Yemen Rejects Houthi Conditions on Decaying Oil Tanker

Yemen's Safer oil tanker. AFP file photo
Yemen's Safer oil tanker. AFP file photo
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Yemen Rejects Houthi Conditions on Decaying Oil Tanker

Yemen's Safer oil tanker. AFP file photo
Yemen's Safer oil tanker. AFP file photo

Houthi insurgents use the floating storage and offloading (FSO) facility Safer as a weapon and for political blackmailing, the Yemeni caretaker government said on Tuesday, calling for the UN Security Council to end persistent "hijacking of the tanker by militias that threaten Yemen and the world."

In a tweet, Yemen's foreign ministry slammed the Houthis for denying the UN team access to the vessel, and “using the FSO as a weapon and for political blackmailing.”

The Houthis obstinately put unattainable conditions, such as prolonging the life expectancy of an unfixable derelict reservoir, keeping Safer as a time bomb at its hands without caring for risky consequences, it added.

The FSO's cargo of crude needs to be immediately unloaded to avoid an environmental, humanitarian disaster due to the facility's continuously deteriorating condition, the ministry warned.

While the government unconditionally approved for the UN team access, and agreed to have the crude revenues used in paying the civil servants' salaries across Yemen, the Houthis persistently refuse to do so.

The Safer, which is located off the Yemeni seaport of Ras Isa, has not been maintained since 2014, with corrosion making the FSO and its 1.2 million barrels of crude at risk of looming explosion.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the so-called Houthi Revolutionary Committee, said that the insurgents demanded that the UN brings in a third party to assess the situation on board the derelict ship.

“What worries the UN, its chief, and the coalition (Arab Coalition)? If they claim to be keen on the environment, they should involve a third party, represented by Germany or Sweden, in the maintenance of Safer,” al-Houthi tweeted.

The UN has recently called for expediting the issuance of needed access permits to the UN team of experts to assess and perform maintenance on the rundown vessel.



Egypt, Somalia Hold Talks to Boost Cooperation in Horn of Africa

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Somalia Hold Talks to Boost Cooperation in Horn of Africa

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt and Somalia held new consultations on Monday as part of their high-level coordination that started early this year after Addis Ababa signed a deal with the breakaway Somaliland region, allowing it access to the Red Sea for trade and military purposes.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit.

The meeting came to affirm Egypt’s contribution to the new peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will replace the current African Union mission by January 2025.

It also came two days after Mogadishu excluded Addis Ababa from the mission due to its violations against Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that consultations in Riyadh between the two ministers are a continuation of the process of strengthening Egyptian-Somali cooperation in the Horn of Africa in light of the rising risks both countries currently face due to Ethiopia’s behavior that threatens regional stability.

They noted that such cooperation would be fruitful for the region and could expand to include Eritrea and other countries, something Addis Ababa will consider a threat.

The experts expect Ethiopia either to retract its illegal positions regarding the Renaissance Dam and its deal with the Somaliland region, or cause additional escalation and tension in the region.

Last January, Ethiopia signed an initial agreement with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland to use its Red Sea port.

The MoU grants Ethiopia 20-km access to the Red Sea, specifically in the Berbera port, for a 50-year period.

In return, Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as a republic, which has not been internationally recognized since it broke away from Somalia in 1991.

The port deal with Somaliland faced opposition from Egypt and other Arab nations.

It also sparked tighter relations between Egypt and Somalia. In August, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a military cooperation agreement in Cairo.

Later that month, Somalia announced the arrival of Egyptian military equipment and personnel in Mogadishu in the fight against the Al Shabab terrorist group.

On Saturday, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur officially announced that the Ethiopian troops will not be part of the forthcoming AUSSOM. He said Ethiopia was excluded due to its “violations against Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

During his meeting on Monday with the Somali FM, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s unwavering stance in supporting Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting any foreign interference in its internal affairs, according to an Egyptian FM statement released on Tuesday.

He confirmed his country’s participation in the peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu and strengthening cooperation with Eritrea in the region.

The FM expressed Cairo’s commitment to continue coordinating with his Somali counterpart to follow up on the pledge made by the leaders of Egypt and Eritrea in early October to provide comprehensive support to Somalia.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for the Somali federal government’s efforts to combat terrorism and uphold the state’s sovereignty over its entire territory.

For his part, Fiqi expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s unwavering support in helping his country combat terrorism, assert its sovereignty, and uphold its unity and territorial integrity.

Ambassador Salah Halima, Former Assistant Minister for Sudan's affairs in Egypt, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Egyptian assurances are part of both countries’ efforts to strengthen cooperation.

“This growing partnership, that also involves Eritrea, may expand to include other countries and would achieve development and stability in the region,” Halima said. “But Ethiopia, with its hostile actions towards Egypt and Somalia, will be the cause of continued escalation and tension,” he warned.

Sudanese expert on African affairs Abdul Nasser Haj said the current Egyptian-Somali understandings are completely consistent with events happening in the Horn of Africa region, especially Ethiopia’s escalating acts concerning the Renaissance Dam and its port deal with Somaliland.