Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles by All Means

Just south of Africa lies the magnificent republic of Mozambique. The country has its edges beautified by Indian Ocean a feature that encourages fishing and its beaches attract many. The fish industry in Mozambique may not bring in as much revenue as it did a few years ago but is still an activity the country prides itself with especially with its many offshore fishing grounds. This activity seems to have caught the attention of North Korea Leader Kim Jon Un.

North Korea and the Republic of Mozambique are reportedly taking part in an illicit joint fishing venture. CNN journalists report that they spotted Susan 1 and Susan 2, Pyongyang’s vessels manned by North Korea crew members, at the port of Maputo, Mozambique. These vessels are defined as no ordinary vessels but are the sanction-bustling trawlers. The United Nations has implemented sanctions against illicit joint fishing ventures between countries. Additionally, the United Nations and the United States came up with tougher sanctions aimed at stopping money from flowing into North Korea’ Leader, Kim Jong Un’s “notorious nuclear slush fund, known as Office 39”. These funds are needed by the regime to keep the nuclear and ballistic missiles program functioning.  According to CNN reports, North Korea has taken to Mozambique to tap in the much-needed cash. This is just another sanction violation North Korea is caught in. Apart from the joint fishing sanction violation, North Korea has also been criticized for violating other UN sanctions such as participating in trade of commodities banned for exportation and illegal exportation of coal.

Mozambique Foreign Minister Maria Lucas rejected the existence of a joint illicit fishing venture between the two countries citing that Mozambique has no interest to cooperate with the North Korea leaders and are complying with the United Nations to prove that they are not in violation of the US and UN sanctions.  She stated that the only relation that the Republic of Mozambique and North Korea have is nothing but political.

The threat of North Korea obtaining nuclear and Ballistic Missile is a great concern to the international community and especially the United States.  This explains why the current administration has taken upon itself to toughen the sanctions aimed at hindering North Korea, Kim Jong Un and his regime, from finding means to fund his program. Seeing that a special panel was set up to monitor sanctions imposed because of the Pyongyang’s illicit nuclear weapons program, it is arguable that there is evidence that North Korea is determined to enrich its nuclear and ballistic missiles.

The president of the United States and the leader of North Korea are known to be at odds on most occasions especially on social media. Threats to attack each other have been made with each leader making claims that their weapons are more destructive compared to that of the other, and each of them stating their readiness to launch theirs.

Three parties are involved in this mess. Mozambique argues that there are no sanction violating activities involved in its waters a claim that only the visit by the sanctions panel can rule on its correctness. North Korea has been in violation of several sanctions placed on it by both the United States and the United Nations, so should we really rule out the probability that they are involved in this illegal activity? If they really are involved a number of questions can be asked; what should the US do? What does Mozambique get for their cooperation with North Korea? Are there any sanctions that would make it impossible for North Korea to keep adding to its nuclear and ballistic missile program? All these are questions that are not easy to answer. The United State has in its foreign policy agenda a goal to stop the flow of money into the program efforts that so far seem to be failing with North Korea determined to obtain

North Korea is a threat to the international community and to the United States. Whatever the reason for North Korea to want to make their weapons any stronger, the United States is incentivized to intervene. The United States should consider what sanctions would stop North Korea’s activities which should probably involve, and if Mozambique is found to have been an asset to breaking the sanctions, the UN should take disciplinary actions aimed at deterring other nations from aiding North Korea to get funds to for the nuclear and ballistic missiles. Since North Korea has decided to get the nuclear and ballistic missiles by all means, maybe  the US should stop the nuclear and ballistic missiles by all means.