Berlin // German legislators have voiced alarm at plans by a German firm to send more than 100 mercenaries to Somalia to assist a warlord opposed to the president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the head of the UN-backed transitional government.
Asgaard German Security Group, the only private military contractor in Germany, said it had agreed to a contract with Abdinur Ahmed Darman, who claims to be the president of Somalia, to provide training and equipment for the police and the military, and security for the Somali government.
Asgaard, which employs former soldiers of the Bundeswehr, the German army, says it offers personal, building and convoy protection worldwide and currently has contracts in several locations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Dubai, according to the company's website.
Somalia has been in a civil war since the collapse of the military government in 1991, and rival clans and Islamist militia have been fighting each other for power ever since. Mr Darman declared himself president in 2003. Mr Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected by Somali MPs in 2009, has western backing but he controls only parts of the capital, Mogadishu, while Islamist groups control much of the south of the country.
The German government said this week it would look into the contract after a television report about Asgaard's agreement led to a public outcry. Legislators said sending former German soldiers to Somalia would destabilise the country even further, undermine international peace efforts and embarrass Germany.
Rainer Stinner, a foreign policy spokesman for the Free Democrat Party, which is part of the chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition government, said any agreement between Mr Darman, who was not the recognised president of Somalia, and Asgaard would be "a clear breach of the sanctions agreed by the UN Security Council".
The defence policy spokesman of the opposition Left Party, Paul Schäfer, said: "This development is worrying because it is a form of shadow foreign policy that is outside parliamentary control."
Asgaard's statement announcing the deal in December had gone largely unnoticed. In it, the company referred to Mr Darman as the "President of the Republic of Somalia" and said the contract comprised "all necessary measures to reintroduce security and peace to Somalia".
Asgaard's plans sounded less ambitious last Wednesday. Its chief executive, Thomas Kaltegärtner, a former sergeant major in the Bundeswehr, said in an interview that the agreement would come into force only if Mr Darman was recognised by the UN as the legitimate president of Somalia.
"In that case we will provide security consultancy, personal, building and convoy protection and security for Dr Darman and his government," Mr Kaltegärtner said. "If Dr Darman doesn't become president the contract will not come into force."
Mr Kaltegärtner refused to say how much the contract is worth.
The state prosecutor's office in Münster said yesterday it had launched an investigation into whether Asgaard had acted illegally. Recruiting German citizens for military activities on behalf of a "foreign power" is illegal.
"I'm not worried about the investigation because we haven't broken any laws," Mr Kaltegärtner said.
A UN arms embargo against Somalia also covers the provision of military training, except for training by international peacekeepers.
Legislators said assisting Mr Darman could directly counteract a European Union military mission to train the forces of the Somali government.
The EU mission, which began this month, contains German advisers.
Asgaard rejected accusations that it would undermine peacekeeping efforts in Somalia. "We want to make clear that we want to work closely with the German government and will not act against its interests in any way," the firm said on its website this week. It said it had not yet sent any staff to Somalia.
Omid Nouripour, the defence spokesman for the opposition Greens party, said: "We have done too little in recent years to regulate private security firms."
The prospect of German mercenaries getting involved in an unstable region such as Somalia has awakened memories of the global controversy about the the use of private military contractors by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Blackwater, since renamed Xe, faced allegations of wrongly killing Iraqi civilians in 2007 while protecting US diplomats. The staff of other private firms were involved in the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal.
"German companies must not make profits at the expense of Somali civilians and undermine the security policy of Germany and the European Union," said Franziska Brantner, a member of the European Parliament for the Greens party.
Security analysts said there was a strong risk that militants might kidnap German contractors in Somalia and hold Berlin to ransom, either by demanding money or by making political demands such as the withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan.
@Email:dcrossland@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm