AFRICOM Related News Clips 11, February 2011

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United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office11 February 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

U.S. Army Africa Commander Arrives (New Times)(Rwanda) The Commander of the U.S. Army Africa (USARAF), Maj. Gen. David Hogg,

arrived in the country yesterday afternoon for a three-day visit.

US AFRICOM Commander tours Rwanda (African Press Agency)(Rwanda) The new Commander of the United States Africa Command Land Forces,(USARAF), Major General David Hogg, arrived in Rwanda for a three-day visit, APAlearnt here Thursday.

AFRICOM Commander Retires Next Month (Ghana.gov)(Ghana) The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), GeneralWilliam E ¶Kip· Ward retires next month after nearly forty years as a soldier and threeyears as the AFRICOM Commander.

A Positive Role Model on the African Continent (Ghana.gov)The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General William E¶Kip· Ward at a press briefing in Accra, has commended the Ghana Armed Forces(GAF)as being the most professional and respected Armed Force on the Africancontinent.

AF spends $50M to upgrade Ethiopian airport (AF Times)(Ethiopia) The Air Force is reportedly spending up to $50 million to upgrade an airportin southern Ethiopia, a crucial ally in an unstable region.

Tomorrow Is Armed Forces Day (The Inquirer)(Liberia) The Commander of the United States Africa Command, General William E.'Kip' Ward will grace tomorrow's ceremony at the Barclay Training Center and theCoast Guard Base.

US 'alarmed' at Zimbabwe violence (AFP)



(Zimbabwe) The United States on Thursday expressed alarm at new violence inZimbabwe, accusing President Robert Mugabe's party of carrying out the attacks aheadof possible elections this year.

America's newest terrorist threat: Officials eye Somali extremist group Al-Shabaab

(New York Daily News)(Somalia) America's top counterterror officials for the first time warned Thursday thatthey expect a Somali extremist group to emerge as a major new threat to the U.S.homeland.

Defection reveals foreigners' role in Somali war (Associated Press)(Somalia) Hundreds of foreign fighters have brought battlefield knowledge and cash tothe insurgent group called al-Shabab. But their hardline ideology alienates manySomalis.

AU Prepares Report on Ivory Coast Crisis (Voice of America)(Ivory Coast) African Union officials in Ivory Coast are preparing to report back to aheads-of-state panel charged with resolving the political crisis.

Official: More than 63M Nigerians register to vote (Associated Press)(Nigeria) The head of Nigeria's election commission says the oil-rich nation hasregistered more than 63 million voters ahead of its coming April elections.

South Sudan ceasefire broken: Athor attacks Jonglei (BBC)(Sudan) At least 16 people have been killed after rebels attacked south Sudan's army,

shattering a ceasefire, officials say.

Algerians say they want change but not chaos (Reuters)(Algeria) Many Algerians believe their country needs new people at the helm to restorehope and create jobs, but change must be smooth because after years of Islamist strife inwhich 200,000 died they cannot face more turmoil.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Websitey DR Congo: UN helps provide psychotherapy, training for rape victims

y W estern Sahara: UN reports progress in efforts to reunite separated families

y T op UN refugee official urges end to Ivorian stalemate to ease humanitariancrisis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 2:00 pm; Brookings InstitutionWHAT Access During Humanitarian Crises: Barriers to Protection and Assistance



WHO: Claude Wild, Head of the Political Affairs Division IV, Swiss FederalDepartment of Foreign Affairs, The Swiss Confederation; Elizabeth FerrisSenior Fellow and Co-Director, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, TheBrookings Institution; Buti Kale, Deputy Regional Representative for the United Statesand the Caribbean, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;

Martin de Boer, Deputy Head, Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada,International Committee of the Red Cross; Gerry Martone, Director, HumanitarianAffairs, International Rescue Committee; Ashraf Hadari, Political Counselor, Embassyof AfghanistanInfo:https://www.cvent.com/EVENTS/Register/IdentityConfirmation.aspx?e=1fbbf519-874e-4ac1-a753-9c1c457ca0aa

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 10:00 am; US Institute of PeaceWHAT: Can Nigeria Hold Credible Elections?

WHO: Peter M. Lewis, Director, African Studies Program, School of AdvancedInternational Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Dave Peterson, Director ofAfrica Programs, National Endowment for Democracy; Ambassador Robin Sanders,Co-Moderator, International Affairs Advisor, Africare; David Smock, Co-Moderator,Senior Vice President, U. S. Institute of PeaceInfo: http://www.usip.org/events/will-nigerias-elections-be-credible ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

U.S. Army Africa Commander Arrives (New Times)

Kigali ³ The Commander of the U.S. Army Africa (USARAF), Maj. Gen. David Hogg,arrived in the country yesterday afternoon for a three-day visit.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, his visit is aimed atstrengthening the partnership between USARAF and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).The General will hold discussions with senior RDF officers about regional security.

He will visit the peace keeping operations centre, at the Rwanda Military Academy inGako, and the genocide memorial centre, at Gisozi.

Headquartered in Vicenza, Italy, USARAF is the land forces component of U.S.AFRICOM, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany and led by Gen. William E. Ward.--------------------US AFRICOM Commander tours Rwanda (African Press Agency)



Kigali The new Commander of the United States Africa Command Land Forces,(USARAF), Major General David Hogg, arrived in Rwanda for a three-day visit, APAlearnt here Thursday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, General Hogg·s visit is aimed at

strengthening the partnership between USARAF and the Rwanda Defence Force inensuring security in the region.

During his stay in Rwanda, the General will hold discussions with senior RwandaDefence Forces officers on Great Lakes regional security.

Hogg will also visit the peacekeeping operations centre at the Rwanda MilitaryAcademy in Gako, and the Kigali genocide memorial centre, at Gisozi.

General Hogg replaces General William E. Ward who was recently in Rwanda to bid

farewell as he was going for other duties.--------------------AFRICOM Commander Retires Next Month (Ghana.gov)

The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General William E¶Kip· Ward retires next month after nearly forty years as a soldier and three years as theAFRICOM Commander.

General Ward disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra when he interacted with someGhanaian media as part of his final official trip to Africa as the commander of US Africa

Command. He is visiting four West African countries including Ghana.

He expressed his appreciation to the Ghana Armed Forces for hosting two majoractivities last year. Serving first as major hub for AFRICOM maritime programme ² theAfrica Partnership Station and secondly for hosting Africa Endeavour 2010, a majorcommunication·s exercise, held here in August.

General Ward became the first commander of AFRICOM in Stuttgart, Germany, onOctober 1, 2007. The Command is one of six unified command structure.

Prior to assuming his current position, Ward was Deputy Commander, HeadquartersUS European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He previously served as the DeputyCommanding General /Chief of Staff, US Army Europe and Seventh Army. While inthis capacity he was selected by the State to serve as the United States SecurityCoordinator, Israel ² Palestinian Authority where he served from March throughDecember 2005.



Among many awards and badges of General Ward include the Defense DistinguishedService Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster); the Distinguished Service Medal; the DefenseSuperior Service Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters); the Legion of Merits (with threeOak Leaf Clusters).

He is to handover to General Carter Ham as the next AFRICOM Commander.

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) is one of six of the DefenseDepartment·s regional military headquarters, was declared a fully unified command onOctober 1, 2008. As such, Africa Command has administrative responsibility for USmilitary support to US government policy in Africa, to include military-to-militaryrelationships with 53 African Nations.

The other five regional commands and their locations are: US Central Command,Tempa, Florida; US European Command, Stuttgart, Germany; US Northern Command,

Colorado springs, Colorado; US Pacific Command, Honolulu, Hawaii, and US SouthernCommand, Miami, Forida.

Through strong and lasting strategic partnerships with African partners and bydelivering sustained, effective, and coherent security cooperation programme. USAfrica Command helps foster more stable and secure Africa.--------------------A Positive Role Model on the African Continent (Ghana.gov)

The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General William E

¶Kip· Ward at a press briefing in Accra, has commended the Ghana Armed Forces(GAF)as being the most professional and respected Armed Force on the Africancontinent.

The GAFs reputation he said, has reached beyond the borders of Ghana, earning thetrust and respect of Ghanaians, making the GAF a positive role model in Ghana andbeyond.

He said the activities of the military in any country are watched by its citizens. Theyserve as examples in society and that can either be a positive or negative example.

General Ward indicated that African nations have an important role to play in ensuringglobal safety and security.

The establishment of Africa Command has had an important advantage for the sub-region, including increased engagement from the United States to support initiativesand partnerships that enhance security on a regional and global scale.



The partnership, according to General Ward is the Command·s long-term securityobjectives that will enable Africans enjoy peace and prosperity.

He reaffirmed AFRICOM·s commitment to Ghana and other partner nations to assistthem with their defence-oreinted endeavours.

The decision to create US Africa Command was met with some uncertainty andtrepidation, but its operations in the last couple of years have proven that AFRICOM isa trusted partner.

He stressed that AFRICOM is not seeking to establish its headquarters or permanentbase in Ghana or elsewhere in Africa, saying ´the headquarters is located in Germanyand will be for the foreseeable future.µ

General Ward retires in March after three years of service as AFRICOM Commander

after 40 years of service. He will be handing over command to General Carter Ham.--------------------AF spends $50M to upgrade Ethiopian airport (AF Times)

The Air Force is reportedly spending up to $50 million to upgrade an airport insouthern Ethiopia, a crucial ally in an unstable region.

The Addis Fortune newspaper reports the U.S. is extending the runway and upgradingfacilities at Arba Minch, a town of less than 75,000 that sits about 600 miles away fromthe Somali border. It is also less than 200 miles away from the border of Southern

Sudan, which will become an independent nation in July.

Spokeswomen at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa did not return e-mails seekingconfirmation of the report and more details.

The Fortune, an English-language independent weekly, said the airport renovationswill include lengthening the runway and building modern facilities. The improvedrunway will be able to support C-17 Globemaster IIIs, the newspaper reported, citingdiplomatic sources.

The Fortune reported ´mobilization of construction materials and clearing the area ofwild bushesµ was already underway, and heavy equipment was clearing earth from thesite.

´A mountain of wood, piled up after clearing from the construction site, has beenvisible on the opposite side of the airport·s gates, according to eye witnesses in the townFortune spoke to,µ the newspaper reported. ´The project site is under heavy militaryguard, with U.S. troops seen patrolling the area, according to these eye witnesses.µ



Ethiopia receives millions of dollars in military aid from the U.S. each year, andAmerican troops help train Ethiopia·s 200,000-strong military. Many Africa observersbelieve Ethiopia·s 2006 invasion of Somalia to topple its nascent Islamist governmentwas launched at the insistence of the Pentagon.

Military and diplomatic officials have long warned about the danger of Somalia, whosefledgling government battles warlords and Islamist militias for control over land. Al-Shabaab, a group that has pledged loyalty to al-Qaida and counts American citizens inits ranks, bombed a café in neighboring Uganda and killed 74 in July. American officialsare concerned the group could carry out future attacks against the U.S. and its allies.

American special operations forces have reportedly carried out numerous attacks insideSomalia, including the killing of a senior al-Qaida leader in southern Somalia. ThePentagon never confirmed the attack or others like it took place.

The emergence of an independent oil-rich Southern Sudan also likely makes ArbaMinch·s location attractive to U.S. officials. Southerners overwhelmingly voted forindependence earlier this year, and President Obama announced his intent to recognizethe country in July.--------------------Tomorrow Is Armed Forces Day (The Inquirer)

Defence Minister SamukaiThe Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia,Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is expected to grace the official celebration of the 54th Armed

Forces Day at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia tomorrow. Also, as part ofactivities marking the celebration, President Johnson-Sirleaf will commission two coastguard boats that would help patrol the coastal waters of Liberia. This exercise is part ofGovernment's commitment to protect the country's coast which has over the yearswitnessed illegal activities, including smuggling and over-fishing. President Johnson-Sirleaf who will also address the ceremony will remind Liberians once again of theimportance of a capable Armed Forces and contrasting today's professional militarywith the uncontrollable and unaccountable force that used to terrorize citizens in thepast.

At the same time, the Minister of National Defense in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Prince Adetokunbo A. Kayode will deliver the keynote address at the official in-doorprogram tomorrow. This year's celebration, under the theme ´Fostering a credible,cohesive, and robust AFL, through resource availability and enduring relationship,µwill bring together officers from the security sector of the country as well as otherdignitaries from government's partners.



Earlier, the Assistant Minister for Public Affairs at the Ministry of National Defense,David K. Dahn told journalists in Monrovia that the selection of the Nigerian MilitaryBoss was based on the numerous roles Nigeria has played in the peace process ofLiberia and the numerous contributions Nigeria has made in several sectors in post warLiberia.

The Commander of the United States Africa Command, General William E. 'Kip' Wardwill also grace tomorrow's ceremony at the Barclay Training Center and the CoastGuard Base. General ward became the first Commander of AFRICOM on October 1,2007. The U.S. Africa Command is one of six unified geographic command within theDepartment of defense unified command structure.

General Ward will also address newly trained soldiers of the AFL, officers of the LiberiaNational Police and youth leaders from Liberian Universities today at the publicDiplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. The US General will speak on the

topic ´African Americans in the United States Military.µ Prior to the indoor program,officers of the Liberia security sector are expected to parade through the principalstreets of Monrovia and it's also expected that officials from the three branches ofgovernment would grace the occasion in commemoration of the day.

The Defense Assistant boss explained that activities marking this year's celebrationcommenced on February 4, with a special Jummat service at the Newport Street Mosquein Monrovia. The service afforded Muslim officers serving in the AFL the opportunityto appreciate God for His grace and mercy bestowed upon them.

Last Saturday, officers of the AFL carried out a massive clean-up campaign in severalparts of the city and soldiers who are Christians also assembled at the Catholic SacredHeart Cathedral Church on Broad Street for a thanksgiving and intercessory prayerservice.

Other activities of the celebration included a symposium under the theme: ´TheChallenges of Resource Mobilization and Budgetary Support for the new Armed Forcesof Liberia.µ Finance Minister, Augustine K. Ngafuan addressed the Tuesday'ssymposium at the Monrovia City Hall. The celebration will also see officers of theArmed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone in a soccer match with the Armed Forcesof Liberia today, February 10, while the women of the AFL will also engage in a kickballmatch with the women of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization at theAntoinette Tubman Stadium in central Monrovia. Read page 3 for the Act that createdArmed Forces Day.--------------------US 'alarmed' at Zimbabwe violence (AFP)



HARARE ² The United States on Thursday expressed alarm at new violence inZimbabwe, accusing President Robert Mugabe's party of carrying out the attacks aheadof possible elections this year.

"The United States is alarmed by, and condemns, the recent spate of political violence

perpetrated by youths and opportunists affiliated with elements of ZANU-PF," the USembassy in Harare said in a statement.

The statement came days after hordes of youths, some of whom were wearing ZANU-PF t-shirts, attacked traders at a popular mall in the capital.

The youths claimed they were protesting the slow implementation of equity regulationsto give locals majority shares in foreign-owned firms.

"Such unlawful actions violate the global political agreement and demonstrate that the

undermining of the rule of law has not changed fundamentally," the embassy said.

"We commend the restraint shown by those victimized or affected by these assaults innot responding with violence. The U.S. calls on all parties to sincerely renounce violenceas a political tool and for the law enforcement community to uphold the rule of lawwithout partisan bias.

ZANU-PF has blamed all the cases of violence on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai'sMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and police have arrested severalmembers of Tsvangirai's party.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government in 2009 to avoid a descentinto civil war in the aftermath of a bloody presidential run-off election and mend aneconomy ravaged by hyperinflation.

Mugabe is pushing for elections when the compromise pact expires on Friday despite anew constitution which is supposed to pave the way for the new polls being notfinalised.

As part of the power-share pact the parties agreed to draft a new constitution, amendmedia and electoral laws to ensure free and fair elections.--------------------America's newest terrorist threat: Officials eye Somali extremist group Al-Shabaab (New York Daily News)

WASHINGTON - America's top counterterror officials for the first time warnedThursday that they expect a Somali extremist group to emerge as a major new threat tothe U.S. homeland.



The Al-Shabaab "youth movement" is stocked with dozens of Somali-Americans whohave flocked to the lawless Horn of Africa country to fight the weak U.S.-backedtransitional federal government.

"We remain vigilant that al-Shabaab may expand its focus from fighting to controlSomalia to plotting to attack the (U.S.) homeland," Director of National Intelligence Lt.Gen. James Clapper told a congressional hearing.

Clapper said al-Shabaab's "cadre of Westerners includes American converts, some ofwhom have assumed leadership positions."

At least one American, Adnan Shukrijumah, is now a senior operational commander inAl Qaeda as well.

Al-Shabaab - a favorite franchise of Osama Bin Laden which boasts of its long-standingties to Al Qaeda - rose in prominence after a CIA-backed military offensive routed theradical Islamic Courts Union from Mogadishu in 2006.

Thousands joined its ranks after militant leader Aden Hashi Farah Ayro's killing by U.S.special operations forces two years later.

U.S. intelligence officials have told the Daily News that al-Shabaab would be Al Qaeda'slargest army if it becomes organized.

The Somali group also publicly aligns itself with Yemen's Al Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula, which Clapper pegged as America's greatest threat now.

"Absent more effective and sustained activities to disrupt them, some regional affiliates- particularly Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al-Shabaab in Somalia - probablywill grow stronger," Clapper told the House Intelligence Committee.

He said AQAP was "energized" by how close it came to taking down a jet over Detroiton Christmas Day 2009 with a bomb hidden in Umar Abdulmutallab's underwear.

In October, AQAP almost blew up FedEx and UPS cargo jets over the East coast, but thebombs were discovered after a Saudi intelligence tip.

AQAP and its leader, Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, are now seeking to usechemical and biological weapons, officials testified.

Bin Laden's group in Pakistan "continues to be damaged" by a CIA drone onslaught,but still "aspires to spectacular attacks" against the West, Clapper said.



"Al Qaeda's senior leadership in Pakistan remains committed to obtaining all kinds ofweapons of mass destruction," added National Counterterrorism Center directorMichael Leiter, but "their ability to do so has been greatly diminished since 9/11."

Clapper also revealed that the Al Qaeda-linked Pakistani group behind the 2008Mumbai attacks, Lashkar-e-Taiba, has now joined the fight in neighboring Afghanistanand is "an increasing threat to U.S. forces."--------------------Defection reveals foreigners' role in Somali war (Associated Press)

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- After Mohamed Ibrahim Suley joined Somalia's al-Qaida-linked insurgency, foreign fighters taught him how to plant bombs and planassassinations. He fought alongside an Indian, an Eritrean and an American.

But after five years, Suley grew disillusioned by the deaths and by the actions of seniorcommanders. Then one day, during a firefight against government forces, one of theforeign fighters deliberately shot Suley. The foreigner was displeased because Suley hadstopped to attend to a wounded friend.

Hundreds of foreign fighters have brought battlefield knowledge and cash to theinsurgent group called al-Shabab. But their hardline ideology alienates many Somalis.For his part, Suley abandoned the militia after the foreign fighter turned on him.

"I defected from al-Shabab because I was deliberately shot by a foreigner," the 29-year-

old Suley told a reporter, pulling up his shirt to show bullet scars. "He shot me in theback after I had defied his order to not to help some of my friends."

Suley's experiences, relayed at a fortified government position in Mogadishu in aninterview arranged by a public relations firm working for the United Nations, illustratethe complex relationship between Somali insurgents and foreigners who have joinedthem to topple the country's weak U.N.-backed government. The foreigners are oftenblamed for promoting a more hardline version of Islam than Somalis are used to,alienating the local population, but al-Shabab cannot afford to dump them.

Foreign intelligence services say a few hundred foreign fighters are helping train al-Shabab and carry out attacks. Most are from other countries in East Africa, but a fewcome from further afield - Chechnya, Pakistan and even America. They provide cash,skills, and volunteers fluent in English to become suicide bombers. Some teach theinsurgency increasingly sophisticated tactics, propaganda and bomb-making.



On the advice of teachers at Suley's religious school in the city of Kismayo, he and 39other students joined an Islamist training camp in 2006. They learned to plant landmines and plan assassinations.

Among the instructors, Suley said, was an Indian man nicknamed Abumuslim and an

Eritrean. Later, in the Somali capital, he briefly met a white American recruit - OmarHammami from Alabama, according to Suley's account. Nicknamed Abumansur Al-Amriki, Hammami has starred in al-Shabab recruitment videos that have been postedonline.

"He would organize and lead to us to the fighting. Most of time he was carrying awalkie-talkie," Suley said, adding that al-Shabab fighters preferred walkie-talkies tomobile phones because they feared cell phone conversations could be intercepted.

Sniper attacks are rising, and intelligence analysts say it's because of the training camps

run by foreigners. There was one insurgent sniper attack in December 2009, but inDecember 2010 there were 18, according to the African Union, which has deployed8,000 troops to Somalia to back the government.

Some foreigners have high-ranking positions within the insurgency and do long-termstrategic planning, said Lauren Gelfand, the Africa and Middle East editor of Jane'sDefence Weekly, a military publication. But Gelfand said others are young recruitshoping to gain experience in Somalia to start their own Islamist uprisings at home.

Fighters who do not have military skills but can speak fluent English have been used as

suicide bombers because they can get past checkpoints.

Suley said many of his friends and classmates who took up arms with him had died inthe war.

"Every day I would see casualties from my side," Suley said.

He says he became disillusioned by the deaths and from seeing senior commanderssend young recruits - often children - to the front lines while they themselves stayed outof harm's way. Being shot by the foreign fighter was the last straw, but now Suley hasnowhere to go.

Scores have defected from al-Shabab since 2007, said a Nairobi based security official.There's no program to reintegrate them, and if Suley ventures outside the small areacontrolled by the government he would likely be killed.

The government - which is totally dependent on foreign support - is trying to design areintegration program. But donors are reluctant to back it because disarmament is



complicated and the financial commitment could grow, the official said, citingdiscussions he had been party to. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnot authorized to speak to the press.

Somali Defense Minister Abdihakim Mohamud Hajji Fiqi said there have been at least

seven defections so far this year.--------------------AU Prepares Report on Ivory Coast Crisis (Voice of America)

African Union officials in Ivory Coast are preparing to report back to a heads-of-statepanel charged with resolving the political crisis. Ivory Coast's incumbent governmentsays the mediation shows that West African leaders have failed in their push topromote the internationally-recognized winner of the presidential election.

African Union officials have been in Abidjan this week, meeting with representatives of

incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and the United-Nations-certified winner ofNovember's vote, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara.

Those officials will draft a report for review by the leaders of Burkina Faso, Chad,Mauritania, South Africa, and Tanzania, who have been asked by the African Union tocome up with a way to resolve Ivory Coast's political crisis by the end of the month.

West African leaders say widespread support for Mr. Ouattara is slipping because someheads of state are now backing Mr. Gbagbo.

"The solidarity that started amongst us and in the international community is fast beingeroded because certain countries have taken sides and therefore are disagreeing withthe decision already taken," said James Gbeho, who chairs the Economic Community ofWest African States, or ECOWAS.

Gbagbo advisor Yao Gnamien says the African Union mediation shows ECOWAS hasfailed.

"The ECOWAS failed to solve the problem. How can they sanction President Gbagbowithout listening to him? They were thinking that President Gbagbo has not beenelected. Instead of saying that, they should have come to investigate first," saidGnamien.

Gnamien told VOA that the African Union will clearly show that Mr. Gbagbo won re-election.



"The stay of the experts in Cote d'Ivoire will tell all the world what was going on inCote d'Ivoire after the election, and then we will see whether the president is guilty ornot," he said.

But Gnamien says the African Union panel must not question the legitimacy of the

constitutional counsel decision that is the basis of Mr. Gbagbo's re-election. The counselannulled as fraudulent nearly ten percent of all ballots cast, reversing electoralcommission results that declared Mr. Ouattara the winner.

It is true that the constitutional counsel is historically the final legal authority on Ivorianelections. But for this vote, under a peace plan signed by Mr. Gbagbo, the UnitedNations must certify the outcome. U.N. representative Young-jin Choi certified Mr.Ouattara.

Christian Preda led the European Union observer mission to Ivory Coast's election.

"Mr. Choi, the special representative of the secretary general of the United Nations saidclearly that the results announced by the electoral commission were the final result andthis is, as you know, the position of the international community with some exceptions,the international community accepted this result," said Preda.

One of those exceptions is Russia, which has blocked Security Council resolutionsendorsing Mr. Ouattara. In a meeting this week with Senegal's foreign minister, RussianForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the international community must not impose itselfon Ivorian democracy.

Lavrov says forced outside interference in the electoral process is absolutelyunacceptable and could destabilize all of West Africa. He says the internationalcommunity cannot create such a bad precedent that could be used every time someoneis unhappy with an election.

ECOWAS leaders are considering military force to remove Mr. Gbagbo, and Gbeho saysthey reserve the right to act independently of any African Union decision.--------------------Official: More than 63M Nigerians register to vote (Associated Press)

ABUJA, Nigeria ² The head of Nigeria's election commission says the oil-rich nation hasregistered more than 63 million voters ahead of its coming April elections.

Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saidThursday that more than 63,900,000 Nigerians registered to vote during a roughlythree-week drive. Jega said voters will have an opportunity to verify their informationfrom Feb. 14 through Feb. 18.



Election officials had estimated that Africa's most populous nation has an estimated 70million eligible voters. The registration effort comes after previous polls in Nigeriaremain marred by fraud.

Nigerians will go to the polls April 9 to elect a new president, along with federal andstate elections.--------------------South Sudan ceasefire broken: Athor attacks Jonglei (BBC)

At least 16 people have been killed after rebels attacked south Sudan's army, shatteringa ceasefire, officials say.

Forces loyal to George Athor blew up two army trucks near the town of Fangak in Jonglei state, a southern military spokesman said.

Mr Athor took up arms last year, alleging fraud in state elections, but signed a ceasefirelast month.

The clashes come as Southern Sudan prepares to secede from the north.

Some 99% of southerners voted for independence in last month's referendum, accordingto official results announced this week.

'Surprised'

Southern army spokesman Philip Aguer said four soldiers and 12 rebels were killed buthe feared that many more people had died.

"We are still waiting for full details of the casualties," he said.

Two sites in Jonglei state, including Fangak town, were targeted on Wednesdayafternoon by Mr Athor's men, who had also been planting land mines, he said.

Fresh fighting broke out on Thursday morning in the Fangak area, but the gunmen fledafter the southern Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) fought back.

Jonglei is the south's most populous state.

When Mr Athor took up arms last April, the south accused him of being used by thenorth to stir up trouble and derail the referendum - charges denied at the time bynorthern officials.



He agreed to the ceasefire deal with the SPLA days before the referendum vote began -although he did not attend the signing ceremony in person.

"Indeed, we were surprised by the attack, because the SPLA were busy transportingfood to the sites of assembly, where the men of Athor are due to gather under the terms

of the agreement," Col Aguer told AFP news agency.

Mr Athor has blamed the SPLA for attacking his forces, but said that he was open tonew talks.

"If the other side is willing, we can continue talks but if they are not willing, then Iwould say this is the end of the peace agreement between us and them," he told theReuters news agency via satellite phone.

The BBC's Peter Martell in the southern capital, Juba, says the fighting is another sign of

the challenges the south faces in bringing its people together and improving security.

The week-long referendum vote itself passed off peacefully, but tension remains high inparts of the oil-rich area which straddles the north and south. Fifty-four people werekilled over the weekend in fighting in Southern Sudan's Upper Nile state.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has promised to accept the outcome of thereferendum.

On Wednesday, Sudan's UN ambassador hinted that the International Criminal Court

arrest warrant for Mr Bashir should be withdrawn as a "reward" for him accepting thesouth's independence.

Mr Bashir is accused of links to war crimes in a separate conflict in the western region ofDarfur.

Southern Sudan is to become the world's newest independent state on 9 July.--------------------Algerians say they want change but not chaos (Reuters)

ALGIERS ² Many Algerians believe their country needs new people at the helm torestore hope and create jobs, but change must be smooth because after years of Islamiststrife in which 200,000 died they cannot face more turmoil.

Algerians have watched with fascination the revolts in Egypt and neighboring Tunisia,and opposition groups say they will defy a police ban and hold a protest march in thecapital on Saturday inspired by the popular uprisings elsewhere.



But so far there are few indications that the planned protest, organized by a coalition ofcivil society groups, some trade unionists and small political parties, has captured theimagination of people in the street.

"Change yes, chaos no," said Aicha Chikoun, a 48-year-old employee at a post office in

central Algiers.

"We must never forget the years of blood and tears during the 1990s when hundred ofpeople were killed and beheaded daily," she told Reuters.

Algeria plunged into chaos in 1992 after the military-backed government scrapped alegislative election which a radical Islamist party was poised to win. According toindependent estimates, 200,000 people were killed in subsequent violence.

"There are not enough coffins," Algerians used to say as the death toll climbed at the

peak of the war.

In the past few years the violence has subsided, though insurgents linked to al Qaedacarry out sporadic shootings, ambushes and kidnappings outside the big towns.

The return of relative security has given Algerians the opportunity to think, for the firsttime in years, about their standard of living and many are deeply unhappy.

They are angered by high unemployment, poor housing, high prices and corruption.They ask why they have not felt more benefit from the billions of dollars in oil and gas

revenue the government spends on public projects.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, trying to stop mass protests from erupting, promisedlast week to allow more democratic freedoms, lift a 19-year-old state of emergency andgenerate more jobs.

OFFICIAL BAN

Organizers of the protest march planned for Saturday say that is not enough, and thatBouteflika himself should step down. They say they will ignore an official ban on theprotest.

"We will march because it is our right to demonstrate peacefully and it is up to thegovernment to protect us," Rachid Malawi, head of the independent union of civilservants and one of the protest organizers, told Reuters.

A banned march on January 22 organized by opposition party Rally for Culture andDemocracy (RCD) did not succeed because of an impressive presence of helmeted riot



police armed with batons and shields, but also because of little interest among normalcitizens.

At place May 1 in Algiers where the march was supposed to start, only few protestersshowed up while people around them were doing business as usual.

Algeria witnessed several days of rioting in January, triggered by price rises for sugarand cooking oil, which killed two people and injured hundreds. More riots could put atrisk political stability in Algeria, a top gas supplier for Europe.

"We must never forget that there is not a single Algerian family that has not beenplunged into grief during the past 20 years," human rights activist and well-knownlawyer Mokrane Ait Larbi told the El Watan newspaper.

"We should do all we can to facilitate a peaceful change and avoid blood," he said.

In a strong indication of the attitude in the street to the planned protest, prominentAlgerian Islamists say they will not be taking part.

"We are against this march because the organizers are just a small minority that doesn'trepresent Algeria's people," said Sheikh Abdelfateh Zeraoui, a preacher of the hardlineSalafist branch of Islam that has a strong following in Algeria.

But he too acknowledged the need for limited change. "Bouteflika is all right, but thegovernment must leave because it failed to create jobs and solve Algeria's youth

problems," the cleric said.

Sharing the same line, Sheikh El Hachemi Sahnouni, founding member of thedisbanded Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), said he would not attend the march because itwill not solve Algeria's crisis.

"The youth should avoid confrontation, it is useless. The youth should establish adialogue with Bouteflika, and he must listen to the youth and address its problems,"Sahnouni told Reuters.--------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website

DR Congo: UN helps provide psychotherapy, training for rape victims

10 February ² As part of its campaign against rape in the Democratic Republic of theCongo (DRC), the United Nations and its partners this week opened a centre in theeastern city of Bukavu to provide a safe haven and training programmes for survivorsof sexual violence.



W estern Sahara: UN reports progress in efforts to reunite separated families10 February ² The United Nations today reported significant progress on measures toincrease the number of family visits for Western Sahara refugees who have beenseparated for more than 35 years.

T op UN refugee official urges end to Ivorian stalemate to ease humanitarian crisis10 February ² The head of the United Nations refugee agency warned today of aworsening humanitarian crisis in Côte d·Ivoire and called for an immediate end to thepolitical stalemate, which has led tens of thousands to flee their homes amid violenceand uncertainty.

AFRICOM Related News Clips 11, February 2011

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