Protest Disrupts Somalia Oil Conference In London

Summary
• Demonstrators accused the government of trying to illegally sell offshore oil exploration zones.
• The upper house of Somalia’s parliament has boycotted the event, saying there is no agreement yet on how resources will be shared.
• The government says the conference is only a presentation of geological findings and the regulatory framework.
• It insists that a planned auction of oil blocks has been postponed.

The conference— the first round of bidding on offshore acreages for 206 blocks, mainly in southern Somalia is hosted by a company called Spectrum. According to Somali government, the conference is intended for the inaugural for the first offshore hydrocarbon licensing round.

But the Somali community members are saying the conference is to auction oil blocks in the absence of required laws and regulations.

Bishar Aden, one of the organizers of the protest said the demonstrators gathered early morning on Thursday at the Claridge’s Hotel in London to force to halt the corrupt government officials’ bid to auction the oil and gas blocks poor horn of Africa nation.

“We are committed and undeterred even if they [government] tries to intimidate some of us,” he added. “We cannot allow corrupt government sell of our natural assets.”

Live social media clips show women, young and old men and children standing on the road that leads to Claridge’s Hotel at Brook St, Mayfair, London, where the oil summit was due to start after 9am local time

Another protester Deqa Mohamed who said most of the demonstrators were mothers who fled the civil war in Somalia reasoned their protest as a way to object creating new resource-related conflict.

“The country is still divided. There is no national consensus and it is like every group is governing its own territory,” the mother of two said “Somalia cannot afford another natural resource-related conflict brought up by Spectrum.”

The organizers spoke of how officials in Mogadishu and some in London approached them either to threaten organizers or solicited with bribe giving to discourage the protesters. “We are united and undeterred” they said.

“Somalia oil is not for Sale” was the Slogan of the Protesters.

Final block delineation

According to Spectrum’s website, Somali Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed— whose accommodation in London expenses and airfares from Somalia was covered by Spectrum, will unveil the final block delineation, expected to consist of up to 50 blocks covering a total area of over 173,000 km².

Somalia plunged into anarchy and conflict in 1992 following the collapse of the former dictator regime. The country lacks petroleum laws and necessary regulations for the oil exploration licenses.

On Wednesday, the Upper House of the country’s bicameral parliament released a strong statement cautioning the London Somalia Oil Summit.

“Article 44 of the Federal Constitution which clarifies the scheme of resource sharing is still incomplete. Besides that, there is ongoing dispute between the Federal Government and its Member States.” read part of the statement which Horn Globe seen.

Meanwhile three strong political parties, the Union for Peace and Democracy, Somali National Vision and Wadajir have called to cease of the oil licensing round on the rounds of lack of regulations to govern such licensing schemes.

Locals blame that Mogadishu Government was not prioritizing internal security as militant groups continue to carry deadly attacks in the capital.

Protesters warned that monies raised from undisclosed deals such as this oil conference could prevail corruption in Somalia where the system of check and balance is threatened within the government.

Somalia was recently declared the most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International, the international campaign group.