An Yue Jiang
Encyclopedia
The An Yue Jiang is a People's Republic of China
container vessel operated by the state-run shipping firm COSCO
. It became notable because of controversy surrounding a cargo of arms and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe
. The cargo reportedly includes some 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, 1,500 rocket propelled grenade
s, and 2,500 mortar rounds. The vessel originally planned to dock at the South Africa
n port of Durban
and unload its cargo for shipment to landlocked Zimbabwe. However, there were widespread protests by persons concerned that the arms would be used by Robert Mugabe
's regime in suppressing political opposition in the wake of disputed elections. Dock workers stated that they would not unload the cargo, and others threatened to stop the shipment on South African roads. Finally, a South African judge ruled that the ship could not dock as planned.
Subsequently, the An Yue Jiang remained in the area of the Cape of Good Hope
, pending a rumored decision by the Chinese to recall the ship. It was then announced that the ship would proceed to Angola
, where it would be allowed to dock but only to unload cargo destined for Angola itself.
, the government was not going to prevent the shipment from being transported to Zimbabwe.
Critics suggested that the South African government would have been acting irresponsibly or even aiding the Zimbabwean government by letting the shipment through. The issue compounded the dissatisfaction felt by many critics of the Zimbabwean government regarding South Africa's nonconfrontational approach to dealing with Mugabe, exemplified by Mbeki's claim that the post-election situation was not a crisis. However, on April 17, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union
(SATAWU) said that members of the union would not unload the ship or handle its cargo.
The Durban High Court issued an order on April 18 effectively barring the shipment; another order allowed a German development bank to seize the cargo in compensation for an unpaid debt owed by the Zimbabwean government. The An Yue Jiang abandoned its attempt to make port in South Africa on the same day, and it reportedly headed instead for Luanda
, Angola
. The Mozambican
government said on April 19 that the An Yue Jiang would not be allowed into its waters, and on April 21, the Director of the Institute of Angolan Ports, Filomeno Mendonça, said that the ship was "not authorised to enter Angolan ports".
On April 21, Zambian President Mwanawasa appealed to SADC governments to forbid entry to the ship, expressing concern that the arms would increase tension in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Chinamasa dismissed the controversy as a "hullabaloo about a lone ship", asserting that Zimbabwe had the sovereign right to legitimately purchase arms to defend itself. Jiang Yu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on April 22 that the ship might be forced to turn back due to its failure to find a place to unload the shipment. She asserted that the shipment involved only "perfectly normal trade in military goods between China and Zimbabwe", with no connection to the events surrounding the election, and that the contract for it had been signed in 2007. In a statement on the same day, the MDC said that the arms were "clearly meant to butcher innocent civilians whose only crime is rejecting dictatorship and voting change".
According to the Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit, the ship was moving northwest up the coast on April 22, but subsequently the ship's location could not be precisely determined, either because it had switched off its Automatic Identification System
or because it was more than 40-50 nautical miles from the coast (outside of the range of the Automatic Identification System). The United States requested that countries in the region not accept the ship, and it asked China "to refrain from making additional shipments and, if possible, to bring this one back". On April 22, it was reported that the China Ocean Shipping Company had decided to recall the ship due to its inability to deliver its cargo, and on April 23, the ship was reported to have turned around and was near the Cape of Good Hope
.
On May 17, The Weekender reported that the arms had arrived in Harare. The cargo was reportedly offloaded at Pointe-Noire
in the Republic of the Congo
and then flown to Zimbabwe. Matonga declined to comment on this, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the reports as "baseless and purely fictitious" on May 21, saying that the An Yue Jiang was returning to China with the arms still on board.
in the Republic of the Congo
, while the Zimbabwean government had stated that the weapons were offloaded in Luanda), but were flown to Harare
by Avient Ltd, a UK-registered airplane business, using an Ilyushin Il-76
. This transaction was negotiated during the first week of May by two Zimbabwean government ministers and some of the top officers of the Zimbabwean military who flew to Angola to negotiate the delivery of the weapons. The arrival of the weapons in Harare was confirmed by the Zimbabwean government.
The report also stated that the An Yue Jiang had been refueled by the South African fleet replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg
, allegedly after a direct order given by South African president Thabo Mbeki
to Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George
. This was categorically denied by the South African government, denouncing it as the result of a "season of propaganda".
On June 24, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry was asked if the An Yue Jiang's cargo had reached Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwean officials were then claiming. The spokesperson did not address the cargo, but said simply that the ship "had already returned to China".
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
container vessel operated by the state-run shipping firm COSCO
COSCO
China Ocean Shipping Company, known as COSCO or COSCO Group, is one of the largest liner shipping companies worldwide. It is a government owned company of the People's Republic of China...
. It became notable because of controversy surrounding a cargo of arms and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. The cargo reportedly includes some 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, 1,500 rocket propelled grenade
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
s, and 2,500 mortar rounds. The vessel originally planned to dock at the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n port of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and unload its cargo for shipment to landlocked Zimbabwe. However, there were widespread protests by persons concerned that the arms would be used by Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's regime in suppressing political opposition in the wake of disputed elections. Dock workers stated that they would not unload the cargo, and others threatened to stop the shipment on South African roads. Finally, a South African judge ruled that the ship could not dock as planned.
Subsequently, the An Yue Jiang remained in the area of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, pending a rumored decision by the Chinese to recall the ship. It was then announced that the ship would proceed to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, where it would be allowed to dock but only to unload cargo destined for Angola itself.
Arrival in Africa
On April 14, the scrutiny committee of South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) approved the shipment's conveyance permit, although it said shipment still had to be inspected and approved by the NCACC. According to South African government spokesperson Themba MasekoThemba Maseko
Themba James Maseko is the current CEO of the Government Communication and Information Systems and spokesperson for the government of South Africa...
, the government was not going to prevent the shipment from being transported to Zimbabwe.
Critics suggested that the South African government would have been acting irresponsibly or even aiding the Zimbabwean government by letting the shipment through. The issue compounded the dissatisfaction felt by many critics of the Zimbabwean government regarding South Africa's nonconfrontational approach to dealing with Mugabe, exemplified by Mbeki's claim that the post-election situation was not a crisis. However, on April 17, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union is a trade union in South Africa. It was founded in May, 2000 and has a membership of 82,000....
(SATAWU) said that members of the union would not unload the ship or handle its cargo.
The Durban High Court issued an order on April 18 effectively barring the shipment; another order allowed a German development bank to seize the cargo in compensation for an unpaid debt owed by the Zimbabwean government. The An Yue Jiang abandoned its attempt to make port in South Africa on the same day, and it reportedly headed instead for Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. The Mozambican
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
government said on April 19 that the An Yue Jiang would not be allowed into its waters, and on April 21, the Director of the Institute of Angolan Ports, Filomeno Mendonça, said that the ship was "not authorised to enter Angolan ports".
On April 21, Zambian President Mwanawasa appealed to SADC governments to forbid entry to the ship, expressing concern that the arms would increase tension in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Chinamasa dismissed the controversy as a "hullabaloo about a lone ship", asserting that Zimbabwe had the sovereign right to legitimately purchase arms to defend itself. Jiang Yu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on April 22 that the ship might be forced to turn back due to its failure to find a place to unload the shipment. She asserted that the shipment involved only "perfectly normal trade in military goods between China and Zimbabwe", with no connection to the events surrounding the election, and that the contract for it had been signed in 2007. In a statement on the same day, the MDC said that the arms were "clearly meant to butcher innocent civilians whose only crime is rejecting dictatorship and voting change".
According to the Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit, the ship was moving northwest up the coast on April 22, but subsequently the ship's location could not be precisely determined, either because it had switched off its Automatic Identification System
Automatic Identification System
The Automatic Identification System is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by Vessel traffic services for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and AIS Base stations...
or because it was more than 40-50 nautical miles from the coast (outside of the range of the Automatic Identification System). The United States requested that countries in the region not accept the ship, and it asked China "to refrain from making additional shipments and, if possible, to bring this one back". On April 22, it was reported that the China Ocean Shipping Company had decided to recall the ship due to its inability to deliver its cargo, and on April 23, the ship was reported to have turned around and was near the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
On May 17, The Weekender reported that the arms had arrived in Harare. The cargo was reportedly offloaded at Pointe-Noire
Pointe-Noire
Pointe-Noire is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, following the capital of Brazzaville, and an autonomous department since 2004. Before this date it was the capital of the Kouilou region . It is situated on a headland between Pointe-Noire Bay and the Atlantic Ocean...
in the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
and then flown to Zimbabwe. Matonga declined to comment on this, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the reports as "baseless and purely fictitious" on May 21, saying that the An Yue Jiang was returning to China with the arms still on board.
Alleged arrival of weapons
However, on May 19, a Mozambican newspaper, the Canal de Moçambique, stated that the arms had not only been offloaded (although the newspaper had stated the location of offloading as at Pointe-NoirePointe-Noire
Pointe-Noire is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, following the capital of Brazzaville, and an autonomous department since 2004. Before this date it was the capital of the Kouilou region . It is situated on a headland between Pointe-Noire Bay and the Atlantic Ocean...
in the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
, while the Zimbabwean government had stated that the weapons were offloaded in Luanda), but were flown to Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
by Avient Ltd, a UK-registered airplane business, using an Ilyushin Il-76
Ilyushin Il-76
The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
. This transaction was negotiated during the first week of May by two Zimbabwean government ministers and some of the top officers of the Zimbabwean military who flew to Angola to negotiate the delivery of the weapons. The arrival of the weapons in Harare was confirmed by the Zimbabwean government.
The report also stated that the An Yue Jiang had been refueled by the South African fleet replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg
SAS Drakensberg (A301)
The SAS Drakensberg is a fleet replenishment ship of the South African Navy, with the primary role of assisting and supporting the SAN's combat vessels at sea...
, allegedly after a direct order given by South African president Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
to Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George
Mluleki George
Mluleki Editor George is the former deputy minister of defence of South Africa. He currently serves as treasurer-general of the Congress of the People, a South African political party formed by former Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota in 2008.-External links:...
. This was categorically denied by the South African government, denouncing it as the result of a "season of propaganda".
On June 24, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry was asked if the An Yue Jiang's cargo had reached Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwean officials were then claiming. The spokesperson did not address the cargo, but said simply that the ship "had already returned to China".