CAIRO — The United States was said to have acquired the right to
patrol the territorial waters of Somalia.
Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi told parliament that his
government has permitted the U.S. Navy to patrol the coastal waters of the
Arab League state. On April 16, Gedi said that under the agreement
Washington would help Somalia establish a coast guard.
The United States, which withdrew from Mogadishu in 1993, has denied any
formal agreement with the transitional government of Somalia. The State
Department reported "diplomatic discussions with representatives from [the
transitional government of Somalia] concerning a number of areas of possible
cooperation, including anti-piracy efforts," Middle East Newsline reported.
"The Somali government did not talk to the U.S. Navy," U.S. Navy Fifth
Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Charles Brown said. "The U.S. Navy has no
agreement with the Somali government."
Somalia has a coastline of about 3,000 kilometers. The transitional
government has lost control of the country to feudal militias.
Under the accord, officials said, the U.S. Navy would patrol and monitor
the Somali coast. At the same time, the navy would organize, train and equip
the coast guard for the African state.
In November 2005, the Somali government signed a $50 million contract
with the U.S. firm Top Cat Marine Security. Under the contract, Top Cat
pledged to provide fast attack craft, helicopters and special forces to help
restore control over the Somali coast.
Officials said the U.S. Navy would patrol Somali waters to prevent
pirates from attacking merchant and cruise ships in the Red Sea. The
International Maritime Bureau has reported a sharp increase in piracy in
2005.
The U.S. military has established a ground and naval presence in the
Horn of Africa. Directed from Central Command regional headquarters in
Qatar, the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa has focused on naval
patrols, training and civil affairs.
The task force, based in Djibouti, includes operations in Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen. So far, officials said, the U.S.
military does not have a presence in Somalia.
