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From Egypt to Tanzania, nearly all the countries are about to be taken in the Somalia maelstrom triggered by an outstandingly performed act of piracy, off the Eyl coast of Somalia – a historical high land of Noblesse, Transparence, Heroism and Fight.
In an earlier article, entitled ´Ecoterra Press Release on the Global Stand-off with Somali Pirates of the Ukrainian MV FAINA´, I published a Press Release issued just today by the leading global NGO Ecoterra International – the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia, in which the NGO calls for reason and serenity.
The complexity of the East Africa-related issues, the aberration of the vicious English colonial involvement, the – undeserved and shameful for the American citizens – manipulation of the American foreign policy by the Foreign Office (and its worthless puppet Jendayi Frazer), the interaction of the conflicting, illegal, local and regional interests (the survival of the monstrous Pan-Arabist tyranny of the Khartoum gangsters, the Satanic plans of the Amhara and Tigray ´Ethiopianist´ elites to carry out an all-out war against Eritrea, after Abyssinia´s defeat in Somalia and the subsequent completion of the Abyssinian army´s removal, the Kikuyu militarist schemes for involvement in South Sudan and in South Somalia) have created an atmosphere that utterly prohibits the final delivery of the Ukrainian weaponry to Kenya.
It is easy to speak against the ages old phenomenon of piracy, and it is too convenient to forget its reasons. In a scared world of economic disaster, it is not a difficult task to demonize pirates; but it will simply backfire, as this is not the method to solve the problem.
Russia and Ukraine in a Repetition of their Idiotic, Pro-Abyssinian Policy of the Soviet Times?
Russians and Ukrainians have not learnt their lessons from their ridiculous support of the monstrous Amhara tyrant Haile Mengistu; the disastrous Soviet policy in Ogaden was merely the prelude to the catastrophic Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Destitute, collapsed Russia was dispossessed of every ally overseas.
It would have been different, had the Soviets supported the Democratic and Civilized Somalis against the Tyrannical, Barbaric and Analphabetic Amharas……
The only shameful memory of the evil Amhara Communism is the continuation of the land nationalization throughout Abyssinia; the farmers, since they do not possess their lands, cannot get loans and start a small agricultural business. All the administrative and financial favors are made on the basis of racist considerations and all the money goes to the Monophysitic Amharas and Tigrays who represent ca. 18% of the country´s population. This is the main reason all the other peoples and religious groups are now starving under the racist regime Zenawi that has been malignantly supported by both Europe and America, despite its approval and implementation of Communist policies.
In fact, a UN Security Council resolution must be urgently issued to impose arms embargo to Kenya, Abyssinia (fallaciously re-baptized ´Ethiopia´), and Sudan (let alone the illegal pseudo-states of Somaliland and Puntland).
The MV FAINA Crisis off the Somali coast has one solution: immediate cancellation of the delivery, payment of the ransoms demanded, and UN Security Council Resolution providing for immediate deployment of UN peacekeeping force throughout Somalia and parallel withdrawal of any formal recognition of the TFG illegal and anti-Somali gangsters.
I will expand further on the ongoing Horn of Africa piracy crisis in several forthcoming articles; here, I republish an objective presentation of the crisis background, elaborated and presented by the leading global NGO Ecoterra International. It is a sincere and unbiased point of reference.
Background
The Ukrainian MV FAINA operated under cover of a Belize flag when it was hi-jacked on 25. September 2008 in the late afternoon by a gang of Somali pirates in three fast skiffs off the coast of Somalia on the way to its destination at the Kenyan harbour of Mombasa, where it was supposed to arrive in the early morning hours of the 27. September 2008.
The 21 men crew was taken hostage and the ship turned northwards again to reach the coastal pirate hideout at Eyl in North-Eastern Somalia. While first a smaller military vessel had shadowed the FAINA, the US-American guided missile destroyer USS HOWARD caught up, which caused that the FAINA stopped off the coastal village of Hinbarwaqo, north of the town of Hobiyo. Already at that time it was reported that the captain of the ship had suffered a heat-stroke. First communications were established with the pirates as well as with the first mate, Vladimir Nikolsky, who on 28th Sept. reported that one crew member had died on 27th due to hypertension and took over as captain.
While the ship's captain, Russian national Vladimir Kolobkov, died most likely of a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension and a sun-stroke and not due to a heart attack, the psychological warfare imposed by the encircling warships with overflying helicopters and planes, loudspeakers and communications jamming, according to various reports caused already on Sunday night a problem between a more moderate part of the pirate gang, three Majerteen hailing from Puntland, and the hard-core Habrgedir with the result that all three Majerteen were killed in a shoot-out on board - luckily not affecting the crew. The pirates, however, deny any shooting. The re-enforced group of pirates consists of around 50 men with the youngest being only 14 years of age and is supported by a growing number of heavily armed militia warriors at the shore, believed to have now a strength of over 100 men. Another shooting which did not harm the crew was reported on Tuesday afternoon by Russian ITAR-TASS.
Nyna Karpachyova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights ombudsman, said that the real owner of the weapon-ship is an Israeli citizen with the name Vadim Alperin. Mrs. Karpachyova also said that relatives of the hostages on board the ship would ask the Ukrainian government to prevent the liberation of the FAINA by force. Ukrainian and Russian citizens already are willing to collect money in order to assist with the ransom payment.
MV FAINA, which was registered at IMMARBE (the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize) on April 25, 2003 and specifically it's cargo are now already under investigation by IMMARBE as well as the Ukrainian Parliament, which will most likely also trigger a parliamentary investigation in Kenya. To whom the battle tanks actually belong to will also be a nut to crack for the newly established AFRICOM, but first things first: Focus on the peaceful resolution of the explosive crisis-situation near Hobiyo in Somalia.
Though the Kenyan Government spokesman, Dr. Alfred Mutua, persistently claims that the cargo, consisting of 33 refurbished T-72M1 and T72-M1K combat tanks and around 1,000 tonnes of ammunition, 150 rocket propelled grenade-launchers (RPG-7), six ZU-23 anti-aircraft defence systems (missile-launchers) and assault rifles plus all their ammunition as well as armoured personnel carrier and other military hardware parts. The load which many do not want to see falling into the wrong hands, was - according to the Kenya Government spokesman - supposed to be delivered to the Government of Kenya, but senior members of Kenya's Department of Defence denied that any supplies are to be received from Ukraine and explained the improbability also with the non-existence of any such procurement process, that no training has been done for any of their soldiers on the Russian tanks or these weapons systems and that the consignment would not fit into the present arsenal. While the Southern Sudan governance of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) denies, despite the fact that three earlier deliveries of similar tanks and hardware for South Sudan have been credibly reported with video evidence, that the shipment would be for them, Khartoum also presumes that the shipment was supposedly to be delivered to Southern Sudan. Likewise Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, finally came out on Monday afternoon saying the shipment of 33 Russian-designed tanks along with rifles and ammunition was headed for Sudan, not Kenya as previously claimed by Kenyan officials. Christensen, however, did not specify whether the arms were intended for the Khartoum-based Sudanese government, or southern Sudan, which was granted a degree of autonomy under a 2005 peace deal that also guaranteed the oil-rich region a referendum on full independence in 2011. If destined for Khartoum, these military equipment certainly would have been shipped to Port Sudan and not to Mombasa. The UN has imposed an arms embargo on weapons headed to Sudan's Darfur conflict zone, but the ban does not cover weapons sales to the Khartoum government or southern Sudan's autonomous government, though the latter would have to do such under an UN controlled process. Shipping documents stamped by Belize and presented by the Kenya Government to prove its ownership were presented to the Press on Monday evening, but already have been disputed by several sides as hastily issued and backdated cover-ups. Especially the conflict in the war-torn Darfur region in Southern Sudan, classified by the US-American government as a case of genocide, is under an UN arms embargo and therefore the wiggling of the players could be explained. The US-American government has also not yet come clear if they didn't actually provided the funds for this shipment and their Navy commander only declared on Wednesday that they want to ensure the dangerous weapons would not end up in the hands of Islamist fighters. Clandestine arms sales are nothing new to the Ukraine - by selling Buk missiles to Georgia, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dealt a crippling blow to his own country´s defenses and according to many, including now Russia media reports, the Ukrainian ship being held by Somali pirates too contains contraband arms for South Sudan, while according to Global Research, a watchdog from Canada, many people in Kiev say that the recent blaze at an arms depot in Kharkov was actually a case of arson meant as a cover up for illegal amps sales abroad.
In another twist of the arms-shipment saga, Somali Islamist Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, a spokesman for the Al-Shabaab movement, expressed his belief that the arms actually were supposed to be off-loaded in Mogadishu and destined for the Ethiopian troops, who fight for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Though he claims that his movement was not linked to the pirates, Robow called upon the pirates to destroy the cargo and the vessel if they are not paid ransom. "If they do not get the money they are demanding, we call on them to either burn down the ship and its arms or sink it," Robow told AFP and Xinhua in interviews and reasoned that hi-jacking vessels that carry arms for the enemy of Allah would be a different matter than the crime of taking commercial ships. Meanwhile the pirates maintained their demand for a 20-million-dollar ransom.
The deputy speaker of the Somali parliament, Prof. Mohamed Omar Dalha, on Thursday accused western powers of having ties with pirates off the lawless coast of Somalia. According to APA he said: "The western powers are doing this because they want to make justifications for their occupation of Somali waters to steal our natural resources in the sea including fish." He asked the United Nations to help the Somali transitional federal government boot out buccaneers operating in Somali waters, who held a record high of 374 hostages last month.
One of the Somalia's legislative body members has animatedly condemned the foreign ships on the Somali coasts over exceeded illegitimate fishing and wastes dumping on the country's coasts. In a news conference he held in Baidoa town on Friday Mohamed Qanyare Afrah has added that the pirates are not lone those need to be dealt with but the foreign vessels as well have to be tackled. "Why is the world giving good reason for the fighting against piracy only but the foreign vessels had to be added to them in the fight against the piracy" Qanyare said.
While all these diplomatic and undiplomatic rows could be sorted out later, the much more explosive situation at hand is the fact that the FAINA with its cargo is pinned down at the Somali coast by now at least six or so US-American warships (incl. USS HOWARD, USS VELLA GULF, as well as cruisers and amphibious ships), a smaller Russian, a French and at least one further European navy vessels, including a submarine, awaiting the arrival of the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy (= Indomitable), stuffed with latest naval warfare equipment That ship's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter. But too much sable-rattling doesn't contribute to peaceful solution finding if the hi-jackers are prepared to die. While the arrival of the Russian missile warship in about a weeks time might well assist in making the waterways around the Horn of Africa for some vessels safer in future, just "waiting for the Russian destroyer" would only give reason for further delay in the proactive search for a peaceful resolution concerning the case at hand. If the case is not solved until then, many experts believe, the Russian warship's arrival at the stand-off site will certainly escalate the critical situation concerning the weapons ship. The gang holding the FAINA said Thursday that they were ready to battle any commando-style rescue attempt.
Though the Neustrashimy is carrying marines and special forces commandos and has been given the go ahead by the current president of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to attack the ship and to wage war against his adversaries in the territorial waters of Somalia as well as on land - provided the actions would be coordinated with the TFG - it seems to be under a considerate command.
The pirates, who have been in communication with the operator Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine, the Panama registered ship-owner Waterlux AG, as well as TOMAX Team Inc., the Ukranian shipping agent, as well as the Ukrainian arms exporter demand a ransom of in minimum 5 and maximum of 20 million US-dollar - having come down from an earlier demand of 35 million. Like often the real people behind the ships, their management or their cargo are very difficult to establish even for the maritime authorities. The pirates likewise had at first serious problems to find the right people to talk to, because the diplomats, officials and business-people involved had not been really helpful for obvious reasons. Many shippers of clandestine goods drove the usually paid ransom, which the Somalis often call a fee for illegally entering the Somali waters, upwards to today's level, where at least 1-2 million US dollar have to be delivered for any vessel released by the pirates, who usually do not harm the crew.
But this time the pirates on the MV FAINA threaten to rather die together with the crew of now two Russians, one non-resident Latvian and 17 Ukrainians, if the ship would be attacked. Somali TFG President Abdullahi Yuusuf Ahmed gave on Wednesday "special status" to the Russian war machinery and a Card Blanche to engage in military operations in Somali waters as well as on land. Such horror-scenario would include the killing of all on board and the explosion of the ship together with the tank munitions-heads containing depleted uranium.
Many consider DU as extremely hazardous. The Nov. 2007 resolution entitled 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium' was passed by 122 votes to six at the UN First Committee in New York; with 35 abstentions. The resolution urges UN member states to re-examine the health hazards posed by the use of uranium weapons. In May 2008 the European Parliament has passed its fourth and most far-reaching resolution yet against the use of uranium weapons. MEPs have called for an EU and NATO-wide moratorium and global ban. Among others the US-American Nuclear Society had criticized the US military for the extensive used of DU ammunition in the wars during the breaking up of former Yugoslavia.
ECOTERRA Intl., whose work does focus on nature- and human-rights-protection and as the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia, had through its ECOP-marine group 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. Since no appropriate help to assist Somali fishing communities or the numerous governances was forthcoming to protect and regulate the Somali waters, organized crime dealing with fake fishing licences first and later engaging in the hi-jacking of commercial vessels has in the meantime taken over the scene. In co-operation with UNOSOM first and later the Regional Seas Programme, Somali governance and the non-governmental group have proven many times that it is possible to implement safeguards and work on proper development, but the selfish interests of the international fishing industry, of criminal organizations working in toxic and even nuclear waste dumping combined with the interests of local warlords with their far bigger financial resources created the present turmoil. To combat the situation today will cost the international community many more million dollars as would have been required to set up and maintain proper coastal and marine management.
While the UN started to think now about a coastal protection operation, the European Union agreed to establish an anti-piracy security operation off the coast of Somalia - with so far 9 Navies participating - to become operational in November and according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency, the Russian warship Neutrashimy is to commence patrols in the Gulf of Aden on 6 November - co-operating with the EU and the US.
The Japanese government, however, abandoned a plan to send a destroyer to escort Japanese cruise ships navigating off the coast of Somalia, as Lloyds List reported today. Likewise Japan has apparently abandoned the care for three pirated ships in Somalia, who have links to Japan and leaves it to the insurances to deal with them, western sources in Nairobi stated. Reports from Somalia indicate that MV Stella Maris, which together with her crew has been held hostage since 20th July 2008, still has not been released and has allegedly since the beginning of October run out of fuel. It was reported that even the generation of electricity and thereby cooling and lightning has stopped.
All Somalia experts, including the former Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Affey, are convinced that in the case of the ill-fated FAINA a peaceful solution still can be achieved, which would avoid a military operation and the resulting humanitarian and environmental disaster.
Though Oleksandr Turchynov, the First Vice Prime Minister stated categorically: "Ukraine will never negotiate with pirates, terrorists, other criminals!", he noted at the same time that according to the international practice, the talks about a crew release and ship's further fate are held by the ship-owners with mediators and have started indeed. The ship owner of MV FAINA is the Panamanian Waterlux AG, while the company's manager is registered in Switzerland as stated by the Ukrainian government website.
Around 750 people - mainly women and children and old men - from the coastal Somali village of Xinbarwaaqo (Hinbarwago), closest to the weapons-ship MV FAINA, have together with their livestock left their homes and shifted inland, where they camp out in makeshift shelters for fear of imminent military action or an explosion of the ship. Elders from another village Ceel Xur and from Hobiyo town continue debate on the question if also their population has to be evacuated. The whole population in the area is terrified, especially by the many night-flights of military aircraft without any lights buzzing or hovering above them. Due to several missile attacks in the recent past at several locations of civilian population in Somalia, the uninvolved and innocent local people are scared to death.
Meanwhile more militiamen from the Mogadishu area, from the Galgadud and even Gaalkacyo town in Mudug Region, mostly comprising of Habrgedir clan members (Ayr, Saad and Saleban) but also some Majerteen (Isse Mahamoud) from Eyl have arrived in the area of the coastal hinterland where the hi-jacked Ukrainian ship is in a stand-off with at least 9 foreign Navy vessels.
Elsewhere and even abroad large meetings of the Habrgedir clan have been held, who discussed solutions to the hi-jacking cases of ships and crews as well as individual foreigners and how to stop their clan-members from any abduction of people. Many expressed thereby that one of the underlying problems is that their clan has been marginalized, isolated and discriminated against and no support from the UN or the international community would reach their population.
Ukrainian and Russian media have called family members of the captured crew for a television campaign against the use of military means to rescue the ship. They urge the Ukrainian and Russian governments to embrace diplomatic means.
Several ships have been released by their captors after successful negotiations over the last 10 days without any problem.
Still twelve vessels and 259 seafarers are currently being held hostage, while four attacks had been averted on 01. October 2008, partly with the help of the Coalition Navy.
The Philippine government has declared the Gulf of Aden in Somalia a hazard zone, in a pre-emptive measure for Filipino sailors who have become vulnerable to pirate attacks in the area. Eighty two Filipinos are currently in the hands of Somali pirates from several hijackings since July. Declaring the Gulf of Aden a hazard zone would give Filipino sailors two options: they could get off the ship before it crosses the Gulf and pay for their repatriation, or stay on the vessel and increase their hazard pay, but that is seen by the United Filipino Seafarers as deterrent mainly to foreign ship owners from hiring Filipinos.
The Indian government is drawing criticism and anger for its inaction regarding the rescue effort for the hijacked MT Stolt Valor. No concrete attempts have so far been made to facilitate the return of the 18 Indian crew members on board the Stolt Valor, the families of hijacked crew had earlier complained.
In connection with the STOLT VALOR, some terrorism experts have said the Somali hijackers are now using 'terror tactics' against the families by telling the crew members what they must say and to include an exaggeration of the hardships on board, while on the other hand returning seafarers from the released Malaysian ships report the true hardship due to the given hostage situations in locations with day-temperatures rising above 45 degrees Celsius, and stating that they were mostly being treated humanely.
"According to unverified and fragmentary reports, pirates seized another ship belonging to a Norwegian owner in the Gulf of Aden today," a bulletin was quoted by Itar-Tass on 02. Oct. 2008.
ECOTERRA Intl. also hopes that now with the celebrations of Eid - at the end of the holy month of Ramadan - relief is likewise brought to the other hostages, who are held on ships or were abducted inside the country, like the three journalists and two medical workers.
Press Contact:
ECOP-marine
East-Africa
254-714-747090
www.ecop.info
ECOTERRA Intl.
Nairobi Node
africanode@ecoterra.net
254-733-633-733
Note
Picture: The Eyl Piracy – it is easy and convenient to demonize pirates; but it is an ominous fallacy.
In an earlier article, entitled ´Ecoterra Press Release on the Global Stand-off with Somali Pirates of the Ukrainian MV FAINA´, I published a Press Release issued just today by the leading global NGO Ecoterra International – the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia, in which the NGO calls for reason and serenity.
The complexity of the East Africa-related issues, the aberration of the vicious English colonial involvement, the – undeserved and shameful for the American citizens – manipulation of the American foreign policy by the Foreign Office (and its worthless puppet Jendayi Frazer), the interaction of the conflicting, illegal, local and regional interests (the survival of the monstrous Pan-Arabist tyranny of the Khartoum gangsters, the Satanic plans of the Amhara and Tigray ´Ethiopianist´ elites to carry out an all-out war against Eritrea, after Abyssinia´s defeat in Somalia and the subsequent completion of the Abyssinian army´s removal, the Kikuyu militarist schemes for involvement in South Sudan and in South Somalia) have created an atmosphere that utterly prohibits the final delivery of the Ukrainian weaponry to Kenya.
It is easy to speak against the ages old phenomenon of piracy, and it is too convenient to forget its reasons. In a scared world of economic disaster, it is not a difficult task to demonize pirates; but it will simply backfire, as this is not the method to solve the problem.
Russia and Ukraine in a Repetition of their Idiotic, Pro-Abyssinian Policy of the Soviet Times?
Russians and Ukrainians have not learnt their lessons from their ridiculous support of the monstrous Amhara tyrant Haile Mengistu; the disastrous Soviet policy in Ogaden was merely the prelude to the catastrophic Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Destitute, collapsed Russia was dispossessed of every ally overseas.
It would have been different, had the Soviets supported the Democratic and Civilized Somalis against the Tyrannical, Barbaric and Analphabetic Amharas……
The only shameful memory of the evil Amhara Communism is the continuation of the land nationalization throughout Abyssinia; the farmers, since they do not possess their lands, cannot get loans and start a small agricultural business. All the administrative and financial favors are made on the basis of racist considerations and all the money goes to the Monophysitic Amharas and Tigrays who represent ca. 18% of the country´s population. This is the main reason all the other peoples and religious groups are now starving under the racist regime Zenawi that has been malignantly supported by both Europe and America, despite its approval and implementation of Communist policies.
In fact, a UN Security Council resolution must be urgently issued to impose arms embargo to Kenya, Abyssinia (fallaciously re-baptized ´Ethiopia´), and Sudan (let alone the illegal pseudo-states of Somaliland and Puntland).
The MV FAINA Crisis off the Somali coast has one solution: immediate cancellation of the delivery, payment of the ransoms demanded, and UN Security Council Resolution providing for immediate deployment of UN peacekeeping force throughout Somalia and parallel withdrawal of any formal recognition of the TFG illegal and anti-Somali gangsters.
I will expand further on the ongoing Horn of Africa piracy crisis in several forthcoming articles; here, I republish an objective presentation of the crisis background, elaborated and presented by the leading global NGO Ecoterra International. It is a sincere and unbiased point of reference.
Background
The Ukrainian MV FAINA operated under cover of a Belize flag when it was hi-jacked on 25. September 2008 in the late afternoon by a gang of Somali pirates in three fast skiffs off the coast of Somalia on the way to its destination at the Kenyan harbour of Mombasa, where it was supposed to arrive in the early morning hours of the 27. September 2008.
The 21 men crew was taken hostage and the ship turned northwards again to reach the coastal pirate hideout at Eyl in North-Eastern Somalia. While first a smaller military vessel had shadowed the FAINA, the US-American guided missile destroyer USS HOWARD caught up, which caused that the FAINA stopped off the coastal village of Hinbarwaqo, north of the town of Hobiyo. Already at that time it was reported that the captain of the ship had suffered a heat-stroke. First communications were established with the pirates as well as with the first mate, Vladimir Nikolsky, who on 28th Sept. reported that one crew member had died on 27th due to hypertension and took over as captain.
While the ship's captain, Russian national Vladimir Kolobkov, died most likely of a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension and a sun-stroke and not due to a heart attack, the psychological warfare imposed by the encircling warships with overflying helicopters and planes, loudspeakers and communications jamming, according to various reports caused already on Sunday night a problem between a more moderate part of the pirate gang, three Majerteen hailing from Puntland, and the hard-core Habrgedir with the result that all three Majerteen were killed in a shoot-out on board - luckily not affecting the crew. The pirates, however, deny any shooting. The re-enforced group of pirates consists of around 50 men with the youngest being only 14 years of age and is supported by a growing number of heavily armed militia warriors at the shore, believed to have now a strength of over 100 men. Another shooting which did not harm the crew was reported on Tuesday afternoon by Russian ITAR-TASS.
Nyna Karpachyova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights ombudsman, said that the real owner of the weapon-ship is an Israeli citizen with the name Vadim Alperin. Mrs. Karpachyova also said that relatives of the hostages on board the ship would ask the Ukrainian government to prevent the liberation of the FAINA by force. Ukrainian and Russian citizens already are willing to collect money in order to assist with the ransom payment.
MV FAINA, which was registered at IMMARBE (the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize) on April 25, 2003 and specifically it's cargo are now already under investigation by IMMARBE as well as the Ukrainian Parliament, which will most likely also trigger a parliamentary investigation in Kenya. To whom the battle tanks actually belong to will also be a nut to crack for the newly established AFRICOM, but first things first: Focus on the peaceful resolution of the explosive crisis-situation near Hobiyo in Somalia.
Though the Kenyan Government spokesman, Dr. Alfred Mutua, persistently claims that the cargo, consisting of 33 refurbished T-72M1 and T72-M1K combat tanks and around 1,000 tonnes of ammunition, 150 rocket propelled grenade-launchers (RPG-7), six ZU-23 anti-aircraft defence systems (missile-launchers) and assault rifles plus all their ammunition as well as armoured personnel carrier and other military hardware parts. The load which many do not want to see falling into the wrong hands, was - according to the Kenya Government spokesman - supposed to be delivered to the Government of Kenya, but senior members of Kenya's Department of Defence denied that any supplies are to be received from Ukraine and explained the improbability also with the non-existence of any such procurement process, that no training has been done for any of their soldiers on the Russian tanks or these weapons systems and that the consignment would not fit into the present arsenal. While the Southern Sudan governance of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) denies, despite the fact that three earlier deliveries of similar tanks and hardware for South Sudan have been credibly reported with video evidence, that the shipment would be for them, Khartoum also presumes that the shipment was supposedly to be delivered to Southern Sudan. Likewise Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, finally came out on Monday afternoon saying the shipment of 33 Russian-designed tanks along with rifles and ammunition was headed for Sudan, not Kenya as previously claimed by Kenyan officials. Christensen, however, did not specify whether the arms were intended for the Khartoum-based Sudanese government, or southern Sudan, which was granted a degree of autonomy under a 2005 peace deal that also guaranteed the oil-rich region a referendum on full independence in 2011. If destined for Khartoum, these military equipment certainly would have been shipped to Port Sudan and not to Mombasa. The UN has imposed an arms embargo on weapons headed to Sudan's Darfur conflict zone, but the ban does not cover weapons sales to the Khartoum government or southern Sudan's autonomous government, though the latter would have to do such under an UN controlled process. Shipping documents stamped by Belize and presented by the Kenya Government to prove its ownership were presented to the Press on Monday evening, but already have been disputed by several sides as hastily issued and backdated cover-ups. Especially the conflict in the war-torn Darfur region in Southern Sudan, classified by the US-American government as a case of genocide, is under an UN arms embargo and therefore the wiggling of the players could be explained. The US-American government has also not yet come clear if they didn't actually provided the funds for this shipment and their Navy commander only declared on Wednesday that they want to ensure the dangerous weapons would not end up in the hands of Islamist fighters. Clandestine arms sales are nothing new to the Ukraine - by selling Buk missiles to Georgia, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dealt a crippling blow to his own country´s defenses and according to many, including now Russia media reports, the Ukrainian ship being held by Somali pirates too contains contraband arms for South Sudan, while according to Global Research, a watchdog from Canada, many people in Kiev say that the recent blaze at an arms depot in Kharkov was actually a case of arson meant as a cover up for illegal amps sales abroad.
In another twist of the arms-shipment saga, Somali Islamist Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, a spokesman for the Al-Shabaab movement, expressed his belief that the arms actually were supposed to be off-loaded in Mogadishu and destined for the Ethiopian troops, who fight for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Though he claims that his movement was not linked to the pirates, Robow called upon the pirates to destroy the cargo and the vessel if they are not paid ransom. "If they do not get the money they are demanding, we call on them to either burn down the ship and its arms or sink it," Robow told AFP and Xinhua in interviews and reasoned that hi-jacking vessels that carry arms for the enemy of Allah would be a different matter than the crime of taking commercial ships. Meanwhile the pirates maintained their demand for a 20-million-dollar ransom.
The deputy speaker of the Somali parliament, Prof. Mohamed Omar Dalha, on Thursday accused western powers of having ties with pirates off the lawless coast of Somalia. According to APA he said: "The western powers are doing this because they want to make justifications for their occupation of Somali waters to steal our natural resources in the sea including fish." He asked the United Nations to help the Somali transitional federal government boot out buccaneers operating in Somali waters, who held a record high of 374 hostages last month.
One of the Somalia's legislative body members has animatedly condemned the foreign ships on the Somali coasts over exceeded illegitimate fishing and wastes dumping on the country's coasts. In a news conference he held in Baidoa town on Friday Mohamed Qanyare Afrah has added that the pirates are not lone those need to be dealt with but the foreign vessels as well have to be tackled. "Why is the world giving good reason for the fighting against piracy only but the foreign vessels had to be added to them in the fight against the piracy" Qanyare said.
While all these diplomatic and undiplomatic rows could be sorted out later, the much more explosive situation at hand is the fact that the FAINA with its cargo is pinned down at the Somali coast by now at least six or so US-American warships (incl. USS HOWARD, USS VELLA GULF, as well as cruisers and amphibious ships), a smaller Russian, a French and at least one further European navy vessels, including a submarine, awaiting the arrival of the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy (= Indomitable), stuffed with latest naval warfare equipment That ship's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter. But too much sable-rattling doesn't contribute to peaceful solution finding if the hi-jackers are prepared to die. While the arrival of the Russian missile warship in about a weeks time might well assist in making the waterways around the Horn of Africa for some vessels safer in future, just "waiting for the Russian destroyer" would only give reason for further delay in the proactive search for a peaceful resolution concerning the case at hand. If the case is not solved until then, many experts believe, the Russian warship's arrival at the stand-off site will certainly escalate the critical situation concerning the weapons ship. The gang holding the FAINA said Thursday that they were ready to battle any commando-style rescue attempt.
Though the Neustrashimy is carrying marines and special forces commandos and has been given the go ahead by the current president of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to attack the ship and to wage war against his adversaries in the territorial waters of Somalia as well as on land - provided the actions would be coordinated with the TFG - it seems to be under a considerate command.
The pirates, who have been in communication with the operator Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine, the Panama registered ship-owner Waterlux AG, as well as TOMAX Team Inc., the Ukranian shipping agent, as well as the Ukrainian arms exporter demand a ransom of in minimum 5 and maximum of 20 million US-dollar - having come down from an earlier demand of 35 million. Like often the real people behind the ships, their management or their cargo are very difficult to establish even for the maritime authorities. The pirates likewise had at first serious problems to find the right people to talk to, because the diplomats, officials and business-people involved had not been really helpful for obvious reasons. Many shippers of clandestine goods drove the usually paid ransom, which the Somalis often call a fee for illegally entering the Somali waters, upwards to today's level, where at least 1-2 million US dollar have to be delivered for any vessel released by the pirates, who usually do not harm the crew.
But this time the pirates on the MV FAINA threaten to rather die together with the crew of now two Russians, one non-resident Latvian and 17 Ukrainians, if the ship would be attacked. Somali TFG President Abdullahi Yuusuf Ahmed gave on Wednesday "special status" to the Russian war machinery and a Card Blanche to engage in military operations in Somali waters as well as on land. Such horror-scenario would include the killing of all on board and the explosion of the ship together with the tank munitions-heads containing depleted uranium.
Many consider DU as extremely hazardous. The Nov. 2007 resolution entitled 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium' was passed by 122 votes to six at the UN First Committee in New York; with 35 abstentions. The resolution urges UN member states to re-examine the health hazards posed by the use of uranium weapons. In May 2008 the European Parliament has passed its fourth and most far-reaching resolution yet against the use of uranium weapons. MEPs have called for an EU and NATO-wide moratorium and global ban. Among others the US-American Nuclear Society had criticized the US military for the extensive used of DU ammunition in the wars during the breaking up of former Yugoslavia.
ECOTERRA Intl., whose work does focus on nature- and human-rights-protection and as the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia, had through its ECOP-marine group 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. Since no appropriate help to assist Somali fishing communities or the numerous governances was forthcoming to protect and regulate the Somali waters, organized crime dealing with fake fishing licences first and later engaging in the hi-jacking of commercial vessels has in the meantime taken over the scene. In co-operation with UNOSOM first and later the Regional Seas Programme, Somali governance and the non-governmental group have proven many times that it is possible to implement safeguards and work on proper development, but the selfish interests of the international fishing industry, of criminal organizations working in toxic and even nuclear waste dumping combined with the interests of local warlords with their far bigger financial resources created the present turmoil. To combat the situation today will cost the international community many more million dollars as would have been required to set up and maintain proper coastal and marine management.
While the UN started to think now about a coastal protection operation, the European Union agreed to establish an anti-piracy security operation off the coast of Somalia - with so far 9 Navies participating - to become operational in November and according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency, the Russian warship Neutrashimy is to commence patrols in the Gulf of Aden on 6 November - co-operating with the EU and the US.
The Japanese government, however, abandoned a plan to send a destroyer to escort Japanese cruise ships navigating off the coast of Somalia, as Lloyds List reported today. Likewise Japan has apparently abandoned the care for three pirated ships in Somalia, who have links to Japan and leaves it to the insurances to deal with them, western sources in Nairobi stated. Reports from Somalia indicate that MV Stella Maris, which together with her crew has been held hostage since 20th July 2008, still has not been released and has allegedly since the beginning of October run out of fuel. It was reported that even the generation of electricity and thereby cooling and lightning has stopped.
All Somalia experts, including the former Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Affey, are convinced that in the case of the ill-fated FAINA a peaceful solution still can be achieved, which would avoid a military operation and the resulting humanitarian and environmental disaster.
Though Oleksandr Turchynov, the First Vice Prime Minister stated categorically: "Ukraine will never negotiate with pirates, terrorists, other criminals!", he noted at the same time that according to the international practice, the talks about a crew release and ship's further fate are held by the ship-owners with mediators and have started indeed. The ship owner of MV FAINA is the Panamanian Waterlux AG, while the company's manager is registered in Switzerland as stated by the Ukrainian government website.
Around 750 people - mainly women and children and old men - from the coastal Somali village of Xinbarwaaqo (Hinbarwago), closest to the weapons-ship MV FAINA, have together with their livestock left their homes and shifted inland, where they camp out in makeshift shelters for fear of imminent military action or an explosion of the ship. Elders from another village Ceel Xur and from Hobiyo town continue debate on the question if also their population has to be evacuated. The whole population in the area is terrified, especially by the many night-flights of military aircraft without any lights buzzing or hovering above them. Due to several missile attacks in the recent past at several locations of civilian population in Somalia, the uninvolved and innocent local people are scared to death.
Meanwhile more militiamen from the Mogadishu area, from the Galgadud and even Gaalkacyo town in Mudug Region, mostly comprising of Habrgedir clan members (Ayr, Saad and Saleban) but also some Majerteen (Isse Mahamoud) from Eyl have arrived in the area of the coastal hinterland where the hi-jacked Ukrainian ship is in a stand-off with at least 9 foreign Navy vessels.
Elsewhere and even abroad large meetings of the Habrgedir clan have been held, who discussed solutions to the hi-jacking cases of ships and crews as well as individual foreigners and how to stop their clan-members from any abduction of people. Many expressed thereby that one of the underlying problems is that their clan has been marginalized, isolated and discriminated against and no support from the UN or the international community would reach their population.
Ukrainian and Russian media have called family members of the captured crew for a television campaign against the use of military means to rescue the ship. They urge the Ukrainian and Russian governments to embrace diplomatic means.
Several ships have been released by their captors after successful negotiations over the last 10 days without any problem.
Still twelve vessels and 259 seafarers are currently being held hostage, while four attacks had been averted on 01. October 2008, partly with the help of the Coalition Navy.
The Philippine government has declared the Gulf of Aden in Somalia a hazard zone, in a pre-emptive measure for Filipino sailors who have become vulnerable to pirate attacks in the area. Eighty two Filipinos are currently in the hands of Somali pirates from several hijackings since July. Declaring the Gulf of Aden a hazard zone would give Filipino sailors two options: they could get off the ship before it crosses the Gulf and pay for their repatriation, or stay on the vessel and increase their hazard pay, but that is seen by the United Filipino Seafarers as deterrent mainly to foreign ship owners from hiring Filipinos.
The Indian government is drawing criticism and anger for its inaction regarding the rescue effort for the hijacked MT Stolt Valor. No concrete attempts have so far been made to facilitate the return of the 18 Indian crew members on board the Stolt Valor, the families of hijacked crew had earlier complained.
In connection with the STOLT VALOR, some terrorism experts have said the Somali hijackers are now using 'terror tactics' against the families by telling the crew members what they must say and to include an exaggeration of the hardships on board, while on the other hand returning seafarers from the released Malaysian ships report the true hardship due to the given hostage situations in locations with day-temperatures rising above 45 degrees Celsius, and stating that they were mostly being treated humanely.
"According to unverified and fragmentary reports, pirates seized another ship belonging to a Norwegian owner in the Gulf of Aden today," a bulletin was quoted by Itar-Tass on 02. Oct. 2008.
ECOTERRA Intl. also hopes that now with the celebrations of Eid - at the end of the holy month of Ramadan - relief is likewise brought to the other hostages, who are held on ships or were abducted inside the country, like the three journalists and two medical workers.
Press Contact:
ECOP-marine
East-Africa
254-714-747090
www.ecop.info
ECOTERRA Intl.
Nairobi Node
africanode@ecoterra.net
254-733-633-733
Note
Picture: The Eyl Piracy – it is easy and convenient to demonize pirates; but it is an ominous fallacy.
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