Dozens of bodies washed ashore in Yemen on Friday after smugglers threw nearly 150 migrants from Somalia overboard in shark-infested waters, the latest such tragedy in one of the most lawless stretches of ocean in the world.
The Gulf of Aden between Yemen and the Horn of Africa has already become notorious for Somali piracy. The hijacking of a ship carrying a cargo of heavy weapons two weeks ago heightened concern over the chaos in a key shipping route — and prompted NATO on Thursday to send warships to help US Navy vessels already patrolling the region.
The latest migrant deaths raised calls for those ships to also act against human trafficking across the same waters, which is also fueled by the turmoil in Somalia, a country where there is no government control and armed groups are rampant.
“It’s essentially the same problems that allow piracy and smuggling,” said Roger Middleton, an expert on East Africa at the Chatham House think tank in London.
Around 32,000 migrants have made the hazardous sea journey to Yemen this year, figures from the Yemeni government and the UN showed.
Smugglers are known to cram dozens of people onto small boats and often beat them during the journey. To avoid Yemeni patrols, the smugglers often dump their passengers far from shore and force them to swim the rest of the way.
In the latest instance, around 150 migrants departed Somalia on Monday, and when their vessel reached about 5km off Yemen’s southern Shabwa coast, the smugglers ordered everyone off, UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Ron Redmond said.
Twelve of the passengers were put on a smaller boat to take them to shore, while the rest were forced to swim.
Also See: ‘Faina’ hijackers issue ultimatum、 Wasting away in the shadows
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS