Somalia: British firm reportedly signs deal with Puntland to
patrol waters
BBC MONITORING INTERNATIONAL REPORTS , February 23, 2000 Text of report by Somali
newspaper 'Qaran' on 23rd February Col Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad, the president of the
Puntland regional government (northeastern Somalia), who is currently visiting Britain,
has signed an agreement witha British firm, Hart Group (as published), under which the
company will deploy a force it has already trained to patrol the waters off the coast of
northeastern Somalia. The agreement, which was signed in London on Monday (21st February),
also stipulates that Hart Group will supply high-speed boats equipped with
state-of-the-art tracking devices to impound ships illegally fishing or dumping nuclear
waste in the waters. The British firm, which has an office at a leading hotel in Boosaaso,
has employed a 60-man force. A Boosaaso-based `Qaran' reporter says members of the public
are jubiliant of the agreement between the northeastern administration and the British
firm. It is beleived that agreement prompted after Warlords in Southern and the Somaliland
prompted to sign fishing agreements before a national Somali State will be formed in
Djibuti according to Peace Plan of Presidente Gheuelle of Djibuti.