From: Yemane Natnael (yemane_natnael@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Oct 18 2008 - 12:39:23 EDT
Parliament says foreign warships in Somalia illegal
By Daniel Ooko
NAIROBI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Somalia parliament said on
Saturday that the foreign warships surrounding the Ukrainian ship carrying military
hardware destined for the Kenyan port of Mombasaare in the strife-torn country
are illegal.
Somalia's Deputy Speaker of the Transitional Federal
Parliament Prof. Omar Dalha told a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya, that the
foreign forces which included U.S. and Russian warships should pull out of the
Horn of Africa coast.
Dalha said the role of securing the pirate-infected
coastal region belongs to the transitional government since Somalia is a
sovereign state.
"We are not opposed to what the Russians, Americans
and even the so called NATO forces are doing in our coast, but they have to seek
a permission from the government before fighting pirates off the coast of
Somalia," Dalha told journalists.
He said the transitional government has already
allowed the foreign powers to use force if necessary against pirates who are
holding a ship loaded with tanks "but that they are reluctant to do so raising
suspicions they may be engaging on another mission."
"We don't know how long the foreign powers will stay
in our coast. Who knows what they are doing in Somalia? They could be involved
in illegal fishing in our waters. They have to consult us before coming and laws
must be passed to that effect," said Dalha.
Last week's hijacking of the Ukrainian ship MV Faina,
carrying 33 T-72 tanks, rifles and heavy weapons was the highest profile act of
piracy in the dangerous waters off Somalia this year.
The ship is surrounded by several U.S. warships and
helicopters are buzzing overhead. Russia has also a sent a warship to protect
the few Russian hostages on board. Most of the 20 crew are Ukrainian or Latvian.
One Russian has died, apparently of illness.
At least eight European Union countries want to join
an international operation to protect shipping from pirates off Somali,
according to France's defense minister.
"The foreign forces have no permission to fight with
the pirates. We don't have such laws in Somalia. We need to be consulted before
doing so," said Dalha.
The deputy speaker who said he was in Nairobi along
with other lawmakers at the invitation by the regional body, the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), confirmed that negotiations
between the ship's Ukrainian owners and the pirates were taking place but other
side is involved in negotiations.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/18/content_10215470.htm
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