<
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27
148:somali-airspace-routinely-violated-by-foreign-uavs-and-other-aircraft--u
n&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107> Somali airspace routinely violated by
foreign UAVs and other aircraft - UN
Written by defenceWeb Friday, 10 August 2012 13:47
The United Nations has counted 64 reports of foreign fighter jets,
helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles operating in Somalia over the last
year, most of which violated the 1992 arms embargo against Somalia.
In its Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the United
Nations said that it had received a growing number of reports of unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over Somalia.
"Several independent investigations have documented the deployment of US
operated UAVs in Somalia, and other countries of the region, mostly for
surveillance purposes. On at least two occasions, UAVs have reportedly been
employed in targeted assassination of Al-Shabaab leaders and commanders
during the course of the Monitoring Group mandate," the report stated.
"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) routinely operate in Somali airspace.
Although the United States Government has officially informed the Monitoring
Group that it provided "a small number of Unmanned Aerial Systems to
AMISOM", AMISOM has expressed its concern about unidentified UAV operations
in Mogadishu in an official letter sent to its main partners in February
2012," the report said.
As the operation of UAVs is considered to be military in nature, "their
importation to and use in Somalia therefore represents as potential
violation of the arms embargo."
"The Monitoring Group, based on confidential security reports and open
source information, has counted 64 reports of activities of foreign jet
fighters, helicopters and UAVs in Somalia from June 2011 to April 2012."
Some of these reports concern attacks mistakenly targeting an internally
displaced people camp and a humanitarian feeding centre, targeted killings
by drones of Al-Shabaab commanders, and Special Forces covert operations in
Somalia.
"The Monitoring Group has also received report that the US government is
operating for covert operations in Somalia a fleet of four unmarked Mil
Moscow Helicopter Plant Mi-17 helicopters, based at Camp Lemonier in
Djibouti. These aircraft, although not equipped with any weaponry, are
reportedly used to deploy US-Special forces from Djibouti to northeastern
Somalia in support of the Puntland Intelligence Agency (PIA)."
The reported highlighted several incidents involving UAVs. On August 19,
2011, an Associated Press reporter saw pieces of a surveillance drone that
had crashed on a house in central Mogadishu, before being recovered by
AMISOM soldiers. On November 13, 2011, a UAV matching the description of an
RQ-11 Raven overflew Mogadishu, passing over the UNCC and UNSOA bulk fuel
installations, representing a serious security threat to AMISOM, because of
the risk of a crash into its main fuel depot. On January 9 this year, a
Boeing 737 passenger jet, operated on behalf of AMISOM, almost collided with
a UAV after departure from Mogadishu International Airport. Furthermore, on
February 3, 2012, a US-manufactured drone crashed in Badbaado IDP camp in
Mogadishu. The remains of the aircraft were quickly recovered by AMISOM and
TFG security forces.
The Monitoring Group noted that most of the reported air strikes and
military air operations in Southern Somalia were conducted by Northrop
F-5E/5F "Tiger II" aircraft operated by the Kenyan Air Force, purchased from
Jordan in November 2007. "Spokespersons of the Kenya Ministry of Defence
have, in several cases, confirmed the involvement of the Kenyan Air Force in
reported air strikes in southern Somalia. As Kenyan forces were not at the
time operating on behalf of AMISOM the Monitoring Group deemed the aerial
operations a violation of the arms embargo on Somalia."
Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti have all conducted large scale military
operations in Somalia without prior authorization from the United Nations.
Djiboutian forces have since been 'rehatted' as AMISOM troops and Kenya
formally merged its forces with AMISOM on 2 June 2012, allowing their forces
to legitimately operate in the area.. However, the report noted that
Ethiopia has announced that it does not intend to place its troops under
AMISOM command, meaning that its operations in Somalia currently constitute
a violation of the arms embargo.
In June the Washington Post article stated that the United States has
established a dozen air bases in Africa since 2007, mainly for surveillance
purposes. Most are small operations run out of secluded hangars at African
military bases or civilian airports. Surveillance is overseen by US Special
Operations forces but relies to a large extent on private military
contractors and support from African troops. This allows these operations to
fly below the radar. Using Pilatus PC-12 (U-28) surveillance aircraft rather
than unmanned aerial vehicles also keeps the profile of these operations
low.
Africa has emerged as a greater priority for the US government because
terrorist groups there have become an increasing threat to US and regional
security. The US is concerned about al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM),
insurgents in Mali, Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria and al Shabaab militia
in Somalia. In central Africa, around 100 US special forces are assisting in
the hunt for warlord Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army.
The United States has launched air strikes in Somalia and Yemen using
unmanned aerial vehicles, but has also deployed F-15E Strike Eagles to
Djibouti. Some of the bases are in Ethiopia, the Seychelles, Burkina Faso
and Uganda. Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is the only permanent US base in
Africa. About 2 000 US personnel are deployed there as part of Combined
Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, many from the Army National Guard. MQ-9
Reapers have flown from bases in Ethiopia and the Seychelles - two Reapers
crashed there in the past six months.
Received on Fri Aug 10 2012 - 16:29:04 EDT
