By Liban Ahmad

The Toxic Truth, a documentary aired on Al Jazeera TV on Saturday, January 17, 2009 raised more questions about people involved in the illicit business of dumping toxic waste along Somalia’s coast.  Before the 2004 Tsunami uncovered toxic waste dumped in the Somali seas, rumors were making the rounds that Somali politicians have a role in the environmental crimes that put lives of Somalis at risk.

Ali Mahdi Mohamed, former interim president of Somalia, has been accused of having a role in the deal that enabled foreign companies to dump toxic waste along the coats of Somalia.     Al Jazeera documentary sought to investigate, among other things, the link between foreigners contracted to dump toxic waste in Somali seas, and Somali politicians. In 1994 an Italian journalist, Ilaria Alpi, and her camera operator, Miran Hrovatin were murdered in Mogadishu. Ilaria was reportedly investigating the use of Italian aid for Somalia to smuggle arms and dump toxic waste in Somalia.  

Al Jazeera documentary aims to substantiate allegations that Somali politicians and associates working with Italy based companies, whose dealings Ilaria was partly investigating, were behind the murder of the Ilaria and Miran. This very theory is undermined by inadequate research that comes to light if one watches the The Toxic Truth. In March 1994 when the two journalists were brutally murdered, Mogadishu was divided into two parts: the north, ruled by the former interim president Ali Mahdi Mohamed, and the south, ruled my late General Mohamed Farah Aideed, the former chairman of United Somali Congress. In both parts of Mogadishu, a large number armed clan militias accountable to no one had roamed in the streets. Mogadishu was split into two parts  in November 1991 when General Aideed attempted to topple Ali Mahdi Mohamed. The unsuccessful coup triggered internecine clan warfare between forces loyal to the Ali Mahdi Mohamed and General Aideed.  Although UNISOM forces were in Mogadihsu  when Ilaria and Miran were gunned down, only traders and people with no direct role in the clan conflict were able to shuttle between the north and south Mogadishu. It is not clear whether the Italian Foreign Ministry advised the murdered journalists on  traveling to Somalia.  Journalists operating in a divided city like 1990s Mogadishu hire security staff belonging to a part of the city they  are working. Security arrangements are facilitated by associates from the group ruling the fiefdom (north or south Mogadishu).

Hashi Omar Hassan is serving 26 years in an Italian prison for the murder of the Ilaria and Miran.  Douglas Duale, a lawyer for Hashi told Al Jazeera that “the idea of killing the journalists originated in Italy, not Somalia, Somalia only did the handiwork. “

Al Jazeera’s inadequate research into the arms smuggling into Somalia comes to the fore in the documents shown in The Toxic Truth particularly a letter from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense dated “15th April 1992” indicating that the weapons on a ship were for Yemen.  Somali fishing ships were allegedly used to smuggle the weapons. The Somali ships operating under thane of Shifco were based in Yemen following the overthrow of the military regime in 1991. The Yemeni Ministry of Defense letter used for Al Jazeera documentary is apparently dodgy. The letter-head bears the title: People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen”, a county name  for South Yemen before the north and south Yemen united in 1990 to form the Yemen Arab Republic. No effort was made to check the contents   of the letter or to ascertain whether it is fake or one forged by Shifco management based in the Yemen. The signature on the letter is attributable to no one but to the Ministry of Defense. 

Another letter allegedly from the office of the former Somali interim president Ali Mahdi Mohamed in which “he authorizes the building of dumping ground in Somalia”   raises fundamental questions about the editorial judgment of Al Jazeera. The letter attributed to Ali Mahdi Mohamed was issued on 19/8/1996, several weeks after the death   of his rival General Mohamed Farah Aideed in Mogadishu. Al Jazeera did not give Ali Mahdi Mohamed a right of reply.

The issue of dumping toxic waste in Somalia was first covered the New Scientist  magazine in 1992. “Talks aimed at stopping millions of tones of European toxic waste being dumped in strife-torn Somalia have started between officials of the UN Environment Programme and the Italian and Swiss governments,” reported New Scientist on 19 September 1992. There are two theories about Al Jazeera’s flawed The Toxic Truth on environmental crime committed against Somalia. One theory posits that Al Jazeera was unwittingly dragged into Somali power-struggle to settle score with people who cannot defend themselves against the media might of a major news organization like Al Jazeera. Another theory points to an intricate web of deceit to put the blame on the shoulders of Somali political leaders who allegedly made a deal with companies involved in dumping toxic waste in seas. Rigorous research could have weeded out major flaws that make The Toxic Truth look more like a cover-up than an exemplary investigative report on a major environmental crime.

Liban Ahmad

liban@somalipressreview.com

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