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Date:         Thu, 8 Oct 1992 10:20:06 CST
Reply-To:     chowning@acuvax.acu.edu
From:         Richard Chowning <chowning@ACUVAX.ACU.EDU>
Subject:      Somalia - Toxic Waste

The toxic waste dumping continues off the coast of Somalia.  I really cannot
believe the world bodies are completely powerless before these "mafia"
organizations.

--- Chelagoi

*********** Reprint of News Story ****************************************
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.
Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from
'newsdesk'.

Reference: Europe, western
Title: SOMALIA: EC says it cannot stop toxic waste dumping, but...

brussels, sep 30 (ips/bob mantiri) -- the european commission says
that while it cannot prevent the dumping of toxic waste in
somalia, it is at least urging its 12 member states to adopt toxic
waste anti-dumping legislation.

the ''commission has no mandate to take any measures to prevent
the dumping of the hazardous chemical waste'', an official of the
ec commission on environment said wednesday, referring to recent
reports that european firms were dumping toxic waste in and along
the coast of war-torn somalia.

united nations environment programme (unep) director mustapha
tolba reiterated wednesday that ''mafia'' organisations are using
the ''situation of anarchy in somalia to dump the toxic waste from
italy and switzerland on the somalian coast''.

according to the ec-official, former environment commissioner
ripa de meana, who is now minister for environment in italy, has
ordered an investigation into the reports which first surfaced two
weeks ago.

then, the unep alleged that italian and swiss firms were last
december given a 20-year concession to export wastes to somalia by
a certain nur elmy osman, who calls himself the minister of health
under self-styled somalian president ali mahdi mohammed.

carlos jimenez, spokesperson of the geneva-based unep, said
wednesday that the alleged deal struck between the so-called
somalian minister of health and the european firms, was worth as
much as 800 million dollars.

mahdi, who controls a small part of the somalian capital of
mogadishu, however denies making any such deal.

mahdi is one of the two main warlords to have emerged since
former dictator mohammed siad barre was driven out of the country.
his forces and those under rival faction leader mohammed farah
aideed have for the past 20 months been engaged in a vicious
struggle for power.

two unep officials who visited somalia in the first week of
september, claimed that several dumpings have already occurred.
they said they had discovered a warehouse in hargesa, in northern
somalia, full of pesticide containers.

''a blaze had damaged several containers and the toxic waste
leaked into a nearby dry riverbed that is used for drinking
water,'' a unep spokesperson told ips.

unep has since contacted the governments of the countries from
where the alleged firms operate. unep's spokesperson jimenez has
also revealed that his organisation is negotiating with key
authoritative figures in somalia to have the practice stamped out.

''uneps's objective is to ensure that any more planned disposals
do not occur,'' he said

african, caribbean and pacific (acp) official and barbadian
ambassador to brussels orlando marville, has also urged the
european parliament to take immediate measures.

addressing the eec-acp joint assembly in luxembourg on wednesday,
marville said: ''my god, as if the war and the famine are not
enough, we hear about toxic waste. this is a disgrace. we must do
something about somalia and now.''
(end/ips/ip-en/bm/cpg/92)
!
_____________________________________________________________________
Chelagoi               alias                         Richard Chowning

chowning@acuvax.acu.edu                  Abilene Christian University
chowning@acuvax.bitnet                                 Abilene, Texas
rchowning@igc.org                               Voice: (915) 674-3754
_______________________________________________________________________