Chapter 12: A Strong Country is Like a Robber

  PS: Seeking recommendation tickets and collections, next week I'll work hard to rush into the new book chart, need everyone's help. Beautifully begging everyone.

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  At this time, Somalia is similar to China a hundred years ago. Warlords are fighting each other, and various countries want to support their own representatives, while also gaining benefits from the country.

  Although Somalia does not have an investment environment at this time, it is nothing for international arms dealers. What they want may be a piece of land or some unilateral benefit clauses, more simply as long as you pocket your wealth.

  The message revealed from Mukhtar's words also made Li Lan's mood slightly heavy. Wanting to let Somalia complete its unification, it seems simple, but in reality, the road is long and arduous.

  Somalia is not the unguarded cake that he previously thought it was. The cake is there, but so are those who covet it. Although the major powers of the world do not have their main focus here, they clearly have not stopped paying attention to this place.

  Li Ran believes that as long as he gives himself enough time and resources, and continues to develop for a few more years, he will not be inferior to any country, even the United States, and he dares to play a game against the US on their home turf. However, this is unrealistic, development needs space, needs time, and needs countless resources.

  Maybe it won't affect countries around the world in a short time, but what about later? That's hard to say. Before, he was a bit too optimistic. A strong country is like a strong thief, this sentence wasn't said for nothing. The Somali pirates can't even make a ripple against the big thieves of nations. And from now on, he will inevitably come into contact with some powerful countries in the world, so he needs to carefully consider his future development path.

  In the early 1990s, the United States had a policy of active intervention in the Somali conflict. After the failure of peacekeeping operations, US policy quickly shifted to complete disengagement, allowing the Somali conflict to escalate and humanitarian disasters to worsen. Following the 9/11 attacks, the US adjusted its security strategy to counter-terrorism and non-proliferation: launching preemptive strikes against "rogue states" and terrorist organizations, engaging in international governance of "failed states", and promoting democracy.

  This has transformed the Somali conflict from a traditional "low politics" issue to a major strategic concern for national security in American perception. In this context, the United States views Somalia as an important battleground in the war on terror and seeks to prevent it from becoming a haven for international terrorism.

  The United States considers the Islamic Courts Union to be an "al-Qaeda-style" Islamist organization. Although ICU leaders have repeatedly stated that their goal is to restore security and stability in Somalia, with no intention of establishing an "al-Qaeda-style" government or having any connection to terrorism, the ICU has deep roots with Somali Islamist extremist group Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, and many of its leaders were once members.

  In addition, geopolitics is another reason for the US intervention in Somali affairs. The strategic location of Somalia in the "Horn of Africa" region is very important, and with the recent discovery of oil, the US has begun to re-emphasize its interest in this area.

  Far away in the United States is so concerned about this small country in Northeast Africa, the US does not give up on Somalia for three reasons:

  One is the mentality of revenge and hatred; two is the great temptation of oil and other resources; three is the region's important strategic location, which has a significant impact on America's global military deployment.

  The US intervened in the Somali conflict in 1993, only to suffer a humiliating defeat, with "Black Hawk Down" becoming one of the most painful memories for Americans in Africa. Years later, whenever American politicians mention Somalia, this incident is inevitably brought up, and this memory has become a symbol of "American shame". Therefore, when Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia to strike at religious militants, supporting them was naturally the most obvious choice from a historical perspective.

  Secondly, "Somalia has oil!" This is not just a guess, but has already been acknowledged by the Somali authorities. In November 2006, the Somali Foreign Minister explicitly welcomed all parties to come and extract oil in Somalia, saying that several companies had already arrived ahead of time. In fact, before Somalia fell into a state of anarchy in 1991, many American oil companies were already interested in the potential oil reserves here, but had to give up due to the outbreak of war.

  Somalia's geographical location is also of great strategic value for the security of oil transportation. Somalia is located in the northeastern corner of Africa, strategically guarding the exit of the Red Sea. The Horn of Africa is rich in oil reserves and is close to Saudi Arabia, allowing it to monitor the large number of oil tankers and warships passing through the Red Sea.

  This is another corridor for the transportation of oil in the Middle East, apart from the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf region. However, the Strait of Hormuz is adjacent to Iran, an old adversary of the United States, which puts a kind of invisible pressure on the US's Middle Eastern oil imports. The strategic value of Somalia has thus become prominent.

  According to some small news, just as the Somali Transitional Government is struggling to stop the civil war and change the turmoil within its borders, American forces have secretly returned to this country, using US dollars to support certain local warlords, helping them expand their power. The US government refuses to publicly acknowledge such actions, only emphasizing concerns that Somalia will become a new "terrorist paradise" for al-Qaeda.

  It is not clear what the US motive is, but there are some speculations: either the US is too impatient and cannot wait for the Somali government to become strong enough to effectively address the issue on its own, so it resorts to using warlords; or perhaps the US has other motives, such as seeking control over Somalia's oil resources.

  Apart from mineral resources, Li Lan attaches the most importance to Somalia's oil resources. Oil not only can provide power for its motorized troops in the future but also is another important means of funding for the base. Moreover, if the oil reserves are huge, it can become an important economic pillar for Somalia.

  Somalia itself does not have the ability to extract oil, but Li Ran does, and it's very convenient. Whether it's a land-based oil well or an offshore oil platform, both are available in the Red Alert building unit. And the price is very cheap, if not for the lack of permissions, Li Ran would have built on a large scale long ago.

  "My friend, what's wrong?" Muhanmudi asked, seeing Li Ran's thoughtful face.

  "Sorry, I was distracted. Now let's talk about the main issue." Li Lan said with a apologetic face, and then put aside what happened later, focusing on getting through the road ahead smoothly.

  Since Muhanmudi considered himself an arms dealer from China, Li Ran did not specifically deny it, nor did he confirm it: "Of the 8,000 rounds of ammunition here, 4,000 rounds are a gift for our meeting as friends. The remaining 4,000 rounds are old rules, I plan to exchange something with you."

  "No, no way, this is too expensive." Four thousand bullets, worth more than six thousand US dollars, was also a considerable amount for Muhammad.

  "Since we're friends, don't be polite. I have a lot of these." Li Lan said with a slight smile.

  Seeing Li Lan's nonchalant appearance, Muhanmudi pondered for a moment, glanced at the armed personnel guarding the door, and leaned over to Li Lan's side, asking in a low voice: "Who are they?"

  Li Ran noticed Muhanmudi's caution and measured her words before asking: "Why are you asking this?"

  "If they are members of other armed forces, there are some things we can't say here and I'm also worried about your safety. Some organizations often extort after protecting outsiders, so..."

  "If it's about that matter, then rest assured, every single one of them will speak Chinese, because they are my soldiers, not hired mercenaries." After some deliberation, Li Lan still revealed the identities of Ahmad and his men.

  "Ah!" Mohamud was taken aback, then said with embarrassment: "It seems I was too cautious. Since they are all your subordinates, I can rest assured now. You know? My friend, today I went to the market in Bosaso and sold all the bullets you brought, and many acquaintances asked me if I had any more of these new bullets, hoping that next time I could bring a few more."

  "What do you mean?" Li Lan asked.

  "I was thinking that the gift of 4,000 bullets is too heavy, I think tomorrow I'll go again and sell these bullets, and you can come back at this time tomorrow to get the dollars. As for what you need, just let me know, as long as it's something I have, I'll try my best to satisfy you." Muhanmudi said.

  "Now that I've offered it to you, it's yours. If you feel uneasy about it, consider it our transaction for today. I need food and gasoline, so these 4,000 bullets will be our trade for today. The remaining 4,000 bullets, I hope you can exchange them for more food and fuel. For now, I don't need money." Li Lan said after some thought.

  "Alright! I'll accept it then." Muhmudi couldn't decline any further, sometimes being too polite can make relationships feel distant.

  "You just said they need more bullets, do they need guns? Brand new AK-47s, absolutely reliable quality." Li Ran asked after a moment of thought.

  "Of course it's needed, as far as I know, an old AK-47 can sell for $300 on the market, and if it's brand new, the price will be even higher," said Muhannad.

  "What's the demand?"

  "Many, I know quite a few armed forces, and previously there were some pleasant transactions, I think they would be happy to take over. And those arms dealers who like to make a profit from selling weapons will also be happy to buy new weapons at high prices." Muhanmudi replied firmly.

  "Let's come back tomorrow, I'll bring more ammunition. And I also hope we are forever friends." Li Lan stood up and extended his right hand to Muhanmudi.

  "Eternal friends." Muhanmudi also stood up and said seriously, with both hands tightly clasped together.

  Today, these bullets are just a test shot. For now, Li Ran wants to develop and must get along with the locals. At present, Muhanmudi seems like a pretty good target. Li Ran is also happy to improve relations with the other party.

  At dusk, Li Lan walked onto the return road. The truck's rear compartment also held a lot of food and fuel.