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               S O M A L I A  N E W S  U P D A T E

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No 11                September 7, 1992.               ISSN 1103-1999

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Somalia News Update is published irregularly via electronic mail and
fax. Questions can be directed to antbh@strix.udac.uu.se or to fax
number +46-18-151160. All material is free to quote as long as the
source is stated.
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Excerpts from the AP:

   U.N. Warns Of Toxic-Waste Dumping   
     In Somalia As U.S. Sends Aid      
                 ---
    NAIROBI, Kenya - The U.N.
environment chief said Italian
companies plan to profit from Somalia's
chaos by shipping toxic waste there,
according to a report Sunday.
    The move further threatens health
in the devastated nation.
 [..............]
    The claims involving toxic waste by
Mostafa Tolba, head of the
Nairobi-based U.N. Environmental
Program, were reported in the
English-language Sunday Nation
newspaper and confirmed by an aide.
    Tolba said Italian companies are
building two incinerators to be
installed in Somalia that would handle
at least two 550,000-ton shipments of
toxic waste next year for an estimated
profit of $4 million to $6 million.
    Tolba said that to protect his
sources he wouldn't identify the
Italian companies or say where they
planned to ship the waste.
    The Italian companies are taking
advantage of Somalia's lack of
government and general instability,
said Tolba.
    Tolba reportedly made his remarks
during an address Friday at the
International Center for Research in
Agroforestry.
    Tolba said the dumping could
aggravate the destruction of Somalia's
ecosystem and threaten further loss of
life in the ravaged nation, where tens
if not hundreds of thousands already
have died from the combined effects of
drought and warfare.
    It wasn't possible to get comment
from Tolba, whose office wouldn't
release his home telephone number.
    Italian government officials in
Rome also weren't immediately available
for comment.
[............]

-- 
Internet: kautaj@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Bitnet:   kautaj@iubacs.bitnet         
Uucp:     kautaj@iubacs.uucp           
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Comment: I suggest we start calling Italian embassies in our various
countries and ask them about this story. BH.