United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

14 June 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

Biden's visit reflects new US priorities in EA (The East African)

(Kenya) US Vice President Joe Bidens visit to Kenya can be seen as signaling a shift in
the Obama administrations approach to East Africa.

Sudan replaces army general on US sanctions list (Associated Press)

(Sudan) Sudan's president has replaced five top army generals, including the deputy
chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who is on a U.S. sanctions list for his role in the
Darfur conflict.

US expects Sudan to bring escaped killers to justice (AFP)

(Sudan) The United States said Friday it expected Sudan would "ensure justice is
served" on four prison escapees who were sentenced to death for the 2008 murders of a
US diplomat and his driver.

U.S. Summit Sets Agenda for Women (Daily Champion - Nigeria)

(Pan Africa) Speaking on the theme, "African Women's Leadership: Our Role in
Advancing Family Planning," at the on-going Women Deliver Conference in
Washington, DC, the speakers said although a lot of things were against women, they
could make impact with the creation of conducive environment and political will by
governments.

Consensus Unlikely At Rome Statute Conference In Uganda (Voice of America)

(Uganda) Former U.S Ambassador David Scheffer has expressed doubt a consensus
can be formed among participants over the crime of aggression at the Rome Statute
Review Conference which ends Friday in Kampala.

Libya says Switzerland reiterating apology over publishing photos of Gaddafi son
arrest (Xinhua)
(Libya) Switzerland "reiterated its formal apology" over publishing photos of the arrest
of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Hannibal by Swiss police in 2008, Libya's
official Jana news agency said on Sunday.
Explosions At Political Rally in Kenya Kill 5 (Voice of America)
(Kenya) Kenyan officials say five people have died and at least 75 others were
wounded after explosions rocked a prayer rally in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Somalia Experiences New Type of Fighting (New York Times)

(Somalia) According to Somali officials, there was fierce fighting on Saturday between
police officers and army soldiers all working for Somalias Transitional Federal
Government in one of Mogadishus relatively quiet neighborhoods, Hamar Jajab.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
Ban gets first-hand look at Benin's progress in attaining anti-poverty targets
Security Council welcomes agreement between Eritrea and Djibouti to end
border dispute
Civilians still in the firing line in Darfur, Security Council hears during ICC
debate
As World Cup opens, UN salutes the power of sport for peace and development
UN voices dismay at deaths of Somali asylum-seekers off Mozambican coast
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, June 15, 9:30 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars: Media as a Tool for Social Change
in Africa
WHO: John Marks, President and Founder, Search for Common Ground; John Siceloff,
Executive Producer NOW on PBS, CEO of JumpStart Productions; Sylvia Vollenhoven, Knight
Development Journalism Fellow, International Center for Journalists; Steve McDonald,
Consulting Director, Africa Program, Wilson Center
Info:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&event_id=623411

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 16, 4:00 p.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars: A Critical Moment in Sudan:
Views from President Thabo Mbeki and SRSG Haile Menkerios
WHO: President Thabo Mbeki, Former President of South Africa, Head of the African Union
High Level Implementation Panel (Sudan); Haile Menkerios, Special Representative of the
Secretary General in Sudan, Head of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/critical-moment-in-sudan

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 17, 2:30 p.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs: Horn of Africa: Current
Conditions and U.S. Policy
WHO: Mr. Ted Dagne, Specialist in African Affairs, Congressional Research Service; Ms. Leslie
Lefkow, Senior Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
Info: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1191
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Biden's visit reflects new US priorities in EA (The East African)

US Vice President Joe Bidens visit to Kenya can be seen as signaling a shift in the
Obama administrations approach to East Africa.

Comments by Mr Biden, coupled with reports of an expanding US secret war against

Al Qaeda, suggest that Washington is now focusing more on Kenyas strategic sub-
regional role than on concerns about corruption and human rights abuses within the
country.

The coalition governments agreement on constitutional reforms represents a major

reason for the marked change in Washingtons tone. But growing US trepidation over
instability in the region particularly in Somalia has also contributed to the decision
to cultivate a more co-operative relationship with Kenya.

We recognise that Kenyas long-term stability and development are tied to the regions
security and development, Mr Biden declared in Nairobi last Tuesday. The United
States supports Kenyas effort to secure the border (with Somalia) in the face of very
real threats from those who wish to spread chaos.

His remarks coincided with President Mwai Kibakis call for the US to lead a concerted
international effort to stabilise Somalia.

The leaders joint emphasis on Somalia is related to a decision on the part of the Obama
administration to launch pre-preemptive military strikes on targets inside Somalia.

White House counter-terrorism director John Brennan recently highlighted the new
policy by saying the US will not merely respond after the fact of a terrorist attack but
will take the fight to Al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates whether they plot and train
in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond.

The Washington Post last week cited US and Somali intelligence estimates that up to
1200 foreign fighters many from Kenya, Tanzania and Sudan are now operating
within the ranks of Al Shabaab and other Islamist insurgent groups.

According to a recent CNN report, the US assumes that a core group of foreign fighters
in Somalia is preparing for attacks against Western targets in East Africa.
Partly in response to the growing threat it sees emanating from Somalia, the Obama
administration has significantly expanded a largely secret US war against Al Qaeda
and other radical groups, the Washington Post reported in its June 4 edition.

The newspaper said US Special Operations forces are now deployed in 75 countries
around the world, compared with 60 at the start of 2009. Given the scope of this power
projection, it would not be surprising if Kenya were hosting US Special Operations
teams.

The Post added that President Obama is making reliance on such forces a far more
integrated part of his global security strategy than was the case under President
George W Bush. Mr Obama has asked for a 5.7 per cent increase in the Special
Operations budget for the coming fiscal year, which would bring the total to $6.3
billion.

The United States has already launched several military strikes inside Somalia. Mr Bush
used cruise missiles to hit targets believed linked to Al Qaeda, while Mr Obama
ordered a helicopter assault last September that killed a man identified as a key Al
Qaeda operative in East Africa.

The Obama administration has also approved the use of unarmed drones to track
pirates operating off the Somalia coast.

Even as it sharpens its focus on Somalia, the Obama administration is also using Vice
President Bidens visit to Kenya as an opportunity to prepare further for southern
Sudans secession referendum in January. Again, the US looks to Kenya to play a key
role in helping stabilise a neighbouring country.

Mr Biden was scheduled on Wednesday to meet in Nairobi with Southern Sudan

President Salva Kiir.
--------------------
Sudan replaces army general on US sanctions list (Associated Press)

KHARTOUM, Sudan - Sudan's president has replaced five top army generals, including
the deputy chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who is on a U.S. sanctions list for his role
in the Darfur conflict.

Sudan's army spokesman, Sawarmy Khaled, was quoted as saying on state media that
the five retired.

Deputy armed forces chief Awad Ibn Auf was one of two officials who had assets
frozen in the U.S. in 2007 for planning attacks and supporting militiamen responsible
for atrocities in Darfur. A rebel leader was also subjected to the penalties, which also
prohibited any U.S. business dealings. Up to 300,000 people were killed in seven years
of conflict.

Sudan has faced various U.S. sanctions since 1997 for supporting terrorism and human
rights violations.
--------------------
US expects Sudan to bring escaped killers to justice (AFP)

WASHINGTON The United States said Friday it expected Sudan would "ensure
justice is served" on four prison escapees who were sentenced to death for the 2008
murders of a US diplomat and his driver.

"The United States government expects that Sudanese authorities will apprehend these
convicted murderers, and ensure that justice is served for the men killed and their
families," US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement.

John Granville, 33, worked for the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
He and his driver, Abdel Rahman Abbas, 40, were shot dead in their car on January 1,
2008 as they returned from a New Year's Eve celebration.

Sudanese authorities charged five young Islamists with the double murder, of whom
four were handed the death penalty. The other man was sentenced to two years in
prison for providing the arms, and was released in 2009.

The four convicted murderers escaped on Thursday from the Kober jail in northern
Khartoum, a security source in the Sudanese capital told AFP on Friday.

Crowley said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Administrator Raj Shah on
Friday expressed "once again their full support for these brave public servants (killed in
Sudan) and their families."

A police spokesman in Sudan on Friday said the four fugitives exchanged fire with
officers manning a checkpoint, but gave no further details on the manhunt.

The four convicted murderers include a former military officer and the son of a leader
of pacifist Islamist group Ansar al-Sunna.

"The US government has closely followed the trial of these men... and has appreciated
the Government of Sudan's efforts and cooperation in prosecuting the murderers, who
showed no remorse for their actions during the trial," Crowley said.
--------------------
U.S. Summit Sets Agenda for Women (Daily Champion - Nigeria)
WASHINGTON African women rose from engaging discussions Tuesday with a call
for women to rise up against non-performing women leaders in political positions who
do not support their cause.

While calling for the removal of women leaders, who lack focus to create opportunities
for those who would advance women's interest, they said African women could make a
change in their communities, if the few in decision-making bodies have the interest of
women at heart.

Speaking on the theme, "African Women's Leadership: Our Role in Advancing Family
Planning," at the on-going Women Deliver Conference in Washington, DC, the speakers
said although a lot of things were against women, they could make impact with the
creation of conducive environment and political will by governments.

However, Ms Iyabo Bello-Obasanjo, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, described

the call as uncalled for and improper, saying the proposal was not workable since most
of the women in parliaments or political offices were not put there by women.

She said: "The fact is that most women leaders were not put there by women
movement, how then you can remove them. You didn't put them there in the first place
so on what basis would they remove them? The idea of removing them is not ideal."

She agreed with the speakers that it was necessary to have many women in political
positions, but advised women's movements to be always supportive of women leaders
so that they in turn can support the movement, saying women in political positions
work in consensus with men in capacity building and would not be ideal to advance
only women cause.

Their discussion centered on what it would take to involve community leaders to help
advance Family Planning and other women empowerment issues across Africa,
particularly in the countries that have the highest unmet need.

In her presentation, Mrs. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, the Executive Director and co-founder,
African Women's Development Fund, said it would be necessary for African women to
have a voice as well as power and control in issues that concern them.

She said: "Having a voice is important and is also connected to the issue of power; as we
are talking about family planning, we are also talking about fertility planning and
African women lack the power to negotiate with their male-counterparts."

Adeleye-Fayemi said one of the biggest challenges or tasks was the issue of
accountability and misplacement of priority, saying it would be necessary for women
leaders to ask themselves how women can sustain the issues they have in their
communities.

She said one of the strategies by her organisation was to harness the potential of women
leaders, women in politics, in media, in business, among others, as a platform to
advance the cause of family planning and other women issues.

She said to make any meaningful progress, the number of women in parliament would
help push women issues even as she said the few in parliament must have interest in
women's issues or be prepared to be removed.

In her presentation, a Member of Parliament in Uganda, Ms Sylvia Ssinabulya, said

female Parliamentarians in her country had made invaluable contributions to the
achievements in health which the government has recorded so far by forcing it to make
maternal health a priority.

She said: "Uganda has been able to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
on HIV/AIDS as far back as 2006. Uganda was one of the countries with the highest
number of maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS rates, but all that has changed because of
the involvement of all stakeholders in pushing the issues.

"Although we are operating in a hostile environment where maternal health issues were
downplayed, we were able to break the circle and make some progress," and advised
other African countries to follow-suit for greater impact."

On maternal health issues, the Family Planning Programme Manager, Zanzibar

Ministry of Health, in Tanzania, Dr. Hanuni Sogora, identified social cultural barriers,
limited spousal communication; low empowerment of women, rumours and
misconceptions as factors militating against the acceptance of family planning in
African countries.

Sogora said a lot could be achieved if stakeholders could advocate for increased budget
allocation to health and engage in training and re-training of service providers on new
contraceptive technologies.
--------------------
Consensus Unlikely At Rome Statute Conference In Uganda (Voice of America)

Former U.S Ambassador David Scheffer has expressed doubt a consensus can be
formed among participants over the crime of aggression at the Rome Statute Review
Conference which ends Friday in Kampala.
Scheffer, who served as an ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues in the Clinton
Administration, described as constructive the debate and dialogue among governments
at the conference.

There has been an enormous amount of, I think, very constructive dialogue among
governments at this conference. There has also been divisiveness. There have been very
divergent views about how to achieve particularly the incorporation of the crime of
aggression into the Rome Statute. But, it has been a two-week venture and we are in a
better position today than we were two weeks ago on this issue, he said.

Amendment proposals that were deliberated upon during the conference included the
revision of Article 125 of the Rome Statute, the crime of aggression and the inclusion of
the use of certain weapons as war crimes.

Scheffer, now law professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois who is

participating in the Kampala conference, said it is unlikely there would be a
compromise on including the crime of aggression in the Rome Statute.

I think that is doubtful because there are too many governments in the world that view
how to use military force differently. There are governments who (say) there a very
lawful uses of military force that should not be questioned by a court. Its a political
matter. And, there are governments, for example, at the Security Council that do see it
as an issue that is solely to be determined by the Security Council, Scheffer said.

Last year, the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant
against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir after accusing him of committing war
crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict in Darfur charges his
supporters deny.

Critics say the ICC has often targeted poor and less powerful countries, mostly in
Africa, while ignoring crimes allegedly committed by Western countries a charge
officials of The Hague-based court deny.

Scheffer said some participants agree with the ICC criticism.

That has been a common train of thought among some delegations here in Kampala
that there has to be a balance that the major governments need to be held accountable
for their military action just as other governments are held accountable. And, that is a
very delicate balance in these negotiations, Scheffer said.

Participants said the Rome Statute review conference also centered on analyzing the
success and impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities, as
well as peace and justice.
--------------------
Libya says Switzerland reiterating apology over publishing photos of Gaddafi son
arrest (Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, Libya - Switzerland "reiterated its formal apology" over publishing photos of
the arrest of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Hannibal by Swiss police in 2008,
Libya's official Jana news agency said on Sunday.

According to the report, the Swiss apology came for publishing photos of the
"unjustified, unnecessary" arrest of Hannibal on July 15, 2008, in Geneva for allegedly
maltreating two domestic employees, charges that were later dropped.

The apology came within an action plan agreement that was signed Sunday in the
Libyan capital Tripoli between Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa and his Swiss
and Spanish counterparts Micheline Calmy-Rey and Miguel Angel Moratinos who
arrived in the city earlier in the day in a bid to end a diplomatic dispute between Libya
and Switzerland.

Under the deal, the Swiss government announces its condemnation of the publication of
the photos and "shoulders its responsibility, " the report said, without elaborating.

The deal envisaged that the Swiss government would be also committed to continuing a
probe into the Sept. 4, 2009 publication of the photos and bring "perpetrators" to justice.
If the Swiss government failed to identify those responsible, it will have to pay a
compensation that the two sides would agree upon later.

Following the signing ceremony, the Swiss foreign minister termed the pact a step
towards normalizing ties with Libya.

Calmy-Rey also told reporters that Swiss businessman Max Goeldi, who was released
by Libyan authorities on Thursday night after four months in jail, would leave Libya on
Sunday.

Goeldi was serving a four-month sentence for violating Libya's immigration rules. He,
along with compatriot Rachid Hamdani, was dragged into the center of a Libyan-Swiss
row when they were held for about two years over visa offenses.

In February, Hamdani was acquitted by a Libyan court, while Goeldi was sentenced to
four months in jail by a Libyan court.

The diplomatic dispute erupted when the Swiss police arrested Hannibal Gaddafi for
allegedly abusing his servants. He was released two days later.
Libya responded by a series of retaliatory measures, including pulling back its
diplomatic mission from Switzerland and withdrawing deposits from Swiss banks.

Tension mounted further when Libya suspended issuing entry visas to citizens from the
Schengen area of 25 European countries, including Switzerland, in response to
Switzerland's visa blacklist that included 188 Libyan figures. The two countries lifted
the bans after the mediation of European states.
--------------------
Explosions At Political Rally in Kenya Kill 5 (Voice of America)

Kenyan officials say five people have died and at least 75 others were wounded after
explosions rocked a prayer rally in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Witnesses say the
blasts ripped through dense crowds in the city's Uhuru Park during a meeting arranged
by church leaders to rally opposition to the country's proposed new constitution.

Outside Nairobi's Kenyatta Hospital, a man who says he was at the park says he heard
two separate blasts. "There was an explosion from the left side. We thought maybe it
was just a truck or just a tire. Then we saw some people injured, and there was a bomb
there. After another two minutes, another explosion kicked off," he said.

Some witnesses say they heard three blasts, but Kenyan authorities have not confirmed
these reports.

Dr. Peter Wanyoike, who is coordinating the emergency response at Kenyatta Hospital,
says there has been a range of injuries. "We have four of them going for emergency
surgery who have blunt abdominal injuries. We have other patients who have
fractures. But most of the patients, other than those who are very serious, most of them
have soft tissue injuries. What I would like to say is that for now, we are coping with
the situation," he said.

Witnesses and Kenyan television say the blasts were caused by gasoline bombs.
Although it is unclear what caused the explosions, Prime Minister Raila Odinga
condemned the incident.

Kenya is set to vote in a referendum on a new constitution in August. The incident is

raising some fears of a return to political violence -- some two-and-a-half years after
weeks of fighting left about 1,300 people dead in the wake of a disputed Presidential
election.

The incident comes only days after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited the country
and urged Kenyans to cast aside religious and ethnic differences to usher in a new
constitution.
Kenya's Minister for Internal Security George Saitoti appealed for calm as police
investigate the incident. "I would like to ask for patience while the government is
carrying out a full investigation to be able to determine the manner in which these
crimes were committed and who was behind it," he said.

Recent public opinion surveys show that majority of Kenyans favor of the new
constitution. But those who oppose it, including many Christian leaders who are
unhappy about certain elements like the weakening of anti-abortion laws, have
contested the veracity of opinion polls.

Kenya's president and prime minister support the proposed new constitution.
--------------------
Somalia Experiences New Type of Fighting (New York Times)

MOGADISHU, Somalia From interclan fighting to religious battles to pirate wars,

Somalia is plagued by countless kinds of conflict. But this weekend, another kind
erupted: between the army and the police.

According to Somali officials, there was fierce fighting on Saturday between police
officers and army soldiers all working for Somalias Transitional Federal
Government in one of Mogadishus relatively quiet neighborhoods, Hamar Jajab. At
least seven were killed, although it is not clear what started the conflict.

Some residents said army soldiers had been robbing cars, and when police officers
intervened, a mini-war between the heavily armed men on each side broke out. Other
residents said that the police had been trying to hijack trucks carrying desperately
needed food aid when the army came to the rescue.

The neighborhoods chairman, Abdi Baasid Mohamoud, described the fighting as an

accident. He said that a group of soldiers had been chasing thieves through the streets
and firing at them, and that police officers became confused and mistakenly shot at the
soldiers instead of the thieves. Some government soldiers chasing thieves clashed with
other soldiers, Mr. Abdi Baasid said.

At least seven people were killed, he said, though local news reports indicated that
more than 10 people had died, including several civilians.

The transitional government has been teetering on the edge of collapse for years.
Despite a large injection of Western aid, including American money for weapons and
soldiers, security is still elusive, and lately the government has had difficulties
controlling its own troops. Government soldiers frequently clash with one another,
undermining the effort to fight against radical Islamist insurgents who rule much of the
country.
Somalia has languished without a functioning central government since 1991.
Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have starved to death, and countless others have
been violently killed in the never-ending battles for control of this country.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Ban gets first-hand look at Benin's progress in attaining anti-poverty targets

13 June Benin has made significant gains in reducing poverty and expanding primary
education, Secretary-General observed today on a visit to the West African nation,
while pledging United Nations support for a range of challenges such as food security
and the environment.

Security Council welcomes agreement between Eritrea and Djibouti to end border
dispute
11 June Commending the agreement reached by Eritrea and Djibouti to peacefully
resolve their two-year border dispute, the Security Council today called on the two
countries to engage fully in the mediation process to ensure they can strike a final deal.

Civilians still in the firing line in Darfur, Security Council hears during ICC debate
11 June Sudanese Government-sponsored attacks against civilians continue in Darfur,
with thousands of people freshly displaced from their villages and sexual violence
against women also widespread, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal
Court (ICC) told the Security Council today as he called for tougher action to improve
the situation in the war-wracked region.

As World Cup opens, UN salutes the power of sport for peace and development
11 June The World Cup soccer tournament kicked off today in South Africa with the
United Nations highlighting the critical role that sport plays in promoting both peace
and development and in spurring action on a range of vital issues.

UN voices dismay at deaths of Somali asylum-seekers off Mozambican coast

11 June The United Nations refugee agency expressed sadness today after learning of
the deaths of nine Somali asylum-seekers who drowned while attempting to reach
Mozambique, an increasingly popular route for Somalis trying to flee the violence and
suffering in their homeland.