Sanaag Residents are now Exposed to the risks of Poisons Dumped at Sea by unknown persons or vessels that have surfaced in our shores” –Cllr Qamar Taleeh
By: Yusuf M Hasan
ERIGAVO (Somalilandsun) – Unidentified Barrels believed to contain poison have surfaced in the port of Harsho in Lasa Surad town Erigavo district of Sanaag region.
This was revealed by a member of the Erigavo local government Councillor Qamar Mohamed Salah ‘Qamar Taleeh’ during a press briefing in which she said that the suspected poison has been dumped by a foreign Ship illegally.
Sanaag Residents are now Exposed to the risks of Poisons Dumped at Sea by unknown persons or vessels that have surfaced in our shores” –Cllr Qamar Taleeh
Urging both the Sanaag regional and Somaliland central governments to take immediate action Councillor Qamar Taleeh said, “Unless proper intervention is done residents of not only Harsho port but those of Erigavo district and Sanaag region are at risk”
Harsho which is among the several ports of Sanaag region that nestle the Indian Ocean’s Gulf of Aden is situated 90kms to the north of Erigavo town which is also capital of Sanaag region.
Stating that the several containers with poison surfaced at the port from initially point of disposal deep at sea was made possible by recent strong winds also appealed to the international community to interfere and help save lives before it is too late, for the innocent residents of Sanaag the eastern most region of Somaliland.
“While it is the norm for the international community to act late after disasters strike, we hope that the issue of these poisonous substances shall receive expedited attention” Cllr Qamar told Somalilandsun during a telephone interview.
Due to lack of proper equipment or skilled personnel dealing with such matters, the type and source of the dumped poison remains to be unveiled and verified.
According to Councillor Qamar Taleeh the only female Erigavo Council member as well as among the few in entire Somaliland said that the actions taken by authorities both administrative and political on this issue shall be a major factor thus of bearing in forthcoming elections slated for March 2017.
Despite this anomaly which is as a result of the hitherto non-existence thence appearance of such substances in Somaliland territorial waters it is worthy to note that the notoriety of Somali pirates is directly related to such dumping.
To date this piracy presumably to protect waters against the illegal dumping of toxic substances has seen a Secret Flow Of Somali Piracy Ransoms: 179 Hijacked Ships Generated Some $400M In Payments Since 200 as well as the European Union funding of Operation Atalanta an anti-Somali piracy campaign whose sophisticated fleet of vessels, both naval and Aerial has been assembled from the European Naval Force-EUNAV
With hawk-eyed piracy deterrence watch kept over the entire Gulf of Aden and beyond by this gigantic fleet that includes others from various countries it is difficult for one to fathom how a ship disgorged its poisonous cargo without being noticed.
Or was it not only noticed but approved? Mostly likely it is a setting for the next Captain Phillips Movie
On the other hand which member of the international community cares about what happens to citizens of Somaliland a country the so called IC has refused to acknowledge existence of?
Copyright © 2015 Somalilandsun, All rights reserved.
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