AFRICOM Related-News clips 10 January 2012

8/3/2019 AFRICOM Related-News clips 10 January 2012

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

United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office10 January 2012

USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please find attached news clips related to U.S. Africa Command andAfrica, along with upcoming events of interest for January 10, 2012.

Of interest in todays clips:

-- BBC covers the death of the president of Guinea-Bissau-- Africa Review covers efforts of Central African states to eradicate the LRA-- The Marine Corps Times writes on the Corps' growing role in Africa

Provided in text format for remote reading. Links work more effectively when thismessage is viewed as in HTML format.

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

Guinea-Bissau leader Malam Bacai Sanha dies in Paris (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-164734579 January 2012Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha has died in hospital in Paris, according toa statement from his office read over national radio.

Central African states seek to uproot the rebel LRA (Africa Review)

http://www.africareview.com/News/Central+African+summit+to+train+eyes+on+LRA/-/979180/1302418/-/76a0ho/-/index.html9 January 2012By Bisong EtahobenA summit of heads of state of Central African states opens in the Chadian capital ofNdjamena on January 15 where the elimination of the Ugandan rebel group, the LordsResistance Army (LRA), will be high on the agenda.

Corps Africa mission may be growing (Marine Corps Times)

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/01/marine-special-purpose-magtf-africa-


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010912w/9 January 2012By Tony LombardoA select group of Marines is quietly battling terrorism across a wide swath of Africa aspart of the first wave of what could become a long-term mission for the Corps.

Boko Haram and U.S. plans in Africa (UPI)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/01/09/Boko-Haram-and-US-plans-in-Africa/UPI-88391326129046/?spt=hs&or=tn9 January 2012Oil-rich Nigeria is gripped by an escalating uprising by Islamist militants that hastriggered massacres of Christians, including a Christmas Day suicide bombing blitz,which the federal government seems unable to contain.

Nigeria fuel strike brings country to a halt (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16464922

9 January 2012A general strike in Nigeria over the elimination of a fuel subsidy has brought the countryto a standstill.

Ethiopia enters Somalia, but avoids African Union joint operation (Christian

Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2012/0106/Ethiopia-enters-Somalia-but-avoids-African-Union-joint-operation8 January 2012By William Davison,Unlike Uganda, Burundi, Kenya and Djibouti, which have sent thousands of troops underthe African Union banner, Ethiopia is intervening in Somalia unilaterally, and won't stayfor long.

Major aid operation launched in South Sudan (Al-Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/20121952732882216.html9 January 2012UN responds to call for help from central government after thousands flee inter-tribeconflict in Jonglei state.

Protests mark South Sudan peace day (Africa Review)

http://www.africareview.com/News/Protests+mark+South+Sudan+peace+day/-/979180/1302540/-/u56wly/-/index.html9 January 2012By Machel AmosJUBA - Hundreds of youths took to the streets in Juba Monday morning, protestingagainst the escalating ethnic tensions between the Lou-Nuer and Murle in the troubledJonglei state of South Sudan

Bashir hails fall of Gaddafi on Libya tour (AFP)


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http://www.france24.com/en/20120107-sudan-bashir-visit-libya-national-transitional-council-gaddafi8 January 2012In Tripoli on a two-day visit, Sudans president and alleged war criminal Omar al-Bashircalled the fall of the Gaddafi regime the "best gift" to his country. Human Rights Watch

slammed Libyas new government for hosting an "international fugitive."

The Arab revolutions: A view from Sahel (BBC)

http://thedailynewsegypt.com/global-views/the-arab-revolutions-a-view-from-sahel.html8 January 2012By Modibo GoitaArab revolutions have caused regime change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, violentuprisings in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, and demonstrations in Algeria, Jordan andMorocco. These dramatic recent events in the Arab world have generated speculationamong experts regarding ramifications for the Arab world, Israel, Africa and NATO.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Another atrocity in the making? (Christian ScienceMonitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2012/0106/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-Another-atrocity-in-the-making8 January 2012By Vukasin PetrovicDemocratic Republic of Congo incumbent president Joseph Kabila and challengerEtienne Tshisekedi are in a protracted dispute over November 2011 election results.

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UN News Service Africa Briefs

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

African States and UN agree to beef up measures against Lords Resistance Army

9 January Central African countries affected by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) andthe United Nations agreed to toughen up measures against the notorious rebel group tostop its deadly activities on the continent.

DR Congo: UN mission condemns killing of dozens of civilians in South Kivu

9 January The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of theCongo (DRC) today strongly condemned attacks against civilians by members of anarmed group in remote villages in South Kivu province last week, during which at least45 people were killed.

Guinea-Bissau: Ban calls for proper transfer of power after leaders death

9 January Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope today that the leadership ofGuinea-Bissau will transfer according to the West African countrys constitution after the


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death of President Malam Bacai Sanh.

Ban calls for South African political party to continue fight against discrimination

9 January Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commemorated the centenary of SouthAfricas ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), hailing its successes as a key

liberation movement in the country but also calling for its continued determination todefend the principles of freedom, justice and non-discrimination.

UN official urges more help for South Sudan to cope with crises

9 January The head of the United Nations refugee agency today urged the internationalcommunity to show greater solidarity with South Sudan as it strives to cope withenormous humanitarian challenges as tensions between communities cause internaldisplacement amid a refugee influx from Sudan.(Full Articles on UN Website)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Event of Interest:

12 January 2012Symposium on Emerging Land Issues in African Agriculture: Impacts on Poverty

Reduction and Food Policy

WHO: Thom Jayne, Professor of International Development at Michigan StateUniversity; and Derek Byerlee (commentator), Independent Scholar and Director, WorldDevelopment Report, 2009WHERE: Stanford University Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall, 616 Serra StreetCONTACT: Kate Johnston, 650-724-3723 or e-mail: [email protected]

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Whats new on www.africom.mil

Ali Sabieh Citizens Celebrate Library Anniversary

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7537&lang=09 January 2012By U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Stephen Linch, CJTF-HOA Public AffairsLocals, dignitaries and Djiboutian and U.S. service members gathered at Camp Harbi,December 29, 2011, to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the Alo Aska Library, which islocated near the camp in Ali Sabieh, Djibouti.

Socially Rewarding, Making a Difference forWoundedWarriors

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7536&lang=09 January 2012Volunteers from U.S. Africa Command are regularly making a positive difference in thelives of wounded service members recovering at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

U.S. Service Members Celebrate Kenya's Jamhuri Day


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http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7535&lang=0By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jarad A. DentonThe U.S. Navy Maritime Civil Affairs Team 205 was invited to participate in the KenyanIndependence Day celebration in Lamu, Kenya, December 12, 2011.

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Guinea-Bissau leader Malam Bacai Sanha dies in Paris (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-164734579 January 2012

Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha has died in hospital in Paris, according toa statement from his office read over national radio.

The 64-year-old had travelled to France for medical treatment in late November afterbeing taken seriously ill.

Mr Sanha was elected president in 2009 after years of unrest and coups.

Last month the United States warned its citizens in Guinea-Bissau that there wasincreased potential for political instability and civil unrest there.

The nature of the president's illness has not been made public but he was thought tosuffer from diabetes.

Mr Sanha had previously been in intensive care in neighbouring Senegal.

The statement from Mr Sanha's office announced "with pain and sadness" that he died atthe Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris where he had been receiving treatment.

He had frequently been hospitalised abroad since being elected Guinea-Bissau's leader. AFrench official told news agencies that the president had been in a coma prior to hisdeath.

Drugs corruption

The West African country has endured repeated coups and unrest since independencefrom Portugal in 1974, and has become a hub for drug trafficking between Latin Americaand Europe.

Correspondents say large parts of the political and military establishments have beencorrupted by drugs money.

In late December the head of the navy, Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto, who has beenaccused by the United States of being involved with cocaine smuggling, tried to take overa military barracks in what appeared to be a failed coup attempt.


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Mr Sanha's predecessor as president, Joao Bernardo Vieira, was assassinated by mutinoussoldiers.

A reconciliation conference had been scheduled for this week between various political

and military groups, but was postponed because of the president's absence. The recentlyappointed British mediator to Guinea-Bissau, Ian Paisley Junior MP, says Mr Sanha'sdeath makes the convening of the conference all the more urgent.

Under Guinea-Bissau's constitution, the speaker of parliament, Raimundo Pereira, shouldnow be sworn in as interim president.

Independence veteran

Mr Sanha was a veteran of Guinea-Bissau's independence war and had long-standing tiesto the ruling party, the left-wing African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape

Verde (PAIGC).

He had previously served as interim president and had made two unsuccessful bids forthe presidency, in 2000 and in 2005, before winning elections in July 2009.

He was married, with one child.

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Central African states seek to uproot the rebel LRA (Africa Review)

http://www.africareview.com/News/Central+African+summit+to+train+eyes+on+LRA/-/979180/1302418/-/76a0ho/-/index.html9 January 2012By Bisong Etahoben

A summit of heads of state of Central African states opens in the Chadian capital ofNdjamena on January 15 where the elimination of the Ugandan rebel group, the LordsResistance Army (LRA), will be high on the agenda.

A summit of heads of state of Central African states opens in the Chadian capital ofNdjamena on January 15 where the elimination of the Ugandan rebel group, the LordsResistance Army (LRA), will be high on the agenda.

Sources at the secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States(ECCAS) in Libreville told Africa Review that the summit will seek to map out apartnership to combat the rebel group which has not only caused havoc in the GreatLakes region, but is doing the same in the Central African Republic where it has retreatedto.

Among the issues to be discussed, according to the sources, is that of providing


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logistical support to the Central African Republics military in fighting the LRAmenace.

Also to be examined is a possible re-deployment of ECCAS peace-keeping forces to theCentral African Republic to police a truce between the government and various armed

internal rebel groups.

War crimes

The Ndjamena meeting will be the 15th ECCAS summit and as before will cover variouseconomic and political cooperation topics such as economic integration, a currencyexchange zone, and cross-border movement of people within the ECCAS zone.

But security issues reportedly will be at the fore, including security of shipping in theGulf of Guinea through which the bulk of West Africas oil exports is moved.

ECCAS comprises Cameroon, DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Gabon and theCentral African Republic.

Recently, the US sent a detachment of Special Forces to the Central African Republic tohelp in dismantling the LRA presence.

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Corps Africa mission may be growing (Marine Corps Times)

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/01/marine-special-purpose-magtf-africa-010912w/9 January 2012By Tony Lombardo

A select group of Marines is quietly battling terrorism across a wide swath of Africa aspart of the first wave of what could become a long-term mission for the Corps.

The 180 members of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 12 are serving inthe Trans-Sahel region of Africa, stretches across the center of the continents north alongthe Sahara Desert. The unit has also deployed farther east, in countries such as Djibouti.

There are al-Qaida affiliates operating in and around this area, said Maj. DaveWinnacker, executive officer for SPMAGTF-12. This definitely is the next frontier asfar as there is the opportunity for expansion for both ourselves and for violent extremists.Essentially, were trying to beat them to the punch.

The unit, made up mostly of reservists, is focused not on combat but rather team-buildingwith militaries scattered throughout this region, said Winnacker, a member of 4th ForceReconnaissance Company, which provided the command element.


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Members of 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company make up most of the ground combatelement, and its assisted from above by two KC-130T Hercules, one each from MarineAerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 and VMGR-234. Rounding out the SPMAGTFare a variety of Marines from 41 other drill centers across the Reserve, plus some active-duty Marines and nine corpsmen, Winnacker said.

Literally, we have a little bit of everything, he said. From mortarmen, reconnaissancemen, tankers, all the way up to [explosive ordnance disposal technicians] and logisticians. If the Marine Corps has it, weve probably got one of them.

Its another high-profile mission for the Reserve, where new opportunities continue toemerge. Another Reserve-led SPMAGTF, the Black Sea Rotational Force, is gearing upfor March and its third six-month cycle. In that mission, Marines train with foreignmilitaries across Eastern Europe, in countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia.

The Africa unit activated in June, conducted pre-deployment training through September

and deployed in October to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy. Marines have since beendeploying to the Trans-Sahel region to train foreign militaries on various missions. By thetime the six-month stint is over, Winnacker said he expects SPMAGTF-12 to havecompleted eight major exercises, involving teams of 15 to 20 Marines. In addition, heexpects 15 to 20 smaller missions, which he described as involving two to five Marineson one- to four-week missions.

There are no ship-to-shore operations, Winnacker said. When a mission is scheduled,Marines deploy from Italy via KC-130s to their target location in Africa.

Once there, the Marines can cover a broad range of topics, including small-arms training,vehicle maintenance, indirect fire skills, combat engineering and intelligence planning.

Although the primary mission is training foreign militaries, the Marines could also betapped to provide limited humanitarian assistance, said Brig. Gen. Chuck Chiarotti,deputy commander of Marine Forces Africa. The Marines could also be used in a varietyof missions that could enable support of U.S. forces supporting [U.S. Africa Commandand U.S. European Command] areas of operations, Chiarotti said.

He praised the Marines efforts in Africa thus far.

Were seeing a high return on our investment, he said. Weve got young[noncommissioned officers] out there that are engaging and training some of our partnersin preparations for their own individual countrys missions. If you want a measure ofsuccess, its when we see an African country that can respond to an internal crisis, ahumanitarian crisis, or help a neighbor across the continent.

In the years to come, the mission could grow, Chiarotti said, and could include moreMarines from the active component.


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The missionWinnacker is reluctant to name precisely all the places his Marines have deployed in theTrans-Sahel, citing concerns from partner nations that did not want to publicize their ownmissions or military needs.

An 18-member team recently returned from a 75-day stint in West Africa. The Marinesspent their deployment training troops in the countrys only logistics company. Some hadnever fired an AK47, their militarys primary weapon, or even driven a vehicle, saidMaster Sgt. Bill Simpson, a reconnaissance man.

It was almost like training a recruit before they went to boot camp, he said, adding thatmany of the foreign troops had little knowledge of America.

Basically, were putting a presence in another country, Simpson said. Were putting aface for the United States of America.

By the end, the foreign troops were performing Marine physical training and had begunto empower more of their NCOs, just like in the Marine Corps.

Simpson, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said in some ways, his currentmission offers more challenges. The areas are austere and, with little logistics support,Simpson said, Were basically on our own.

Thats also what makes force recon the right unit for the job, he said, because theseMarines have more experience working autonomously.

One mission Marines were cleared to speak on in some detail was their recent trip toDjibouti.

In November, the unit received word that Djiboutian armed forces needed help readyingHumvees for a future deployment to Somalia, where they will battle the al-Qaida-linkedal-Shabaab insurgency. Al-Shabaab is a militia that has launched attacks in East Africa,The Washington Post has reported, to include suicide bombings in Uganda and Kenya.

From Nov. 25 to Dec. 13, a team of 12 Marines worked side by side with Djiboutiantroops at Camp Cheik Osman, located less than five miles from Camp Lemonier. Themission involved Marine mechanics, motor management officers and warehousespecialists, Winnacker said. When done, the Djiboutians had 16 working Humvees and athorough knowledge of how to maintain them. In addition, the Marines helped organizethe warehouse and create a digital log to track parts and maintenance.

Winnacker, a civilian firefighter with the Alameda County Fire Department in California,said the Reserve is well-suited to the flexibility required of the Africa mission.

In Djibouti, for instance, the Marines learned that the computers for the foreign troopslearning center and warehouse were fried. Fortunately, Gunnery Sgt. Robert Lusk, a


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communications chief, was on the mission. A computer hobbyist and informationtechnology consultant back home, Lusk was able to repair their computers using asoldering iron and magnifying glass.

The soldiers, who had been using outdated VHS cassettes and Beta tapes to learn English,

could now use updated computer programs. They also had two laptops repaired for useon their Somalia deployment, Lusk said.

Capt. Joseph Whittington, a logistics officer who went on the Djibouti mission, said thedeployment is a stark contrast to his combat tours in Iraq, which were more or lessstationary at Camp Taqaddum.

Working with translators, and a lot of nonverbal communication, Whittington said theMarines forged a bond with their Djiboutian counterparts.

Each workday, the troops would take a coffee and tea break around 9 a.m., and share

stories, Whittington said.

One Djiboutian warrant officer, nicknamed The Father of Love, told Marines how he,as a private, fought for the heart of a young woman whose mother instead hoped to sether up with a sergeant major. The superior made life very difficult for the private, whoselove died before they had a chance to marry.

We really were able to open up, Whittington said, adding that he will carry the story ofthe Djiboutian officer with him. Wed have a good break, great conversation then getback to work to not only motivate us to work, but to re-enhance the bonds that weremade.

The air missionForty-six Marines make up the air element of SPMAGTF-12, with half serving as aircrewand the other half as maintainers, said Maj. Jeff Demers, operations officer for VMGR-452 Detachment Alpha.

The unit originally deployed for Operation Unified Protector, the support mission inLibya. From Sept. 15 through October, the unit performed refueling for helicoptersoperating from the amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde, Demers said. When thatmission ended, the Marines were told to sit tight at Sigonella and they were soon added toSPMAGTF-12.

For us, and the Marines that are here, this is an opportunity to deploy, Demers said,adding that for 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, there are not a lot of chances. Its very goodfor the young Marines.

The main mission for these Marines is to transport ground forces and their necessaryequipment. A typical flight takes eight to 10 hours, often requiring crews to stayovernight in the African countries to rest up before the return to Italy. Crews dont


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typically stay more than one night.

Were always going in and out of Africa, Demers said, adding that they expected to log70 flight hours in December.

The biggest challenge for the air mission, Demers said, is working through the diplomaticchannels and lead time necessary to fly into the countries airspace.

Eat, sleep like localsThe living conditions that Marines on the ground face vary by country.

Simpsons unit stayed in what was called a hotel but was really a concrete buildingwith patch roofs and cots.

For food, they were assigned a local chef. Marines would buy livestock at the market,such as goats and sheep, and then they would be slaughtered before meal time so it

would be fresh, Simpson said. His best meal that trip? Warthog.

Living like the locals goes a long way when it comes to building trust, Simpson said.

Winnacker said units other trips have had even less luxury, having to sleep under canvasand eat MREs.

Spending all hours of the day in close proximity with the troops leads to some downtimeand limited opportunity for liberty.

Winnacker praised his Marines ability to maintain their maturity during these off hours.

In Djibouti, Lusk said his Marines had a chance to take a snorkeling trip in the Gulf ofAden with Djiboutian soldiers and whale sharks.

The Marines traveled with the soldiers on a skiff, found a family of 30-foot-long,plankton- eating beasts and jumped overboard.

While fun, Lusk said the swim also strengthened the bond between Marines and soldiers.

Although the mission may sound relatively tame, the security risks are very real,Winnacker said. While not going into details, he confirmed anti-terrorism forceprotection measures are robust among the troops, in the event of an emergency. Allmissions are thoroughly vetted before boots hit the ground.

And although the mission is not about kicking in doors, its an important one for thelongevity of African partnerships, Winnacker said.

SPMAGTF-12 will rotate out of Italy in the spring, and 3rd Force Recon will take overthe command element. Rotations for fiscal 2013 are being sourced, Winnacker added.


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This SPMAGTF will continue to evolve, Chiarotti said.

As we look at this in the out years 13, 14, 15, what capabilities would we needto improve on what we have? the brigadier general said.

While it wouldnt grow to the level of a 2,300-member Marine expeditionary unit,Chiarotti said, the SPMAGTF could add Marines in order to be as relevant as possible.

Were going to find what that size is, Chiarotti said. Is it 200? Is it 300? I dontknow.

Relationship building with the Africa countries is likely to remain high on the priority listfor these Marines, Winnacker said.

If you drive through the streets with your windows rolled up at a high rate of speed and

honking your horn, youre probably not going to be invited back, he said.

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Boko Haram and U.S. plans in Africa (UPI)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/01/09/Boko-Haram-and-US-plans-in-Africa/UPI-88391326129046/?spt=hs&or=tn9 January 2012

ABUJA, Nigeria, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Oil-rich Nigeria is gripped by an escalating uprising byIslamist militants that has triggered massacres of Christians, including a Christmas Daysuicide bombing blitz, which the federal government seems unable to contain.

Amid deepening suspicions the Islamists are aided by al-Qaida's North African wing,which has been extending its operations southward of late, there are fears the bloodlettingcould plunge Africa's most populous state into a sectarian civil war.

Nigeria is a major oil producer that provides 8 percent of U.S. crude imports and there aresigns that Washington is growing concerned about the swelling crisis there.

In October, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to take action against the mainNigerian Islamist group, Boko Haram, which until a few months ago was widely seen asa northeastern Nigerian sect primarily concerned with domestic issues.

But as the group, whose name translates as "Western education is a sin," has escalated itsreligious war from drive-by shootings and killing Christians to more sophisticatedoperations and suicide bombings, it has evolved into a serious threat to Nigeria's stability.

Formed in the 1990s, the group demanded Islamic Sharia law to be introduced intonorthern Nigeria, which is predominantly Muslim. But in recent years it has repeatedly


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clashed with Nigeria's Christians in the central region where the two religions collide.

Nigeria's population of 150 million is roughly split evenly between the two faiths.

But the country's oil wealth is in the Christian-dominated south and little has reached the

long-neglected north, which has fanned regional resentment.

Boko Haram's growing expertise in terrorist attacks, in which hundreds of people havebeen killed, has deepened suspicions it has developed links with al-Qaida in the IslamicMaghreb, the jihadists' North African arm.

In November, it was disclosed that the U.S. Army has sent 100 Special Forces soldiers toNigeria to provide counter-insurgency training for national troops engaged against BokoHaram, the country's largest military deployment since the 1967-70 Biafra war.

This opened up a new front in the U.S. administration's shadow war in Africa, where U.S.

Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency are engaged in countering jihadistgroups in the north and east, particularly Somalia.

On Nov. 30, the U.S. House of Representatives' subcommittee on counter-terrorism andintelligence identified Boko Haram as an "emerging threat" to the United States and itsinterests and called for greater interaction with Nigerian security forces.

Many counter-terrorism specialists viewed this as an exaggeration, inflating a threat thatwould help justify administration moves to become involved in combating insurgenciesin African states, most of them dictatorial regimes, with Special Forces.

Through the U.S. military's Africa Command, established in 2007, the Americans arealready training and equipping armies in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania,Morocco, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia.

Africa Command was ostensibly set up to aid U.S. allies on the continent build up theirmilitary capabilities.

But many in Africa believe its true function is ultimately to protect U.S. access to theemerging oil wealth in West and East Africa, that can be shipped directly to the UnitedStates across the Atlantic.

This would lessen U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil from the turbulent PersianGulf, which is vulnerable to disruption, currently because of Iranian threats to block thestrategic Strait of Hormuz, the only gateway in and out of the gulf.

On Oct. 14, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was sending another 100 U.S. troops toUganda in East Africa, which recently found a major oil field in the Lake Albert basincontaining an estimated 2.5 billion barrels.


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Uganda is strategically positioned to be an export hub for the region's expanding oilwealth, as well as other mineral resources.

Obama said the deployment was to help Uganda strongman Yoweri Museveni crush along-running insurgency by the cult-like Lord's Resistance Army led by a religious

crackpot and international fugitive named Joseph Kony.

But the now much-diminished LRA has never posed a threat to the United States.

It may well be that Obama is rewarding Uganda for aiding the U.S.-backed TransitionalFederal Government in neighboring Somalia fight the al-Shabaab Islamist group linked toal-Qaida.

Uganda could be a valuable jump-off point for U.S. forces to intervene in other potentialtrouble spots in East and Central Africa, where China is making major economic inroads,should that be deemed necessary.

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Nigeria fuel strike brings country to a halt (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-164649229 January 2012

A general strike in Nigeria over the elimination of a fuel subsidy has brought the countryto a standstill.

Shops, offices, schools and petrol stations around the country closed on the first day of anindefinite strike.

In Lagos and other cities, thousands marched against the removal of the subsidy, whichhas doubled fuel costs.

Police fired on protesters in Kano in the north, reportedly killing two and woundingmany. Another demonstrator died in a clash with police in Lagos.

President Goodluck Jonathan has said the subsidy was economically unsustainable.

Thousands of people at a mass rally in Lagos are screaming and singing out against thefuel subsidy removal they say is totally unfair.

The protests are gathering pace - and the unions say the strike will go on indefinitely.

"Bad luck Jonathan," many of the protesters cry. They have a point.

The timing could not be worse for President Goodluck Jonathan, who said his fightagainst militant Islamists of Boko Haram in the north, who have recently killed dozens of


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Christians, is worse than the country's civil war in the 1960s.

He even suggested government officials may be secret members of the group.

It was the president who chose the timing of this fuel fight but it may be that the growing

unrest in the north forces his hand in this struggle too.

He cannot afford state resources being stretched for too long while the attacks in thenorth continue.In the commercial capital, Lagos, police and demonstrators clashed as about 10,000people took part in a rally against the rising fuel prices.

Some protesters waved placards bearing an effigy of President Jonathan with devil hornsand fanged teeth, and showing him pumping fuel at a gas station.

"Our leaders are not concerned about Nigerians. They are concerned about themselves,"

protester Joseph Adekolu told the Associated Press news agency.

One demonstrator was killed and three wounded, witnesses and hospital sources said.

In Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city, at least 30 people were injured as police used teargas and fired in the air to disperse protesters converging on the governor's office.

Two demonstrators later died, hospital sources said. A night-time curfew is in force in thecity.

In the capital, Abuja, trade unions and civil society groups organised a march andprotesters closed the airport.

Smuggled fuel

Fuel and transport costs doubled after the subsidy ended on 1 January, angering manyNigerians, who saw it as the only benefit they received from the country's vast oil wealth.

Most of Nigeria's 160 million people live on less than $2 (1.30) a day, so the sharp priceincreases have hit them hard.

"With these increases, the cost of transport has gone up and this has also affected the costof food, and the basic necessities of life, such as rents, school fees and medical bills,"said Chris Uyot, a spokesman for the Nigeria Labour Congress, one of the strike'sorganisers.

Nigerian Information Minister Labaran Maku called on unions to end the strike, sayingthe government was ready for dialogue.

He told the BBC the authorities were doing their best to reduce the hardship caused by


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removing the subsidy.

A similar strike in 2003 ended with a partial climbdown, when the Nigerian governmentagreed to reduce the subside, rather than scrapping it altogether.

Despite being a major oil producer, Nigeria has not invested in the infrastructure neededto produce refined fuel, so has to import much of its petrol.

With the subsidy, fuel was much cheaper in Nigeria than neighbouring countries, so someof it was smuggled abroad.

Members of parliament have called on President Jonathan to reconsider, but he made atelevised address on Saturday to defend the the subsidy cut.

"We must act in the public interest, no matter how tough, for the pains of today cannot becompared to the benefits of tomorrow," he said.

The deregulation of the petroleum sector was, he insisted, the best way to curb corruptionand ensure the survival and growth of the economy.Nigerians queued to buy petrol ahead of the strike "The truth is that we are all faced withtwo basic choices... either we deregulate and survive economically, or we continue with asubsidy regime that will continue to undermine our economy."

He said that top government officials would, from this year, take a 25% pay cut, andforeign trips would also be reduced.

The government says it will spend the $8bn (5bn) it saves each year by scrapping thesubsidy on improving health, education and the country's erratic electricity supply.

However, many Nigerians fear it is more likely to end up in the pockets of corruptofficials.

The unrest comes at the same time as a surge in sectarian violence. The Islamist militantgroup Boko Haram has carried out a string of deadly attacks in recent weeks, mainlyagainst Christian targets in the north-east.

On Monday a crowd attacked a mosque in Benin city in the south. More than 40 peoplewere injured, the Red Cross says.

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Ethiopia enters Somalia, but avoids African Union joint operation (Christian

Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2012/0106/Ethiopia-enters-Somalia-but-avoids-African-Union-joint-operation8 January 2012


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By William Davison,

After weeks of denials, the Ethiopian government has used the advent of the new year toofficially acknowledge it had rejoined the battle against militants in neighboring Somalia.

The arrival of Ethiopian troops from the west who officially left in 2009 after deposingthe Islamic Courts in a 2.5 year campaign buttresses the efforts of Ugandan, Burundian,Djiboutian and Kenyan forces, all now fighting under the banner of the African Union.

Unlike the Kenyans, who initially independently entered southern Somalia in October,Bereket says Ethiopia has no intention of becoming part of the African Union operation and so receiving funds for their efforts from the European Union and others. This self-reliant stance backs up official statements it has no intention of staying for long.

Ethiopian troops first crossed the border again in the middle of November, according toThe New York Times. As the government denied the claims of multiple eye-witnesses,

the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development a group of seven East Africannations chaired currently by Ethiopia's leader Meles Zenawi requested support fromEthiopian forces at a meeting a few days later.

The subsequent coyness about the operation is due to not wanting to hand Islamistextremists Al Shabab a propaganda coup about an invading Christian army, sources closeto the Ethiopian government say. Although the diverse country of 82.9 million contains25 million Muslims, Ethiopia has a long-standing connection to Orthodox Christianityand Christians comprise 62 percent of the population, according to a 2008 census.

While ethnic Somali rebels sporadically attack in Ethiopia's Ogaden region, whichSomalia attempted to annex in an unsuccessful 1977 invasion, it does not fear a resurgentneighbour. "Ethiopia is not worried about a strong Somalia for many years," says anadviser to the Ethiopian government, privately.

Instead, the incursion which is described as closer to a continuation of cross-borderraiding than a repeat of 2006 is a result of Ethiopia's desire to fulfil its role as regionalpowerhouse and exploit a unique opportunity to dispose of Al Shabab.

Even if the Al Qaeda-linked rebels are diffused, cutting off funds by controlling the likesof Kismayo port while attacking on multiple fronts could lead to demoralization,defections, and moves toward negotiations by moderate factions, it is believed.

As with the June deployment of Ethiopian peacekeepers in the flashpoint Sudaneseregion of Abyei, such action helps Ethiopia maintain its tight relations with influentialWestern allies.

Although there is little reason for optimism, the eventual onset of peace in Somalia wouldgive land-locked Ethiopia the stable neighbour it desires, and access to its ports.


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Major aid operation launched in South Sudan (Al-Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/20121952732882216.html9 January 2012

UN responds to call for help from central government after thousands flee inter-tribeconflict in Jonglei state.

Aid groups are mounting a "major emergency operation" in rural South Sudan after tribe-on-tribe violence sent tens of thousands of people fleeing and killed an unknown numberof people, the UN said.

The UN says that three whole villages were burned to the ground and aid groups haveevacuated 140 people who were wounded.

Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, said on Saturday that

aid groups are responding to a call for help from South Sudan's central government.

A column of 6,000 armed men from the Lou Nuer ethnic group were reported to havemarched into Pibor in Jonglei state to target the Murle community in late December andearly January.

Neither the central government or the UN has been able to give a final death toll.

The Juba-based central government says it is launching an investigation. A governmentofficial in Jonglei has said that thousands of people were killed but that number has notbeen corroborated.

Thousands affected

Aid groups estimated that 60,000 people have been affected by the violence, the UN said,while tens of thousands have fled their homes and urgent needs include high-nutritionalfood, clean water, health care and shelter.

"This emergency operation is going to be one of the most complex and expensive inSouth Sudan since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005," Grandesaid, adding that most areas that need to be reached can only be reached by air.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was the peace deal that ended decades of warbetween Sudan and South Sudan.

The UN launched an emergency humanitarian effort, responding to a wave of violence inSouth Sudan.

"Delivering assistance by air is hugely expensive compared to delivery by road.Unfortunately, in the areas affected in Jonglei, we don't have a choice," she said.


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The Red Cross said earlier this month it was trying to reconnect 150 young children withtheir missing parents after tens of thousands of residents of South Sudan ran into the bushwhile fleeing the impending attack. Many of those parents are feared to be dead.

Columns of fighters from the Lou Nuer ethnic group marched into Pibor to target theMurle community, two tribes that have traded violent attacks over the last several yearsthat have killed thousands. Much of the communities' animosity stems from cattle raidingattacks.

South Sudan fought a decades-long civil war with northern neighbour Sudan, a war thatculminated in a 2005 peace deal that saw the partitioning of Sudan and the birth of SouthSudan last July.

The new border between the two countries remains tense, with sporadic cross-borderattacks taking place. But the violence between the Lou Nuer and the Murle inside South

Sudan is a reminder of the challenges the world's newest country faces inside its ownborders.

Grande said that aid groups in South Sudan are overly stretched. Military operations inthe states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, in Sudan, have forced 75,000 to seek refugein South Sudan.

In addition, aid groups are helping some 360,000 South Sudanese who have returnedfrom Sudan since late 2010.

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Protests mark South Sudan peace day (Africa Review)

http://www.africareview.com/News/Protests+mark+South+Sudan+peace+day/-/979180/1302540/-/u56wly/-/index.html9 January 2012By Machel Amos

Hundreds of youths took to the streets in Juba Monday morning, protesting against theescalating ethnic tensions between the Lou-Nuer and Murle in the troubled Jonglei stateof South Sudan.

The activists said the government has failed to act in the face of the fierce ethnic violencethat has reportedly claimed about 3,000 lives in less than three weeks.

The activists matched along the streets of Juba city from Nyakuron Cultural Centre to thecity centre through Dr John Garang's Mausoleum.

The unrelenting protesters interrupted traffic flow in the city forcing police to guidetraffic.


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We are mobilising citizens to all come forward, to all turn against these acts and alsoshow the government that we want an end to them, said Census Kabang Lo-liyong, amember of the Concerned Citizens, a South Sudanese activist group.

Revenge act

The recent Lou-Nuer attack on Pibor was a revenge act after the Murle attacked andkilled over 600 people in Pierri village in Uror County in the same state last September.

We are angry that such acts are continuing to happen every year in our country.Tribalism has continued to happen, conflict has continued to happen and not much isbeing done and we [in the government] are not showing that we are concerned, she said.

A disarmament exercise announced earlier hasnt commenced yet and the governmentinstead alleges that the communities are being armed by the neighbouring Sudan and

allied rebels.

###

Bashir hails fall of Gaddafi on Libya tour (AFP)

http://www.france24.com/en/20120107-sudan-bashir-visit-libya-national-transitional-council-gaddafi8 January 2012

In Tripoli on a two-day visit, Sudans president and alleged war criminal Omar al-Bashircalled the fall of the Gaddafi regime the "best gift" to his country. Human Rights Watchslammed Libyas new government for hosting an "international fugitive."

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted globally for genocide and war crimes, said onSaturday in Tripoli that the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime was the "best gift" to hiscountry from Libya.

His arrival in Tripoli marked Bashir's first Libya visit since Kadhafi was ousted, but thetrip faced strong criticism from New York-based Human Rights Watch, which said thathosting such an "international fugitive" sent troubling signals about the commitment ofLibya's new rulers to human rights.

Wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2009 on charges of genocide andwar crimes in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, Bashir said that after Libya, Kadhafiinflicted the most damage in Sudan.

"We came to thank the Libyan thwars (revolutionaries) for what they gave us, the bestgift to Sudan in its modern history," Bashir, referring to Kadhafi's overthrow, said at ajoint press conference with Libya's Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the National


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Transitional Council.

"Injustice, aggression and violence led to the division of Sudan, and this had the directsupport of Kadhafi," said Bashir.

"When I visited Libya (during Kadhafi's rule), everyone thought we were friends, but Iwas stabbed with a knife in the back," the Sudanese leader added.

Bashir, who claims that Sudan provided weapons to help oust Kadhafi, said the latestvisit felt "like it was the first time," adding that he came to underline Sudan's support forthe Libyan people and the country's new government that took charge after ending fourdecades of dictatorship.

Khartoum had an uneasy relationship with Kadhafi's Libya. The former Libyanstrongman, who was also wanted by the ICC for suppressing the revolt against him,poured arms across the border into Darfur and long sought greater influence in Sudan's

ravaged western region.

Bashir has claimed that a deadly 2008 attack on Khartoum by the Justice and EqualityMovement (JEM), the most heavily armed Darfur rebel group, was financed by theLibyan government and fought with Libyan weapons.

In 2010, Kadhafi's regime offered sanctuary to JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, who waskilled in Sudan last month after his return to the country.

Libya's presence was felt in a different way in the capital Khartoum, where state-runLafico, the Libyan Foreign Investment Company, spent 130 million euros (190 milliondollars) building the Burj al-Fateh Hotel, which opened in 2008. With its egg-shapeddesign, Sudan's flashiest accommodation became a city landmark.

Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, strongly criticisedBashir's visit to Libya.

"Omar al-Bashir is an international fugitive from an arrest warrant for genocide, crimesagainst humanity and war crimes," Dicker told AFP by telephone from New York.

"His arrival in Tripoli sends a disturbing signal about NTC's commitment to human rightsand the rule of law."

Dicker said the rule of law should take precedence over political ties.

"Whatever the political history and ties between the NTC and Omar al-Bashir in the past,respect for human rights, not to mention concerns for hundreds of thousands of Darfurvictims, takes priority," he said.

"This is what adhering to the rule of law is all about."


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Sudanese rebels seeking to overthrow Bashir also urged Libya to arrest him.

"We are calling for the Libyan authorities to arrest Bashir and send him to the ICCbecause he committed crimes against his people in Darfur," Ibrahim al-Hillu, of Darfur's

Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction headed by Abdelwahid Nur, told AFP.

He was speaking on behalf of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front formed last year thatgroups together two other Darfur rebel groups, including the JEM, and the SPLM-Nrebels based elsewhere in Sudan.

He asked Libya's new leaders not to provide funding to Bashir "because he is using thismoney to kill" his own people.

When asked about Libya's approach to international justice, Abdel Jalil, standingalongside Bashir, said that "Tripoli was not outside Arab and African organisations."

Libya is not legally bound to arrest Bashir as it is not a signatory to the ICC's foundingRome Statute.

The fighting in Darfur, which first erupted between non-Arab rebels and the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in 2003, has killed at least 300,000 people, accordingto the United Nations.

Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000.

Abdel Jalil, meanwhile, said Libya would invest in Sudan's agriculture and real estatesectors.

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The Arab revolutions: A view from Sahel (BBC)

http://thedailynewsegypt.com/global-views/the-arab-revolutions-a-view-from-sahel.html8 January 2012By Modibo Goita

Arab revolutions have caused regime change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, violentuprisings in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, and demonstrations in Algeria, Jordan andMorocco. These dramatic recent events in the Arab world have generated speculationamong experts regarding ramifications for the Arab world, Israel, Africa and NATO.

I believe the winners thus far are the Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan peoples who gainedthe sovereign right to choose their rulers. The triumphant Islamic parties still have tofulfill the people's expectations and succeed where their predecessors failed for centuries.We know that democracy cannot be built overnight.


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The Arab League appears to be a winner even as it has exercised a double standard. Onthe one hand, it initiated a no-fly zone over Libya, requested United Nations interventionand supported Security Council resolution 1973 authorizing "all necessary measures" toprotect civilians there. On the other, in Syria the Arab League reacted more softly though this constitutes huge progress when compared to the League's silence after the

Hama crackdown of 1982 and in Bahrain it failed completely to condemn therepression.

The new rulers emerging from the revolutions will sooner or later reveal their approach tothe issue of peace in the Middle East. Certainly, Israel must revise its position and givepeace a new opportunity. Meanwhile, it is both a winner and a loser. Having lost itsalliance with Turkey, it may now lose Egypt. But a potential civil war in Syria and thearmy's breakup there would tilt the balance of forces overwhelmingly in Israel's favor to agreater extent than at any time since 1967. Hence any new ruler in Damascus will resumenegotiations with Israel over return of the Golan Heights from a fragile position.

For the countries of the Sahel, the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi generated athreat. This has taken the form of proliferation of weapons from Gaddafi-era arms depotsand the forced return of Sahel nationals after accusations of mercenary activities andtorture by anti-Gaddafi fighters. Some former members of the Libyan army armed withheavy weapons have infiltrated Sahel states like Mali.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, "the Libyan arsenal has provided enoughweapons to arm the entire African continent." Imagine man-portable missiles falling intothe hands of terrorist groups in the Sahel. This concern led Mali President AmadouToumani Toure to declare that the "Arab spring will bring a burning summer for theregion." Indeed, the entire Sahel region could now be destabilized.

For many Africans, leaders and others, Gaddafi's death meant the loss of a prodigalfriend. Such was Gaddafi's financial largesse that even the famous London School ofEconomics received a donation from the foundation of his son, Saif al-lslam (that hasnow cast doubt over the way he got his PhD). African Union Commission Chairman JeanPing ironically asked, "who has not got money from [Gaddafi]?" Full disclosure of thebeneficiaries of Gaddafi's huge gifts would cause considerable surprise.

In Mali's capital, demonstrators have expressed support for Gaddafi and a special prayerservice was held in his memory. He is remembered by many as an Arab leader whoinvested billions of West African CFA francs and sustained more than 3,000 Islamicschools and mosques.

The African Union appears to be a big loser vis-a-vis the Arab revolutions because itfailed to condemn violent repression in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. It sought instead to actas a neutral mediator, only to see its peace plan turned down by the Libyan NationalTransitional Council. Meanwhile Gabon, Nigeria, South Africa, the Islamic Conferenceand the Non-Aligned Movement supported the United Nations' position. It is easy toexplain this gap in communication: Gaddafi was one of the founders of the AU and


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contributed almost 15 percent of its budget. His death will certainly mark the end of his"United States of Africa" project. Even more deplorable is the AU silence over the ill-treatment inflicted on African migrants after Gaddafi's fall.

I expect that African defense experts learned something from NATO's performance in

Libya. The NATO states demonstrated their military capacity (executing more than26,000 sorties) to intervene outside Europe. As French Minister of the Interior ClaudeGueant acknowledged, in providing intelligence and weapons to rebels and puttingGaddafi's convoy at their mercy, NATO's actions even exceeded its UN mandate.

The military lesson is that poorly-equipped and ill-trained armies are no match against airsupremacy in modern warfare. Accordingly, Algeria will probably now better defend itsstrategic interests within the framework of its collective security agreement with Mali,Mauritania and Niger, take the offensive and exercise the right of hot pursuit as agreedamong the members. Moreover, Algeria and Morocco must now find a way to cooperatein order better to confront the threat of chaos emerging from their southern flank.

Otherwise, they both must prepare to encounter unavoidable foreign intervention.

The political lessons to be learned by the leader of a developing country a non-nuclearstate that has failed to satisfy the basic needs of its population are, first, that Africanyouth can erupt like a volcano and, second, that threatening to wipe out your ownpopulation or annihilate that of another state will trigger the international responsibility toprotect endangered civilians.

Modibo Goita is a professor at the Peacekeeping School in Bamako, Mali. The positionspresented here are personal and represent no official point of view.

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END REPORT

AFRICOM Related-News clips 10 January 2012

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