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| Africa Horn |
| Canada oil firm in Puntland hires foreign guards |
| 2008-10-30 |
| (SomaliNet) A Canadian oil company that says its exploring for oil in northern Somalia's Puntland province has hired foreign security guards to protect oil workers after a botched kidnapping earlier this month, sources said. The foreign guards hired by Africa Oil Corp. are reportedly from Western countries, including the U.S. and Australia. Security forces freed a British national working for Africa Oil in the port city of Bossaso after he was kidnapped for a few hours by locals hired as security. Bossaso residents said heavily-armed foreigners have been seen sitting guard at the Africa Oil office in recent days. Meanwhile, many Somali militiamen who were part of a security team hired to safeguard Africa Oil personnel and equipment have been dismissed, the sources added. This is the first time a foreign company has brought armed foreigners to Somalia since the country's last national government collapsed in 1991. Africa Oil's "contract" in Puntland faces legal and security challenges emanating from unstable political conditions in Somalia and local clans' opposition to exploration without consent. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 I wonder what these guys are making? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-30 13:58 |