U.N. defends arms shipment in Kenya, calls drug claim disturbing

[Hindustani78]

Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:52pm EDT
Related: World, United Nations, Norway, Africa
NAIROBI
U.N. defends arms shipment in Kenya, calls drug claim disturbing| Reuters


Weapons discovered by Kenyan authorities aboard a Norwegian ship were part of a legitimate cargo for United Nations peacekeepers and the vessel should not have been inspected without a U.N. presence, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday.

Kenyan authorities said they uncovered weapons and a drug-like substance stashed inside a shipment of U.N. vehicles when they boarded the Norwegian-flagged Hoegh Transporter at the port of Mombasa last week.

"It is unfortunate that the Kenyan authorities inspected the cargo without a U.N. presence, which runs contrary to established protocol and provisions surrounding privileges and immunities," the U.N. said in a statement signed by its spokesman in Nairobi, Nasser Ega-Musa.

"We are also aware of the disturbing allegations that drugs were also found on the vessel. This is being currently investigated by the responsible authorities," he said.

Coastguards and navies in East Africa have struggled to stem the flow of drugs through their waters as the region has become a key export route for Afghan heroin destined for Europe.

The U.N. statement said the weapons found aboard were part of a legitimate cargo of armored personnel carriers destined for the Indian battalion of the U.N.'s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the statement said.

"It is normal practice for weapons attached to the APCs to be dismantled and placed inside the carriers in order to avoid damage whilst being shipped," it added.

The contractor responsible for the shipment had provided additional information on the arms to Kenyan port officials, the U.N. said, adding it was co-operating fully with them.

Hoegh Autoliners, the Norwegian owner of the vessel, said on Wednesday the weapons found aboard had not been declared by the shipper and their presence violated the terms of the shipping agreement.

Francis Wanjohi, the regional police commander responsible for Mombasa, told Reuters on Thursday investigations were not yet complete.

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

 

[Hiptullha]

I really wouldn't be surprised to learn that UN peacekeepers are involved in drug trafficking.
Anyone remember Kathryn Bolkovac?

 

[Hindustani78]

I really wouldn't be surprised to learn that UN peacekeepers are involved in drug trafficking.
Anyone remember Kathryn Bolkovac?

United Nations vehicles are offloaded from a Norwegian ship at the Kenyan port of Mombasa, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. Kenyan security forces searching a Norwegian ship at Mombasa port discovered undeclared weapons among a consignment of U.N. vehicles, local police and the ship's Norwegian owner said Wednesday. (AP Photo)

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan security forces searching a Norwegian ship at Mombasa port discovered undeclared weapons among the consignment of U.N. vehicles, local police and the ship's Norwegian owner said Wednesday.

Rifles and Russian-made rocket-propelled grenades were among a "cache of firearms," Mombasa police chief Francis Wanjohi told a news conference.

Kenya's government is trying to determine whether it was a U.N. agency transporting the weapons and why the arms were not disclosed in the cargo manifest, said Wanjohi. Twenty crew members of the vessel will be charged with illegal arms trafficking, he said.

"None of these were declared in the manifest, therefore the Kenyan government was not aware of that," said Wanjohi. "It is procedural that everything must be declared, but in this case the Kenyan government was not made aware."

A U.N. peacekeeping spokesman said Wednesday that the weapons found were part of declared cargo packed in India and destined for the Indian battalion in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo.

"The weapons were declared in the bill of lading but not in the manifest," the spokesman said. "A request was sent by the U.N. contractor responsible for the shipment to the Mombasa ship agent to amend the manifest, but since this was not possible, a declaration of the weapons accompanying the military vehicles was attached."

All the U.N. trucks on the ship will remain at the port until the verification exercise is completed, Wanjohi said.

An investigation is ongoing and a report will explain why police targeted the ship, the Hoegh Transporter, said Kenyan police spokesman Charles Owino.

The Norwegian shipping company Hoegh Autoliners confirmed in statement Wednesday that Kenyan authorities found weapons inside some of the U.N. vehicles that had not been declared in the cargo manifest.

The shipping company said its shipping contract clearly stated that no weapons should be transported.


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Local media reports also alleged that drugs in a crystal form were found during the search, but these were not officially verified. “We have noted reports in the press that in addition to weapons, the Kenyan authorities have found a substance which is being tested to ascertain whether could be drugs. We have no clear information at this point as to whether this is correct or not,” Höegh said.