Tuesday 14 January 2014
PIRACY
EU NAVAL FORCE FLAGSHIP FS SIROCO CONDUCTS TRAINING WITH TANZANIAN NAVY DURING PORT
VISIT TO DAR ES SALAAM
EU SET TO EXTEND SOMALIAN ANTI-PIRACY FORCE UNTIL 2016
RUSSIA ACCUSES SENEGAL OF 'PIRACY'
WHY CHINA’S GULF PIRACY FIGHT MATTERS
IRAN'S 28TH NAVAL FLEET FOILS PIRATE ATTACKS ON IRANIAN SHIPS
EU, SEYCHELLES CARRY OUT COUNTER- PIRACY EXERCISE
WINNING: SOMALI PIRATES DEFEATED, NOT DESTROYED
SOMALIA
EXECUTIVE INFIGHTING THREATENS SOMALIA'S GOVERNMENT
SOMALIA'S AL-SHABAB MILITANTS ISSUE INTERNET BAN
SOMALI GOVERNMENT DOWNPLAYS AL SHABAAB INTERNET THREATS
NEW PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA'S PUNTLAND VOWS TO FIGHT INSECURITY
US WELCOMES THE ELECTION OF THE FEDERAL STATE OF PUNTLAND
SOMALI PM VOWS TO LIBERATE FURTHER TOWNS FROM AL SHABAAB IN THE COMING MONTHS
SOMALILAND: MAJOR PORT INVESTMENT SET TO BOOST FOREIGN TRADE GLOBALLY
"AFGHAN MORTAR EXPERT" AMONG DEAD IN SOUTHWESTERN SOMALIA AIR STRIKE
US SENDS MILITARY ADVISERS BACK TO SOMALIA
ARMY GENERAL IN SOMALIA WARNS AGAINST APPOINTING MINISTERS FROM RELIGIOUS GROUPS
NEWLY ELECTED LEADER OF SOMALIA'S PUNTLAND REGION TO TAKE OFFICE ON 16TH JANUARY
SECURITY THREAT LOOMS AS AL SHABAAB HUNTS FOR MORE RECRUITS IN EAST AFRICA
SOMALIA: TEHRAN AND MOGADISHU ENHANCE PARLIAMENTARY TIES
SECURITY THREAT LOOMS AS AL SHABAAB HUNTS FOR MORE RECRUITS IN EAST AFRICA
PUNTLAND’S NEW PRESIDENT: A MARITIME SECURITY OUTLOOK
OTHER
CHINA WILLING TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH DJIBOUTI: FM
KENYA TIGHTENS TRANSPORT RULES TO CURB OIL TANKER ACCIDENTS
CHINA'S NAVY EXPANDING GLOBAL ROLE
MIDDLE EAST MARITIME SECURITY: COOPERATION IS THE KEY VITAL
This press review is edited by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, Media&Public Information Department. The views
expressed in this review are strictly those of the named media and are not necessarily representative of the EU NAVFOR. Neither EU NAVFOR nor
any person acting on behalf of Operation Atalanta is responsible for the use which might be made of the information contained in this summary. For
further details, please contact European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta, Media and Public Information Office, Tel: +44 (0) 1923 958693 (UK
office hours),Mobile: +44 (0) 7762 784746 (silent hours and weekends, E-Mail: media@eunavfor.eu
PIRACY
EU NAVAL FORCE FLAGSHIP FS SIROCO CONDUCTS TRAINING WITH TANZANIAN NAVY
DURING PORT VISIT TO DAR ES SALAAM
During their recent port visit to Dar Es Salaam, EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Flagship FS Siroco,
conducted training with a team from the Tanzanian Marines.
The 9 team members of the Tanzanian Marines were given a briefing on boarding operations, including
a dynamic boarding exercise. Following this, the team from the French Landing Ship Dock delivered
training on assessing merchant ships adherence to Best Managament Practices (BMP) and an
introduction to the Mercury system that is used by the counter piracy forces to coordinate their efforts in
the region.
The training was a great success, contributing to the growing mutual understanding between EU Naval
Force and the Tanzanian Forces, who are a key regional partner in the counter-piracy effort.
On completion of the training, one of the Tanzanian trainees stated “This has been a great opportunity to
build relations with the EU Naval Force.”
The Force Commander of EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean, who is embarked in FS Siroco
said after the event, “I am very pleased that the EU Naval Force has been able to deliver some valuable
training to the members of the Tanzanian military. Tanzania is a key regional partner and we are always
keen to enhance our cooperation, working together against piracy in the Horn of Africa region.”
Source: EU NAVFOR, Navaltoday.com,
http://navaltoday.com/2014/01/13/french-warship-conducts-training-with-tanzanian-navy/
EU SET TO EXTEND SOMALIAN ANTI-PIRACY FORCE UNTIL 2016
The EU is poised to prolong the life of Operation Atalanta, a multi-million euro counter-piracy naval force
off the coast of Somalia, as part of the bloc’s comprehensive approach to state-building and peacemaking in the Horn of Africa.
The mandate for the force was due to run out in December 2014, but an EU official speaking on
condition of anonymity cited “good indications” that it would be extended.
“There is now no reason to believe that member states would not extend it,” the source said. “It is even
likely to be extended for two more years.”
The programme, which is thought to cost over €100 million a year, protects international shipping and
takes active steps to counter piracy, as well as monitoring fishing activities.
It is viewed by Brussels as one of a raft of tools - including financial aid and the training of security forces
- necessary for the EU's 'comprehensive approach' to state-building and peace-making in the Horn of
Africa, meshing humanitarian and political tracks.
Partly due to the success of Atalanta, the US state department says that “there has not been a
successful pirate attack on a commercial vessel off the Horn of Africa in more than a year and a half,
and pirates no longer control a single hijacked vessel.”
Hostage numbers in the region have fallen from over 700 in 2011 to around 50 today. But the EU
maintains that it is “strongly committed to bringing this number down to zero: zero ships and zero
seafarers in the hands of Somali pirates”.
"The fight against piracy is not yet won," said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy Catherine Ashton in a statement. "It is vital that the international community continues to work
together to stamp out piracy and consolidate the gains we have already made".
As it assumes the chair of the International Contact Group on piracy off the coast of Somalia for a year,
the EU's priorities thus include streamlining the group and bringing in more regional players, such as
shipping companies, the African Union and neighbouring states.
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Daily News Summary
The first meeting under the EU's chairmanship will take place in Paris on 28 January.
Last month, France announced that it would allow armed private security guards to protect its shipping
fleets against pirates, a move that the EU tacitly endorses.
EU endorses private boat security guards
“It is clear to us that decisions taken by some member states and international partners to have security
guards have contributed to the success - or decrease in number of attacks and hostage taking,” the EU
official told EurActiv. “We see it, at least internally, as having contributed politically to the fight against
piracy.”
Equally though, that fight is linked in the eyes of EU policy makers with the battle against al-Shabab
Salafi Jihadists, whose support has mushroomed in the years since a more moderate Islamic Courts-led
government was overthrown in a US-backed coup.
Brussels accepts that the ‘business models’ of al-Shabab and the pirates are very different. “But the fact
that Somalia has to dedicate so many security forces to fighting al-Shabab means that they don’t have
them to deal with other security crises,” the EU official said.
“That’s why, as the EU, we are present on all fronts, training so many people in the army on one side which directly contributed to recovering ground from al-Shabab - and also dealing with the piracy issue,”
he added.
Strategic EU interests
The Horn of Africa was first described as an area of ‘strategic EU interest’ at an EU Foreign Affairs
Council in November 2011, largely due to a governmental vacuum.
This geostrategic importance was defined by historic ties, humanitarianism and a need to protect EU
citizens from threats emanating from the region, such as “piracy, terrorism or irregular immigration,” the
Council communication said.
Migration has risen in political importance since then and is now considered a ‘strategic EU interest’ in
its own right.
“A number of migrants are fleeing Eritrea and Somalia and fleeing north through the Sahel, and many of
them tragically end up trapped in places and boats like Lampedusa, so it is really important for the EU to
contribute to development and security in the Horn,” the official explained.
The most common nationality among the roughly 360 dead migrants on the Lampedusa boat was
Eritrean, although many of these may have come from Libya where their security had become
compromised after the fall of the Gaddafi regime.
Since 2008, the EU has given more than €1.2 billion to Somalia in humanitarian and security assistance
and last September, the bloc pledged €650 million of additional aid to Somalia in a three-year package.
This was intended to strengthen state-building, security institutions, tax collection, and justice systems.
“Building resilient communities needs to be at the forefront of our future interventions,” the development
commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, said as he launched the initiative.
Migration
While some EU leaders have called for development aid to be used to contain immigration, the
Commission insists that the two issues, though linked, be kept separate.
Don Flynn, the director of the Migrants Rights Network in London said that the EU had an intelligencegathering strategy monitoring the movement of potential migrants in the Horn of Africa.
“It is very much an item on the EU’s policy agenda and does influence the way the EU views the horn of
Africa,” he told EurActiv.
“The EU has made a huge investment over a long period of time in surveillance, monitoring using
passports and visas, and an attempted bigger project aimed at standardising visas,” he said.
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Daily News Summary
Europe first adopted its current approach to migration at a special European Council in Tampere,
Finland in 1999, developed further at summits in Amsterdam and Stockholm, based on cooperation
between countries of migrants’ origin, transit and destination.
Source:
http://www.euractiv.com/eu-elections-2014/eu-set-extend-somalian-piracy-fo-news532658?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=EurActivRSS
http://www.wardheernews.com/eu-set-extend-somalian-anti-piracy-force-2016/
RUSSIA ACCUSES SENEGAL OF 'PIRACY'
Russia's accusation follows Senegal arresting 62 Russians on board a trawler for alleged illegal fishing.
Russia has accused Senegal of engaging in "piracy" after armed naval officers from the west African
nation seized 62 of its nationals on a trawler for alleged illegal fishing.
The Russian foreign ministry on Thursday called in the Senegalese charge d'affaires for a 40-minute
meeting during which it filed a formal protest aimed at signalling the seriousness with which Moscow
treated the affair.
Russian diplomats made "a firm demand to the Senegalese authorities to immediately release the
Russian fishing trawler, the Oleg Naydenov, and its crew," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich said.
He said Senegal's charge d'affaires had assured him that Dakar would "make every possible effort to
resolve the situation".
Russia's federal fisheries agency argued on Thursday that the ship was actually in the waters of
Senegal's southern neighbour Guinea Bissau when it was seized.
"You can say we are talking about piracy on a state level," Alexander Savelyev, a spokesman
of Russian fisheries agency, told Rossiya 24 state television.
He said the ship was now suffering daily losses of more than $30,000 and promised to raise the matter
with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
"We have been preparing the required documents for the past two days," Savelyev was quoted as
saying by Russia's Prime business news agency.
The same Hamburg-based UN tribunal had earlier ordered Moscow to release the Greenpeace crew
Russian authorities had detained in November - a hearing boycotted by the Kremlin.
Savelyev further accused Senegalese authorities of acting under the pressure of Greenpeace activists
who -- angered at their earlier arrest - were urging Dakar to take a tough stance with the Russian crew.
"It turn out that the army of the sovereign Republic of Senegal is acting under Greenpeace orders,"
Russian media quoted the fisheries spokesman as saying.
'Repeat offenders'
Senegal said on Sunday that it planned to fine Russia about $800,000. The ship and its crew - which
also includes 23 citizens of Guinea Bissau - are being held under armed guard in Dakar.
The nation of 14 million has for years been battling to contain unauthorised fishing in its waters by
foreign trawlers.
It blames this activity for depleting its stocks of sea life and endangering the livelihoods of local smallscale fishermen.
Senegalese Fisheries Minister Haidar El Ali said on Thursday that at least three illegal Russian trawlers
had been caught off its waters in the past few days.
The spokesman for a union of Senegalese fishing industry workers added that Senegal suffered from
"aggressive interventions by ships from Russia, Ukraine and Belize".
"These boats are repeat offenders," Senegalese fishing union spokesman Adama Lam told reporters in
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Daily News Summary
Dakar.
Senegal detained the Oleg Naydenov vessel in the Atlantic on January 4 after accusing it of repeatedly
fishing in its waters without a proper permit.
The incident has created a furore in Russia's state media amid anger at what Moscow views as
discrimination against its nationals by a small African state.
The trawler's captain has complained of being refused the right to see a doctor and a Moscow
delegation in Dakar has accused Senegalese officials of denying them meetings or explanations about
the case.
Fishing authorities in Moscow have also linked the ship's arrest to a clandestine campaign by
Greenpeace - an environmental protection group whose activists were detained for two months last year
after staging a protest against oil drilling off Russia's Arctic coast.
Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/01/russia-accuses-senegal-piracy201411053643263556.html
WHY CHINA’S GULF PIRACY FIGHT MATTERS
By Andrew S. Erickson and Austin M. Strange, Special to CNN
Editor’s note: Andrew S. Erickson is an associate professor in the Strategic Research Department at the
U.S. Naval War College. Austin M. Strange is a research associate at the China Maritime Studies
Institute. The views expressed are the authors’ alone.
December 26, Chairman Mao’s birthday, is always a significant date for China. But last month’s 120 th
anniversary came at a time when his legacy is increasingly subject to vigorous debate among the
Chinese public, media, academia and even officialdom. And it also established a new landmark in
contemporary Chinese history, an unprecedented milestone in Chinese foreign policy that Mao would
surely be proud of: the 5th year anniversary of China’s naval anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
To honor the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s contributions to maritime security off Somalia, the
China Maritime Museum, located in Shanghai, opened a special exhibit that runs into March, and which
features photos and actual mission mementos. Chinese media outlets continue to roll out a flurry of
articles commemorating the occasion. But what is the actual significance of Chinese anti-piracy activities?
And what has China accomplished there over the past five years?
First and foremost, China’s naval foray into the Gulf of Aden, beginning in 2008, is a resounding
response from Beijing to threats against its overseas interests. Chinese people and economic assets
continue to disperse throughout the world at record pace nearly four decades after Deng Xiaoping’s
opening up reforms. As a result, nontraditional security breaches outside of China, such as natural
disasters, terrorist attacks (and, in this case, maritime piracy) pose growing threats to Chinese national
interests.
The ocean is at the center of China’s “Going out” policy: China relies on seaborne shipping for the vast
majority of its trade, and PLAN is emerging as China’s most prominent service. Both Beijing’s calculated,
resolute response to Somali pirate attacks on Chinese citizens, as well as its steadfast commitment to
protecting Chinese and foreign ships over the last five years, signal China’s staunch commitment to
ensuring safe conditions for Chinese overseas.
Statistics accumulated over the past five years make clear Beijing’s commitment to security sea lines of
communication (SLOCs). According to state media, the PLAN has dispatched 15,000 personnel over 16
escort taskforce flotillas since 2008, averaging three per year. Taskforces, which usually consist of
China’s most advanced frigates, destroyers and amphibious ships, have escorted 5,463 Chinese and
foreign commercial ships – over 1,000 ships per year. PLAN forces have also thwarted more than 30
potential pirate attacks, rescued over 40 commercial ships, and escorted 11 vessels previously taken by
pirates. Moreover, the fact that such information is actively recorded and publicized demonstrates the
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Daily News Summary
state’s desire to derive maximum domestic and international publicity benefits from the missions.
Besides safeguarding national interests, China’s investment in Gulf of Aden security continues to
sharpen the abilities of PLAN personnel, platforms, and institutions. Operational achievements such as
improved logistical supply chains, intra-navy coordination breakthroughs and greater focus on sailors’
morale are a few highlights of the mission that have real consequences for broader Chinese military
development. Chinese sailors have, to put it bluntly, used Gulf of Aden operations to grow from
“maritime rookies” to “confident seadogs.”
These lessons are readily apparent to China’s navy and the rest of the world. Yet the PLAN’s Gulf of
Aden five-year anniversary is a milestone for reasons beyond the military domain. For those interested
in China’s role in 21st century international society, five years off the coast of Somalia have allowed the
opportunity to observe China in its first protracted, direct operational role within the context of
international security outside of East Asia. The PLAN has embodied the spirit of “creative involvement”
off Somalia, operating independent of but in parallel with Western and other naval forces.
More broadly, the missions signal that Beijing appears willing to cooperate with the United States and
other naval powers to tackle nontraditional security challenges placing all sides “in the same boat.”
Those calling on the Middle Kingdom to grow into a responsible stakeholder following persistent
economic development and ascendancy in status can therefore cite Gulf of Aden anti-piracy as a
modest but welcome example.
It may not be surprising to see states joining forces against nontraditional threats like piracy since there
are clear economic and political incentives for cooperating rather than competing. But the fact that China
continues to work actively with U.S., Japan and European navies off Somalia is unprecedented given
choppy maritime relations between these states in the Asia-Pacific. The Gulf of Aden has played the foil
to China’s assertive reputation in the contentious East and South China Seas, where Beijing’s behavior
is increasingly perceived as counterproductive and downright dangerous.
True, while five years is a significant commitment, it would be unrealistic to suggest that the Gulf of Aden
experience might directly impact maritime relations in other regions, such as the Yellow, East, and South
China Seas – rife with tensions over core interests between Beijing and its neighbors. Yet China’s global
maritime engagement stretches far beyond the waters of East Asia, and the world will expect more
genuine contributions from Beijing as its stake in international security grows regardless of the state of
affairs in China’s immediate neighborhood. Indeed, in the 21st century China’s foreign policy is being
pulled in different directions as Beijing strives to balance traditional principles with pragmatic needs.
Ultimately, while tensions remain close to home, five years of uninterrupted anti-piracy deployments in
distant seas reflects a qualitative improvement in Chinese global security engagement, a development
that should be welcomed by the international community. If China and other states can look to the Gulf
of Aden as a model for pragmatic cooperation, it might encourage a more active yet more transparent
Chinese presence in other areas of international security.
Source: http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/07/why-chinas-gulf-piracy-fight-matters/
IRAN'S 28TH NAVAL FLEET FOILS PIRATE ATTACKS ON IRANIAN SHIPS
The 28th naval fleet of Iran has repelled a second attack against Iranian ships in 24 hours, Iranian
Navy's Second-in-Command to the Deputy Commander for Operations Admiral Shahram Irani said, Fars
news agency reported on Jan. 9. The fleet saved an Iranian ship earlier this morning, after it nearly got
attacked by eight pirate boats. The incident took place in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates had to flee after
Iranian naval forces took swift action to thwart their attack. The 28th fleet also defended an Iranian oil
tanker from 12 pirate boats yesterday morning in the Gulf of Aden. In October 2013, Iran's naval forces
rescued one of its country's merchant ships in Aden, which was attacked by five speedboats with armed
pirates on board. In September of 2013, Commander of the Iranian Army's 4th Naval Zone Admiral
Khordad Hakimi said that Iran's Navy has escorted over 1,500 ships in the Gulf of Aden.
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Daily News Summary
The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008,
when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.
Source: http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/2228271.html
EU, SEYCHELLES CARRY OUT COUNTER- PIRACY EXERCISE
On Friday 10 January, the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force and Police Force, together with the EU
Naval Force Somalia 'Operation Atalanta' and EUCAP Nestor, carried out a counter-piracy exercise in
the Seychelles.
The exercise involved the boarding of a suspected pirate skiff that had attacked a local fishing boat. The
"pirates" were disarmed and taken into custody, along with evidence from the skiff. The Seychelles
Coast Guard then handed over the pirates and evidence to the Police Force.
The purpose of the exercise was to practice cooperation between the Coast Guard, Police Force and EU
Naval Force in a counter-piracy operation and, in particular, routines on evidence handling.
The EU Naval Force Italian frigate, ITS Libeccio, which is currently on a port visit to the Seychelles, took
part in the exercise with a boarding team and embarked helicopter.
Speaking on completion of the exercise, the Commanding Officer of the ITS Libeccio, Commander
Stefano Calvetti stated, exercise. Everything went as planned, and our Seychelles partners clearly
demonstrated their high level of professionalism in fighting piracy.
The Seychelles has been at the forefront among the countries of the region in the fight against piracy.
"The Seychelles is a showcase for the region in maritime security and counter-piracy," said Etienne de
Poncins, Head of Mission for EUCAP Nestor. " As the Seychelles' builds its capcity, it is increasingly
becoming an export of know-how and expertise. The common efforts of the maritime security agencies
of the Seychelles and the EU are an important step in the fight against piracy".
EUCAP Nestor supports institutions involved in ensuring maritime security in the Seychelles such as the
Coast Guard, Air Force, Police Force, and Supreme Court. EUCAP Nestor experts work alongside their
Seychellois partners in providing advice and training. This contributes to developing the Seychelles
capacities and capabilities to ensure maritime security, in particular counter-piracy and maritime
governance.
"We are very grateful to our European friends and partners for their support in maritime security and
counter-piracy," said Lt Col Leslie Benoiton, the Operation Officer of the Seychelles Coast Guard. "While
the number of pirate attacks may have decreased, the threat of piracy remains real. We must remain
vigilant and ready to supress it".
A primary objective of the exercise was to give the Coast Guard the chance to practice the collection
and handling of evidence. EUCAP Nestor experts have been working closely with the Coast Guard to
train their officers in evidence handling.
EUCAP Nestor advisors were joined by a Supreme Court Judge and two prosecutor who were on the
Coast Guard vessel Andromache to witness the exercise and give their perspective on how to handle
evidence so that it is admissible in court.
"Pirates must not only be stopped. Evidence must also be collected in a proper manner since this is key
to successful convictions," said Lt Col Benoiton.
"These exercises are extremely valuable as they provide opportunities for the Coast Guard to practice its
routines for gathering evidence and handing it over to the police."
Source: OCEANUSLive.org
http://www.safety4sea.com/eu,-seychelles-carry-out-counter-piracy-exercise--18780
http://www.marinelink.com/news/counterpiracy-seychelles362819.aspx
WINNING: SOMALI PIRATES DEFEATED, NOT DESTROYED
January 13, 2014: The Somali pirates have been beaten, but not defeated. The pirates captured no
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Daily News Summary
ships in 2013. Compare that to 2012 when 14 were taken, 2011 when 28 were, 2010 saw 47 grabbed
and 2009 had 46 hijacked. Each of these ships yielded, on average, several million dollars. That kind of
money attracted a lot more people to the business.
Pirate activity off Somalia and in the Indian Ocean has not been this low since 2006. In 2013 only nine
ships were even attacked. It’s been so bad for the Somali pirates that even taking smaller fishing ships
and dhows (small local cargo ships of traditional construction) has become more difficult.
The collapse of the Somali pirates in the last three years was no accident. It was all a matter of
organization, international cooperation and innovation. It all began back in 2009 when 80 seafaring
nations formed (with the help of a UN resolution) the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
The most visible aspect of the Contact Group was the organization of an anti-piracy patrol. This came to
consist of over two dozen warships and several dozen manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as
support from space satellites and major intelligence and police agencies.
To help with the problem-solving the Contact Group formed five Working Groups to develop new
solutions to the problems encountered. Working Group 1 handled coordination of naval forces and
information sharing. This was essential for the creation of the anti-piracy patrol. Working Group 2 looked
into legal and judicial issues, which were particularly crucial because international piracy laws had been
changed after World War II making it very difficult to punish pirates (in the past you could just kill them, a
rule observed for thousands of years). Working Group 3 worked with the shipping industry to encourage
anti-piracy measures and ensure that all ships entering dangerous waters were aware of the dangers
they faced. This became a key effort in making ships more difficult for the pirates to catch and capture.
Working Group 4 handled public relations in general and sought to make sure the public got an accurate
picture of the pirate danger. This countered the tendency of the international media to try and
characterize the pirates as misunderstood victims. Working Group 5 handled tracking and disrupting the
criminal and legitimate organizations that supported the pirates and helped them handle the huge
ransoms they were obtaining until quite recently. This played a major role in destroying the infrastructure
of agents and other paid supporters the pirates had outside Somalia.
As the Working Groups came up with more and more solutions the pirates found themselves with fewer
and fewer options and opportunities. The most visible result for the pirates was that ships became more
difficult to catch and board. That was because over the last four years more and more merchant ships
trained their crews to deal with pirates. This involved basic stuff like paying attention to Contact Group
bulletins on piracy off Somalia and posting more lookouts when in waters designated as “pirate infested.”
The most valuable ships carried armed guards who fired back at approaching pirates and that has
always driven the pirates away. The pirates eventually began operating as far east as the coast of India
and ships that did not pay attention to Contact Group bulletins sometimes found themselves under pirate
attack where they didn’t expect it. This was handled with expanded patrols, especially using manned
aircraft and UAVs. The naval and air patrols became more efficient and effective and there was more
and more cooperation between the ships from dozens of nations contributing to the patrol.
One of the more unnerving tactics was monitoring the pirate ports and following ships that left. UAVs or
ships would observe these vessels and once they were in international waters (22 kilometers from the
Somali coast) board and search any suspected of being pirates. If weapons and boarding equipment
was found, the pirates were detailed, taken back to Somalia and left on a beach. Their boat was sunk at
sea, along with their weapons and tools. Documents found on the boat were passed on to intelligence
specialists. This degree of scrutiny was more than the pirates could handle. The pirates needed cash to
keep operating as each multi-million dollar ransom quickly disappeared into the pockets of the pirates
and their financiers and suppliers. Few of the pirate leaders wanted to invest their newly acquired wealth
in keeping the level of activity where it had been until 2012, when it became clear that capturing more
ships was frustratingly difficult and eventually nearly impossible. So the financing of the pirate gangs
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Daily News Summary
disappeared and most of the pirate gangs dissolved or went back to smuggling people to Yemen or what
many of the pirates originally did; fishing.
Life was not difficult just for the pirates, but also for their financial advisors and suppliers (of cash,
supplies and information.) Eventually the pirates found there were few people they could trust or rely on
and the once lucrative pirate “industry” in northern Somali collapsed. Currently the pirates are not
holding any ships or sailors they can get a ransom for. The pirates are still there, and until this
generation dies out there are still men who remember how lucrative it could be when there wasn’t such
an efficient Piracy Patrol out there. For that reason the Piracy Patrol has been extended another year,
and will probably continue for a few more. The seafaring nations are hoping that real government will
return to Somalia, a government that will make it impossible for pirates to anchor hijacked ships off the
coast without fear of interference by local police or coast guard.
These days the “Pirate Coast” is off West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. Most of the pirates there are
Nigerians and they attacked 31 ships and briefly hijacked nine of them in 2013. The Nigerian pirates
have no safe place to keep captured ships while a large ransom is negotiated. Instead they rob ships
they attack and quickly leave. In some cases they arrange to hijack much of the cargo, usually at sea, by
transferring to another ship at night and then scampering away before the navy or police show up.
Sometimes a few of the ships’ officers are kidnapped for ransom.
Source:Strategypage.com
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htwin/articles/20140113.aspx
SOMALIA
EXECUTIVE INFIGHTING THREATENS SOMALIA'S GOVERNMENT
As Somalia's new prime minister, Abdiweli Shaykh Ahmad, gets ready to announce his new cabinet,
analysts warn that the fragile Somali administration could come unstuck if further conflicts hit the
executive. Ahmad assumed office on 26 December following a no-confidence vote against his
predecessor Abdi Farah Shirdon "Sa'id" on 2 December.
"The removal of the former PM [Prime Minister] Shirdon has, in fact, created a loss of credibility,
because internal political crisis has been a norm for Somalia's transitional governments since the year
2000," Abukar Saney, the director of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research, a Somali think-tank,
told IRIN by email. "The expectations of the people from this "permanent government" was to avoid
internal political clashes, and move the country forward in the peace-building and state-building
processes."
According to a briefing by the Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS), the change
in administration in Somalia is derailing the country and "another phase of infighting could lead to a
collapse of this government".
Shirdon's removal, added the HIPS briefing, had "dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the federal
government of Somalia and disoriented it from the urgent task of state building".
Shirdon had been in government for just 13 months, the last of which were characterized by rifts with
President Hasan Shaykh Mahmud.
Executive infighting
Infighting within Somalia's executive has remained a perennial challenge.
"Since 2000, practically every pair of leaders appointed or elected has gone through similar challenges.
At the end of each round, significant, crucial time was lost, institutions were damaged and the profound
structural problem - the real impetus causing periodical disharmony - was never addressed," noted
Afyare Elmi, a professor at Qatar University, and Abukar Arman, a former Somalia ambassador to the
US, in an opinion piece.
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In the last 13 years, Somalia has had four presidents and 10 prime ministers, with the frequent changes
in the executive forcing "the already weak institutions [to] take a devastating and irrecoverable hit," adds
the opinion piece.
Indeed, Somalia's parliament was due to discuss various bills, including some on anti-terrorism,
federalism, foreign investment and judicial services, before Shirdon's ouster. For now, Prime Minister
Ahmad has asked parliament to hold off discussing and ratifying draft bills prepared by Shirdon's
administration, pending the appointment of a new cabinet.
This situation could be exploited by terrorist organizations, such as the insurgent Al-Shabab militia.
Corruption and inter-clan competition could also increase amid the risk of government work stalling,
warns the HIPS briefing.
Lopsided power-sharing
Under Somalia's provisional constitution, the president and the prime minister share power in a bid to
maintain equity between the clans. But the exact role of the prime minister is not specified, leading to
competition for control. In their opinion piece, analysts Elmi and Arman argue that this model leads to
divisiveness and wrangling; they call for shifting to a presidential, rather than a parliamentary, model of
governance.
The president appoints the prime minister but cannot dismiss him. The president is also tasked with the
implementation of all policies, while the cabinet is responsible for crafting these initiatives. "The
presidency is perceived as usurping responsibilities beyond those stipulated in the provisional
constitution and at the expense of the prime minister," adds the HIPS briefing.
This interference has permeated high-level institutions. Just weeks before Shirdon's removal, the Central
Bank Governor Yusur Abrar resigned, after only seven weeks on the job, citing corruption and
government meddling. Abrar was quoted as saying that "the central bank has not been allowed to
function free from interference, and as such cannot operate as a credible institution".
But Nicholas Kay, the UN special representative of the secretary-general to Somalia, is optimistic. On
the transfer of power, Kay noted: "It was important this unprecedented piece of parliamentary business
was managed in accordance with the provisional constitution and the rules of procedure of the
parliament".
Challenges remain
Whether Prime Minister Ahmad will fare better than his predecessor remains to be seen. "I understand
Prime Minister Abdiweli Shaykh Ahmad will consult widely in forming his new cabinet, and aim to
establish a broadly inclusive government capable of delivering rule of law, good governance and public
services, Kay said : A lot of work lies ahead with elections planned in 2016.
"With considerably less legitimacy and support, it is difficult to envisage the emergence of capable state
institutions ushering Somalia into a new era of inclusive politics in the next three years. The
government's daunting challenges appear increasingly insurmountable," warns the HIPS briefing.
According to HIPS, it is too soon to assess Prime Minister Ahmad's abilities, but the underlying problem
of potential political gridlock remains.
Compared to Shirdon, "the new prime minister is even weaker", Cedric Barnes, the International Crisis
Group (ICG) Horn of Africa project director told IRIN, noting that while Ahmad is very qualified, having
spent the past two decades working for various institutions outside Somalia, he has no previous political
experience. "He's got quite a weak position within the federal government," explained Barnes.
Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Network, Nairobi
SOMALIA'S AL-SHABAB MILITANTS ISSUE INTERNET BAN
Islamist militants in Somalia have issued a directive banning companies from providing internet services.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has given firms 15 days to shut down mobile internet and fibre
optic services, which are due to launch soon.
Those who do not comply would be seen as "working with the enemy" and dealt with according to
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Islamic law, it said.
Correspondents say the group often executes those it accuses of spying for Somalia's government or
Western powers.
Al-Shabab was driven out of the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011, but still controls many southern
and central areas of the country.
'Must be stopped'
According to Internet World Stats, in June 2012 Somalia had more than 126,000 internet users, about
1.2% of the population.
Analysts say this is set to grow as more internet services come to Mogadishu, with a returning diaspora
and the imminent connection to fibre optic cables.
The BBC's Mohamed Moalimu in Mogadishu says telecom firms have begun advertising cut-price deals
ahead of the broadband launch.
They currently provide internet services via dial-up or satellite.
Al-Shabab's statement was issued on the Facebook page of its Al-Andalus radio station.
"Services known as mobile internet and fibre optics must be stopped in Somalia," it said.
"Any firm or individual who does not comply will be seen to be working with the enemy and will be dealt
with in accordance with Islamic law," it said.
African Union (AU) and government troops have been battling al-Shabab fighters for years.
They have been driven out of some key cities, but still hold sway over many small towns and much of
rural Somalia where they have imposed a strict version of Sharia.
Source:BBC, al-Jazeera, etc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25666470
SOMALI GOVERNMENT DOWNPLAYS AL SHABAAB INTERNET THREATS
Threats to Somali telecom companies to halt internet services should be ignored says a local
government official.
Last week, militant group al Shabaab -- which is said to have links to al Qaeda -- released a statement
warning telcos that they have to switch off internet services within 15 days or face untold
‘consequences’.
But Somalia’s minister of interior and national security, H.E. Abdikarim Hussein Guled, has told telecom
firms in a public statement to brush off the threats.
“The Somali government strongly condemns such acts which show continued brutality and terrorist
tactics of intimidation by trying to ban Somalis from using the internet,” the minister said.
“Our constitution guarantees freedom of expression and every citizen has the right to access information
without fear,” he added.
The minister also cautioned Somalia media outlets not to carry what he termed ‘terrorist propaganda’.
Source: Hiiraan.com
http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2014/Jan/52860/somali_government_downplays_al_shabaab_internet_th
reats.aspx
NEW PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA'S PUNTLAND VOWS TO FIGHT INSECURITY
GAROWE, Somalia, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Parliament narrowly elected former prime minister Abdiweli
Mohamed Ali as president of Puntland on Wednesday, backing his campaign against corruption and
insecurity in the relatively peaceful Somali region.
At the tip of the Horn of Africa and with a third of Somalia's population of about 10 million, the semiautonomous Puntland spans the north of Somalia and has largely escaped the worst of the country's
upheaval of the last 20 years.
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Somalia's central government and foreign powers advocating a loose federal political system in Somalia
have held Puntland up as a possible model, having avoided the worst of a seven-year insurgency fought
by militants seeking to impose a strict interpretation of sharia law.
But acts of violence have risen, the latest of which killed seven people in a car bomb attack on an armed
convoy escorting foreigners working for a company training local security forces, on Dec. 5 in Bosasso,
a coastal city.
The authorities and Western diplomats are concerned al Shabaab may seek to strengthen ties with al
Qaeda cells in Yemen, over the narrow Gulf of Aden.
Saciid Hassan Shire, the speaker for Puntland's parliament, declared Ali, an economist, the presidentelect with 33 votes against outgoing leader Abdirahman Sheikh Mohamed Farole who got 32 votes in a
run-off during the third round of voting by deputies.
"I promise progress and peace for Puntland in the coming five years, let's all work together in improving
the security and development," Ali, a former prime minister for Somalia, said after his victory.
The United States congratulated Ali on his election and praised Farole for his commitment to holding the
elections in a timely and peaceful manner.
"The United States views this election as a hopeful step towards a strengthened federal state for
Somalia. We encourage both the new Puntland Administration and the Federal Government of Somalia
to work together to outline a path forward for Puntland to join the federal system," Will Stevens, the State
Department's Africa spokesman said in a statement.
"We welcome President Ali's commitment to continue progress toward democratization, and to promote
the rights and well-being of Puntland's residents," he said.
During the campaign, Ali accused Farole of corruption and failing to curb insecurity. Farole has denied
the allegations.
Farole told Reuters last year the number of al Shabaab militants in the region had risen after African
troops drove them out of their southern strongholds.
Michele Cervone d'Urso, the EU special envoy to Somalia who attended the vote, said it had set a
benchmark for peaceful elections for the rest of Somalia.
"The election is a positive for the democratisation process. Now the president-elect can focus on
defusing tensions between the different group of supporters," he told Reuters.
The region, roughly one-third of Somalia's geographical area, is believed to be rich in undeveloped
energy resources and is being sized up by oil explorers.
Ali is yet to make his views on the oil exploration in the region public. Farole had said he would not allow
Mogadishu to award oil contracts to foreign firms.
"It is hoped that he will fight al Shabaab in an effort to tighten security," Hussein Abdirahman, a history
lecturer at Mogadishu University's branch in Bosasso told Reuters.
"Being an economist, people hope he will also improve economy and political ties with the federal
government." (Additional reporting by Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu and David Brunnstrom in Washington;
Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Alison Williams)
Source: Reuters
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/08/somalia-politics-puntland-idINL6N0KI23Y20140108
US WELCOMES THE ELECTION OF THE FEDERAL STATE OF PUNTLAND
United States Special Representative for Somalia (SRS) James P. McAnulty welcomes the January 8
election of the President of the Federal State of Puntland, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali. SRS McAnulty
extends his congratulations to President Ali and looks forward to working in close partnership with the
new government of the Federal State of Puntland.
The United States applauds the people of Puntland for the professional, peaceful, and transparent
manner in which they conducted the elections. SRS McAnulty also commends outgoing President
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Daily News Summary
Abdirahman Mohamed Farole for his public service and many accomplishments during his tenure,
including the timely and peaceful conduct of the elections, President Farole’s focus on security and the
fight against piracy and terrorism, and the key role President Farole played in the federal transition as a
Roadmap signatory.
The Government of the United States reaffirms its commitment to support the people of Somalia as they
work to stabilize and govern the country.
Source:Dalsan Radio
http://dalsanradio.com/articles/3113/US-Welcomes-the-election-of-the-Federal-State-of-Puntland
SOMALI PM VOWS TO LIBERATE FURTHER TOWNS FROM AL SHABAAB IN THE COMING
MONTHS
Mogadishu (RBC) Speaking at a press conference on Saturday in Mogadishu shortly after meeting with
the UN envoy to Somalia, Somalia’s new Premier Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has vowed that the country’s
security fiorces will go onto a massive assault against Al Shabab bases in the southern and central
Somalia, RBC Radio reports.
“Our security forces in partnership with AMISOM continue to expand their area of operations and liberate
further towns from Al Shabaab control with the tempo of operations set to increase in the coming
months,” the Prime Minister said in his statement.
He said that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) supported by the United Nations will be the
biggest partner in liberating new areas of the country and that will lead to opening new hope to the
people of Somalia who were caught in hostage by the militant groups controlling much of the country’s
southern portion.
“We are in agreement that it is crucial that security and military operations are in coordination with the
expansion of governance and local administrations on the ground in liberated towns and regions.” Prime
Minister Sheikh Ahmed added.
Last week President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said that the new year will the year of liberating the
regions of the country from the extremists and the militants linked to Al Qaeda.
The President’s came days before Al Shabab planned double suicide attacks lost the lives of more than
10 security forces including two junior police officers in the capital, Mogadishu.
Source: http://www.raxanreeb.com/2014/01/somalia-somali-pm-vows-to-liberate-further-towns-from-alshabaab-in-the-coming-months/
SOMALILAND: MAJOR PORT INVESTMENT SET TO BOOST FOREIGN TRADE GLOBALLY
Somalilandsun - Somaliland is finalizing a huge port investment, boosting its efforts to serve as a trade
hub between the African and Arab worlds
Somaliland is finalizing a multi-million dollar deal with a leading international operator to develop a port
at Berbera, on the Gulf of Aden, bolstering the breakaway nation's bid to position itself as a export
gateway for landlocked Ethiopia, according to an envoy working on the deal.
"After six months of negotiations, an agreement has been put on the table, which is highly exciting, from
one of the world's best port operators," says Jason McCue, a human rights lawyer who serves as an
envoy for the state's bid for independence, and who is assembling investors to grow the coastal town of
Berbera into a $2.5bn logistics hub. "The moment is there for Somaliland."
Mr McCue declined to comment on the size of the port investment, but says it would constitute the single
biggest inflow of foreign direct investment in Somaliland's 22 year history of de facto autonomy. "We are
talking hundreds of millions," he tells This is Africa. "That port will become a major international port."
Authorities in the desert state are trying to overhaul crumbling infrastructure as they seek to capitalise on
their position as a bridge between Africa and the Middle East. Kuwait recently spent $10m reinvigorating
the nation's two airports, and the government in Hargeisa has plans to develop road networks and an oil
pipeline to service the export needs of neighbouring Ethiopia. It hopes that the port at Berbera can
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Daily News Summary
compete with Djibouti, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, where ships can wait weeks to unload their cargo
due to bottlenecks.
Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous nation, with 91 million inhabitants, and has annual exports
worth almost $1bn, led by coffee and gold.
"We are trying to see how we could get international partners to help us with infrastructure. We want to
develop the corridor between Berbera and Ethiopia because that is really the lifeline," says Somaliland's
foreign minister Mohamed Bihi Yonis. "We are all aiming at Ethiopia and we believe that we could
provide support to a third of the population of Ethiopia."
This kind of large-scale investment may bolster Somaliland's attempts to gain international recognition.
The state unilaterally declared independence when civil war erupted in Somalia in 1991 and is officially
seen as an autonomous region rather than a country. But it has held a series of democratic elections,
has its own currency, and is a haven of relative refuge from the terrorism and piracy that afflict
Mogadishu's government. As well as targeting infrastructure investors, the government has ushered in
frontier oil companies like Genel Energy, which are exploring Somaliland's potentially huge reserves. But
like Somalia, the nation is hampered by the fact that it has no access to international financial services.
"There is almost an inevitability occurring [around the independence bid], as Somaliland creates this
financial self-sufficiency," Mr McCue argues. "When big international companies come in, who have
immense power in the states where they are from, they are going to demand that their home state
pushes for [Somaliland's] independence, because they are going to want to operate in a normal financial
services market."
Hargeisa's foreign minister says that "dealing with the rest of the world in terms of investments and
development and security" is proof that the region is fulfilling the criteria required of a country. "We
believe that we will get recognition soon, because we have done well," he claims.
But sources close to talks between Somalia and Somaliland tell This is Africa that a new government in
Mogadishu shows little indication of changing its stance by recognising the breakaway region's right to
independence.
Somalia has contested oil licenses awarded by Somaliland's Hargeisa-based government, saying they
infringe on old concessions awarded by the federal government before 1991. A draft petroleum bill says
the central government alone has the "privilege to distribute natural resources".
Somaliland could wait a while longer before it gets the recognition it has been hankering after for two
decades. Source: Somaliland Sun
http://www.somalilandsun.com/index.php/economic/4700-somaliland-major-port-investment-set-toboost-foreign-trade-globally
"AFGHAN MORTAR EXPERT" AMONG DEAD IN SOUTHWESTERN SOMALIA AIR STRIKE
An Afghan "mortar expert" was among a number of Al-Shabab members in Kenyan military air strike in
southwestern Somalia on 9 December, the office of the Somali prime minister said on 11 January.
The Kenyan army said it killed 30 Al-Shabab members, including senior militant commanders, in the air
strike in Somalia's Gedo Region which borders both Kenya and Ethiopia.
"Afghan "mortar expert" Khalid Abu Abderahmane killed in Thurs (Thursday) air strike: Nothing Somali
about Al-Shabab with its foreign agenda and fighters," read a post on @SomaliPM, the official Twitter
account of the office of the Somali prime minister.
Al Shabaab has not commented on the air strike.
Source: twitter.com
US SENDS MILITARY ADVISERS BACK TO SOMALIA
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Small team is first permanent presence since US withdrew in 1993 after 18 Americans died in battle of
Mogadishu. The United States has sent a handful of military advisers to Somalia to help bolster the
African Union force there, establishing the first permanent US military presence there in two decades.
The deployment, confirmed on Saturday, marks the first stationing of US troops in the troubled country
since 1993, when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and 18 US soldiers were killed in a
disastrous operation in Mogadishu. "The US has established a military co-ordination cell in Somalia to
provide planning and advisory support to the African Union Mission in Somalia [AMISOM] and Somali
security forces to increase their capabilities and promote peace and security," said US Africa Command
spokesman, Colonel Tom Davis. The team was launched in October and became fully operational in
December. It is based at Mogadishu airport. A US defence official told Al Jazeera that the team
numbers "fewer than five" troops but was a "big step forward to normalisation of relations with Somalia".
"This is an example of progress for Somalia," he said. "The government is getting back on its feet,
mainly with the help of AMISOM. In the past number of years we haven't had any significant presence,
our embassy operates out of Nairobi but we've progressed to point where [the US] feels comfortable
leaving a number of personnel in Mogadishu."
AMISOM supports Somali government forces in their battle against al-Shabab.
Although al-Shabab has suffered battlefield setbacks in Somalia, it has orchestrated a number of attacks
in other East African countries, including a bloody four-day siege of a shopping centre in Nairobi in
September that killed dozens.
The UN Security Council in November approved an increase of 4,400 troops to the AU force, expanding
it from 17,700 to more than 22,100. The AU force includes troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Sierra
Leone and Uganda. Source: Al –Jazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/01/us-sends-military-advisers-back-somalia2014110231837984192.html
ARMY GENERAL IN SOMALIA WARNS AGAINST APPOINTING MINISTERS FROM RELIGIOUS
GROUPS
General Muhammad Nur Galal who is among the top officials of Somalia's armed forces has urged the
newly appointed prime ministerof Somalia not to include individuals belonging to religious groups in his
new cabinet.
The general added that religious parties or groups are the major problems causing instability in the
country and should not be given major positions in the Government.
"We used to hear of religious parties or groups such as the Islamic court, Al-Shabab and now Damjadid
has emerged. These are the parental problems behind the insecurity and instability in Somalia" said
Galal while speaking to radio Shabelle via the telephone.
On the other hand, Galal who addressed the general security of the country criticized the failed cabinet
for mistakenly appointing a teacher as an interior minister.
"Education has many specifications and specializations and there is no way a teacher can relate to a
security officer or even worse a security minister" added the general.
The general's word comes at a time when majority of Somali politicians, Somali army and members of
the public society keep on urging and reminding Dr. Abdiweli Shaykh, the newly appointed prime
minister of Somalia to in bring new faces suitable and capable of holding a ministerial.
Source: Shabelle Media
NEWLY ELECTED LEADER OF SOMALIA'S PUNTLAND REGION TO TAKE OFFICE ON 16TH
JANUARY
Newly elected elected Puntland president, Abdiweli Muhammad Ali Gaas, is to take office on Tuesday
14th of January to begin his five year term as leader of the region.
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Abdiweli has been elected as region's leader on 8th of January election in which he defeated incumbent,
Abdirahman Farole. A high level committee was yesterday appointed to organize the inauguration
ceremony which is to be attended by officials of the Federal Government, delegates from neighbouring
country and representatives of the international community.
In his first news conference this week, Abdiweli pledged to prioritise security and form a leaner cabinet in
which women will be given a greater role. Source: Raxanreeb website in Somali 13 Jan 14
SECURITY THREAT LOOMS AS AL SHABAAB HUNTS FOR MORE RECRUITS IN EAST AFRICA
Kenya: Kenya is facing serious security threats, months after suffering its worst assault in the hands of
Somali terrorist network at the Westgate shopping mall.
Years before this attack was the August 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi.
Now, there are telling signs that the Somali Islamist group, Al Shabaab, is re-grouping and renewed
recruitment drives, targeting desperate youths in the country and outside, are underway.
Senior security sources, who declined to be named, are worried that the bait of the Al Qaeda proxy in
Somalia has gained a new catch beyond its usual recruiting grounds in North Eastern and coastal
regions.
More than 60 people, believed to be heading to Somalia to bolster the criminal activities of the
weakened group, have been intercepted in Garissa County in the last ten months alone, according to the
County Head of Investigation Musa Yego.
In an exclusive interview with The Standard at his office in Garissa town, Mr Yego said recruits, mainly
youths in the 18 to 30 years age bracket, were joining the blood-thirsty criminal gangs in droves.
The terror group, according Yego, is targeting the most vulnerable and destitute youths in slums and
refugee camps in Dadaab and Kakuma. He said they are enticed with irresistible false better life and
good job opportunities.
According to Yego, a number of them are extremely radicalised, which encourages them to be almost
intoxicated to die for what they were made to believe is a holy war (Jihad).
“Some of the youths we arrested due to our increased security surveillance and patrols are determined
to die for a false course they were made to believe will send them to paradise through a shortcut,” he
said.
Remain vulnerable
A reformed recruit in Wajir, who we can’t name because of his security, said if youth empowerment is
not seriously considered, the unemployed lot will remain vulnerable to the Islamist group’s bait as
detonators of explosives inside the country.
Yego said those arrested in the most recent swoop include Kenyans from Nairobi, central and coastal
regions, while others are from Tanzania and Uganda.
“This week we nabbed a 23-year-old Tanzanian at Hullugho border town, using his three-month visa to
pass through the country heading to Somalia. On interrogation he claimed to be going to Somalia to look
for a job,” he said.
A senior officer with anti-terrorist police unit, privy to the investigation on the activities of the recruits,
said the group has expanded into other regions like central, Rift Valley, Western and has now
encroached into Tanzania and Uganda for youths’ enlistment.
“Those coming from the neigbouring countries are using three month visas, which allow them to move
within Kenya without any restriction,” said the official who declined to be named. Since the country’s
military incursion into conflict zones in southern Somalia, under operation Linda Nchi which began on
October 2011, the country was raided by suspected members or sympathisers of the Al Shabaab in
border counties of Wajir, Mandera and Garissa.
Hundreds of civilians, security officers and other Government officials working in the area were killed or
maimed in the attacks. Scores of business premises owned by non-locals and churches were also
targeted in lethal attacks meant to stir inter-religious intolerance between the Muslim and Christian
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Daily News Summary
faithful.
Yego further said they also apprehended a Ugandan at Liboi border point early this week as he was
attempting to sneak into Somalia purportedly to look for job offers.
“How can you look for a job in country with over two decades of factional fighting and activities of
terrorism,” he posed.
Brokers operating from Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Nairobi and Mombasa are involved in the illegal
recruitment and movement of suspected gang fighters from other parts of the country and the region,
while others including religious leaders are tasked with offering intoxicating twisted Islamic teachings
advocating martyrdom.
As a result, police in Garissa are investigating two suspected brokers involved in the movement of youth
believed to be recruits and a bus conductor apprehended with over 50 genuine IDs suspected to have
been used in the facilitation of their movement from border Liboi to Nairobi.
Rogue sheikhs
And police in Dadaab, acting on a tip off by the public, recently arrested 21 young men after they were
found travelling to Somalia to allegedly join Al Shabaab militants. This was the largest batch of recruits
nabbed together. The men were intercepted on board a van at the Abdisugow roadblock, while carrying
assorted foodstuff and water enough to last them for more than a week.
He said they also arrested two suspects with a pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition, adding that
when taken to court one of them pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in jail while the other
is in police custody.
One of the suspects, recruited by an acquaintance from Nairobi’s Majengo and a radicalised preacher in
Mombasa, told police that they were promised Sh50,000 as down payment and another Sh300,000
would be payable to their preferred relative back at home shortly after they get into Somalia.
At the same time, Yego took issue with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, saying they were giving
criminals, claiming to be genuine refugees, a blank movement permit allowing them to move freely in the
country and dupe the security patrols and later commit crimes or cross the border to join Al Shabaab.
He asked Muslim leaders to expose those who hide behind religion and rogue sheikhs who are luring
youth to go to the lawless Somalia to join the terrorist gang.
Leaders from North Eastern have accused the Government of jeopardising the country’s security by
surrendering to Al Shabaab threats and disbanding scores of security posts and barriers following the
recurrent raids of Administration Police camps in Damajale, Abdisugow, Galmaga in Garissa and
Mandera central. Member of the County Assembly for Libahia ward in Mandera County Hussein Maalim
Mohamed said: “At the national level leaders are claiming a victory against Al Shabaab, but the true
picture is that the Government has withdrawn their security personnel exposing the unarmed civilians to
danger.”
AP posts dismantled
In an interview at his office in Garissa, the county AP commandant Chris Muthe, who conceded some
security outposts were dismantled, said the move was aimed at securing the lives of the officers and not
a sign of surrender. “For instance, you can’t have three officers with three guns at an area close to the
border. Our officers have been targeted by militias and we take precautions,” he added.
Source: Hiiraan.com
http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2014/Jan/52858/security_threat_looms_as_al_shabaab_hunts_for_more_
recruits_in_east_africa.aspx
SOMALIA: TEHRAN AND MOGADISHU ENHANCE PARLIAMENTARY TIES
Somalilandsun - Senior parliamentarians from Iran and Somalia, in a meeting in Tehran on Monday,
expressed hope that the bilateral ties between the two friendly states would witness further
enhancement in various sectors, particularly in parliamentary fields.
During the meeting, First Vice-Speaker of the Iranian parliament Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi Fard
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Daily News Summary
said Tehran and Mogadishu should use the existing opportunities to expand their bilateral relations.
The Iranian parliament, he said, supports expansion of cooperation with the African countries in
industrial and economic fields.
Meanwhile, members of the Somali delegation called for fostering bilateral ties between the two
countries, parliamentary relations in particular.
The Somali delegation is in Tehran at the invitation of Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
Iran is an observing member of the African Union (AU) and has shown an active presence in previous
AU summit meetings.
The country is considered as one of the AU's strategic partners along with India, Japan, China, several
South American states and Turkey, while Tehran is also believed to be prioritizing promotion of its
economic and political ties with the African states.
Source: Somaliland Sun, Bar-Kulan Radio
http://www.somalilandsun.com/index.php/politics/4742-somalia-tehran-and-mogadishu-enhanceparliamentary-ties
http://www.bar-kulan.com/2014/01/13/iran-somalia-vow-to-expand-ties/
PUNTLAND’S NEW PRESIDENT: A MARITIME SECURITY OUTLOOK
After losing Puntland’s presidential election by a single parliamentary vote, incumbent president
Abdirahman Mohamed Farole extended his congratulations to his opponent Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas,
a former prime minister of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG). UN and EU envoys
praised the autonomous state’s January 8 election, decided by the votes of 66 parliamentarians
appointed by clan elders, as a model for Somalia-wide democratization. The maritime security
community should also take note, as Ali Gaas, a U.S-trained economist, will preside over the original
heartland of Somali piracy. One of the many issues facing the president-elect is what to do with the
Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF)—a marine militia described by its supporters as Somalia’s most
effective counter-piracy force and by its opponents as the Farole administration’s Praetorian Guard.
A Controversial Legacy
Farole came to power in 2009, a year in which Somali pirates attacked over 215 ships and operated with
impunity from Puntland’s shores. The president’s answer was the PMPF, an elite coastal force that
would deny the pirates their onshore sanctuary. The marines, trained by a South African private military
company and financed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), quickly grew to a force of 500 troops
supported by a fleet of small ships, aircraft and armored vehicles. Security operations commenced in
March 2012 and succeeded in disrupting pirate bases across the remote Bari and Bargaal regions. In
late December 2012, the PMPF rescued 22 sailors held hostage aboard the MV Iceberg for almost three
years. With Puntland-based piracy largely eliminated, the marines turned their attention towards
encroaching al-Shabaab militants, using their expat-piloted helicopters to provide air support during
several skirmishes in early 2013.
While operational successful, the PMPF was politically contentious. A January 2012 report from the UN
Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group lambasted the marines “as an elite force outside any legal
framework, engaged principally in internal security operations, and answerable only to the Puntland
presidency.” Later that year, the president’s son Mohamed Farole became director of the PMPF, a
cause of inter-governmental tension given his lack of military experience according to inside sources. On
October 29 2012, the marines blockaded the residence of Ali Gaas in order to prevent him from
campaigning among local politicians and clan elders.
A Difficult Decision
Ali Gaas pledged to improve Puntland’s security during his victory speech, but has yet to comment on
his policy regarding the PMPF. Piracy may be suppressed, but many gangs are now diversifying into
other illicit ventures such as arms smuggling and protection services for illegal fishing fleets. An alShabaab bombing against a PMPF convoy on December 5, 2013 further underscores the high level of
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insecurity that persists in the region. In the face of these challenges, what might the new president’s
plans be for the contentious marine force?
Though the marines would later be used to impede his campaigning, it is important to note that Ali Gaas
was a vocal supporter of the PMPF during his tenure as TFG prime minister from June 2011 to October
2012. When the UN Monitoring Group accused the PMPF’s South African trainers, Sterling Corporate
Services, of breaking the 1992 arms embargo on Somalia, Ali Gaas responded with an official letter on
November 16, 2011, advocating that the UN “approve the waiver for training and enforcement
capabilities for Puntland State of Somalia to actively fight piracy and strengthen regional and maritime
security.” A month later, the prime minister’s office re-clarified that “the TFG fully supports the efforts of
Puntland authorities.”
Despite the labeling of the Puntland marines as Farole’s “private army,” it is unlikely that Ali Gaas will
dismantle the PMPF when he assumes office. It is expected, however, that the outgoing president’s son
and other Farole loyalist will not retain their leadership positions (whether they help themselves to the
PMPF’s valuable collection of equipment and vehicles on their way out is another question). Securing a
steady source of funding to maintain the PMPF’s marines, bases, vehicles, and expat mentors will be a
pressing concern for Ali Gaas. The bulk of current financing comes from UAE, but it remains to be seen
if this arrangement will continue under a new president.
A Federal Marine Force?
There are indications that the former TFG prime minister envisioned the PMPF as a model of coastal
security that could extend across Somalia. In April 2012, Ali Gaas’ office authorized Sterling Corporate
Services to select and recruit soldiers from the Somali National Army to join the PMPF training camp in
Bosaso, Puntland. The move was blocked by African Union (AMISOM) peacekeepers, however, which
prevented the soldiers from embarking at Mogadishu airport. After the departure of Sterling in mid-2012,
a US-registered security company, Bancroft, proposed a reversal of this plan, in which men and
materials would be dispersed from the Bosaso base to a number of small coastguard cells across the
Somali coast. This idea was rejected by the Farole administration, however, which was reportedly loath
to cede control of its elite marine police force to the federal government.
Relations between Puntland and Mogadishu continued to sour over the next year. In late July 2013, the
new Somali Federal Government announced that it had signed a deal with Dutch private maritime
security provider Atlantic Marine and Offshore Group to establish a coastguard to combat piracy and
secure Somalia’s exclusive economic zone. The deal received a hostile response from Puntland officials,
who saw the contract as an “unacceptable, inapplicable and unsuitable” violation of Puntland’s territorial
sovereignty. In early August, the Farole administration suspended relations with the federal government.
With a former TFG prime minister now coming to power in Puntland, observers anticipate a more
conciliatory relationship between the state and federal governments. While a Somalia-wide coast guard
or navy remains a distant prospect, the opportunity is now ripe for confidence building measures among
local security forces. The PMPF maintains the most advanced training facility in the country and could
once again offer to train marines from across Somalia if an acceptable deal can be worked out with the
federal government and AMISOM. Supporting such an endeavor would be attractive option for the EU’s
maritime security capacity-building mission (EUCAP NESTOR), which has thus far been unable to carry
out its mandate in Somalia due to the country’s insecurity and fragile political arrangement.
While Ali Gaas may be tempted to keep the PMPF under the direct control of the presidency, a more
advisable option would be for the Puntland parliament to pass legislation that defines the force’s power,
status, and responsibility. Doing so could serve to legitimize the PMPF in the eyes of the international
community, opening new lines of desperately needed funding. “There is internationally consensus that
the PMPF should be ‘legalized’ and integrated into the regular security structures of Somalia,” an
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EUCAP NESTOR officer remarked, further noting that “The international community is studying how that
best can be done and how the government of Somalia could be supported in that respect.”
Puntland’s model of democracy is unorthodox by western standards and so too are its maritime police
forces. Both, however, have demonstrated resiliency in the face of great challenges and may come to
serve as templates for the rest of the country. As foreign warships and armed guards begin to depart the
Horn of Africa, local marines will be the only thing standing between the pirates and their prey.
Source: gcaptain.com
http://gcaptain.com/puntland-farole-maritime-security-pmpf/
OTHER
CHINA WILLING TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH DJIBOUTI: FM
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China is willing to step up cooperation with Djibouti in
various sectors, including infrastructure projects for transportation and livelihood improvement.
Wang made the remarks on Tuesday when meeting with Djiboutian foreign minister Mahamoud Ali
Youssouf in Djibouti, saying bilateral ties have gained tremendous improvement since China and
Djibouti established diplomatic relations 35 years ago.
China has actively participated in construction of infrastructure and livelihood projects in Djibouti, Wang
said. Bilateral trade and investment have seen continuous increase, Wang said, adding Djibouti has
become an important gateway to the east African market for Chinese products as well as important port
for rest and replenishment for Chinese navy escort fleet.
"China is willing to work with Djibouti to push forward the partnership on the base of mutual trust and
deepen cooperation in various sectors," Wang said.
China will encourage capable and reliable companies to involve in the construction of ports and
transportation projects in Djibouti to promote its status of transport hub in east Africa, Wang said. China
will increase support to livelihood projects in Djibouti and expand cooperation in defense and security
sectors to jointly combat piracy and terrorism, he added.
Ali Youssouf said China is a significant partner for Africa and Djibouti, and that the China-Djibouti
relationship is of strategic importance for Djibouti. China has offered tremendous help in areas of
infrastructure, education, health and water, which significantly enhanced the sustainable development of
Djibouti, he said.
Ali Youssouf hopes China continues its support for Djibouti and Djibouti is willing to strengthen
cooperation with China on security and push the bilateral ties to a higher level.
The two foreign ministers also signed an agreement to exempt diplomatic passport holders from either of
their countries from acquiring visas to visit the other country.
Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/xinhua/2014-01-08/content_10991977.html
KENYA TIGHTENS TRANSPORT RULES TO CURB OIL TANKER ACCIDENTS
In an effort to bolster safety and reduce the risk to life and property, Kenya's Energy Regulations
Commission (ERC) has drafted new regulations, which are scheduled to be enacted by the end of
February, to govern the ground transportation of petroleum.
The regulations require special training for new and existing truck drivers of hazardous materials who
after passing the programme will be issued ERC certificates that must be renewed annually. Under
previous regulations, anyone with a heavy commercial vehicle driving license could drive an oil tanker.
"These new stringent measures will definitely increase the safety of transportation of dangerous goods
on our roads," Linus Gitonga, the ERC's director of petroleum, told Sabahi. "We are confident that the
protective directives will offer much-needed sobriety in the industry."
The annual renewal requirement is meant to help authorities keep tabs on errant drivers, as opposed to
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previous regulations that allowed for a three-year license. To obtain this new certification, drivers must
complete training at an ERC accredited driving school with an approved curriculum. The training
includes comprehensive education on petroleum products, defensive driving and emergency
preparedness, such as fire containment skills.
Currently the only schools accredited are located in Nairobi while other institutions around the country
have pending accreditation applications, Gitonga said. Among the accredited schools are: Kenya
Institute of Highway & Building Technology, Driver Training School, Automobile Association Kenya
Driving School, and Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School.
In addition, the government is also working to develop a single training curriculum to be used in all
driving schools, public or private.
"Driving a fuel transport tanker is a highly specialised field that calls for critical knowledge on handling
highly flammable and explosive products. This takes extra hours of training and commitment," Gitonga
added.
The standardised curriculum will produce a class of drivers who not only understand the chemistry of the
petroleum cargo, but also how it reacts to temperature, Gitonga said.
"We have had too many petroleum-related accidents by reckless tanker drivers. We must put brakes on
this runaway mayhem," Gitonga said. "A driver will have to meet a minimum driving experience and
undergo medical examination for fitness and vision to drive an oil tanker."
The new rules are seen as an important step for safety, since the bulk of petroleum products in Kenya
are transported on roads, either destined for the local market or the Great Lakes region.
A growing list of petroleum tanker accidents
The country has only one oil pipeline with limited capacity, thus necessitating heavy dependence on
petroleum tankers. This in turn has left a trail of disasters in Kenya after tankers have overturned and
subsequently exploded.
For instance, about 150 people burned to death and more than 200 were injured when an overturned oil
tanker, one in which the people were trying to siphon oil from, caught fire and exploded in the Molo
district's Sachangwan village in January 2009, about 200 kilometres from Nairobi.
Five months later, four people died and 44 were injured when an oil tanker they were siphoning oil from
exploded in Kericho. In September 2011, four people died and 37 were injured in Busia County when an
overturned petrol tanker exploded into flames while residents were siphoning fuel.
More recently, in September 2013, seven people burned to death after an oil tanker hit a matatu and a
private vehicle in Meru County. Last month, six people succumbed to injuries after a bus and a fuel
tanker collided in Mariakani, Mombasa.
"All these accidents illustrate how unacceptably low our safety standards are, and how dangerous
transportation of petroleum can be to both the driver and innocent people. That is why we are rolling out
[this set] of safety regulations and measures," said Lee Kinyanjui, chairman of the National Transport
and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Kinyanjui added that possession of an ordinary driving license and basic training will not be adequate to
qualify someone to haul hazardous cargo.
"An ERC permit will act as a proof that petroleum drivers meet specifications set by the Kenya Bureau of
Standards," Kinyanjui said. "It is possible to safely transport refined oil products if due diligence is
observed. Most petrol tanker accidents are caused by reckless drivers and the poor condition of tankers.
We can rectify these."
Due to their size, weight and high centre of gravity, it is challenging for an inexperienced driver to
manoeuvre a tanker when speeding or when the driver has failed to maintain a mandatory safe distance
from other drivers, Kinyanjui added.
Nicholas Bundi, a 28-year-old city motorist, welcomes the new regulations, but said he would prefer the
trucks be restricted from using roads at peak hours.
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"I still feel insecure driving alongside these monster trucks. I would prefer if they operated at night time
when the roads are not congested," he said.
Mwendia Nyaga, chief executive officer of Nairobi consulting firm Oil & Energy Services Limited, said
casualties would be greatly reduced if NTSA and ERC carried out nationwide public safety awareness
campaigns to discourage citizens from attempting to siphon oil after a tanker has had an accident.
"It is good to target tanker drivers but the public will also solve the problem after civic education is done
on dangers of lingering around an overturned and petrol-leaking tanker or the dangers of smoking
nearby," Nyaga said.
Traffic Commandant Samuel Kimaru said when there is an oil tanker accident, police have a hard time
keeping away the public from flocking to the scene.
"You recall the deadly Sachangwan accident? We lost more than 200 people after an oil tanker exploded
and burst in flames, burning all who were scrambling to siphon the spilling oil," he said. "Since then,
police have averted similar incidents after arriving at a tanker accident scene on time to disperse the
surging crowd."
Source: Sabahi Online
http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2014/01/08/feature-02
CHINA'S NAVY EXPANDING GLOBAL ROLE
WESTWARD HO: Its recent deployment of a frigate to help dispose of Syrian chemical weapons shows
its rapid naval modernization
CHINA has recently joined multinational efforts to dismantle and dispose of Syria's chemical weapons
stockpile. It has deployed a frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the escort mission
with ships from Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States.
Under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council and the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this mission marks another milestone in the PLAN's westward forays since
2008 when it committed the first task force to counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
That major initiative was followed in 2010 by the PLAN hospital ship Peace Ark embarking on the first
"Harmonious Mission" voyage to countries worldwide, including those in Africa. In the same year, PLAN
warships entered the Persian Gulf for the first time.
Since 2011 the PLAN's exposure in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has increased, mostly
within the multinational context. In February 2011, a PLAN frigate Xuzhou was deployed to "support and
protect" the evacuation of Chinese nationals from then Libyan civil war zone - the PLAN's first
humanitarian mission abroad. A month later, a PLAN frigate Maanshan provided the first Chinese armed
escort for the UN World Food Programme shipments to refugees in Somalia.
The expansion of PLAN's participation in international security operations dates back to the concept of
"New Approach to Security" first promulgated by Beijing in the 1990s, which envisages a "3C" approach
-- common security, comprehensive security and cooperative security. In no small part, this is due to its
security interests particularly vested in the crucial sea lines of communication through the Indian Ocean
as well as mineral and hydrocarbon resources. Indeed China has always regarded the geopolitically
volatile MENA as strategically important.
The PLAN made its first-ever port calls to Indian Ocean littoral states back in 1985, and only further
afield to Africa for the first time in 2000. It steadily enhanced its capabilities to project force farther in the
recent two decades. This facilitated expanded PLAN forays into MENA, where it increasingly participates
in multinational security operations.
The expanded PLAN presence in MENA is part of the overall broadening of PLAN contributions to
international security operations, including the deployment of servicemen to join the UN
Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) - marking the first time the PLAN
deployed security forces for peacekeeping operations, albeit for the purpose of providing area security
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for MINUSMA headquarters and living areas of the peacekeepers.
PLAN participation in such operations essentially facilitates Beijing's contributing more "public goods" for
international security - in contrast to the backdrop of recent tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, where
Beijing is involved in various disputes with its neighbours and its deployment of vessels tends to create
suspicion.
With its new shipbuilding programmes proceeding unabated, the PLAN will possess sufficient bluewatercapable naval capacity in the future to keep up with an expected increase in "out-of-area" participation in
international security operations. The Type-054A Jiangkai II-class frigates in particular have so far
proven their worth during recent missions in MENA. They will most likely continue to remain primary
workhorses for the PLAN's international security involvement, with 16 of these warships already
commissioned by the end of 2013, with more under construction.
The PLAN remains lacking in the area of replenishment ships necessary for providing logistical support
for warships' operations far away from home bases for a sustained duration.
However, it appears that the PLAN is gradually rectifying this shortfall, having commissioned a pair of
new, 23,000-tonne Type-903 Fuchi-class replenishment ships in 2013. Judging from the present
trajectory of PLAN build-up, it is likely that future Chinese naval shipbuilding programmes will
encompass the construction of even more capable replenishment ships that will enable the PLAN to
carry out prolonged "out-of-area" operations.
These vessels, together with a more sizeable fleet of bluewater-capable warships entering service, will
not just equip the PLAN to undertake operations within China's immediate Asia-Pacific security milieu
but also create surplus capacity to facilitate its expanding global role.
As seapower theorists put it, the ability of navies to project and sustain force further afield is also
dependent on the availability of surplus physical capacity.
From the strategic standpoint of its overarching global security interests, Beijing is steadily expanding its
naval force projection capabilities to enhance its reach. Towards this end, we can expect the PLAN to
maintain its current level of involvement in international security operations and even expand its global
role.
Undoubtedly the foremost fungible instrument of Beijing's diplomacy, this development will strengthen
China's role as a positive stakeholder in the maintenance of regional and international order.
Not only will the PLAN expand its physical commitment to international security operations, but it will
most likely build on the foundation of existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation with partner navies in
MENA.
This expanding global role for the PLAN, couched within the multinational context, will help mitigate
negative perceptions of China's rapid naval modernisation.
Source: New Straits Times
http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/china-s-navy-expanding-global-role1.460938?localLinksEnabled=false
MIDDLE EAST MARITIME SECURITY: COOPERATION IS THE KEY VITAL
Vice Adm. John Miller, U.S. Navy, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S.
5th Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) , spoke to delegates attending the IQPC Offshore Patrol
Vessel (OPV) Middle East 2013 conference just after participating in the 8th International Institute For
Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue to discuss the development and implementation of regional
security and provided a platform for leaders from more than 30 countries to engage in intergovernmental dialogue on sensitive regional issues.
At OPV Middle East 2013, attended by members of navies and coast guards from throughout the Middle
East and the world, Miller stressed that partnerships and teamwork are vital to meet the challenge of
evolving threats in the region. But, he asked the audience, “What we are deterring ourselves from?”
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Iran looms large
As the U.S. Navy’s maritime force commander, Miller began his remarks addressing the conventional
regional maritime threat posed by Iran. “Iran still presents a threat in the maritime environment which is
what we refer to as a stacked threat,” he said. “Even if they ultimately decide not to develop nuclear
weapons, they still have three Kilo submarines; they have a number of midget submarines; they have a
credible cruise missile defense program; they have an credible ballistic missile program, they have
torpedo and missile boats; they have a rather substantial mine inventory; they have an air defense
system; and they have an air force. And so, even if they don’t develop any nuclear weapons, they still
have the capability to project substantial power in the maritime battle space—and will for the foreseeable
future.”
Miller was clear, “there is going to be an ongoing and a continuing requirement to make sure that we are
a presence in the environment so that we can provide deterrent effect to the point that we can assure
security and stability in the gulf and certainly through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Anticipating a decline in U.S. presence in Afghanistan through 2014, Miller reminded the attendees that
maritime forces still have a role in the skies above the combat zone. “I think it’s a fairly lesser-known
fact that from the maritime component standpoint we continue to support Operation Enduring
Freedom. The USS Truman is off the Makran coast [of Pakistan] right now, and they fly somewhere
between 20 and 28 sorties a day in support of the mission in Afghanistan. When we fly in support of
that mission, we do provide about one third of the air support in support of the coalition troops that are
on the ground in Afghanistan.”
Piracy end state?
Miller said there hasn’t been a successful piracy attack since 2012, but there have been four piracy
attempts since the first of October, and so the piracy mission is not completed. “We have had success
in the Somali basin and we have not had a successful attack in almost 19 months. But one need only
look at the experience of the Strait of Malacca when a consortium of nations and coalitions of nations
tried to gather several years ago to eradicate piracy in the Strait of Malacca, they were very
successful. Then they disbanded and stopped their efforts because they thought they had eradicated
piracy and piracy came right back again and they started all over again, just as if they’d never started in
the first place. So when you reach an end state on piracy, you’re not sure that you reach an end state
on piracy. It’s just a matter of when.”
Miller points to partnerships and coalitions that have been the key to success in regional maritime
operations, including the European Union (EU) task force; a NATO task force and Combined Task Force
(CTF) 151, which is part of CMF.
“One would wonder why you need three task forces. What does that do us? We’ve had conversations
about whether or not we should combine all that and have one task force,” Miller said.
“If you’re a European Union member and you have an allocation to provide maritime support to the
European Union, one of the ways that you could provide that support is by providing a ship to the
counter piracy missions of the European Union effort. If you’re a member of NATO, you’re under
obligation to provide ships to the NATO missions and one of the ways you can do it is to provide ships to
the counter piracy mission. That’s very popular in capitals all around the world because no one likes
piracy. If you want to contribute to the counter piracy mission, and you’re not a member of the European
Union and you’re not a member of NATO, then you can join Task Force 151. For a number of years the
Japanese were a nation that would provide ships into the Horn of Africa and they would support as an
independent nation of the counter piracy mission. And on the 8th of December, yesterday, they asked to
join Task Force 151—a significant event for the Japanese. This is the first time since World War II and
since the establishment of their new constitution, that they have joined an international maritime task
force. And so that is very significant and we are very proud to have them on board.”
Miller explained that China, India and Russia, who each contribute independently to the counter-piracy
effort, have expressed increased desire to expand their interaction with the task forces. “China routinely
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provides a 3-ship surface action group in the Somali basin—they operate independently—and they
indicated at the SHADE (Shared Early Warning and Deconfliction) conference that they are interested in
increased cooperation with the three different task forces that are conducting counter piracy operations”.
“So the independent nations are looking for increased cooperation, which will only enhance counter
piracy efforts in the region,” he said.
Suez a security success
The United States is a heavy user of the Suez Canal, Miller said. “In any given year [the United States
Navy has] somewhere between 150 and 200 ship transit through the canal. So access to the canal is
important to us; and security of the canal is of course of the utmost importance to us. One of the things
I’d like to congratulate the Egyptians for is the fact that since the overthrow of President Mubarak up until
this day, including and especially after the events of July the 3rd, access to the canal is remaining
consistently better.”
“Security of the canal zone, which is entirely under the purview of the Egyptians, has remained rock
solid,” Miller said. “My hat goes off to the Egyptians for the excellent job that they continue to do.”
“What happens in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the challenges and opportunities in Yemen, are
important to us. The head of the Yemeni coast guard accepted our invitation to become the 30th
member of the Combined Maritime Forces. So, Yemen continues to strive to be part of the solution and
part of the maritime security solution throughout the entire region.
Syrian instability
“The instability that we continue to see in Syria leads to instability throughout the region, in particular in
Jordan and Lebanon, which is of concern to us, including those of us who are interested in the maritime
environment,” he said.
Miller mentioned he is concerned about the tie between Iran, Syria, and Lebanese Hezbollah, noting that
instability in Syria potentially leads to the instability of the Arabian Gulf.
“How do the Iranians react to either perceived gains or losses of the Assad regime in Syria?” he
said.“One of the things that I found interesting last weekend as I watched the plenary sessions at the
Manama Dialogue, is that almost every topic, regardless of what it might be, in some way tied to
Syria. And so for all of us, including those of us who are interested in the maritime environment, what
happens in Syria, has an effect on what happens throughout the region and in the maritime.”
According to Miller, there isan average of about 17,000 Sailors in the NAVCENT AOR–10,000 of them at
sea and another 7,000 on shore to support those who are at sea. NAVCENT operates about 45 surface
units at any given time, including one Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and one Amphibious Ready Group
(ARG) with 2500 Marines in the embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit. There are about 130 aircraft in the
theater – some are based on the aircraft carrier, but another 25 that are land-based, including maritime
patrol aircraft.
Miller says he’s aware of the talk about the U.S. potentially achieving energy independence. “It’s
important to remember that in 1948, when we first established a presence ashore here, we did so
because we had ships at sea here on a permanent basis. At that time the United States was the largest
producer of oil in the world, and the United States was the largest exporter of oil in the world. Today,
40% of the world’s oil–about 18 million barrels–transits by sea and passes through the Strait of Hormuz
every day. Japan receives 85 percent of its oil from the Gulf; China receives 7 percent of its oil from the
Gulf. So regardless of how much oil the United States produces, if the flow of oil through the Strait of
Hormuz is impeded, it’s going to have an immediate impact on the economies of Japan and China,
which means it’s going to have an immediate impact on the global economy. Oil is not a national asset;
oil is not a regional asset; oil is a global asset. Whether oil flows in from the gulf, or from the west coast
of Africa, or from Brazil, or from the United States or from North America, anywhere its movement is
impeded will have an impact across the globe; an immediate impact. Neither the United States–nor any
nation–can afford to ignore any part of the world where oil is produced. Nor can we afford to accept any
part of the world where the free flow of commerce is not an established and given fact. Any ship from
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any nation should be able to leave from port and expect that it can go to any other port in the world, and
do so safely, and then return home safely.
Forward presence together
Miller echoes Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert’s three tenets of “warfighting first,
operate forward, and be ready,” and specifically the need to operate forward. “You can’t influence if
you’re not here. Clearly the U.S. Navy is committed to doing that. We’ve had ‘boots on the ground,’ if
you will, in Bahrain since 1948. We have been owners so to speak of the base and the facility in Juffair
since 1972. We have about a billion and a half dollars of infrastructure investment in that facility right
now. We have another half a billion dollars scheduled over the next couple of years in that facility as we
transition it to be able to take on a littoral combat ship and some other replacement ships and hardware
that are coming online. So we have a commitment to the region and a commitment to staying. We do
about 25 exercises with the GCC nations each year, and we do a total of about 64 named exercises
throughout the region, from Alexandria, Egypt, to the east coast of Pakistan. Operating with
our partners has a deterrent effect and it’s extremely important that we continue to do that.
“We think our operations deter and they’re designed to deter, that’s the whole point of them,” Miller
said. “And we think we influence the maritime environment day-to-day.”
Miller said it’s important that we continue to train and fight as a joint force, and as a combined force. He
executes this vision every day as he oversees the CMF, a coalition of nations operating three distinct
task forces to ensure maritime security in the region. “When I took command of the Combined Maritime
Forces 18 months ago, we had 26 participating nations. Today we have 30 with the addition of the
Yemeni coast guard. We have five other nations that are actively considering joining the CMF, including
key nations from South America. If either of those nations from South America actively joins the CMF,
we will have nations from every continent on the globe as part of our combined maritime force.”
NAVCENT has seen great success in conducting complex multi-lateral exercises. “We’ve held two
international mine countermeasures exercises, the first one in 2012 when we had 33 nations participate.
Our second exercise, IMCMEX 13, was held in 2013, when we had 40 nations participate. Our next
exercise is scheduled for November of 2014. We’ve sent out the invitations for that event to 69 different
nations. In the 2013 exercise, we had 35 ships, 13 unmanned underwater vehicles, and over a hundred
mine countermeasures diversparticipat in the exercise. We exercised new technologies and we
exercised the ability to test communications and command and control across a wide spectrum. In
addition to the exercise itself, we held a Maritime Infrastructure and Protection Symposium, and we
conducted maritime security operations. As we all know, maritime security operations begin at the point
of origin and extend all the way to the point of delivery. IMCMEX 2014 promises to do all of that and
more–more robust training, better leveraging of technology, and much more robust command and
control. To accomplish this we must continue to leverage partnership capacity and capability in a way
that we can truly integrate with other nations. It’s not just more stuff or better stuff; it’s more and better
stuff that can operate with other nations. We prove that with exercises and through operations on a dayto-day basis. This really is the future for all of us. It’s being able to talk–getting to the right frequency,
and being able to communicate in a secure way–not simply knowing the chain of command, but being
able to communicate up and down that chain of command. It’s being able to develop a secure,
recognized maritime picture that’s the same for the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Operations Center in Bahrain
as it is for the Bahraini navy and coast guard; and to have that same picture for Kuwait and the United
Arab Emirates; and eventually the full picture on the Red Sea that includes the Egyptian navy, so all of
us know what’s going on; all of us have the same picture; and when we go to make decisions we can
make them as partners and have the best possible outcome,” Miller said.
Where other major alliances have a thick policy manual that requires unanimous agreement on all
issues, Miller says CMF runs on a paragraph. “It says, basically, ‘come on, join us, if you want to, glad
to have you, and whatever your national authorities are we’re going to respect those.’ And if we ask you
to do something that exceeds your national authorities, just tell us, and then we’ll do something
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Daily News Summary
different.”
CMF runs on CENTRIX
A relatively simple communications network called CENTRIX allows partner nations to communicate at
sea. The Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange system enables commands at sea to
communicate via chat and pass data and plans via email. Although some special equipment may need
to be installed—and depending on the level of classification, the U.S. may provide personnel to partner
navies to operate the equipment—but generally CENTRIX permits secure communications capabilities
while sharing a common operational picture of ship locations, especially helpful in coordinating multinational counter-piracy missions. Source: Maritime today
http://maritimetoday.com/ShowStory.aspx?StoryID=238632
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Daily News Summary