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Show Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 World&Nation Page 11 S. Africa reports N. Korea sanctions violation UNITED NATIONS (AP) — South Africa sent a report to the United Nations saying it confiscated a shipment of North Korean tank parts hidden among sacks of rice which were headed for the Republic of Congo in violation of U.N. sanctions. In the report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, the South African government said the two containers are currently stored in a state-secured warehouse in Durban while its investigation continues. It estimated the value of the conventional arms at 6 million rand (about $770,000). The shipment's final destination, according to the bill of lading, was the port of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo, the small oil-rich country often overshadowed by its larger neighbor, Congo. The Republic of Congo, whose capital is Brazzaville, has reportedly experienced a wave of recent violence. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in testimony Wednesday to a Senate committee that the South African seizure was another example of the effectiveness of U.N. sanctions, adding that hardly a week goes by without a report of a new seizure. In one of the major seizures, Thai authorities, acting on a tip from the U.S., found 35 tons of weapons on an Ilyushin 11-76 cargo plane that stopped in Bangkok en route from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang on Dec. 12. Thailand and some independent arms trafficking experts say flight documents indicated the plane's cargo — listed as oil drilling equipment — was headed for the Iranian capital, Tehran. The U.N. Security Council imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea last June, banning the export of all weapons and authorizing ship searches on the high seas to try to rein in its nuclear program. The resolution was adopted after Pyongyang's second nuclear test on May 25, 2009, which violated a council resolution adopted after its first nuclear blast in 2006. The report to the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea is entitled "breach of the Security Council resolutions..." It traced the shipment from the DGE Corporation via the "Machinery Expand Imp Corp." both established to be in North Korea, to the Chinese port of Dalian where it was put on board the CGM Musca on Oct. 20. The bill of lading described the contents of the two containers as "spare parts of bulldozer," according to the report. At Port Klang, Malaysia, the shipment was transferred to another vessel, the Westerhever, which was chartered by Delmas Shipping, a subsidiary of the French shipping company, CMA-CGM, the report said. Delmas requested that CMA-CGM Shipping Agencies South Africa (Pty) Ltd. represent the Westerhever on its voyage to South Africa. The captain was instructed to refuel in Durban on Nov. 28-29, but due to fuel shortages in Durban, the Westerhever was ordered to take on fuel in Walvis Bay, the report said. While en route to Walvis Bay on Nov. 27, the captain "received an email instruction from Delmas to make a U-turn and discharge the two containers in Durban, the report said. A U.N. diplomat familiar with the report, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the email informed the captain that the ship was carrying suspicious cargo which should be turned over for inspection to South African authorities in Durban. Martin Baxendale, a spokesman for CMACGM, said in Paris that the company was in contact with South African authorities but said "we cannot enter into discussions relating to any details in regard to this matter." According to the report, "a large quantity of rice grains in sacks lined the containers and was utilized as protective buffers for the conveyance of the conventional arms." The containers included a large number of components for T54 and T55 tanks, including gun sights, seats, tracks, tank periscopes, and communications equipment, the report said. A high frequency radio with Chinese markings, protective headgear for tank crewmen, and search lights including infrared lights were also included, it said. T54 and T55 tanks were initially produced in the former Soviet Union but have since been upgraded and manufactured in other countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, asked about the letter Thursday at a regular media briefing in Beijing, said "China is looking into it." Half-empty chamber greets Ukraine's new president KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — New Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych vowed Thursday to create "a European state outside of any bloc," but the crippling lack of consensus in his government was clear in the half-empty hall during his inaugural address. His short, unemotional speech showed a determination to save the economy and preserve ties with the West forged by the outgoing leadership. But his more specific pledges have suggested a turn back toward Russia in energy policy and military cooperation, policies that threaten to further polarize the nation. Yanukovych took the oath of office in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, receiving a ceremonial scepter that he raised in triumph over the deputies in attendance. But members of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's party snubbed the event. Their empty half of the chamber emphasized the kinds of divisions that have paralyzed Ukraine's government in recent years and continue to do so. Since his victory in a Feb. 7 runoff vote, Yanukovych's Party of Regions has struggled to form a new coalition that could pass urgent reforms and oust Tymoshenko, his political nemesis. This has proven a losing fight so far. Having defeated her by only 3.5 percentage points in the presidential contest, Yanukovych enters office with a shaky mandate. He also inherits an economy crippled by the global financial crisis and a nation whose political loyalties are deeply divided. He has broad support in the Russian-speaking east of the country, but in the Ukrainian-speaking west, he lost in virtually every region to Tymoshenko. But the new president, once considered a Kremlin lackey, promised to carve a unique geopolitical path for Ukraine and pull its economy back from the brink. "I think that the state can not only be saved from a social-economic collapse, but can quickly be put on the path of accelerated development," Yanukovych said in his inaugural address. Where his predecessor had railed against Russian bullying in the region, Yanukovych pledged a more balanced approach. "People don't like it when you show them a fist. They have more trust in those who extend them a hand," he said, appearing eager to hold his composure. Neither Tymoshenko nor outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko showed up for the inauguration. Both of them came to power on the back of mass street protests against Yanukovych in late 2004. Dubbed the Orange Revolution, those protests succeeded in getting the Supreme Court to overturn Yanukovych's rigged election victory and order a revote, which Yushchenko, a fierce Kremlin critic, won by a narrow margin. But Yanukovych has since made a comeback, capitalizing on the Orange leadership's failure to deliver on promises of economic growth and European integration. Yushchenko, who has called Yanukovych's victory a "Kremlin project," did not make it past the first round of voting in January. Tymoshenko alleges vote fraud, but she has dropped her court case on the issue, claiming the court is controlled by Yanukovych's supporters. International observers called the 2010 vote free and fair. Where his predecessor had offended Russia by seeking NATO membership, Yanukovych has scrapped the idea of joining the EU or NATO. He has instead pledged to focus on the country's endemic corruption and economic woes, issues that Yushchenko was accused of ignoring as he single-mindedly sought ties with the West. Yanukovych, a native Russian-speaker, is expected to bring Ukraine closer to Moscow. He has said he will welcome Russia into a consortium that would jointly operate Ukraine's natural gas pipeline network, restoring influence that the Orange leaders had worked to revoke. He has also said he would extend Russia's lease on a naval base in the Ukrainian port city of Sevastopol that is due to expire in 2017. Russia's Black Sea fleet stirs emotions in Ukraine, and Yushchenko had fought to kick it out, calling the fleet a hostile presence on Ukrainian soil. Yanukovych's first visit will be to Brussels next week, and immediately after he will travel to Moscow on March 5, his advisers said. After his inauguration, Yanukovych met with seven foreign delegations, including ones from the European Union, the United States, Russia and China. Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Naryshkin said the purpose of his visit Thursday was to "activate relations with Ukraine in a meaningful way, especially on the economic front." James Jones, the U.S. National Security Adviser, congratulated Yanukovych on behalf of President Barack Obama, who "highly values the strategic partnership with Ukraine," Jones said after their meeting. Anzies 752 9252 690 N. 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