United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

25 March 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

Spain to hand over six suspected pirates for trial

Spain is planning to hand over to Kenya or the Seychelles six suspected pirates it captured off
the coast of Somalia for trial, Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon said Wednesday

Kenya ICC to rule on Kenya’s 20

Nairobi - The International Criminal Court Pre-Trial Chamber will next week rule if its Chief
Prosecutor should investigate and charge 20 prominent Kenyans with crimes against humanity.

Kenya US to support Kenya case at ICC

Washington – According to the US envoy for war crimes, Mr Stephen Rapp, the US government
will support key war crimes prosecutions in African countries current being pursued by the ICC,
and notably concerning the indictment of Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir. “No doubt about
that, Kenya is probably…our next case. And all the Kenyans want us to come and help them to
prevent violence…so we are with them,” she said.

Al-Qaida hiding bombs in breast implants, says MI5

London - Al-Qaida is laying deadly “booby traps” by equipping its female suicide bombers with
explosive breast implants that are impossible to be detected at airport security checkpoints,
British intelligence agency MI5 has claimed. “Women suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaida are
known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast
enhancing surgery,” the British newspaper Sun quoted terrorist expert Joseph Farah, as saying.
The lethal explosives called PETN are inserted inside plastic shapes during the operation, before
the breast is then sewn up, he added.

Georgia takes Libyans released from GTMO

Tbilisi - Three GTMO men the Pentagon sent to Georgia on Monday, Two of the three men were
Libyans, according to Chicago attorney H. Candace Gorman, who identified one of them as her
client Abdel Hamid al Ghazzawi, 47, a Libyan married to an Afghan with one child, a daughter.
He ran a small shop in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, she said, until shortly before the American
invasion, when he was handed over to U.S. forces.

Libya frees 214 Islamists, including three top figures

Tripoli - "Today, the Libyan state announces the liberation of 214 prisoners from different
Islamist groups among which are 34 members of the LIFG, including the three leaders of the
group" — top boss Abdelhakim Belhaj, military chief, Khaled Shrif and ideological official Sami
Saadi, Seif al-Islam told a press conference. "Since the beginning of this programme, 705
Islamists have been freed, while 409 are still in prison, and 232 of them will be set free soon,"
Islam added. In 2007, al-Qaida announced that the LIFG had joined the jihadist network. But last
year, the Kadhafi Foundation announced that Islamists being held in Libyan prisons that had
previously had links with al-Qaida had renounced those ties.

Kenya deports 4 terror suspects

Nairobi - A Muslim cleric in Kenya says police are deporting three men from
the United Arab Emirates and one from Oman because they suspect them of
having links to terror groups, though the four say they are tourists. The chair
of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims says police arrested the men on
Tuesday in the coastal city of Mombasa after they got off a flight from
Kenya's capital. Three of the four terror suspects from Dubai Bilal Aboudh, left, Abdallah Saala, centre, and
Bilal Aboudh , right, outside the Moi International Airport in Mombasa Kenya, before they checked in to be deported back to Dubai. (AP Photo)

AQN cells plotting attacks in Saudi arrested

A statement from the ministry on Wednesday said the suspects were
plotting attacks on oil and security installations in the kingdom. One cell
consisted of 101 people, and two smaller cells were made up of six men
each, it said.The large cell comprised 47 Saudis and 51 Yemenis, as well as
a Somali, a Bangladeshi and an Eritrean, the statement read out on state
television said.The two smaller groups were made up of 11 Saudis and a Yemeni, who security
officials described as being a prominent member of al-Qaeda.

Hashi Hussein Farah terror suspect also wanted in Australia

Runaway terror suspect earlier arrested at the Kenyan border is wanted in Australia for allegedly
planning to attack an army base in Sydney. Security sources said Wednesday Hussein Hashi
Farah escaped a police dragnet in Australia that saw his four accomplices arrested for planning to
attack Holsworthy Army Base and helping send people to Somalia to fight with al-Shabaab — a
proscribed terrorist group. The other four suspects arrested in the dawn raid on 19 properties
across Melbourne were identified as Abdirahman Ahmed, 25, Nayef El Sayed, 25, Yacqub
Khayre, 21, and Saney Edow Aweys, 26.

Somalia Escaped Man from Kenya a 'Key Al Shabaab Sponsor'

Nairobi — A terror suspect who escaped from police custody in Busia at the weekend is believed
to be a major fund-raiser for Somalia rebel group al Shabaab. Mr Hashi Hussein Farah travels
around the world raising funds for the insurgents fighting to topple the Mogadishu government
and said to have links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, security sources said on Wednesday.

Kenya charges two after escape of al-Shabab sponsorHashi Hussein Farah

NAIROBI, March 23 (Reuters) - Kenya has charged two businessmen with aiding a man
suspected of involvement with Somali rebels to escape from police custody in the western Kenya
border town of Busia, police said on Tuesday.

Somalia Al Shabab sponsor Hashi Hussein Farah May Be in Uganda

Kampala — A terror suspect who disappeared from Police custody in the Kenyan border town of
Busia over a week ago is believed to have fled to Uganda, The Daily Nation of Kenya reported.
Somalia Al Shabab sponsor Hashi Hussein Farah Not in Uganda says Army
Kampala — SECURITY agencies yesterday dismissed reports that Hashi Hussein Farah, a terror
suspect who disappeared from police custody in the Kenyan border town of Busia, is in Uganda.
"He crossed into Kenya from Uganda through the proper procedures and what happened to him
after that, we don't know. But all we know is that he is no longer in the country (Uganda),"
Kulayigye said. He acknowledged that prior to his arrest in Busia, Farah had lived in Uganda for
more than a year. He wondered why their Kenyan counter parts did not alert them.

Somalia Backlash May Be Militants’ Worst Foe

Mogadishu - The best example of that backlash is already happening in Medina, a neighborhood
a few miles from the center of Mogadishu. Just past the airport, it is a place of sandy streets and
once beautiful homes now chewed up by gunfire and mold.“We hate the Shabab,” said one
mother, Amina Abdullahi Mohamed. “They misled our youth.” They are like rabid dogs,” said
Dahir Mohamed, a shopkeeper, who still has puffy, oddly circular scars on his face from where
he says young Shabab fighters bit him. Medina is now one of Mogadishu’s safest areas, and
while still not particularly safe, an unmistakable beat of life has returned. There has not been a
suicide attack for months. The markets are packed, protected by baby-faced militiamen in polo
shirts and Kalashnikov rifles over their shoulders. Beat-up old minibuses cruise the streets, and
there is even something close to traffic. A tight clan network keeps a watchful eye and last
month, a teacher of the Koran recruiting children for the Shabab was promptly arrested.

Somalia Yemen affirms importance to adopt comprehensive strategy on Somalia situation

GENEVA - The Republic of Yemen has affirmed the importance of approving an inclusive
strategy to treat the political, security and economic situations in Somalia in a way to help build
the state of Somalia to enable it to bear its national and international responsibility and to
contribute to establishing the international peace and security.

Burundi army in 'crisis'

Bujumbura - Burundi's army is in a state of crisis that could "plunge the country into the abyss"
two months ahead of a marathon round of elections, the country's defense minister has warned.

Police nab Nigerian drug smuggler

Bangkok - A Nigerian man was arrested at the Hat Yai bus station yesterday for allegedly
smuggling 15 kilograms of heroin from Malaysia. The suspect reportedly confessed he was given
US$3,500 every time he transported the drugs into Thailand from Malaysia via a checkpoint in
Songkhla province's Sadao district.

Nigeria Jonathan Unveils List of New Ministers

Abuja — Acting President Goodluck Jonathan pulled a major surprise yesterday in the
ministerial nominee list he sent to the Senate for confirmation. He retained only seven ministers
from the old 42-man cabinet and nominated 18 new ones - a week after dissolving the Executive
Council of the Federation (EXCOF).

Nigeria Mixed reactions trail Jonathan’s cabinet lists-politicians

Abuja - I’m disappointed because I was expecting well known, highly principled and highly
qualified Nigerians who are not partisan......The list looks good, very short on politicians and
politics but long on technocrats...The list I have seen does not reflect names of people who can
perform very well.....the National Publicity Secretary of AD, Popoola Ajayi said: “The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs have nominated and appointed themselves into office once
again.... have my reservation because how the government even came to power is to me illegal.
This is not what Nigerians asked for.....

Angola eyes extension to maritime border with Congo

Luanda - Angola is trying to reach an agreement with neighbouring Democratic Republic of
Congo before it submits a request to the United Nations for its maritime border to be extended to
cover an area with huge oil reserves. The Anglolan parliament approved a resolution on
Wednesday that allows the government to enter into talks with the Congo, which last year
accused Angola of stealing its oil , about the border extension.

France to host meeting on food crisis in Sahel in April

Food crisis in Sahel - A meeting on the food and nutritional situation in the Sahel will be held
from 8 to 9 April in Paris, the French capital, organizers told PANA here on Wednesday. The
meeting, organized by the Inter-State Committee for the Fight against Drought in the Sahel
(CILSS) and the Sahel and West African Club (SWAC/OECD), will bring together government
officials, civil society organizations and representatives of international institutions.

Algeria Russia to ship anti-aircraft systems to Algeria

Moscow - Russia will send Algeria over half a billion dollars’ worth of anti-aircraft weaponry in
the next two years, a Russian defence industry source was quoted as saying on Wednesday. In
accordance with the contract signed in 2006, 38 Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile-artillery systems
worth over 500 million dollars will be delivered to Algeria,’ the source told the Interfax news
agency. ‘Delivery of the systems to the client will take place in 2010-2011,’ the source added.

Ivory Coast UN mission chief in Cote d'Ivoire appeals for peace in run-up to election
Abidjan - The UN mission chief made the appeal in a statement released on Tuesday in the
central city of Bouake, 386 km from Abidjan. According to the statement by the United Nations
Operations in Cote d'lvoire (ONUCI), Choi went to Bouake to award medals to 200 Pakistani
soldiers for upholding peace and stability, encouraging peacekeepers to continue the mission,
"particularly in the coming days." "We must maintain peace and stability, safeguard the
achievements which include the provisional electoral list and the preparation of the final
electoral list as soon as possible," Choi told the awarding ceremony.

UN Illegal Arms Trade Fuels Central African Conflicts

The United Nations says conflict in Central Africa is fueled by an illegal-weapons trade that
increases cross-border crime and threatens national reconciliation. .N. Deputy Secretary General
Asha-Rose Migiro says the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons never happens in
isolation. "Weapons trafficking in Central Africa has complex links, not only to conflict, but also
to a number of other criminal activities, which undermine our efforts to engender social justice,
foster the rule of law and, ultimately, achieve the Millennium Development Goals," Migiro said.
"The link between the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, and the illicit
proliferation and trafficking of arms, has become increasingly apparent."Migiro says local
demand from militia and rebel groups in Central Africa remains strong.

Rights group tells of abuse in Sudan and Ethiopia polls

An international human rights watchdog has warned that Sudan and Ethiopia are unlikely to hold
free and fair elections planned for April and May respectively due to political repression by
government forces. In reports released in Nairobi on Wednesday clearly timed to send a
statement ahead of the polls, Human Rights Watch accused the two governments of gross
violation of human rights.

UN says violence has increased in South Sudan as April elections near

JUBA – A top official of the United Nations office based in the semi-autonomous region’s
capital, Juba, said internal conflicts in Southern Sudan have risen from last year’s levels.

Sudan - President Bashir threatens to 'cut off fingers' of foreign critics on elections
Khartoum - Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, has recently given an eye-brow raising warning
towards election critics, where he warned that his government "will cut off their fingers and put
them under our shoes" if they advocate delaying elections that are expected to be held next
month. He plans to "expel" any foreign organization that demands elections to be delayed.

Police arrest man who hacked President Obama's Twitter account

Paris - French police say they have detained a 25-year-old who allegedly hacked Twitter
accounts of numerous well-known figures, includin US President Barack Obama. Police said on
Wednesday the suspect, who went by the pseudonym ``Hacker Croll,'' was caught following a
joint operation with the FBI and arrested Tuesday in the Puy-de-Dome region of central France.

US Report Pentagon hasn't met main threats

Washington - Somali pirates, Mexican drug smugglers and Islamic terrorists are the types of
groups that pose the greatest threat to the United States in the coming decades and, according to
a report released on Tuesday, the Pentagon is not adapting quickly enough to stop them."These
challenges cannot be managed if we remain diverted by 20th-century, state-centric mindsets and
capabilities," it said. "There is a creative, relatively inexpensive 21st-century security agenda
available that, if adopted, can make a difference — and save U.S. lives and treasure."

CENTCOM Seeks To Expand To PA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's Central Command has sought to expand its area of
operations to include the Palestinian Authority. U.S. Centcom chief Gen. David Petraeus has
urged the administration of President Barack Obama to include both the West Bank and Gaza
Strip in his area of responsibility. Centcom has been responsible for most of the Middle East
with the exception of Israel and much of North Africa. Israel as well as the West Bank and Gaza
Strip have been located in U.S. European Command.