As British troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan and bomber pilots over Libya see a possible end to their bombing raids on cities in the country will they start to prepare and train for the next military excursion in Somalia?

A depressingly familiar pattern preceding oil wars.

There’s a set pattern that the government goes through in preparing us for oil wars whether that’s in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya. That same process now appears to be happening in regards to Somalia.

First the government determines which side is the best side to back where cheap oil is concerned – the rebels in Libya for example or the removal of a government such as the Taliban in Afghanistan. Then the Government and BBC start the propaganda campaign to prepare us for war.  And so the process for Somalia starts.

Somalia’s famine is now a threat to UK security.

On his recent visit to Mogadishu Andrew Mitchell, the UK International Development Secretary, warns that the current ‘militants’ and ‘terrorists’ in Somalia are a real threat to peace in this country and a real risk to our security. He highlights the fact that there are now more British grown terrorists operating in Somalia than there are operating in Pakistan.

The BBC reports that the militants are one of the causes of the famine and one of the reasons for the human disaster now impacting on the area. The demonising of the ‘enemy’ through propaganda has now begun to ease the way for military intervention in the country under the guise of humanitarian action.

Rebel or militant, freedom fighter or terrorist? Who offers the best deal on oil.

Obviously whether the Islamic fundamentalists, who control over half the county, are militants, terrorists and the enemy will depend on your own personal views. For some the rebels and freedom fighters of Libya are nothing more than criminals, terrorists and militants. For Western governments it’s just a question of who offers the best deals on cheap and secure oil supplies.

The new sabre rattling by the UK government comes just after the failed attempts of Germany to associate the famine with climate change and the United Nations Security Council (the military arm of the UN) new responsibility of including climate change within it’s remit. Is the UK’s government attempts to make Somalia the new hotbed of terrorist activity a reaction to the failed attempt to bring the famine into the Security Councils area of responsibility through climate change?

As the tanks and solders of Syria finally bring their campaign to a close without any military intervention by the UN to protect citizens will there be a reason for military action in Somalia? Surely Somalia has nothing to offer the West and it’s one of the poorest countries in the world and not worth the expense of military action.

Somalia’s vast oil, gas, iron, uranium, zinc etc  resources.

Unlike Syria who will become an oil importing nation rather than exporting nation within two years and so has nothing to offer the West, Somalia has vast oil and gas reserves and other natural resources such as uranium that is in high demand.

A World Bank reports places Somalia as potentially the second most important country for unexploited oil reserves  in Africa with the Puntland Province alone capable of producing between 5 and 10 billion barrels of oil.  American, Australian and Chinese oil companies are all preparing to exploit the oil of Somalia once the country can be made secure.

Oil exploration begins in parts of Somalia.

As the oil exploration companies prepare to begin drilling in the Dharoor Valley and the Nugaal Valley are the generals and politicians beginning to prepare us for war so that other areas of Somalia are made safe enough for the oil companies to expand their activities?

Somalia’s pirates also threaten a third of Europe’s oil supplies.

It’s not just the oil and gas reserves under the ground of Somalia which makes military action in the country increasingly attractive. The sheer scale of piracy now occurring out of the country is threatening global oil supplies. The first 6 months of this year has been the worse ever period in modern times for piracy and much of it originates out of Somalia. The scale of the impact of the pirates on world oil supplies can be seen in the hijacking of one oil supertanker earlier this year. The ship carried £125 million of oil or the equivalent of 20% of one days supply for the US.  The increased hijackings are adding to already high oil prices.

With a third of all Europe’s oil supplies passing through the high risk Indian Ocean where Somali pirates are most active the temptation to bring in the military to take an active role on the ground must be high.

If Andrew Mitchell’s attempt to paint Somalia as the new hotbed of terrorism is replicated by other ministers and government officials then prepare to see more innocent blood spilled in the search for cheap oil.

External sites:

Somali oil reserves.

BBC report on Somalia.

Natural resources of Somalia.

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