Secret Toxic Waste Dumps: Somalia

[Baba Ahmed]

From: Alaman5375@aol.com
Sent: Mar 23, 2005 10:23 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Somalia Nuclear/Toxic Waste: Tsunami Uncovers Poisons Dumped Off

You know and in the back of our minds wondered how long they have been using many African countries to dump expired medicines, spoiled products, city waste and now illegal nuclear and toxic waste; while they continue to exploit raw natural resources.

WAFRICA FORUM "Keeping ourselves Informed... Faissons passer l'information..."
www.wafrica.org
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Nuclear & Toxic Waste: Tsunami Uncovers Poisons Dumped Off Somali Coast: "In 1997 and 1998, the [excellent] Italian newspaper Famiglia Cristiana, which jointly investigated the allegations with the Italian branch of Greenpeace, published a series of articles detailing the extent of illegal dumping by a
Swiss firm, Achair Partners, and an Italian waste broker, Progresso.

March 04, 2005

Somalia's secret dumps of toxic waste washed ashore by tsunami
From Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg

THE huge waves which battered northern Somalia after the tsunami in December are believed to have stirred up tonnes of nuclear and toxic waste illegally dumped in the war-racked country during the early 1990s.

Apart from killing about 300 people and destroying thousands of homes, the waves broke up rusting barrels and other containers and hazardous waste dumped along the long, remote shoreline, a spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) said.

Initial reports indicate that the tsunami waves broke open containers full of toxic waste and scattered the contents. We are talking about everything from medical waste to chemical waste products,? Nick Nuttal, the Unep spokesman, told The Times.

We know this material is on the land and is now being blown around and possibly carried to villages. What we do not know is the full extent of the problem.

Mr Nuttall said that a UN assessment mission that recently returned from the lawless African country, which has had no government since 1991, reported that several Somalis in the northern areas were ill with diseases consistent with radiation sickness. We need more information. We need to find out what has been going on there, but there is real cause for concern, he added. We now need to urgently send in a multi-agency expert mission, led by Unep, for a full investigation.

An initial UN report says that many people in the areas around the northeastern towns of Hobbio and Benadir, on the Indian Ocean coast, are suffering from far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages and unusual skin infections.

The current situation along the Somali coastline poses a very serious environmental hazard not only in Somalia but also in the eastern Africa sub-region, the report says. Toxic waste was first dumped in Somalia in the late 1980s, but accelerated sharply during the civil war which followed the 1991 overthrow of the late dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Local warlords, many of them former ministers in Siad Barre's last government, received large payments from Swiss and Italian firms for access to their respective fiefdoms. Most of the waste was simply dumped on remote beaches in containers and leaking disposable barrels. Somali sources close to the trade say that the dumped materials included radioactive uranium, lead, cadmium, mercury and industrial, hospital, chemical and various other toxic wastes. In 1992, Unep said that European firms were involved in the trade, but because of the high level of insecurity in the country there were never any accurate assessments of the extent of the problem.

In 1997 and 1998, the Italian newspaper Famiglia Cristiana, which jointly investigated the allegations with the Italian branch of Greenpeace, published a series of articles detailing the extent of illegal dumping by a Swiss firm, Achair Partners, and an Italian waste broker, Progresso.

The European Green Party followed up the revelations by presenting to the press and the European Parliament in Strasbourg copies of contracts signed by the two companies and representatives of the then President Ali Mahdi Mohamed to accept 10 million tonnes of toxic waste in exchange for $80 million (then about £60 million).

Abdullahi Elmi Mohamed, a Somali academic studying in Sweden, told The Times that this worked out at approximately $8 per tonne, while in Europe the cost for disposal and treatment of toxic waste material could go up to $1,000 per tonne.

Mr Ali Mahdi, who then controlled north Mogadishu and who worked closely with the UN during its disastrous 1992-95 humanitarian mission to the country, has always refused to discuss the issue even though an Italian parliamentary report subsequently confirmed many of the allegations.
Copyright 2005 Times Newspapers Ltd.

Nuclear & Toxic Waste: Tsunami Uncovers Poisons Dumped Off Somali Coast Europe's Nuclear & Toxic Waste Scandal in Somalia: Radiation Threatens East & Horn of Africa

The same Times of London article on the deadly man-made wastes now unleashed in Somalia was filed from Johannesburg, South Africa by Jonathan Clayton. All or virtually all these nuclear and other poisonous wastes were shipped into Somalia from Europe.

At $8.00 a ton (eight bucks) European companies illegally dumped lethal, poisonous and radioactive wastes that would've cost as much as $1,000 a ton (a thousand dollars per ton) to dispose of in the white, northern world.

Much of this story traces back to a Somali "leader" named Ali Mahdi - also as Ali Mahdi Mohamed - who in the early 1990s "controlled north Mogadishu and worked closely with the UN..."

The Times article claims that this Ali Mahdi has always refused to discuss his role in dumping nuclear and toxic waste in Somalia for profit. Just as importantly -- where is Ali Mahdi now, and - since authorities already know about this scandal - why isn't he in jail?

But also, a report by Italy's parliament has already confirmed many of the dumping allegations. Quoting from the Times: "Initial reports indicate that the tsunami waves broke open containers full of toxic waste and scattered the contents. We are talking about everything from medical waste to chemical waste products, Nick Nuttal, the Unep spokesman, told The Times.

We know this material is on the land and is now being blown around and possibly carried to villages. What we do not know is the full extent of the problem.

"Mr Nuttall said... a UN assessment mission ... recently returned from [Somalia] which has had no government since 1991, reported that several Somalis in the northern areas were ill with diseases consistent with radiation sickness.

We need more information. We need to find out what has been going on there, but there is real cause for concern,? he added. We now need to urgently send in a multi-agency expert mission, led by Unep, for a full investigation.

"An initial UN report says that many people in the areas around the northeastern towns of Hobbio and Benadir, on the Indian Ocean coast, are suffering from far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages and unusual skin infections.

The current situation along the Somali coastline poses a very serious environmental hazard not only in Somalia but also in the eastern Africa sub-region...

"Local warlords, many of them former ministers in Siad Barre?s last government, received large payments from Swiss and Italian firms for access to their respective fiefdoms.

"Most of the waste was simply dumped on remote beaches in containers and leaking disposable barrels.

"Somali sources ... say ... the dumped materials included radioactive uranium, lead, cadmium, mercury and industrial, hospital, chemical and various other toxic wastes. In 1992, Unep said that European firms were involved in the trade, but because of the high level of insecurity in the country there were never any accurate assessments of the extent of the problem.

"In 1997 and 1998, the [excellent] Italian newspaper Famiglia Cristiana, which jointly investigated the allegations with the Italian branch of Greenpeace, published a series of articles detailing the extent of illegal dumping by a Swiss firm, Achair Partners, and an Italian waste broker, Progresso.

"The European Green Party followed up the revelations by presenting to the press and the European Parliament in Strasbourg copies of contracts signed by the two companies and representatives of the then President Ali Mahdi Mohamed to accept 10 million tonnes of toxic waste in exchange for $80 million (then about £60 million). ..."


05 March 2005 in Africa/americas/both, Bandung+50, Capitalism, Globalisation redux, Peace/conflict, Politics, Postcards from the Over-developed world, Race in europe, Racial pecking orders , Science [1], Tsunamis 26-dec-2004 |
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Somalia - dumping ground for nuclear and toxic waste from Black Looks
Marian's Blog has a story [Read More]

Tracked on March 6, 2005 09:17 AM
Comments

did you know their is a site dedicated to Waste Disposal ?

Posted by: owukori | March 7, 2005 03:12 AM

Hi sister Marian - What a story. Who knows how long this has been going on. There was a time about 7 or 8 years ago when a group of unscrupulous Nigerian citizens bought toxic waste for dumping from Europe. I am not sure how it all ended if at all it did - whether there were any prosecutions and what happened to the waste which was packed in petrol drums. I hope you will be able to stay with this and unravel what exactly is going on. Tsunamis Victims: Somali, Africa.

05 March 2005
Nuclear & Toxic Waste: Tsunami Uncovers Poisons Dumped Off Somali CoastReported in the Times of London - "Somalia's secret dumps of toxic waste washed ashore by tsunami." And all along virtually everyone's been ignoring tsunami effects in the Horn of Africa, Yemen, etc. "The huge waves which battered Somalia after the tsunami in December are believed to have stirred up tonnes of nuclear and toxic waste illegally dumped in the war-racked country during the early 1990s..." - What was done in the dark will show up in the light of day... As I see it the questions are:

• Which countries/corporations dumped it?

• And who in Somalia was paid to allow it?

• Is any of this related to the death of murdred Italian woman journalist Ilaria ["Hilary"] Alpi?

Some folks say Alpi and her driver were shot dead in Mogadishu because of sensitive information she'd discovered on illegal dumping.

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Comments
If such TOXIC waste have been dumped within shore of Somalia, without prior or legal permission of the authority concerned or dumped ilegally with the collaboration of some corrupted Somalian officers, it is a damn crime against humanity and should be investigated and all necessary action must be taken to that so that such illegal incidence should not occur in future. We all want a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons and any country involved still to produce nuclear weapons are doing aganist humanity.
Click Here:

• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/018690-150997900.html">Tsunami</A

• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18690-1509979,00.html

• http://marian.typepad.com/marians_blog/2005/03/europes_nuclear.html

Marian's Blog: Europe's Nuclear & Toxic Waste

• http://marian.typepad.com/marians_blog/2005/03/europes_nuclear.html

[Little95]

Yeah, this is what I be meaning when I say farmers ain't got no control over they lands nor does a vegans have control on what's called "organic".... toxic dirt = toxic food = toxic you = DEATH!!!!!

[Baba Ahmed]

To despair is out of order, my brutha...

I unfamiliar with soil nuclear waste pollution everywhere; but I do know this entire earth is not polluted beyond b n healed to think so is to wait for death. I am taught that for every problem, every dis-ease e.g., there are at least two solutions/cures.

The group Akyeame works with, a group of sistas my wife works with, and the group HABEHSA I know are grow'n organic veggies/fruits with aid of compost we make from Mama Earth's sources.

[Baba Ahmed]

To despair is out of order, my brutha...

I unfamiliar with soil nuclear waste pollution everywhere; but I do know this entire earth is not polluted beyond b n healed to think so is to wait for death. I am taught that for every problem, every dis-ease e.g., there are at least two solutions/cures.

The group Akyeame works with, a group of sistas my wife works with, and the group HABEHSA I know are grow'n organic veggies/fruits with aid of compost we make from Mama Earth's sources.

If we're go n to spread this thread's report to everywhere and all soil, your point has relevance. A lesson I see in it is just more evidence of two things in particular: 1) Afrikans at home and abroad help in their own destructions 2) Eu-rope-ans are relentless in efforts to destroy us.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO STRUGGLE; BETTER TO DIE IN STRUGGLE THAN LIVE IN MENTAL ENSLAVEMENTS.

And to take hook, line & sinker all that is reported is a form of mental enslavement. As much as I disagree with Rev. J. Jackson, he popularized an Adam Clayton Powell's motto: KEEP THE FAITH, BAYBEE!

Now more of us say its part of NIA

[Baba Ahmed]

To despair is out of order, my brutha...

I unfamiliar with soil nuclear waste pollution everywhere; but I do know this entire earth is not polluted beyond b n healed to think so is to wait for death. I am taught that for every problem, every dis-ease e.g., there are at least two solutions/cures.

The group Akyeame works with, a group of sistas my wife works with, and the group HABEHSA I know are grow'n organic veggies/fruits with aid of compost we make from Mama Earth's sources.

If we're go n to spread this thread's report to everywhere and all soil, your point has relevance. A lesson I see in it is just more evidence of two things in particular: 1) Afrikans at home and abroad help in their own destructions 2) Eu-rope-ans are relentless in efforts to destroy us.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO STRUGGLE; BETTER TO DIE IN STRUGGLE THAN LIVE IN MENTAL ENSLAVEMENTS.

And to take hook, line & sinker all that is reported is a form of mental enslavement. As much as I disagree with Rev. J. Jackson, he popularized an Adam Clayton Powell's motto: KEEP THE FAITH, BAYBEE!

Now more of us say its part of NIA


Stay BlackNificient

[NarMer the 7th SuN]

peace.

man damn..., I just read that. I used to sit back and think about this particular issue from time to time. I guess my feelings proved to correct.

*shakes head*

baba ahmed.., thanx for adding further clarity to the situation in my mind.

peace


NarMer