Hargeysa, Somaliland, February 16, 2009 - A group composed of militias from the neighboring Somalia region of Puntland and some locals are reported to be creating a pirate base in the eastern part of Somaliland. The militia with at least three vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft weapons are reportedly stationing in Buraan, around 40kms from Ceel-Buh village in Eastern Sanaag.
The aim of this group is to create a base where they can attack the International waters between Elayo and Lasqoray where the hijacking ships are not so common for the moment. They also want to destabilize Somaliland during the coming elections scheduled to take place on 29th March 2009.
Hargeysa Times, the local newspaper who reported this news mentioned from undisclosed Somaliland official that the head of the groups by the name of Fu’ad Hanano is known for his piracy activities in Puntland and his kidnapping of the German couples in Sanaag region last year. The newspaper added that Fu’ad who managed to get around three million US dollars of ransom recently is using that money to create that base in Somaliland to expand the piracy activities in the country. The news suggests that he recently bought those technical vehicles from Galkayo, Mudug region in Somalia.
WHO IS FUAD HANANO
Fu’ad Hanano is originally from Eastern Sanaag where he kidnapped a German couple last year. After the Somaliland forces moved to the area he took the hostages to the outskirts of Bosaso, the port city of the neighboring Puntland region where he finally released the couple after an amount of ransom was paid. Since then, Fu’ad moved to Eyl, the base of the pirates in Somalia where he carried out a number of piracy activities in the Somalia waters where he received more than a Million dollars as a ransom.
Fu’ad has at least 50 armed militia composed of some local residents and those from Puntland, the neighboring Somalia’s region with at least three technical vehicles that are recently bought from Galkayo. His son and a local clan elder is also part of his team.
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Hargeysa Times reported that the base will have two main objectives that are to destabilize Somaliland during the elections and to carry out a piracy activities in the Somaliland waters. Other reports also suggest that some Puntland leaders are cooperating with Fu’ad in order to transfer the piracy activities to Somaliland after in order to convert the International attention from that region which is famous of piracy in the recent years.
Somaliland has been fighting against pirates since last year where a number of them were arrested after the security forces discovered them planning operations in Somaliland. At least two operations by the Police forces were carried out in Berbera where around 10 persons were arrested. Lately a group of pirates were also arrested in Maydh, eastern Somaliland after they came to the area to hijack ships.
If the new base is created in Buraan, Somaliland will have to take a forceful action against the armed militia to eliminate the base which will cause conflicts in the area. If the base is left alone to operate then the region will be open for other terror groups to create bases and carry out terror activities in Somaliland.
Source: Somalilandpress


 

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