From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed May 26 2010 - 16:41:44 EDT
Investigation opens into German mercenaries in Somalia
26.05.2010
The public prosecutor in the German city of Muenster has opened an
investigation into reports that a German security firm is sending
mercenaries to a Somali warlord amid concerns the deal violates UN
sanctions.
A German public prosecutor on Wednesday began an investigation into reports
that a German security firm has been contracted to provide a Somali warlord
with more than 100 German ex-soldiers.
Wolfgang Schweer of the Muenster public prosecutor's office said he was
looking into the deal reportedly agreed between Asgaard German Security
Group and Somali opposition politician Galadid Abdinur Ahmad Darman.
"We are checking whether the offence of recruiting for a foreign army has
been committed here," Schweer said.
Ahmad Darman, who is based in the United States, claims he is the legitimate
president of Somalia. In an interview with German public broadcaster NDR, he
said the soldiers "would be ordered to fight if necessary. They will fight
alongside our units."
Asgaard said in a press release "the contract includes wide-ranging tasks
and areas of competence: from strategic planning to security to
implementation of all measures that are necessary to restore peace and
stability."
Asgaard's managing director, Thomas Kaltegaertner, has declined to comment
on the Muenster prosecutor's investigation, according to German broadcaster
ARD.
Internal opposition
German lawmakers have also come down hard on the deal, criticizing it as a
potential violation of United Nations sanctions against the
conflict-stricken East African country.
Rainer Arnold, defense spokesperson for the opposition Social Democrats
described the Asgaard deployment as "not acceptable," adding that
"legislation should be created to limit such things."
Greens parliamentarian Omid Nouripour said Tuesday his party would
investigate the deployment. Nouripour also criticized the German government
for not implementing tougher laws to prevent ex-soldiers from serving as
mercenaries in foreign wars.
The German Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it knew nothing about the
contract or the activities of Asgaard. The Defense Ministry also confirmed
that it has never entered into any contractual agreement with the company.
Security experts warn that a Somali warlord backed by highly trained Western
soldiers could shift the fragile political balance in the country and spark
a bloodbath.
"If a German company now trains and supports a Somali warring faction then
it is surely against the interests of the German government," Annette Weber
from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs told NDR.
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