Action: Stop the An Yue Jiang from delivering Chinese weapons to Zimbabwe
Latest information on the An Yue Jiang
[Please check the comments as well for information updates]
24-04-08 ~ 19.35 pm:
News everywhere is that the ship has been recalled to China, but an article posted a lunch time today in South Africa has a different view:
The ship An Yue Jiang, loaded with weapons for Zimbabwe, is expected to dock in Lobito, Angola at midday on Friday, where activists hope it will meet the same fate as it did in Durban last week.
International Transport Workers Federation’s spokesperson Sam Dawson said on Wednesday that they were “extremely confident” that the Chinese container ship was on its way to Lobito. Preparations would be made to prevent its cargo from being off-loaded by dock workers there.
The Chinese ship had been spotted off the western coast of Africa, he said, but declined identify the ITFs sources, since they would be in danger of being exposed. He said the ship was sailing at 11 knots and would, by ITF calculations, be outside Lobito on Friday.
Union preparations were continuing to block attempts to unload and transport the cargo “and any attempt to do so will be met by the strongest possible trade union response”.
Earlier updates archived here
Updated Action Information
A new Avaaz petition to sign
Avaaz have another petition. This one is to SADC leaders and governments around the world:
Petition to SADC leaders and governments throughout Africa and the world: We, the undersigned, call for your support preventing any weapons shipments from reaching Zimbabwe until the crisis is resolved. We believe that, if delivered, these weapons would likely be used to violate the human rights of Zimbabweans, and we support the efforts of ordinary citizens and African trade unionists to prevent their transit through neighbouring countries. This shipment highlights the urgent need for a strong international arms trade treaty, and the continuing violence demands that all regional and global leaders act to protect human rights.
- Please sign it
- Please ensure you forward details to as many people as you know via the function on their website
- Thank you!
Emails to send
Use this email to send to Portuguese speaking recipients. We’ve kept the wording non-specific, so you can send it to any type of organisation. Feel free to add a English comment underneath if you would like to do so. Big thanks are due to CC for the translation.
Estimado Senhor ou Senhora,
Eu estou muito preocupado sobre relatórios que um navio chinês, “An Yue Jiang”, carregando as armas com destino Zimbabue, pôde dirigir para seu país.
Eu apelo-lhe para fazer tudo em seu poder parar estas armas de ser entregado a Zimbabue. Zimbabue não é um país na guerra e o resultado das eleições democráticas prendidas no 2ø Março 2008 tem ser anunciado ainda. Seria errado enviar armas a um país no aperto de um impasse político.
Eu vi retratos terríveis das vítimas da tortura, e eu li relatórios dos povos que foram batidos e brutalisados em Zimbabue. Milhares de cidadãos de Zimbabue estiveram deslocados de seus repousos nas áreas rurais, e ameaçados com a morte se retornassem. Estas vítimas são cidadãos que não fizeram nada mais do que exercitar a direita democratia votar livremente para um representante de sua escolha.
Muitos gentes em torno do mundo estão seguindo a história da transição difícil de Zimbabue à democracia. Nós somos imprimidos pelo fato que os povos de Zimbabue remanesceram non-violentos apesar do circunstâncias incrivel. Nós queriamos um futuro positivo para todos em Zimbabue.
Eu sou incentivado muito e orgulhoso da bondade e dos esforços dos cidadãos do Africa do Sul que trabalham juntos para proteger os povos de Zimbabue duma violência adicional. Eu apelo-lhe para fazer o mesmo em seu país.
Eu agradeço-o lendo esta mensagem.
(Sign your name here)
In English, the message reads:
Dear Sir or Madam
I am very concerned about reports that a Chinese ship, “An Yue Jiang”, bearing weapons that are destined for Zimbabwe, might be heading towards your country.
I appeal to you to do everything in your power to stop these weapons from being delivered to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is not a country at war and the outcome of the democratic elections held on the 29th March 2008 has yet to be announced. It would be wrong to send weapons to a country in the grip of such a political impasse.
I have seen terrible pictures of victims of torture, and I have read reports of people who have been beaten and brutalised in Zimbabwe. Thousands of Zimbabwe civilians have been displaced from their homes in the rural areas, and have been threatened with death if they return. These victims are civilians who have done nothing more than exercise their democractic right to freely associate and to vote for a representative of their choice.
Many people around the world are closely following the story of Zimbabwe’s difficult transition to democracy. We are impressed by the fact that the Zimbabwean people have remained non-violent despite incredible provocation. We are praying for the people of Zimbabwe and we are all hoping to witness a positive future for all Zimbabweans.
I am very encouraged and proud of the kindness and efforts the world witnessed when South Africans rallied to protect the Zimbabwean people from further violence. I appeal to you to do the same in your country.
I thank you for reading this message.
Yours sincerely
A Petition to Sign
The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is the global movement against gun violence - a network of 800 civil society organisations working in 120 countries to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
They have set up a ‘Stop The Zimbabwe Arms Shipment’ petition here. Please sign it and spread word of it widely.
How this consolidated post will work
This post provides a summary of articles posted so far and synthesises comments and ideas left by supporters in the comments. Please link to this post from your blogs so we have one consolidated post for all ideas in relation to taking action against Chinese weapons arriving in Zimbabwe. Please keep all comments on this post specifically focussed on action and action ideas.
Use this button to alert others to the action
To use this button and link back to this Action Alert post, please copy the code in the box below and paste it where you would like the button to appear on your website. (Refresh this page to view the button’s animations). Thank you for your support.
Previous posts on the Chinese weapons story
- The An Yue Jiang could be in Angola by midday tomorrow
- Pictures of the An Yue Jiang
- Send a Portuguese email to stop the ‘An Yue Jiang’
- Petition on arms heading for Zimbabwe (set up by IANSA)
- The An Yue Jiang, its cargo, and a context of rapidly escalating violence in Zimbabwe
- We call them guns; Mugabe calls them ‘campaign materials’
- We “will not unload this cargo” says Satawu
- ‘Media frenzy’ over the arms heading for Zimbabwe
- Are the weapons about to be offloaded and sent on their way to Zimbabwe?
- Chinese vessel carrying weapons destined for Zimbabwe
- Chinese soldiers seen in Mutare
April 19th, 2008 19:42
Lets not totally buy the idea of the ship going to Mozambique. This is Mugabe we’re dealing with. He has e record of misleading people. Lets make sure we just we just close all the possibilities. You never know with these Mozambican officials, they might be like “Judas Iscariot” Mbeki. I dont believe them. We no longer trust SADC.. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE… Any Angolan contacts available? Do they at all use English for communication?
April 19th, 2008 20:09
Thanks Sokwanele for giving us the opportunity to help this tyranny… I can see that a lot of people are angry but do not know what to do about the situation… Ordinary Zimbabweans have a lot that they can do or refuse to do to help stop these guys. This is the message that we must pass on to everyone we talk to. I know there are a lot of people in the diaspora reading this. Here is some action they could do. Download the file at the following link http://mihd.net/qj2dzht it will give them a clearer picture of what to tell the folks at home the next time they are sending money home. The file is small enough that you could email it to other friends in the diaspora. You could also email the link so that those that are feeling angry can have their anger directed in the right direction
April 19th, 2008 20:57
Chinese Arms Latest…
Rather than repeat what others have already dug up about the Chinese arms shipment, here’s a link to Sokwanele’s consolidated post on the issue - it has details of the current situation and will be regularly updated with news as the get it….
April 19th, 2008 21:05
There is a good article at: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/mystery-of-ship-bearing-arms-for-mugabe-regime/2008/04/19/1208025562719.html
but so far no word on where it is going? This article says it would be illegal for any other country to deliver to Zimbabwe. Sadly Angola has just kicked the UN Human Rights Organisation out of Angola.
April 19th, 2008 21:10
Well done to the South African trade unionists taking action into their own hands and thereby forcing the ship to move on. Hopefully international pressure will build on Mozambique (a Commonwealth member) and Angola to send this ship back to China.
Surely the time has come for southern African leaders to move beyond the “post colonial” phase and accept and demand common democratic standards and values.
April 19th, 2008 21:26
Thank you this blog is so awesome! We have told all of our contacts to write our senator, congressmen and the white house. We will keep forwarding your updates. We must make this stop. Thank you for your work!!
Mire
http://www.napafrica.org
http://www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com
April 19th, 2008 22:36
Copied from BM’s earlier post..
Human rights emails of Commonwealth, Mauritius, Malawi, Tanzania:
hru@commonwealth.int, avery@business-humanrights.org, mhrcdbs@intnet.mu, info@malawihrc.org, chragg@chragg.org, mjemmas@chragg.org ,
and Mozambique e-mails
info@frelimo.org.mz, armando.guebuza@frelimo.org.mz, mobilizacaoepropaganda@frelimo.org.mz, edson.macuacua@frelimo.org.mz, ines.moiane@frelimo.org.mz, comissaopolitica@frelimo.org.mz
http://www.frelimo.org.mz/
and
e-mail The Elders
info@theelders.org
SADC members, toothless tigers though they appear to be:
johnmu@nkwazi.gov.zm,
differmu@nkwazi.gov.zm,
tmothae@sadc.int,
registry@sadc.in,
thandi@po.gov.za,
mukoni@po.gov.za,
embzambia@aol.com,
tnwinfo@plancom.go.tz,
Ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org,
webmaster@malawi.gov.mw,
angola@angola.org,
webmaster@uem.mz,
embamoc@aol.com,
sps@palace.org.ls,
hpohamba@op.gov.na,
snujoma@op.gov.na,
nangula@opm.gov.na,
lamathila@opm.gov.na,
info@namibianembassyusa.org,
primeminister@mail.gov.mu,
MAURITIUS.EMBASSY@prodigy.net,
acpresse@gmail.com,
malagasy@embassy.org,
webmaster@ict.gov.sc,
churchl@tegris.com,
seychelles@un.int,
hwgreen@msn.com,
info@saembassy.org,
sandra@po.gov.za,
llekoa@gov.bw,
smautle@gov.bw,
jtherego@gov.bw,
ekuhlmann@gov.bw,
mmoleleke@gov.bw,
gchebanne@gov.bw,
hluke@gov.bw,
lsebogiso@gov.bw,
cratsiripe@gov.bw,
ikhama@gov.bw,
April 19th, 2008 22:39
And just in case the ship is headed to Angola…
Embassy of Angola in Washington DC
angola@angola.org
Embassy of Angola in London
embassy@angola.org.uk
National Assembly
assembleianacional@parlamento.ebonet.net.
Director Radio Angola
emagalhaes@rna.ao
April 19th, 2008 23:12
On the 18th I went out onto the street and gave out slips of paper with the ipetition address I got a good response but with the UN HR being chucked out of Angola by the 6th May what can we do if it land in Angola? Where will thay enter into Zimbabwe from Angola? can we get a blockade up before it gets that far? I can’t bare the thought of this all perhaps some of the western mining companies established in Angola could help?
April 20th, 2008 02:31
Tell the SADC countries not to allow these weapons to pass through their land or airspace.
April 20th, 2008 03:25
Here is the weapons manufactures email address Bomb them with How the world views there Evil NOW
info@norinco.com.cn
This is a good oppertunaty for the ROYAL UK NAVY USA NAVY JAPAN NAVY to escort CHINA weapons delivery BACK HOME
April 20th, 2008 04:41
Whether it be the port of Durban, Maputo, Beira, Luanda, Matadi, Tanga, Dar, or wherever, the communist Chinese want “IN” on the Afrikan continent
Beware of Mugabe, TMbeki, The ANC or any other subversive contributing to the red tide of communism entering the continent.
April 20th, 2008 05:11
The workers of SA know who is concerned with the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe, and that it is not the Govs of SA or Zim.
I seems that there has been one revolution to rid the people of one tyrannical govt and now there is need of another.
Or that the Workers of Zim should vote for a govt that protects poor black people, instead of shipping arms to their oppressors.
Since the oppressed people of Zim cant vote themselves for a govt that listens to their voice.
Up the workers! And vote and strike for what you believe in.
April 20th, 2008 05:33
I applaud the actions of the trade unions in South Africa and the Gevernement of Mozambique for not letting offloading the arms cargo of the An Yue Jiang.True courage!!! On the other hand, from what I read on the NewZimbabwe website, Mr. Mugabe’s exit might be constrained by the head of the Zimbabwe Defnse Forces Mr. Constantine Chiwenga, who has vowed that the armed forces will remain loyal to Mr. Mugabe. according to the article, the ere could be a coup if he “loses” the election. How does the role of the military factor into this? Looks like a very complicated situation.
April 20th, 2008 06:17
Unfortunately I can’t read Portugese so it is difficult to gather much information. Have not had much luck in contacting the embassy in Washington either, though I doubt it would be much help. The only trade organization in Angola not affiliated or part of the government is Central Geral de Sindicatos Independentes e Livres de Angola (cgsiladis@netangola.com ; +244-222395539 ; have not verified either yet). Angola doesn’t actually share a border with Zim does it? I believe anything going to Zim via Luanda would have to pass through Namibia or Zambia?
April 20th, 2008 06:45
ship is going to mozambique as confirmed by one of it’s ministers
http://propagandapress.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/an-yue-jiang-headed-to-mozambique-minister-paulo-zucula
[Sokwanele (Hope): I think kim meant to say Angola..?]
April 20th, 2008 08:38
The trip from Angola to zimbabwe via Zambia is a very long and ardious overland journey.
Biera is a much more logical choice. I suggent that sombody start calling their buddies down there and to keep their eye on that port for this ship.
BTW anybody have a picture of this chinese Ship? Please post it so that it may be ID if it does enter the port of Biera.
Anybody know of a web cam in the port of Biera?
YM
April 20th, 2008 09:58
I just picked this up on the Lloyd’s site.
It seemed to have received a report by a vessel called An Yue Jiang off East Africa 17 hours ago. It is 0800 GMT Sunday now. So that was 1500GMT Sunday, or 1300CAT Sunday. Is my arithmetic correct?
Does any one have a subscription to Lloyd’s. Call your friends in shipping?
http://www.lloydsmiu.com/lmiu/vessels/index.htm
April 20th, 2008 10:01
Thank you for this information. We have to take a stand against weapons entering into Africa, PERIOD !!!The people in Africa needs food, love and restoration. It is time all African leaders become pro active and do the right things at the right time.We have now reached a “Dangerous situation” and surely Africa has seen enough bloodshed. Let our voices be heard by starting to email all the people we know that can help and stop this now.I only hope we can stay calm as Mugabe would love to see all of us go over into violence, the very thing he is an expert at.May the Lord keep his hand firmly on Zim and let this evil flee so we can all come home.
April 20th, 2008 11:16
stop angola from off loading arms
April 20th, 2008 11:52
4th chimurenga… hi at Durban docks! can you speak to the Satawu guys and ask them how we can track where the ship is going… there must be shipping logs or something… and also if they have contacts with transport workers unions in Beira, Maputo, Luanda etc who can be contacted.
April 20th, 2008 12:53
@ 4th chimurenga
Do you know anyone with access to the Lloyds Vessel Casualty register.
The public page has changed. Another report about the An Yue Jiang came in 2 hours ago.
We need someone who can check for us. A shipping agent, insurers, the harbour master, people in shipping companies?
April 20th, 2008 13:20
The An Yue Jiang was marked as a caualty by Lloyds 2 hours ago. I’ve registered for a free trial with the Lloyds web-site to try and access more information - waiting for them to get back to me. Interesting that the casualty is registered off the “East” African coast, which means either that it has not rounded the Cape of Good Hope (more than 24 hours after it sailed from Durban), or that it was headed in the opposite direction towards Mozambique.
April 20th, 2008 14:03
Hi Guys
First, thank you to all the Satawu workers for having the boldness to stand up for whats right. Secondly, please can anyone give us an idea of a body we can petition or someone we can talk to, to stop the arms shipment going through.
I am positive I could get a lot of people to petition in no time at all.
Thanks
April 20th, 2008 14:06
I have tried to enquirer about where the ship is heading to but it seems no one has a clear answer at the harbour. I had been initially informed that the vessel was heading for Mozambique but only learnt from the media that it’s heading for Angola. I don’t. This was after officials from Mozambique denied the allegations that they are expecting it in Maputo. Nothing has been said from Angola. The ship left before a court order to vacate Durban. Remember also that the ship never really arrived at the harbour as it was still sailing in free waters because according to SA laws it would have been confiscated.
April 20th, 2008 14:14
all anyone can do is pray hard that the ship cannot unload at any port and return to communist china
April 20th, 2008 14:37
Hi,
If you need Portuguese speakers to talk to people in Angola, I’d be happy to help.
April 20th, 2008 14:42
The legal precedent created by the Durban High Court should be able to provide enough evidence and human rights issues for the Angolan legal authorities to impound the weapons when/if they land there, and to hold them under their court’s jurisdiction.
April 20th, 2008 14:50
The ship is going to Luanda, Angola. It must be stopped.
The ship must NOT unload in Luanda, Angola. I ask the Union dock workers not to unload it!
I ask the UN and the USA to speak to Angola urgently and persuade them not to let the ship dock.I ask the transport unions not to move the cargo. Please can all decent peoples around the world lobby their governments and get this shipped STOPPED. China is a terrible state - first Darfur, then Tibet and now Zimbabwe. Boycott the Olympics! Action now please please - HELP ZIMBABWE!!
April 20th, 2008 15:03
CC: Thank you! We will definitely contact you by email for help in translating emails that we can post here that people can send - to either Angola or Mozambique, if it turns out that is where the ship is headed. It still seems a bit inconclusive to me. Your offer is very much appreciated.
Hope
April 20th, 2008 15:12
The Justice Alliance of South Africa are working hard. See: http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=752421
April 20th, 2008 15:22
Glad you are giving a major call to action on this. You are doing a brilliant job with this blog keep up the good work!!!
April 20th, 2008 15:37
[...] Electricity is priceless. Energy Activism in Nigeria from Africa Unchained. This is Zimbabwe reports on efforts to prevent the Chinese shipping guns to Zimbabwe. Erik at White African comments on Internet Connectivity on the [...]
April 20th, 2008 15:48
My prayer is that all these comments can make some difference.I have read about the Elders, please can they put their very wise heads together and do something about the Zim situation. The An yue Jiang is the least of the Zim peoples worries. Mugabe has done enough damage with his bare hands and he needs to be stopped NOW.
April 20th, 2008 15:56
yep made a mistake above
Angola it is!!
April 20th, 2008 17:20
On the BBC website, Albrecht Jander of Corvallis, Oregon notes that the An Yue Jiang is operated by a company called COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Company). On their website they claim to be a socially responsible company. You can write a message to them on their webpage (Feedbacks and Complaints at the bottom of the page) to let them know that transporting rocket launchers and ammunition to Zimbabwe at this volatile time is hardly socially responsible. Transporting Chinese weapons to anywhere in Africa at any time is not socially responsible! COSCO has a huge fleet - I hate to think of what other evils they are in the business of transporting.
April 20th, 2008 18:23
As an ex-Zimbabwean I have found the recent blog campaigns by so many concerned people to be truly inspiring. But I have a number of unanswered questions that are leaving me increasingly uneasy and hope you can clear them up for me.
Why didn’t the An Yue Jiang head for Mozambique in the first place? Instead it went direct to SA where it was likely to cause a stir due the sheer number of aware and connected (via internet) citizens of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Is this a decoy to divert attention, albeit expensive? And divert attention from what?
What other shipments have already docked in Mozambique and are in Zimbabwe already? Can anyone with shipping company / dock contacts in Biera/Maputo verify?
Why would Mugabe have left it this late to order a shipment from China knowing it would take several weeks to reach Zimbabwe, and certainly wasn’t in time for the immediate post election campaign of violence?
Mugabe doesn’t need arms to unleash violence on Zimbabweans – fists, wood, fire and machetes have been proven to do the job.
Why have Chinese soldiers been seen in Mutare as has been stated in some reports? I can’t believe they have been brought in purely to protect Chinese investors’ assets.
In the early eighties, Mugabe brought in North Korean soldiers to train up his own – the Fifth Brigade were a frightening killing machine dispatching of thousands of Zimbabweans who opposed Mugabe’s regime. Is he using Chinese soldiers to do his dirty work a second time? British soldiers based in Zimbabwe during the Fifth Brigade operation knew exactly what was going on but chose to overlook the massacres. Is this going to happen again? Ten MDC members have already been killed, is this the start?
When is Nelson Mandela going to be brought in to talk with Robert Mugabe? There are vague mentions of it on a few blogs but wouldn’t this have been the right thing to do weeks ago? Barring illness or incapacity. Something to do with SA politics? Mbeki losing face?
When does the UN send in peacekeeping troops? When a ‘war’ is actually declared?
April 20th, 2008 18:24
So this ship is going to Angola. Can anyone contact freinds and officials in Angola Government to explain the desperatation that every decent person in the world feels for Zim. China must learn that in this new century it will not be tolerated by decent people.
The people of Zim need to know we are all thinking of them. Also our prayers are for those under repression in Tibet.
The era of Olypic Games is at and end and London should be ashamed of failing to support the people of Zim in a time of great need.
Go Zim Go! Let’s try ad track this ship back to China!
April 20th, 2008 18:29
Surely the South African navy and/or airforce could do with some target practise !!!
April 20th, 2008 19:02
the shipping company (cosco) has offices in jhb
their contact details ph 011 6166896 fax 011 6166561
April 20th, 2008 19:27
Maybe the arms should be siezed and given to Mugabe’s enemies, equality is a beautiful thing.
April 20th, 2008 20:00
Sorry everyone Luanda Angola may not be correct. It could be a trick. On the West coast the most logical ports are Walvis Bay or Swakopmund in Namibia. From these ports the roads to Zim are OK. The ship left Durban Friday night so my Monday night it could be at Walvis bay! So I want all effort to block this ship on Monday. It must be stopped.It must NOT unload in Walvis Bay. I ask the Union dock workers not to unload it! I ask the UN,the USA, & EU to speak to Namibia urgently and persuade them not to let the ship dock.I ask the transport unions not to move the cargo. Please can all decent peoples around the world lobby their governments and get this shipped STOPPED. please please - HELP ZIMBABWE!!
Also ask ZUMA the new head of the ANC in RSA to help. Come on my fellow Zimbabweans we must stop this cargo! Take action!Take courage! We can win! Use all your contact in Namibia - contact them now.
April 20th, 2008 20:39
Tomorrow I will use my contacts in the shipping industry to get an accurate fix on the wherabouts of the ship and let you know.
Anon
April 20th, 2008 21:20
Having been in the maritime industry myself for 30 plus years, the international channel for ships in communications with coast guard is channel 16. this is done world wide.
perhaps someone can monitor this channel (VHS) and find out what the ship’s movements are.
I prayed at mass today that this ship from communist china will be forced to return to its origin point without unloading arms for Mugabe et al to continue his rampage
April 20th, 2008 22:03
Vincent and Anon’s suggestions and actions are great. For sure we all need to do something and I was wondering if we could find out the marine call sign for this ship.
Maybe with the ship’s call sign we could make the crew realise that they have been rumbbled with their deadly cargo.
Walvis or Swokopmund are two good possibilities so come on everyone let’s get networking for the same of those in Zim!
April 20th, 2008 22:12
@ Vincent
Can you tell us what “casualty” means? The An Yue Jiang has reported itself twice to Lloyds as a casualty.
Also someone said that leaving a port without clearanace is a strict no-no and makes the vessel an outlaw. From what you have read, did they leave without clearance, and if they had clearance, how come the harbour master was going out to deliver the HC order?
We need your expertise badly!
Guys, the response to this is great. It is a concrete issue the world-at-large can understand. Let’s continue to pool our expertise and let the world know. It is sad that the world responds to action-movie scripts, but that’s the way it goes. I believe the ship is a decoy but we can attract attention to Zimbabwe’s plight as people watch the action unfold. Let people know! Keep their eye on the Zimbabwe ball!
Hurrah! this may be the blunder of all time! Thanks again to SATAWU - you will be forever in Zimbabwe’s heart!
April 20th, 2008 22:19
I have received this plea for help and forwarded it to the Oppposition Leader in the UK Mr Cameron. The English Prime Minister Brown will do nothing so we need to take action NOW before it is to late again in Africa
Dear World,
I am a 16 year old person living in Zimbabwe. I think the time has come for a more direct
appeal, and so I am writing to you, the world.
Maybe, just maybe, there might be someone out there who can help us..
It’s tough here now. The inflation rate is so high that if you don’t change money within 6 hours you could get half the amount of foreign currency that you would have originally received.
We’re starving now; people die around us. In the last year alone at least ten people associated personally with my family have died despite the fact that they were only middle-aged. Other people don’t make it to middle age. They don’t even make it past childhood.
Our once-proud nation is on it’s knees. We flee or die. This beautiful, bountiful once-rich land has become a living hell. We have dealt with it until now; we have made a plan. That was the Zimbabwean motto: “MAKE A PLAN”.
But now we can’t make a plan. We’re too tired, too broken, too bankrupt. We can’t afford life, and life does not cost much, not really. We cannot afford to eat, we cannot afford to drink, and we cannot afford to make mistakes, because if we do we die. We don’t have the capital to support ourselves, and those few who do, have to deal with the horror of watching their friends and family fall into absolute poverty as they cannot afford to help them.
We’re waiting desperately for a great hand to pick us up out of the dirt because at the moment we are outnumbered by Fate herself, and so we close our eyes and pray. We have fought for too long, and have been brought to breaking point. We simply stand, heads down, and bear it. Our spirit has gone; we are defeated. After a valiant struggle of over fifteen years, we have been broken.
There is no will left, no spirit. Like a horse that has been beaten until it cannot fight anymore; we are the same, and, like that horse, we stand dusty, scarred and alone, with dried blood on our sides and lash marks along our flanks. Our ribs too stand out; our hide is also dull.
Our eyes are glazed, our throats are parched, and our knees struggle to support us so that we stand with splayed legs to bear the brunt of the next beating, too dejected even to whimper…
This is my plea. The thought of picking ourselves up again is sickening; one can only take so many blows before oblivion is reached, and we are teetering on the rim of the bottomless void. One more push will be the end of us all…
There must be someone out there who can do something. There must be someone out there who cares! We are a destroyed nation, and the world sits back and watches, pretending they cannot hear our cries. I appeal to you all..
April 20th, 2008 22:23
To all fighting Mugabe and communism.
besides monitoring (VHS) channel 16 the vessel is owned by COSCO shipping in Communist China.
The steamshipline owner’s web site is http://www.cosco.com
It would do you no good to email the shipping company nor the government of communist china. your protests will be ignored.
spend your energies on emailing the governments of S.Afrika, Namibia, Portugal, Mozambique, the united nations and anyone else you can think of
You must stop the red tide of communism entering Afrika.
anywone needs help email me at awbplg@comcast.net
April 20th, 2008 22:56
I agree with SEG comment above: although we need to make sure the weapons don’t get through, we are being distracted from the violence happening inside Zimbabwe. We need factual details, names, locations and photos if possible… the western media tend to ignore ’simple’ injuries and especially if only general figures are given like in the MDC press conference Sunday in Joburg.
April 20th, 2008 23:00
To all,
The united States has longshoremen who will join the protest.
They should be flooded via email with your requests as many COSCO vessels berth here in the united states.
contact the longshoremen of the United states and ask them to join in this protest to stop further slaughter.
their email address is:
info@ilwu.org
April 21st, 2008 00:44
Sequence of events can be deceptive but it does look like the An Yue Jiang weapons shipment was ordered after the election and that Mugabe & Co have been stalling for time until their shipment arrives in order to exterminate their opposition.
The An Yue Jiang must be stopped, but how? Any direct military action by any nation gives Mugabe a priceless propaganda tool. [...]
[... some content deleted by Sokwanele]
April 21st, 2008 01:03
It does not make sense that the ship would head south if it had to refuel. The casualty report needs clarification. If “something” happened to the ship at this time, it would be too convenient / too strange. There is a real danger that the confusion can create a smokescreen. Suggest that we continue to enlist support in Mozambique and Angola, but also other SADC countries. Will need an appeal in portuguese, so that we can forward it to contacts.
April 21st, 2008 01:20
scotchcart and all,
if a ship is listed in lloyds as a “casualty” here in the usa, it means the ship was in some sort of accident, i.e. running aground, collision etc
for saidia, getting the call sign is like getting a license plate off of a car. you can call the vessel and asking for their call sign, but I would feel the captain of the vessel is under strict instructions not to reply. as for leaving a port …so long as they were cleared originally to go, you cant stop them unless they were in territorial waters and the country’s coast guard goes after them.
we all repeat ALL want to stop the arrival of guns to kill more innocents. don’t waste your time emailing COSCO nor trying to get a hold of the ship by radio.
IMMEDIATELY get the governments of Angola, Zambia, S.Afrika, & Mozambique by emailing your protest.
again, if you want POWERFUL protests, then email the longshoremen here in the united states. again, I repeat the email address of the ILWU here on the West Coast of the USA
info@ILWU.org
I have to wait while my post is approved and you have to wait to see it. anyone needs immediate help email me directly
awbplg@comcast.net
i will help all I can. that vessel HAS to be stopped. start emailing the ILWU here in the USA
April 21st, 2008 02:43
There is also numbers etc and an appeal written in Portugese here….
http://kickmugabeout.blogspot.com/
April 21st, 2008 05:40
to all, I am in California USA. presently we are GMT (Z) MINUS 7. 2040 local time now. shortly will retire. will get up early n check emails.
want to help stop this ship. email me your queries at
awbplg@comcast.net
please also remember to email the longshoremen in the usa they are powerful and must boycott any COSCO ship here in the usa west coast.
remember to email the longshoremen in the usa and their email address is: info@ilwu.org
keep praying also.
best
vincent
April 21st, 2008 05:45
Prayer still works. After the shipment is off loaded, it can only be transported to Zimbabwe by road, are there any other means??. This is where ordinary pple will have to intervene, they need to take those arms and go to war. Food for thought, God still reigns and he hears and sees all these posts, and he will surely make a way where there seems to be no way. The Geriatric will succumb to pressure from the world. Mandela where are you, we need you at this eleventh hour. Those who still have some strength left, please continue to hold the fort of prayer…..we shall overcome…One Love and Peace to all Zimbabwean children all over the world
April 21st, 2008 07:07
I have e-mailed a representative of the ILWU about this. I have tried to get the word out to more people in the US via the most widely read political blog, daily kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/20/213044/324/401/498940
Since we can’t seem to get through to SATAWU via e-mail, does anyone know if they are working directly with unions in Namibia, Mozambique, and Angola on this?
The Southern African Litigation Center was said by the BBC reports to be working on the Mozambique angle. Are they extending their efforts to other possible ports, and the relevant groups and governments? I e-mailed them as well asking for suggestions for what international concerned people could do, but have received no reply.
April 21st, 2008 07:28
For those on the social networking site Facebook, there is a cause in support of the Take Action campaign to stop weapons reaching Zimbabwe:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/causes/show/81453
You can join the cause and invite your friends to join. It is a place where people on facebook can discuss the issue and what action to take.
April 21st, 2008 08:00
The BBC has video of the ship here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7354428.stm
April 21st, 2008 09:22
Has anybody seen this?
http://www.24.com/news/?p=tsa&i=895576
Short summary of above:
1) Generals of Zimbabwe had emergency meeting
on Sunday re shipment of arms.
2) Ms Nicole Fritz of the Africa Litigation
Centre says that they have contacted the
Open Society Initiative to ask them to take
legal action should the ship dock in Angola.
3) The governments of Mozambique and Tanzania
refused the ship entry into their docks.
4) Speed of ship is approx. 30 km/ ph and it
will keep to international waters to
prevent cargo from being seized.
5) Lack of fuel will hamper progress. Should
reach Luanda by tomorrow evening at the
earliest. But, it may dock at harbours
south of Luanda, such as Namibe or Lobito.
6) Lack of rail connections could further
hamper delivery and cargo will have to be
transported with IL 76 cargo plane.
April 21st, 2008 11:09
Has anyone had any further information regarding the location of the ship today?
Here are two more links that you can contact for support to stop the arms getting to Zim;
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/
http://www.avaaz.org/en/
Well done Vincent for the contact of USA Longshoremen. We should all spend some time today thinking about innovative means of locating and stopping this arms shippment.
In the meantime our thoughts and payers are with the people of Zim today as they face another day of Hell.
April 21st, 2008 11:55
If the weapons reach the vampire in Harare, they will no doubt be used to murder innocent, mostly MDC supporters. And just like Hitler, Mugabe will go down as he had started out - in violence. The bullet, not the ballot, is his way of maintaining power, as it was with The Fuhrer, Stalin, Pinochet, Saddam, Mao and others. Remember, autocrats live by the sword and will ultimately die by the sword. And Bob is no different. Only one bullet is actually all it will take to end the misery of Zimbabwe…
Ten out of ten to COSATU in South Africa for refusing to offload the ship if she had in fact docked at Durban.
April 21st, 2008 12:18
http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,168051,00.html
Satawu mobilises support against China arms vessel
April 21, 2008, 08:15
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) says it will call on its counterparts around the world to help stop a Chinese ship carrying arms destined for Zimbabwe to enter the harbour of Angola. It has been reported that the ship is carrying millions of rounds of bullets, 69 rocket propelled grenades, as well as mortar bombs and tubes.’
I may add that the Secretary-general of Satawu has made an appeal to individuals and orginisations, from Africa and the world to continue to support the action against the shipment of arms to Zimbabwe.
More news about international unions lending their support:
http://www.24.com/news/?p=afa&i=895725
“Zim ship “must be stopped”
Vincent perhaps your contact would be interested in this?
E-mail from inside Zimbabwe might be a risky business, not so guys?
April 21st, 2008 13:09
Anon #42 may be right, the ship may be heading for Namibia. The president of that country has defended Thabo Mbeki as ‘mediator’ on Zimbabwe. Anyone have contact details for Namibia? Can’t find one above.
The IANSA website (where the petition is) shows the ship as being off the southern coast of Africa near Port Elizabeth. Wonder if the ‘casualty’ status couldn’t have been a decoy to make everyone think the ship was stranded so that ports would no longer be on the lookout for it?
Zimbabwe needs much prayer for God’s intervention to deliver it from evil and to bring healing to that broken country. Let’s pray for a miracle in Zimbabwe!!
April 21st, 2008 13:43
That would have to be Walvis Bay - Swakopmund cannot cope with this size ship.
http://www.namport.com/content/show.php?m=4
Head Office: Namport
No 17 13th Road
P O Box 361
Walvis Bay, Namibia
Tel: (+264 64) 208 2207
Fax: (+264 64) 208 2323
e-mail: jerome@Namport.com.na
Manager: Marketing & Strategic Business Development: Mr Jerome Mouton
Port of Lüderitz
Hafen Street
P O Box 836
Lüderitz, Namibia
Tel: (+264 63)20 0217
Fax: (+264 63) 20 0218
e-mail: widux@namport com.na
Manager: Port Operations: Mr. Widux Mutwa
April 21st, 2008 13:47
Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union
(NATAU)
Date established: 5 June 1988
http://www.nunw.org.na/natau.htm
P.O.Box 7516 , Katutura
Head office address: NUNW Centre, Mungunda Street,
Katutura
Tel:+264 61 217244 / 218154
Fax:+264 61 263767
Email:natau@mweb.com.na
April 21st, 2008 15:13
Spoken to Cosco - this is not one of their vessels , this is a China Shipping charter vessel - so no commercial cargo on board and could go to any port or they could sell the cargo on the water as it is full of ammunition etc - I have phoned China shipping and there is a news black-out they will not even discuss about the vessel other than that this is a charted ship within the China Shipping Group, the only people that could tell us where the vessel is LLoyds when it divulges their position which it has to due to the nature of the cargo , but Lloyds will not tell me either as we are not members of the Baltic
I will keep trying though and see what I can glean through other contacts.
Anon
April 21st, 2008 15:52
Also had another idea. We could also find out any other businesses that charter this comapny’s vessels and target our campaign to these. China does a lot of business in the West and it is likely that businesses might not want to be associated with a vessel company that ships arms. I will get my Chinesses contacts to do research on this ship and any of its past or present clients.
April 21st, 2008 16:08
i hope this activism & enthusiasm continues and carries on to all the crimes and criminals who’re operating and have operated in Africa
time will tell
April 21st, 2008 16:29
The agents for China Shipping seem to be Seaclad Maritime (Pty) Ltd
Address: 62 Bay Terrace, Durban, 4001
Mail To: P O Box 5752, Durban, 4000
Tel: (27) (31) 327 9400
Fax: (27) (31) 337 2986
There are many contact nos at
http://www.cscl.com.cn/info/agent23.jsp#04
April 21st, 2008 17:08
To all,
I am trying to help stop the unloading. Everyone should
a. monitor (VHS) ch 16 ship radio
b. Even if the vessel is chartered, like renting a bus, it is still owned and operated by COSCO.
c Again, I urge all to email the ILWU in San Francisco. previously gave their email address. look it up on the postings i sent in already. email them, they will support this good effort to stop this ship from unloading
regards
April 21st, 2008 17:14
I went on to the COSCO website and found out that the An Yue Jiang is registered with the COSCO group under Fleet: General Cargo Multi-purpose see:
http://www.cosco.com/en/fleet/BoatList.jsp?parCatName=General%20Cargo&leftnav=/7/4
Name AN YUE JIANG Built Year 1986 Length(m) 149.7 Beam(m) 21.8 Speed(knots) 14.5 DWT 14913 Flag CHINA
Now why should Cosco have lied to Anon #67?
The press also confirms Cosco as being the owner of the ship:
From International Transport Workers’ Federation Press area
ITF: South African dockers act against Zimbabwe arms shipment
18 April 2008
April 18, 2008. For immediate release
“SATAWU, a member of the COSATU trade union national centre says the An Yue Jiang, which is owned by Chinese shipping giant COSCO, must return to China with the arms on board, and a peaceful solution must be sought to the political instability in Zimbabwe.”
For full press release see: http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/1915
From The Guardian.co.uk
18 April 2008
“Copies of the documentation for the Chinese ship, the An Yue Jiang, show that the weapons were sent from Beijing to the ministry of defence in Harare. Headed “Dangerous goods description and container packing certificate”, the document was issued on April 1, three days after Zimbabwe’s election. It lists the consignment as including 3.5m rounds of ammunition for AK47 assault rifles and for small arms, 1,500 40mm rockets, 2,500 mortar shells of 60mm and 81mm calibre, as well as 93 cases of mortar tubes.
The carrier is listed as the Cosco shipping company in China.”
For full article see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/18/china.armstrade
April 21st, 2008 17:16
Reported from CAJ News on http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Angola to bar Zim bound weapons of “mass destruction”
Monday, 21 April 2008 13:46
HUAMBO, Angola, -CHINESE ship carrying well over 3 000 tonnes of lethal weapons and other military equipment to Zimbabwe has been roundly condemned in Angola with the world’s labour body of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) insisting they would call for its immediate ban upon arrival in Luanda.
Gomez Mendes, a trade unionist based in Huambo told CAJ News Agency on Monday that the Angola labour body would do all possible within their means to have the ship returned where it came from with the “weapons of mass destruction”.
The international labour body also issued a statement in the capital, Angola that it is lobbying with other African member states not to allow the Chinese ship, An Yue Jiang to dock at their ports for the ship was carrying weapons to suppress the country’s citizens of their democratic right to food, human rights, health, freedom of association, among other issues, the withholding of the presidential election.
April 21st, 2008 17:35
Well done Vincent for keeping us focused.
1. It you are near a port, monitor channel 16.
2. Work with the Unions and longshoremen. They care and have proved it.
AND
If you are near a port
Talk to the medics who do the quarantine checks
Talk to cleaners and clerks in at ports, railways, freight companies, shipping companies
They may have heard something.
And anyone in Beira do the same. It is still unexplained why they tried to use Durban. We need to know what went through Beira this year. The total amount of weapons that have been bought will shock the world.
Thanks Sokwanele for keeping us up to speed and making this space for us.
April 21st, 2008 17:37
Hi all.
Any need of general info on the maritime side together with solicitations for translations english-portuguses-english can be directed to:
dino_jkt@yahoo.dk
The leaders of this movement should put pressure on the ILO to mmake a worldwide ban on loading and discharging of COSCO vessels until this matter has been settled.
As to Lloyds Casualty report. It doesn’t mean anything. COSCO has probably themselves reported the vessel sunk to get out of the spotlight.
IF the vessel really was a casualty all SAR organisations in the area, South Africa as an example would have picked up automated distress signals from the vessels EPIRB which releases itself from the vessel automatically via a hydrostatic lock and, when in the water, starts transmitting emergency signals immediately. If SA has nothing noted about such a signal there is no casualty!!!!
So that’s just a hoach.
There seem to be some confusion as to the port clearance. There is one for arrival and a new one must be issued before the vessel is allowed to depart legally. If the An Yue Jiang was “only” on the anchorage she might not have cleared IN yet but normally the anchorage area is a clearing area, so I would assume the incoming clearance WAS issued. Perhaps the the outgoing clearance was requested and given at the same time. This is known to happen in situations with very short port stays and would have been a backdoor for the An Yue Jiang should she encounter problems.
April 21st, 2008 17:43
Everybody with access to a maritime VHF should monitor CH 16 (156,6 MHz) as prime calling channel plus channels 6 and 12.
Anyone with nhalf an ear can hear when an asiatic tries to speak english or portuguese. Hear that and you’ve got him.
April 21st, 2008 17:56
All:
It might be useful to keep an eye periodically also on the International Maritime Organisation’s tracker site:
http://www.vesseltracker.com/
The An Yue Jiang’s IMO number is 8414946, which you can enter in a box near the top.
Note that this depends on them turning on their transponder, which doesn’t appear to be on just at the moment.
If someone has access to a paying membership, the ship’s docking history can be accessed. Also, with an account Google Earth can be used to locate the ship’s real-time position.
anyone out there with this sort of access?
April 21st, 2008 18:25
On ships and bob’s ship going down.
Thank the dockworkers. They may be preventing a genocide and are real heroes.
It’s clear that Rigger Robber Mugabe’s thug cops ordered weapons to return and fight in the bush after deposed. Mortars would land in downtown Harare. They have really lost it. The strategy for a military coup is unveiled and, one hopes, spoiled. THE WEAPONS SIMPLY MUST NOT BE UNLOADED AND MUST NOT REACH ZIMBABWE.
The rogue ship pulled anchor and fled South Africa’s court order, turning its transponder off. This is in itself an international scandal deserving censure, block the company’s other ships, and refusing unloading. Good work, unions.
The ship’s vulnerable point is that its fuel is low. Easier than blocking port and discharge might be blocking refueling. Let the iron ship cast about and its crew call for rescue. This would end the arms episode straight away. Imagine the conversations that crew and company are having right about now. This has to be full on stress, and they may likely fail. Look, such a rogue firm has not attracted the best, most principled crew and captain. This turn of events is NOT in their contact, and they will probably not get paid overtime for it. A bunch of unemployable opportunists seeking a quick buck. The ship and its crew are vulnerable.
Mugabe’s ill-conceived plan hinges on the work of 20 opportunists riding dangerous seas on low fuel. Good luck with that one, Bob. Gee, you’re not as smart and powerful as people have figured, Bob.
Hey, why did people ever think you were so powerful when you are in fact a doddering old fool? You really have no idea what you are doing, do you? you’re making it up as you go along, generals moving about scraping for forex to buy what you can not win legitimately. And you have no hard currency to keep your nasty game afloat.
Now is the time to stop your militias, you’re only making things worse for yourself. Militia leaders will be named, shamed, charged, and tried when your ship sinks. Chain of command responsibility is proven in crimes against humanity. There is time to stop before it gets to that scale, Bob.
April 21st, 2008 18:26
Oh and…
from various international maritime organisation listings that this ship is definitely owned by COSCO of china. Throwing dust in the air by saying that some other organisation hired it out doesn’t change the ownership (as someone else pointed out).
I’ve also discovered there are no fewer than 38 maritime-listed COSCO companies in China… no doubt all/many are government -controlled/-owned.
There are close to 85 ships registered with the International Maritime Organisation as owned by COSCO Shipping Co., Ltd. at the moment.
I’d suggest that trying to chase these 80-something ships around the world and/or calling for a worldwide embargo on doing business with COSCO may fall flat. Unless the dockers in many countries can resist working with these ships, which would be a really big thing to ask of folks who aren’t well-paid in the first place.
I’m thinking we’re wanting to keep our eyes on this ship AND the armed Chinese officials who popped up in Mutare. As someone else very wisely point out much earlier, their presence could signal the restart of outside aid with terror training. Are there any groups we can get through to in Mutare?
April 21st, 2008 18:29
Just a follow-up to the comment from JS - several comments earlier asked for the ship’s callsign. The site JS listed in their post gives the following info:
IMO Number: 8414946 Country: China
MMSI Number: 412027000 Length: 149.0m
Callsign: BOAS Beam: 22.0m
Hope this helps!
April 21st, 2008 18:52
Somebody just mentioned the vessel’s probably being low on fuel. This is excellent. It has just made the trip from China and was probably aiming for refuelling in SA.
In that case she IS low, very low, on fuel and must seek port within e relative short time.
April 21st, 2008 18:56
O.K. guys, I’m up with a support post over at Jewels in the Jungle. The Chinese government wants to play war games with the people of Zimbabwe and Darfur by feeding arms into these countries, then let’s play games. By the time we’re finished with the regime in Beijing and the COSCO freighter ‘An Yue Jiang’ the crew will be dumping the arms and munitions overboard because the Seven Seas will be on fire everywhere they go.
Good luck with the “Stop the An Yue Jiang” Campaign. I think it just might work.
April 21st, 2008 18:57
I just put a post onto the google earth forum to ask for help tracking the An Yue Jiang IMO number 8414946… it is being moderated. Let’s hope someone takes it up.
April 21st, 2008 18:57
Where does the information on the An Yue Jiang’s fuel shortage come from? There’s been so much misdirection about the itinerary of the ship after it left Durban. I wonder if it is necessarily so low on fuel as people are assuming, or if it might make it to Mozambique, or even all the way around to Namibia before refueling. I can’t imagine anyone got clear data on this, with all the clouds of obfuscation.
April 21st, 2008 19:10
To JS
The vessel tracker system only works if you have a satcom hooked up to your AIS transponder.
I’ve just checked a bunch of vessels known to me as being High Sea Class and none of them had this feature installed.
Anyway, even if she HAD this system (which is quite expensive to maintain) she would immediately have switched it off.
There is, though, the slight possibility that she has her ordinary VHF range AIS transponder switched on. This would enable identification when coming close to port.
Who knows, the captain just might have forgotten the password necessary to switch off the AIS…
Hope so!
April 21st, 2008 19:18
To Elmer Fudd: BBC reported that the ship had switched off its transponder as it left Durban harbour Saturday evening. This was one of the first indications they were going to start hiding their movements. Between that and the presumably obfuscatory “casualty” report, they’re doing all they can to keep their movements secret.
BTW, the fact that the casualty listing says East of the Cape need mean nothing at all about their actual location, if it’s all hot air anyway.
April 21st, 2008 19:21
Everyone,
I’ve been involved in activism for the Zimbabwean people for a fair number of years now, and have never seen as much energy and effort going into an Zimbabwean issue via the internet as I have in the past few days. I am moved and overwhelmed and grateful. Thank you so much.
It’s a good time to see so much action and interest. A lot of activists are very tired, thinly stretched, under resourced and under huge pressure.
Your efforts are energising, encouraging and gives us hope. Swinging by this post to catch up on the discussions gives renewed energy to us all for the battle for democracy.
By the way - when we’ve all stopped the An Yue Jiang - I hope you’ll be geared up for the next round … !!
On behalf of all Zimbabweans - thank you with all my heart!
Hope
April 21st, 2008 19:22
rcbowman
The low fuel is a clear ASSUMPTION only!!
This kind of vessel is of the low budget type. No decent, planning shipping company does this kind of deals anymore.
It is therefore assumable that she left China with enough fuel to reach her destination only, plus whatever her owner deems necessary for safety/bad weather etc. This does not mean that she will become a sitting duck with empty tanks somewhere, but it WOULD mean that the fuel stock can be an issue that the captain has to consider when deciding where to go.
April 21st, 2008 19:29
No word from Chinese cargo ship: Namibian govt
April 21, 2008, 18:00
Namibian authorities say there has been no request by a Chinese ship carrying arms and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe to dock in either of Namibia’s two ports.
The South African defence ministry says the Defence Force is updated on a regular basis with regard to the ship’s movements. However, it will not say where the ship is located. The ship was situated off the west coast of South Africa earlier today.
http://www.sabcnews.com/
SADF/Mbeki/Mugabe?? let’s hope not!
April 21st, 2008 19:36
If I remember correctly a spokesperson of Satawu said that the vessel was low on fuel and that it had left without refuelling.
Secondly I heard on the news that some think that the ship will head to one of two harbours south of Luanda, but they think it will be Lobito. I assume that this might be because of the fuel? Perhaps one of you know something of this port?
April 21st, 2008 19:54
To all,
I live in the most powerful country …the USA. Afrika has had troubles in the past, and now all repeat all of us must focus on creating a world awareness of this vessel from Communist China in Afrikan Waters.
All MUST, repeat MUST create such an uproar that this ship will have to leave and never return without unloading its cargoes of death.
It is owned and operated, by COSCO shipping in communist china, whether it is chartered or not.
the only VIABLE solution that ALL of us have is to start emailing the Longshoremen’s union here in San Francisco.
again, repeat again, I ask ALL OF YOU INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT to email the ILWU AND LODGE YOUR PROTEST IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
Their email address again is
info@ilwu.org
please email me and let me know that you have done this. this union is powerful and have stopped ships working here in the USA.
My email address is awbplg@comcast.net
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! email the ilwu
regards
Vincent
April 21st, 2008 20:27
Wikipedia says Lobito is a deep water port, so probably it can service the vessel without a problem. I don’t know about its rail connections overland to Zimbabwe; Luanda may have better ones. But if Satawu and international organizations, and letter-writers like us, are putting enough pressure on, the principal consideration may be which port they can get the least unfriendly dockworkers at.
77tonnes of arms - does anyone know how many containers we’re talking about? Can this reasonably be going by truck/lorry rather than rail once it’s ashore, if it gets ashore? Or would it take a large convoy? It might make a difference to where they try to dock.
April 21st, 2008 20:33
Wordwright got some information from Lloyds.
Casualty means it seems that the cargo was not delivered. There were three casuality reports.
Read wordwright here
http://www.iblog.co.za/wp-comments-post.php
You can see two of the casualty reports on the pubic map.
http://www.lloydsmiu.co/lmiu/casualties/index.htm
Fantastic everyone!
April 21st, 2008 20:57
[...] was disabled. But whatever, in the absence of other information, the map is kind of cool. Finally, This is Zimbabwe has a button that you can link to, to inform others about action alerts and the [...]
April 21st, 2008 20:58
From what I understand of Lloyd and their casualty listing, it ONLY means that the ship has not managed to off load it cargo as expected. Apparently, this type of information is used by insurers and other clients of Lloyds who find this information useful - it UNFORTUNATELY does not mean that the ship is a casualy itself or that there is anything wrong with the ship or it’s level of fuel. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news on that front. The good news however is that Mocambique seems to be taking a firm line in as much as it indicates that the ship will not be allowed to dock there either.
Mozambique’s Transport and Communications Minister Paulo Zucula told Reuters that Mozambique has been monitoring the movements of the ship since it lifted anchor and left South Africa.
‘We know that it registered its next destination as Luanda because here we wouldn’t allow it into Mozambican waters without prior arrangements’, he said.
April 21st, 2008 21:05
rcbowman
Responder issue.
Not even a hotshot bigtime company as Maersk Line have the satellite transponder mounted on their Panmax container vessels (which actually surprised me).
I just checked over 10 of them and none of them are “within reach” of the Seatracker.
So I am really really doubtful as to the assumption that the An Yue Jiang is equipped with that kind of expensive high tech equipment
.
When the BBC talks about shutting down the transponder, I would assume that local correspondents have picked up comments locally that the vessel disappeared from the other vessels transponders on the anchorage and the port authority receiver, meaning that we would be talking about the lowcost ISPS obrigatory AIS transponder, hooked up only to the VHF.
Take a look at any chinese ship. They are all a bunch of rustbunks without anything sophisticated. Why should this one be different?
Anyway, let’s not get hot about this. Whatever she has, it’s turned off and that’s the end of it.
April 21st, 2008 21:25
rcbowman
77 tonnes would be something like 3 40′ containers.
With the right size (big) truck you’ll need 3 of them to transport the goods.
This all depends, however, on the sizes of the equipment. Guns, rifles and bullets would probably be safe, spacewise but if there are big items we maybe talking about larger quantities of containers. Or maybe loaded seperately.
How is the structure in that area?
Are container trucks available at all?
Can we assume that the goods are packed in containers at all?
April 21st, 2008 22:33
Maybe some of you transport whizzes can look at the port of Luanda’s site. It has a lot of information. Would it not be great if the buzz there was, DON’T TOUCH IT. I sent the Portugese language email to one of the shipping company executives, let’s all hunt a few emails and do the same.
There are contacts in Luanda Port at
http://portfocus.com/angola/luanda/index.html
Administracao do Porto de Luanda
Avenida Largo 4 de Fevereiro, CP 1229
Luanda, Angola
Tel: +244 2 335975
Chamber of Commerce Associaco Comercial de Luanda
Câmara de Comércio e Indústria de Angola Largo do Kinaxixi
14, No. 1 andar,
CP 92, Luanda
Tel: (+244) 344-506 /25
Fax: (+244) 370-804/344-629
Administracao do Porto de Luanda Avenida Largo
4 de Fevereiro,
CP 1229 Luanda,
Tel: (+244) 222 335975
Commercial and Industrial Association of Angola ACOMIL - Associacão Comercial e Industrial Angolana
Rua Ngola Kiluangi Luanda Tel: (+244) 380-041/1466
News Sites
Angola Press – English/Portuguese http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/
Jornal de Angola online - Portuguese [Angola Journal] http://www.jornaldeangola.com/
There was a story that said there are 4 containers. Angola does not have roll-on roll-off capability. It appears they would use cranes to unload the containers from the ship. They do have rail capability right there, although I read in another post that the links are not good to Zimbabwe. NY Times said last year Chinese are hard at work on the rail in Angola.
April 21st, 2008 22:37
All:
great work everyone, trying to track down this ship’s actual current whereabout.
Re elmer fudd’s “…ISPS obrigatory AIS transponder, hooked up only to the VHF…”
In the various quotes published in news articles, the s.a. officials never said anything about which kind of transponder got turned off, only that it had.
so, yes its probably only this low-tech, obligatory VHF one.
Which means we need to make friends quickly with the shortwave radio folks who have ears everywhere.
Let’s ask around our networks, for instance, the “Radio for Peace International” crew, etc.
On the issue of finding this darn ship:
A 24-hour delayed watch of ships in Walvis bay, Namibia based on their AIS transponder broadcast is here:
http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/walfishbay/AreaMap.html
There is a tab for moored and for moving vessels. And as of this moment the An Yue Jiang isn’t listed.
Someone asked for a way to find a list of ports? Look here for the most comprehensive list I’ve found:
http://www.e-ships.net/ports.php
In addition to Namibia’s Walvis Bay there’s Luderitz a bit to the south. In Angola there are a number of ports listed.
I’m off to try to revive long-lost contacts in the shortwave radio community…
April 21st, 2008 22:51
All our efforts are starting to work, I have made contact with a colleague who runs a deep sea fishing operation in Cape Town and the word from his crew is that it is going to Namibia either Walvis Bay or Luderitz as the roads are good and there are large lorries available in Namibia.
The fuel shortage may be a red herring as some of these rust buckets that travel the world with weapons have special fuel tanks to deal with situations such as this.
Many of the comments already indicate that the crew will be a bunch of junk just like the ship.
Maybe we could contact the safari operators in Namibia who use light arcraft to carry passengers between safari camps. They often travel up and down the skeleton coast and would love to take up the challenge. Wilderness Safaris in Namibia have some good ex military pilots who would be up for this if we know of anyone that can make contact?
This is inspirational action and we must be thinking of new ways to get this ship back to the evil country of origin
April 21st, 2008 22:56
Here is a link to a photo of the vessel
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3772113.ece
April 21st, 2008 23:02
A couple of useful links
http://www.itu.int/cgi-bin/htsh/mars/ship_detail.sh?lng=en&23172&AN+YUE+JIANG
http://www.itu.int/cgi-bin/htsh/mars/ship_search.sh#start
April 21st, 2008 23:11
Zimbabwe: An Yue Jiang Lost, Stolen, or Strayed?…
The An Yue Jiang, the Chinese ship that’s supposed to be carrying tons of arms for Zimbabwe left Durban for port or ports unknown; some thought it was headed for nearby Mozambique, but the Mozambicans pulled an Amy Winehouse and denied it access …
April 21st, 2008 23:11
js
talking about high versus lowtech gadgets on board.
Rest assured that the vessel WILL have at least an Inmarsat-C installation on board. That is obrigatory for all ships of that size for safety purposes. Vessels cant be classed without it.
This means that telexes, faxes and e-mails can be sent to and from the vessel via satellite and are thereby untracable.
So you probably won’t hear much from the vessel on the HF bands. She will most surely avoid that kind of communication, especially in this situation.
April 21st, 2008 23:16
Anybody thought about road conditions?
If we’re talking about, say 3 40 foot containers each about 26 tonnes plus the truck, a muddy dirt road probably wouldn’t stand for it.
Is a train option more likely?
Or mayby opening the containers and trying to transport in a larger amount of smaller and more anonymous lorries?
April 21st, 2008 23:17
A little bit more news update
The main safari pilots work out of Windhoek in Namibia and are well worth us all sending emails to. Who knows they might be inspired to assist or pass on our request to some of those crazy bush pilots that operate along the sekeleton coast and Angola.
Contact Information SEFOFANE AIR PTY, LTD. P.O.BOX 6850 WINDHOEK, Namibia Tel: 264 61-255735 • Fax: 264 61-255735 Email: info@sefofane.com.na
I’ll keep you posted if I get any more news during the night from the SA deep sea fishing crews.
April 21st, 2008 23:56
Besides Angola, another country that the ship could try to unload at is DR Congo, the govt of which owes Mugabe a favour for giving it major military assistance in the civil wars, but neither DRC nor Angola have a common border with Zim, which means even if the cargo is unloaded there, it will have to pass through another country, probably Zambia, before reaching Zim. If you google Mwanawasa Mugabe you will see that those two aren’t the best of friends, and the Zambian army is currently on alert and deployed to the Zim border, so i can’t see Zambia allowing the arms through.
April 22nd, 2008 00:03
I like the idea of pilots and the ‘make a plan’ spirit.
The earlier we locate the ship, the more time we will have to petition the relevant authorities and people whom they respect.
Also follow Vincent’s lead and get a reaction in the States. It would be good if it costs COSCO more to deliver than to turn around and go home. Note COSCO CEO is on a Harvard University advisory council. Any Harvard alumni out there? Worth dropping a line to Harvard’s President asking him if he knows what is happening? How about a line to Barack Obama?
Poly Technologies supplied the weapons but I haven’t found anything on them.
This is magnificent. Guns go home!
April 22nd, 2008 00:05
I assume we’re leaving contact with dockers in Namibia and Angola up to our trade unuions colleagues…
I’ve posted a pleading letter off to Radio for Peace International. I’ve also posted it on a small handful of ham radio operator support groups. In my experience these folks ar