Somalia thread for the week ending August 23

The scramble continues to play out before our eyes...

Do you think they comprehend that the name "Operation Ocean Shield" is a more than a tad imperious?

NATO launches new anti-piracy operation off Somalia

LISBON — NATO on Monday launched operation Ocean Shield to help fight rampant piracy off the Horn of Africa after the alliance's North Atlantic Council approved the mission, it said in a statement.

"No timeframe has been set for this long-term operation, which will last as long as it's deemed necessary," Major Stefano Sbaccanti, a spokesman from the alliance's Joint Command Lisbon, told AFP.

The NATO press release stresses the "enhanced mandate"

While at-sea counter-piracy operations will continue to be the focus, a new element of regional state counter-piracy capacity building has been developed for Operation Ocean Shield. NATO’s capacity building effort will aim to assist regional states, upon their request, in developing their own ability to combat piracy activities. This element of the operation is designed to complement existing international efforts and will contribute to an improved maritime security situation off the Horn of Africa.

If that mandate sounds familiar, then you may also recall when M K Bhadrakumar wrote at Asia Times Online last October, as NATO first began operations in the area

It is obvious that these first blasts of the new cold war have blown into the Indian Ocean region against the larger backdrop of big-power relations.

...

US officials are on record that Africom and NATO envisage an institutional linkup in the downstream. The overall US strategy is to incrementally bring NATO into Africa so that its future role in the Indian Ocean (and Middle East) region as the instrument of US global security agenda becomes optimal.

Expect NATO's capacity-building to do for anti-piracy efforts what AFRICOM's maritime achievements have done to help African nations combat illegal fishing. As EcoTerra International continue to point out in their Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor alerts, "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."

Relatedly,

U.S. admiral takes over piracy task force

The cruiser Anzio, now with a U.S. admiral aboard leading a multinational counter-piracy task force, has left the Persian Gulf and is preparing for stepped-up pirate attacks the Horn of Africa region as weather conditions improve.

Last Thursday, Rear Adm. Scott Sanders took command of Task Force 151 from Rear Adm. Caner Bener, of the Turkish navy, who had been leading 5th Fleet’s counter-piracy campaign from the Norfolk, Va.-based Anzio.

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Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, 5th Fleet commander, has reiterated that piracy may center on hijacking ships for ransoms, but it’s a problem that cannot be solved by navies.

“We’re not going to be successful because we are working at the prevention effort at sea. And not enough is being done at the root cause,” he said during an Aug. 16 interview with Navy Times in Bahrain. “No one is trying to cure the cancer. We’re dealing with the symptoms.”

All allusions to diseases aside, navies actually could play an important role in curtailing the issues of IUU trawling and illegal dumping, which have repeatedly been cited as both the original impetus and an ongoing concern of piracy along the coast. Equally applying enforcement of existing international laws would be the obvious starting point. Those spearheading the piracy of merchant ships aren't the only ones profiting handsomely in these waters.

Meanwhile,

Fishermen in southern Somalia complain of harassment by foreign warships

Fishermen along the Lower Shabelle coastline have been complaining about foreign ships along the Somali coast which are said to be fighting Somali pirate groups. The fisherman have said they are unable to fish along the coastlines as a result of the high ocean currents and strong winds adding that upon going deep into the sea, they are met by these foreign warships which tell them that they are not allowed to fish in the high seas. The fishermen said this makes their work very difficult as they sometimes spend a lot of fuel getting to these parts of the ocean.

There has been a decrease in the supply of fish in Marka and Barawa in Lower Shabelle [southern Somalia] as the prices have sky rocketed and are well beyond the reach of most residents.

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Prof. Michael Weinstein's latest analysis is now up at Garowe Online, pointing out that the armed opposition appear to continue to hold the advantage on the ground in anticipation of escalated confrontations with AMISOM forces.

Preparing for Battle in Mogadishu and Beyond

Definately worth reading in full, as usual, with a fresh touch of added levity in Weinstein's observation that "Washington Post correspondent Stephanie McCrummen ... threatens to become the Judith Miller of Somalia reporting." Other than the scales involved in the comparison, I do have to differ on the tense there, for her articles have always heavily channeled disinformation from the usual suspects to purposely shape Wapo reader's perceptions.

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Change you can believe in...

Somalia's prime minister reshuffles cabinet

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke has reshuffled and expanded his cabinet in an attempt to end in-fighting in the face of a long-drawn-out insurgency, officials said on Tuesday.

Ali Jama Ahmed and Abdalla Boss Ahmed were named as foreign and defence minister respectively, the same posts as they had held in the former transitional federal government.

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IPS: Israel Turns Dubiously to Africa

Just back from an extensive tour of South America, [Israel's foreign minister Avigdor] Liberman is soon to set out on a five-nation African tour. The Israeli foreign ministry calls it "an out- of-the-ordinary visit", the most extensive ever by Israel's top diplomat to the continent. He will criss-cross Africa to take in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Angola and Nigeria.

...

Liberman says his visit will provide a diplomatic boost to states with economic and security ties with Israel. "I want to tell them that Africa is important to Israel," he said in his interview. "We must not neglect them, especially in view of the efforts by countries like Iran to influence them and establish themselves there."

Security sources point out that Israel has an additional immediate security interest - keeping tabs on the spread of Al-Qaeda linked groups in various parts of Africa.

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The ministry confirms that Liberman will be accompanied by a large retinue of businessmen, many of them arms dealers, as well as security advisers and representatives of state-backed military industries.

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Reuters: U.S. planes to join Seychelles anti-piracy push

The U.S. military said on Wednesday it would be deploying unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the skies above the Seychelles archipelago to bolster anti-piracy patrols.

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"We have the recent arrival of our P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft that will aid in conducting the surveillance of Seychelles territorial waters and as we look into the future, (we will) bring unmanned surveillance vehicles," said General William Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

This is of interest for at least two reasons.

First, the so-called area of responsibility for the waters off Somalia, where international efforts are underway to obstensibly address piracy, has remained tasked to CENTCOM, not AFRICOM. The Seychelles are w/i AFRICOM's AOR so this would appear to indicate that AFRICOM is now publicly involved in these maritime operations.

And second, the Seychelles archipelago is a valuable geostrategic Indian Ocean asset in the eyes of all the big players on global stage. China and India are currently wooing its government. Neocons and kin are worried about China challenging U.S. naval dominance & superpower status by utilizing this ""unsinkable aircraft carrier" in its line of communications w/ Africa:

Taking into account the fact that the Republic of Seychelles 110 Islands are scattered over a wide surface of the Western Indian Ocean, which includes a vital oil route and taking into account that important oil producing Nations are within rocket striking distance, the geo-political importance of Seychelles cannot be under-estimated.

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Nothing revelatory here, but may as well document the official acknowledgment:

VOA: Ethiopian Official Says Somali Militias Use Ethiopia to Attack Rebels

Ethiopia has confirmed that pro-government militias from neighboring Somalia are using Ethiopian territory as a base to launch attacks on rebel forces.

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pokesman Bereket Simon says Ethiopia has not and will not stop its military support to Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, or TFG, in its fight against a foreign-backed insurgency.

Bereket told reporters, pro-government Somali militias have permission to use Ethiopia as a base of operations in attacking al-Shabab rebels, who control large sections of southern Somalia.

"When the forces of the TFG attack al-Shabab and score victories, we don't care from which geographical positions they start the attack," he said. "But I assure you this is a Somali operation."

Of course, what's a statement from an official of the Ethiopian government without prevarications & bold-face lies? It's a "Somali operation" to the same degree that the TFG is the legitimate government of all Somalis.

"We have been training, not only now, even when we had been in Somalia, we have been training forces of the TFG, and we always train and we will continue to train forces of the TFG because we believe these are forces of peace and stability in Somalia," he continued.

Wondering, then, if Ethiopia ever required the necessary authorization for this to get around the United Nations Security Council's long-standing arms embargo on Somalia. Previous efforts at training were found in violation of such.

There were multiple reports on Thursday of Ethiopian troops deploying in Beledweyne (again). Shabelle Media posted that

Reports from the town say that the Ethiopian troops with many battle wagons poured into the town hours ago and made military bases in the street that connects between Ugas Qalif international airport and Harar valley in the town.

Earlier in the week, as an array of pro-government militias engaged in offensive operations to (temporarily) retake some territory throughout central & southern Somalia, there were also scattered reports that some Ethiopian forces were accompanying them.

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Shabelle Media: Hisbul Islam officials say they joined Harakat Shabab Mujahideen

Ahmed Mohamud Salad known as (Sudani), acting chairman of Hisbul Islam organization in Luq district in Gedo region told Shabelle Media Network the officials met in Luq district in the region and agreed to be part of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen and take the same name.

The step comes as many officials of both Islamic administrations from different parts of the region met in Luq district and discussed more on efforts they want to protect the troops against the Islamist fighters and amassing in parts of the region.

Harun Hussein Ibrahim, head of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen in Gedo region told Shablle radio that they had greatly welcomed the decision of Hisbul Islam for joining them.

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Excerpts from a well-put commentary by a former Somali ambassador, now serving as part of the ARS

The U.S & Somalia: A Somali Perespective

As the new Obama administration came to power, fires of hope were ignited throughout the world. Hope that the injustices of the Bush era would be corrected. ...

We, the Somalis as well, hoped for a change in US policy towards Somalia based on objective analysis of the real situation on the ground; a new paradigm, different in substance from the Bush administration’s ill-conceived and failed policies in Somalia.

Contrary to the expectations of the Somali people, the new Obama administration remains committed to the same failed policies of its predecessor; engagement in Somalia solely through the narrow prism of fighting international terrorism and piracy off the Somali coast as well as reliance on Ethiopia, the erstwhile enemy of Somalia and chief trouble maker in the Horn of Africa, for all matters relating to Somalia.

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The tons of weapons and millions of US taxpayer money as well as political support go to a so-called government in Somalia which has no territory to control, no institutions, does not command the support and respect of the Somali people and whose “ president” hides in a Ugandese APC when travelling to and from Mogadishu Airport.

That is the “government” the US and other western powers support.

By throwing its weight behind a fiction, the US shed the veneer of a backroom player. It has come out of the closet. The aim is to impose upon the Somali people a small group of its choice; former warlords, Islamic turn coats and famously corrupt politicians.

Forcing unpopular politicians on a country does not work. Iraq and Afghanistan are relevant examples. This will not work in Somalia either.

Siding with this insignificant faction makes the US becomes an active participant in the Somali conflict.

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There are as well other disturbing aspects to this new US military venture in Somalia that defy logic.

In the absence of a responsible government in Somalia, this huge influx of US weapons will make Mogadishu the biggest arms bazaar in Africa south of the Sahara. Illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition will flourish and proliferation of weapons especially in Africa will be out of control. And nobody would know where the weapons end or who has what. Whether a situation like this would contribute to peace and security in Africa and other places remains to be seen.

Another miscalculation is that the US and its allies ignore the easy access to and availability of every type weapons in Somalia. One can even buy a tank and park it in front of the house like a car. There is no weapons scarcity; the result of years of Ethiopian violations of the UN arms embargo on Somalia.

We must not, as well, overlook the devastating effect these military shipments have on Somalia. It is like pumping more gasoline into an already out of control forest fire. Such military fire power will at the end of the day cause heavy damage and destruction, kill, maim thousands of Somalis and add more millions to the already displaced.

A question is relevant in this regard. Whether these US military shipments are in line with the UN arms embargo or not? Security Council Resolution 751 0f 1992 obligated all member Sates of the UN to respect “a general and comprehensive arms embargo on Somalia”. The corollary to this requires all States to refrain from any military venture that jeopardises peace and security in Somalia. US weapons shipments undermine peace in Somalia and are consequently a violation of the arms embargo irrespective of any exemptions.

In further reference to the arms embargo on Somalia, the US sets a double standard with regard to violations of the arms embargo. It has the audacity to scapegoat Eritrea while ignoring its own and those violations of recidivist Ethiopia.

This arrogant behaviour has already encouraged countries like Djibouti as well as the predator States of Ethiopia and Kenya to violate with impunity the arms embargo. Other States will definitely follow suit. Consequently, this will lead to the internationalization of the Somali conflict.

Since the tons of US weapons constitute a violation of the arms embargo and are meant to kill, maim Somalis and destroy their properties, the US must be held responsible. It is the moral obligation of all peace loving nations to do so.

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Somalia belongs to Somalis; we, Somalis are a resilient nation even in times of adversity. Our destiny, leadership and any constitutional arrangements can and must be decided by us, Somalis, without foreign interference.

The models in Somaliland and Punt land were developed by Somalis, under an acacia tree, free from the manipulations of theAhmedou W. Abdallas of the world. Whether one agrees with their current status is another matter. But, the two areas are peaceful because the process was indigenous and Somali owned.

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The road to durable and lasting peace in Somalia is evident: a Somali owned process, immediate and full withdrawal of foreign troops, participation of stakeholders on the basis of equality and limiting UN role to logistical support. The result would be a comprehensive peace agreement, with mechanisms for implementation and a truly representative Somali government that can bring peace and stability to its citizens and act as a responsible player at the international arena.

Thus the need for a new paradigm and an unequivocal departure from the failed policies of the Bush administration is imperative. This will serve the best interests of the US and promote the aspirations of the Somali people for peace.

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Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys via Shabelle Media

Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys said that it is an important to continue the fighting against the transitional government and AMISOM forces in holy Ramadan month vowing that they will continue the clashes against what he called enemy who invaded the country.

The Islamist leader said that the peace and solution could be found only when the foreign troops leave from the country and Somalis come together, talk and discuss the situation of the country and their own goals.

Sheik Aweys also said in his press conference that there are continuing plans to unite Hisbul Islam organization and Harakat Shabab Mujahideen.

Lastly the Islamist leader Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys talked the conflicts between Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and the fighters against the TFG going on in parts of central Somalia saying that all the Somali people are Ahlu Sunna pointing out that those clashes are organized by what he called enemy.