Medeshi Sept 5, 2008Somalia sea pirates seek revenge; to kill French hostages
Organised ship piracy gains momentum in the tribal enclave of Majertenia. Without intervention, more will fall victims to the sea mafia of Somalia.
The French yacht caught by pirates in the self declared Bantustan of "Puntland State of Somalia", formerly known as Majertenia for its Majeerteen tribal inhabitants were again in the media this week for another ghastly case of common criminality.
After one botched hijacking of a French luxury yacht almost five months ago which resulted in the deaths of tribal pirate militias due to French rescue mission, they awaited for their moment to strike again until this week. This time, they menacingly plan retribution pledging to "teach the French a lesson".
Speaking to a sympathetic media in Majertenia, one unidentified "leader" denied any connections to Al-Qaeda or Italy's Mafia as more evidences emerge including the involvements of certain Italians who formerly profited from nuclear and chemical waste dumping in the Somalia seas. Continuing with his protestations, he reticently blamed the abject poverty which had pushed entire communities to queue up in coastal areas to look out for opportunities to scavenge in the seas.
Again, the news media is being deliberately side tracked skewing from the reality on the ground by officials with charming titles such as "Minister for Fisheries" or "Minster for Water and Resources" who abdicate their responsibilities claiming to have "no control" because they "have no power". It was only one month ago when the same officials were ridiculously informing media in their press releases that a German couple hijacked from the Gulf of Aden were abducted in Sanaag ( a region in Somaliland which Majertenia lays claims to by tribal affiliations). Las Qorey was cited as the place used by the hostage takers, however their cover was blown by my investigations and intuition pointing fingers in the western part of Bander Qasim known as Bosaaso. Not surprisingly, the hostages appeared from that city within two weeks after a hefty ransom was paid which the Majertenia authority took almost 40% of the proceeds.
As usual, hostages are deliberately reported to be held in Eyl when the Osman Mahamud militias who abducted the hostages are known to use Alula as a holding centre. Eyl is similar to Hafun, Baargaal and many of the empty small coastal settlements which serve no purpose except a staging points for such criminal activities. Rather than closing down these criminal coastal activities, such officials mentioned above morph into tribal elders as they collude with them to bargain for a share of the loot or money, hence such treacherous officials shall be ignored.
Lessons from history
Calling this stretch of Somalia as "Northern Somalia" or "Puntland" is misleading as it ignores past history and solutions to such problems. Worst experience was the callous treatments of survivors in 1801 when the East India Frigate, Weisshelm found itself in difficulties at Hafun causing men to leave ship for land. Survivors unluckily found themselves in peril as naked Majeerteen tribesmen were violently ready to pounce on them; killing, looting and stealing all things considered worthy of selling in the Arab markets of Yemen's Aden port.
Since such savage tribesmen had no capacity to build boats, they prayed to Allah for shipwrecks which to loot as they considered "Kafirs" fair game. At Allula of the 19th century, a Sheikh called Guled Yasin famous in oral history of the Majeerteen resided at Alula to ululate each wreckage as a gift from Allah. Local Sultans encouraged such crimes as means to finance their domain with an ever increasing mouths given the scarce and arid semi desert environment of Majertenia.
After Arab and Indian traders left Majertenia for greener pastures such as today's Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. Local tribes and slaves were suddenly faced with challenges to organise their society into perceived civilised nature of Sultanates. As a result, confederacies were formed to produce what we today know as the Harti clan which the Majeerteens are affiliated to as a sub-clan of Harti. Without knowledge in trade and shipping, they depended on serving Arab boats involved in the east Africa slave trade as watchmen, guards and sold anything of use to them including Frankincense, myrrh and sheep. In return, Majeerteen bought Arab horses used by tribal worriers often given out as gifts to other tribes they hope to bring under the new Harti umbrella. Amongst these new recruits were the Dholbahante still impressed with Arab horses, and adapted such horses as tribal symbol in their flag.
At its height, French warships bombarded Baargaal settlement and its surrounding in a last ditch effort to scare locals to give back a priceless loot from a French shipwreck. The French ship called Amical was besieged by Majeerteen tribesmen accumulating many gold bars which later were to become the foundation stones of the old Somali Bank. Many Somalis grudgingly saw the Harti domination of the Somali Bank as favouritism from the Darod government, but the Harti saw the Bank as theirs as they contributed to the foundations of the bank more than any other tribe. As a result, many Harti illiterates were entrusted to oversee the Somali Bank operations purely on tribal grounds. Even those Harti sent abroad to study accounting only came back to enrich themselves rather than stabilising the beleaguered bank.
Decoding current "Puntland State of Somalia"
The Majeerteens now numbering almost 200,000 scattered across the North of Somalia currently boast of the presidential seat in the Somalia TFG, increasing their see attacks from 2005 as they needed to raise funds to dominate the docile Hawiya who subsequently voted current Abdullahi Yusuf as their president of the TFG leading to Majeerteen militias occupying Mogadishu with Ethiopian forces..
With Majeerteens now bunching above their weight, major consequences had been the mounting pressure to continue the funding of their Mogadishu occupation winning them plaudits from Majeerteen diasporas engrossed with self-aggrandisement and rekindling their faith in "Harti supremacy". Mogadishu's capture is celebrated as an achievement similar to that of Jews return to Israel. The local Hawiya dislodged Darod and many others from the city by force after finally ceasing to tolerate former military junta which they had served for 21 years in 1991. Ironically, the same bank built with stolen gold bars, was later looted by marauding Hawiye civilians eager to find their share of the looting
As a result of their expulsion from Mogadishu, the Majeerteen along with other Harti subgroups formed "Puntland State of Somalia" in 1998 in order to counteract the then transitional government led by their enemies; a Hawiye man called Abdiqasim. This gave them reprieve from involvements in Somalia politics as they isolated themselves until finally seeing an opportunity in 2001 when Abdiqasim's hopes were pricked by his own clansmen in Mogadishu.
Now it is not surprising to witness the self proclaimed government led by a Majeerteen studiously reticent about co-operations to sufficiently halt this prolonged sea piracy while astonishingly loud in this presaging period of prolonged uncertainty about his efforts to "fighting terrorism" in Mogadishu.
The sudden need to continue these criminal activities culminated from Hawiya blockade after refraining themselves from the use of Bander Qasim as a migration point to Yemen which once generated lucrative business for all in Majertenia. Some Hawiye travellers assumed to be rich use to be held hostage for ransom money. But as Majeerteens entered Mogadishu on the back of Ethiopian tanks, Hawiya suspicions increased and had finally closed all routes into Majertenia. Only Rahawein currently hosting the TFG government in their city Baidoa safely assume themselves to be immune from Majeerteen cruelty.
Hostage taking not only stayed in Majertenia, but followed them wherever they went as now two reporters are still missing in Mogadishu. The foreign reporters were engaged with refugees now displaced in camps outside Mogadishu when the attackers struck. No local Hawiya see this abductions as in their interest since they are eager to share their plight with the rest of the world. Again the suspects who are to gain from silencing such reporters are clear and no further from the eyes of the international community; those who consider hiding their cruelty as paramount to their perceived "empire".
Organised ship piracy gains momentum in the tribal enclave of Majertenia. Without intervention, more will fall victims to the sea mafia of Somalia.
The French yacht caught by pirates in the self declared Bantustan of "Puntland State of Somalia", formerly known as Majertenia for its Majeerteen tribal inhabitants were again in the media this week for another ghastly case of common criminality.
After one botched hijacking of a French luxury yacht almost five months ago which resulted in the deaths of tribal pirate militias due to French rescue mission, they awaited for their moment to strike again until this week. This time, they menacingly plan retribution pledging to "teach the French a lesson".
Speaking to a sympathetic media in Majertenia, one unidentified "leader" denied any connections to Al-Qaeda or Italy's Mafia as more evidences emerge including the involvements of certain Italians who formerly profited from nuclear and chemical waste dumping in the Somalia seas. Continuing with his protestations, he reticently blamed the abject poverty which had pushed entire communities to queue up in coastal areas to look out for opportunities to scavenge in the seas.
Again, the news media is being deliberately side tracked skewing from the reality on the ground by officials with charming titles such as "Minister for Fisheries" or "Minster for Water and Resources" who abdicate their responsibilities claiming to have "no control" because they "have no power". It was only one month ago when the same officials were ridiculously informing media in their press releases that a German couple hijacked from the Gulf of Aden were abducted in Sanaag ( a region in Somaliland which Majertenia lays claims to by tribal affiliations). Las Qorey was cited as the place used by the hostage takers, however their cover was blown by my investigations and intuition pointing fingers in the western part of Bander Qasim known as Bosaaso. Not surprisingly, the hostages appeared from that city within two weeks after a hefty ransom was paid which the Majertenia authority took almost 40% of the proceeds.
As usual, hostages are deliberately reported to be held in Eyl when the Osman Mahamud militias who abducted the hostages are known to use Alula as a holding centre. Eyl is similar to Hafun, Baargaal and many of the empty small coastal settlements which serve no purpose except a staging points for such criminal activities. Rather than closing down these criminal coastal activities, such officials mentioned above morph into tribal elders as they collude with them to bargain for a share of the loot or money, hence such treacherous officials shall be ignored.
Lessons from history
Calling this stretch of Somalia as "Northern Somalia" or "Puntland" is misleading as it ignores past history and solutions to such problems. Worst experience was the callous treatments of survivors in 1801 when the East India Frigate, Weisshelm found itself in difficulties at Hafun causing men to leave ship for land. Survivors unluckily found themselves in peril as naked Majeerteen tribesmen were violently ready to pounce on them; killing, looting and stealing all things considered worthy of selling in the Arab markets of Yemen's Aden port.
Since such savage tribesmen had no capacity to build boats, they prayed to Allah for shipwrecks which to loot as they considered "Kafirs" fair game. At Allula of the 19th century, a Sheikh called Guled Yasin famous in oral history of the Majeerteen resided at Alula to ululate each wreckage as a gift from Allah. Local Sultans encouraged such crimes as means to finance their domain with an ever increasing mouths given the scarce and arid semi desert environment of Majertenia.
After Arab and Indian traders left Majertenia for greener pastures such as today's Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. Local tribes and slaves were suddenly faced with challenges to organise their society into perceived civilised nature of Sultanates. As a result, confederacies were formed to produce what we today know as the Harti clan which the Majeerteens are affiliated to as a sub-clan of Harti. Without knowledge in trade and shipping, they depended on serving Arab boats involved in the east Africa slave trade as watchmen, guards and sold anything of use to them including Frankincense, myrrh and sheep. In return, Majeerteen bought Arab horses used by tribal worriers often given out as gifts to other tribes they hope to bring under the new Harti umbrella. Amongst these new recruits were the Dholbahante still impressed with Arab horses, and adapted such horses as tribal symbol in their flag.
At its height, French warships bombarded Baargaal settlement and its surrounding in a last ditch effort to scare locals to give back a priceless loot from a French shipwreck. The French ship called Amical was besieged by Majeerteen tribesmen accumulating many gold bars which later were to become the foundation stones of the old Somali Bank. Many Somalis grudgingly saw the Harti domination of the Somali Bank as favouritism from the Darod government, but the Harti saw the Bank as theirs as they contributed to the foundations of the bank more than any other tribe. As a result, many Harti illiterates were entrusted to oversee the Somali Bank operations purely on tribal grounds. Even those Harti sent abroad to study accounting only came back to enrich themselves rather than stabilising the beleaguered bank.
Decoding current "Puntland State of Somalia"
The Majeerteens now numbering almost 200,000 scattered across the North of Somalia currently boast of the presidential seat in the Somalia TFG, increasing their see attacks from 2005 as they needed to raise funds to dominate the docile Hawiya who subsequently voted current Abdullahi Yusuf as their president of the TFG leading to Majeerteen militias occupying Mogadishu with Ethiopian forces..
With Majeerteens now bunching above their weight, major consequences had been the mounting pressure to continue the funding of their Mogadishu occupation winning them plaudits from Majeerteen diasporas engrossed with self-aggrandisement and rekindling their faith in "Harti supremacy". Mogadishu's capture is celebrated as an achievement similar to that of Jews return to Israel. The local Hawiya dislodged Darod and many others from the city by force after finally ceasing to tolerate former military junta which they had served for 21 years in 1991. Ironically, the same bank built with stolen gold bars, was later looted by marauding Hawiye civilians eager to find their share of the looting
As a result of their expulsion from Mogadishu, the Majeerteen along with other Harti subgroups formed "Puntland State of Somalia" in 1998 in order to counteract the then transitional government led by their enemies; a Hawiye man called Abdiqasim. This gave them reprieve from involvements in Somalia politics as they isolated themselves until finally seeing an opportunity in 2001 when Abdiqasim's hopes were pricked by his own clansmen in Mogadishu.
Now it is not surprising to witness the self proclaimed government led by a Majeerteen studiously reticent about co-operations to sufficiently halt this prolonged sea piracy while astonishingly loud in this presaging period of prolonged uncertainty about his efforts to "fighting terrorism" in Mogadishu.
The sudden need to continue these criminal activities culminated from Hawiya blockade after refraining themselves from the use of Bander Qasim as a migration point to Yemen which once generated lucrative business for all in Majertenia. Some Hawiye travellers assumed to be rich use to be held hostage for ransom money. But as Majeerteens entered Mogadishu on the back of Ethiopian tanks, Hawiya suspicions increased and had finally closed all routes into Majertenia. Only Rahawein currently hosting the TFG government in their city Baidoa safely assume themselves to be immune from Majeerteen cruelty.
Hostage taking not only stayed in Majertenia, but followed them wherever they went as now two reporters are still missing in Mogadishu. The foreign reporters were engaged with refugees now displaced in camps outside Mogadishu when the attackers struck. No local Hawiya see this abductions as in their interest since they are eager to share their plight with the rest of the world. Again the suspects who are to gain from silencing such reporters are clear and no further from the eyes of the international community; those who consider hiding their cruelty as paramount to their perceived "empire".
By : Shuun Isaaq
