'Restrictions on the trade in arms, &c., on the Red Sea and on the Somali Coasts' [‎78r] (1/8)

Secret.
Restrictions on the trade in Arms, &c.,
on the Red Sea and on the Somali
Coasts.
Restrictions on trade in arms,
&c.
Home; 364, 403.
* S. C., Part IT., p. 35—39.
t Letters from Aden, 22nd and 23rd Feb
ruary 1886.
It has been mentioned in a previous Memo
randum* that proposals were made to the French
Government in 1885 for restricting the trade in
arms on the Red Sea and on the Somali Coasts, and
that, pending the conclusion of a Convention to
this effect, an arrangement had been made on the
15th December 1884 between the Resident at Aden
(General Blair) and the French Consul at that port,
under which all arms and ammunition for Obokh
would be passed by the authorities which were
covered by the special permission of the repre
sentative of France at Aden in each case, and that
consignments of arms, &c., awaiting transhipment
might be deposited in the Customs warehouse as
heretofore.
On the 19th February 1886f the Resident
(Brigadier-General Hogg) forwarded to the French
Consul at Aden a list of the actual number
and description of consignments of arms, ammu
nition, military stores, &c., transhipped at Aden
for Obokh from 14th February 1885 to 1st February
1886, showing that a large import of arms and
ammunition was carried on by foreigners w r ho used
Aden as a port of transhipment for the opposite
African coast, and invited his co-operation in
checking the indiscriminate import of arms into
Africa via Obokh, adding that he believed that the
attainment of this result had the sympathy of the
French local authorities on the coast. The Re
sident further said that, although the above-
mentioned arms, &c., were intended for Shoa, still
there was no security that after leaving French
territory a portion might not have fallen into the
hands of the Dankalis and Somalis. At any rate
it was known that the possession of firearms by
the natives on the African coast had certainly
become more common. Another mattei was that
were any kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. consisting of cases of arms, &c.,
overpowered en route to Shoa by the intervening
tribes, the consequences would be very serious as
well to the Government of the Republic as that of
Her Majesty. ,
M. de Gaspary (22nd February 1886) entirely
agreed with Brigadier-General Hogg that the
wholesale importation of arms would seriously
impair the interests of both France and England
on the Somali Coast, and undertook to urge on his
Government that the introduction of arms, Ac.,
into Obokh, or the adjoining French territory, should
be formally prohibited. In the meantime tne
Resident begged M. de Gaspary to intimate to al
15607. 1.1201. A