January 28, 2002	Monday	Ziqa’ad 13, 1422

DJIBOUTI, Jan 27: Six German warships arrived in Djibouti on Sunday where they are to dock following a surveillance mission in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden under the US-led anti-terror campaign, Radio Djibouti reported.

The two frigates and four supply ships laden with fuel, munitions and spare parts joined a seventh warship which arrived Thursday as part of the “Enduring Freedom” campaign against international terrorism.

Germany has set up a logistical base in Djibouti with between 200 and 300 personnel on duty.

The commander of the German contingent, Admiral Gottfried Hoch, met Saturday with political and military authorities here including Foreign Minister Ali Abdi Farah, army chief of staff General Fathi Ahmed Houssein and police chief Colonel Ali Hassan.

The German fleet is expected to stay in the Djibouti port a few days before sailing again.

The secretary general of Djibouti’s foreign ministry, Djibril Djama Elab, told AFP that several helicopters and four speedboats would be delivered to the logistical base soon.

Washington believes that operatives from the al-Qaeda network of top terror suspect Osama bin Laden are active in neighbouring Somalia, and that others could seek refuge there.

The United States has warned several countries, especially Somalia, that they must deny safe haven to terrorists if they want to avoid becoming targets in the US war on terrorism.

It is the biggest movement of the German fleet since World War Two, according to navy spokesman Wolfgang Jungman.

The frigates, the Koln and Emden, sailed into port flanked by three supply ships with a total of 1,000 sailors aboard. Another frigate, the Bayern, docked last Thursday.

“This is a similar operation to the (Yugoslav) operation in the Adriatic Sea in the 1990s,” Jungman said. “Once the arrangements are finalised, the operation will be under US authority but we will remain under national control.”

Rear Admiral Gottfried Hoch said on Thursday the mission would monitor sea traffic between Yemen and Somalia.

He denied the mission was focused on Somalia, seen by US officials as an attractive base for “terrorists” seeking refuge from Afghanistan.

“Of course Somalia is in the far corner of our territory of operations, but our objective is to patrol the Red Sea region, and between here and the Persian Gulf,” he said.

Hoch left for Bahrain at the weekend where he was to discuss the operation with his US counterpart Admiral Mark Fitzgerald.

On his return, and once Berlin has given its approval, the German patrols will get underway, probably at the beginning of February. The mission is due to last eight months to a year.

HITTING THE TOWN: Until then, the 1,800 sailors and support staff will remain docked in Djibouti — a tiny state of 600,000 people — living on board but descending on the town at night to relax.

Berlin has even sent a small contingent of military police who, dressed in camouflage fatigues, patrol the town at night to make sure thei