UN conference threatens to slap sanctions on Somali peace saboteurs

[Paragon]

UN conference threatens to slap sanctions on Somali peace saboteurs

 

 

www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-12 01:14:55

 

By Daniel Ooko

 

NAIROBI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The UN-backed global conference on piracy ended in Nairobi late Thursday with participants warning to impose sanctions on Somali leaders who obstruct peace in the war-torn country.

 

In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the two-day meeting, the over 145 representatives from more than 40 countries admitted that piracy cannot be durably tackled in Somalia without the return of peace, stabilize and functioning government.

 

The meeting underscored the need to strengthen the capacity of Somali national as well as regional authorities in combating piracy both to interdict pirates at sea, and to take effective legal action against pirates once returned to shore.

 

"Somali leaders who impede the stabilization of their country creating conditions to breed and escalate piracy will be individually and collectively placed under sanctions by the African Union and IGAD and also in accordance to UN Security Council resolution 1844 (2008)," they said.

 

The pirates' focus has been the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, where 20,000 merchant ships a year pass on the way in and out of the Suez Canal, the quickest route from Asia to Europe and the Americas.

 

The two-day conference brought together officials from more than 40 countries, as well as representatives from regional and international organizations who condemned all acts of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in the territorial waters of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Eastern Africa.

 

It also welcomed UN resolutions along with other initiatives by countries, regional and international organizations to counter piracy in Somalia.

 

The conference stressed the importance of enhancing coordination and cooperation in the fight against piracy, and welcomed the recent efforts of States and organizations to establish means for that cooperation.

 

"The respective countries resolved to cooperate with each other and with regional and international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the shipping industry, to combat piracy at sea and address the root causes on land," the joint statement said.

 

They welcomed the signing of the Djibouti Agreement between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS) on Aug. 19, 2008 and highlighted the need for additional assistance from the international community.

 

They urged the Somali parties once again and the international community to fully implement the Djibouti Agreement.

 

The meeting noted that the strengthening and enlarging of the Transitional Federal Institutions and the urgent improvement of the security situation on land are critical to reducing piracy off Somalia.

 

According to the communiqué, the conference urged all other Somali parties to renounce violence and join the Djibouti process which remains open to all parties and reaffirmed the sovereignty of Somali territorial waters against illegal fishing and dumping of chemicals and other waste.

 

"They also condemned the illegal flow of arms and drugs and of human trafficking and migrant smuggling by other criminal groups across Somali territorial waters. In this regard, they resolved to take firm action against all those involved in undermining peace and stability in Somalia," it said.

 

The UN-backed meeting also expressed strong concern over impunity and the alarming deterioration in respect of human rights and of the humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged nation.

 

They called on States, regional and international organizations to enhance information sharing and coordinate their naval efforts to ensure the effective protection of maritime convoys carrying assistance in order to facilitate its timely delivery to Somalia's ports including by taking steps to interdict financial networks.

 

"They stressed the need to support countries in the region and regional organizations in combating piracy, including through strengthening the rule of law at sea and on land. In this regard, they urged the provision of necessary technical support to enhance maritime and legal capacity building of all regional countries most directly affected by piracy," it said.

 

The meeting began just one day after the European Union outlined a new security mission off the coast of Somalia.

 

Operation Atalanta joins existing deployments from NATO, Russia, and other countries that have sought to combat a sharp rise in piracy in the area in recent months.

 

 

Editor: Sun

[Suldaanka]

Somali leaders who impede the stabilization of their country creating conditions to breed and escalate piracy will be individually and collectively placed under sanctions by the African Union and IGAD and also in accordance to UN Security Council resolution 1844 (2008).

 

Communique: International Conference on Piracy around Somalia

This clause from the conference declaration is specifically targeting Puntland leaders who are not only complacent but work hand-in-hand with the criminals be it Human-traffickers, Pirates, Kidnappers or arms smuglers.

 

Cadde Muse and Co need to shake things up in Puntland or else....

[Shilling]

Suldaanka,

 

The clause from the conference speaks of holding all Somali leaders who impede the stabilization of Somalia responsible, so lets not ignorantly target the Puntland leadership...I think its obvious why since you hail from Somaliland, the enclave both Puntland and the rest of the world regards as part of Somalia.

 

That said, you'd be surprise who attended the UN-backed global conference on piracy, this was "a two-day conference that brought together officials from more than 40 countries, as well as representatives from regional and international organizations who condemned all acts of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in the territorial waters of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Eastern Africa." Yes, one of those regional representatives who partake in the conference was no other then Cadde Muuse; "Puntland has a coastline of 1,690 km (1,050 miles) and we have no navy to fight the well-organized criminal activities of pirates," it was the Puntland President that made this obvious from the get-go and Puntland you bet won't be turning a superpower overnight to end all piracy though its doing all it can, that I think is up to the international community...so ease with the cheap shots b/c I doubt that would bring about the much sought after recognition your secessionist circle seek.

[Suldaanka]

^It is not about Somaliland sxb

 

Somaliland waa dhaaftay arinku. The whole world is united against this. The Russians and The US naval forces are fighting shoulder to shoulder against these Pirates along with Indians and Pakistanis etc etc...

 

Soo sheekadu waa xuntay.

 

As for Cadde Muuse, I was listening to the BBC Somali (1400GMT) programme today, and he was talking about why he had to walk away from the conference. Apparently, he was protesting against certain Western governments who accused Puntland leaders of having direct links and benefiting from the spoils of the Pirates. You can listen to that interview now.

 

Now, it seems that the UN and The West in particular are waking up to the fact that Puntland has become the source of most problems in the region including the instability of Somalia. The Americans now want to reserve the right to go after Pirates even if they go ashore. So things are not business as usual.

 

"Puntland has a coastline of 1,690 km (1,050 miles) and we have no navy to fight the well-organized criminal activities of pirates," it was the Puntland President that made this obvious from the get-go and Puntland you bet won't be turning a superpower overnight to end all piracy though its doing all it can, that I think is up to the international community...

Puntland has allowed for Piracy and other criminal activities to take root and become a common thing. But still that being the case, Puntland has failed to curb the problem by taking decisive actions against key players in each of the different criminal groups be it Kidnapping, Piracy, Human Trafficking etc... I don't see Puntland doing that, so it is just talking nonsense when you say Puntland is doing all it can.

[Koora-Tuunshe]

^The problem of Somali piracy might be intense in one region but it's widespread, even parts of D-jibouti's sea border with Somalia show several signs of pirate activities, but Puntland's coast is extremely long and it's beyond the current Puntland authorities capacity to tackle in a comprehensive way. The henchmen in the so called Somaliland authorized foreign vessels to illegally fish our waters in exchnage for a few pennies. Somalia is a lawless country and therefore it demands the world to come to its rescue and reverse piracy, warlordism, terrorism, secessionism, etc.

 

Tell me where is Somaliland and where is Puntland?

[Suldaanka]

^^

The current problem is very severe. It affects the refugees whose food-delivering ships are highjacked to Western economies who feel the transportation costs sky rocketing.

 

It is no longer a secret that Puntland authority has links with these Pirates and other criminals. Cadde Muse himself confessed that some of his own ministers might be involved and he said that this problems also exists within the Police and melitia forces of Puntland.

 

So in essense, the Puntland authority is a player in the game, hence, why the international community was too harsh on Cadde Muse in the conference which was held in Safari Park hotel in Kenya.

 

That being said, it is a very poor excuse that because of the long coastline Puntland is powerless to doing anything. Yes, the coast line is very long, and like Somaliland, there is no much resources available. But, still, Puntland should have disrupted the criminal gangs by positioning its megre resources in key areas which are known to be hide-out for Pirates. And at the same time, try to bring some of the key players to face court.

 

But that isn't happening and here is the big reason. Puntland is corrupt. Totally corrupt authority and the average farax is taking the law to his own self.

 

How many times did you hear that the Puntland prisons have been broken into and prisoners were freed by gangs? The latest was just few weeks ago.

 

So even if Puntland were to arrest these criminals, Puntland can not guarantee that they won't be set free by its own Police or melitia forces who have links with these criminal gangs. The situation is a very messy and that is because Cadde Muse and Co have made it that way. It would be very hard for him to really do anything about it now.

 

Like it or not, Puntland is in the spot-light right now as a criminal invested region and the authority there is now discredited so much that they will be facing dire consequences if they don't put their acts together and rein in these pirates and criminals.

[Kool_Kat]

Originally posted by Koora-Tuunshe:

Tell me where is Somaliland and where is Puntland?

Read the fine print...The very fine print...Warning: you might not see it...

[Suldaanka]

^^If all that took place between Jan and Nov this year, then this is even a bigger problem than what I thought before.

 

Something needs to be done against the pirate hide-outs - the source of the problems.

[Paragon]

So it wasn't just hot air, eh?