United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 11 July 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA US envoy warns that Sudan's peace could unravel (AP) (Sudan) A day after the jubilation of South Sudan's independence proclamation, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. warned Sunday of a "real risk" that the northsouth peace process could unravel unless outstanding issues such as oil and border demarcations are quickly resolved. Sudan Official Blames Interference for the Countrys Split (VOA) (Sudan) A prominent member of Sudans ruling National Congress Party (NCP) says foreign interference in the countrys internal affairs has led to the split of Sudan into two countries. South Sudanese Now Must Build an Economy (WSJ) (Sudan) Officials of the Republic of South Sudan basked Sunday in the glow of a one-day old nation. By Monday, they will begin work on building an economy that now depends on oil for 98% of its revenue. Libya shows tough face against rebel mountain push (AP) (Libya) Moammar Gadhafi's regime sought Sunday to show it remains in control of parts of the country's western mountains and will defend the territory against further rebel advances there. NATO answers refugee boat's mayday off Libya (Reuters) (Libya) NATO aircraft and a warship went to the aid of an overcrowded vessel in danger of sinking off the coast of Libya on Sunday with dozens of refugees aboard. Migrate, revolt or die; A Somali's only choices (CBS) (Somalia) The plight of those trying to survive in the drought-hit Horn of Africa is far out-stripping the ability of anyone to help. Fighting Terrorism With the New Anti-Terrorism Law (Daily Independent) (Nigeria) It is indisputable that one of the greatest challenges of the President Goodluck Jonathan's administration is the growing insecurity across the country.

Nigerians now live in perpetual fear of falling victim to the spate of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and other acts of terrorism that have unfortunately assumed an alarming dimension in the country. UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website y UN provides medical support to survivors after deadly plane crash in DR Congo y UN official urges Senegal to review reported intention to extradite exChadian leader y UN humanitarian chief calls for additional support for drought-hit Ethiopian region y As South Sudan celebrates independence, UN vows support in quest for peace, prosperity y Security Council praises progress towards peace and stability in West Africa ------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST: WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, July 12, 12:00 1:00 pm; Live Webcast from the Woodrow Wilson Center WHAT: Libya: Death of an Idea WHO: Karim Mexran, Director for Center for American Studies, Rome Info: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&e vent_id=705279 WHEN/WHERE: Friday, July 18, 12:00 pm; B-339 Rayburn House Office Building WHAT: The Defense Forum Foundations Capitol Hill forum on "The Rising Threat to Democracy from Terrorist-Criminal Networks in South and Latin America and West Africa." WHO: Speaker: Douglas Farah, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, adjunct fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Latin America Program, and former bureau chief for the Washington Post and UPI. Info: 703-534-4313; web site: www.defenseforum.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT US envoy warns that Sudan's peace could unravel (AP) By MAGGIE FICK July 10, 2011

JUBA, South Sudan A day after the jubilation of South Sudan's independence proclamation, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. warned Sunday of a "real risk" that the north-south peace process could unravel unless outstanding issues such as oil and border demarcations are quickly resolved. Celebrations rang out Saturday in the South Sudan capital of Juba, the first day of independence after decades of civil war between Sudan's north and south. Some 2 million people died in the most recent war, from 1983-2005. On Sunday, the capital appeared hungover from its massive celebration, though small groups of people still sang and danced on street corners. The new country's national anthem played from speakers and cell phones. The joy of independence day temporarily overshadowed the ongoing hostilities between the northern army and southern-allied forces in the northern state of South Kordofan and other violence along the north-south border. The south and north have yet to agree on a demarcated border, and the issue of oil remains contentious. The south has most of the oil but it must move it through the north's pipes. Dozens of world leaders joined a crowd tens of thousands strong in Juba on Saturday. The American delegation was led by Susan Rice, who told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Sunday that the U.S. government remains "focused on the urgency of resolving" the outstanding north-south issues. "We feel that until they are resolved, there's a real risk of the process to date beginning to unravel," she said. Rice said that the U.S. government would remain "very actively involved" in supporting negotiations between Khartoum and Juba. U.S. officials say they hope the talks will restart in the next week through a process led by an African Union panel. "As wonderful a day as yesterday (Saturday) was ... we are mindful that even as those presidents pledge a commitment to peaceful and cooperative relations, that these issues are such that in the absence of resolution there is a risk of things beginning to disintegrate," she added. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes for his role in the conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, attended Saturday's ceremony and appealed for the two nations to work to "overcome the bitterness of the past."

Rice dismissed the possibility of U.S. military intervention in South Kordofan, where northern aerial bombardments have driven tens of thousands of black Africans from the Nuba ethnic group into caves for protection from the raids. She noted that the U.S. has not been involved militarily in Sudan and she doesn't foresee that changing in the near future. She said that given the great urgency of the ongoing crisis, the U.S. is working hard to continue to "engage diplomatically to try to broker (a) cessation" of hostilities. Southern Sudan voted in a January referendum to break away from the north as part of a north-south peace deal that ended the decades-long civil war in 2005. But the future of the 4,000-square-mile (10,500-square-kilometer) Abyei region, which lies near the north-south border, is still in flux. South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations next week and the 54th U.N. member state in Africa. ---------------Sudan Official Blames Interference for the Countrys Split (VOA) By Peter Clottey July 10, 2011 A prominent member of Sudans ruling National Congress Party (NCP) says foreign interference in the countrys internal affairs has led to the split of Sudan into two countries. Rabie Abdelati Obeid said the NCP regrets signing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). But he added that the northern government will foster good relations with the newly independent Republic of South Sudan despite the split. We regret signing the CPA because there was a clear clause that the SPLM and the NCP should work together to achieve unity, said. But unfortunately, the SPLM was under the influence of the west and instead confused the southern people to opt for secession. Obeid insisted the northern party has kept its part of the agreement it signed with the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM). But, opponents say the NCP provoked conflict with policies that marginalized non-Arabs and mostly blacks in Sudan. They cite the ongoing crisis in Darfur as well as the independence of South Sudan as examples of the NCPs policies.

This is not a legitimate accusation, responded Obeid, because the problem of the south did not start when President Bashir came to power. This problem started after the independence of Sudan. A lot of national governments failed to resolve this problem and the war continued for more than 20 years. With the signing of the CPA in 2005, the north and south ended two-decades of war. Analysts estimate that more than two million people died and four million others were displaced during the conflict. Among the requirements of the CPA were a settlement of boundary issues between the two regions, and a referendum to determine the future of the oilrich enclave of Abyei. Instead of blaming President Omar al-Bashir for splitting Sudan, he continued, they should look into the fulfillment and the sincerity of the CPA because other people are not ready to implement [their] part. He said the northern government deserves praise for accepting the results of the referendum and recognizing the new nation, which he said forms part of the 2005 peace accord. Before the referendum [earlier this year on the souths independence], President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said that we will be the first country to recognize the new independent country. And that is why I think Saturday will be a normal day, said Obeid. We have already seen to the implementation of the fulfillment of the NCP when it signed the CPA, [and] when it accepted the results of the referendum. ----------------South Sudanese Now Must Build an Economy (WSJ) By WILL CONNORS and MAGGIE FICK July 11, 2011 Lagos, Nigeria and Juba, Sudan - Officials of the Republic of South Sudan basked Sunday in the glow of a one-day old nation. By Monday, they will begin work on building an economy that now depends on oil for 98% of its revenue. South Sudan officials say they will focus on weaning the economy away from oil by investing in the country's agricultural sector, which is among the most fertile in the region. But the world's newest country, hived off Saturday from Sudan, Africa's largest nation, still lacks basic health, education and roads, not to mention hotels, a decent airstrip and other essentials to accommodate investors. Given those challenges, celebrations aren't expected to last long. South Sudan is already a major recipient of aid as it seeks to create the conditions for domestic

and foreign industry to flourish. The U.S., for example, has spent $300 million on development assistance to South Sudan as it has sought to create a new government. The European Union recently approved a similar amount of aid to the country. "There really isn't a private sector that's sufficiently broad" to absorb the unemployed, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Sunday. "There is a great deal to be done," she added. Still, South Sudan has lots of oil. Nearly all of the 500,000 barrels of oil produced a day between north and south comes from the south. But the south splits the oil revenue with the Khartoum-based northern government, which owns the pipelines, refineries and ports from which the oil is exported. Since a 2005 peace accord with the north, the south has depended on oil revenue to pay salaries and keep its interim government running. That is why the government is talking about a path that seeks investors beyond the energy field. "The resources with which nature has endowed our land are abundant enough to attract the interest of development partners both from the public and private sectors from many countries across the world," South Sudan President Salva Kiir said during independence ceremonies Saturday. "So we should exploit these possibilities to better the lives of our people." From 2007 to 2010, private investors acquired roughly 6.5 million acres of land in South Sudan, an area about the size of Massachusetts, according to the charity Norwegian People's Aid. Investment has gone into timber, mining as well as oil. "The south has plenty of water and rainfall and is very fertile, so if they can establish good governance and use their oil money to develop the economy, there's a good chance for them to succeed," said Hassan Satti, an economist based in Khartoum. "But if they start badly, they will be in trouble." Large-scale farming is virtually nonexistent in South Sudan, and there are just 30 miles of paved road in the whole country. Its capital, Juba, isn't connected by road to the south's largest towns. Some government ministries operate out of trailers. Foreigners from neighboring African countries dominate local markets and have set up hotels and restaurants to cater to the influx of aid workers. "South Sudan is very open for business," said Doug Bushman, member of the Southern Sudan-American Trade Association. "They really need everything."

Power cuts are common, and the electric grid depends on an oversized diesel generator, as do most of the hotels and aid-group offices. A blockade to the north imposed by the Khartoum government nearly brought Juba to a standstill last month when fuel stocks ran out before fuel could be trucked from neighboring Kenya. Meanwhile, talks with the north over shared oil revenue have stalled. Neither side can agree on how long the two sides should continue a 50-50 split of revenues, or if or how much the south should pay in transit fees to ship the oil north through Khartoum-owned pipelines. Some U.S. officials warn South Sudan against using its oil wealth as a crutch, and urge it instead to develop alternative industries as soon as possible. "It is so simple to be corrupt in the oil industry," U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman said. "It will hurt the image of the new government quickly" if oil revenues are mismanaged. ----------------Libya shows tough face against rebel mountain push (AP) By ADAM SCHRECK July 10, 2011 GHARYAN, Libya (AP) Moammar Gadhafi's regime sought Sunday to show it remains in control of parts of the country's western mountains and will defend the territory against further rebel advances there. The Nafusa mountains southwest of Tripoli have become a key battleground in the rebels' fight to oust the longtime Libyan leader, with small bands of fighters inching closer to the capital by seizing villages along major roads snaking across the rugged highland terrain. Forces loyal to Gadhafi are also battling rebels on two major front lines to the east of the capital, but neither side has been able to mount a major push. Journalists based in Gadhafi's stronghold of Tripoli were taken by government officials Sunday to the mountain gateway town of Gharyan and the nearby town of al-Assabaa, where they were shown armed civilians and government troops who vowed to defend their land. "All the people here, like other Libyans, they are armed," said Hamooda Mokhtar al-Salem, a top government official in al-Assabaa. A portrait of Gadhafi was perched on the table in front of him, and a Kalashnikov rifle rested against the wall. "We are ready to fight to protect our land, our leader ... our children. NATO cannot scare us," he told reporters.

A crowd outside the government building where he spoke chanted pro-Gadhafi slogans and shot bursts of automatic fire into the air. The towns lie down a mountain road not far from a village rebels said they seized last week. Gharyan is the bigger of the two and is the last mountain town along a highway that leads straight to the capital Tripoli, just 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the north. In Gharyan, a small group of women practiced firing automatic rifles and unloading grenade launchers. They were far outnumbered by visiting journalists. Tripoli-based foreign journalists are routinely accompanied by government minders whose presence makes it difficult for people to speak freely. Government-arranged trips tend to be carefully orchestrated. Still, there were signs of resistance in Gharyan. In numerous spots, graffiti appeared to be hastily painted over apparently covering anti-government slogans. Fragments remained though. The words "Libya free" were visibly scrawled in Arabic and English in at least two locations. Portraits of Gadhafi ubiquitous in Tripoli and other regime strongholds were only seen on the government building where the women trained with weapons. Several residents who agreed to talk with journalists appeared nervous because of the presence of government officials, their hands shaking as they spoke with reporters. Some acknowledged there was support for the rebels in the town, though none said they knew sympathizers personally. "You'll find these people inside Gharyan, but they can't do anything," said vegetable seller Bahloun Ibrahim Ashouh, 55. "It's hard to find them." NATO appears to be ramping up its strikes in the western mountains. It said Sunday it hit a rocket launcher and a tank in Gharyan the previous day, along with other targets in the region. On Wednesday, rebels claimed to have taken the mountain village of Qawalish, which sits about 10 miles (16 kilometers) by winding mountain road from alAssabaa. Gharyan is about 12 miles (20 kilometers) further away.

Libya's deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, last week accused NATO of intensifying its bombing campaign, including in the western mountains, to lay the groundwork for a rebel advance toward the capital. He said the alliance targeted police checkpoints in the mountains before the rebel advance on Qawalish. NATO denies that it is using its air power to intentionally aid rebel advances. NATO began airstrikes against Libya in March. The coalition and its Arab allies are operating under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians. Some countries in the coalition have interpreted that mandate broadly, with France acknowledging it has provided weapons to rebels operating in the mountains and other countries providing non-lethal aid to rebel-held areas. -----------------NATO answers refugee boat's mayday off Libya (Reuters) By David Brunnstrom July 10, 2011 7:13pm EDT OVER THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA OFF LIBYA - NATO aircraft and a warship went to the aid of an overcrowded vessel in danger of sinking off the coast of Libya on Sunday with dozens of refugees aboard. NATO military officers said the vessel, thought to be carrying about 60 Libyan refugees, was spotted by a U.S. NATO aircraft about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Tripoli in international waters between Libya and Tunisia. A British NATO AWACS command-and-control aircraft flying above the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast relayed instructions for a NATO maritime patrol aircraft and told the Spanish warship Juan de Bourbon to investigate, the officers told reporters aboard the British plane. "An American aircraft intercepted a mayday call," one of the officers said. "It turned out to be an overcrowded boat in danger of sinking." A second NATO officer said the vessel, which was about 30 meters long, was found to be carrying 60 people. He said reports from a Cypriot-registered tug that first made contact with the boat said there were four pregnant women among 17 women aboard as well as eight children. "It's got engine trouble and is dead in the water and listing," a second officer said. Sailors from the Spanish ship had provided those aboard with food and water and both the warship and the tug were standing by to provide further assistance.

This could involve taking passengers aboard the warship or towing the vessel back to shore, the officers said. "But the refugees are now safe," one said. Thousands of refugees have fled fighting in Libya, heading toward Europe often in vessels that are not seaworthy with inexperienced crew. Hundreds have died. NATO aircraft and ships have been enforcing a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone and an arms embargo on Libya as well as conducting air strikes for the past months. The aircraft include Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) planes from Britain, the United States, France and those jointly owned by the 28-nation NATO alliance that coordinate the maritime and air missions from high above the Mediterranean. -------------------Migrate, revolt or die; A Somali's only choices (CBS) By Tony Guida July 10, 2011 The plight of those trying to survive in the drought-hit Horn of Africa is far outstripping the ability of anyone to help. CBS News correspondent Tony Guida reports that the U.N.'s chief refugee official said today the crisis in Somalia is the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world. To give an idea of the scale, he was visiting a refugee camp the size of Cleveland. In one child's eyes, it is easy to see that he knows something you and I will never know: How it feels to be desperately hungry. There are many children like him in one hospital in Mogadishu. They are malnourished children, some close to death, all refugees from the drought and violence destroying Somalia. "If you are a hungry person, someone once told me you feel as if bleach is in your belly it hurts so much," says Bettina Luescher with the World Food Programme. The World Food Programme will feed 6 million people in the Horn of Africa this year, but that's not nearly enough. "We are in the middle of a perfect storm," Luescher says.

The Horn of Africa is choking on the dust of the worst drought in 60 years. Combine that with the massacres by Islamic militants in Southern Somalia, and rocketing food prices across the region, and the U.N. says some places are close to famine. "All of this together has created a huge and urgent humanitarian crisis," Luescher says. Thousands are fleeing in search of food and water. Maryann Abdullah abandoned Somalia with her 6 children. Their cattle died and they had no food. A grueling 7-day trek brought them to this refugee camp in Kenya. The U.N. estimates a thousand Somalis arrive here every day. "We have the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable of the vulnerable in the world," says U.N. High Commissioner Antonio Guterres. Like other aid organizations, the World Food Programme has suffered cutbacks in government and private contributions. It needs $200 million just to meet this year's needs in the Horn of Africa. "When people go hungry they've got 3 options: They can migrate, they can revolt or they can die," Luescher says. In the Horn of Africa, they're doing all three. --------------Fighting Terrorism With the New Anti-Terrorism Law (Daily Independent) By Bassey Ekanem July 7, 2011 It is indisputable that one of the greatest challenges of the President Goodluck Jonathan's administration is the growing insecurity across the country. Nigerians now live in perpetual fear of falling victim to the spate of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and other acts of terrorism that have unfortunately assumed an alarming dimension in the country. Terrorism has taken the centre stage with Boko Haram having a field day in the northern part of the country, bombing private and public areas as well as killing and maiming innocent lives. In the southern geopolitical zone and some parts of the north central, kidnapping has incredibly resurfaced. Just last Thursday, we experienced again a novel dastardly development as a suicide bomber found his

way right into the Force Headquarters in Abuja, exploding a bomb, which killed several persons, vandalising about 90 vehicles and causing general panic in the capital city. We must not forget what took place a day after President Jonathan was sworn in; the Army Barracks in Bauchi was attacked with an explosion killing four people. Early this month, the intractable Boko Haram attacked three police stations in Maiduguri with bombs in which five people lost their lives. What about kidnapping? On June 7, 2011, five National Youth Service Corps members were kidnapped at Omademe Community in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers state. The unlucky corps members are yet to regain their freedom as the abductors insist on a 10 million naira ransom. In Ilorin, Kwara state, the 82 year old mother of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national legal adviser, Wole Oke, was abducted a few days ago and her whereabouts are still unknown. This is just a tip of the iceberg from the startling statistics emanating from the police on the horror that followed the post-election violence in April. According to the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, over 520 persons lost their lives in Kaduna alone with 77 injured and 22,000 displaced. At least 157 churches and 46 mosques were burnt with 417 vehicles, 219 motorcycles and 47 police buildings affected. It was to tame this ugly trend that the sixth National Assembly in the twilight of its tenure grudgingly passed the Terrorism (Prevention) Bill, 2011 and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Bill, 2011, which have luckily being signed into law by President Jonathan. The action of the president in signing these two bills promptly into law was to fast track the war against terrorism in the country. A critical look at these legislation show that they have the facility to prevent, prohibit and combat acts of terrorism including the financing of terrorism in Nigeria. It is also evident that they will facilitate and promote the effective implementation of the international Convention on the prevention and combating of terrorism as well as the suppression of the financing of terrorism. For example, section 2(c) of the terrorism bill defines 'act of terrorism' as causing an attack upon a person's life which may cause serious bodily harm or death; kidnapping of a person; destruction to a government or public facility, transport system, and infrastructural facility including an information system, a fixed platform located on the continental shelf, public place or private property likely to endanger human life or result in major economic loss. The bill also went further to explain that a person who belongs to or professes to belong to a proscribed organization has committed an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a maximum term of 20 years. But as good as these pieces of legislation are, little seems to be happening as regards their implementation and hence the wanton destruction of property and

loss of lives across the country. Acts of terrorism have become a recurring decimal in our nation hitherto known for peace and tranquillity. President Jonathan had in January this year appointed a national coordinator on terrorism. Many expected that with the appointment of the national coordinator, an emeritus intelligence officer and former director general of the National Intelligence Agency, the war against terrorism would have taken firm roots. Although his appointment was made before these laws were enacted, it is expected that with the successful coming on stream of these laws, the fight against terrorism would be given a boost. But the reverse seems to be the case. Absolutely nothing is being heard about the coordinator or his activities. The pertinent question to ask is, is it that with the dissolution of the president's cabinet following his fresh oath of office on May 29, the national coordinator too was relieved of his appointment? Is that position still in existence or has it been cancelled by the president in his second coming? These important laws must not be allowed to lie fallow while the nation suffers untold hardship on account of the wicked activities of terrorists who have vowed to make the country ungovernable. Everyone is aware of the efforts made by both the executive and the civil society groups to get the National Assembly pass these bills. It will therefore amount to insensitivity and dereliction of duty by the federal government in the face of imminent collapse of the nation's security apparatus. If the nation does not have a national coordinator on terrorism to drive the implementation of these laws, the president would do himself and the nation a lot of good by immediately appointing one with the mandate to tackle terrorism head on. And if the national coordinator is still in office, he must brace up to the realities of the times because Nigeria is fast turning into Afghanistan. Let the national coordinator on terrorism join hands with the national security adviser, the directors general of SSS and NIA and other intelligence agencies and step up this fight in the interest of the nation. The anti-terrorism law must be implemented to the latter and all the Boko Harams, Egbesu boys, Niger Delta militants and all formentors of crisis in the country should be made to understand that Nigeria is now positioned to wipe them out. The election is over and now is the time for governance. There should be no room for mediocrity. The transformation has to be total and immediate. Laws are enacted to be implemented and not to be kept on the bookshelf for mere decoration. ------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website UN provides medical support to survivors after deadly plane crash in DR Congo

10 July The United Nations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today sent condolences to the Government and the people of the central African country and pledged to continue providing medical assistance to survivors of the plane crash in the eastern city of Kisangani on Friday that reportedly killed dozens of people. UN official urges Senegal to review reported intention to extradite ex-Chadian leader 10 July The United Nations human rights chief today expressed deep concern over an announcement by the Senegalese Government that former Chadian president Hissne Habr would be extradited to his country where he has already been sentenced to death in absentia. UN humanitarian chief calls for additional support for drought-hit Ethiopian region 9 July The United Nations top humanitarian official today stressed the need to scale up relief delivery in an Ethiopian region affected by drought and to improve security there to make it more accessible to aid workers. As South Sudan celebrates independence, UN vows support in quest for peace, prosperity 9 July Amid great jubilation, South Sudan today became the world''s newest State, formally seceding from Sudan to attain independence in the culmination of a United Nations-facilitated peace process that ended decades of conflict. Security Council praises progress towards peace and stability in West Africa 8 July The Security Council today voiced satisfaction with the progress countries in West Africa are making towards greater peace and stability, welcoming the positive developments in post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding, particularly in Guinea and Niger, as well as the end of the violent post-election crisis in Cte dIvoire.