International News
SOMALIA: Looted Yemeni petrol reaches Puntland port
April 23, 2011 · 15 Comments
LAS ANOD — Four small vessels carrying thousands of litres of looted petroleum products from Yemen reached the Somali port town of Bosasso on Saturday, locals said.
According to eyewitnesses in the coastal town in Somalia’s enclave state of Puntland, the vessels belong to prominent business and government figures in Bosasso. They are said to have began selling and distributing around several thousands of litres of petroleum products at a price much less than the official rate in Somalia.
One analyst in the region fears the petrol could end in the hands of armed pirates who are terrorising international maritime ships off the coast of Somalia. “This could be another easy source of income for pirates while it could also help fuel the several hundred pirate boats currently dotted around Puntland,” Ahmed Ali said, a local security analyst. He said he also fears culprits could target other economic installations in the troubled Arab state and loot them, which could damage Yemen and Somalia relations.
Reports in the town suggest the petrol were looted from Sanaa as unrest in Yemen descended into violence that left several hundred dead. At least six Somalis have been killed so far in Yemen as anti-government movements rock the ancient Arab nation.
Meanwhile President Ali Saleh has rejected calls for him to step down by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States. The initiative equally calls for the opposition groups and including the youth, fueling the anti-government protests to end demonstrations and seek dialogue. However, Saleh maintains if he steps down the country could turn into another Somalia and could end up in the hands of al Qaeda.
Somalis fearing they could be accused of being mercenaries like in Libya have began fleeing from Yemen.
The looting comes as petroleum and gasoline prices around the world sour to new records. The eastern and central Africa region is said to be one of the worst hit due to the US dollar’s downward slide and the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.
Somalilandpress | 23 April 2011
Email this story
By Hassan Ali
Tags: Oil, Petrol, Puntland, Somalia, Yemen
Readers Comments (15)
Somaliland
Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship
Overpowering Gratitude Vs Vexing Misgivings By Ahmed I. Hassan Author’s Note: This is the chapter on Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship in a book titled “Somaliland: The Legacies of Non-Recognition” which ...
SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines diverts to Nairobi after security scare in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — A carrier operated by Turkish Airlines left its Somali passengers stranded in the wrong airport after landing in Kenya rather than their intended ...
UN envoy in Somalia concerned over violent clashes in Hargeisa
Photo: Special Representative Augustine Mahiga (UN Photo/Stuart Price) NAIROBI — The United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today expressed concern over recent violent clashes ...
SOMALILAND: President urges citizens to uphold peace and stability
HARGEISA — The Somaliland National Independence day celebrations that was widely marked within and outside the country, had an added flavor when the State House grounds witnessed ...
SOMALILAND: Two Journalists join two others in prison
HARGEISA — Mohamed Abdi Omar and Khadar Farah Hussein, managing editor and reporter/cameraman, respectively, with the newspaper Yool newspaper, became the latest number of journalists ...
Your Say
IN MEMORY OF DR. ABDISHAKUR JOWHAR – FRANZ FANON OF THE SOMALI PEOPLE*
BY BASHIR GOTH “He lit up a room. If you can imagine the sun, his face was like the sun, that smile, the arm around ...
- Somaliland media: Spreading the word
- SOMALILAND: Where is the Justice in our Justice System?
- Unionist are Dead — Long Live SOMALILAND
- Apprehending Ratco Mladic: a reminder of a war criminal working as jury
- Dr Jowhar: We lost a friend, a Hero
- GEESI LOO HANWEYNAA – A tribute to my hero Dr. Jowhar
- 10 Years after Timor’s Independence, Where Is the Justice?
- Why Hiil Qaran Party Will Not Have a Significant Impact on the Politics of Somalia
- Sunday 20 May: Join in Commemorating late Dr Jowhar
- Qurbomeer State should stop smearing the reputation of Lula A Osman
Somalia: Federalism, Division and The Dual Track Policy
OPINION | MAY 20, 2012 Photo: Alternative to federalism and Somaliland/Somalia ideology – the three branch Somalia (three branches of government in three different parts of ...
Somaliland National day – for the sake of a decent life and principle of the future
OPINION | May 18, 2012 By Abdirahman Maeeg In a wonderful day like this day, our talk should have significance from a different angle; it is an ...
Puntland pirates now started to loot the only country that was taking in their refugees who work as shoe cleaners and car washers…unbelievable, what will you loot next?
what do you expect from the worse groupe in the horn of africa (puntland)
Puntland went down with ex President C/laahi Yusuf. He was the founder of Puntland and TFG.
After his fall down from power both areas are also dead pawns in his sad demise end game.
Ex President C/laahi Yusuf and all his collaborators upto the current Sh.Sharif Ahmed and his PM
Farmaajo will sooner or later be indicted for their conspiraces and crimes committed against their own country and people.
Cheers.
Let them loot whatever they can. Who cares most of the Arab nations took advantage of us. Its called Karma not looting.
So are you saying it is HALAL to steal ships that have no objective in dumping toxic waste? This was an oil tanker not a dumping vessel. There is a difference! Catching a thief and punishing him is one thing, but going all the way to the east china sea has nothing to do with protecting Somali waters. It's just plain greed!
this is shame and dishonoring, Majeerteens(Piratelanders) should respect our Yemeni brothers and should not take advantage out of their political crisis.
i know their is no reliable administration in boosaaso but requesting from the elders, religious leaders to step forward and secure the looted products and safely return to it's owners.
thank you
who cares about yemen,in Somalia everyone is on his own.
The Yemenis and the Arab world in general deserve these kind of treatment. They are the one who knowingly welcome the pirate leaders to their side while mistreating Somaliland as an enemy because, we declared our self determination from the rest of Somalia. They wants to in slave us indirectly and we will never bow to no one.
@HMObsiye
Somaliland is not being enslaved by anyone but they are just enslaving themselves back to their dead colonial leaders.
@ Uunsi
Somaliland has never been colonized (but a protectorate) like South Somalia so get your facts right.
If you call having a growing economy, elected government, pirate free coast, infrastructure and overall great security ENSLAVEMENT then I'll gladly take that over any day over joining with the Puntland and the South. Keep talking though. If you do it long enough perhaps your words will magically rebuild you broken society and feel your starving people.
oops Feed not feel lool my bad
isaaqland you don't see what you do but you see what other people do that is not right, first criticize your self then criticize other tribes when they do something wrong correct your self before you say something.
Somalies outside of Somaliland should focus in building their country and creating lasting peace for their people, instead of hating on Somaliland. Walaahi one of the reasons why inkaar idinku dhacday is because y'all hateful envious people, instead of wishing well for your brothers (Somaliland) every waking moment you pray for Somalilands downfall. Alaah is all seeing & knows his people very well!
Really? @warya – how can you say feed your people, like the rest of somalia or somaliland whatever you call it aren't muslim. You really need to think hard about how your current beliefs are. A poor person is a poor person, no matter what qabil(tribe). So his people are your people and the day you acknowledge that, insha'allah allah will give you the world to help all the poor people.
@Anyone and Everyone who condones the pirates behavior in this particular case (if it is true, I don't really trust the news it can be very corrupt). Then really just like warya said it is not HALAL. Forget about religion, its not morally correct looking at it from any aspect
Oh and final point, all this somaliland and somalia talk. Firstly they are both failed states and lets be honest its people like you and me who allowed it to be like that. Clearly everyone has a responsibility to work hard and help his brother but nope everyone is looking out for themselves. So somaliland wants to seperate from the rest of somalia and just like puntland its corrupt. How about instead of wasting all that time in trying to seperate and gain recognition from these western countries how about they educate the children all over, how about they feed the poor, how about the stop all the murder and destruction happening all over the country. I really do passionately hate the people in power back in my home country, because their sitting lovely just racking in money while people starve… our family & YES if you belive in Allah then every muslim & muslimah is part of your family.
I really do hope everyone wonders why our country is still at war after 20 years and how much longer its going to last for. I wonder what our Prophet (saw) would say if he saw that muslim land right now. We've shamed ourselves enough, how about we stop for a minute and turn back to God, ask for forgiveness and stop ourselves, our brothers from harming all the inhabitants of that land.
Sorry for rambling and if I said anything incorrect please forgive me. I just hate seeing the people split up like you guys/girls just did. How about we all forget about tribes. Its a dream but if Prophet (saw) religion started from 1 man and now is over a billion strong, maybe you'll feel just I feel one day.