AFRICOM Related News Clips 13 February 2012 Final

8/3/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips 13 February 2012 Final

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

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/02/201221214315141185.htmlFebruary 12, 2012By A Non Attributed AuthorDemocratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila's chief adviser has been killed ina plane crash, along with a co-pilot, near the eastern town of Bukavu, an interior ministry

official said.

Libya demands Niger hand over Gaddafi's son (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/2012212105530677812.htmlFebruary 12, 2012By A Non Attributed AuthorLibya has demanded Niger hand over one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons who is underhouse arrest in the neighbouring nation after he warned in a television interview that hishomeland was facing a new uprising.

Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia win dramatic shoot-out (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16999874February 12, 2012By Alistair MagowanZambia delighted in winning their first Africa Cup of Nations title by beating tournamentfavourites Ivory Coast on penalties.

Nigeria recaptures Boko Haram 'Christmas Day bomber' (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16988371February 10, 2012By A Non Attributed AuthorA man suspected of masterminding the deadly bombing of a Nigerian church onChristmas Day has been recaptured, Nigeria authorities have said.

Egypt strike to mark Mubarak overthrow 'fails' (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16994374February 11, 2012By A Non Attributed AuthorCalls by Egyptian activists for a day of strikes and civil disobedience to mark the firstanniversary of President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow appear to have very little impact.

Africa: Acid Test for Democracy in Africa As 12 Nations Braced for Elections

(allAfrica)

http://allafrica.com/stories/201202110136.htmlFebruary 11, 2012By Ciugu MwagiruNairobi As world attention remains riveted on the US political campaigns and theirimplications for the Obama presidency, many may forget that in Africa there will bemajor tests for democracy this year.

Guinean military official charged in 2009 killings, rapes of protesters (CNN)


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http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/11/world/africa/guinea-mass-rape/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2February 11,2012By Sarah JonesCNN) -- A Guinean court has filed charges against an army colonel for his alleged role inmass rapes and killings after security forces opened fire on protesters in 2009.

Sudan army says seizes rebel-held area in border state (AlertNet)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/sudan-army-says-seizes-rebel-held-area-in-border-state/February 11, 2012By Khalid Abdelaziz; and Ulf LaessingKHARTOUM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Sudan's armed forces said on Saturday they had seizedan area held by rebels after a battle lasting two days in the border state of Blue Nilewhere fighting has been raging for five months.

Mali sets April deadline to quell rebellion (AlertNet)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/mali-sets-april-deadline-to-quell-rebellion/February 11, 2012By Tiemoko Diallo, Mark John, and Alessandra RizzoBAMAKO, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Mali is determined to quell a heavily armed Tuaregrebellion in its north before an election scheduled for April, the defence minister said onSaturday.

Dempsey Discusses Issues With Egypts Defense Leaders (Defense.gov)

http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=67154February 11, 2012By Cheryl PellerinAmerican Forces Press ServiceCAIRO, Feb. 11, 2012 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met here today withEgypts top defense officials to discuss a wide range of issues related to the long-standingsecurity relationship between the two countries, said Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan, thechairmans spokesman.

Zambia v Ivory Coast (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16999874February 11, 2012By A Non Attributed AuthorZambia and Ivory Coast both have the luxury of heading into Sunday's Africa Cup ofNations final with no suspensions and fully-fit squads.

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UN News Service Africa Briefs

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


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(Full Articles on UN Website)

Libya: UN calls for justice after killings of displaced persons

10 February The United Nations political mission for Libya today voiced serious

concern over the killing of seven internally displaced persons (IDPs), including threechildren and two women, and urged authorities to investigate the crime and bring thoseresponsible to justice.

UN welcomes charges against army colonel over mass rapes in Guinea

10 February A senior United Nations official welcomed today the news that a Guineancourt has filed charges against an army colonel accused of being responsible for massrapes that occurred during a pro-democracy protest in the countrys capital in 2009.

Ban urges Sudan and South Sudan to make compromises on unresolved disputes

10 February Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced concern over the lack of

progress in talks to resolve post-independence issues between Sudan and South Sudan, aswell as the possibility of an escalation in tensions after unilateral decisions taken by thetwo governments over their oil dispute.

UN-backed report warns of dangers of increasing electronic waste in West Africa

10 February West Africa is facing a significant increase in waste generated byelectronic equipment which poses mounting health and environmental risks, according toa United Nations report released today.

At least 11 Somalis perish in latest Gulf of Aden boat tragedy, UN reports

10 February At least 11 people have drowned and another 34 are missing in the latestboat tragedy in the Gulf of Aden, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

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New on www.africom.mil

U.S., Malian Military Medics Train to Save Lives

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7618&lang=0February 10, 2012By Sergeant Mark A. Henderson128th MPAD, Utah Army National GuardMOPTI, Mali, Soldiers of the 807th Medical Deployment Support Command, FortDouglas, Utah, joined with their Malian medical defense forces counterparts for the startof Atlas Accord12 in Mopti, Mali, February 7-15, 2012.

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Saadi Gaddafi warns of uprising in Libya: TV (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/10/us-libya-saadi-idUSTRE8191QK20120210February 10, 2012

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Ali Shuaib

(Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi's son Saadi warned on Friday of an imminent uprising inLibya, saying he was in regular contact with people in the country who were unhappywith the authorities put in place after the ousting and killing of his father.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya television by phone - the first time he has spoken publicly inmonths - Saadi said he wanted to return to Libya "at any minute" after escaping acrossthe border to Niger when National Transitional Council forces captured the capitalTripoli in August.

He said he was in contact from Niger with the army, the militias, the NTC and othermembers of the Gaddafi family. It was impossible to verify where he was calling from asthe station showed only an old still picture of Saadi as a backdrop to his words.

"First of all, it is not going to be an uprising limited to some areas. It will cover all theregions of the Jamahiriya and this uprising does exist and I am following and witnessingthis as it grows bigger by the day," he said, referring to Libya.

"There will be a great uprising in the south, in the east, in the centre and in the west. Allthe regions of Libya will witness this new popular uprising."

A transitional government appointed in November is leading the country to elections inJune but is struggling to restore services and impose order on myriad armed groups.

These groups fought hard in the campaign to topple Gaddafi but still refuse to hand intheir weapons.

The government lost control of the former Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid last monthafter local people staged an armed revolt, posing the gravest challenge yet to the NTC'sauthority.

However elders in the desert city dismissed accusations they wanted to restore the latedictator's family to power or had any ambitions beyond their local area.

Saadi told Al-Arabiya: "The Libyan people should revolt against these militias andagainst this deteriorating situation. The NTC is not a legitimate body ... and is not incontrol of the militias," he added. "We call on all to be ready for the coming uprising."


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"We have to exert pressure to change this situation and to remove this evil doing thatexists in Libya. We do not know any such thing as elections. We are a Muslim nation,"he said.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment. Mohammed al-

Alagy, former interim justice minister and who now heads the human rights council, toldAl-Arabiya Saadi's comments were "an attempt to drive a wedge between the Libyanpeople."

Saadi, a businessman and former professional footballer, said he was in contact withpeople in Libya. Interpol last year issued a "red notice" requesting member states to arrestSaadi with a view to extradition if they find him in their territory.

"I have daily communications with Libya from Niger and these contacts are not just tostart the uprising but also to follow up the status of our tribes, our relatives and thepeople," he said.

"The situation of the people is deteriorating. I am in contact with the militias, the tribes,the NTC and the national army. I can confirm that more than 70 percent of those who arein Libya now whether they support the February 17th (revolution) or not, all are notsatisfied with the situation and are ready to cooperate to change this situation."

Libya is preparing for the first anniversary of the start of the February 17 uprising whichbegan in the eastern city of Benghazi. Libyan armed forces chief Yousef al-Mangoushthis week said there were concerns for potential sabotage of the anniversary by Gaddafiloyalists.

"A large number of February 17th members do regret this and we are now in fullcooperation with the February 17th and our supporters to change this deterioratingsituation," Saadi said. "As for my return, yes I must return to Libya and this will happenat any minute. If I do return I will prevent any revenge."

Saadi said he was also in contact with his family members. Gaddafi's wife Safiya, hisdaughter Aisha and his sons Mohammed and Hannibal fled to Algeria in August. Saadi'sbrother Saif al-Islam was captured in the Sahara desert in November and is now beingheld in the town of Zintan.

"I am in contact with my family inside and outside Libya and in the neighboringcountries and in Europe," Saadi said.

"I call on all the elders, the youth, the militias and the tribes to come and to sit with eachother and to negotiate with each other and to come up with a true reconciliation."

Mexican authorities said in December they had uncovered and stopped an internationalplot to smuggle Saadi into the country using fake names and false papers.


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DR Congo president's aide killed in crash (Al Jazeera)

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/02/201221214315141185.html

February 12, 2012By A Non Attributed Author

Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila's chief adviser has been killed ina plane crash, along with a co-pilot, near the eastern town of Bukavu, an interior ministryofficial said.

The official, Richard Ilunga, confirmed the death of Augustin Katumba Mwanke and saidthe accident occurred on Sunday.

Ilunga said said finance minister Matata Ponyo Mapon and Marcellin Cishambo Rohuya,

governor of the South Kivu province, who were travelling with the aide, survived thecrash.

"We've extracted two bodies from the plane, that of the honourable Augustin KatumbaMwanke who has just been moved to the morgue, and that of a co-pilot," said LabanKyalangalilwa, a provincial transport minister.

He said there were two pilots and 10 passengers on the private jet.

South Kivu Governor Marcellin Cishambo has been admitted to the hospital foremergency treatment, and most of the other passengers were taken from the plane alive,Kyalangalilwa said.

"We do not know the cause of the crash and we await the investigations, but apparentlythere was not bad weather here in Bukavu," he said.

Small and often ageing aircraft are used to traverse the DRC, a vast country with denseforests but without roads. Accidents are common as some airports lack even the basicfacilities to function normally.

Last July dozens of passengers were killed when a plane crashed as it approachedKisangani airport. Rescuers managed to pull 40 survivors from the wreckage, officialssaid.

The aircraft belonged to the Hewa Bora Airways which is on a European Union list ofairlines banned due to security concerns, as are all carriers certified in the DR Congo.

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Libya demands Niger hand over Gaddafi's son (Al Jazeera)


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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/2012212105530677812.htmlFebruary 12, 2012By A Non Attributed Author

Libya has demanded Niger hand over one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons who is under

house arrest in the neighbouring nation after he warned in a television interview that hishomeland was facing a new uprising.

Mohammed Hareizi, spokesman for the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC), saidon Saturday that Niger must extradite Saadi Gaddafi and other ex-regime officials to"preserve its relationship and interests" in Libya.

The demand came days before the first anniversary of the February 17 start of theuprising that led to months of civil war and the eventual removal and death of thelongtime Libyan leader.

Saadi Gaddafi and more than 30 other loyalists fled to Niger after Tripoli fell to rebels inSeptember.

Niger responded that it could not hand over Saadi, who fled south to the West Africanstate in September as Libyan forces gain the upper hand over his father's forces, becausehe would face execution in Libya.

But officials in Libya and Niger told Reuters news agency that the Niger authorities hadplaced tighter restrictions on Saadi's movements and agreed that the Libyan foreignminister, Ashour Bin Hayal, would meet his Niger counterpart to discuss the issue.

In a telephone call to Al Arabiya television late on Friday, Saadi said that he was inregular contact with people in Libya who were unhappy with the authorities put in placeafter the ousting and killing of his father.

Reading out a statement to reporters, Hareizi said: "They should follow the Algeriangovernment which prevented Gaddafi's daughter from making statements or causing anytrouble from their land."

He added that NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil had called Niger's president to discussSaadi.

Algeria ordered members of Gaddafi's family in exile on its territory to stay out ofpolitics, after Gaddafi's daughter Aisha angered the Libyan government last year bytelling the media her father was still fighting to hold onto power.

The Libyan News Agency LANA said Bazoum Mohamed, Niger's foreign minister, andhis Libyan counterpart Bin Hayal had spoken by phone, and quoted Bin Hayal as sayingSaadi's comments "threaten the bilateral relationship between the two countries".


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Authorities in Niger signaled that their position on any future extradition of Saadi had notchanged.

"We will hand over Saadi Gaddafi to a government which has an independent andimpartial justice system," government spokesman Marou Amadou told a news

conference.

"But we cannot hand over someone to a place where he could face the death penalty orwhere he is not likely to have a trial worthy of the name," he added.

Tighter surveillance

Amadou acknowledged that Saadi's comments violated a condition of his stay in Nigernot to engage in subversion against the Libyan authorities.

Police sources in Niger told Reuters that supervision of Saadi's residence in the capital

Niamey had been stepped up, but that he had not been formally arrested.

A Libyan security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: "Nigerinformed us that he [Saadi] will stay in his residence and will not move from the housewhere he lives."

Nick Kaufman, a lawyer who represents Saadi Gaddafi, told Reuters all he could say wasthat he has been unable to contact his client, despite many attempts. "His telephonewould appear to be disconnected," said Kaufman.

The Libyan security source said it had been agreed that the new restrictions would bekept in place until foreign minister Ben Hayal meets Niger officials for talks about SaadiGaddafi's status.

In his televised phone call, Saadi said he was in contact from Niger with the Libyanarmy, militias, the NTC and other members of the Gaddafi family.

About 30 protesters demonstrated outside Niger's embassy in Tripoli, with some sprayinggraffiti that read "Cut ties now" and "Close the embassy" on its walls.

Interpol last year issued a "red notice" requesting member states to arrest Saadi with aview to extradition if they find him on their territory. Niger has cited other reasons for notextraditing Saadi, including a United Nations travel ban on him.

It has pledged to comply with commitments to the Hague-based International CriminalCourt (ICC), which has not indicted Saadi, who before the war was best known for hissoccer obsession.


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The ICC has indicted Saadi's brother Saif al-Islam for crimes against humanity. Saif al-Islam, once viewed as a likely successor to his father, is held by a militia in Libya, wherehe awaits trial on rape and murder charges.

In an interview broadcast by France 24 on Saturday but recorded before Saadi's interview

was aired, Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou said Niger would study any extraditionrequest on strict legal merits.

"If we receive an official request we will study it. We are a state based on the rule of law.We will study that question according to our laws and our international commitments,"Issoufou told France 24.

The Libyan conflict has created new problems for the fragile region to its south. Heavilyarmed former fighters from Gaddafi's army have joined a new rebellion in northern Malithat has forced tens of thousands to flee from their homes.

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Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia win dramatic shoot-out (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16999874February 12, 2012By Alistair Magowan

Zambia delighted in winning their first Africa Cup of Nations title by beating tournamentfavourites Ivory Coast on penalties.

After 14 kicks were converted, Kolo Toure and Gervinho failed to find the target for theElephants as Zambia's Rainford Kalaba also blazed over.

But Stoppila Sunzu found the top corner to complete an amazing 8-7 victory.

It was a heartbreaking end for Ivorian skipper Didier Drogba, who missed a spot-kick innormal time.

And it means the wait goes on for an Ivory Coast team replete with many Premier Leagueand European stars, with the country losing the 2006 final to Egypt in the same way andlast winning the title 20 years ago.

For the Chipolopolo, who have already been runners-up twice, it concluded a tournamentwhere they were inspired by the loss of the 1993 Zambian team after a plane crash closeto the venue of the final in Libreville.

The last time the southern African country reached the final in 1994, it was just a yearafter 18 Zambian team members died as they took off from the Gabonese capital.


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Nigeria recaptures Boko Haram 'Christmas Day bomber' (BBC)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16988371February 10, 2012

By A Non Attributed Author

A man suspected of masterminding the deadly bombing of a Nigerian church onChristmas Day has been recaptured, Nigeria authorities have said.

Officials say the suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, was captured in the eastern state of Taraba.

He is accused of being a member of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, which has said itcarried out the attack.

His escape last month was a huge embarrassment for the police, whose head was sacked

shortly afterwards.

Boko Haram has staged a series of increasingly deadly attacks in recent years - lastmonth 185 people were killed during a series of bombings in Kano.

Dozens of people died when a church on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, was bombedon Christmas day.

Mr Sokoto was first arrested last month, but escaped the next day while being escorted bypolice.

"He was re-arrested this morning at Mutum Biu in Taraba State by the [secret police]," asecurity source told AFP. "He's being flown to Abuja now by the Nigeria air force."

He fled last month while police took him for a search of his house. Police said theirconvoy was attacked by suspected Boko Haram members.

Correspondents at the time said it was a result of huge incompetence or worse on the partof the police. Some suspected there may have been some kind of collusion betweensecurity officials and Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", wants to establishSharia (Islamic law) in Nigeria.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with 160 million people, is divided between alargely Muslim north and a south where most people are Christians and some animists.

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Egypt strike to mark Mubarak overthrow 'fails' (BBC)


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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16994374February 11, 2012By A Non Attributed Author

Calls by Egyptian activists for a day of strikes and civil disobedience to mark the first

anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow appear to have very little impact.

Strikes at universities attracted small numbers of protesters, and public transport in Cairoran as normal.

The action aimed to pressure the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) tohand power to civilians.

The Scaf earlier said "plotters" were trying to undermine the Egyptian state.

It warned they would bring "chaos and destruction" to Egypt.

The Scaf has promised to hand over power after presidential elections in June, butopposition groups have been calling for an immediate transfer of power.

In a separate development, Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs ofStaff, held talks in Cairo with the Scaf leader, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.

It was the first meeting between top US and Egyptian officials since Cairo said last weekit would put on trial 43 people - including Americans and other foreigners - over thefunding of non-governmental organisations.

The night that President Mubarak stepped down, Tahrir Square was the centre of a hugeparty.

"It's like a dream," a protester, Mohammed told me. "Anything else will be much easiernow."

"The military will never betray us," smiled a woman called Nora.

One year on those sentiments seem a little naive.

Activists now say that although Mubarak left office, remnants of his regime remained inplace. Their trust of the ruling generals has broken down. Now they call for them to leavepower.

But the plan for a general strike to push their demand did not gain popular support.

Most ordinary people probably agree with Egypt's most powerful political group, theMuslim Brotherhood, which warned such action would hurt the economy.


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He is on trial accused of ordering the killing of demonstrators, charges he denies.

The military took power under the leadership of Field Marshal Tantawi. Following aprotracted election process, a new parliament dominated by Islamist parties held its first

session earlier this month.

However, protests and unrest have continued, most recently with the deaths of 74 peopleafter a football match in the city of Port Said and at least four others in ensuingdemonstrations.

In its statement broadcast on Friday evening, the Scaf warned against conspiracies,saying the army had played a vital part in the revolution.

"We are facing plots against the nation aiming to undermine the institutions of theEgyptian state, and to topple the state itself so that chaos reigns," the message said.

The Scaf also confirmed that presidential elections were on course to take place in June.

Thousands of protesters demonstrated outside the defence ministry on Friday, calling fora swifter transition to civilian rule.

In the year since Mr Mubarak was toppled, Egypt's economy has been battered. Thecountry is haemorrhaging about $1bn (638m) a month in foreign currency reserves, andthe Egyptian pound has fallen to new lows.

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Africa: Acid Test for Democracy in Africa As 12 Nations Braced for Elections

(allAfrica)

http://allafrica.com/stories/201202110136.htmlFebruary 11, 2012By Ciugu Mwagiru

Nairobi As world attention remains riveted on the US political campaigns and theirimplications for the Obama presidency, many may forget that in Africa there will bemajor tests for democracy this year.

Among the most critical political events on the continent will be a referendum in Darfurthat is expected to pave the way for the self-determination of the people of that troubledSudanese region

In the wake of the emergence of independence for South Sudan, what happens in Darfurwill be of great significance for East Africa, and Africa as a whole.


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Ravaged by war for many years, Darfur has been one of the major hotspots on theAfrican continent.

Tellingly, it was the allegedly genocidal violence in Darfur that resulted in the issuing ofa warrant of arrest for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal

Court.

Also of great significance this year will be developments in Libya and Egypt, thecounties in Africa in which, together with Morocco, the so-called Arab uprising has had amajor impact.

While in Egypt there will be elections for the Shura Council expected to steer thecountry's political future, in post-Gaddafi Libya there will be the Public NationalConference election expected to put paid to the uncertainties currently facing the troubledcountry.

Other countries holding either presidential or parliamentary elections this year includeSenegal, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Togo and Sierra Leone. Also expected to holdpolls before the year ends are Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso and Madagascar.

Regarding Senegal, the usually stable West African state has already set a blistering pacefor the rest of Africa.

As the worrying political situation unfolds in that country, amidst mounting pre-electionviolence that has already claimed some lives, there is cause for concern about the futureof democracy in Africa.

The situation in Senegal in fact presents a typical case study of the stubborn intransigenceof the old order in the face of looming and inevitable generational change in Africa.

With incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade already having served the constitutional limitof two terms, he insists he can seek two more, arguing that the cap on two terms wasintroduced into the country's constitution after his last re-election.

By all indications due for a well-deserved retirement, Wade has in recent times beendisplaying remarkable energy for an octogenarian, while insisting on holding onto thereins of power despite the fact that he is already 85.

Emboldened by a January 27 ruling by Senegal's highest court that upheld his assertion,Wade is certainly the epitome of Africa's power-hungry fogies who will not leave thepolitical scene without a bloodied nose.

For his efforts, Wade has incurred the wrath of a livid opposition determined to see thelast of him.


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BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian helicopter gunships bombed rebel positions near the keynorthern town of Kidal on Friday, a military official said, hours after former colonialpower France called for a ceasefire and immediate talks to end a three-week rebeloffensive.

France, which remains an ally of its former colonies, backed Bamako's stance against therebels' claim for an independent north. In a further sign of disruption caused by clashes,the United States delayed its annual counter-terrorism training for its allies in the Sahararegion.

Dozens of people have been reported killed on both sides and tens of thousands ofcivilians have been forced from their homes since the MNLA rebels, boosted by weaponsand men from Libya, started attacking towns and military outposts in mid-January.

Last weekend, rebels had come within eight kilometres (5 miles) of Kidal, the capital of

one of three northern regions they are targeting. But a Malian military official said theyhave since been pushed back by helicopter gunships, as well as heavy weapons fire by thearmed forces.

"Five of our helicopters have been bombing the rebels ... to take out the attackers," theofficial said, adding that raids had taken place about 15 km from the town.

A second military source said: "We are not waiting for them to attack us anymore. Now itis us going on the offensive."

No toll was available from the military.

A rebel spokesman said he was not aware of any assaults on Friday. He said Malianmilitary helicopters had tried to attack them on Wednesday and Thursday but there wereno injuries.

Mali's military has the advantage of air power over the rebels but the MNLA pose themost robust threat yet to Bamako, even if they are not seen having the might to carve outan independent state in the north.

Speaking during a visit to Bamako on Thursday, Henri de Raincourt, France's ministerfor cooperation, said Paris rejected any idea of part of Mali splitting off but he repeatedFrance's call for dialogue not force to end the conflict.

"There cannot be a military solution: we call for an immediate ceasefire and we willcondemn, whenever necessary, the use of force," he said in statement.

"We call for dialogue to find a sustainable political solution to the social, economic andsecurity problems that the north of the country is faced with," he added. Local media hasaccused France of bias in favour of the Tuareg rebels.


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There are fears the rebellion has disrupted efforts to improve regional cooperation anddiverted Mali's military resources from tackling the threat posed by al Qaeda's NorthAfrica wing, AQIM, which operates in the area.

Underlining simmering tensions between nations in the region, the president ofMauritania, said neighbouring Mali's north had practically become a "free zone" forterrorists and called for countries to take concrete steps to tackle the group.

"We are talking about a small enemy (in AQIM) of no more than 300 men. That shouldbe within the capabilities of any country," President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz toldFrance's Le Monde newspaper on Friday.

The U.S. embassy in Bamako said on Friday Flintlock 2012, its counter-terrorismexercise bringing together African and Western nations and was due to start later thismonth and run through March, had been delayed while Mali tackled the rebels.

"Mali's participation in Flintlock 2012 is critical to its success and we understand theneed to focus necessary efforts on maintaining its security," said U.S. Ambassador toMali Mary Beth Leonard. No details were given for when the training would take place.

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Guinean military official charged in 2009 killings, rapes of protesters (CNN)

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/11/world/africa/guinea-mass-rape/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2February 11,2012By Sarah Jones

(CNN) -- A Guinean court has filed charges against an army colonel for his alleged rolein mass rapes and killings after security forces opened fire on protesters in 2009.

Lt. Col. Moussa Camara is the highest ranking official charged in the attacks ondemonstrators gathered in a Conakry stadium to protest the military rule in the country atthe time.

More than 150 people died in the ensuing chaos and 109 women were sexually abused,the United Nations said in a statement.

"Women were raped by soldiers in the stadium. I saw them," former Guinean primeminister Sidya Toure said at the time.

Toure led the country from 1996-1999, and was participating in the peacefuldemonstration in the capital.

The Guinean government has said most of the victims were crushed as the crowd stormedthe stadium doors.


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"The recent charges are a welcome step in the right direction. They signal that no officialis above the law, and no citizen is below it," said Margaret Wallstrom, a U.N. specialrepresentative on sexual violence in conflict.

Wallstrom highlighted the need to protect survivors while prosecuting those responsiblefor crimes against humanity.

"There remains an urgent need to assist the survivors and bring the remainingperpetrators to justice," she said. "It is equally crucial that all victims, other witnesses andtheir families are afforded full protection and that no effort is spared to ensure their safetythroughout this process."

Tens of thousands of people had gathered to protest the rule of Capt. Moussa DadisCamara, who seized power in a bloodless coup.

Military rule in the nation ended in 2010, when President Alpha Conde took over afterwinning elections.

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Sudan army says seizes rebel-held area in border state (AlertNet)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/sudan-army-says-seizes-rebel-held-area-in-border-state/February 11, 2012By Khalid Abdelaziz; and Ulf Laessing

KHARTOUM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Sudan's armed forces said on Saturday they had seizedan area held by rebels after a battle lasting two days in the border state of Blue Nilewhere fighting has been raging for five months.

Clashes spread to Blue Nile in September after violence broke out in June in the nearbyoil-producing state of South Kordofan between the army and rebels from the SPLM-North, which wants to topple the Khartoum government.

Sudan wants to explore oil and gas in Blue Nile which is also rich in minerals such aschrome.

The fighting has forced about 417,000 people to flee their homes, more than 80,000 ofthem to newly independent South Sudan bordering the two northern states, according tothe United Nations.

Army spokesman Sawarmi Khalid Saad said the army had seized from rebels on Saturdaythe area of Magja, some 100 km (60 miles) south of Blue Nile's capital of Damazin.


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"The armed forces liberated the area ... after two days of fighting with the SPLM duringwhich the SPLM lost tens of fighters," he said.

SPLM-North spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi did not answer his cellphone when Reuterscalled seeking comment.

Magja lies between Damazin and the town of Kurmuk, a former rebel stronghold seizedby the army in November.

Blue Nile and South Kordofan contain large groups who sided with the south in adecades-long civil war, and who say they continue to face persecution inside Sudan sinceSouth Sudan seceded in July.

The SPLM is now the ruling party in the independent south and denies supporting SPLM-North rebels across the border, as Khartoum alleges.

Events in South Kordofan and Blue Nile are difficult to verify because aid groups andforeign journalists are banned from areas where fighting takes place.

SPLM-North is one of a number of rebel movements in underdeveloped border areas whosay they are fighting to overthrow Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and endwhat they see as the dominance of the Khartoum political elite.

Sudan and South Sudan, who still have to resolve a range of issues including the sharingof oil revenues, regularly trade accusations of supporting insurgencies on each other'sterritory.

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Mali sets April deadline to quell rebellion (AlertNet)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/mali-sets-april-deadline-to-quell-rebellion/February 11, 2012By Tiemoko Diallo, Mark John, and Alessandra Rizzo

BAMAKO, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Mali is determined to quell a heavily armed Tuaregrebellion in its north before an election scheduled for April, the defence minister said onSaturday.

Dozens have been reported killed and thousands of civilians forced from their homessince the rebels, boosted by ethnic allies who returned to Mali after fighting forMuammar Gaddafi in Libya, started attacking towns and army bases last month.

The upsurge of fighting in an area already struggling to tackle the presence of local alQaeda agents has raised concerns that the presidential election might have to bepostponed.


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"We have a mission which is very restricted in time. The elections are in three monthsand we need to have a solution in this short timeframe," Defence Minister Sadio Gassamatold national radio from the northern town of Gao during a visit to troops.

"The men (in the army) are determined to make sure we can settle this problem in a very

short time," he added.

President Amadou Toumani Toure, who has pledged to step down as leader of the WestAfrican country after the election, has faced a wave of domestic anger for not doingenough to crack down on the rebellion.

The United Nations and allies including former colonial power France have called for aceasefire and negotiations, though they have backed Mali's rejection of the rebels' goal ofoutright independence for three northern regions.

The fighting is the most serious fallout yet from the Libyan war on the fragile Sahel

region, whose resources include gold, oil and uranium.

Last weekend, rebels came within 8 km (5 miles) of Kidal, the capital of one of the threeregions they are seeking to control. But a Malian military official said they have sincebeen pushed back by helicopter gunships, as well as heavy weapons fire by the armedforces.

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Dempsey Discusses Issues With Egypts Defense Leaders (Defense.gov)

http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=67154February 11, 2012By Cheryl PellerinAmerican Forces Press Service

CAIRO, Feb. 11, 2012 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met here today withEgypts top defense officials to discuss a wide range of issues related to the long-standingsecurity relationship between the two countries, said Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan, thechairmans spokesman.

The meetings occur on day three of Army Gen. Martin E. Dempseys second visit to theregion, which included a stop in Afghanistan.

The chairman met here with his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Enan, chief of staff ofthe Egyptian armed forces. He also met with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawiand with other officials this afternoon at the Ministry of Defense in Cairo.

Discussions included Egypts investigation into the allegedly illegal foreign funding ofpro-democracy nongovernmental organizations by more than 40 Egyptian and Americanactivists, including 19 U.S. citizens.


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Officials of the Cairo Criminal Court have prevented some Americans involved in theinvestigation from leaving the country, including Sam LaHood, son of U.S.Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He and several others have taken refuge at theU.S. Embassy in Cairo. So far no trial date is set.

Lapan declined to give details of Dempseys private discussions with Egyptian defenseofficials.

The chairman also visited the U.S. Embassy, where he met with Ambassador Anne W.Patterson and was briefed by the Egypt country team. Afterward he posed forphotographs with members of the Marine Corps detachment assigned to the embassy.

Later, after a wild motorcade ride through the Saturday streets of Cairo, Dempsey arrivedat the Ministry of Defense with Patterson.

There he met with Enan and Tantawi. He also met with Maj. Gen. Mohamed el-Assar,assistant minister of defense and a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces;Maj. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, director of military intelligence; Maj. Gen. IbrahimMohamed Noshy, chief of the Egyptian Armys training authority; and others.

During a seven-course official lunch with the Egyptian military leadership, Dempsey satbetween Enan and el-Assar at the head table. During lunch he asked to thank the chef,who came out of the kitchen for a handshake and a coin from the chairman.

Dempsey also thanked and gave coins to a group of local musicians who played duringthe meal.

This afternoon, Dempsey participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the pyramid-shapedmonument on the site of the Unknown Soldier Memorial and the Anwar Sadat Tomb inCairo.

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Sudans Oil Feud Risks Shattering a Fragile Peace (NYT)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/11/world/africa/sudan-and-south-sudan-edge-closer-to-brink-in-oil-dispute.html?_r=1&ref=africaFebruary 10, 2012By Jeffrey Gettleman

KHARTOUM, Sudan Sudan and the breakaway nation of South Sudan have beenlocked in an exceedingly dangerous game of brinkmanship over billions of gallons of oil,seizing tankers, shutting down wells and imperiling the tenuous, American-backed peacethat has held just barely between the two countries after decades of war.


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Not for years have north-south relations been so poisonous, with a proxy war between thetwo nations fueling rebel groups and sometimes even flaring into direct Sudan-SouthSudan clashes. The jagged, disputed frontier separating Sudan from its newlyindependent neighbor is now probably the most incendiary fault line in Africa, with twobig armies that fought each other for generations massing on either side.

After emergency talks to prevent a full-fledged conflict, the two sides agreed to a vaguenonaggression pact late on Friday, yielding to intense pressure from the African Union,the United States and China a major oil partner for both sides to move beyond thelanguage and tactics of mutual destruction. But few analysts see any easy solutions to theheated push and pull over oil, and it is not clear how the nonaggression pact will be anydifferent from previous security deals that have led nowhere. In May, the two sidesagreed to demilitarize the contested border. But just days after that, Sudan began heavybombardment along the border, occasionally dropping bombs in the south, while theSouth Sudanese rushed in weapons to rebel allies fighting just across the divide.

The border area has been a tinderbox for years because that is where most of the oil lies.Both sides desperately need oil to run their governments, feed their people and stamp outspreading rebellions. And theoretically, both sides need each other. The conundrum ofthe two Sudans is that 75 percent of the oil is in the south, just across the border, but thepipeline to export it runs through the north. Because of this, oil was once thought to bethe glue that would hold the two nations together and prevent a conflict. Now, it seems,oil is becoming the fuse.

When South Sudan broke off from Sudan last year, after years of guerrilla struggle, itsindependence was heralded as the triumphal capstone ending one of Africas deadliestcivil wars. But the question of how exactly the two sides would share oil profits loomedominously over the separation, unresolved. Now that both nations are struggling to makeit on their own, the issue has proved to be as prickly and perilous as many feared.

It was South Sudanese oil that drove Sudans economic boom of the past decade andmade the repression by Sudans Islamist government (which is still heavily penalized bythe United States) tolerable to many Sudanese. When South Sudan declaredindependence, it took oil worth billions of dollars with it, gutting Sudans economy andcreating one of the deepest crises that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has faced in hismore than 20 years in power.

Mr. Bashir is now battling high inflation, a shrinking economy, student protests andseveral simultaneous rebellions in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile State as well as genocide charges related to the massacres several years ago in Darfur, and stiffAmerican sanctions.

At the same time, South Sudan, one of the worlds poorest countries, is facing a majorfood crisis and heavily armed ethnically based militias that have been sweeping parts ofthe countryside, killing hundreds and making a mockery of the South Sudanese securityforces.


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Stoking the tensions, Sudan and South Sudan have been covertly backing rebels in eachothers backyards, leading to border clashes and relentless aerial bombings. The morethan 1,000-mile border between them is now effectively closed, with millions of poundsof emergency food and just about all trade held up in a two-way stranglehold.

Before the emergency accord on Friday, the situation was so precarious that many sawonly violent outcomes. I, personally, expect full-fledged war, said Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, a leading opposition politician in Khartoum, Sudans capital. This is like thepreviews before a film.

In the fight over oil, the south has refused to turn over royalties for using Sudanspipelines. Sudan upped the ante in late December by seizing oil tankers filled with SouthSudanese crude. Then the south took the drastic step of abruptly shutting down all of itsoil wells, a measure that could quickly bring the economies of both north and south totheir knees. South Sudanese officials have admitted they are using their oil to squeeze

Khartoum to make concessions on all sorts of issues, including the disputed area ofAbyei, insisting that oil production, about 350,000 barrels a day, will resume only afterall the deals are signed.

The south has even threatened to sit on its oil for years while it builds an alternativepipeline through Kenya. But it is not clear how the new country will survive that long; oilprovides about 98 percent of government revenue. And experts question whether theKenya pipeline is even feasible. It would have to run uphill, requiring many expensivepumping stations, and most likely slice across Jonglei, a South Sudanese state that, withall its militias, is essentially a war zone.

In Khartoum, many people are still struggling to swallow the fact that the south is gone.Nobody likes the new map of Sudan. It used to be Africas biggest country. Now it looksas if it has been crudely amputated, left with the ragged edges of a raw wound.

I still cant get used to it, said Nada Gerais, a sales manager in Khartoum. It looks,looks ..., she struggled for the right word. Weird.

Mrs. Gerais is a perfect example of the nose dive Sudans economy has taken. She worksin a meticulously polished Nissan dealership that used to sell 50 cars a month. Now,sometimes, it is down to five. She is thinking of switching to pharmaceuticals or food.

People can stop buying cars, but they cant stop eating, she explained.

During the past decade, Sudans oil wealth helped build factories, roads and countlessshish kebab joints, and it fueled plans for a futuristic minicity, a new airport and areconfiguring of Khartoum to include a breezy promenade along the Nile.

But now high-rise buildings stand half-finished, and the plummeting value of theSudanese pound has pushed electronics, books and even tomatoes out of reach for many.


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Officials in Khartoum say the south owes them nearly $1 billion in pipeline fees, moneyneeded to keep their economy from collapsing, and they recently sold some of the oilfrom the seized tankers before releasing them. South Sudans president, Salva Kiir, saidthe amount Khartoum wanted, $32 per barrel, was exorbitant and completely out of

international norms.

Sabir M. Hassan, a Sudanese government negotiator, said that the north was willing to beflexible, but that the southerners were too emotional and still saw themselves as rebels.

If you give them two choices, theyll choose the one that hurts the north, not the one thathelps the south, Mr. Hassan said.

South Sudanese leaders say the same about Khartoum, which has blockaded roadsleading south and recently held up humanitarian shipments, all to punish the south at thecost of millions of dollars in lost business.

Many political analysts wonder whether Mr. Bashir will be able to survive these crises.But it is hard to see who would replace him.

Sudans political opposition is deeply divided and run by white-bearded septuagenarians.The rebel movements do not have much support in Khartoum. Sudanese students startedan Arab Spring-like movement last year, but they failed to gain any traction. The securityforces were quick to arrest protesters and string them up from ceiling fans.

And Sudan has a resilience that transcends the turmoil. Every Friday, in a dusty ring onKhartoums outskirts, hundreds of Nuban men gather to watch traditional wrestling.Ethnic Nubans are leading the rebellion in the Nuba Mountains. But there is littleevidence of that here.

Things are fine, said one elderly spectator.

Just as he was about to elaborate, a young wrestler scooped up his opponent and body-slammed him in the dirt.

You see that! the old man hollered. My God, I love this.

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END REPORT

AFRICOM Related News Clips 13 February 2012 Final

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