File 520/1911 'Arabia:- Arms Traffic in the Yemen.' [‎66v] (137/342)

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Further light is thrown on the nature of the
control exercised at Jibuti by the circumstances
attending the seizure in March 1902 by H.M.S.
“ Cossack” of a fishing boat laden with arms and
ammunition. Though hailing from Sur (in Oman),
the crew confessed to having purchased the guns
at Jibuti ; the Acting Consul-General believed
that many similar cases were occurring, and that
the fishermen not only invested their earnings in
these goods, but were also financed by local
merchants, the profits of the trade being large,
since the price of a rifle with 100 rounds of
ammunition was 15 dollars at Jibuti, and 45 dollars,
e.g., at the Mijjertein ports. The papers found
on board this dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. disclosed the fact that Arab
middlemen were employed at Jibuti for conducting
the traffic ; and the master of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. declared
that he did not see a single official there, either
European or Native, and that no attempt was
made to verify his papers or inspect his vessel
before departure.
Arms Traffic Print, Sect. 80.
The French Ambassador, who had been ap
proached on the subject in April and again in May
1902, said that his Government had already made
representations to the local authorities.
These seem to have produced some effect, for the
Senior Naval Officer reported in June 1902 that the
Governor of Jibuti was taking “ very stringent
measures,” the premises of arms dealers being
watched by police, and a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. seized containing a
cargo of arms for the Arabian coast. The Jibuti
authorities also punished, with imprisonment and
confiscation of property, the owner of a boat which
an armed dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. manned from H.M.S. “Perseus”
had captured, with arms on board, in June 1902,
bound for Bir Ali, a small roadstead in Aden
waters. By July 1902 the Senior Naval Officer
considered that the Governor’s strong measures
had, for a time at least, “ paralysed the export
trade.” In October 1902 the French were reported
to have an armed dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. cruising to prevent the
traffic with British and Italian ports. They were
also requested to notify to the Aden authorities the
departure of dhows for poits outside the prohibited
zone* (Foreign Office Despatch to Sir E. Monson,
No. 187).
“ Stringent measures ” at Jibut,i
1902.
Despatch to India, No. 42, of 3rd October
1902, Enclosure 9, Annex.
Ditto, Enclosure 15, Annex 2.
Large consignments, however, continued to pour
into Jibuti. In August 1902 it was reported from
Aden that 225 cases of rifles and 525 of ammunition
had been landed from the steamship “ Turkestan” at
Jibuti, and that a large country boat loaded with
rifles, &c., had left that port for the Arabian coast.
Further consignments arrived in the “ Madagascar,”
the “ Kor Byster,” “ Vildymeis,” and “Africander.”
The Aden authorities reported the distribution of
these arms by buggalows sailing to various ports
on the opposite coast.
Large consignments sent to Jibuti,
1902;
* See French Government’s statement (page 5) in December
1901.