
Officials of the National Association of Freezer Tuna Vessel Owners (ANABAC) and the Big Frozen Tuna Vessels Producers Association (OPAGAC) expressed their dissatisfaction with the safety measures adopted by the government until now, which they consider ineffective. As such, they asked the Secretary General of Defence Policy, Luis Cuesta, to assign four armed infantrymen to each one of the 17 vessels (15 tuna fishing vessels and two auxiliary ships) in operation.
According to fishing officials, the crewmembers are "frightened and worried" about the series of assault attempts by pirates.
Three frustrated attacks were reported on the vessels Intertuna II, Alakrana and Campolibre Alai just over the last few days.
The shipowners also alerted the government of their fear of a new kidnapping case involving a Spanish tuna fishing vessel and the serious consequences this would entail.
Likewise, they clarified that they do not accept the governmental proposal to take private security on board.
"We totally discarded this option. Not so much for the cost, but because it would be useless. The weapons that private security personnel can legally carry are similar to what the doorman of a building or a discotheque can carry: a slingshot, next to the bazookas of the pirates, and would not serve as a dissuasive element," explained a tuna fishing fleet spokesperson.
"We do not want pirates to be killed from our ships, but that sufficiently armed personnel [be at the ready] so as to dissuade attack attempts," he said to El Pais.
Purse seiners after bottom trawlers are the most destructive fishing vessel in the oceans.
Spanish and European consumers must demonstrate that there will be economic and political ramifications if politicians, commercial fishermen's organisations, supermarkets and fish processors fail to address the problem of cetacean bycatch. Every year many thousand porpoises, dolphins and whales are dying in the nets of the purse seiners, which are not equipped with dolphin escape devices.
Case study: Tuna Purse-seine Fisheries, Dolphins and FADs –EJF
Due to public concerns about the impacts of tuna fisheries on dolphins, alternative methods of capturing tuna have been developed. However, some of these, including the use of artificial fish aggregating devices (FADs - not only used in tuna fisheries) have resulted in high bycatch of other species including mahi-mahis, yellowtails, sharks and rays, as well as juvenile tuna.
Tuna purse-seining (where a net is used to encircle the targeted shoal of fish and then closed tight) can be used in three different ways that correspond to three means of detecting tuna:
1. on free-swimming schools of tuna;
2. on tunas associated with floating objects (naturally occurring or artificial);
3. on dolphins (mainly in the Eastern Tropical Pacific - ETP).
The capture of dolphins that were deliberately targeted in tuna purse-seine nets in the Eastern Pacific Ocean caused an outcry when first brought to pubic attention. Tuna's association with dolphins makes detection at the surface easier, but dolphins deliberately encircled by the purse-seiners were frequently captured and killed in the process. Dolphin mortalities reached hundreds of thousands every year, and populations declined rapidly until the mid-1990s when technological and operational changes to reduce dolphin bycatch were successfully introduced. The efficacy of these measures, in conjunction with management actions to limit dolphin deaths per vessel, has lowered mortality levels for all dolphin populations to less than 0.1% in the waters of developed nations, but where control is absent, like in most parts of the Indian Ocean it is still horrific.
Serious bycatch concerns regarding the fishery still persist, as bycatch of immature tunas and other fish species have now increased due to the popularity of alternative fishing practises designed to avoid contact with dolphins, particularly the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs).
This case study by the Environmental Justice Foundation therefore presented a clear-cut example of the problem in taking a single-species approach to bycatch reduction; by focussing solely on reducing impacts on dolphin populations, the problem of bycatch has not been eradicated, it has merely been displaced onto another set of marine fauna.
FADs
Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are artificial floating structures that attract pelagic species, including tuna. These devices are now widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters globally, particularly in the Indian Ocean. EU purse seiners fish for tuna using FADs in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans under 15 Fishing Agreements with developing countries.
Data from the Eastern Tropical Pacific indicates that levels of bycatch using FADs can be up to 50%, composed of dolphin fish, billfish, wahoo, triggerfish, barracuda, rainbow runners, sharks, rays and sea turtles. Skipjack are the main target species but increasingly large numbers of juvenile tunas - yellowfin and bigeye (the latter is classed as a "vulnerable" species by the IUCN) are also caught. One study reported that almost 20% of the tuna catch can be discarded in these types of fisheries because it is below the market minimum requirement for size or condition.
For many areas there is little data on the levels and composition of bycatch associated with FAD fisheries, or on the status of non-target species' populations. In general, the use of FADs is regarded as a non-sustainable practice for which solutions are urgently needed; at present there are few well-established technical or operational means to reduce bycatch in these fisheries. Innovative bycatch reduction measures need to be devised, and the EU should take a principal role in funding and directing this research.
Eat Only Fish Caught with Sound Methods
Currently, there are only two such products available in UK supermarkets - canned tuna from the Maldives caught using pole and line in the Maldives, and fresh mackerel caught using handlines by Cornish fishermen and certified by the MSC the only MSC certified product to be endorsed by ECBC .
New gecko discovered on bizarre and beautiful Socotra island
By Jeremy Hance
Lying in the Indian Ocean near Somalia but belonging to Yemen, the strange island archipelagos of Socotra offer a bewildering array of life found no where else on Earth. Thirty seven percent of its plant species, ninety percent of its reptiles, and ninety-five percent of its snail species are endemic.
Now biologists can add a new species to this list. Italian researchers unraveled the mystery of a gecko named Hemidactylus inintellectus (photo see: http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0910-hance_socotra.html). Inintellectus translates to 'misunderstood', since the gecko, which is common on the island, was consistently confused with other species.
"This new discovery raises the number of reptile species of Socotra to 26, with 23 species endemic of the island. And this is not a mere matter of numbers: when a species has no name it doesn´t exist, and it can´t be protected. That´s why biodiversity assessments are such an essential tool for conservation policies," writes one of the researchers, herpetologist Fabio Pupin of the University of Pavia. According to Pupin, Socotra is a reptile's paradise (there are no amphibians on the island): "[Reptiles] are everywhere, from the high mountains of Haggeher to the desert lowland of the south coast, basking on tree branches as on nearly every rock around—and Socotra is a rocky place indeed! And even underground: there are, in fact, five worm-like reptiles, suited to a completely chthonian life."
The new species of gecko prefers rocky areas and is nocturnal. For more information and photos visit Herpfolio.
Socotra is still claimed by some Somali factions, while Russia eyes the island, which is a declared World Heritage Site, to establish a naval base for the newly emerging naval super-power.
Puntland warns of looming crisis as drought bites
Thousands of people affected by a severe drought in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, are in desperate need of assistance, with officials describing the situation as "very critical".
"We are at a critical stage and if help does not come within weeks the situation could develop into a catastrophe," Abdullahi Abdirahman Ahmed, head of the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency of Puntland (HADMA), told IRIN.
He said a recent assessment by his agency showed that almost all of Puntland was affected by the drought.
"We saw livestock, including camels, dying by the roadside. Others were being abandoned by their owners because they were too weak," he said.
He said the authorities had started water trucking to the worst-affected parts of the region.
"The government effort can only cover about 30 percent of those who need help," he said, adding that Puntland did not have the capacity to mount the kind of operation needed.
"The resources are simply not there."
Ahmed said HADMA had informed the agencies of the severity of the situation. "This is not a situation like any we have seen and so I hope that agencies don't treat it as business as usual."
Livestock dying
Haji Muse Ghelle, the governor of Bari region, one of the worst-affected areas, told IRIN some 30 percent of livestock in his region had died and the remaining animals were in very poor condition.
He said the Gu (long) rains had failed, leaving the barkads (water catchments) in the area dry. "Eighty percent of water comes from barkads and they are almost dry."
Hundreds of families were moving from their villages in search of water and food, he said. Ghelle, who toured parts of his region from 25 August to 4 September, said he had found villages "totally abandoned. They are moving wherever they think they can find water and food."
He said both people and the remaining livestock were weak and "could not last long without help".
The priority should be to save the lives of the people and what is left of the livestock, the economic mainstay of the area. "On my tour we did not see people dying but what we saw was close to it."
Said Waberi Mohamed, the district commissioner of Qandala, in Bari region, one of the hardest-hit areas, said some 13 settlements in the district, with 1,000 families (about 6,000 people), had been abandoned. He said the district was entirely dependent on barkads, which had run dry. "We are facing one of the worst water shortages I have ever seen," he said.
Ahmed of HADMA said many nomadic families were moving to towns in search of assistance. He said the first priority was to deliver water to affected areas and to distribute food to those who had lost their livestock. "If something major is not done to intervene within the next few weeks, we will be facing a serious crisis," he warned.
Anti-piracy measures
UN urges enhanced campaign against piracy off Somali coast – DPA
The United Nations on Thursday called for a continued fight against piracy, which has increased in frequency despite deterrent actions by the navies of major nations and NATO.
Proposals to fight piracy include the establishment of a tribunal to prosecute pirates and the sharing of information among concerned parties as pirates have gained more sophisticated means and targeted big ships and tankers on the high seas.
Japan, which holds the chairmanship of a 28-nation contact group on piracy, held a session at UN headquarters on Thursday to discuss its work.
The group is backed by the African Union, the Arab League, the European Union, the UN, NATO and the International Maritime Organization.
"As a matter of principle, policy and practice, the UN remains committed to addressing the problem of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia in all its aspects," said Joao Honwana, who heads the African division in the UN Political Affairs department.
Honwana said the UN has offered legal assistance to countries that want to prosecute pirates. He asked the contact group to establish a sub-group focusing on land-based initiatives to combat the root causes of piracy. The periodic sessions on piracy have been held this year to work out measures involving justice. But a final decision is not to be expected soon.
The UN Security Council has authorized states to take measures to fight piracy on land and off the Somali coast. The world's eight most industrialized nations voiced support for the anti-piracy fight when they held their G8 summit at L'Aquila, Italy in July.
Germany and Russia have called for the "prompt and adequate prosecution" of captured pirates as an indispensable condition for ending piracy. The two countries proposed an international tribunal with authority to prosecute not only pirates but also their organizers on land.
Giant Laser Guns to foil Hijacks by Dazzling Pirates
By David Parsley and John Ingham
Pirate ships off Somalia and rogue boats will face an even bigger threat in future.
Ruthless pirates face a new space-age weapon to stop hijackings on the high seas – a giant laser gun.
Similar to the laser pens used by schoolboys to disorientate pilots coming into land, the Laser Dazzle System can disable pirates from 1,000 yards.
The laser will not harm the pirates but is designed to confuse them when shone on to their boat as they prepare to board tankers and cruise ships.
It is part of a range of James Bond-style devices for shipowners unveiled today by BAE Systems at a defence exhibition in London´s Docklands.
Others include a radar that can spot a dinghy from 15 miles and a device that can even turn off the pirates´ engines remotely.
The technology is designed to counter the threat posed by Somali pirates off East Africa. Nato and the EU have deployed naval forces across the Indian Ocean to keep the shipping lanes to the Suez Canal open. But the area is so vast that shipowners need new ways to beat the pirates. BAE Systems says the radar can detect the pirate dinghy 15 miles away, further than any other commercial radar, giving captains time to escape and alert naval ships.
BAE System´s chairman Dick Olver said: "We can put radar on the ships which looks over the horizon and can see a rubber boat. When it gets a bit nearer we can turn the engine off."
Normally reserved for military use, BAE Systems has adapted the devices for the commercial sector.
Its director of solutions development, Nick Stoppard, said: "Piracy is on the rise. Attacks in 2008 were double those of the previous year. There is a clear need for better methods to help ships identify and evade the pirates before an attack occurs."
Pirate battles not only on big screen
Chamber told of Canada's role in dangerous waters off Somalia by Dave Willis, The Delta Optimist
Local businesspeople got to hear about a Canadian naval crew's recent efforts against pirates off the coast of Somalia last Friday.
Part of a five-ship NATO task group, the HMCS Winnipeg spent over 50 days patrolling the Gulf of Aden earlier this year, Cmdr. Craig Baines told a Delta Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn.
The frigate escorted merchant vessels, chased down pirates and boarded their ships, seizing weapons like AK-47s and rocket propelled grenades.
It was like "dealing with a street gang at sea," Baines said.
Funded and run by organized crime elements from ashore in Somalia, pirates would target ships passing through the Gulf of Aden's Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor on their way to and from the Suez Canal.
About 20,000 ships per year travel through the area, Baines said, calling it a "super highway for merchant traffic."
He estimated about 800 pirates operate in the area.
Their usual operating procedure is to approach a merchant ship, fire weapons to keep crews enclosed in the vessel, hook ladders on, take control and then take the ship to a safe anchorage to start the ransom process, he explained.
"They're essentially negotiating for the lives of the crew, the ship itself and the cargo."
From early April to early June, the HMCS Winnipeg prevented about six hijackings while its task force stopped about 15 in total, Baines said.
"That's 15 ships that are not being held for ransom because of the coalition effort. That doesn't include the deterrence of just being there and stopping them from operating," he said.
He did note that one time, however, they were unable to arrive in time to ward off a hijacking and that the captured ship is still being held for ransom.
Baines said having a helicopter onboard the frigate was absolutely instrumental to the mission.
"Instead of having a 15-mile horizon, I had a 150-mile horizon," he said, noting the helicopter gave them an increased ability to respond to distress calls.
No real peace in sight yet
Somali President Plans to Tour the U.S. by moguldom
The recently elected president of Somalia, Sheik Sharif Ahmed, announced in a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya that he plans to take a tour U.S. communities with large Somali populations. The communities in Minneapolis, Washington D.C. and Columbus, Ohio.
According to the Associated Press, the United Nations ambassador Elmi Duale said the Somali president wants to get advice for solving some of the problems his country faces.
Since the civil war began in the 1990's, Somalians have fled the country to the United States, as the country has not had a functioning government since 1991.
Duale said the visitation will serve as a "two-way channel" to remind the Somalians in the United States that they can help remedy the situation in the war-torn country.
"It's a way of showing the Somalis in diaspora the homeland considers them still part and parcel of the community, and they have responsibilities to help and assist," he said.
Ahmed's visit also comes as a federal investigation continues into the return to Somalia of several young Somalis from the Minneapolis area, apparently to join a terrorist jihad in Somalia.
Just last month, the U.N. said that Somalia is in the throws of the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly two decades.
Impacting reports from the global village
Guns in Africa
Out of control
A bunch of governments is trying to stem the flow of lethal weapons - writes The Economist
The UN reckons there are some 500m small arms in circulation around the world. At least 70m are Kalashnikovs. The Soviet-designed automatic assault rifle, the Avtomat Kalashnikova, was first manufactured in 1947 (hence its commonest version, the AK-47). Its compactness and durability have made it Africa´s killing weapon of choice since the 1980s, despite its inaccuracy. These days, the continent has all of the score of Kalashnikov variants, including the AKM, the Chinese Type 56, and the Serbian Zastava M70.
Only a small share of the thousands of hapless Africans killed every year by Kalashnikovs die in war. Most are victims of the police, robbers, cattle raiders and tribal skirmishes. In an attempt to make it harder for organised criminals to arm themselves, and in a nod to global counter-terrorist efforts, a group of ten eastern and central African countries, including Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda, which owe their liberation movements partly to the Kalashnikov, has agreed to harmonise gun laws. It has promised longer sentences for people who carry guns illegally and new electronic marking of state-owned weapons in the hope of cutting the number of Kalashnikovs seeping into the black market, where they are bought more cheaply than anywhere else in the world. The going rate in Somalia and Sudan is around $400, much cheaper than in Asia.
Police chiefs from this new African club of countries paraded their claimed success in curbing the small-arms trade by inviting journalists to watch piles of confiscated rifles being burnt. But that is unlikely to hurt the shadowy, highly profitable illegal trade. New Kalashnikovs keep flowing into Africa. Only a fraction gets confiscated.
Last year a hijacked Ukrainian ship with a cargo of tanks bound for South Sudan was also carrying 10,000 AKs and ammunition, according to the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based pressure group. British intelligence last month flagged up what may have been another Ukrainian attempt to export Kalashnikovs to Africa from its Soviet-era stockpiles. It is easy to sell the weapons once they reach Africa. Borders are porous. Corruption eases the flow. Arms dealers can readily buy forged licences and paperwork from officials.
The Kalashnikovs´ popularity puts a premium on the 7.62 x 39mm calibre bullets, which often cost more than those used in rifles such as the German G3 and the old British Lee-Enfield. African policemen and soldiers are often tempted to sell the bullets illegally, since they can each fetch as much as $1 or more. Tracking the ammo is tricky. It is seldom stamped, its provenance often even murkier than that of the guns.
In the harsh Turkana region of northern Kenya a British small-arms specialist, James Bevan, found Kalashnikov cartridges from 25 countries and 51 factories. Half of them, he reckons, had been bought or pilfered from state armouries.
Oil drillers Raytec and Lion in merger by a Special Correspondent for Business Daily
Drilling in CNOOC´s Block No. 9 in Kenya is expected to start soon.
Publicly-listed Canadian oil exploration company Raytec Metals Corporation has announced that it has entered into negotiations to merge with Lion Petroleum Inc — the entity that has been allocated the rights by the Kenya government to prospect oil in two blocks in Mandera area of North Eastern Province.
A recent entrant into the oil exploration field in Kenya, Lion Petroleum has production sharing contracts with the government of Kenya on blocks 1 and 2B.
The news of the intended merger is the latest in the fast-changing oil exploration landcape in Kenya in response to an increasingly liberalised licensing exploration regime.
Until recently, Kenyan authorities were reluctant to approve mergers and farm-ins between oil exploration companies.
But it would apear that authorities now realise that as along as the country constinues to be regarded as a high-risk exploration frontier, the licensing regime must allow mergers and acquisitions if only to sustain the continued flow of foreign venture capital into the country´s oil exploration sector.
Block 1 — which is the subject of the new merger deal between Raytec Metals and Lion Petroleum — covers an area of approximately 31,781 square kilometres and is situated west of Mandera Town, extending into Somalia and Ethiopia.
The merger will also affect ownership of Block 2B which covers an area of approximately 7,807 square kilometres and borders block 9 where Chinese exploration company CNOOC will shortly commence the drilling of Kenya´s first on-shore oil wells in close to 20 years.
Last week, the chief executive of Lion Petroleum, Mike Devji, said the two companies had decided to unite to create a bigger and more dynamic oil exploration company.
Last year, Lion entered into a farm-in agreement with East African Exploration Ltd, a subsidiary of Black Marlin Energy Ltd of Dubai, that has rights over Bloc 1.
Under the deal, Black Merlin will do seismic work on some parts of block 1 in exchange for shareholding.
In a statement last week, Raytec´s president, Brian Thurston, described the relationship with Lion Petroleum as strategic, adding that the company was focused on the company becoming a significant player in the developing oil and gas industry in East and Central Africa.
Only recently, Raytec announced a farm-in agreement with Africa Oil Corp, a member of the Lundin Group.
According to the agreement, Africa Oil will transfer to Raytec a 10 per cent interest in the Block 9 , a 25 per cent license interest in the Block 10A and a 20 per cent interest in Block 10BB.
In July, Africa Oil Corp acquired Turkana Energy Inc which had a production sharing contract on Block 10BB.
The block is approximately 13,000 square kilometres in North Rift.
The block occupies within the tertiary rift trend of East Africa, which has recently yielded major oil discoveries by operators such as Heritage Oil Corp and Tullow Oil plc, both active in the Lake Albert region of Uganda.
In the sate of Puntland Somalia, Africa Oil will transfer a 15 per cent licence interest to Raytec in the Nogal and Dharoor Petroleum Production Sharing Agreements.
In May, 2009, Dubai based Black Marlin Energy Limited announced a farm-in agreement between its subsidiary East African Exploration Limited and Africa Oil Corporation on where Africa Oil will transfer a 20 percent license interest in the Block 10A Production Sharing Contract, located in the Anza Basin of northern Kenya.
In June, Lundin Kenya BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lundin Petroleum AB, anncouned that it had executed an agreement with CNOOC Africa to acquire a 30 percent particpating interest in Block 9.
In December, Taiwan´s government-owned refiner CPC Corp and China´s CNOOC signed a letter of intent to expand exploration and production in which it agreed to sell to CPC a 30 per cent stake in its No. 9 exploration block in Kenya.
Drilling in CNOOC´s Block No. 9 in Kenya will take place in August or September, CPC president Chu Shao-hua said.
Israel in Africa
Tel Aviv's promises to African states are the gloss on an exercise in extreme cynicism, writes Galal Nassar
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, at the head of a huge convoy of Israeli political, military and security advisors and a train of merchants and representatives of major Israeli companies, has gone knocking on the doors of five sub-Saharan African nations. Africa's 54 nations have rebuffed Israel's diplomatic overtures for decades. Today the Netanyahu administration obviously believes it stands a chance to breach that wall. After all, some Arab countries now recognise Israel. Not least of these is Egypt, the rock that had long dashed the dream of Golda Meir and her successors to foray into Africa and feed on its abundant sources of wealth.
Now, not only are many African nations prepared to thaw their relations with Israel, some have already begun to explore the possibility of strategic cooperation. Tel Aviv fully appreciates the vast potential Africa offers. In addition to copious natural resources Africa represents strategic depth for the Arab world, for which reason Israel has been instrumental in arming some African regimes and aggravating crises among others, including Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and South Africa. Israel has also used parts of the continent for its military and scientific experiments, in the course of which it has ruined agricultural land, spread corruption and sown misery.
If people in the countries Lieberman is visiting think he is interested in boosting their economies, enhancing agricultural production, optimising their vast water resources and putting Israeli technological expertise at their disposal they are mistaken. They are even more gravely misled if they believe Israel is concerned about the lives and welfare of the African people, that it is eager to improve their standards of living, rid them of the plagues of poverty, unemployment, disease and draught and to quell the fires of civil war, insurrection and internecine strife. Nor will Israel help them overcome the discrimination and the inferiority complex that it claims the Arabs have perpetuated and nurtured.
Whatever Tel Aviv would like them to believe, Israel is not a safe haven for their wealth and future. Israel's concerns are exclusively shaped by its own agenda. It could not care less for the stability, welfare, safety or stability of the African people. Sudan offers the clearest proof of this. Accused by Israeli officials of arming and supporting the Palestinian resistance, Tel Aviv is working assiduously to encircle and isolate Sudan from the outside, and to fuel insurrection inside Sudan.
Israel has long been keen to capitalise on Africa's mineral wealth. It plans to appropriate African diamonds and process them in Israel which is already the world's second largest processor of diamonds. And if the composition of Lieberman's entourage is anything to go by, Israel is also interested in African uranium, thorium and other radioactive elements used to manufacture nuclear fuel. In addition it is looking for new markets for its range of lightweight weapons. It also appears that not a few Israeli military pensioners are on the lookout for job opportunities as trainers of African militias, while other members of Lieberman's delegation are facilitating contracts for Israelis to train various militias. The huge oil reserves in a number of African countries are also high on Israel's agenda, with Tel Aviv seeking a share in exploration, extraction and export operations.
Since the 1950s Israel has sought to compromise Egypt's water security by consolidating its influence over countries straddling the sources of the Nile in the central African great lakes and the Ethiopian highlands. By keeping Egypt preoccupied with its water security Israel imagines that it can diminish Cairo's role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Towards this end Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology conducted extensive experiments and eventually created a type of plant that flourishes on the surface or the banks of the Nile and that absorbs such large quantities of water as to significantly reduce the volume of water that reaches Egypt.
Israeli concerns with Iran also feature high on the agenda of Lieberman's African tour. Israel has been keeping a close eye on the Iranian drive in Africa where Tehran, following Beijing's footsteps, has become involved in a number of major development projects. Tel Aviv is very wary of Tehran's ambitions in a continent so rich in the raw materials for producing nuclear fuel. It hopes to forge a network of strategic relations in order to check the expansion of Iranian influence in Africa. Working to its advantage are its close ties with Washington, which can use its extensive influence in Africa to smooth out many of the bumps that would otherwise hamper Israel's African drive.
Israel's ultra-right foreign minister believes he can sneak into the backyard of the Arab and Islamic world in order to deprive it of strategic depth. It is therefore essential that we expose the true nature of Israeli economic and military plans in Africa and expose their motives. The fact that Israel is physically present in occupied Palestine does not mean that the Zionist peril threatens Palestine and the Palestinians alone. Zionist designs target every corner of the Arab and Islamic world, in which they fuel crises, weave plots, exploit resources, sap expertise and generally conspire against the people. The Zionist hand can be detected behind the conflicts that rage between Arab regimes. Its espionage networks seek to infiltrate Arab and Muslim societies. Israel's scientists and experts steal our subterranean water and its merchants roam the Arab and Islamic world to either purloin or purchase uranium. Now, more than ever, Israel's military, security, economic and political tentacles have reached every corner of Africa, donning many different philanthropic façades in order to exploit Africa's hunger and desperation in order to drive the Arabs and Muslims out of a continent in which they have always been welcome. The Arab and Muslim world must act quickly to keep the doors of Africa open to it. This requires a new strategy that simultaneously stops Israel from encircling the Arab world and gaining control over its sources of prosperity and well-being.
Al-Qaida faces recruitment crisis, anti-terrorism experts say - The Guardian
Eight years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still at large but willing fighters and ideological support are in short supply
Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida is under heavy pressure in its strongholds in Pakistan's remote tribal areas and is finding it difficult to attract recruits or carry out spectacular operations in western countries, according to government and independent experts monitoring the organisation.
Speaking to the Guardian in advance of tomorrow's eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, western counter-terrorism officials and specialists in the Muslim world said the organisation faced a crisis that was severely affecting its ability to find, inspire and train willing fighters.
Its activity is increasingly dispersed to "affiliates" or "franchises" in Yemen and North Africa, but the links of local or regional jihadi groups to the centre are tenuous; they enjoy little popular support and successes have been limited.
Lethal strikes by CIA drones – including two this week alone – have combined with the monitoring and disruption of electronic communications, suspicion and low morale to take their toll on al-Qaida's Pakistani "core", in the jargon of western intelligence agencies.
Interrogation documents seen by the Guardian show that European Muslim volunteers faced a chaotic reception, a low level of training, poor conditions and eventual disillusionment after arriving in Waziristan last year.
"Core" al-Qaida is now reduced to a senior leadership of six to eight men, including Bin Laden and his Egyptian deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, according to most informed estimates. Several other Egyptians, a Libyan and a Mauritanian occupy the other top positions. In all, there are perhaps 200 operatives who count.
The most significant recent development is evidence that al-Qaida's alliance with the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan is fraying, boosting the prospect of acquiring intelligence that will lead to Bin Laden's capture or death. Despite an intensive US-led manhunt, there has not been a credible lead on the Saudi-born al-Qaida leader in years. Bin Laden's nickname among some CIA hunters is "Elvis" because there have been so many false sightings of him.
"Al-Qaida has become a liability for the Taliban," said Mustafa Alani, a terrorism expert at the Gulf research centre in Dubai who visited Waziristan in July. "There is a good possibility that the Pakistanis or the Americans will be able to get good intelligence on the ground and kill Bin Laden."
Intelligence agencies are watching closely to see if Bin Laden issues a message marking tomorrow's 9/11 anniversary, as he has in the past, or leaves it to Zawahiri. Last week one Islamist website promised a "Ramadan gift" from the al-Qaida leader but removed the posting without explanation.
Amid a mood of cautious optimism, some experts talk of a "tipping point" in the fight against al-Qaida. Others argue that only Bin Laden's death will bring significant change. But most agree that the failure to carry out spectacular mass attacks in the west since the 2005 London bombings has weakened the group's "brand appeal" and power to recruit.
"In order to stay relevant al-Qaida have to prove themselves capable and they haven't been able to do that," said Norwegian scholar Brynjar Lia.
Popular sympathy, which drained away because of sectarian killings in Iraq, has dwindled further this year. In Saudi Arabia, according to a recent intelligence report, 60-70% of information about al-Qaida suspects now comes from relatives, friends and neighbours, not from security agencies or surveillance.
Another weakness is in the so-called "war of ideas". This week imprisoned leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group began publishing a "revision" of their previous understanding of jihad.
"The text in itself is probably not a landmark work of Islamic jurisprudence, but it is important because it adds to … a corpus of treatises by former militants challenging al-Qaida on theological grounds," Thomas Hegghammer of Harvard University said on the Jihadica website. "Of course, no one text is going to change the world, but put together, these treatises will constrain al-Qaida's recruitment pool somewhat."
Despite a largely positive balance sheet, no one claims the fight against al-Qaida is over or that "victory" can be declared. Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI, said in an interview with USA Today this week: "Yes, they retain the capability of striking overseas. They are still lethal." Intelligence experts say the trends are favourable but point to the IRA maxim that "you only need to get lucky once".
Jonathan Evans, the head of MI5, warned this year that Somalia could become a safe haven for al-Qaida in the way Afghanistan was in 2001. Analysts speak of worries that al-Qaida activity in North Africa and the Sahel could spread to northern Nigeria and affect the UK.
"You haven't lost all those people who were susceptible to the al-Qaida message, ideology or recruitment," said Richard Barrett, co-ordinator of the UN's al-Qaida and Taliban Monitoring Team. "The [al-Qaida leadership] are really under pressure now but could regroup. The conditions remain there, the social factors are all still in place."
U.S. World Militarization Continues to Escalate
By Arn Specter
United States Militarization continues to make the news while making the world a much more dangerous place to live in for millions of people.
In addition to selling far more arms to other nations than any other country (see article below byThom Shanker) the U.S. is planning an expansion of their Missile Defense Program, more of a world wide effort with more sophisticated technology and weaponry; possibly updated replacement nuclear warheads; expanded military presence in Africa via AFRICOM; expansion into South America's Columbia using seven of their military bases supposedly to fight drug trafficking (though Hugo Chavez - arch enemy- is right next door in Venezuela); armoring the Middle East's Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emigrates and Israel as deterrant against Iran; continuing to fight two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan drawing in more troops and weapons from over 40 nations in NATO; and working with the largest military budget in history despite the U.S. and global financial crisis where more people are out of work, losing their homes, suffering for lack of health care and millions are still actually starving in the world today!
Too, the .U.S. is expanding Space Weaponry and Surveillance as well as maintaining over 700 Military Bases on foreign soil.
Thus, the militarization of the world by the U.S. continues virtually unchallenged including the constant threat of nuclear weapons being used - even by accident- and even made more deadly being upgraded by new superior technologies, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is advocating.
The world is a more dangerous place today than ever before bufferred by the fortunate increase in diplomatic efforts and more negotiations taking place in troubled areas. The call for disarmament of weapons seems to be as a whisper, with hardly a peep for the U.S. to join the Cluster Munitions Ban Treaty coming up again this month at the United Nations. There is a Bill in Congress sponsored by Sen. Leahy and Feinstein but no movement for the U.S. to join with over 100 other countries who have worked for years to manage a cooperate agreement and willingness to curtail the production, buying or selling, or use of the deadly cluster munitions, which still maim and kill children in some countries from past bombings and war.
The U.S. remains the world's #1 producer, seller and user of weapons and warmaking.
We need an Administration and Congress that realizes the danger of these military and geopolitical policies and decides to change to policies that foster cooperation and peacemaking among nations. This might take electing many new people into Congress next November, representatives who stand up for reducing the military budget and foster an increase in efforts by the State Department in diplomacy and negotiating for peace.
Despite Economic Slump, U.S. Role as Top Arms Supplier Grows by Thom Shanker
Despite a recession that knocked down global arms sales last year, the United States expanded its role as the world´s leading weapons supplier, increasing its share to more than two-thirds of all foreign armaments deals, according to a new Congressional study.
The United States signed weapons agreements valued at $37.8 billion in 2008, or 68.4 percent of all business in the global arms bazaar, up significantly from American sales of $25.4 billion the year before.
Italy was a distant second, with $3.7 billion in worldwide weapons sales in 2008, while Russia was third with $3.5 billion in arms sales last year — down considerably from the $10.8 billion in weapons deals signed by Moscow in 2007.
The growth in weapons sales by the United States last year was particularly noticeable against worldwide trends. The value of global arms sales in 2008 was $55.2 billion, a drop of 7.6 percent from 2007 and the lowest total for international weapons agreements since 2005.
The increase in American weapons sales around the world "was attributable not only to major new orders from clients in the Near East and in Asia, but also to the continuation of significant equipment and support services contracts with a broad-based number of U.S. clients globally," according to the study, titled "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations."
The annual report was produced by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, a division of the Library of Congress. Regarded as the most detailed collection of unclassified global arms sales data available to the general public, it was delivered to the House and Senate on Friday, ready for members´ return from the Labor Day recess.
The overall decline in weapons sales worldwide in 2008 can be explained by the reluctance of many nations to place new arms orders "in the face of the severe international recession," wrote Richard F. Grimmett, a specialist in international security at the Congressional Research Service and author of the study.
Mr. Grimmett´s report stated that the growth of weapons sales by the United States was "extraordinary" in a time of global recession and resulted from new arms deals as well as the sustained cost of maintenance, upgrades, ammunition and spare parts to nations that bought American weapons in the past.
In the highly competitive global arms market, nations vie for both profit and political influence through weapons sales, in particular to developing nations, which remain "the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by weapons suppliers," according to the study.
Weapons sales to developing nations reached $42.2 billion in 2008, only a nominal increase from the $41.1 billion in 2007.
The United States was the leader not only in arms sales worldwide, but also in sales to nations in the developing world, signing $29.6 billion in weapons agreements with these nations, or 70.1 percent of all such deals.
The study found that the larger arms deals concluded by the United States with developing nations last year included a $6.5 billion air defense system for the United Arab Emirates, a $2.1 billion jet fighter deal with Morocco and a $2 billion attack helicopter agreement with Taiwan. Other large weapons agreements were reached between the United States and India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil.
Russia was far behind in 2008 with $3.3 billion in weapons sales to the developing world, about 7.8 percent of all such agreements. The report says that while Russia continues to have China and India as its main weapons clients, Russia´s new focus is on arms sales to Latin American nations, in particular to Venezuela.
France was third with $2.5 billion in arms sales to developing nations, or about 5.9 percent of weapons deals with these countries.
The top buyers in the developing world in 2008 were the United Arab Emirates, which signed $9.7 billion in arms deals; Saudi Arabia, which signed $8.7 billion in weapons agreements; and Morocco, with $5.4 billion in arms purchases.
The study uses figures in 2008 dollars, with amounts for previous years adjusted for inflation to give a constant financial measurement.
Avoiding new barriers, whilst securing the sea transport of containers
Speech By Günter Verheugen Vice-President of the European Commssion / Source: European CommissionYemeni Opposition Chief: "Military Solution in Sa'dah is Not Viable" by Arafat Madayash
Sanaa, Asharq Al-Awsat- The leader of Yemen's main opposition bloc, Hasan Zaid, criticized the ongoing war taking place in the northern Yemeni province of Sa'dah. Zaid, who is the current president of the Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties [JMP] said that he regretted the lack of commitment given to the decision to suspend military operations between the governmental forces and the Huthi insurgents in the Sa'dah province. This ceasefire initiative was announced a few days ago by the Yemeni High Security Commission.
In a special interview conducted with Asharq Al-Awsat, Hasan Zaid said that a military resolution [to the conflict in Sa'dah] is not viable, and would mean "the annihilation of millions of Yemenis."
Asked to clarify his usage of the term "annihilation" Zaid said that "the geographical region or area where the military action and battles are taking place is home to more than three million people" adding "the killing does not only target those who are carrying weapons, but is also against civilians, and this is what I mean by saying that a military resolution will result in the annihilation of millions of Yemenis."
Zaid went on to say that "the proposed (official) objective [to the governmental military operation] is the eradication of the Huthis from their roots" but that "the Huthis are located on an area that is larger than the Republic of Lebanon, which is located from the Harf Sufyan district in the Amran governorate to the Saudi Arabian border, and from al-Jawf province to the coast."
Zaid told Asharq Al-Awsat that "there is no doubt that the continuation of the fighting will result in civilians dying from hunger."
He added "I am of the middle-class, and others like me in the cities, are suffering from financial difficulties and are almost unable to obtain adequate quantities of food, and so what about those who live in a province under siege, where the farms have been devastated, and there is unemployment, and the roads have been cut off. Therefore the talk about annihilation is not a metaphor, but a reality, and now the conflict is taking place in the city of Sa'dah which has a population of 800,000. The State is saying that the Huthis and the sleeper cells are in control of the urban areas, and that these are being used by snipers against their [governmental] soldiers, while the Huthis are accusing the government of using heavy artillery to bomb the city. This picture – from our point of view – is accurate, and not an exaggeration."
Hasan Zaid also told Asharq Al-Awsat "It is unfortunate that the rhetoric of war, especially during these blessed days [of Ramadan] is louder than the peace rhetoric, and concern of Yemeni blood being shed by Yemeni hands."
Hasan Zaid denied that the JMP bloc has volunteered to mediate the conflict in Sa'dah saying "We did not offer mediation, but we have expressed our willingness and desire to play any role to resolve the problem by way of serious and transparent national dialogue. We welcome any Arab efforts to bring about dialogue through which the problems in Sa'dah can be resolved, along with many of the [other] problems that Yemen is facing."
Asked by Asharq Al-Awsat whether the Yemeni authorities regarded Arab efforts to resolve this crisis as interference in Yemeni internal affairs, Zaid recalled that the talk of Arab efforts came about against the backdrop of the visit made to Yemen by Abdul Rahman al-Attiya, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC], not to mention the statement issued by the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and the visit made to Doha by [former Yemeni Prime Minister] Dr. Abdul Karim al-Iryani, who is serving as political adviser to the Yemeni President. Hasan Zaid said that in his opinion, the above signifies that "the Yemeni government has opened its doors to Arab efforts."
Zaid also revealed that the Yemeni authorities are convinced that "if what is happening in Sa'dah continues, this will have an impact beyond Yemen, as what happened in Somalia – for example – negatively affected us and continues to do so. Yemen cannot be isolated from its Arab and geographic surroundings. In order for efforts to be fruitful and productive, they must take place in accordance with a national vision in which the political forces understand that Yemeni interests lie along the same line as regional interests. Yemeni interests lie in [achieving] security, stability, peace, and from applying constitution on all, starting with the governmental institutions."
Zaid added that these governmental institutions "in many cases, exceed the constitution, starting with arbitrary arrests, and not complying with the results of the [ceasefire] agreements, such as declaring war in an unconstitutional way, as well as not establishing the constitutional oversight institutions over the executive branch, including the military establishment."
Hasan Zaid also denied that the opposition movement wanted to exacerbate the conflict, saying "We want to utilize Arab efforts in order to resolve the problem in accordance with the national vision." Zaid also stressed that what is happening in Sa'dah, especially in light of the government's rhetoric "suggests the exacerbation of the conflict."
Zaid also told Asharq Al-Awsat that the JMP "categorically opposed" any non-Yemeni military intervention in the conflict taking place in the Sa'dah province, whether this military intervention is to "support the Huthis or support the government." Zaid stressed that any intervention would only serve to "prolong the war and rob us of the decision regarding war and peace, and this decision – until now – is a Yemeni decision." He added that "we reject Yemen becoming an arena for regional conflicts to take place, or for regional settling of accounts."
On Monday, during a press conference attended by JMP leadership and independent political leaders, the JMP announced its "National Salvation Vision" initiative. This is a document that calls for a national dialogue to bring an end to the conflict in the country, and something that has dawn criticism from the Yemeni government who consider it to be a call for establishing a salvation government.
HRW asks South Africa, EU to take steps to improve human rights – Pana
The European Union and South Africa should take steps to enhance cooperation on international human rights issues when they meet this week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday.
The second EU-South Africa summit meeting is scheduled for Friday (11 Sept) in Kleinmond, South Africa.
The summit aims to strengthen the partnership between the EU and South Africa in several areas, from economic development in Africa to conflict resolution.
In letters to South Africa's Minister of International Cooperation and the Prime Minister of Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency, HRW called on both parties to make sign ificant joint commitments on human rights.
South Africa has one of the world's strongest rights-protecting constitutions, and the EU has a long record of respecting individual rights. European Union and South African support was key to the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), HRW said.
Sometimes the EU and South Africa have worked at cross purposes, but when they work together, they have a good track record,'' said Lotte Leicht, EU advocacy director at HRW. ``Their combined efforts can make a real difference.''
In particular, HRW said, the EU and South Africa should agree to provide leaders hip in the UN Human Rights Council on justice for the victims of serious crimes in Darfur, Sudan, Sri Lanka , and Israel and the Occupied Territories, and on mobilizing concerted international action against brutal nat ional governments, such as Burma's.
The EU and South Africa joined forces at the UN in 2008 on key resolutions that outlawed sexual violence in conflict and called for better protection of civilians.
In its letters, HRW urged them to support the creation of a new senior UN post dedicated to eliminating rape as a weapon of war and to support a formal UN Commission of Inquiry into serious human rights violations in Somalia.
The longstanding conflicts in Congo and Somalia continue to cause massive suffering for millions of civilians,'' said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at HRW. ``For too long, Western and African countries ha ve favored band-aid approaches. Long-term stability in both countries starts with investigating and prosecuting those who have carried out or condoned atrocities.''
The Kleinmond summit is scheduled shortly before the release of the Goldstone Commission report on violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in the Gaza conflict last December and January.
In its letters, HRW urged the EU and South Africa to insist on accountability for abuses committed by all parties to the conflict, in addition to also urging the EU and South Africa to express their commitments to consider impartially the Goldstone Commission's findings and recommendations in their entirety.
HRW also noted that since Zimbabwe had long been a point of difference between the EU and South Africa, Kleinmond offered an opportunity to build a common approach, centered on human rights.
The EU has imposed targeted sanctions on members and supporters of Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF in response to their persistent violation of basic human rights. Several African states have demanded that the sanctions be lifted.
The sanctions debate is a red herring since none of them prevent the country from moving forward,'' Gagnon said. ``Power sharing will only work when repressive laws are repealed and human rights irreversibly improv ed. Sanctions must not be lifted until then.''
We do not send pictures with these reports, because of the volume, but picture this emetic scene with your inner eye:
A dying Somali child in the macerated arms of her mother besides their bombed shelter with Islamic graffiti looks at a fat trader, who discusses with a local militia chief and a UN representative at a harbour while USAID provided GM food from subsidised production is off-loaded by WFP into the hands of local "distributors" and dealers - and in the background a western warship and a foreign fishing trawler ply the waters of a once sovereign, prosper and proud nation, which was a role model for honesty and development in the Horn of Africa. (If you feel that this is overdrawn - come with us into Somalia and see the even more cruel reality yourself!)
and if you need lively stills or video material on Somalia, please do contact us.
There is no limit to what a person can do or how far one can go to help
if one doesn't mind who gets the credit !
ECOTERRA Intl. maintains a register for persons missing or abducted in the Somali seas (Foreign seafarers as well as Somalis). Inquiries by family member can be sent by e-mail to office[at]ecoterra-international.org
For families of presently captive seafarers - in order to advise and console their worries - ECOTERRA Intl. can establish contacts with professional seafarers, who had been abducted in Somalia, and their wives as well as of a Captain of a sea-jacked and released ship, who agreed to be addressed "with questions, and we will answer truthfully".
ECOTERRA - ALERTS and pending issues:
PIRATE ATTACK GULF OF ADEN: Advice on Who to Contact and What to Do http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-09-08-2
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, only now the two countries (Spain and France) to which the most notorious vessels and fleets are linked have come up with a declaration that they will respect the 200 nm EEZ of Somalia but so far not 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, while the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) is sponsoring several service-led acquisition programs, including the VLAD, Joint Integration Program, and Improved Flash Bang Grenade. Alredy in use in Somalia are so called Non-lethal optical distractors, which are visible laser devices that have reversible optical effects. These types of non-blinding laser devices use highly directional optical energy. Somalia is also a testing ground for the further developments of the Active Denial System (ADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). If new developments using millimeter wave sources that will help minimize the size, weight, and system cost of an effective Active Denial System which provides "ADS-ACTD-like" repel effects, are used has not yet been revealed. Obviously not only the US is developing and using these kind of weapons as the case of MV MARATHON showed, where a Spanish naval vessel was using optical lasers - the stand-off was then broken by the killing of one of the hostage seafarers. Local observers also claim that HEMI devices, producing Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation (HEMI) Bioeffects, have been used in the Gulf of Aden against Somalis. Exposure to HEMI devices, which can be understood as a stun-gun shot at an individual over a larger distance, causes muscle contractions that temporarily disable an individual. Research efforts are underway to develop a longer-duration of this effect than is currently available. The live tests are apparently done without that science understands yet the effects of HEMI electrical waveforms on a human body.
ECOTERRA Intl., whose work does focus on nature- and human-rights-protection and - as the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia - had alerted ship-owners since 1992, many of whom were fishing illegally in the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone, to stay away from Somali waters. The non-governmental organization had requested the international community many times for help to protect the coastal waters of the war-torn state, but now lawlessness has seriously increased and gone out of hand.
ECOTERRA members with marine and maritime expertise, joined by it's ECOP-marine group, are closely and continuously monitoring and advising on the Somali situation. (for previous information concerning the topics please google keywords ECOTERRA (and) SOMALIA)
The network of the SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME helped significantly in most sea-jack cases. ECOTERRA Intl. is working in Somalia since 1986 on human-rights and nature protection, while ECOP-marine concentrates on illegal fishing and the protection of the marine ecosystems. Your support counts too.
Please consider to contribute to the work of SAP, ECOP-marine and ECOTERRA Intl.
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