United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 16 December 2011 USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please find attached news clips related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa, along with upcoming events of interest for December 16, 2011. Of interest in todays clips:

Qadhafi's death could amount to a 'war crime', ICC says. U.S. seeks trade, business ties with South Sudan. Kenya army: Somali villagers need food aid. Central Africa sees endgame in LRA conflict. USAFRICOM commander shares strategic lessons with USAWC students. Provided in text format for remote reading. Links work more effectively when this message is viewed as in HTML format. U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: africom-pao@africom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa Gaddafi's death could amount to a 'war crime', ICC says (The Telegraph)

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8960085/Gadda fis-death-could-amount-to-a-war-crime-ICC-says.html 16 December 2011 By Nick Allen Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he had sent a letter to the National Transitional Council in Libya asking what the government's plans are to investigate alleged war crimes by all parties, including the rebels. US seeks trade, business ties with South Sudan (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/us-seeks-trade-business-ties-south-sudan-235422862.html 15 December 2011 The United States on Thursday highlighted a series of steps to help develop South Sudan's economy, at the end of a conference designed to give a boost to the new country's development. Islamists seek more gains in latest round of Egypt polls (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/egyptians-head-polls-again-landmark-election-043855071.html 15 December 2011 By Sarah Benhaida Egyptians on Thursday wrapped up the second round of a phased election to choose the first post-revolution parliament, as liberals faced an uphill battle to compete with Islamist parties. South Sudan faces 'gathering storm' of hunger: UN (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-faces-gathering-storm-hunger-un-180540943.html 15 December 2011 About one-third of the population in newly independent South Sudan faces a "gathering storm of hunger," the UN's World Food Programme warned on Thursday. DR Congo court weighs demand to annul election (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-court-weighs-demand-annul-election-143509714.html 15 December 2011 The Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday began hearing a suit for the annulment of the November presidential election lodged by a key opponent of President Joseph Kabila. Kenya army: Somali villagers need food aid (AP) http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-army-somali-villagers-food-aid-164438334.html 15 December 2011 By Katharine Houreld Trade stopped months ago when Kenyan soldiers came here in pursuit of al-Qaida-linked militants. Now thousands of unsold bags of charcoal are stacked 15 high, and fishermen are prohibited from going too far from the white sand shore. Morocco bans EU fishing vessels amid Western Sahara row (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16191266?print=true

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15 December 2011 Morocco has ordered foreign fishing boats operating in its waters under an EU deal to leave immediately. DR Congo election: US says poll was 'seriously flawed' (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16191863?print=true 15 December 2011 The recent elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo were "seriously flawed", the US has warned as it called for a review of the process. Central Africa Sees Endgame in LRA Conflict (VOA) http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt? expire=&title=Central+Africa+Sees+Endgame+in+LRA+Conflict+%7C+Africa+ %7C+English&urlID=466979177&action=cpt&partnerID=571127&cid=135574388&fb =Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voanews.com%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Fafrica %2FCentral-Africa-Sees-Endgame-in-LRA-Conflict-135574388.html 14 December 2011 By Ivan Broadhead For more than two decades, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has spread terror from its original stronghold in northern Uganda, murdering and raping its way across central Africa. In October, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a 100-strong U.S. military contingent deployed to provide intelligence and technical assistance to help Uganda and its neighbors finally stop the LRA. USAFRICOM commander shares strategic lessons with USAWC students (AWC) http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/article.cfm?id=2282 7 December 2011 By Thomas Zimmerman Arab spring, regional conflicts, growing economies, a population of more than one billion, and the threat of violent extremism. Gen. Carter Ham, USAFRICOM Commander, addressed current challenges and the U.S. role in assisting African partners, while at the Army War College, Dec. 7. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA UN officials urge eradication of sexual violence in Africas Great Lakes region 15 December Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today stressed that efforts to restore peace and stability in Africas Great Lakes region will not come to fruition unless the scourge of sexual violence is completely eradicated and justice systems are strengthened to end impunity. Thousands of South Sudanese children to benefit from UN polio vaccine scheme

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15 December Hundreds of thousands of children are benefiting from a United Nationsbacked polio vaccination campaign in a northern state of South Sudan, the worlds newest country. Execution of arrest warrants vital for ending crimes in Darfur, says ICC Prosecutor 15 December The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) today renewed his call for the arrest and transfer of those alleged to have committed genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, citing the need to protect millions of lives in the troubled Sudanese region. UNs Rwanda tribunal cuts jail terms for two ex-officials convicted of genocide 15 December The United Nations tribunal trying suspects connected to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda today reduced the sentences of two former senior officials found guilty in 2008 after a number of their convictions were overturned on appeal. Storm of hunger threatens lives of 2.5 million South Sudanese UN official 15 December Damaged crops combined with conflict and insecurity are threatening to leave some 2.5 million people in South Sudan the worlds newest country in critical conditions unless food assistance is provided immediately, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. (Full Articles on UN Website) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Upcoming Events of Interest NSTR. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whats new on www.africom.mil NSTR. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL TEXT Gaddafi's death could amount to a 'war crime', ICC says (The Telegraph) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8960085/Gadda fis-death-could-amount-to-a-war-crime-ICC-says.html 16 December 2011 By Nick Allen

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Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he had sent a letter to the National Transitional Council in Libya asking what the government's plans are to investigate alleged war crimes by all parties, including the rebels. He said: "The death of Muammar Gaddafi is one of the issues to be clarified - what happened - because there are serious suspicions that it was a war crime." The Libyan uprising against Gaddafi's 42-year rule erupted in February, quickly escalating into a civil war that ended in October with the dictator's capture and death in unclear circumstances. Witness accounts and video taken after his capture by rebel fighters show that he was beaten and abused by his captors, and there were strong indications he was killed in custody. Mr Moreno-Ocampo said how the ICC proceeds over Gaddafi's death, and other potential war crimes, will depend on what Libya's interim government does. The ICC only steps in if national authorities are unwilling or unable to act. He said his office is also working closely with Libyan authorities on the case of Gaddafi' son, Saif al-Islam. Mr Moreno-Ocampo said the Libyan authorities told him it was "very important" for them to prosecute Saif al-Islam themselves because he was "the face of the old regime" and "they would like to show they can do better than with Muammar" and conduct a proper trial. The ICC wants to be certain the government will be capable of holding a fair trial. Mr Moreno-Ocampo said judges at the ICC have asked the National Transitional Council to inform them of their plans before Jan 10. Mr Moreno-Ocampo spoke after briefing the UN Security Council and his next report to the council on possible war crimes is due in May He said: "We are sure there were massive rapes, quite sure. We're trying to define who ordered them." ### US seeks trade, business ties with South Sudan (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/us-seeks-trade-business-ties-south-sudan-235422862.html 15 December 2011 The United States on Thursday highlighted a series of steps to help develop South Sudan's economy, at the end of a conference designed to give a boost to the new country's development.

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Washington said the US Treasury Department would issue two licenses that bypass sanctions on Sudan to allow financial transactions by South Sudan's petroleum and petrochemical industries. The Department will also permit the transshipment of some goods, technology and services to entice greater investment to South Sudan. The White House said in a statement that it wanted to expand trade between the United States and South Sudan. Officials were assessing whether South Sudan is eligible for duty-free treatment on footwear and agricultural products and other goods under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act. The US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was also working out how to open in South Sudan, the White House said. The two-day conference, in the presence of South Sudan President Salva Kiir, was organized in Washington by the United States, the European Union, and the African Union, among others. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged South Sudan to manage its oil windfall well, warning that the new country's wealth could be a curse that holds back development. "We know that it will either help your country finance its own path out of poverty, or you will fall prey to the natural resource curse," Clinton told a conference aimed at boosting international support for South Sudan. That curse "will enrich a small elite, outside interests, corporations and countries, and leave your people hardly better off than when you started," the chief US diplomat said. She held up oil-rich Norway, a key supporter of South Sudan, and diamond-rich Botswana as positive examples of nations that have successfully managed their natural resource wealth. South Sudan -- which emerged in July as an independent state from a referendum outlined in a 2005 agreement that ended two decades of civil war -- possesses most of the oil fields from the former united Sudan. The United States fears fighting along the border between Sudan and South Sudan could undermine implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended a two-decade civil war and led to the south's independence. ###

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Islamists seek more gains in latest round of Egypt polls (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/egyptians-head-polls-again-landmark-election-043855071.html 15 December 2011 By Sarah Benhaida Egyptians on Thursday wrapped up the second round of a phased election to choose the first post-revolution parliament, as liberals faced an uphill battle to compete with Islamist parties. Ten months after a popular uprising ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, the country's new political landscape looks set to be dominated by Islamist parties which clinched two thirds of the votes in the opening stage of the election. The turnout was noticeably smaller than Wednesday, in the second round which involved nine of the country's 27 provinces. Voting ended at 7:00 PM (1700 GMT) in most areas, but those inside polling stations after closing time were allowed to cast their ballots. The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which snatched most seats in the opening phase through its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), was eager to sustain the momentum by urging Egyptians to turn out to vote in numbers. But liberal parties have accused Islamist movements of using their influence and money to continue campaigning on polling days in violation of electoral rules. Amr Hamzawy, who won a seat in the first round with the liberal coalition, the Egyptian bloc, slammed the "continued use of religious slogans." In an article in the independent Al-Shorouq daily, he urged the electoral commission to "look into striking party lists and candidates who continue" to violate the rules. Election commission chairman Abdel Moez Ibrahim acknowledged that despite efforts to prevent it, campaigning had been reported in several polling stations. "It's something that troubles me very, very, very much," he told reporters. Blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah voted on Thursday from the Tora prison where he is being held on charges of inciting violence during a demonstration in October. Voters are required to cast three ballots -- two for individual candidates and one for a party or coalition -- for the 498 elected seats in the lower house of parliament. The ruling military council which took power when Mubarak was ousted in February will nominate a further 10 MPs.

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The second round of the three-stage polls was taking place in Cairo's twin city of Giza; Beni Sueif, south of the capital; the Nile Delta provinces of Menufiya, Sharqiya and Beheira; the canal cities of Ismailiya and Suez, and the southern cities of Sohag and Aswan. Balloting began on Wednesday with a "large voter turnout," said Hamdi Badeen, a member of the ruling council. Parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Salafi movements won 65 percent of the vote in the first phase, trouncing liberal parties which managed 29.3 percent. "We tried the liberals and the secularists and they did nothing for us," said one voter, Mohammed Rashad, on Wednesday, referring to Mubarak's party. "The Islamists have God's law." Liberal secularists who have felt elbowed out of the political process are now trying to carve out a role for themselves after the elections. "We must anticipate in advance, we must no longer be taken by surprise by events," said renowned painter Mohammed Abla, 58. "The intellectuals must absolutely play a role in the drafting of the country's constitution," he told a meeting of artists in Cairo. The Muslim Brotherhood had been widely forecast to triumph as the country's best organised political movement, well known after decades of charitable work and its endurance through repeated crackdowns by the Mubarak regime. But the good showing from Salafist groups was a surprise, raising fears of a more conservative and overtly religious legislature. The Muslim Brotherhood has been at pains to stress its commitment to multi-party democracy, inclusiveness and civil liberties, while also advocating the application of Islamic sharia law. Nevertheless, the prospect of an Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about religious freedom in a country with the Middle East's largest Christian minority. Much remains unclear about how the new parliament will function and whether it will be able to resolve a standoff with the armed forces over how much power they will retain under a new constitution to be written next year.

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After the voting for the lower house of parliament, which will end in January, Egyptians will then elect an upper house in a further three rounds of polls. ### South Sudan faces 'gathering storm' of hunger: UN (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-faces-gathering-storm-hunger-un-180540943.html 15 December 2011 About one-third of the population in newly independent South Sudan faces a "gathering storm of hunger," the UN's World Food Programme warned on Thursday. The agency said it is scaling up operations to support 2.7 million people short of food and affected by conflict. "A gathering storm of hunger is approaching South Sudan," WFP's country director, Chris Nikoi, said in a statement that reported food prices have already doubled or tripled in some areas. South Sudan seceded from the north in July after decades of civil war that left the nation of largely subsistence farmers in ruins. "Crop failure following erratic rains has led to very high food prices, aggravated by conflict, market disruption from border closures and an increase in demand from returnees and displaced people," WFP said. It called "urgently" for about $92 million (71 million euros) to address hunger in the first four months of 2012. UN agencies have predicted a grain shortage of around 400,000 tonnes next year in the country which needs to produce one million tonnes of food annually. In October, Commerce Minister Garang Diing Akuong said South Sudan had never been able to feed itself. Most supplementary food had come from the north but borders had been blocked since May after Khartoum occupied the contested area of Abyei, he said. "Conflict and growing insecurity -- particularly the use of landmines -- is combining with already poor road infrastructure to hinder humanitarian access," WFP said. Rebel groups suspected of laying mines have become increasingly active in northern, oilrich states since the start of the year, when South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum. When the south seceded it took 75 percent of Sudan's oil production, but Juba and Khartoum are in dispute over how to share revenues.

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Southern officials accuse the Sudanese government of trying to start an "oil war" by funding rebels in Unity and Upper Nile states, charges repeatedly denied by Khartoum. Sudan claims the south is funding rebels formerly aligned to its guerrilla army in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. Tens of thousands of refugees have streamed over the border fleeing aerial bombardment and violence, further compounding food shortages. WFP said funds must come soon so that it can move food before April, when rains render up to 60 percent of the landlocked country inaccessible. ### DR Congo court weighs demand to annul election (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-court-weighs-demand-annul-election-143509714.html 15 December 2011 The Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday began hearing a suit for the annulment of the November presidential election lodged by a key opponent of President Joseph Kabila. The suit was filed by presidential candidate Vital Kamerhe, who denounced numerous irregularities during the poll on November 28, which handed a fresh term to Kabila, who was the incumbent president of the vast central African country. When the hearing opened at 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), the judge president of the court aroused the wrath of the 15 lawyers representing Kamerhe, who came third in the race on provisional figures, in calling for the candidate to be in court. In response, the lawyers demanded the presence of Kabila, declared winner on provisional results, and of the president of the independent national electoral commission (CENI), Father Daniel Ngoy Mulunda. "If the intention is not to have a real hearing, our presence is not necessary," lawyer Joseph Mukendi added. However, Kamerhe then arrived in the courtroom, to applause from most of the 350 people present. Kamerhe is the only one of 11 candidates to have challenged the provisional results before the Supreme Court, which is the same body due to release the official final results on Saturday. On December 9, the CENI provisionally announced the victory of Kabila in the polls, with 48.95 percent, ahead of veteran opposition politician Etienne Tshisekedi, with 32.33

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percent, who has rejected this result and declared himself "president elect" of the DR Congo. The announcement of Kablia's victory led to riots in Kinshasa and calls from opposition leaders for the international community to intervene. In his case before the court, of which AFP obtained a copy, Kamerhe, the former speaker of the national assembly and a onetime aide to Kabila, denounced "intentional violations" of the electoral law by the CENI, notably the failure to post up lists of voters within the due delay. Voters' lists in each of the 64,000 polling stations should have been posted 30 days before the poll, but sometimes went up just two days earlier. Kamerhe also denounced "the illegal and irregular circulation of voting slips" before the poll and also of ballot papers "already marked in favour of candidate no. 3" -- Kabila -on voting day. Kamerhe argued that the national electoral commission's provisional results showed a "lack of sincerity" with some polling stations reporting that Kabila won 100 percent of the votes cast. He demanded the annulment of the vote and a fresh election. Other candidates have made similar complaints but declined to take them to the Supreme Court, alleging that the judges are in Kabila's pocket. Kamerhe said that he was attached to the law, while believing that the Supreme Court has "no credit". The European Union, the non-profit Carter Center and other election monitors have voiced serious concerns ove3r the credibility of the polls, citing problems in the vote count and the loss of huge numbers of ballots. ### Kenya army: Somali villagers need food aid (AP) http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-army-somali-villagers-food-aid-164438334.html 15 December 2011 By Katharine Houreld BUR GARBO, Somalia Trade stopped months ago when Kenyan soldiers came here in pursuit of al-Qaida-linked militants. Now thousands of unsold bags of charcoal are stacked 15 high, and fishermen are prohibited from going too far from the white sand shore.

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That has left Somalis in this small seaside town dependent on handouts from the Kenyan military, which again asked aid agencies to step in during a rare food distribution Wednesday. The Kenyans clearly realize that the ultimate success of their mission in Somalia depends on improving the lives of residents. But equally clear is that they did not plan on having to do it all themselves. "Unless the humanitarians can help these people now, it might jeopardize our operation," Maj. Solomon Wandege said. Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October after a string of kidnappings and attacks on Kenyan soil. Yet what was originally touted as a punitive raid has become a long-term military commitment. Kenyans have worried for years that insecurity in the failed state of Somalia would spill across into northern Kenya. They used the kidnappings as a reason to cross the border and advance into al-Shabab territory alongside a Somali militia the Kenyans had largely trained and recruited. Rains, or politics, quickly stopped their advance and for now Bur Garbo is as far as they have pushed along the coast. Residents in this town of mud and stick houses earn a little cash fishing or selling charcoal to Arab traders at around $2 a bag. Now the Arab dhows have been replaced by Kenyan navy boats and the fishermen are not allowed to go too far from shore. Al-Shabab insurgents are waiting just across a creek, and the Kenyans are wary of boats going too far out. Wandege said they have exchanged fire perhaps 10 times in the two months that he has been in charge of the town. On Wednesday, the Kenyan soldiers unloaded dozens of bags of rice and tea, and women came forward with plastic bags to collect some rations. A fighter from the progovernment Somali militia sifted through the bags, picking large clumps of mold out of one and throwing it on the ground. "Before (food) came from Kismayo, but now there is no boats," explained town elder Abdullahi Omar Bulgas, as his associates nodded their henna-red beards around him. "It was worse, but now it is more worse." Many Kenyan soldiers expressed their frustration that international aid agencies were not quicker to move into areas declared to be safe. The need is immediate and overwhelming, and the Kenyan military is not equipped to cope.

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However, the head of the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said it's not their job to go in after military operations. "We're not in the business of winning hearts and minds," Kiki Gbeho said. "We assess and the most vulnerable is who we target. Sometimes we have to make hard choices but that's the job." When a Kenyan army medic began seeing a few patients in a dilapidated house whose crumbling walls were slowly caving in, the area was rapidly swamped with scores of would-be patients. "I have never seen a doctor in this place," said 27-year-old Sokorey Ahmed as she jiggled a sleeping, sweaty infant against her chest and used the other arm to press against a sore stomach. "I can never remember seeing one." She would only have been 7 years old when Somalia's last central government dissolved into bloody clan warfare. "We don't even have enough malaria medicine to give these people. Sometimes we go to their house secretly to give medicine instead of being here because then they all come," said Wandege as he looked over the robe-clad women and children lilted up patiently in the sun. "It is a real headache for us. Let's move from here. They are going to think we can help them." ### Morocco bans EU fishing vessels amid Western Sahara row (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16191266?print=true 15 December 2011 Morocco has ordered foreign fishing boats operating in its waters under an EU deal to leave immediately. The moves comes after the European Parliament voted not to extend a deal under which the EU paid Morocco for access to its fish stocks. MEPs said the deal was illegal as it did not benefit the people living in the disputed Western Sahara, off which most of the fishing took place. The ministry said the parliament's decision was "regrettable". In a statement, it said the move could have "serious consequences for co-operation between Morocco and the European Union in fishing".

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The EU - Morocco's largest trading partner - had been paying 36m euros (30m: $47m) a year to Morocco for the right to fish in its waters, primarily off the coast of Western Sahara. The deal officially expired in February, and the EU wanted it to be renewed up until February next year. But on Wednesday, MEPs using powers granted under the Lisbon Treaty voted 326 to 296 to block the renewal, saying there was not enough evidence to show the deal would benefit the Sahrawi population, who live in Western Sahara. Critics of the deal also said it was a waste of public funds and led to over-fishing. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1976 but its claims of sovereignty have not been internationally recognised. The separatist Polisario movement fought a guerrilla war against Moroccan troops until 1991 and still seeks to be recognised as an independent state. The European Parliament said a new deal should be negotiated which does more to take the Western Sahara issue into account. ### DR Congo election: US says poll was 'seriously flawed' (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16191863?print=true 15 December 2011 The recent elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo were "seriously flawed", the US has warned as it called for a review of the process. Official results gave President Joseph Kabila 49% of the vote against 32% for opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. The results' credibility has been criticised by the EU and the Carter Center but the AU said the polls were a success. The US said there had been several "irregularities". "The United States believes that the management and technical execution of these elections were seriously flawed," the US ambassador to DR Congo, James Entwistle, said. "[They] lacked transparency and did not measure up to the positive democratic gains we have seen in recent African elections," he said.

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Mr Entwistle said that the US and other Western donors were offering technical assistance to the Congolese to review irregularities identified by observer missions, an offer which has already been welcomed by the country's prime minister, he said. The country's Supreme Court must decide by 17 December whether or not to validate provisional results. Mr Tshisekedi rejected the result and has declared himself president. President Kabila has rejected claims that he won elections through widespread rigging but admitted that "mistakes" had been made. The African Union (AU) and several regional bodies - including the Southern African Development Community - said the polls had been "successful" and disputes should be resolved through legal means. In a statement earlier this week, the Carter Center, which had 26 teams of observers monitoring the elections, pointed to differences in the vote count between areas where Mr Kabila had strong support and areas that favoured Mr Tshisekedi. Some constituencies in Katanga province "reported impossibly high rates of 99 to 100% voter turnout with all, or nearly all, votes going to incumbent President Joseph Kabila", the Center said. Meanwhile in Kinshasa, where Mr Tshisekedi has strong support, results from nearly 2,000 polling station stations were lost - roughly a fifth of the city's total. The elections are the first Congolese-organised polls since the end of a devastating war in 2003 which left millions dead. An earlier poll in 2006 was organised under the auspices of the United Nations. Mr Kabila has been president since 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent and he is due to be sworn in on 20 December for his second term if his victory is confirmed by the Supreme Court. ### Central Africa Sees Endgame in LRA Conflict (VOA) http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt? expire=&title=Central+Africa+Sees+Endgame+in+LRA+Conflict+%7C+Africa+ %7C+English&urlID=466979177&action=cpt&partnerID=571127&cid=135574388&fb =Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voanews.com%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Fafrica %2FCentral-Africa-Sees-Endgame-in-LRA-Conflict-135574388.html 14 December 2011 By Ivan Broadhead

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For more than two decades, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has spread terror from its original stronghold in northern Uganda, murdering and raping its way across central Africa. In October, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a 100-strong U.S. military contingent deployed to provide intelligence and technical assistance to help Uganda and its neighbors finally stop the LRA. The 31st Battalion of the Ugandan Army has just been dropped at its forward operating position in the forests of Central Africa. These men are here to hunt for the LRA. To avoid detection and enemy gunfire, our helicopter flew just 50 meters above the forest canopy that extends for hundreds of square kilometers around us. Hiding in these forests are LRA insurgents, and of course, their leader, Joseph Kony, wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2005 for crimes against humanity. For security reasons, our exact location cannot be revealed. However, the Ugandan army, or UPDF, has been crisscrossing the forests of the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in its search for Kony - a self-declared prophet who has said he is on a mission to purify Uganda by overthrowing the government and setting up a theocracy based on mix of Christian and local ideals. Those ideals have not been evident in one of Africas most brutal conflicts, in which the LRA has kidnapped thousands of children to use as soldiers and sex slaves and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Colonel Joseph Balikuddembe is the UPDF field commander. In the last three years, his men have rescued 469 children abducted by the LRA. He describes what he is up against. Whenever engaged, they tend to split into smaller groups of 10, 15, even five. But we are able to engage them before they completely disappear. The UPDF is not good news for Kony. They are continuing to be depleted by our operations, he said. The current strength of the LRA has been whittled down to an estimated several hundred devoted and elusive fighters. U.S. military technical assistance is expected to aid with satellite imagery to help locate LRA units deep in the bush. Such intelligence would certainly be valuable, as I discovered on patrol with Balikuddembes men at an undisclosed location in the Central African Republic. Within minutes it was all too apparent how impenetrable these forests are - and what a haven they represent to the LRA. This is thick, thick foliage. Im absolutely soaking wet. Ive lost the soldiers. Where are they? Theyre five yards ahead of you and you wouldnt know they are there. These guys are laden down with kit but the speed they move through the forest is remarkable. It really does give you a sense of what the Ugandan army has taken on in terms of a commitment. They are in another countrys forests. They have fine equipment, but not

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advanced like American and NATO equipment. But what they do have is incredibly skilled soldiers who, just watching them, my goodness, they know the bush. Some observers question the timing of the current U.S. intervention in the LRA conflict, ascribing the initiative to either electioneering by President Obama, or U.S. interest in Ugandas recent discovery of oil. But most people in central Africa just want the LRA nightmare to end. Jolly Okot Andruvle is national director of Invisible Children, an aid group that supports LRA victims, and is herself a former child abductee - the victim of years of abuse by LRA commanders. "As someone who grew up in this war as a child-soldier, I really appreciate the initiative of the U.S. Government to send troops. There are many civilian lives that are still in danger, she said. For child soldiers, the nightmare may never end. Richard Komakech Abwola is 20 years old now. But in 2006, when he was just 15, he was part of an LRA attack on Guatemalan U.N. peacekeepers in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Abwola describes his fear during the attack, how he and a dozen other children were ordered by their commanders to rush the Guatemalans' machine guns and kill the peacekeepers. Much later, Abwola says he fled the LRA for a life of peace. But, having been kidnapped when he was 11, he says he has little hope of ever learning a trade, and cannot remember what his mother and father look like. Although the arrival of U.S. military advisers has sparked hopes that an endgame to the LRA conflict might be in sight, it is a salutary reminder that the LRA has faced a multinational coalition in the past. After a joint military operation undertaken in 2008 by Uganda, the DRC and Sudan, the LRA emerged weakened but undefeated. Joseph Kony went on to mete out its revenge, bringing violence and death to yet more innocent communities across central Africa. ### USAFRICOM commander shares strategic lessons with USAWC students (AWC) http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/article.cfm?id=2282 7 December 2011 By Thomas Zimmerman Arab spring, regional conflicts, growing economies, a population of more than one billion, and the threat of violent extremism. Gen. Carter Ham, USAFRICOM Commander, addressed current challenges and the U.S. role in assisting African partners, while at the Army War College, Dec. 7.

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Ham spoke to the students of the Army War College class of 2012 about U.S. interests in Africa from a security standpoint, and about what U.S. Africa Command is trying to achieve on behalf of the nation. Thats principally the effort to strengthen the defense capabilities of our African partners in order to contribute to increased stability in Africa, he said. He noted ongoing events in Libya as an example. As we think now about whats next in Libya, its a very perplexing problem, he said. Its compounded by the fact that the Libyans dont have any experience in running their own government . I think the U.S.s best military effort would be in helping the Libyans build the institutions necessary for their armed forces a personnel system, a logistics system, a medical system, transportation system, recruiting and training system, none of which exists in Libya today. The Libyans are good fighters -- they dont need a lot of extra training at the tactical level. I think our best effort is at the institutional level. Ham discussed the benefits of an Army War College experience for African leaders. The Africans would readily send twice as many officers here if we could accommodate that, he said. There is a real thirst, a real interest in sending their officers here to learn. I think thats a great testament to the War College and the staff and faculty here. Ham referred to the mutual benefit of African officers gaining greater understanding of how the United States operates, and creating new networks. He emphasized the opportunities that will be available through a greater sense of collaboration and cooperation among the African senior leaders. The address by Ham was an opportunity for international officers from Africa to speak directly to the man in charge of U.S. military interests there. I appreciate his insights and discussions of how AFRICOM is interacting and working with the colonial powers in Africa, said Lt. Col. Oumar Diarra, Mali. In Africa, we recognize there are interests and implications that trace back hundreds of years that are still important today. I feel that he (Ham) understands this. Ham met also with students in the Advanced Strategic Arts Program while here to discuss U.S. relationships with nations on the African continent. ASAP is a focused 6month curriculum, for select USAWC students, in strategic art, theater design, campaign planning, and the policy-strategy interface. Ham said the USAWC experience was an important step for senior military officers' development for strategic responsibilities.

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Leadership at the strategic level, at the national level, is the most complex endeavor in which Ive ever been engaged, he said. There is a reason that we require our officers to grow over a career of service before they are in these most senior, national-level positions. Unlike many other professions, you cant just hire somebody without that experience and park them in these national-level positions. The Army War College exposes officers to the mechanics of the national security decision-making process. More importantly, they have an opportunity to think, to discuss, to debate in an academic environment which is largely penalty freeand start to think about when they do advance into these positions. What are the values that are going to guide them as theyre making decisions and, most often as military folks, recommendations to civilian leaders? The role of the Army War College in that process is invaluable because it affords the officer that opportunity for personal and professional growth that you just cant get when youre in an operational assignment because youre consumed by the day-to-day activities. END of REPORT

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