Yemen Denies Illegal Arms Supply
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SANA’A, Yemen, Oct. 12, 2005 (The Yemen Observer) – The Yemeni government admitted on Monday that it had sent weapons to Somalia earlier this year to help the country's interim government consolidate its grip on power and restore stability.
The official said: "Yemen has supplied the legitimate government in Somalia with personal arms in support of police forces that are being prepared and equipped to strengthen the elected government's capacities to boost the security and stability of the country."
The Yemeni official was reacting to a recent report by a United Nations panel of experts monitoring a weapons embargo on Somalia, in which they listed Yemen, Ethiopia and Eritrea as violators of the ban imposed in 1992.
According to the statement, Yemen's delivery of weapons to the Somali government also aimed at "consolidating the grip of the legitimate authority to help it fight terrorist elements that constitute a threat to the security and stability of the Horn of Africa".
The unnamed official said the Yemeni arms supplies to Somalia "received endorsement from concerned international bodies".
The UN report said the Yemeni shipments included 5 000 firearms and 15 000 military uniforms.
The 60-page report said: "Using military aircraft, Antonov 26, to transport arms shipments from Aden, Yemen to Bossaso, Somalia, in direct state support for TFG (parliament) and President Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed - the Yemeni Air Force delivered arms on eight occasions between 2 and 10 July 2005."
According to the report, the Somali president and his chief of staff, general Ahmed Naji, also negotiated a deal with the Yemeni government for the delivery of RPG rocket launchers, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons and helicopters.
“Arms flowing into lawless Somalia have increased dramatically over the last eight months through smuggling and shipments from Yemen, Ethiopia and Eritrea in violation of a UN weapons embargo,” the report said.
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