AFRICOM Related News Clips 1 February 2012

8/3/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips 1 February 2012

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U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office +49(0)711-729-2687 [email protected]

United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office1 February 2012

Please find attached news clips for February 1, 2012, along with upcoming events ofinterest and UN News Service briefs.

Of interest in todays clips:

- Is Djibouti's Camp Lemonnier the model vision of the future for U.S. bases?- South Sudan is blaming Sudan for the cattle raid that killed dozens while China isn'tsure that their captured workers have been freed.

- Senegal braces for more riots- A deadlock in the vote to elect a new chairman of the African Union executivecommission pushes this procedure out into June-Al Shabaab is again hindering aid to Somalia. This time the Red Cross has been banned- In South Africa, despite a recall it appears that thousands of faulty ANC celebrationcondoms are still in circulation.

In football news:

- Angola has been eliminated in Africa's Cup of Nations football suffering a tourneyending 2-0 loss to Ivory Coast.- Sudan makes history with their first win at the Cup in 42 years

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U.S. Africa Command Public AffairsPlease send questions or comments to:[email protected] (+49-711-729-2687)

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Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa

U.S. Military Envisions More Bases Like Djibouti Facility (USNews and World

Report - Blog)

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/dotmil/2012/01/30/us-military-envisions-more-bases-like-djibouti-facilityJanuary 30, 2012


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By an unattributed authorA little-known U.S. military facility in the Middle East is a model for the kind ofAmerican bases President Obama's new defense strategy suggests soon will pop uparound the globe, a senior Pentagon official said Monday.

South Sudan accuses Khartoum over deadly raid (Al Jazeera)http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/2012130101053389127.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed authorSouth Sudan has accused the government of neighbouring Sudan of arming gunmenalleged to have killed dozens of people in a cattle raid, as the UN warned that tensionsbetween the two sides risked regional peace.

China doubts Sudan workers freed in South Kordofan (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16784009January 30, 2012

By an unattributed authorThe fate of 29 Chinese construction workers kidnapped in Sudan is unclear after Chineseofficials were quoted casting doubts on reports that some had been freed.

Rwanda: U.S., Nation Plot to Rout Weakened FDLR (The New Times -

allAfrica.com)http://allafrica.com/stories/201201310075.htmlJanuary 31, 2012By James KaruhangaStrategies to wipe out remnants of a weakened FDLR militia now scattered and on therun towards the northern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were part ofdiscussions between the visiting new US envoy to the Great Lakes, Barrie Walkley, andDefence Minister, Gen. James Kabarebe, yesterday.

Senegal opposition activist Alioune Tine freed (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16804467January 31, 2012By an unattributed authorProminent Senegalese activist Alioune Tine has been released without charge after twodays in detention, as the opposition plans more protests.

Senegal braces for further protests (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/201213164550413279.htmlJanuary 31, 2012By an unattributed authorSenegal is bracing for more demonstrations on Tuesday, a day after at least two peoplewere reportedly shot dead in confrontations between protesters and police, as oppositionparties vowed to continue agitation against President Abdoulaye Wade's controversial bidfor a third term.


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Voting for powerful AU post ends in deadlock (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/2012130111538129165.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed authorA vote to choose a new chairman for the African Union's (AU) influential executive

commission has ended in deadlock, with a new election will be held in June, MichaelSata, Zambia's president, has said.

AU extends mandate of top executive official (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/201213123640509107.htmlJanuary 31, 2012By an unattributed author"We have decided to prolong the mandate of the current commission until the nextsummit in Lilongwe, Malawi" in June, bloc chairman, Benin's President Thomas BoniYayi, said on Tuesday at the end of a two-day summit in Addis Ababa.

South Africa: Rondebosch Common Becomes Site of Battle Over Inequality (WestCape News )

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201302037.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By Nombulelo Damba,Scores of people were bundled into police vans on Friday when police forcibly preventedorganisations from setting up a planned three-day summit on Jobs, Land and Housing onRondebosch Common as a means of highlighting inequality in South African society.

Former MI6 officer Sir Mark Allen sued over rendition (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16804656January 31, 2012By Dominic CascianiTwo men who say they were rendered to Libya with the help of the UK have begun anaction to sue one of Britain's most senior former MI6 officers.

Al-Shabab bans Red Cross from Somalia (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/2012130175612623648.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed authorSomalia's al-Shabab has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),ordering it to close its emergency relief operations in the regions it controls.

Bomber targets ex-Somali police chief, kills two (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80U08420120131January 31, 2012By an unattributed authorMOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed two security agents on Tuesday in afailed bid to murder a former Somali warlord and one-time government police


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commander in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region, a military official and residentssaid.

Angola's Dos Santos moves Sonangol CEO to government (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80U01120120131

January 31, 2012By Shrikesh LaxmidasLISBON (Reuters) - Angola's president has moved the head of state oil firm Sonangolinto the government to coordinate economic policy, state news agency Angop reported, amove likely to fuel speculation that Manuel Vicente has been selected to succeedEduardo dos Santos.

Ugandans battle neglected tropical disease (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/20121307817874555.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed author

Health services in northern Uganda are still scarce in the wake of the region's 20-yearcivil war, leaving many battling diseases that could be cured with proper medicaltreatment.

South Africa recalls 'faulty' ANC celebration condoms (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16797496January 30, 2012By an unattributed authorSouth Africa's leading HIV group has warned that large numbers of "faulty" condoms arein circulation in the Bloemfontein area, despite a recall.

Sudan squeeze through behind Ivory Coast (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/2012/01/2012130211251392932.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed authorAngola, needing a point to reach the African Nations Cup quarter-finals, were eliminatedon Monday after losing 2-0 in their final game to Ivory Coast who had fielded a largelyreserve team.

Africa Cup of Nations: Sudan make history to qualify (BBC Sports)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16783748.stmJanuary 30, 2012By Durosimi ThomasMudather El Taib was the hero for Sudan, scoring goals in each half Sudan won their firstmatch at the Africa Cup of Nations for 42 years, beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in Bata toreach the quarter-finals.

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UN News Service Africa Briefs


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http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA

(Full Articles on UN Website)

Power of books celebrated by UN chief as new library opens in Ethiopian capital

31 January Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon celebrated the benefits that books can bringto young people as he opened a library at an Ethiopian primary school that has beenestablished under an innovative United Nations scheme.

Security Council calls for multilateral action to address challenges in the Sahel

31 January The Security Council today called for a coordinated and inclusive approachto ensure a solution to the problems facing the Sahel region, which include an ongoinghumanitarian crisis, lack of socio-economic development, insecurity and the threat ofterrorism.

Thousands affected by tropical storms in Mozambique UN humanitarian arm

31 January The United Nations humanitarian agency reported today that an estimated117,000 people have been affected by two tropical storms in Mozambique last week,adding that it is closely monitoring the situation.

As political tensions rise in Senegal, Ban urges all sides to refrain from violence

31 January Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern today about mountingpolitical tensions in Senegal, where voters go to the polls in less than a month to elect apresident.

UNESCO chief condemns latest murder of journalist in Somalia

31 January The head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting anddefending the freedom of the press today condemned the murder of a journalist inSomalia and called for measures to improve the safety of media professionals in the Hornof Africa country.

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Upcoming Events of Interest:

FEBRUARY 01

WHAT: Arab Spring: The State of the Revolution as it Turns OneSPONSORS: The Milbank Tweed ForumWHEN: Wednesday, February 1, 12:25-1:50pmWHERE:New York University School of Law40 Washington Square South(Between Sullivan and MacDougal)Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg LoungeCONTACT: Michael Orey: [email protected]


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SPEAKERS: Sujit Choudhry: Cecelia Goetz Professor of Law (Moderator)Isobel Coleman: Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign RelationsMohammad Fadel: Associate Professor, University of Toronto faculty of LawKristen Stilt: Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law

WHEN: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.WHAT: Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Discussion on "Peace Corps50th Anniversary: A Celebration of Service." Speakers: Framing Remarks: HarrisWofford, Former Senator (D-PA), U.S. Senate; Panel Discussion Featuring: Aaron S.Williams, Director, Peace Corps; The Honorable Sam Farr, Congressman (D-CA), U.S.House of Representatives; The Honorable John Garamendi, Congressman (D-CA), U.S.House of Representatives; The Honorable Thomas Petri, Congressman (R-WI), U.S.House of Representatives; With Introductory Remarks by: John J. Hamre, President andCEO, CSIS; Moderated by: Johanna Mendelson Forman, Senior Associate, AmericasProgram, CSISWHERE: CSIS, 1800 K Street, NW

CONTACT: 202-887-0200; web site: www.csis.orgSOURCE: CSIS - event announcement at: http://csis.org/event/peace-corps-50th-anniversary-celebration-service

FEBRUARY 02

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human RightsChristopher H. Smith (R-NJ)U.S. Policy Toward Post-Election Democratic Republic of the CongoYou are respectfully requested to attend the following open hearing of the Subcommitteeon Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights to be held in Room 2172 of the RayburnHouse Office Building.Date Thursday, February 02, 2012Time 2:00 PMLocation Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office BuildingWitnesses: Mr. Donald Y. Yamamoto, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau ofAfrican Affairs U.S. Department of StateDaniel B. Baer, Ph.D. Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights,and Labor U.S. Department of StateSarah E. Mendelson, Ph.D. Deputy Assistant Administrator Bureau for Democracy,Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance U.S. Agency for International Development

WHEN: 12:15 - 2:00 p.m.WHAT: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) Discussion on " Transitionin Libya: The Next Steps." Speakers: Azza Kamel Maghur, Fadel Lamen, and MarinaOttaway.WHERE: CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NWCONTACT: 202-483-7600; web site: www.carnegieendowment.org


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SOURCE: CEIP - event announcement at:http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2012/02/02/balancing-political-powers-in-libya-s-transition/968b

WHEN: 2:00 p.m.

WHAT: House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Post-Election Democratic Republic of the Congo. Witnesses: Mr. Donald Y. Yamamoto,Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department ofState; Daniel B. Baer, Ph.D. Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, HumanRights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State; and Sarah E. Mendelson, Ph.D., DeputyAssistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance,U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentWHERE: Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: 202-225-5021; web site: http://foreignaffairs.house.govSOURCE: Committee event announcement at:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1397

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FULLTEXT

U.S. Military Envisions More Bases Like Djibouti Facility (USNews and World

Report - Blog)

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/dotmil/2012/01/30/us-military-envisions-more-bases-like-djibouti-facilityJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed author

A little-known U.S. military facility in the Middle East is a model for the kind ofAmerican bases President Obama's new defense strategy suggests soon will pop uparound the globe, a senior Pentagon official said Monday.

The U.S. commandos who swooped into Somalia to rescue two aid workers who hadbeen kidnapped by pirates operated from an American base in Djibouti, said MicheleFlournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy. She called the facility a prime example ofthe kinds of facilities from which the U.S. military will launch the "small-footprintoperations" across the globe that are discussed in the Obama administration's newnational defense strategy.

The Djibouti base is called Camp Lemonnier, according to a State Department fact sheet.Pentagon and other U.S. national security officials believe Washington needs moreLemonnier-like bases.


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The Obama administration's defense strategy, released this month, says smaller annualPentagon budgets "will require innovative and creative solutions to maintain our supportfor allies."

Flournoy spoke at a military conference in Washington sponsored by the Reserve

Officers Association. The remarks likely are her final public ones in office; Friday is herfinal day in office.

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South Sudan accuses Khartoum over deadly raid (Al Jazeera)


South Sudan has accused the government of neighbouring Sudan of arming gunmen

alleged to have killed dozens of people in a cattle raid, as the UN warned that tensionsbetween the two sides risked regional peace.

"A militia group from Unity state penetrated into Warrap state... and attacked people in acattle camp, killing over 40," Alison Manani Magaya, South Sudan's interior minister,said on Monday following the latest violence in the world's newest nation, which cededfrom Sudan last year.

"This militia group was armed by the government of Khartoum," he added.

Magaya could not name the specific group responsible for the attack, which took placeover the weekend, but claimed that rebel groups in Unity state were collaborating withone another.

"The number of wounded is still not clear, but they took a lot of cattle with them," hesaid, added that the gunmen were from the Nuer ethnic group, while those attacked wereDinka.

'Still counting the bodies'

Magaya said government teams had been sent to investigate and that the death toll couldrise as local officials "were still counting the bodies".

The UN has warned South Sudan faces massive challenges, as the world's newest nationstruggles to support hundreds of thousands fleeing violence.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations chief, said on Sunday that tensions and a furious rowover oil between the former enemies has become a major threat to regional peace andsecurity.


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"The situation in Sudan and South Sudan has reached a critical point. It has become amajor threat to peace and security across the region," Ban told an African Union summitin the Ethiopian capital.

Stalled talks

Key issues unresolved at independence have escalated into bitter arguments, including arow over pipeline transit fees to transport the landlocked South's oil to port in Sudan.

Juba said it had nearly completed a shutdown of its oil production, the fledgling nation'stop revenue source, after it accused Khartoum of stealing oil worth $815m, and AU-mediated talks stalled.

South Sudan seceded peacefully from Sudan in July after decades of war, but bothcountries have since repeatedly exchanged allegations that each side backs proxy rebelforces against the other.

South Sudan was left awash with guns after years of conflict, and brutal tit-for-tat raidsby rival ethnic groups to steal cattle from each other are common.

Last year, more than 350,000 people were forced from their homes due to violence,according to UN figures, while since June South Sudan has also taken in about 80,000refugees fleeing civil war in north Sudan.

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China doubts Sudan workers freed in South Kordofan (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16784009January 30, 2012By an unattributed author

The fate of 29 Chinese construction workers kidnapped in Sudan is unclear after Chineseofficials were quoted casting doubts on reports that some had been freed.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted embassy officials in Khartoum as saying allthe workers were still missing.

Earlier, Sudan's army said that 14 had been "liberated".

The group was seized by rebels in South Kordofan state, near the border with SouthSudan on Saturday.

A spokesman from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebelstold the AFP news agency on Sunday that the workers were caught in crossfire with thearmy.


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He said they were captured together with nine Sudanese soldiers after the SPLM-Nattacked and destroyed a Sudanese military convoy in the area.

However, Wang Zhiping, a senior executive of the Power Construction Corporation thatemployed the workers, told Xinhua the rebels had attacked the workers.

Sudan's army said the rebels had attacked the compound of the Chinese constructioncompany and captured 70 civilians.

"Most of them are Chinese. They are targeting civilians," army spokesman SawarmiKhaled Saad told Reuters news agency.

South Kordofan governor Ahmed Mohamed Haroun had said 14 workers had been freedand were in good health.

But a later Xinhua report said 29 Chinese nationals remained missing.

The report said 17 other Chinese had been rescued from the facility, but it appears theywere not among the people who had been captured.

South Kordofan is one of three areas hit by conflict since South Sudan becameindependent from Sudan in July.

Abyei and Blue Nile along with South Kordofan lie along the loosely demarcated borderbetween Sudan and South Sudan.

China, which is the biggest buyer of oil from Sudan, is a key trading partner of thecountry.

The SPLM-N fought alongside former rebels who led South Sudan to independence inJuly 2011 - the two groups deny charges from Khartoum that they are still workingtogether.

Sudan's government has denies accusations from human rights that is carrying out acampaign of ethnic cleansing against the Nuba community seen as supporting the SPLM-N.

Last week, Sudan also denied that it had bombed refugees who had fled the conflict intoSouth Sudan.

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Rwanda: U.S., Nation Plot to Rout Weakened FDLR (The New Times -

allAfrica.com)http://allafrica.com/stories/201201310075.htmlJanuary 31, 2012


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By James Karuhanga

Strategies to wipe out remnants of a weakened FDLR militia now scattered and on therun towards the northern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were part ofdiscussions between the visiting new US envoy to the Great Lakes, Barrie Walkley, and

Defence Minister, Gen. James Kabarebe, yesterday.

Ambassador Walkley, who is making his maiden trip to the region, noted that cross-border and regional issues, including Uganda's notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),are his responsibility.

"The ambassadors for individual countries in this region will take care of the bilateralrelations. I will take care and concern myself with the regional applications. Such issuesas FDLR, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), conflict minerals, security sector reform,the problems with armed groups in the region and violence against women. Issues of thatsort will be my responsibility," Ambassador Walkley told reporters after the meeting.

Military and Defense Spokesperson, Col. Joseph Nzabamwita, who also attended theclosed session further stated: "The envoy was briefed on the Joint Military Operationsconducted by FARDC and RDF and how the intelligence-led operations dealt a severeblow to FDLR, resulting into deaths of their senior commanders and are now scatteredfleeing to the northern part of the Kivu Province."

"This, together with other Demobilisation and Repatriation strategies, has led to a surgein repatriations to Rwanda by FDLR fighters".

Col. Nzabamwita was not categorical whether the new development - FDLR's flightnorthwards - could lead to a possible alliance between FDLR and elements of Uganda'snotorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) militia based further in the north of the DRC,but it is clear that such an alliance would cause more mayhem.

Amb. Walkley told reporters that: "We had a chance to discuss many issues that are partof my portfolio. We spent time discussing the armed groups particularly the threatconstantly caused by the FDLR".

He noted that in the last three months alone, around 400 FDLR combatants returnedhome.

"We are talking of military and non military civil activities against them. This iscombined by a joint military punch that has scattered the FDLR who are now on the run.They are leaving their areas of operation in Walikale, in North Kivu, and are goingfurther north to Lubelo and Beni areas," the army spokesman noted.

Early this month, the FDLR Chief of Staff, Gen. Leodomir Mugaragu, was killed alongwith over 20 of his commanders.


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The LRA, on the other hand, continues to commit atrocities across the Central AfricanRepublic, the DRC, and South Sudan that have a disproportionate impact on regionalsecurity.

Past and present joint operations mounted by the Rwandan and Congolese armies have

weakened the FDLR and the US government is currently collaborating with regionalarmies to wipe out the LRA.

Just last year, US President Barack Obama authorised the deployment, to Uganda, ofabout 100 combat-equipped U.S. forces to help regional forces flush out the LRA fromthe battlefield.

The US troops are being deployed in Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic,and the DRC to further U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and contributetowards counter-LRA efforts in the wider region.

The USA has in the past supported regional countries in their military strategy againstFDLR and other negative armed groups, principally through the Joint Intelligence FusionCell and the Tripartite Plus Mechanism.

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Senegal opposition activist Alioune Tine freed (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16804467January 31, 2012By an unattributed author

Prominent Senegalese activist Alioune Tine has been released without charge after twodays in detention, as the opposition plans more protests.

Mr Tine is a member of the June 23 Movement (M23), formed last year to opposePresident Abdoulaye Wade's plans to run for a third term.

Two people were shot dead on Monday in Podor town during protests after a court ruledMr Wade's bid was legal.

The M23 say they intend to march on the presidential palace in the capital.

Elections in the West African country - often held up as one of Africa's modeldemocracies - are due on 26 February.

Autopsies

The BBC's Abdourahmane Dia in the capital, Dakar, says there are fears Tuesday'sdemonstration could degenerate into violence as it has not been authorised.


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But the opposition says it has a constitutional right to hold mass rallies across thecountry.

Our reporter says the bodies of two demonstrators killed in the northern town of Podor onMonday have been sent to Dakar for autopsies.

An eyewitness in Podor told Amnesty International that the police opened fire on an anti-Wade demonstration in the town.

"We were walking peacefully when suddenly security forces dressed in blue andbelonging to the gendarmerie fired at the marchers with live bullets. People fell in frontof me," the witness said.

After his release, Mr Tine told the AFP news agency that police had asked him "manyquestions on the demonstrations" planned by M23.

The director of Amnesty International in Senegal called for restraint from both sides onTuesday.

"We are calling to the government to allow people to demonstrate peacefully. We are alsocalling to demonstrators to really be responsible of any kind of trouble that may arisefrom these demonstrations," Seydi Gassama told the BBC's World Today programme.

"We have to make sure their followers are informed, that this right doesn't mean that theycan attack security forces, throw stones, because it is this kind of behaviour that is thebasis of police repression," he said.

Senegal's constitution has a two-term limit but the constitutional court has ruled this doesnot include Mr Wade's first term, which began before the clause was adopted.

At the same time as allowing Mr Wade to stand, the court ruled singer Youssou N'Dourand two other opposition candidates could not run.

The move has come in for international criticism.

"We are concerned that the decision by President Wade to seek a third term... couldjeopardise the decades-long record that Senegal has built up on the continent fordemocracy, democratic development and political stability," Reuters news agency quotesUS Deputy Secretary of State William Burns as saying.

France, the former colonial power, regretted that not all political viewpoints would berepresented in the forthcoming elections, its foreign ministry said.

Opposition parties and activists have called for "national resistance" against Mr Wade'sthird-term bid.


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Once a veteran opposition leader himself, Mr Wade was first elected in 2000 - ending 40years of rule by the Socialist Party.

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Senegal braces for further protests (Al Jazeera)http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/201213164550413279.htmlJanuary 31, 2012By an unattributed author

Senegal is bracing for more demonstrations on Tuesday, a day after at least two peoplewere reportedly shot dead in confrontations between protesters and police, as oppositionparties vowed to continue agitation against President Abdoulaye Wade's controversial bidfor a third term.

Leaders of the opposition June 23 Movement, known as M23, and civil society groups

called for "a peaceful gathering" on Tuesday at 3:00pm local time [1500 GMT] inColobane, a suburb of the capital Dakar where a rally on Friday turned violent leading tothe death of one policeman.

The two deaths were reported in protests by M23 supporters in the northern town ofPodor, though details of the incident remained sketchy. Reports suggested those killedwere a 17-year-old protester and a 60-year-old female bystander.

Serigne Mbacke Ndiaye, Senegal's presidential spokesman, said: "The real combat is theone we must lead to hold a transparent election... being a candidate means nothing."

"We deplore the will (of the opposition) to lead the country into chaos... We don't wantSenegal to go up in flames."

The constitutional council on Monday dismissed all appeals against Wade's candidacy,leaving no legal recourse for opponents who accuse him of carrying out a constitutionalcoup.

"Today's bloodshed marks a dramatic escalation in the violence that has plagued Senegalin the run-up to its elections."

- Salvatore Sagues, Amnesty International

The opposition has vowed to continue mass resistance to force Wade to step aside priorto the February 26 presidential vote.

Senegal, which some see as a beacon of democracy among troubled neighbours, is theonly country in mainland West Africa not to have had a coup since the end of the colonialera.


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Rights group Amnesty International urged the government to halt a clampdown onprotesters following the reported deaths in Podor.

"Today's bloodshed marks a dramatic escalation in the violence that has plagued Senegal

in the run-up to its elections," Salvatore Sagues, the UK-based rights body's West Africaresearcher, said.

The US urged 85-year-old Wade to allow power to pass "to the next generation".

"While we respect the process, the political and legal process in Senegal, the fact that he'snow been cleared to run, our message to him remains the same: that the statesmanly-likething to do would be to cede to the next generation, and we think that would be better,"Victoria Nuland, State Department spokeswoman, said.

"Our view is that Senegalese democracy is strong enough to move to the next

generation."

Opposition leader freed

But El Hadj Amadou Salla, minister of state and a senior Wade campaign official, said itwas "too late" to prevent Wade running since his candidacy had already been validated.

The opposition argues that the constitution allows a president to serve only twoconsecutive terms, but Wade says the law, which was amended in 2008, does not applyretroactively and cannot take into account his previous two terms.

Wade has dismissed opposition protests as "temper tantrums".

Police, meanwhile, freed a co-ordinator of the M23 protest movement on Monday aftertwo days in custody.

Alioune Tine, a prominent member of the African Assembly for the Defence of HumanRights (RADDHO) said he was freed without being charged.

"I still don't know what they accused me of," the activist told the AFP news agency.

Wade said in a recent interview with a local news website that he needed three moreyears to complete his projects, fuelling speculation that he wanted to line up a successor.

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Voting for powerful AU post ends in deadlock (Al Jazeera)



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A vote to choose a new chairman for the African Union's (AU) influential executivecommission has ended in deadlock, with a new election will be held in June, MichaelSata, Zambia's president, has said.

The deadlock at the summit in Addis Ababa comes as a surprise because of the intensecampaigning ahead of the vote, almost overshadowing the two-day summit on intra-African trade.

"We went for an election and none of the two candidates emerged as a winner," Sata toldjournalists on Monday, referring to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa's homeaffairs minister, who sought to unseat Jean Ping, the current chairman, from Gabon.

South Africa has lobbied hard to see Dlamini-Zuma unseat the Gabonese career diplomatwho has been in the job since 2008.

However, Ping narrowly edged ahead of Dlamini-Zuma in the first three rounds ofvoting, AU sources said, but was short of the two-thirds majority needed for an outrightwin.

Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri, reporting from the summit, said there was speculationthat there had been negotiations between Dlamini-Zuma and Ping for one of them tostand aside.

Erastus Mwencha, the Kenyan deputy AU commission chief, will serve as the executivecouncil's chair until a fresh poll, which Sata said would take place in June, during thenext AU summit in Malawi.

South African delegates broke out into song and dance after the vote, held in the newultra-modern Chinese-donated AU headquarters which were unveiled at the weekend.

The summit is expected to conclude a deal on bolstering trade between African nations,which currently trade more with the West and China than with themselves.

On Sunday, the 54-member organisation elected Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi astheir new chairman, a rotating post held for one year.

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AU extends mandate of top executive official (Al Jazeera)



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"We have decided to prolong the mandate of the current commission until the nextsummit in Lilongwe, Malawi" in June, bloc chairman, Benin's President Thomas BoniYayi, said on Tuesday at the end of a two-day summit in Addis Ababa.

Intense campaigns had preceded the vote for commission chief which dominated the AU

summit in the Ethiopia capital, where leaders gathered to discuss broadening trade withinAfrica and tackling conflict hot spots.

Gabon's Ping, 69, who has headed the African Union Commission since 2008, sought anew term but was unable to obtain the required two-thirds majority in a tight race withDlamini-Zuma, ex-wife of South African President Jacob Zuma.

"We went for an election and none of the two candidates emerged as a winner," ZambianPresident Michael Sata told reporters after the vote.

Pretoria said that Dlamini-Zuma will vie again for the post.

"Nothing stops us from fielding the same candidate because she has shown or proven tobe a formidable candidate that the incumbent could not defeat," South Africa'sInternational Relations Minister Maite Nkoane Mashabane said in a statement.

Political fault lines

Analysts say the vote for the AU agenda-setting position has exposed political fault linesbetween English- and French-speaking Africa, as well as between different geographicregions.

"The result has shown up divides in the continent," Jakkie Cilliers, executive director ofthe Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, told AFP news agency at the summit."South Africa worked hard to reduce Ping's support base."

But Boni Yayi insisted: "The continent is united and there is hope that it will continue tobe united."

Ping led Dlamini-Zuma in the first three rounds with 28 votes to 25, 27 to 26 and 29 to24, AU sources said.

Dlamini-Zuma was then forced under AU rules to pull out, leaving Ping to face a fourthround on his own, but he still failed to muster the necessary votes.

Ahead of the vote, sources said Ping had been confident of re-election, counting onsupport from French-speaking West and Central Africa countries.

However, he has appeared to have fallen foul of criticism that he performed poorly inrecent crises on the continent, after a year that saw a post-election conflict in Ivory Coastas well as the Arab Spring revolutions.


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The AU was holding its first summit since the death of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, a keyfinancier of the bloc, but who had allies mainly in French-speaking West Africa.

Dlamini-Zuma had launched a tough campaign and had the backing of the 15-member

Southern African Development Community, as Pretoria lobbied hard across Africa todrum up support.

South African delegates broke into song and dance after the stalemate vote conducted atthe summit in the new ultra-modern AU headquarters built by the Chinese and unveiledat the weekend.

But Cilliers warned that while Dlamini-Zuma supporters were celebrating, her failure towin suggested many might oppose South Africa for the post too.

"Importantly, this result may mean that Africans don't want a key country such as South

Africa in the position of chair," he said.

No woman has held the post.

"It's a good sign for gender politics in AU that a woman came so close for the vote tosuch a position," said Cheryl Hendricks of the ISS thinktank.

On Sunday, the 54-member African Union elected Yayi as its new chairman, a rotatingpost held for one year.

Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri, reporting from the summit, said there was speculationthat there had been negotiations between Dlamini-Zuma and Ping for one of them tostand aside.

###

South Africa: Rondebosch Common Becomes Site of Battle Over Inequality (West

Cape News )

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201302037.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By Nombulelo Damba,

Scores of people were bundled into police vans on Friday when police forcibly preventedorganisations from setting up a planned three-day summit on Jobs, Land and Housing onRondebosch Common as a means of highlighting inequality in South African society.

After having gone through the application procedures to host the event on the common -an area organisors say represents the "exclusion from land and from the city" felt by poorpeople - and inviting Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille to participate, the network of


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organisations under the banner of Communities for Social Change, were deniedpermission to host the summit there.

Organisations included Passop, Proudly Manenberg, Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign,the South African NGO Coalition and the South African Council of Churches.

Determination to reclaim the common as a public area nonetheless led to clashes withpolice who sprayed water cannons loaded with blue dye at the demonstrators, a movereminiscent of apartheid police spraying purple dye on protestors marching to Parliamenton September 2, 1989.

The incident in 1989 led to the subsequent graffiti 'The Purple Shall Govern' becoming awitty, and prophetic, comment on the apartheid government.

When the social coalition participants arrived at Rondebosch Common on Friday after astop at the Athlone Stadium they were met by a large contingent of police who gave them

20 minutes to disperse.

However, the participants sat down and refused to leave the area, claiming it is a publicspace.

A University of Cape Town student who lives in Rondebosh, Daniel Corder, asked thepolice why only white people are allowed to walk free on the common, but it appearedother people were not.

Corder, who was later hauled off by police, said, "This takes us back to apartheid era. Idon't understand why these people are not allowed to sit here and have their meeting. I'mhere as a citizen of South Africa, I also wanted to be here to see what was the meetingwas about."

Rihanna Marthinus, 57, a participant from Manenberg, said the city had been promisingto improve services in Manenberg for years but nothing was being done.

"I asked the city, they keep on promising that it will be fixed but they never fixed it. I'mhere because I want better house, all these years this land has been here and nothing hasbeen done in it, why they do not build us houses here? This is a public place, we have aright to be here, let the police arrest us."

In a 'statement by those who occupied the common' released on Saturday by MikeHoffmeester, Yushra Adams and Melvin de Wee, they said police had mobilised to breakup marches setting off from areas such as Manenberg, Athlone, Bishop Lavis andKraaifontein, preventing them from getting to the common.

"They came for us in groups of 50, in groups of 20, ten, five and even two. They pennedus inside our townships saying we were not welcome in the leafy suburbs. They arrestedtwo of us in Manenberg. Our buses got rerouted back home," read the statement.


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They said as a result, on "a few hundred" people made it to the common but this wasnevertheless a "huge victory".

The trio stated that the city and police acted illegally in banning a protest without meeting

with the organisors and determining that there was a credible threat of violence.

The organisors allege police were unnecessarily brutal in carrying out their actions onFriday.

Alleged acts included:

y A young lady filming the protest was smacked while she was being taken intocustody (caught on video).

y An older man got pepper sprayed when he was already in the back of a policevan.

y The assault by Police of at least three young ladies before they were finallyarrested (caught on video).y Police purposefully did not wear their name tags so that they could not be

identified. However some of us were still able to lay charges thanks to theassistance of other, supportive police officers.

y And finally, that the city's Anti-Land Invasions unit was particularly brutaltowards us.

y In a publicized statement de Lille has said the organisers were not beingcompletely truthful about their objectives.

"This is not a stakeholder summit," stated de Lille. "The literature distributed ahead of

this meeting called for the organisations to 'occupy' Rondebosch Common. What is more,that literature was littered with references to race, racial politics and a slew of otherassertions regarding this city's society."

De Lille said the city was thus faced with a situation where an organization had "stated itsintention to illegally occupy a piece of land as part of an agenda peppered with raciallydivisive rhetoric".

"I have said it before and I will say it again. This City will not abide illegal actions. Wewill not aid the agendas of those who wish to separate us," stated de Lille.

Police had not responded to questions at the time of going to press.

###

Former MI6 officer Sir Mark Allen sued over rendition (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16804656January 31, 2012By Dominic Casciani


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Two men who say they were rendered to Libya with the help of the UK have begun anaction to sue one of Britain's most senior former MI6 officers.

Libyan dissidents Sami al-Saadi and Abdel Hakim Belhadj allege that Sir Mark Allen

was complicit in their rendition and torture.

Lawyers for the pair served papers on Friday, the first step in a civil action for damages.

Sir Mark has declined to comment on the allegations and legal action.

Mr al-Saadi and Mr Belhadj say they were handed over to Col Muammar Gaddafi'sregime in 2004.

The Metropolitan Police has already begun its own investigations into the allegations.

The pair had already begun a legal action against the UK government, alleging that itaided and abetted their ill treatment.

'Dark episode'

Both men say that they were illegally detained and flown to Libya with the help of theUK.

Their wives and children were also rendered to Libya. Mr Belhadj says that his wife wasalso subjected to ill-treatment.

But in a highly unusual move, lawyers for the men have launched a civil damages claimagainst Sir Mark Allen, MI6's former head of counter-terrorism.

Lawyers for the men say they want to sue Sir Mark because his name appears indocuments discovered in Tripoli during Gaddafi's downfall.

Sami al-Saadi claims he was subjected to beatingsThey say the documents include a letter allegedly written by Sir Mark in March 2004 tothe colonel's then spy chief, Moussa Koussa.

"I congratulate you on the safe arrival of Abu Abd Allah Sadiq [Mr Belhadj]," says theletter.

"This was the least we could do for you and for Libya to demonstrate the remarkablerelationship we have built over the years. I am so glad.

"The intelligence on Abu Abd Allah was British. I know I did not pay for the air cargo.But I feel I have the right to deal with you direct on this."


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Sapna Malik, the men's solicitor at firm Leigh Day & Co, said Sir Mark would be suedfor complicity in torture, misfeasance in public office and negligence.

She said: "We are taking this unusual step of preparing a legal action against anindividual as the documents we have in our possession suggest Sir Mark was directly

involved in the unlawful rendition of our clients and their families.

"The documents which have so far come to light raise serious questions to answer,particularly in light of the horrendous treatment to which our clients were subjected.There must be full accountability for this dark episode."

Sir Mark, who left MI6 later in 2004 and joined BP, has declined to comment on theallegations and the legal action.

Earlier in January, the CPS and Metropolitan Police made a joint statement confirmingthat the allegations raised by the two Libyan men were so serious that they must be

investigated before a planned judge-led inquiry into allegations of rendition and torture.

That decision prompted the government to scrap the inquiry, although it has pledged tolaunch another one after the end of criminal investigations.

Cori Crider from legal charity Reprieve, which is working on the case, said:"Abedelhakim Belhadj and Sami al-Saadi - and their families - deserve an explanation forthe appalling abuse they suffered. The documents showing British involvement in theirrendition to Libya appear to have Mark Allen's name all over them - yet we've not had aword out of him since they became public last year.

"We need to know whether MI6's plan to deliver Gaddafi's opponents into his hands wasauthorised from the top. If it was, let Sir Mark bring that defence, and let's hear whosigned off on this shameful affair."

###

Al-Shabab bans Red Cross from Somalia (Al Jazeera)


Somalia's al-Shabab has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),ordering it to close its emergency relief operations in the regions it controls.

The armed Islamist said in a statement on Monday that it had "decided to fully terminatethe contract" of the ICRC, claiming the organiation had handed out outdated food andhad "falsely accused the mujahideen [al-Shabab] of hindering food distribution".


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Al-Shabab control large parts of south and central Somalia, a region the UN says iscurrently experiencing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with three areas stillcategorised as famine zones affecting nearly 250,000 people.

The ICRC had already suspended food aid to 1.1 million people in southern and central

Somalia earlier this month, due to obstruction by local armed groups, including in al-Shabab-controlled regions.

The aid suspended included food as well as seeds for farmers, and was intended to begiven to the thousands struggling from years of war and the impact of a devastatingdrought that has ravaged Somalia since October 2010.

However, the ICRC had continued to provide emergency aid including supporting healthprogrammes and providing clean water.

Al-Shabab said the ICRC had "betrayed the trust" of the fighters, and said it had set fire

to "nearly 2,000 metric tonnes of expired ICRC rations intended for distribution".

On Twitter, al-Shabab's press office tweeted that the group's Office for Supervising theAffairs of Foreign Agencies said "a thorough inspection of ICRC warehouses revealedthat 70 per cent of the food stored for distribution was deemed unfit for humanconsumption".

Prominent journalist murdered

Meanwhile, the human rights group Amnesty International (AI) urged the internationalcommunity on Monday to call on the Somali authorities to bring to justice thoseresponsible for attacks on journalists after the latest killing of a Mogadishu reporter.

Hassan Osman Abdi, director of the Shabelle Media Network, was shot by unidentifiedmen outside his home in the city's Wadajir district on Saturday evening. He reportedlydied on his way to hospital.

The reporter, also known as 'Hassan Fantastic', is the second journalist to be killed in thelast six weeks in Somalia.

Nazanine Moshiri, Al Jazeera's East Africa correspondent, who had interviewed Abdi inthe past, said: "He was extremely brave talking to Al Jazeera on camera using his realname ... he actually told me he did not care what happened to him, and he simply had tospeak to truth."

The Somali authorities say they are investigating his killing.

"The numerous attacks on journalists in Somalia have been part of an attempt to silencereporting about human rights abuses by all parties to the conflict in the country," Erwinvan der Borght, AIs director for Africa, said.


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"Despite Somalias Transitional Federal Government's promises to investigate thesekillings, no one has ever been brought to justice for such acts.

"Its time that the international community takes concrete measures to tackle impunity for

the killings of journalists in the country and other human rights abuses.

"Anyone found responsible for committing or ordering the killings must be brought tojustice, in fair trials and without the application of the death penalty."

New approach to Somalia

Somalia, ravaged by nearly uninterrupted civil war for the past two decades, is one of themost dangerous places in the world for aid workers and one of the regions that needsthem most.

In February 2012 the United Kingdom will host up to forty governments, the UN andregional bodies like the AU for the London Somalia conference in a bid to resolve thedeteriorating situation in Somalia,

In November 2011, al-Shebab ordered shut 16 UN and other international aid agenciesafter raiding several of their offices, banning organisations it deemed "engaged inactivities deemed detrimental to the attainment of an Islamic state".

Those raids left just a handful of aid agencies able to operate in rebel-held areas,including the now-banned ICRC and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors withoutBorders).

Armies from neighbouring countries are converging on al-Shebab, with Kenyan troopscrossing into Somalia from the far south in October, and Ethiopian troops marching infrom the south and west in November.

The African Union Mission in Somalia has about 10,000 troops - from Uganda, Burundiand Djibouti - in the Somali capital Mogadishu to protect the fragile Western-backedSomali government.

###

Bomber targets ex-Somali police chief, kills two (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80U08420120131January 31, 2012By an unattributed author

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed two security agents on Tuesday in afailed bid to murder a former Somali warlord and one-time government police


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commander in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region, a military official and residentssaid.

One witness said the bomber shot dead Abdi Hassan Awale's armed driver at the entranceto the compound in the town of Galkayo before detonating his explosives when a

bodyguard jumped on him. Awale was unhurt, residents said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.

"The bomber killed the driver with a pistol and the guard with the blast," ColonelMohamed Hussein told Reuters, adding that both were policemen.

Local shopkeeper Farah Elmi, who witnessed the attack, confirmed the sequence ofevents. The bomber's dismembered corpse was visible inside the compound, he said.

Awale, who hails from Galmudug, had been mediating in a row between the regional

president and local lawmakers, according to Hussein.

The town of Galkayo straddles Galmudug and the semi-autonomous Puntland regionmore than 500 km (320 miles) north of Mogadishu in central Somalia.

Earlier this month a local militia abducted a foreign journalist holding dual U.S.-Germancitizenship from the town.

###

Angola's Dos Santos moves Sonangol CEO to government (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80U01120120131January 31, 2012By Shrikesh Laxmidas

LISBON (Reuters) - Angola's president has moved the head of state oil firm Sonangolinto the government to coordinate economic policy, state news agency Angop reported, amove likely to fuel speculation that Manuel Vicente has been selected to succeedEduardo dos Santos.

In September, weekly newspaper Novo Jornal cited ruling MPLA party sources as sayingthat Dos Santos had selected Vicente, 55, as his successor to take over before or after anelection later this year.

Vicente's reappointment as Sonangol CEO for a third term last month quashed some ofthe speculation, but analysts said the president still held the option to remove him fromthe company at any time.


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Earlier on Monday, the government approved a presidential decree for Vicente'sdeparture from Sonangol and Angop later cited a presidency statement saying Dos Santoshad appointed him as economic coordination minister.

The role is a new one, created by Dos Santos to boost the effectiveness of the

government's economic decisions. Vicente is likely to have wide-ranging policy-makingpowers and will report directly to the president.

"Vicente should not be discounted as a possible candidate for the succession. He is veryclose to the president, an ally who the president trusts," said Markus Weimer, an Angolaexpert and analyst at London-based thinktank Chatham House.

"The fact that top positions in Dos Santos' inner circle are being changed in the run up toan election doesn't surprise me. It's part of his strategy, to keep his cards close to his chestand keep everyone guessing about his plans."

The parliamentary election, to be held in the third quarter, will be only the second inAngola since the end of a devastating 27-year civil war in 2002, with the head of thewinning party's candidate list becoming president.

OIL PRODUCER

Dos Santos, who has been in power since 1979 and is Africa's second-longest servingleader after Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, hassignaled he is ready to lead the party in the ballot, but has yet to confirm his decisiondespite promising to do so in January.

Angola is Africa's second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, and Sonangol plays a hugerole in an economy in which oil revenues represent over 95 percent of export income andalmost half of the gross domestic product.

Dos Santos' government and Sonangol have, however, long been accused ofmismanaging oil revenues. Last month Human Rights Watch urged the government toaccount for $32 billion missing from state funds thought to be linked to Sonangol.

The government later denied the funds were missing and the IMF said last week itexpected the authorities to account for most of the funds.

Angop added that Vicente, who built a strong reputation among international oilcompanies during his 13 years at the head of Sonangol, will be replaced by boardmember Francisco de Lemos Jose Maria.

"Vicente was respected by Angola's international oil partners, he was seen as someonethey could do business with. That has now changed with his exit, so we'll have to seewhether his replacement can build the same type of relations," Chatham House's Weimersaid.


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Jose Maria joined Sonangol's executive board in late 2008, working as chief financialofficer and was also selected for a second term in December.

He takes over the company at a time when it starts exploring ultra-deepwater or "subsalt"

offshore blocks which mirror those off Brazil where major volumes of high-quality lightoil have been discovered in recent years.

Last month the company signed 11 deals with seven oil majors to drill thousands ofmetres under the Kwanza Basin seabed.

###

Ugandans battle neglected tropical disease (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/20121307817874555.htmlJanuary 30, 2012

By an unattributed author

Health services in northern Uganda are still scarce in the wake of the region's 20-yearcivil war, leaving many battling diseases that could be cured with proper medicaltreatment.

Elephantiasis is a widespread disease caused by a parasite that causes limbs to swell up,leaving sufferers in pain and often ostracised from their communities.

According to the World Health Organisation [WHO], neglected tropical diseases, such aselephantiasis, affect more than one billion people, primarily poor populations living intropical and subtropical climates.

More than 70 per cent of countries and territories that report the presence of neglectedtropical diseases are low-income and lower middle-income economies, while 100 percent of countries considered low-income are affected by at least five neglected tropicaldiseases simultaneously.

Neglected tropical diseases

Infections are attributable to unsafe water, poor housing conditions and poor sanitation.Children are most vulnerable to infections of the most neglected tropical diseases.

Neglected tropical diseases kill, impair or permanently disable millions of people everyyear, often resulting in life-long physical pain, social stigmatisation and abuse.

Many can be prevented, eliminated or even eradicated with improved access to existingsafe and cost-effective tools.

Al Jazeera's Malcolm Webb reports from Northern Uganda


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South Africa recalls 'faulty' ANC celebration condoms (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16797496

January 30, 2012By an unattributed author

South Africa's leading HIV group has warned that large numbers of "faulty" condoms arein circulation in the Bloemfontein area, despite a recall.

The problem with the condoms was discovered after people complained to the TreatmentAction Campaign (TAC).

Health authorities have recalled more than one million condoms handed out ahead of therecent African National Congress centenary celebrations.

They say they are still investigating claims that the condoms are porous.

A batch of 8,700 boxes - which all bore the South African Bureau of Standards stamp -were delivered to guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and bars before the ANC celebrations.

The Free State Health Department says it is recalling the estimated 1.35 million condomsas a "precautionary measure" - and urged the public not to panic.

But TAC's Sello Mokhalipi told the BBC that condoms "are still out there in largenumbers and that is of great concern to us".

"The complaints are that the condoms broke during intercourse," he said.

TAC says it conducted its own investigation using some of the condoms that had beenhanded out for the centenary celebrations and found them to be porous.

"When you poured water in them, the water seeped through," Mr Mokhalipi said.

Free State Health Department spokesperson Jabu Mbalula said the health authority couldneither confirm nor deny that the condoms are faulty until it has concluded its own testson the recovered condoms.

This is the first time that Free State province - which has a population of 5.5 millionpeople - has had to recall condoms.

The last major recall of condoms in South Africa was in August 2007 when 20 millionwere recalled after "hundreds of thousands" were found to be faulty.


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South Africa has one of the highest infection rates of HIV - the virus that causes Aids - inthe world.

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Sudan squeeze through behind Ivory Coast (Al Jazeera)http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/2012/01/2012130211251392932.htmlJanuary 30, 2012By an unattributed author

Angola, needing a point to reach the African Nations Cup quarter-finals, were eliminatedon Monday after losing 2-0 in their final game to Ivory Coast who had fielded a largelyreserve team.

Emmanuel Eboue put the Ivorians ahead after 32 minutes and Wilfried Bony tapped inthe second just after the hour following a blunder by defender Dani Mussunguna, who

headed the ball over his own goalkeeper leaving him stranded.

Angola, who were twice close to pulling a goal back, finished level on four points inGroup B with Sudan, who beatBurkina Faso 2-1, but were eliminated on goal difference.

Ivory Coast had already qualified and topped the group with maximum points from threegames, which they completed without conceding a goal.

Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui, while relieved to see his side progress, said: "Thereal relief will be to win the title. We'll keep our feet on the ground. I'll be happy whenwe have achieved our aim of bringing pleasure to the Ivorian people.

"We want to make it to the end, otherwise a couple of wins doesn't mean anything."

Angola manager Jose 'Lito' Vidigal reflected: "It was really difficult and we worked veryhard to go through.

"We had lots of problems to qualify for this Nations Cup, but I'd like to thank all ourfans.

"We were up against a very strong Ivory Coast side who are going to go far in thistournament."

One goal margin

Sudan advanced into the quarter-finals, their 2-1 win over Burkina Faso handing themsecond place in Group B by the slimmest of margins.

Two goals by Mudather Tayeb ensured Sudan a first win in 42 years at the tournament.


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Sudan, who finished with a level goal difference compared to Angola's minus one, willmeet Zambia in the first quarter-final in Bata on Saturday.

They rode their luck to end a run of 11 games without victory at the finals, overcoming

an early collision that costthem a key defender, a strong penalty appeal for their opponents and a disallowed effortby Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso substitute Issiaka Ouedraogo pulled a goal back with virtually the last touchof the match after he had missed two gilt-edged chances, the first early in the second halfwith just the goalkeeper to beat and the second late in the game when he actually wentround the goalie but still hacked wide.

Tayeb scored against the run of play in the 33rd minute to give Sudan the lead.

With 10 minutes left he scored a second, taking advantage of comical goalkeeping fromDaouda Diakite, who hesitated to clear a long ball allowing Tayeb to steal the ball andscore the easiest of goals.

Sudan lost defender Nagmaldien Abdullah after a horror clash with his own goalkeeperAkram El Hadi Salem in the sixth minute and were fortunate to see the referee fail toaward a penalty for Jonathan Pitroipa after 20 minutes.

Burkina Faso, who lost all three matches, fielded 16-year-old Chelsea academy playerBertrand Traore as a secondhalf substitute, making him the third youngest player in the history of the tournament.

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Africa Cup of Nations: Sudan make history to qualify (BBC Sports)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16783748.stmJanuary 30, 2012By Durosimi Thomas

Mudather El Taib was the hero for Sudan, scoring goals in each half Sudan won their firstmatch at the Africa Cup of Nations for 42 years, beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in Bata toreach the quarter-finals.

They made it to the last eight thanks to Ivory Coast's 2-0 win overAngola(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16781103.stm) in the other Group Bmatch in Malabo.

Mudather El Taib scored in each half for the 1970 African champions, with IssiakaOuedraogo replying late on.


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The Sudanese will play Zambia in the quarter-finals on 4 February, before Ivory Coasttake on Equatorial Guinea.

Playing in a deserted Estadio de Bata, El Taib proved to be Sudan's hero as he netted bothhis side's goals in almost identical fashion.

After 33 minutes, he latched on to a ball from midfield, evaded Hamadou Tall's tackleand slotted home from 15 yards with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The goal came against the run of play however as Sudan's scrappy approach wasoutclassed by Burkina Faso, who dominated possession in the opening period.

The Sudanese had suffered an anxious moment just minutes into the match after defenderNagm Eldin was taken off on a stretcher following a collision in his own penalty area.

Experienced coach Mohamed 'Mazda' Abdallah was forced to make a change for a match

his side had to win, bringing on Omer Maaz Musaab.

But the East Africans will be grateful that the Burkinabe could not take their chances, asMoumouni Dagano headed wide while substitute Ouedraogo blasted a clear opportunityover the bar.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte introduced Bertrand Traore to make the16-year-old the third youngest player to ever contest a Nations Cup match.

With 10 minutes remaining, Stallions goalkeeper Daouda Diakite misjudged his timing tointercept a long diagonal ball - allowing El Taib to round him with ease and slide homeinto an empty net.

The goal cemented Sudan's quarter-final place, which had only been made possible byIvory Coast leading Angola by two goals as well.

But the Burkinabe created a late scare as Ouedraogo finally beat Sudan goalkeeperAkram with a header in the 95th minute.

Nonetheless, Sudan held on for their first victory at the Nations Cup since beating Ghana1-0 in the final in 1970.

After a 32-year absence from the finals, Sudan returned in 2008 only to lose all theirgames by a 3-0 margin.

But they have proved a different proposition this year after recovering from an opening 1-0 defeat by Ivory Coast to earn their first point since 1976 on Thursday when drawingwith Angola.


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Sudan, one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football, will playthe Chipolopolo in Bata on Saturday 4 February.

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END REPORT

AFRICOM Related News Clips 1 February 2012

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