The massacre continues

[Suldaanka]

Washed up on the beach - hidden half of Africa's people smuggling epidemic

 

As the world looks elsewhere, Somalis and Ethiopians are risking all to get to the Middle East

 

Xan Rice in Bossaso

Wednesday May 10, 2006

 

A black sandal, size 24, made in Japan. A white laceless trainer. A brown belt, a khaki jacket, a blue bag with the label "Bravo".

"From dead people," said Ali Haji Younis, a 21-year-old Ethiopian man, picking up a child's shoe near the sea's edge. "Eaten by the fishes."

 

Washed up on Somalia's northern coast, this is the evidence of the hidden half of Africa's people smuggling epidemic. In recent months the wave of African migrants setting sail from Mauritania to Spain has made world headlines. But at the same time, up to 20,000 Somalis and Ethiopians have made similarly perilous journeys across the Gulf of Aden to the Middle East.

 

Thirty-nine people drowned this week after being forced at gunpoint to jump into the sea by the smuggler transporting them, according to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Their boat was in a convoy of three carrying around 350 passengers. An average of 100 people attempted to cross from Somalia to Yemen by boat every day from September to March, UNHCR figures show. During six days in January alone UNHCR counted 22 smugglers' boats - small, open fishing dhows - arriving in Yemen.

One carried six dead among the 65 passengers; 14 more had been thrown overboard during the journey. Such casualty rates are not uncommon. Rough seas mean boats often capsize in the shark-infested waters. Others drift for days at a time, with little food or fresh water on board. Even when the boats do reach Yemen's coast, the smugglers force their passengers - including children - to swim the final section.

 

"It's a disaster," said Bosteyo Said Yusuf, of the Somalia Reunification Women's Union, a local NGO in the port city of Bossaso, in Puntland state. "A mini-nation is dying at sea."

 

While fatality figures are difficult to verify - the trade is secretive and many bodies are never found - the UN confirmed 262 deaths in January and February. Since September, officials say, the dead could number close to 1,000.

 

But the danger acts as little deterrent. Dreams of work in Yemen or, even better, Saudi Arabia - viewed as a land of riches to people from the Horn of Africa, mean the smugglers' trade has increased dramatically over the past few years. Many of the would-be migrants are Somalis who are feeling insecure and can claim refugee status once in Yemen. But an increasing number are Ethiopians desperate to escape poverty and, some say, political persecution at home.

 

"It's very difficult to live in Ethiopia," said Mr Younis, who arrived in Somalia two weeks ago.

 

"My family did not have money to send me to school and I could not get a job. I had to come here."

 

The well-worn trail from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, took Mr Younis, whose left foot is crippled by polio, more than two weeks. From Bossaso he walked through the night to Mareero about 10 miles east, where the mountains and sea converge and the otherwise pristine beach is littered with shoes.

 

Several hundred people were already waiting there for a boat. A small dhow arrived in the early afternoon. After paying £20 to the captain, Mr Younis was shoved aboard.

 

A few hundred metres out to sea it became clear that the boat was overcrowded. Mr Younis and three other Somali men were thrown into the water. They swam to shore.

 

Muna Muhammad, a 33-year-old woman with two young children in Addis Ababa, told how she had spent three days at sea before being put ashore. As the boat sped off the passengers realised they had landed back in Somalia, not in Yemen, she said.

 

The local authorities in Puntland claim not to have the resources to tackle the people smuggling. "Our coast is 1,600km [995 miles] long," said Ahmed Abdi Habsade, Puntland's interior minister. "We need international help."

 

But locals say it is also a question of will; well-known businessmen with links to the authorities are believed to run the trade.

 

Yemen's authorities are almost as powerless to halt the influx. The Ethiopians that are caught are deported, but many soon return to Bossaso.

 

"I will try again," said Mr Younis, who is living with a group of Somalis in the cliffs above the beach at Mareero, waiting for another boat. "I don't care where I end up. I just want to be able to find a job."

 

Fatalities

 

May 8 2006

 

39 people drown after being forced in to water at gunpoint

 

February 26 2006

 

63 people drown after being thrown into deep waters off Yemen

 

January 22 2006

 

At least 70 people die after two boats capsize in the Gulf of Aden

 

September 13 2005

 

61 people die of dehydration after boat drifts for 20 days

 

September 4 2005

 

Up to 90 people drown after being forced to swim several miles to Yemen's coast

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1771235,00.html

[General Duke]

^^^ Tragic indeed. May Allah give his mercy on the dead and lliviate the suffering of the living..

[Suldaanka]

^^The big question is, why isn't the Puntland authorities ain't doing anything about this?

 

Could they be part of the plot? Certainly an interview taken by widhwidh sheds somelights here.

[General Duke]

^^^ Puntland in my eyes , has been incompetent regarding this issue. The credibility of the ruling authority has been damaged badly. Yet Cade has tried to address this many times issue and has signed an agreement with Yemen.

[Che -Guevara]

how could a corrupted mismanaged admin with little or no budget reign in on this criminal enterprise?...The Admins have themselves become criminals of sorts.

[Suldaanka]

^^Exactly

 

money is what its all about. And the puntland authority is right in the middle of it.

 

How else would our Duke explain then, the fact that the culprits are driving around in Bosaso as we speak and almost everybody knows about them that they are the same ones that dumped not just one but uncountable number of boat load of innocent people in the middle of the high seas - at gun point. The sadder thing is that, these people not only lost their lives, but everything including their money (allah knows how they got it in the first place and how many nights they starved just to save it).

 

Qof muslim sheegta iska daayo, qof aan ilaah iyo diin toona aqoon ayaa ka yaxyaxaaya.

[General Duke]

money is what its all about. And the puntland authority is right in the middle of it.

 

How else would our Duke explain then, the fact that the culprits are driving around in Bosaso as we speak and almost everybody knows them that they are the same ones that dumped a boat load of innocent people in the middle of nowhere

Dont make accusations without prove, you dont like Puntland and thats your problem. But to say Puntland is in on it, then Yemen is also in on it as it does not stop the trafickers from coming into their sea at will. This is an illicit and lucrative busienss, there are agents across Somalia in Mogadishu, Baidoa and Somaliland who trafick people. Puntland has along coastline that is easy for the transportation of people.

 

Also as I have pointed out the Puntland authority has signed an agreement with Yement to combat this problem. it has failed due to lack of resources and incompetence.

 

Suldanka keep trying to dirt the image of Puntland, it wont get you far...

[Suldaanka]

^^ Human lifes we are speaking off, not dirtying the image of Puntland (if it had any to be dirtiedl)

 

I didn't make any thing up, listen to the reporter from Widhwidh Online who visited the area and examined the deplorable situation in the "Death Chambers" or otherwise locally refered to as the "Xero Adhi"; perhaps a shrewd reference to what it is a "Slaughter House"....

 

"...then Yemen is also in on it as it does not stop the trafickers from coming into their sea at will"

 

I don't know what sort of reasoning you are using but I find this ridiculously outrageous. How can you accuse Yemen for that. The reason why the Puntland traffickers are dumping people in the high seas, is because the Yemenis are doing their job. The Yemenis will arrest them like they recently did when they captured a boat.

 

It is the Puntland authority which is either too incompetent in doing anything about this great tragedy, or particaping in it altogther. Either way, since Puntland is the source, then the culprits and the authority in that area are both to blame.

 

"Puntland has along coastline that is easy for the transportation of people"

 

To my knowledge, the overwhelming majority of traffickers use the shores of Bari Region, to be specific; the area that face the "Red Sea" of that region. See the red line in the map below (the green line is the Pirates area, another sad case of Puntland)

 

Why this area only, Mr. Duke?? Can you honestly answer that question without going kukuu.

 

And yes, if you could, why are the culprits whom are very well known roaming around Puntland? Why isn't the authority doing anything about the "Xero Adhi" Death Chamber?

 

These questions need answers...

 

 

[General Duke]

^^^ Again you lose the plot, in my last post I stated if you blame Puntland then also blame Yemen. Your answer was that yemen is doing a good job, then why does it not stop, why is this trade lucrative and why do people take the risk if Yemen is not seen as a soft spot.

 

As for the map the area in red is still quite a long strip and the Puntlandauthority does ot have the man power to man it.

 

As for this trade itself, people pay loads of money and travel long distances to take a risk most are aware of. The problem is socio economic one, and unless you address the underlying cause, this exodus go on and these tragedies will continue...

 

It happening in North Africaas well with many crossing the sahara desert to get into Europe.

 

Mr Suldan, you have yet to present any evidance to support your excited claim that Puntland authority is in this business. Individuals from Puntland I have no doubt play a role and should be brought to justice. But the authority I doubt it. So present your evidance...

[Suldaanka]

Again you lose the plot, in my last post I stated if you blame Puntland then also blame Yemen. Your answer was that yemen is doing a good job,

then why does it not stop

, why is this trade lucrative and why do people take the risk if Yemen is not seen as a soft spot.

Duke,

 

It takes two to tango. At least Yemen has made it hard for the traffickers to dump people on the shores, that is why they are dumping people in the high seas - which is really a sad and heartless thing. There is little Yemen can do if the traffickers are dumping people in the middle of the sea.

 

But the thing is, Has Puntland ever done anything to reach this lame conclusion of "still quite a long strip"? Did it arrest the culprits? Did it confiscate the boats? Had the Puntland Police ever raided one of the many "Death Chambers" that are located just outside Bosaso. Had it ever captured a boat before leaving? Did ever take any action whatsoever?

 

That answer is NO, NO, NO, NO and a BIG NOOOO. What does that tell you Duke? Commonsense.

 

People are being massacred Duke. This no time for you to put that famous face. :mad:

[General Duke]

Suldanka, again no evidance, Just some utterances with the sole aim of blaming Puntland. Human traficking is big business around the world, bigger and more powerful nation have been unable to make a dent on it, what hope is there for Puntland. There is a lot to be done. As you know everything, let us know the names and where abouts of the culprits. Where they live in Bossaso?

 

Thats the challange..

[Jaylaani]

Duke

 

You can’t defend “Puntland†in this case. If you do, you too will also have a human (Muslim) blood in your hands. You can’t deny the fact that those boat owners who have political connection with the local authority are using people for economic gain.

 

Think About it, Bosaso isn’t the only port city in that coast nor is it the closest to Yemen. This has become epidemic and it’s affecting all Somalis however, “Puntland†administration turns its back on those victims. Are they the beneficiary? I have no idea but they sure not doing anything about it…and that sounds fishy to me.

[General Duke]

^^^ I have no evidance to implicate the government of Puntland. If you bring this evidance then I will not only retract my statement but will propogate this fact and take steps to bring this government to account.

 

But it is hard for me to take the words of two secesionists seriously..

[Jaylaani]

Lol@to bring this government to account.You myst be very powerful man.

 

You Live in a denial just like the rest of them. Aakhiridaada dad kale seegin. The evidence is in front of you. What you do with it is up to you my friend.

[General Duke]

^^^What evidance is in front of me, do you have the names of these suglers who your collegue state were operating openly in bossaso?

Do you have any proof that the Puntalnd authority are part of the outfit. The answer seems to be no. I dont deny that there are people smuggling and that it is organised.

 

So stop the sniffling comments..Or bring something to the table..