September30, 2008:
How did a weapons shipment for
the rebel government of southern Sudan, end up in Kenya, with the Kenyan
government claiming the shipload of weapons as its own? On September 25th, a
Ukrainian ship, carrying a cargo of over 2,000 tons of weapons (including 33
T-72 tanks) to Kenya, was seized by pirates off the north coast of Somalia. The
pirates promptly demanded $35 million for the ship, then lowered that to $20
million. As foreign warships closed in, the pirates threatened to sink the
Ukrainian ship if anyone tried to take their prize away.
Initially,
everyone believed the weapons were headed for Kenya, because the Kenyan
government said the weapons were theirs and would be unloaded at the Kenyan
port of Mombassa. Then U.S. intelligence officials let slip the fact that the
weapons were headed to Sudan. Apparently south Sudan, which is an autonomous
part of the country, operating under a peace treaty with the main government of
Sudan. Although Sudan and its rebellious south have a peace deal, they don't
have peace. There has been skirmishing on the border this year, and this
semi-secret weapons shipment makes sense. The only way to get weapons into
south Sudan is via Kenya. Sudan has several ports, but none controlled by the
southern rebels.
The U.S. is
concerned that one of the Islamic radical factions in Somalia might get hold of
the weapons in the Ukrainian ship (which apparently consists of over 700 tons
of rifles, RPGs and ammunition, in addition to the 33 T-72 tanks).