United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

16 March 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From the Beltway/ From and About Africa

US State Dept. launches interactive foreign policy website

WASHINGTON - The US State Department said it aims to "foster global conversations
on foreign affairs" with new interactive website, launched Monday. "Opinion Space," a
site hosted on the State Departments main website, http: //state.gove/opinionspace,
"will harness the power of connection technologies to provide a unique forum for
international dialogue," according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Algeria France praises initiative on Sahara-Sahel region

PARIS - France welcomed on Monday the opening of a follow-up conference in Algier,
aimed at evaluating progress in security and development issues in the Sahara-Sahel
region. The conference, which is part of the so-called "Bamako Process", includes
ministers from a number of countries in the region, and France expressed satisfaction it
was being hosted in Algiers.

Somalia AFRICOM's First War: U.S. Directs Large-Scale Offensive In Somalia

AFRICOM's First War: U.S. Directs Large-Scale Offensive In Somalia Rick Rozoff The
last ambassador of the United States to Somalia (1994-1995), Daniel H. Simpson, penned
a column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on March 10 in which which he posed the
question "why, apart from the only lightly documented charge of Islamic extremism
among the Shabab, is the United States reengaging in Somalia at this time?" He
answered it in stating "Part of the reason is because the United States has its only base
in Africa up the coast from Mogadishu, in Djibouti, the former French Somaliland. The
U.S. Africa Command was established there in 2008, and, absent the willingness of
other African countries to host it, the base in Djibouti became the headquarters for U.S.
troops and fighter bombers in Africa. "Flush with money, in spite of the expensive wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Defense obviously feels itself in a position
to undertake military action in Africa, in Somalia." [1] Fulfilling its appointed role, the
New York Times leaked U.S. military plans for the current offensive in Somalia on
March 5 in a report titled "U.S. Aiding Somalia in Its Plan to Retake Its Capital."

Somalia government and Ahlu Sunnah sign power-sharing deal

Addis Ababa - The Somali government has signed a cooperation framework deal with
commanders of the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'a militia group.

Somalia AU welcomes power-sharing agreement signed by TFG and Islamist group

Addis Ababa - The Commission of the African Union (AU) on Monday welcomed the
power-sharing agreement signed by the Transitional Federal Government(TFG) of
Somalia and a main moderate Islamist group, the armed Sufi group, in the Ethiopian
capital of Addis Ababa.

Somalia UN envoy welcomes peace pact between TFG and rebel group
The top United Nations envoy to Somalia today welcomed the signing of a peace
agreement between the Government and a rebel group, reiterating that the war-ravaged
Horn of Africa nation is transitioning from a "failed to a fragile State."

Sudan Feared Uganda rebel chief not in Darfur says army

Khartoum - The Sudanese army on Monday denied reports that the feared leader of
Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army rebel group has found refuge in the western region of
Darfur. "Joseph Kony is not in Darfur," Sudanese army spokesperson Sawarmi Khaled
Saad told AFP. "And even if he had wanted to go, know that Darfur is not a favourable
environment for the LRA," he said. LRA rebels "are used to fighting in the forests,"
while Darfur is semi-desert.

Sudan Bashir leading competition of upcoming elections

Khartoum - Observers believe that the incumbent Sudanese President Omar al- Bashir
enjoys a greater opportunity to win the elections slated for April. "The current signs
showed that President al-Bashir is expected to achieve a sweeping victory with the
highest votes," Khalid Abdalla Ahmed Dirar, Director of al-Rasid Center for Research
and Studies in Khartoum, told Xinhua. "Al-Bashir is the candidate of the ruling
National Congress Party (NCP), the only party that had prepared early enough for the
elections," he said.

Sudan gov't to sign framework deal with Darfur movements in Doha

KHARTOUM - The Sudanese government and the rebel groups in Darfur, known as the
Liberation for Justice Movement, would sign a framework agreement in the Qatari
capital, Doha, at the end of this week, a government negotiator said Monday.

Sudan Darfur rebel row jeopardizes Sudan peace deal

Khartoum - A row between Darfur rebel groups has thrown into doubt a peace deal
between the rebels and Sudan's government.

Sudan Igad leaders meet to plan rescue

Nairobi - As Sudan prepares for elections next month, regional leaders met in Nairobi
to discuss how to save the Comprehensive Peace Agreement from collapse. Members of
the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), which presided over the
2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), held the first meeting since the signing of
the peace deal five years. In addition, the two partners — the Sudanese People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) — appear to
have differing opinions over the outstanding issues ago.

Yemen Bodies found in Yemen 'believed to be Somalis'

Sanaa - Five bodies found in an area of north Yemen where seven Germans, a Briton
and a South Korean were kidnapped last June are believed to be Somalis, the defence
ministry's news website said on Monday. The bodies of two Germans and the South
Korean were recovered shortly after the abduction. Five Germans -- a couple and their
three children -- and the Briton remain missing.

Cameroon Seven Chinese nationals kidnapped near disputed Bakassi peninsula

Bakassi - "Seven Chinese were kidnapped Friday morning in international waters off
Bakassi", by an unknown group calling itself the "Africa Marine Commando," a
Cameroonian source close to the investigation and rebel movements in the sector told
AFP. The resource-rich Bakassi peninsula has been at the centre of a territorial dispute
between Nigeria and Cameroon for 15 years. It was handed back to Cameroon in
August 2008 after the International Court of Justice ruled in Cameroon's favour. The
marshy coastal region, potentially rich in oil and gas, has recently witnessed a spike in
rebel attacks. Ten oil sector workers including seven French were kidnapped there in
late 2008 by a group calling itself the Bakassi Freedom Fighters.

Nigeria MEND carried out two VBIED blasts in the delta

Warri - Nigerian militants on Monday detonated at least two car bombs outside a
government building in the southern oil city of Warri, where talks were being held
about starting an amnesty programme. There were no reports of any deaths.

Nigeria: MEND threatens TOTAL oil installations

Warri – Nigerian MEND rebel group had carried out at least two bomb attacks against
outside government building yesterday and threatens to begin attacking oil installations
belonging to the French operator “TOTAL”.

Nigeria ECOWAS ministers of defense, security meet in Abuja

Abuja - Ministers of Defense and Security in ECOWAS member state s will meet in the
Nigerian capital, Abuja, for two days starting Tuesday to review and adopt the Plan of
Action for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light
Weapons (SALW), Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials as well as the
Database to Manage the Exemption Process, an ECOWAS statement said.

Nigeria: Yar’Adua can’t recognize anyone, can’t speak

Abuja - IT emerged in Abuja, at the weekend, that ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua
had remained incommunicado three weeks after his return to the country, because his
condition was yet to appreciably improve. Sources at the Presidential Villa said that the
ailing leader had lost too much weight and that his voice was inaudible. It was gathered
that though he could now sit down on the bed, compared to the sleeping position in
which he was brought to the country, he could not clearly recognize people and could
hardly communicate. Besides, a source said that the president had lost so much weight
that he was hardly presentable in his current state. “Anyone who sees him in the
present state will write him off,” said a source at the weekend.

Nigeria Why we struck, by MEND

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, claimed
responsibility for the explosion that rocked the venue of Vanguard’s Post-Amnesty
conference, saying it was to let the world know of its continued relevance in the region.
“Thinking of no better way to announce our continued presence in the Niger Delta to
Mr. Uduaghan, operatives of MEND today, March 15, 2010, successfully breached the
security at the Delta State Government House in Warri and planted three explosive
devices in and around this compound which is the venue of the Vanguard’s Post-
Amnesty Dialogue organised by the Vanguard newspapers. “These devices will be
detonated remotely.

Somalia charcoal exports big source of income for rebel groups

NAIROBI: Illegal charcoal exports to Gulf states are a big source of income for rebel
groups in Somalia, injecting millions of dollars to the war that has devastated the
nation, its environment minister said on Monday."These radical groups cut the trees
and allow corrupt businessmen to export charcoal from ports they control, and the
money is used to perpetuate the killing of civilians," Burci Hamza told Reuters in the
Kenyan capital Nairobi.Al Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, controls the other
three ports in the south; Barawe, Merka and Kismayu.

Gabon Ali Bongo elected president of ruling party

Libreville - Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba is already elected the president of
the ruling Democratic Party of Gabon (PDG), which has ruled the central African
country for 42 years, party officials announced here on Monday. Ali Bongo was elected
to the post at the end of the party's extraordinary congress held in the capital Libreville
on Saturday and Sunday. He succeeds his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who died on
June 8th last year at the age of 73 years, after ruling the country for 43 years.

South Africa is Germany's main arms exports customer

Germany has doubled its arms exports over the last five years, making it the world’s
third largest weapons dealer after the United States and Russia, according to a new
study released on Monday. Germany’s most important customers included Turkey,
Greece and South Africa.

Zimbabwe Sanctions against Zimbabwe may be helping Mugabe

The sanctions against Zimbabwe are supposed to hurt the clique surrounding president
Mugabe. They may be having the opposite effect.

Zimbabwe Mugabe’s party now wants presidential term limits

Harare - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party is now calling for
limited presidential terms in the new Constitution in the clearest sign yet of growing
internal discontent over the veteran leader’s long rule.

Mauritania kidnapping: 7 charged

Nouakchott - A Mauritanian court on Monday charged seven people in connection with
the kidnapping of three Spaniards in November, two of which are still held by al-Qaeda
militants, a judicial source said.
Guinea Rio 'in talks' with Chinalco over huge Africa field
Rio Tinto is in talks with China's Chinalco on a massive mining project in Guinea,
reports said Tuesday, raising hopes of a rapprochement that could unlock one of the
world's biggest iron ore fields.

Netherlands City of Gouda is criminal Moroccan capital

An analysis by Dutch police has shown the Dutch city of Gouda is home to the highest
percentage of criminal Moroccans.

Belgium Al Qaeda trial gets underway in Belgium

Brussels - Belgium's most notorious Muslim extremist appeared in court on Thursday.
She is said to have founded the local branch of Al Qaeda. Malika El Aroud is Belgium's
most notorious Islamic extremist and the chief suspect in a case against nine people
believed to have set up the Belgian branch of Al Qaeda. In her testimony, she
acknowledged that her new husband, Moez Garsallaoui, had contacts with Osama bin
Laden. El Aroud is accused of having helped Garsallaoui to recruit youngsters from
Afghanistan to fight against the Americans and their allies. She also traveled to Turkey,
where her second husband and some of those young recruits made a stopover. An
American witness is said to have testified that the defendant wanted to cause an
explosion in the Brussels metro, but a detailed plan for an attack was never found.
Malika El Aroud (50) is a Belgian woman with Moroccan roots. On September 11, 2001
she lived in Afghanistan. Two days earlier, her then-husband had carried out a suicide
attack on Ahmed Shah Massoud, the Afghan fighter. She later spent some time in
Switzerland, where she was sentenced in 2007 to a six month suspended prison
sentence for inciting hatred on several websites. She has given a number of - veiled -
interviews to Belgian and international media. In 2006 she told CNN: " It's the pinnacle
in Islam to be the widow of a martyr. For a woman it's extraordinary."