File 520/1911 'Arabia:- Arms Traffic in the Yemen.' [‎68v] (141/342)

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“limit of our protectorate), at Shukra, and at the
“T urkish ports on the Red Sea. They are
“ most frequently brought from Jibuti in boats
‘ ‘with other cargo, . . . many of which uy
“ the Trench flag, and could not he overhauled.
At it was supposed that measures of suppression
were being taken at Jibuti, the Government of
India were requested to issue instructions in the
sense of the recommendations contained in Consul-
General Hayes Sadler’s memorandum of 24th
October 1901, so far as these referred to the Aden
authorities. , ^ .,
In his letter of 2Sth March 1902 tue Resident
reported the action taken.
The particular places mentioned as possibly con
cerned in the traflic were Mokallah, Balhaf,
Shukra, Ras Imran, and Ras Arab. As regaids
Mokallah the Resident pointed out that, while the
Sultan was very anxious to obtain arms for himself,
he was very much against anyone else getting
them, for possible use against himself. As regards
Shukra no definite confirmation of the reports had
been obtained, but they were considered possibly
to have some foundation. As regards the general
questionIt is very doubtful whether any but
“ small quantities of arms are landed at Mokallah,
“ or any of the Arabian ports,” but “ dhows
“ come across the Gulf, take in water and pro-
“ visions at some place not further east than
“ Mokallah, and then make for one of the ports
“ on the Mijjertein shore.” On 25th May 1902 the
Resident explained “ the reason why dhows with
“ arms come to the Arabian coast at all is because the
“ Trench authorities at Jibuti will not permit the
“ export of arms direct to Somaliland. The arms
“ are therefore purchased by Arab
“ Mulla, who ship them in dhows for
“ on the Arabian coast. There the dhows stay a
day or two, take in provisions and water, and
“ start again for the coast of Africa.”
This statement, read in connection with Consul-
General Sadler’s account of the way in which road
steads in Aden waters are resorted to for tranship
ment of arms from Arab dhows hailing from Jibuti
to Mijjertein, and other dhows, bound for the
Mijjertein coast, seems fairly conclusive as to the
nature of the traffic carried on within the Aden
jurisdiction.
It is in keeping, too, with what the Italians
themselves represented. The Mijjertein Sultan,
Othman Mahmoud, informed an Italian naval
officer that “ the Native vessels take the arms on
board at a place on the Arab coast bordering on
Sheikh Osman territory ” (at the western extremity
of the British Protectorate) and also at Sheikh
Ghadir further west. “ The Native vessels are
“ visited by the British authorities on their arrival
“ at, and departure from, Aden, and provided by
“ these with papers regularised in due order; once
“ in possession of these papers, they start and
agents
of the
some port
f
Despatch No.
1901.
37, dated 15th November
Pol. T05/02.
Nature of
Aden coast.
the arms traffic on the
Enclosure in India letter, dated^th August
1902.
Despatch to India, No. 13, of 11th April
1902, Enclosure 8, Annex 5.