United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 14 July 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA The commander of AFRICOM: The U.S. does not intend to establish a military base in Mauritania (translated from the source Sahara Media) The Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Carter Ham, currently on a visit to Nouakchott, said that the United States of America "does not intend to establish a military base in Mauritania", in a press conference held today in Nouakchott. He added that the U.S. military will train Mauritanian army personnel to fight al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Pills found to be highly effective in preventing HIV transmission (Los Angeles
Times)

Experts hail a pair of trials involving heterosexual couples in Africa as a breakthrough in AIDS prevention. The studies show that taking a pill containing one or two drugs each day can decrease transmission of HIV by as much as three-quarters. Two Bombers, 24 Hours, 100 Libyan Targets Destroyed (Wired) (Libya) It began with an email in late February. The message, sent by air planners at the Germany headquarters of U.S. Africa Command to the 608th Air and Space Operations Center located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, jump-started a byzantine process of communication, planning and paperwork involving no fewer than 10 U.S. military headquarters scattered across the globe. Obama conditionally backs political solution to Libya conflict (Xinhua) (Libya) President Barack Obama told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Wednesday he supports Moscow's mediation efforts on the Libyan conflict, but on the conditions that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi must step down. America's Expanding Presence in Somalia (The Atlantic Wire) (Somalia) On Monday, the U.S. pledged $5 million to assist Somalis battered by a severe drought that has, in the words of U.N. refugee agency chief Antonio Guterres, precipitated the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world right now.

But over the last couple weeks we've learned that the U.S. is increasingly getting involved in Somalia for another reason: counterterrorism. Italy Says No Stalemate in Libya (VOA) (Libya) Italys foreign ministry spokesman, Maurizio Massari, insists the international community is on the right track in Libya and that the next step is for political negotiations to kick off to end the rule of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. Preparing for a new Libya (Washington Post) (Libya) FAR TOO TIMID in its response to the Arab Spring, the Obama administration lately has shown welcome signs of greater assertiveness. This week the president and secretary of state finally declared Syrias Bashar al-Assad an illegitimate ruler after the U.S. ambassador in Damascus made a high-profile visit to the besieged city of Hama. White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan traveled to Saudi Arabia last weekend to tell Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that U.S. aid depends on his agreement to step down. Qaddafi Lives Up to Wily Reputation as Allies Yet to Oust Him (Bloomberg) (Libya) As foreign envoys converge on Istanbul to discuss yet again how to get rid of Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan dictator is living up to his reputation for cunning by hanging on longer than any of them had predicted. President Hints at Fresh Start for Sudan, but Many Are Skeptical (NYT) (Sudan) It is a grand title, carrying the suggestion of a new era, a new dawn. Now that the southern part of Sudan has split off and formed its own nation, many politicians here in the north, including President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, have a new way of referring to what remains of their country. They call it the second republic. UN council votes for S Sudan as newest member (AlJazeera) (South Sudan) The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to recommend the admission of the Republic of South Sudan as the newest member of the UN. African Union Steps Up Aid for Somalis Affected by Drought (VOA) (Somalia) The African Union (AU) is stepping up security to ensure that muchneeded humanitarian assistance gets to Somalis hit by drought and violence. UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website y Sudan frees one of two UN staff members arrested in Darfur

Aid effort for drought-hit Horn of Africa must include long-term measures UN y Cholera deaths reported in DR Congo as disease infects thousands UN y Security Council recommends South Sudan for UN membership ------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST: y 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 The commander of AFRICOM: The U.S. does not intend to establish a military base in Mauritania (Translated from the source Sahara Media) The Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Carter Ham, currently on a visit to Nouakchott, said that the United States of America "does not intend to establish a military base in Mauritania", in a press conference held today in Nouakchott. He added that the U.S. military will train Mauritanian army personnel to fight al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The U.S. General has congratulated the President of Mauritania, during a meeting at the presidential palace today on "the success of the Mauritanian army in the fight against al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in cooperation with Mali and other countries in the region." He also congratulated him (The President); in a press statement after the meeting, on "the position of the Mauritanian people who reject Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb". Gen Ham later stated that "As commander of the U.S. command for Africa (AFRICOM), I hope to work closely with His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Ambassador Powell, to advance security cooperation between Mauritania and the United States, in support of our common interests, a better and more prosperous future for our people".

Pills found to be highly effective in preventing HIV transmission (Los Angeles

Times)

Experts hail a pair of trials involving heterosexual couples in Africa as a breakthrough in AIDS prevention. The studies show that taking a pill containing one or two drugs each day can decrease transmission of HIV by as much as three-quarters. By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times July 13, 2011, 4:52 p.m. Taking a daily pill containing either one or two anti-HIV drugs can reduce transmission of the virus by as much as three-quarters among heterosexual couples, two studies in Africa have shown a breakthrough finding that promises to intensify a new focus on AIDS prevention. The results were so compelling that the larger study was halted early and the drugs given to all the participants, researchers said Wednesday. In the absence of a vaccine to protect against the virus, this new approach, termed pre-exposure prophylaxis, may be the best hope for slowing or even halting the spread of the deadly plague throughout the developing world. U.S. health officials are beginning to prepare guidelines for how the drugs could be used in this country to prevent new infections. The findings "are two more nails in the coffin of HIV," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the New York-based AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition. "We are seeing similar results in different populations, and that gives us more certainty that these results are real." A study of gay men reported in November showed that one of the drugs in the new trial could reduce the spread of HIV by as much as 70% when taken regularly by uninfected individuals. But a study released this year found that the drugs did not show a similar benefit among uninfected heterosexual women. The strength of the new findings suggests that the study involving women may have been flawed. "Our results provide clear evidence that this works in heterosexuals," said Dr. Jared Baeten of the University of Washington, co-chair of the new study. The last year has brought several breakthroughs in AIDS prevention research, said Kevin Frost, chief executive of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. In

addition to this latest finding and the study involving gay men, a study released last July found that microbicides could sharply reduce HIV transmission in women and a study in HIV-positive people showed that treating the infected person intensively could reduce transmission by as much as 96%. Given those and other developments, "we find ourselves in a place where we have an extraordinary opportunity to radically alter the trajectory of the epidemic," Frost said. "The science is in place. We could do it with the tools we have available. It's no longer a question of, can we do this? The question is, will we do it?" The new results are scheduled to be presented next week at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Rome, but were released early. One trial enrolled 4,758 couples in Kenya and Uganda in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other was not. A third of the uninfected participants received a daily pill containing tenofovir, a third received a daily pill containing tenofovir in combination with emtricitabine, and a third received a placebo. Tenofovir is marketed as Viread and the two-drug combination as Truvada by Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City, Calif. They are available generically in many countries for as little as 25 cents per pill, according to the World Health Organization All couples also received condoms and counseling about how to prevent infection. By the end of May, researchers had identified 18 new infections among the group receiving Viread, 13 among those receiving Truvada and 47 among those receiving the placebo. That corresponds to a 62% reduction in transmission among those receiving Viread and a 73% reduction among those receiving Truvada. The second trial, sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studied 1,200 healthy, sexually active males and females in Botswana. About half received Truvada and half a placebo. Among the 601 participants who took Truvada, there were nine new infections, compared with 24 among the 599 who received placebo. That amounts to a 62.6% reduction in new infections. Among those participants who took the drugs regularly, researchers observed an even greater reduction 77.9% in new infections.

No significant side effects were observed in either trial. "The perception is that these drugs are really toxic," said Dr. Thomas J. Coates, an infectious diseases specialist at UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine. "They are not. The current generation is really quite safe." Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, said the agency would immediately begin working with other public health groups to establish guidelines for using the drugs prophylactically in this country. Physicians should await those guidelines before prescribing the drugs, he said, but if they believe it is imperative to do it, they should adhere to the guidelines previously announced for using them in gay men. Dr. Robert M. Grant of UC San Francisco's Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology speculated that the drugs might work even better in the United States than they did in Africa. People in this country "are more accustomed to using pills for prevention," he noted, and thus more likely to take the drugs regularly. Two Bombers, 24 Hours, 100 Libyan Targets Destroyed (Wired) By David Axe July 13, 2011 It began with an email in late February. The message, sent by air planners at the Germany headquarters of U.S. Africa Command to the 608th Air and Space Operations Center located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, jump-started a byzantine process of communication, planning and paperwork involving no fewer than 10 U.S. military headquarters scattered across the globe. The goal? To fly a pair of 150-foot-long U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers, pictured, on a more than 12,000-mile round trip from their home base in South Dakota, over the Atlantic Ocean to Libya, where they would conduct two bombing runs each on Moammar Gadhafis forces. If that seems like a lot of fuss over just two planes in an air campaign involving scores of jet fighters from a dozen NATO nations, consider this: the B-1 can carry more precision munitions than any other warplane except one. In a roughly fourday period involving 24 hours of combat time, those two B-1s and their combined eight crew members destroyed more than 100 Libyan targets. It would take dozens of NATO fighters to achieve the same effect. The epic Libyan bombing run described in detail by Air Force Magazine illustrates why, even in this era of budget cuts, the Pentagon is determined to

sustain its bomber fleet potentially into the 22nd century, by spending $40 billion or more on 100 new Next-Generation Bombers. Stealth fighters are great (when theyre not grounded, that is). But for taking out a bad guys ground forces and facilities, nothing beats a bomber. But the gigantic warplanes certain have their drawbacks. They guzzle fuel like nobodys business. And being so few in number Americas fleet of B-1s, B-2s and 1960s-era B-52s numbers just 160 military commands have to beg the Air Force to use them. Finally, flying halfway around the world to drop a few bombs, something only bombers can do, requires a mind-boggling bureaucratic process. Which is why Africa Command, the headquarters that oversaw the U.S.-led phase of the Libya campaign, emailed its bomber query to the 608th weeks in advance, initially requesting stealthy B-2s. Africa Command got three B-2s for just one mission on the opening night of attacks on March 19. After that, the B-2s were slated to be elsewhere. So the 608th, part of the 8th Air Force, which in turn falls under U.S. Strategic Command, relayed the bomber request to Joint Forces Command. That headquarters bumped the order down to the Air Forces Air Combat Command, which owns the B-1s. Once Air Combat Command decided it could spare two B1s, it temporarily transferred the bombers over to Strategic Command, which flew them over the Atlantic, at which point they fell under Africa Commands direction. But thats not all. To get from South Dakota to Libya, the two B-1s each needed help from five or more Air Force KC-135 or KC-10 aerial tankers. Tanker planning ends up being the real story, the 608ths Col. Michael Tichenor said. Tanker rendezvous were arranged in conjunction with a tanker-control agency in Illinois plus the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, which own the actual refueling planes. Plus, the bombers laid over at an undisclosed European base after their first bombing run, only compounding the missions complexity. Refueled and rearmed, the B-1s took off, struck more targets, then headed back to the U.S., meeting additional tankers every couple thousand miles. The planning process was so elaborate that some Air Force officers seemed pleasantly surprised that it worked at all. The 8th Air Force has been doing long-range aviation since the beginning of time, its commander Maj. Gen. Floyd Carpenter said. But the 608th is a new unit and has never gotten to do this in reality, Carpenter said.

We spend a lot of time planning, he added, and now weve proved that we can execute the plan, as well. The flaming wreckage of more than 100 Libyan targets is testimony to the destructive prowess of Americas bombers. But these impressive warplanes would never leave the ground without bureaucrats and refuelers to support them. ------------------Obama conditionally backs political solution to Libya conflict (Xinhua) By Unattributed Author July 14, 2011 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Wednesday he supports Moscow's mediation efforts on the Libyan conflict, but on the conditions that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi must step down. Repeating a position conveyed by U.S. officials in recent days, Obama said during a White House meeting with the Russian guest he "is prepared to support negotiations that lead to a democratic transition in Libya as long as Gaddafi steps aside." On Monday, the president had expressed a similar line in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, whose government remains a criticizer of the NATO-led military raid on Libya, saying it hindered the peacemaking efforts of the African Union and the United Nations. The meeting with Lavrov also covered a wide range of other issues, including a planned missile shield in Europe, Russia's entry to the World Trade Organization, Iranian nuclear issues as well as the Sudan and South Sudan issue. Earlier Wednesday, Lavrov said after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Moscow and Washington "are united in that we have to start a political process as soon as possible." Clinton is due to attend the so-called Libya Contact Group meeting slated for Friday in the Turkish port of Istanbul, where representatives of several Western and Arab countries and international organizations will discuss their future plans for Libya. Meanwhile, Wednesday's The Washington Post quoted Western diplomats as saying that Gaddafi was sending fresh signals through emissaries that he was ready to discuss his departure.

--------------------America's Expanding Presence in Somalia (The Atlantic Wire) By Uri Friedman July 13, 2011 On Monday, the U.S. pledged $5 million to assist Somalis battered by a severe drought that has, in the words of U.N. refugee agency chief Antonio Guterres, precipitated the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world right now. But over the last couple weeks we've learned that the U.S. is increasingly getting involved in Somalia for another reason: counterterrorism. In an article for The Nation yesterday, Jeremy Scahill reported that the CIA has set up two secret facilities in Mogadishu as part of America's fight against the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic militant group Al Shabab: a fortified compound near the capital's airport for training Somali intelligence agents in counterterrorism and a prison in the basement of Somalia's National Security Agency headquarters for detaining suspected Shabab members. Scahill, who spoke with Somali government and intelligence officials, Somali analysts and militia leaders, former prisoners, and a U.S. official, explains that while the Somalis technically run both sites, the CIA is pulling the strings behind the scenes and directly interrogating prisoners. A U.S. official later downplayed the CIA's presence in the country in an interview with CNN's Barbara Starr, explaining that the agency's operatives occasionally support the Somalis in interrogating terrorism suspects by "being present in the room or suggesting specific questions," and that the CIA also sends personnel and aircraft into Mogadishu to train Somali intelligence agents. The news comes only a couple weeks after The New York Times reported that the U.S. was expanding its covert drone program against militants from Yemen to Somalia, and after American boots hit the ground in the country--albeit briefly--to collect the bodies of insurgents killed in drone strikes (yes, you read that right: the U.S. is reportedly picking up Somali militants' bodies). What's the larger significance of all these developments? The reports raise several key points: Shift in U.S. Strategy: In the "post-Osama bin Laden era," the Times writes, "some American military and intelligence officials view Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia as a greater threat to the United States than the group of operatives in Pakistan who have been barraged with hundreds of drone strikes directed by the Central Intelligence Agency in recent years." Serious Risks: Somalia, simply put, is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. In an interview with Scahill, a Somali intelligence official points out that the U.S. doesn't have control of the protean political environment in Somalia like it does, to some extent at least, in Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. wants "to help

us," he explains, "but the situation is not allowing them to do [it] however they want. They are not in control of the politics, they are not in control of the security" (indeed, Scahill writes that has casts its lot with Somali intelligence agents and non-Somali African military forces, not the Somali government). The Times adds that attacking Shabab fighters, many of whom oppose Somalia's weak transitional government but not necessarily the U.S., could drive them into the arms of Al Qaeda (so far, the Shabab have only carried out one attack outside Somalia--a series of bombings in Uganda during the World Cup). And, of course, the Pentagon is still haunted by the botched 1993 "Black Hawk Down" incident, in which 18 elite American troops were killed in Mogadishu in a struggle with fighters allied with warlords. In this clip from an interview Scahill did with Democracy Now today, The Nation reporter gives the International Committee of the Red Cross the location of the secret prison he discovered, noting how prisoners have been held there without charge: ----------------------Italy Says No Stalemate in Libya (VOA) By Sabina Castelfranco Rome - Italys foreign ministry spokesman, Maurizio Massari, insists the international community is on the right track in Libya and that the next step is for political negotiations to kick off to end the rule of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. Despite slow rebel advances in Libya and the fact no political negotiations are yet underway, the Italian foreign ministry spokesman says he is optimistic about the countrys future. Maurizio Massari was speaking two days before the international contact group on Libya is to meet in Istanbul. Our assessment is positive," he said. "We refuse the idea that we are in a situation of stalemate. We are making progress on the ground. The ability of the Gadhafi regime to attack civilians has been severely damaged. Massari added that the Transitional National Council of the Libyan opposition now has increased legitimacy, as it has been recognized by 18 states. He said the time has come to work politically as well as militarily. We would like to prepare the conditions to pave the way for future negotiations but we are still in a preliminary stage, said Messari. He indicated three priorities for the Istanbul meeting of the contact group: the search for a political solution to Libya's conflict, the identification of economic support mechanisms for the rebels, and a post-conflict plan.

Massari said time is not on Gadhafis side. The contact group meeting is expected to discuss the political conditions needed for negotiations on Libya's future to take place. The conditions, Massari said, must include the acceptance that Moammar Gadhafi cannot be part of any political solution, the acceptance of dialogue among different Libyan groups, and the need for a cease-fire to be in place because otherwise it is not possible to negotiate. We are gradually building the conditions for a democratic and united Libya," added Massari. "Of course there is still a lot of work to do but we are on the right track. The Italian diplomat said Italy fully backs the democratic credentials of the opposition Transitional National Council and the need for it to engage in dialogue with the other components of Libyan society. He added that the African Unions acceptance that Gadhafi must leave power is a very positive development. --------------------------Preparing for a new Libya (Washington Post) By Unattributed Author July 13, 2011 FAR TOO TIMID in its response to the Arab Spring, the Obama administration lately has shown welcome signs of greater assertiveness. This week the president and secretary of state finally declared Syrias Bashar al-Assad an illegitimate ruler after the U.S. ambassador in Damascus made a high-profile visit to the besieged city of Hama. White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan traveled to Saudi Arabia last weekend to tell Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that U.S. aid depends on his agreement to step down. Now the administration is reportedly debating its policy for Libya as a meeting of an international contact group on that crisis nears. Four months after intervening on the side of anti-government rebels, Western governments are expressing optimism that the regime of Moammar Gaddafi may be close to crumbling. But the dictator has not yet surrendered; the military situation in most of the country remains stalemated. Moreover, the rebel government and army face their own critical problems beginning with a lack of money to pay salaries and keep essential services running in the cities they control. At the last meeting of the Libya Contact Group, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton promised that the United States would help put the rebel

government, known as the Transitional National Council, on firmer financial footing. Washington is well positioned to do so, since tens of billions of dollars in Libyan assets are frozen in U.S. banks. But the administration has been unable to deliver on its pledge, because legislation it drew up to free up some of the frozen assets is bogged down in Congress in large part because of the White Houses mishandling of congressional authorization for the Libyan intervention. There is, fortunately, a quick and straightforward way for the administration to resolve the problem: It can recognize the Transitional National Council as Libyas legitimate government. This could allow its leaders to gain access to the frozen funds or at least to use them as collateral for loans. U.S. recognition would break no ground. More than two dozen nations have already taken the step, including NATO allies such as Britain, France and Canada. State Department lawyers have worried that recognizing a rebel government that does not control Libyas capital or much of its territory could be a bad precedent, while some in Congress have worried that the councils leaders are relatively unknown and may have ties to al-Qaeda or other extremist groups. But in the past several months, the Benghazi-based administration has shown itself to be moderate and responsible, and it has committed itself repeatedly to an agenda of democracy and personal freedoms. Access to funds will make it more stable and more prepared to take charge of the country when the Gaddafi regime finally goes. There are other simple steps the administration can take to support a democratic transition. In a letter sent last week to Ms. Clinton advocating recognition of the rebel administration, Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) and independent Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) pointed out that the U.S. diplomatic presence in Benghazi lags far behind that of France, Britain, Italy or even Turkey. They argued that the dispatch of even a handful of additional diplomats would improve our understanding of developments on the ground and help lay the groundwork for the post-Gaddafi era. This is sound advice; Ms. Clinton should act on it. -----------------Qaddafi Lives Up to Wily Reputation as Allies Yet to Oust Him (Bloomberg) By Flavia Krause-Jackson and Caroline Alexander July 13, 2011 As foreign envoys converge on Istanbul to discuss yet again how to get rid of Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan dictator is living up to his reputation for cunning by hanging on longer than any of them had predicted. For all the early talk of days-not-weeks to the endgame, Qaddafi has survived four months of NATO bombings and confounded diplomats with his mixture of

bluffs and threats. Its the same bag of tricks Qaddafi has used to keep more than 100 tribes under control since taking power in a military coup in 1969. The man is a fox, said Karim Mezran, a Libyan exile and a political science professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy. Hes adept at running rings around his enemies. Hes done it for decades and hes doing it again. The future of the North African nation without Qaddafi and how to fund and arm the impoverished rebels trying to end his four-decade rule has been at the crux of the past four monthly meetings of the 22-nation Libya Contact Group. The Turks host the latest round tomorrow. The problem is theyve underestimated his resilience and, even if his eventual ouster is inevitable, he could hang on for months even amid fuel shortages, according to Mezran. Since the last meeting in Abu Dhabi, Turkey has become the 26th nation to recognize the rebels Benghazi-based National Transitional Council. The U.S. is not one of them. Legislation to give rebels access to frozen Libyan assets is stalled in the U.S. Senate, adding to the prospect that the rebels will run out of cash to buy food and supplies. Brilliant Operator Qaddafi is brilliant, Jason Pack, a researcher on Libya at St. Antonys College, Oxford University, said in an interview yesterday. Despite the fact that people are deserting him, that Tripoli residents are running out of fuel and food, he has stayed on and is playing factions against each other. He is a great political operator. French officials, who had pushed hardest for military action, predicted on March 25 that there would be a quick end to the conflict. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said then that military action will be counted in days and in weeks. Instead, Qaddafi has defied the odds and prolonged an armed conflict. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said he will present his colleagues at the meeting with a political plan for a negotiated end. By flitting between conciliatory overtures and aggressive posturing, the Libyan ruler has kept anti-Qaddafi allies guessing whether he will accept exile either in Libya, or abroad, or if nothing short of his capture or assassination will end the conflict.

Contradictory Signals U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday said in a news conference that Qaddafis camp have sent contradictory signals. Tens, hundreds or thousands of Libyans might die in Europe. We will raid their houses, women and children, like they raided us, and I told you an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, Qaddafi said on July 8, according to a recording of his speech that was aired on Al Arabiya television. Three days later Qaddafis son, Saif al-Islam, who last month approached the rebels to negotiate an exit from power for his father, told Algerian newspaper ElKhabar that the regime was in talks with France. The Libyan regime is sending messengers everywhere, to Turkey, to New York, to Paris saying Qaddafi is prepared to leave and asking to discuss options, Juppe told French Info radio on July 12. Go or Stay? For the first time, allies and rebels might be prepared to grant his wish to live out his retirement on home soil on condition he lay down his arms and give up power. The head of the rebels, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, told Reuters last week that Qaddafi might be allowed to stay in the country if he resigns and there is international supervision of his movements. Still, on July 4, Jalil said in an e-mailed statement there was no possibility for Qaddafi to remain in Libya. Such reversals of positions and contrasting statements have proliferated since the June 27 indictment of Qaddafi on charges of crimes against humanity, a move that seemed to leave the dictator almost out of options. As the civil war heads into its fifth month and Europeans are drawn to other urgent concerns, the distractions may give Qaddafi added time to play his hand. One event likely to upstage the ministers meeting is the anticipated emergency summit of their leaders on a debt crisis now ensnaring Italy, the former colonial power in Libya. Additionally, Italys Chamber of Deputies will hold the final vote on the governments 40 billion-euro deficit-reduction plan on the same day as the contact group session.

It is plausible that the debt crisis has induced caution in European countries, said Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. ----------------------President Hints at Fresh Start for Sudan, but Many Are Skeptical (NYT) By ISMAIL KUSHKUSH July 13, 2011 KHARTOUM, Sudan It is a grand title, carrying the suggestion of a new era, a new dawn. Now that the southern part of Sudan has split off and formed its own nation, many politicians here in the north, including President Omar Hassan alBashir, have a new way of referring to what remains of their country. They call it the second republic. Times Topics: Sudan | South SudanIn a speech before the National Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Bashir outlined the principles of the second republic, saying they affirm a commitment to the rule of law, the extension of justice, the propagation of a patriotic spirit, the guarantee of citizen rights, impartiality and transparency in decision making, integrity in public spending, accountability and the dependence on the standards of efficiency. His speech came only days after South Sudan officially declared its independence, and on Wednesday the United Nations Security Council recommended admitting it to the world body, where it would be the first new member since Montenegro joined in 2006. But while international attention has been lavished on the birth of South Sudan, many diplomats and analysts believe that the north now constitutes a new nation as well. So, what does a second republic actually mean? Sudan has witnessed a geographic change; it lost one-quarter of its area, said Sana al-Awad, Sudans state minister of information. France alternated between being a monarchy and a republic until its fifth republic. she added. Saudi Arabias third state was declared when the kingdoms area significantly expanded. Likewise, Sudan enters a new historical era, that of the second republic. Declaring a second republic may be a response to the major political changes in the structure of the Sudanese state, but not all are optimistic that it may mean changes for the better. A new republic should mean the introduction of something new, a different system of government, new laws and a new constitution that accommodates

everybody; this is not what the National Congress Party wants, Adlan elHardello, a political science professor at the University of Khartoum, said of Mr. Bashirs governing party. These are tactics; they want people to believe that they are going to change, Professor Hardello argued. They are afraid of what happened in places like Egypt and Tunisia. Izdihar Jumaa, a member of the northern wing of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement, the party that governs South Sudan, was no more enthusiastic. This has been said before; we want to see practical steps and not listen to declarations, she said. The N.C.P. dominates governmental institutions. If it starts with itself then that would be good. The question of identity is a central one. While the overwhelming majority of Sudans remaining citizens are Muslim 96.7 percent, according to an official booklet published by the Ministry of Information days before South Sudans independence the nation remains ethnically diverse. If south Sudan secedes, we will change the Constitution and then there will be no time to speak of diversity of culture and ethnicity, Mr. Bashir told supporters at a rally in the eastern city of Gedaref last year, weeks before the referendum in which south Sudanese overwhelmingly voted for independence. Shariah and Islam will be the main source for the Constitution, Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language, he said. The information minister, Ms. Awad, however, saw things differently. A characteristic of the second republic is that Sudanese, after much debate, see themselves as simultaneously part of Africa and the Arab world; we are a hybrid people that resemble the people of the belt that extends from Somalia and Ethiopia to Mali and Senegal, she said. In his speech to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Bashir also addressed the political futures of Darfur and South Kordofan and Blue Nile States, all areas that remain in the north but have come into conflict with the central government in Khartoum. On Thursday, July 14, the Qatari capital, Doha, will witness, God willing, the signing of the final document that will end the Darfur crisis, he said.

A peace agreement is to be signed between the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement, one of several Darfur rebel movements. But two major rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement, are not expected to take part in the signing. Mr. Bashir also stated in his speech that deadlines for popular consultations to determine the political future of South Kordofan and Blue Nile would be extended to allow the people of both states more time to consult and remedy the situations in both states. But whether the declaration of a second republic indicates that Sudanese politicians have learned lessons from South Sudans independence remains uncertain, critics contend. Northern politicians need to properly diagnose the problems of the outer provinces or the result will be similar to South Sudan, Ms. Jumaa said. It is not about who rules Sudan, but about how Sudan is ruled. ----------------UN council votes for S Sudan as newest member (AlJazeera) By Unattributed Author July 13, 2011 The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to recommend the admission of the Republic of South Sudan as the newest member of the UN. After a five-line resolution adopted on Wednesday by the 15-nation council, the General Assembly is expected to admit the new African country as its 193rd UN member on Thursday. "South Sudan's UN accession was a 'historic moment for Africa,'" Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council, said on Wednesday. The move comes after South Sudan achieved independence on Saturday before tens of thousands of its citizens and numerous foreign leaders, including Ban Kimoon, the UN secretary-general. South voted for secession from the North in a January referendum, under the terms of a 2005 peace deal that ended a 20-year civil war between the North and South Sudan. Sudan became independent in 1956 but was long plagued by conflict between its mainly Muslim Arabic-speaking North and animist and Christian South.

However, the new state faces formidable challenges ahead. The UN secretary-general said, "On the day of its birth, South Sudan ranks at the bottom of almost all human development indicators." Unresolved disputes In addition, Sudan and South Sudan need to reach agreement on a range of unresolved disputes including borders, citizenship and the sharing of oil resources. They have yet to work-out a revenue model for the oil, as almost 80 per cent of petroleum reserves lie in the South, while refineries and pipelines are located in the North. Meanwhile, Sudan's parliament on Wednesday gave initial approval to cancel the citizenship of South Sudanese, state news agency SUNA said. Besides, both sides claim the oil-rich border region of Abyei, whereas northern military has been battling pro-southern fighters in the northern state of Southern Kordofan. In May troops from Khartoum invaded Abyei forcing thousands of local Dinka tribes to flee creating a humanitarian crisis. However, under international pressure, Omar al-Bashir agreed to withdraw its forces from the town to be replaced by Ethiopian peace keeping forces. According to the agreement, the UN was to send 4,200 soldiers from Ethiopia to Abyei. Alain Le Roy, the UN peacekeeping chief, said on Wednesday, "The first 1,640 troops of a 4,200-strong Ethiopian UN peace force designated to deploy in Abyei would arrive by July 20." The international community, and in particular the US, China, Russia and the European Union, were quick to recognise the world's newest country, which despite its vast oil reserves is among the poorest in the world. ----------------------African Union Steps Up Aid for Somalis Affected by Drought (VOA) By Peter Clottey July 13, 2011

.The African Union (AU) is stepping up security to ensure that much-needed humanitarian assistance gets to Somalis hit by drought and violence. We are active on the ground through the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM), said AU spokesman El-Ghassim Wane. We are securing both the seaport and the airport, thus making it possible to bring in the much-needed humanitarian supplies. We are also providing limited humanitarian assistance in terms of healthcare and provision of water to local communities. Wane said former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings, the AUs special envoy, will soon go to Somalia to assess the situation. He will present his recommendations to the AU Commission. The AU is also working closely with other international humanitarian relief organizations. Our mission on the ground, said Wane, has been requested by the chairperson of the commission to provide security for humanitarian workers to facilitate the daily humanitarian assistance and access by aid workers. He said the continental body has called on its member countries, as well as the rest of the international community, to help address the drought. The AU has requested former president Jerry Rawlings to intensify his efforts aimed at mobilizing further assistance from within the continent, said Wane. Mr. Rawlings is expected to travel to Somalia [soon]to see how best the AU could be of help to the Somali people at this very difficult time. Wane said the AU will continue to help with the difficult drought situation, despite limited resources. Humanitarian agencies estimate that about 2.85 million Somalis need assistance. Compounding the problem, say some Somalis, is the conflict between the government forces, backed by AMISOM, and Islamic insurgent groups, including al-Shabab. The Islamic militant group al-Shabab has changed its mind about international relief groups. It now says it will welcome all aid agencies, including nonMuslims, to provide food and other supplies to Somalis living in areas under its control.

------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website Sudan frees one of two UN staff members arrested in Darfur 13 July Sudanese authorities have released a United Nations staff member arrested in May in the conflict-affected western region of Darfur, but a second UN employee remains in custody, the spokesperson of the Secretary-General said today. Aid effort for drought-hit Horn of Africa must include long-term measures UN 13 July Participants at a United Nations meeting on food security said today that short-term drought assistance to millions of people in the Horn of Africa must be linked to long-term sustainability aimed at putting an end to the cycle of recurring crises, a UN spokesman said. Cholera deaths reported in DR Congo as disease infects thousands UN 13 July More than 3,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since March, the United Nations reported today, saying that the disease had claimed the lives of 192 people since it was first reported in the north-eastern city of Kisangani, from where it spread downstream along River Congo. Security Council recommends South Sudan for UN membership 13 July The Security Council today recommended to the General Assembly that the Republic of South Sudan be admitted to membership in the United Nations, bringing the new nation one step closer to becoming the world bodys 193rd member.