Excerpts from the SEMG Report on Somalia mentioning Eritrea.
The full (pdf) report is attached at the end of this excerpt.
"Meanwhile, the relative importance of Eritrea as a source of
military and financial support for armed groups appears to have
declined. Enhanced international scrutiny of Eritrea's actions in
Somalia and the region, growing friction in Eritrea's relationship
with Al-Shabaab and the absence of other viable armed opposition
groups all appear to have contributed to this trend. The Monitoring
Group has found no evidence to substantiate allegations that Eritrea
supplied Al-Shabaab with arms and ammunition by air in October and
November 2011. However, the SEMG has established that Eritrea
maintains relations with known arms dealers in Somalia and has
violated the arms embargo during the course of the mandate by its
support for Ethiopian armed opposition groups passing through Somali
territory."
...
"52. The relative importance of Eritrea as a source of military and
financial support for armed opposition groups appears to have
declined. Enhanced international scrutiny of Eritrea's actions in
Somalia and the region, growing friction in Eritrea's relationship
with Al-Shabaab and the absence of other viable armed opposition
groups have all contributed to this trend.
"53. The Monitoring Group has found no evidence to substantiate
allegations that Eritrea supplied Al-Shabaab with arms and ammunition
by air in October and November 2011 (see Annex 5.1). However, the
Group has established that Eritrea maintains relations with known
arms dealers in Somalia and has violated the arms embargo during the
course of the mandate by its support for of Ethiopian armed
opposition groups passing through Somali territory.
"54. The activities of private security companies (PSCs) and their
state or corporate sponsors is of growing concern. Two such companies
are currently engaged in support to private Somali militias (a third
company ceased operations in early 2011), whose primary purpose is to
safeguard narrow commercial and political interests. The extension
and possible expansion of this trend over the long term could have
grave implications for the security and stability of Somalia."
...
"77. During the course of the mandate, Ethiopia, France, Sudan,
Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations and the United
States have all provided support to Somali security sector
institutions without providing prior notice or obtaining advance
authorization from the Committee. Such actions potentially violate
the arms embargo imposed pursuant to Security Council resolution 733
(1992) and contravene the procedures stipulated by resolution 1772
(2007) regarding the provision of support to Somali security sector
institutions."
...
Arms embargo violations by air
"4. On 29 October 2011, a member of the Transitional Federal
Parliament, Muhamud Abdullahi Waliye Waqa, declared to Radio
Gaalka'yo that a plane carrying arms from Eritrea had landed the same
day at Baidoa International Airport.2"
"5. 'Waqa's' allegations were echoed by an intelligence report from a
military source, stating: it's confirmed that flight carrying AA
[anti-aircraft weapons] for AS in Baidoa did landed [sic] on the
evening of Saturday [29 October 2011] at around 17-17:45hrs, and that
the passengers of two vehicles from the Al-Shabaab regional office in
Baidoa boarded the return flight."
"6. A second report, compiled by a security-related organisation,
asserted that a cargo civilian plane medium size landed in Baidoa
airstrip carrying military supply on 30 October 2011 at 1430 local
time; according to the author, the plane was on ground for 130hrs,
and a very high number of anti-aircraft guns supply were offloaded in
a speedy condition [by] a very big number of AS militia.
"7. On November 1st, Kenyan Defence Force spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir
issued a statement: On 1 November 2011, we reliably confirmed that
two aircraft landed in Baidoa with arms consignment intended for Al-
Shabaab.3 The next day he issued a second statement: We can
positively confirm that another aircraft with weapons has landed in
Somalia.4 On 8 November 2011, the Government of Kenya wrote a letter
to the Chair of the Security Council Committee on Somalia and
Eritrea, drawing upon these reports, and asserting: Available
information indicates that the arms emanated from Eritrea.5 Both the
Eritrean government and Al-Shabaab rejected these allegations.6"
"8. An international organization with contacts on the ground in
Baidoa confirmed to the Monitoring Group the forced displacement of
population from the airport perimeter on those dates, but denied that
any aircraft had landed. Officials of three foreign governments with
access to their own internal intelligence reports also separately
shared with the Monitoring Group their assessments that no flights to
Baidoa had taken place on those dates."
"9. On the basis of information received, the Monitoring Group
believes that the Al-Shabaab administration in Baidoa did indeed give
instructions or IDPs to leave the vicinity of the airport compound,
suggesting that some flights may have been expected. However, the
Monitoring Group has found no evidence to substantiate the
allegations that one or more aircraft landed at Baidoa International
Airport between 29 October and 3 November 2011, or that Eritrea
supplied by air Al-Shabaab in Baidoa with arms and ammunition during
the same period."
"10. The Monitoring Group has on several occasions requested that the
Kenyan government provide the Monitoring Group with evidence
substantiating its claims that during the first week of November 2011
three planes landed in the Somalia town of Baidoa.7 To date, however,
no reply has been forthcoming."
SEMG Somalia Report
Received on Sun Jul 15 2012 - 22:30:03 EDT
