POSSIBLE ARMS SMUGGLING FROM YEMEN TO SOMALIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002618

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2013
TAGS: PTER MARR PREL SU YM EH UN COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE ARMS SMUGGLING FROM YEMEN TO SOMALIA

REF: SANAA 1814

Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull, for Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (c) Summary/Comment: During his mid-September 2003 visit
to Yemen, Dr. John Tambi, from United Nation's Panel of
Experts on Somalia (UNPES) stated that UNPES was looking into
the possible use of Yemeni airports to smuggle weapons from
Yemen to Somalia. Given the prevalence of arms dealing
in-country, Post believes that information provided by Tambi
is plausible, but has not independently verified the
information. End Summary/Comment.


2. (c) Dr. John Tambi, a member of the UNPES, told
Pol/econoff during a September 14 meeting that UNPES is
investigating possible arms smuggling from Yemen to Somalia.
Tambi is the civil aviation expert on the panel, other UNPES
members include boats and arms experts. Tambi visited Yemen
to look into air traffic that may be currently used to
smuggle arms from Yemen to Somalia.


3. (c) UNPES is investigating the possible involvement of
United Arab Emirates-based flights in smuggling arms to
Somalia during re-fueling stops at Riyan airport in the
southern region of Mukallah. Note: Tambi actually was not
certain of the name of the airport, but provided and old
airport code that post was able to identify as Riyan. End
note. Tambi explained that the re-fueling stops in Yemen
seem unnecessary and last longer than the usual time needed
for re-fueling, leading UNPES to speculate that such flights
may be being loaded with weapons in Riyan. The final
destination of these flights are airports in Somalia
allegedly controlled by warlords. After unloading their
cargo in Somalia, Tambi said the flights return a small
airport in Sharja, UAE, without making a re-fueling stop in
Yemen.


4. (c) Tambi's meetings to discuss UNPES concerns that
Yemeni weapons are being smuggled to war-torn Somalia
included ROYG officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the Ministry of Defense. According to Tambi, all the
ROYG officials he met rejected the notion that Yemeni
airports were used in any smuggling activities into Somalia.
UNPES plans to continue its investigation and will present
any findings to the ROYG. Tambi requested that Embassy
Sana'a provide UNPES with any information related to their
ongoing investigation.


5. (U) Khartoum Minimize Considered.

HULL