United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

9 December 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

American general visits Algeria (Magharebia)

(Algiers) US Army Africa Commander Major General David R. Hogg praised the "leading" role
of Algeria in fighting terrorism in the Sahel region. Speaking at a December 6th press conference
after his two-day visit to the country, the US military official lauded the "impressive progress"
that has been made.

Senators make case for AFRICOM in Hampton Roads (WAVY)

(Pan Africa) Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner made the case for moving
the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to Hampton Roads in a letter
Wednesday to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Admiral Michael Mullen.

South African Reserve leaders visit New York National Guard (US Army Africa)
(South Africa) Maj. Gen. Roy Andersen, South African National Defence Force
Reserves Chief, wanted to learn from a really professional organization, so he brought
his staff to visit the New York National Guard Dec. 4-6.

U.S. Army Africa attends World AIDS Day event in Namibia (US Army Africa)
(Namibia) Two U.S. Army Africa chaplains recently traveled more than 4,000 miles to
participate in the Ministry of Defence/Namibia Defence Force World AIDS Day
ceremony in Windhoek, Namibia.

Obama Joins African Leaders in Pressing Gbagbo to Step Aside (AllAfrica.com)

(Cote d’Ivoire) President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire rebuffed an offer by the
United States to save face and become a respected elder statesman of Africa, choosing
instead a "path to isolation" by clinging to power, according to senior U.S. officials who
spoke by telephone to AllAfrica.

US diplomats end 3 day on spot assessment in Uganda (Uganda People News)

(Uganda) A high level delegation of US diplomats and military officials have
completed a three day on-spot assessment of the situation in Karamoja. The mission of
the visit was to do an on-sport assessment of the various projects run by the US in
Karamoja region and the impact they have caused on the local communities and how to
further assistance to Karamojongs.
Former ambassador warns about Nigeria (ABC News)
(Nigeria) A former US ambassador to Nigeria says that a return to military rule in the
key west African nation could be the lesser of two evils if the coming elections spark
ethnic and religious violence.

Pirates’ Catch Exposed Route of Arms in Sudan Conflict (New York Times)
(Sudan) A Ukrainian freighter commandeered by pirates in the Gulf of Aden was
packed with weapons, including 32 Soviet-era battle tanks, and the entire arsenal was
headed for the regional government in southern Sudan. According to several secret
State Department cables made public by WikiLeaks, the tanks not only were headed to
southern Sudan, but they were the latest installment of several underground arms
shipments.

Sudan ends referendum voter registration (BBC News)

(Sudan) Voter registration has ended in Sudan for January's referendum on possible
southern independence.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 Fair elections key to stability in Central African Republic – UN envoy
 Three UN air service crew members freed from captivity in Darfur
 Security Council endorses opposition leader’s victory in Ivorian polls
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, December 10, 10:00 a.m.; Center for Strategic and
International Studies
WHAT: Preparing for Sudan’s Referendum
WHO: Traci Cook, Resident Director for Southern Sudan, National Democratic
Institute; Linda Bishai, Senior Program Officer, Academy for International Conflict
Management and Peacebuilding, United States Institute of Peace; Atul Khare, Assistant
Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations; Richard Downie,
Deputy Director and Fellow, CSIS Africa Program
Info: http://csis.org/event/preparing-sudans-referendum

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, December 14, 10:00 a.m.; US Institute of Peace

WHAT: Previewing Sudan’s January Referendum
WHO: Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Head of Mission, Government of Southern Sudan Mission
to the United States; Fatahelrahman Ali Mohamed, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy
of the Republic of Sudan; Zach Vertin, Sudan Analyst, International Crisis Group; Jon
Temin, Senior Program Officer, Center for Mediation & Conflict Resolution, U.S.
Institute of Peace; David Smock, Moderator, Vice President, Center for Mediation &
Conflict Resolution, U.S. Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/previewing-sudan-s-january-referenda
WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday and Thursday, December 15-16; National Defense
Industrial Association
WHAT: Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations
WHO: Amb Robert Loftis, Acting Coordinator, Reconstruction and Stability,
Department of State (S/CRS); Susan Reichle, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau
for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID; Dr. James Schear,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Stability Operations; GEN Carter
Ham, Commander, US Army, Europe; and others (see agenda)
Info: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/1450/Pages/default.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, December 16, 9:00 a.m.; Africa Center for Strategic Studies
and the Center for Complex Operations
WHAT: Sudan: Regional Implications of Post-Referendum Scenarios
WHO: Special Envoy to Sudan, Maj. General Scott Gration (ret.), Keynote; See agenda
for full speaker list
Info: http://ccoportal.org/event/sudan-regional-implications-post-referendum-
scenarios
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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Senators make case for AFRICOM in Hampton Roads (WAVY)

WASHINGTON - Virginia Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner made the case for
moving the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to Hampton Roads in a
letter Wednesday to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen.

"Relocating the command's headquarters to Hampton Roads would lessen the concerns
often expressed by multiple stakeholders surrounding the command's current mission
and activities in Africa, enable significant cost savings in future years, and generate
numerous synergies given the presence of other major military commands in the local
area and 'plug-and-play' infrastructure already in place," wrote the senators.

Currently AFRICOM is temporarily based at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany.

The idea of moving AFRICOM's headquarters to Hampton Roads was discussed in a

November meeting between Virginia lawmakers and Secretary Gates in connection
with the Defense Department's desire to close the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command
as part of a cost-saving initiative.

The Department of Defense agreed to include Virginia in the assessment of alternate

locations for the AFRICOM headquarters.
The proposal to bring AFRICOM to Hampton Roads was also made by Sen. Webb at a
recent Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing.

AFRICOM was established in October 2007 and operated under U.S. European
Command during its first year. It became an independent command on October 1, 2008.

The full text of the Senators' letter is below:

Dear Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen:

We are writing to address the commitment that was expressed during our meeting of
November 23, 2010, to include Virginia in the assessment of alternate locations for the
permanent headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). In our view,
relocating the command’s headquarters to Hampton Roads would lessen the concerns
often expressed by multiple stakeholders surrounding the command’s current mission
and activities in Africa, enable significant cost savings in future years, and generate
numerous synergies given the presence of other major military commands in the local
area and “plug-and-play” infrastructure already in place.

The headquarters for the U.S. Central Command, the U.S. Pacific Command, and the
U.S. Southern Command have been located in the United States for decades. The same
model is even more appropriate for the U.S. Africa Command given the sensitivities
many African nations continue to manifest over the command’s mission and military
presence on the continent.

Additionally, the Hampton Roads region warrants special consideration when

evaluating possible locations for the command in the United States. The adverse
economic impacts associated with the proposed disestablishment of the U.S. Joint
Forces Command (JFCOM) are extraordinary for a decision made outside of a formal
military base closure process. They should be weighed during the Department of
Defense's (DOD) assessment of the costs and benefits of potential alternative locations
to host AFRICOM.

A good economic case can also be made to reduce AFRICOM’s footprint in Europe. In
the long term, the relocation to Hampton Roads of the nearly 1,500 military and civilian
personnel now assigned at AFRICOM’s headquarters in Germany could save billions of
dollars. As the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in its 2009 report (GAO-
09-181), “In addition to renovation costs [of its interim headquarters in Germany], cost
projections exceed $4 billion through 2015 to operate AFRICOM’s interim headquarters,
expand DOD’s presence in 11 U.S. embassies in Africa, and improve existing facilities
for a combined joint task force in Djibouti.”

Moreover, as the GAO reported, these projections do not include the costs to establish
the command’s permanent headquarters or other supporting offices in Africa, a
potential joint operations fusion center to support the headquarters, or costs associated
with its new component and theater special operations commands. These cost estimates
also do not capture the higher permanent-change-of-station (PCS) personnel costs
associated with such overseas assignments.

We are confident that Hampton Roads will prove to be appealing as a cost-avoidance

alternative. As you know, Norfolk and its adjoining communities already have first-
class facilities to accommodate AFRICOM’s mission. DOD should consider, for
example, the $373 million in recent taxpayer investments in the Hampton Roads region,
originally intended for JFCOM, as a down payment on AFRICOM. At JFCOM’s Suffolk
installation, the department has already invested $270 million in its buildings and
communications systems. In addition, the site’s non-cancelable lease obligations
between fiscal years 2011 and 2017 total more than $61 million.

Hampton Roads represents one of the largest concentrations of joint and service-unique
military commands in the United States. It offers joint installations, command-and-
control resources,

and training and education facilities that could support AFRICOM’s mission superbly.
As a relatively new combatant command, AFRICOM will benefit from an unmatched
pool of joint manpower from surrounding Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
facilities. Active-duty personnel and military veterans also provide a highly skilled
workforce with the necessary technical qualifications, security clearances, and
knowledge of military operations.

Nearby joint and allied organizations and educational facilities, including the Joint
Armed Forces Staff College and NATO Allied Command-Transformation (NATO AC-
T), will serve as much needed force multipliers for doctrinal and strategic growth.
These commands could also enable a healthy dialogue between AFRICOM and our
NATO allies who are already engaged in stabilization efforts in Africa, particularly the
Horn of Africa. Many African nations, including Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco
and Tunisia, are members of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue and are comfortable
working with NATO and AC-T.

The Tidewater area also has a well-deserved reputation for being home to a wide range
of high-technology resources. They include federal and private research facilities and
laboratories, modeling-and-simulating centers, a large base of information-technology
defense contractors, and universities and colleges recognized for their achievement in
many disciplines. With a Hampton Roads location, AFRICOM would be able to draw
on the rich talent and professional expertise available on its doorstep.

In short, we believe that Hampton Roads is a first-rate candidate to host the

headquarters for the U.S. Africa Command.
------------------
South African Reserve leaders visit New York National Guard (US Army Africa)

LATHAM, N.Y. — Maj. Gen. Roy Andersen, South African National Defence Force
Reserves Chief, wanted to learn from a really professional organization, so he brought
his staff to visit the New York National Guard Dec. 4-6.

The SANDF and the New York National Guard have had a mutual relationship through
the Guard's State Partnership Program since 2005. The program sets up exchanges
between the South African military and the New York State National Guard to foster
better understanding through a series of bilateral events.

"We are looking to take away the lessons you have learned, so we do not have to relearn
them; so we can do things better, and maybe we can identify a few areas where we
think we do it better," he said.

The six-officer delegation, which visited sites in the Albany and New York City areas,
was particularly interested in learning about the New York Guard's family support and
employer support programs.

"We know these are good and they work," Andersen said.

The South African team included Brig. Gen. Susan Debbie Molefe, Director of Defence
Reserves; Rear Adm. Ernst Penzhorn, Director of Naval Reserves; Brig. Gen. Tebogo
Samuel Madumane, Director of the Air Force Reserves; Brig Gen. (Dr.) Abel Maminze,
Acting Director of the South African Military Health Service Reserves; Chaplain (Col.)
Masello Mothopeng, Senior Staff Officer Reserve Force Chaplains; and Col. Brian
Molefe, Deputy Director of South African Army Reserves.

U.S. Army Africa was represented by Brig. Gen. Isaac G. Osborne Jr., USARAF Deputy
Commander, who is also Assistant Adjutant General of the Tennessee Army National
Guard.

The visitors were impressed by the proactive nature of the National Guard's health
assessment process. Visiting the Guard’s state headquarters while a Soldiers Readiness
Check for the Joint Force Headquarters Detachment was under way, the South Africans
were impressed with the mobile dental clinic set up to fix Soldiers, problems on the
spot, Andersen said.

“There is a lot of energy in the relationship between the New York National Guard and
the South African military,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of
New York. Guardsmen from the 106th Rescue Wing have been to South Africa as
recently as September to train with their South African counterparts, he said.

Bilateral visits are an important part of the relationship process, said Osborne.
“The SPP program is all about the sharing and teamwork of coming together for the
same cause. It gives both parties an opportunity to get to know each other better. This
conference improved the relationships between South Africa and the United States
military,” said Osborne.

The three-day visit started Dec. 4 with briefings on subjects such as family readiness
programs, efforts to keep employers supportive, New York National Guard missions
and reintegration programs.

The team visited Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York, Dec. 5. The base
is home to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, the only wing in
the U.S. military that flies C-130 transport aircraft equipped with skies that enable
landings on snow or ice.

Dec. 6 the South Africans visited the New York National Guard's standing security
force in New York City, Joint Task Force Empire Shield. The team inspected the
quarters of the 24th Civil Support Team, a unit specially trained to identify chemical,
biological and radiological weapons. They also had an opportunity to observe
personnel providing security at transportation hubs in Manhattan.

The South Africans were also brought up to speed on the capabilities of New York's
Naval Militia, which works with the United States Coast Guard in New York Harbor.

The New York National Guard and South African National Defence Force Reserves face
some similar challenges, said Andersen.

Just as New York deploys troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, South African reservists are
presently serving in peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Sudan and Burundi. South African reservists also do border duty along their nation's
border with Zimbabwe to control illegal immigration, similar to the way New York
National Guard forces have served along the Mexican border.

There are differences, though.

South African reservists must serve two years on active duty, including one complete
deployment, before going into reserve status. This can make it tough to recruit, and
many of the South African Reserve members do not have jobs. Finding them civilian
work is an important mission for his force, said Andersen, who is chairman of several
corporate boards in civilian life.

Interestingly, the South African Air Force Reserve includes a special component of
members who bring their own aircraft with them when they serve, more like the
American Civil Air Patrol than the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserves.
While the New York Army and Air National Guard, with just over 16,000 members, are
about the same size as the South African Army, Air Force, and Naval Reserves, the level
of responsibility that Andersen and his team have is much greater, Murphy said.

He and his staff don't have to deal with the issues of national policy and politics that
Andersen must cope with, he explained.

“The New York National Guard did an outstanding job by providing requested
relevant information to the current challenges of the South African military,” Osborne
said.
------------------
U.S. Army Africa attends World AIDS Day event in Namibia (US Army Africa)

VICENZA, Italy – Strengthening relationships. Raising awareness. Learning through

partnership. Two U.S. Army Africa chaplains recently traveled more than 4,000 miles to
participate in the Ministry of Defence/Namibia Defence Force World AIDS Day
ceremony in Windhoek, Namibia.

Col. Jonathan McGraw, U.S. Army Africa’s command chaplain, and Lt. Col. Clyde Scott,
deputy command chaplain, stood alongside their chaplain counterparts to gain a better
understanding of how the Namibia Defence Force commemorates World AIDS Day.
More than 1,000 Namibian soldiers and civilians took part in the celebration.

“We appreciate the positive impact of our joint efforts in the Namibian military,” said
Adrienne Fuentes, coordinator for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR), in remarks made during the ceremony on behalf of the U.S. Mission in
Namibia.

“I applaud the leadership of the Namibian military for your robust leadership where
stigma and discrimination is strongly discouraged, and where people who are living
openly with HIV are supported without any discrimination,” Fuentes said.

McGraw said his Unit Ministry Team’s close relationship with the Namibian chaplains
is an essential part of sharing experiences and techniques to counsel soldiers and
families from a spiritual perspective.

“Facing the challenges of AIDS, the Namibian Defence Force has established an
impressive commander-led, community-based, chaplain-integrated program that is
working,” McGraw said. “I was very impressed with the number of Namibian soldiers
lined up to voluntarily test their HIV status during the World AIDS Day event. It was
three to four times what was experienced in past years.”
The U.S. chaplains World AIDS Day participation follows a previous visit to Namibia in
which the ministry team led a seminar about counseling soldiers and family members
about the impact of HIV/AIDS.

In addition to observing the World AIDS Day commemoration, the U.S. chaplains met
with several key U.S. Department of Defense partners to discuss possible areas of
collaboration. A highlight of the event was an invitation to march in a two-mile AIDS
Day Parade sponsored by the Namibian Defence Force. Led by the NDF Army Band,
the chaplains marched with more than 800 NDF soldiers, as citizens cheered from the
sidewalks.

“Despite the challenges of AIDS/HIV there is optimism about the future and love of
their families and country,” said McGraw. “This was a great example of the NDF and
USARAF’s shared commitment to AIDS/HIV prevention in Namibia.”
------------------
Obama Joins African Leaders in Pressing Gbagbo to Step Aside (AllAfrica.com)

President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire rebuffed an offer by the United States to save
face and become a respected elder statesman of Africa, choosing instead a "path to
isolation" by clinging to power, according to senior U.S. officials who spoke by
telephone to AllAfrica.

President Barack Obama wrote to Gbagbo on Friday night after attempts to reach him
by phone were unsuccessful, prior to Gbagbo's ceremony to swear himself in as
president. In the letter, Obama, who was on a plane returning from Afghanistan,
reiterated that the United States considered Alassane Ouattara the legitimate winner of
Cote d'Ivoire's presidential elections, based on the results of the national electoral
commission and certification by the United Nations.

"President Obama laid out a clear choice: respect the results of the election and you will
have a role to play, and you will have the personal support of President Obama in
playing that role," one senior U.S. administration official told allAfrica. "Ignore and
override the results of the election and you will be isolated and held accountable, and
you will not have the support of the United States."

In the letter, Obama invited Gbagbo to the White House "for discussions … on ways to
advance democracy and development in Cote d'Ivoire and West Africa" should Gbagbo
step aside.

Other than confirmation of its receipt by Ivorian officials, Gbagbo has not responded to
the letter.

Targeted Sanctions
The United States was encouraged by the action of the west African regional bloc
Ecowas on Tuesday in calling for Gbagbo to step aside. The Economic Community of
West African States also suspended Cote d'Ivoire from the grouping.

"This kind of leadership is extraordinarily laudable, and this is what the United States
wants to be working to support," one administration official said . The United States has
been working in conjunction with Ecowas, the African Union, the United Nations,
France and the European Union in trying to get Gbagbo to respect the electoral
outcome.

A number of further measures are being considered to pressure Gbagbo to step aside,
and the United States is consulting with the U.N. Security Council. Among possible
actions are unilateral and multilateral targeted sanctions, the U.S. officials said,
following on the "powerful signal" of Ecowas.

"Certainly we have made clear, and others have made clear, that those who subvert the
democratic process will be held accountable," one U.S. official said. "That points to
looking at targeted measures that seek to isolate individuals responsible for an
undemocratic seizure of power and also, critically, for any kind of instigation of
violence."

Worrisome Trend

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki visited Cote d'Ivoire earlier this week, as
an envoy of the African Union, to try to mediate an end to the crisis. Critics of Mbeki,
who in the past has been seen by some as close to Gbagbo, feared Mbeki would try to
broker a power-sharing deal.

In an apparent reference to post-election power sharing agreements following elections

in Kenya and Zimbabwe, where incumbents refused to accept defeat, one U.S.
administration official made it clear that the United States wanted Gbagbo to step aside
rather than be accommodated.

"There have been some worrisome trends over time - this government of national unity
trend - where you … accommodate the interests of a political rival," the official said.
"But the interests of the people who expressed their voice democratically and are
interested in holding leaders accountable sort of get lost in the shuffle."

U.S. officials said they had no immediate knowledge of the content or outcome of
Mbeki's talks in Cote d'Ivoire.

Rival Governments
On Tuesday, the United Nations, which has more than 9,000 peacekeepers in Cote
d'Ivoire, began evacuating non-essential staff from the nation for fear of unrest.
Sporadic violence has broken out in the main city, Abidjan, since the Constitutional
Council overturned results announced by the electoral commission that said Ouattara
won the November 28 run-off poll with 54 percent of the vote.

Cote d'Ivoire is still largely divided between the north and the south despite a peace
deal in 2005 that ended a brief civil war. The nation now has two governments – one led
by Gbagbo and the other by Ouattara, whose prime minister was the former leader of
the northern-based New Forces rebels.

In his letter, Obama reminded Gbagbo that he was once an opposition figure who was
calling for free and fair democratic elections. He came to power following polls in 2000
that were annulled by the nation's military ruler, Robert Guei. Guei was chased from
power in a popular uprising in Abidjan where Gbagbo draws much of his support.

Respectable Departure

In a statement on Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Congressman Donald Payne, chairman of

the subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, commended Gbagbo for serving Cote
d'Ivoire over the past decade, including through a failed coup attempt in 2002.

"Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges that have faced his country, and the
criticism he has often received from the West, he managed to prevent Côte d'Ivoire
from plunging into a violent civil war," Payne said.

He encouraged Gbagbo "in the manner befitting of a statesman" to peacefully transfer

power to Ouattara.

"The Ivorian people have seen their country descend from great heights – from the
economic engine of West Africa that it once was, to a nation torn in two," Payne said.
"Let the electoral expression of the Ivorian people's will be a clarion call for all parties to
finally put aside their differences and lay aside blame for the sake of Cote d'Ivoire's
future – a future that all Ivorians will share. It is absolutely critical at this juncture that
the rule of law, suspension of violence, and the will of the people be upheld to prevent a
major crisis.
------------------
US diplomats end 3 day on spot assessment in Uganda (Uganda People News)

A high level delegation of US diplomats and military officials have completed a three
day on-spot assessment of the situation in Karamoja.

The team was led by the US deputy ambassador to Uganda Her Excellency Madam
Virginia Blaser who was accompanied by the head of US military Civil Affairs Col Eric
Schoenbucher based at the US Africa Command in Jidbout, the Defence attache’ at the
US embassy in Uganda Lt Col Louis Perozo and Mr Michael Ronning from USAID
(United States Agency for International Development) among others.
The mission of the visit was to do an on-sport assessment of the various projects run by
the US in Karamoja region and the impact they have caused on the local communities
and how to further assistance to Karamojongs.

The US government through its international organizations like USAID and other
partners like Mercycoups and IRC (International Rescue Committee) has been funding a
number of projects in Karamoja related to livelihood support.

The US army through its Civil Affairs Team in partnership with the UPDF has also
done a lot of projects like the construction of Muruita Dam in Nakapiripirit which was
jointly done by UPDF, US military engeneers, ministry of water with funding from
UNDP, the Kraals at Nadunget in Moroto where a veterinary Civial Affairs program
was affected and 40,000 animals vaccinated.

The Team visited the Human rights offices to update itself on the human rights
situation in Karamoja and appreciated the fact that generally the situation was better.
State of the art Dam.

Among the projects to be implemented jointly by US military and UPDF is the

construction of a state of the art Dam at Lupeei in Moroto district. The team visited the
site and promised to bring in the Seabees (US military Navy Engineers) to begin work
immediately elections are over around February and it will take only three months
according to Ambassador Virginia.

Other projects will include; carrying out veterinary services in Kotido district, training
of Capacity building of UPDF in civil affairs, fencing of Kotido senior secondary School
together with UPDF Engineers and offering free medical services to all forces working
in Karamoja.

As UPDF we appreciate the role the US government has played in supporting the
disarmament exercise through infrastructure development and livelihood activities.

Indeed as the saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed” We shall continue to
work with all stakeholders to ensure Karamoja is totally secure and developed as per
the government wishes. Art 209 of the constitution demands that we be productive and
we are ready to join hands with Karamoja and all those in its development to realize the
desired goals
------------------
Former ambassador warns about Nigeria (ABC News)
A former US ambassador to Nigeria says that a return to military rule in the key west
African nation could be the lesser of two evils if the coming elections spark ethnic and
religious violence.

John Campbell was the US ambassador to Nigeria from 2004 until 2007 and he is calling
on the international community to be vigilant about next year's elections, but he
cautions against any personal intervention by the US President, Barack Obama.

Ambassador Campbell is now an Africa specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations

and he has just published the book on Nigeria called 'Dancing on the Brink'.

He spoke to me a short time ago from New York.

John Campbell, you write that the January elections pose a threat to Nigeria's stability.
Nigeria has been holding elections regularly since the end of military rule in 1999. Why
are you so concerned about these ones?

JOHN CAMPBELL: What is new and different about 2011 is that the elections look like
a contest between a northern Muslim politician, Atiku Abubakar, and a southern
Christian politician, Goodluck Jonathan, who is in fact the incumbent President.

There has always been an effort to prevent that kind of regional and religious
polarisation.

ELEANOR HALL: So what are your worst fears about the impact of this election?

JOHN CAMPBELL: My worst fears are the people around the principal candidates will
rally political support by appeals to ethnicity and to religion. You combine that with
elections which technically are not very good, then you can end up with a situation
such as exists in Côte d'Ivoire, where the election results are not acceptable to the losers.

ELEANOR HALL: And indeed, we have two presidents in that country at the moment.

JOHN CAMPBELL: Well we do indeed. Now I don't think in Nigeria, a situation that
dire is likely to happen because I think the military would intervene before things got to
that point.

ELEANOR HALL: Would that be a positive?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Yes and no. No in that it would be a dramatic setback for
democracy in a country which has had a civilian government since 1999, but before that
had virtually a generation of military dictatorship.
What military intervention might do though is it might stop widespread bloodshed if in
fact it was occurring along the lines of what happened in Kenya after the elections of
2007.

ELEANOR HALL: Well there are Nigerians who are calling for the US President to play
a role, do you think that the Barack Obama should intervene?

JOHN CAMPBELL: No I do not. The political situation in Nigeria, that has to be

resolved by Nigerians themselves. No outsider can do it.

ELEANOR HALL: So is there a role at all for international community more broadly?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Yes, the international community needs to be explicitly and vocally
supportive of free, fair and credible elections in 2011. It should, as it has in the past,
send independent election monitors and it should also caution against appeals to
ethnicity and religion.

Nigerians care what outsiders think. Outsiders should not be shy about saying what
they think.

ELEANOR HALL: It's interesting that you say that the electoral process has
deteriorated over the last decade. I mean there are appeared to be a lot of optimism, and
especially when Olusegun Obasanjo was president, there was sort of an international
consensus that he'd left the military past behind and was fated as a regional
peacemaker.

Did key international leaders get him wrong?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Well Obasanjo played a highly positive role. He promoted regional
organisations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African
States. And then he blotted his copy book essentially by trying to amend the
constitution so that he could run for a third term.

In other words so he could remain in office virtually indefinitely. That effort was
thwarted but Obasanjo remained strong enough to impost on the ruling party his hand-
picked presidential candidate and also Goodluck Jonathan.

ELEANOR HALL: How does oil money complicate the political and ethnic tensions?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Several ways. First of all, the state gets more than 90 per cent of the
profits. This means political office means individual power and wealth to a far greater
extent than in Western countries.
In the Delta where the oil is produced, there is an insurrection that is underway. The
insurrection essentially revolves around people in the Delta thinking they should have
a larger percentage of the oil revenue.

ELEANOR HALL: What do you make of the bribery charges that have just been filed in
Nigeria against the former US vice president, Dick Cheney, over a subsidiary of the
Halliburton company?

JOHN CAMPBELL: There is certainly an element of political posturing involved in it.

ELEANOR HALL: When you say political posturing though, are you suspicious of the
timing?

JOHN CAMPBELL: I'm suspicious of the timing, it's also a case where charging a
former vice president is obviously something that's going to get a great deal of
attention.

ELEANOR HALL: And how does that help one side or the other?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Well right now, there are a certain number of rather nasty things
going on in Nigeria. Kidnapping has increased in the Delta, so has bloodshed. The
ethnic and religious conflict has increased. There was a fight just the other day between
a radical Islamic sect and soldiers in the north of the country that led to extensive
bloodshed and then there are the upcoming elections.

ELEANOR HALL: Your book is subtitled 'Dancing on the Brink'. What could be the
consequences for the region if Nigeria falls over the brink?

JOHN CAMPBELL: Well when I finished the book a couple of months ago, I would
have included military rule as falling over the brink. Now some Nigerians don't. But it
were Nigeria to pull back from the world stage, either because of military of because of
various types of internal conflict, the region would lose an extremely important
strategic partner, a country that has played an extraordinarily positive role in conflict
resolution, in developing a consensus in Africa, that the era of military dictators is over.

It would be a very bad thing.

ELEANOR HALL: John Campbell thanks very much for joining us.

JOHN CAMPBELL: And thankyou very much.

ELEANOR HALL: That's former US ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, and you
can listen to a longer interview on our website that includes ambassador Campbell's
views on the WikiLeaks revelations.
------------------
Pirates’ Catch Exposed Route of Arms in Sudan Conflict (New York Times)

KHARTOUM, Sudan — It was September 2008 and a band of Somali pirates made a
startling discovery.

The Ukrainian freighter they had just commandeered in the Gulf of Aden was packed
with weapons, including 32 Soviet-era battle tanks, and the entire arsenal was headed
for the regional government in southern Sudan. The Ukrainian and Kenyan
governments vigorously denied that, insisting that the tanks were intended for the
Kenyan military.

“This is a big loss for us,” said Alfred Mutua, a spokesman for the Kenyan government,
at the time.

But it turns out the pirates were telling the truth — and the Kenyans and Ukrainians
were not. According to several secret State Department cables made public by
WikiLeaks, the tanks not only were headed to southern Sudan, but they were the latest
installment of several underground arms shipments. By the time the freighter was
seized, 67 T-72 tanks had already been delivered to bolster southern Sudan’s armed
forces against the government in Khartoum, an international pariah for its human rights
abuses in Darfur.

Bush administration officials knew of the earlier weapons transactions and chose not to
shut them down, an official from southern Sudan asserted in an interview, and the
cables acknowledge that Kenyan officials’ assertions that they had kept American
officials informed about the deal. But once the pirates exposed the arms pipeline
through Kenya, the Obama administration protested to the Ukrainian and Kenyan
governments, even threatening sanctions against them, the cables show.

Vann H. Van Diepen, a senior State Department official, presented the Ukrainians with
a sales contract that showed southern Sudan as the recipient, according to a November
2009 cable from the American Embassy in Kiev. When they dismissed it as a possible
forgery, Mr. Van Diepen “showed the Ukrainians cleared satellite imagery of T-72 tanks
unloaded in Kenya, transferred to railyards for onward shipment, and finally in South
Sudan,“ the cable said, referring to the early deliveries of the weapons. “This led to a
commotion on the Ukrainian side.”

The United States’ shifting stance, on policy and legal grounds, on arms for southern
Sudan is illuminated in the State Department cables, which were made available to The
New York Times and several other news organizations.

The revelations about the tanks — now sitting in Kenya, their fate unclear — come at
one of the most delicate times in Sudan’s history, with the nation, Africa’s largest, on
the verge of splitting into two. On Jan. 9, southern Sudanese are scheduled to vote in a
referendum for their independence from northern Sudan, representing the end of a 50-
year war. Huge quantities of weapons have been flowing to both sides, mainly to the
north, turning the country into one of the most combustible on the continent. Secretary
of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently called it “a ticking time bomb.”

While Kenyan newspapers and other publications have written about the arms
shipment since the pirate episode, confirmation that the government of southern Sudan
was the recipient has raised concerns among diplomats that the news could further
inflame tensions.

Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Atabani, a top adviser to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of
Sudan, chuckled when told of the cables. “We knew it, yeah, we knew it,” he said in an
interview. He expressed no surprise that the United States appeared to condone some
of the shipments, saying: “Officially, we are enemies.” Still, he said, the shipments
could become “a very hot political issue.”

Southern Sudan, mostly Christian and animist, fought even before Sudan’s
independence in 1956 to split off from the Arab government in Khartoum. More than
two million people were killed and government-sponsored militias, similar to those that
raped and pillaged in Darfur, swept across the region, razing villages and massacring
civilians. In 2005, the two sides signed a peace agreement, which granted the south
autonomy and the right to vote on secession next year.

The agreement also allows southern Sudan to buy arms to transform its guerrilla army
into a defense force, and the United States has also publicly said that it has provided
communications and other “nonlethal” equipment and training to the southern army,
called the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, or S.P.L.A. The cables suggest that effort
has gone further than the United States has publicized.

“Over the past two years,” says a December 2009 cable, from the embassy in Nairobi,
Kenya, Kenyan officials “have shared full details of their engagement with the SPLA as
we have shared details of our training program for the SPLA, including combat arms
soldier training.”

Several years ago, the southern Sudan government contracted to buy 100 tanks from
Ukraine using its own funds. The first shipment of Ukrainian tanks took place in 2007
with little fanfare, and the second shipment was delivered a year later.

In September 2008, however, the Faina, a freighter, was seized by Somali pirates. It was
carrying 32 T-72 Soviet-era tanks, 150 grenade launchers, 6 antiaircraft guns and
ammunition. Initially, American officials were worried the pirates might offload the
weapons in Somalia.
After months of haggling, a $3.2 million ransom was paid, the Somali pirates finally
released the ship, and the arms were unloaded in Kenya.

When Ukrainian officials were approached by American officials about the arms
shipments in August 2008, they insisted that the weapons were intended for Kenya’s
military. Even so, some American diplomats understood otherwise and did not appear
very concerned. In a cable from Oct. 19, 2008, Alberto M. Fernandez, who served as the
chargé de affaires in Khartoum, told officials from southern Sudan that while that
United States would prefer not to see an arms buildup in the region, it understood that
the government there “feels compelled to do the same” as the north. He also cautioned
the officials to take care, if there were future shipments, to avoid a repeat hijacking by
pirates and “the attention it has drawn.”

After the Obama administration took office, a new special envoy for Sudan was
appointed and the United States offered incentives for Khartoum to cooperate with the
coming referendum. Taking a stricter position than the Bush administration on the
tanks, the State Department also insisted that the shipments were illegal, since Sudan
was on the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In a blunt exchange with the Ukrainians in November 2009, Mr. Van Diepen warned
that the United States might impose sanctions unless the Ukrainian government
acknowledged its role in the past transactions.

In similar conversations with Kenyan officials, the Obama administration again raised
the threat of “sweeping sanctions,” which it said might be waived if the officials
cooperated in investigating the third shipment.

In a Nov. 27, 2009, cable outlining talking points for American diplomats in Nairobi to
present to the Kenyans, the State Department acknowledged “the apparent disconnect”
between provisions of the peace agreement that allowed southern Sudan to develop its
defensive capability and the Americans’ legal argument that arms should not be sent
there because of the Khartoum government’s place on the terrorism list.

“We also recognize that some members of your government informed some members of
the USG that this deal was being prepared,” the cable, which was sent by Secretary
Clinton, added. But the cable argued that southern Sudan did not need the tanks, they
would be difficult to maintain and they would “increase the chance of an arms race
with Khartoum.”

That did not appear to mollify the Kenyans. A cable on Dec. 16, 2009, recounted that the
head of Kenya’s general staff told American officials that he was “very confused” by the
United States position “since the past transfers had been undertaken in consultation
with the United States.” According to the cable, the Kenyans asked whether the Obama
administration was reconsidering whether to move forward with a referendum under
the peace accord and whether it was “shifting its support to Khartoum.”

In recent months, the Obama administration quietly waived sanctions against Ukraine
and Kenya for the 2007 and 2008 shipments, according to government officials.

It is not clear, however, whether the waiver also applies to the tanks that were aboard
the seized ship, or whether the administration has asked Kenya to hold off sending the
tanks to southern Sudan, at least until after the referendum. A State Department
spokesman declined to respond to those questions.

The Kenyans have told southern Sudan officials that the Americans are still asking them
not to ship the tanks, according to Gen. Oyay Deng Ajak, the former chief of staff of the
southern Sudan military, who asserted that the Americans had been aware of the
transaction from the start.

Representative Donald M. Payne, the New Jersey Democrat who heads the House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa, has urged that the tanks be shipped. “Our
government knew those tanks were being purchased,” he said in an interview. “The fact
is the pirates’ seizure of the tanks is what made them change their policy. I don’t think
the Obama administration has a clear policy on Sudan.”
------------------
Sudan ends referendum voter registration (BBC News)

Voter registration has ended in Sudan for January's referendum on possible southern
independence.

The registration period, which had been delayed several times, is a key step towards the
vote.

Southerners are widely expected to choose to form a new country, having fought two
civil wars with the north.

Exact figures will not be known for a few days, as statistics trickle in from remote areas
of Southern Sudan, one of the world's least developed places.

Nearly three million people had registered in the south by Tuesday.

However, the figure given for southerners living in the north was just over 105,000,
fewer than had been anticipated.

Some people left Khartoum and other northern cities to go to the south to register.
Others said they were afraid the north would manipulate their vote, so they did not
register at all.

Tensions have been growing as the referendum draws nearer.

Former rebels in Southern Sudan have accused the north of bombing their territory on
several occasions.

Northern armed forces have denied all the accusations.

Critical negotiations on post-referendum issues - and on Abyei, the border area due to
have its own referendum - are not making much progress.

An estimated two million people died in the last north-south civil war which ended in
2005. But both sides insist a return to conflict is out of the question.

The referendum is scheduled for 9 January.

------------------
American general visits Algeria (Magharebia)

US Army Africa Commander Major General David R. Hogg praised the "leading" role
of Algeria in fighting terrorism in the Sahel region. Speaking at a December 6th press
conference after his two-day visit to the country, the US military official lauded the
"impressive progress" that has been made.

Hogg noted Algeria's role in setting up the Tamanrasset joint military command and
joint Sahel-Saharan intelligence centre in Algiers but maintained that "there is still work
to be done". He reiterated that the US will not be taking military intervening action
"unless asked by countries of the region", adding that "some operations are taking place
in the Sahel region, stemming from a regional approach in fighting terrorism".

"We have no military forces in Algeria and have no intention of intervening in any way
in the Sahel and Sahara regions," Hogg said, stressing that "combating terrorism and al-
Qaeda in the Sahel is a regional affair".

"AFRICOM and the Algerian armed forces are co-operating, and that is the objective of
the visit. We are here to discuss what we can learn from one another. You have
experience in the field of combating extremism and terrorism. We have experience in
several other areas. So, we need to exchange expertise," Hogg emphasised.

He described the US-Algeria military co-operation as "excellent," as it leans on the

exchange of information and expertise. The official said his visit to Algeria aims at
"further boosting that co-operation, particularly in the area of training". Hogg pointed
to the importance of enhancing bilateral relations and implementing previously agreed
on programmes, which include dismantling explosive devices.

During his visit, Hogg met with Algerian presidential advisor on human rights Kamel
Rezzag Bara, Land Forces Commander Ahsan Tafer, and Major General Ahmed
Sanhadji, Secretary-General of the Defence Ministry.

"We are in the process of implementing a program that was previously agreed on by
AFRICOM and the Algerian armed forces. We invited the Algerian land forces
commandership to visit the Africa Command headquarters in Italy," the official said,
referring to "scheduled manoeuvres that will be taking place in 2013, which will include
training in the Mediterranean as well as search and rescue operations".

When asked whether the US plans on transferring the AFRICOM headquarters to an

African country, Hogg said that the US has no intention of doing that.

"Our efforts are focused on means of making our mission a success and enhancing co-
operation with the African states. Our biggest challenge is to find the best means to help
African armies work professionally, should they request assistance," he said.

Analysts see Hogg's visit as an extension of previous security meetings between the two
countries. Last year in Algiers, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and AFRICOM
Commander General William Ward discussed training opportunities and security co-
operation between the ANP and US military.

"The declarations made by the US official emphasise the identical views of both
countries on the necessity of combating al-Qaeda in the Sahel region using local military
efforts, while still making use of international co-operation in terms of exchanging
information, expertise and training," security affairs specialist Hocine Boulahia said.

Speaking to the press on December 1st, Kamel Rezzag Bara stressed that Sahel countries
are "fully capable" of countering the terrorist threat in the region.

"Our major partners, such as Britain and the US, are aware of that fact, just as much as
our regional partners, such as the African Union," he stressed.

The presidential advisor also emphasised that Algeria's experience in the field of
fighting terrorism "is available to the entire international community", adding that
many countries approach Algeria to exchange expertise and experience.

"Communications are under way, in light of mutual understanding. Because of the

efforts exerted by Algeria and the successes it achieved, the US now talks to us and
seeks our advice," he said, adding that the official in charge of fighting terrorism in the
US will pay a visit to Algeria next February.
This content was commissioned for Magharebia.com.
------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Fair elections key to stability in Central African Republic – UN envoy

8 December – General elections in the Central African Republic (CAR) next year will be
a crucial step towards restoring stability to the country through a democratic process,
but the polls must be free, fair and transparent, the United Nations envoy to the African
nation told the Security Council today.

Three UN air service crew members freed from captivity in Darfur

8 December – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed the
news that three Latvian men working as helicopter aircrew for the agency’s
humanitarian air service in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region have been freed after more
than a month in captivity.

Security Council endorses opposition leader’s victory in Ivorian polls

8 December – The Security Council today endorsed opposition leader Alassane
Ouattara’s victory in Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential elections despite outgoing president
Laurent Gbagbo’s claim to have won, and warned of ‘targeted measures’ against
anybody threatening the peace process in the divided country.