UNITED NATIONS, September 23 -- Italy will give Yemen an “integrated satellite Coast Guard system” to patrol the waters between its coast and Somalia, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told Inner City Press on Thursday night at the UN.
As Frattini left a closed door meeting about Somalia, Inner City Press asked him if Italy among with the UK is making such an offer to Yemen, at the Group of Friend of Yemen meeting.
“Yes,” Frattini answered, “we will confirm them tomorrow.” He said Italy is coordinating with the UK, offering not only patrols but also to “train coast guard officers” with “technical expertise.”
Inner City Press asked if this was directed at militant, presumably from Al Shabab, or would also sweep up refugees. Frattini paused and said Italy would “help the legal authorities of Yemen” to “better assist refugees.”
Little has been heard about the Group of Friend of Yemen meeting, compared to the meeting on Sudan the same day, or even the Somalia meeting Frattini was leaving from. Some say that while Yemen is fighting insurgencies -- even that it has lost control of large segments of its territory -- it wants to stay off the UN agenda, and does so successfully, including Inner City Press is told by using its chairmanship of the Group of 77. The meeting may not even be held in the UN. Watch this
