AFRICOM Related News Clips 15 June 2011

8/6/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips 15 June 2011

1/21

United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office15 June 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Obama Calls for Sudan Ceasefire(VOA)(Sudan) President Barack Obama is appealing to the warring sides in Sudan tocease fighting that threatens the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005to end the country's 21-year civil war. The president used a recorded statementlate Tuesday to speak directly to leaders in north and south Sudan about recent

fighting.

Senators: Use Gadhafis frozen assets to fund humanitarian efforts in Libya(The Hill)(Libya) A powerful bipartisan group of senators led by Banking CommitteeChairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is proposing to give the Obama administrationthe authority to seize up to $10 billion worth of assets owned by the Libyangovernment, liquidate those assets and spend the money on humanitarian effortsin Libya.

Boehner warning to Obama over Libya mission (BBC)(Libya) The Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives has accusedPresident Barack Obama of "a lack of clarity" and "lack of visibility andleadership" over the Nato mission in Libya.

WRAPUP 7 Libyan rebels make fresh gains, NATO drops leaflets(Reuters)(Libya) Libyan rebels made fresh gains on the western front on Tuesday, pushingback forces loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi in a string of clashes that broughtthem closer to the capital Tripoli.Late on Tuesday, NATO resumed bombing the Libyan capital with strikes hittingthe east of the city.

Libya mission to last as long as needed forces chief(BBC)(Libya) The head of the armed forces has said UK operations can continue inLibya as long as necessary - after concerns were raised by the head of the RoyalNavy.

Sudan: UNHCR Seeking Humanitarian Access in Kadugli (UNHCR)


2/21

(Sudan) UNHCR is appealing to authorities in Kadugli, capital of the state ofSouth Kordofan in Sudan, as well as the Central Government to allow air androad access for humanitarian agencies trying to help thousands of people whohave been uprooted by fighting between the forces of North and South Sudan.

Arrest Sudans Bashir, Amnesty says (UPI)(Sudan) Malaysia shouldn't let itself become a safe haven for fugitives, AmnestyInternational said after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was invited there.

South Sudan rebel militia raid kills 29, says army (Times of India)(Sudan) A rebel militia killed 29 people including police and civilians in a southSudan cattle raid, the southern army said on Tuesday, adding to the region'swoes ahead of independence in July.

Sudans break-up threatened by fresh fighting(FT)

(Sudan) A flare-up in fighting, alleged ethnic cleansing and aerial bombardmentsreminiscent of the worst chapters in Sudans long civil war has sent tens ofthousands into flight and ratcheted up tension just weeks before the country isdue to split.

Cte d'Ivoire: More Than 300,000 Still Displaced; 200,000 Remain Overseas

(UNHCR)(Cte d'Ivoire) Some two months after the resolution of Cte d'Ivoire's post-election crisis, more than 300,000 people remain displaced across the country.

Eritrea Volcano Disrupts East Africa Air Travel (VOA)By Peter Heinlein

June 14, 2011(Ethiopia) A volcanic eruption in Eritrea has sent a plume of ash across the Hornof Africa, disrupting airline schedules and sparking health concerns.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Websitey UN envoy hails Chads action plan to end use of child soldiersy Sudan: UN reports intense air bombardment ofSouthern Kordofan statey Ongoing insecurity preventing return of displaced civilians in Cte

dIvoire UNy Funding for Horn of Africa drought falls short of needs, UN saysy UN voices alarm as clashes continue in Sudanese state ofSouthern

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


3/21

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 9:00am to 10:00am; CarnegieEndowment for International PeaceWHAT: Senator Lindsey Graham on the War on Terror will discuss Libya andAfghanistanWHO:Senator Lindsey Graham, Senate Armed Services Committee;Jessica

Tuchman Matthews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceInfo: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=eventDetail&id=3296

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 10:30am to 12:00pm; Live Webcastfrom Brookings InstitutionWHAT: A Global Compact on Learning: Taking Action on Education inDeveloping CountriesWHO:Rebecca Winthrop, Director, Center for Universal Education;JennyPerlman Robinson, Special Guest, Center for Universal Education, TheBrookings Institution; Carol Bellamy, Chair, Education for All-Fast Track

Initiative Board of Directors; Oley Dibba-Wadda, Executive Director, Forum ofAfrican Women Educationalists (FAWE); Deepali Khanna, Director, YouthLearning, The MasterCard FoundationInfo:http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/0615_education_compact.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 11:00am; SD 192, Senate Committeeon Appropriations; Live WebcastWHAT: Hearing on FY 2012 DOD Budget (Defense Subcommittee)WHO:The Honorable Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense; Admiral MikeMullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Info: http://appropriations.senate.gov/events.cfm?date=6/15/2011

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 4:30pm to 6:00pm; Woodrow WilsonCenterWHAT: Africa: 53 Countries, One Union The New ChallengesWHO:Steve McDonald, Director of the Africa Program and Project onLeadership and Building State Capacity, Woodrow Wilson Center;JessicaEinhorn, Dean of SAIS, Johns Hopkins University; Romano Prodi, President,Foundation for World Wide CooperationInfo:http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&event_id=701440

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 5:00pm to 6:30pm; B1 ConferenceCenter, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC 20006, Center for Strategic andInternational StudiesWHAT: The Road to Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of theCongo


4/21

WHO:Etienne Tshisekedi, President and Co-founder, Union pour laDmocratie et le Progrs Social, Democratic Republic of the Congo; MvembaDizolele, Writer and Journalist,Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow, HooverInstitution, Stanford University;Jennifer Cooke, Director, CSIS Africa ProgramInfo:http://csis.org/event/road-presidential-elections-democratic-republic-

congo-0

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 11:00am to 12:30pm; LehrmanAuditorium, The Heritage Foundation; Live WebcastWHAT: U.S. Engagement in Libya: The Way ForwardWHO:Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom;Todd Gaziano, Director, Center for Legal and Judicial Studies; Brett Schaefer,Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs, Margaret ThatcherCenter for Freedom;Michael Franc, Vice President, Government StudiesInfo:http://www.heritage.org/Events/2011/06/Libya

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 1:00pm to 2:30pm; Live Webcast fromBrookings InstitutionWHAT: Libya and the Responsibility to ProtectWHO:Peter Rundlet, Vice President, Humanity United; Mike Abramowitz,Director, Committee on Conscience, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum;Manal Omar, Director, Iraq and Iran Program, USIP; Sarah Sewall, Lecturer inPublic Policy and Faculty Director, Mass Atrocity Response Operations Project,Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Richard Williamson,Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy

Info: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/0616_libya_responsibility.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 2:00pm; Room 2172, Rayburn HouseOffice Building, House Committee on Foreign AffairsWHAT: Africas Newest Nation: The Republic of South SudanWHO:The Honorable Princeton Lyman, Special Envoy for Sudan, Departmentof State; Ms. Rajakumari Jandhyala, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau forAfrica, USAID; Mr. Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, Bishop, Diocese of Tambura-Yambio; Mr. John Eibner, CEO, Christian Solidarity International USA; Ms.Dana Lyons Wilkin, Campaigner, Global Witness; The Honorable RogerWinter, Former Special Representative on Sudan, Department of StateInfo:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1311

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, June 17th at 10:00am to 12:00pm; Room B241, USInstitute of PeaceWHAT: From Crisis to Community: Mapping as a Peacebuilding ToolWHO: Patrick Meier, Director of Crisis Mapping, Ushahidi; Sheldon Himelfarb,Director, Center of Innovation: Science, Technology & Peacebuilding, USIP; Peter


5/21

Mandaville , Policy Planning Staff, Office of the Secretary of State, USIP; NigelSnoad (remotely from Sudan), Communications and Information ServicesBranch, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA);Crisis Mappers from Conflict ZonesInfo:http://www.usip.org/events/crisis-community-mapping-peacebuilding-

tool

WHEN/WHERE: Monday, June 20th at 10:30am to 12:00pm; Woodrow WilsonCenterWHAT: Certification: The Path to Conflict-Free Minerals from CongoWHO:H.E. Ambassador Faida Mitifu, Embassy of the Democratic Republic ofCongo;Jane Harman, Director, President, and CEO, Woodrow Wilson Center;Steve McDonald, Director of the Africa Program and the Project on Leadershipand Building State Capacity, Wilson Center; Robert D. Hormats, UnderSecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, US

Department of State;John Bradshaw, Executive Director, Enough Project; TimMohin, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Advanced Micro Devices; SashaLezhnev, Policy Consultant on Conflict Minerals, Enough Project; Joanne Lebert,Director of the Great Lakes Policy Program, Partnership Africa CanadaInfo:http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&event_id=701620

WHEN/WHERE: From 8:30am on July 29th to 4:00pm on July 31st; OmniShoreham Hotel, 2500 Clavert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008WHAT: 2011 World Congress of the Society for International Development

(SID)WHO:Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank; Prime Minister RailaOdinga, Kenya; President Joaquim Chissano, the former President ofMozambiqueTOPICS: Economic Progress, Human Development, Global Health, Governanceand Citizenship, Science and Technology, and Gender EqualityInfo:http://www.interaction.org/event/2011-world-congress-society-international-development-sid----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Obama Calls for Sudan Ceasefire (VOA)By Dan RobinsonJune 14, 2011President Barack Obama is appealing to the warring sides in Sudan to ceasefighting that threatens the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005 toend the country's 21-year civil war. The president used a recorded statement lateTuesday to speak directly to leaders in north and south Sudan about recent


6/21

fighting.

President Obama took the unusual step of recording an audio message directedto the people of Sudan and its leaders, immediately after his return from a visit tothe U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

The United Nations on Tuesday described what it called "huge suffering" amongcivilians from air strikes in Southern Kordofan on the border with South Sudan,by northern forces directed from Khartoum.

Northern Sudanese troops have battled militia forces in Southern Kordofan, lastweek seizing control of the Abyei region, on the north-south border.Negotiators for north and south Sudan have been meeting in the Ethiopiancapital, Addis Ababa, trying to find a solution to that situation.

In his statement late Tuesday, President Obama said fighting must stop.

"There is no military solution," said President Obama. "The leaders of Sudan andSouth Sudan must live up to their responsibilities. The government of Sudanmust prevent a further escalation of this crisis by ceasing its military actionsimmediately, including aerial bombardments, forced displacements andcampaigns of intimidation."

The president's appeal for a ceasefire comes just a few weeks before thescheduled formal separation on July 9th of southern Sudan from the north. The

south voted for independence in a referendum earlier this year under theComprehensive Peace Agreement.

Mr. Obama said both sides must agree to end violence, allow free movement ofaid workers and relief supplies and fulfill commitments under theComprehensive Peace Agreement and resolve differences peacefully.

Directing his remarks to Sudanese leaders, he warned of increasing isolation forthose who do not fulfill obligations under the peace agreement.

"Today, I want to speak directly to Sudanese leaders," said Obama. "You mustknow that if you fulfill your obligations and choose peace, the U.S. will take thesteps we have pledged towards normal relations. However, those who flouttheir international obligations will face more pressure and isolation and they willbe held accountable for their actions."

That message underscored one Washington has been sending and amplifying,that the process of normalizing relations with Khartoum could be threatened if


7/21

the north pursues a military solution to the disputes in Abyei and SouthernKordofan.

Normalization would include a key step sought by the government in the north,removal of Sudan from an official U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In his statement, President Obama said negotiations underway in Ethiopia offer apath to peace. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Addis Ababa earlier thisweek and met with officials from the north and south.

Referring to the scheduled formal independence of South Sudan in three weeks,creating the world's newest nation, Mr. Obama said too much progress has beenmade to allow a collapse.

"The Sudanese people have come too far and sacrificed too much to see their

dreams of a better future slip from their grasp," said President Obama. "Now isthe time for Sudanese leaders to show the courage and vision that trueleadership demands. Now is the time for Sudanese leaders, north and south, tochoose peace."

Mr. Obama said that with its allies and partners, the U.S. is working to end theviolence and protect innocent civilians in Sudan.--------------------------- Senators: Use Gadhafis frozen assets to fund humanitarian efforts in Libya(The Hill)

By Pete KasperowiczJune 14, 2011A powerful bipartisan group of senators led by Banking Committee ChairmanTim Johnson (D-S.D.) is proposing to give the Obama administration theauthority to seize up to $10 billion worth of assets owned by the Libyangovernment, liquidate those assets and spend the money on humanitarian effortsin Libya.

Johnson said his bill, the Libyan Assets for Humanitarian Relief Act, is based ona proposal that the Obama administration proposed to Congress some weeksago.

"A few weeks ago the president's senior advisers from the Treasury Department,the State Department and the White House came to Congress and provided draftlegislation to explicitly authorize the president to seize and vest the Gadhafigovernment's assets to be used to benefit the Libyan people," Johnson saidMonday. "This measure is an updated version of that legislation, imposing


8/21

certain conditions on that authority and providing for certain reporting, trackingand auditing requirements on the use of the funds."

The issue of taking Libyan assets falls under the jurisdiction of Johnson's BankingCommittee. His bill is co-sponsored by ranking member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

The measure is also co-sponsored by Foreign Relations Committee ChairmanJohn Kerry (D-Mass.), Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.), Homeland Security andGovernment Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. JackReed (D-R.I.), a senior member of the Armed Services and Banking committees.

The bill would allow the president to seize $8 billion in Libyan governmentassets that are thought to be located within the United States, plus another $2billion if needed to "avert an imminent humanitarian emergency." Johnsonestimates that $200 million of this is already in cash in the U.S. and "available for

immediate seizure and use to support humanitarian efforts in Libya."

Once passed by Congress, the president would be able to seize $4 billionimmediately, and the second $4 billion could be taken and used after a 30-daynotification period. Congress would have the ability to deny that second seizureby passing a joint resolution of disapproval. The additional $2 billion could beseized after the president certifies that there is a humanitarian emergency inLibya.

Johnson defended the bill by saying it would essentially allow the U.S. to

distribute Gadhafi's assets back to his own people.

"It would effectively give the true owners of these assets the Libyan people access to some of their own money to provide relief for Libya's citizens," he said.

He also said there is precedent for this seizure going back to World War I, and asrecently as the last decade. "The latest example is when we seized and used aportion of Iraqi government assets in 2003 to provide urgent reconstructionassistance and other forms of support for the people of Iraq," he said.

Any assets seized would be managed by the State Department, and would bespent on non-government humanitarian relief organizations now working inLibya. The bill would establish accounting and congressional reportingrequirements on how the money is spent.

Kerry and McCain are among the senators who have supported the Obamaadministration's decision to intervene in Libya, in contrast to many in the Housewho have sought to limit military involvement there.


9/21

--------------------------- Boehner warning to Obama over Libya mission (BBC)By Mark MardellJune 14, 2011The Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives has accused

President Barack Obama of "a lack of clarity" and "lack of visibility andleadership" over the Nato mission in Libya.

In a letter, John Boehner warns Mr Obama US operations in Libya must stop bySunday unless the president gets the approval of Congress.

He writes: "The administration has not asked for, nor received, congressionalauthorization of the mission in Libya. Therefore, it would appear that in fivedays, the administration will be in violation of the war powers resolution unlessit asks for and receives authorization from Congress or withdraws all US troops

and resources from the mission."

It is likely Mr Boehner is acting under pressure from his own Republicancolleagues, who are sensitive to any suggestion they are being ignored. He mayhave taken notice of the hostility towards the Libya operation shown by thecandidates in the New Hampshire debate.

But this is less about a foreign war and more about attacking the president anddepicting him as arrogantly exceeding his authority and ignoring theconstitution.

The president may not take much notice. He argued early on that this was anaction by Nato, covered by a UN resolution, and suggested that he did not needto do any more than keep Congress informed.

But the Sunday deadline gives the speaker and the president something to talkabout when they play golf together at the weekend.--------------------------- WRAPUP 7 Libyan rebels make fresh gains, NATO drops leaflets (Reuters)By Youssef Boudlal and Matt RobinsonJune 14, 2011KIKLA/MISRATA, Libya - Libyan rebels made fresh gains on the western fronton Tuesday, pushing back forces loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi in a string ofclashes that brought them closer to the capital Tripoli.Late on Tuesday, NATO resumed bombing the Libyan capital with strikes hittingthe east of the city.


10/21

A Reuters correspondent in the capital heard at least three loud explosions andsaw smoke in the sky and a fire. He could hear planes flying above.Libyan state TV said the bombings had struck military and civilian targets inFirnag, one of the biggest neighbourhoods in the capital, and Ain Zara. It saidthere were casualties.

Insurgents tried earlier in the day to advance further in the east, aiming for theoil town of Brega in a bid to extend their control over the region, epicentre of thefour-month rebellion against Gaddafi's four-decade rule.

They seized the town of Kikla, 150 km (90 miles) southwest of Tripoli, aftergovernment troops fell back, and pushed several kilometres west of their Misratastronghold to the outskirts of government-held Zlitan, Reuters photographerssaid.

Pro-Gaddafi forces retreated about nine km from Kikla and rebels were settingup defensive positions there, they said.

In Brussels, NATO spokesman Wing Commander Mike Bracken said rebel forceswere making steady advances in the west and the Berber highlands, andappeared to "control the ground from Wazin to Jadu and Zintan as well as thetown of Yaffran.

"In the east ... there has been little movement from either side and no significantchanges to the intensity of activity."

The push to Kikla came after weeks of deadlock between the rag-tag rebel armyand government forces, though air strikes by NATO have taken their toll onGaddafi's better-equipped troops.

Rebels in the west said attacks on a Misrata oil refinery were not hamperingsupplies as first feared. NATO leaflets warning of helicopter strikes promptedsome rebels to retreat from their newly captured positions outside Zlitan.

"We came back because of the leaflets from NATO. I hope there is somecoordination between the fighters and NATO. Gaddafi's forces are far away. Is itlogical that NATO has no idea we took those positions?" local commanderMohammed Genei, 31, told Reuters. "NATO dropped the leaflets right on us."

A leaflet obtained by Reuters showed a picture of a helicopter and a burningtank. "When you see these helicopters, it means it is already too late for you," itsaid in Arabic. "There is no place to hide. If you continue threatening civilians,you will be killed."


11/21

A NATO official said the alliance did drop leaflets warning of the possibility ofattack by helicopters, but said this was west of Misrata, closer to Zlitan.Even without the threat of NATO attack, the rebels said, they would not attackZlitan because of tribal sensitivities but would wait for the local inhabitants to

rise against Gaddafi.

Citing a rebel commander, the London Times newspaper said Gaddafi forces hadhidden Grad rockets and ammunition in the Roman city of Leptis Magna, datingback to 200 BC.The United Nations cultural body, UNESCO, called on all sides to ensure theprotection of Libya's "precious legacy."

"HOTSPOT FOR CLASHES"NATO reported skirmishes around Brega and Ajdabiyah but said eastern Libya

was relatively quiet. It said there were reports of a rebel offensive on Zawiyah,an oil port 30 km west of Tripoli. "This area appears to be a hotspot for pro- andanti-Gaddafi clashes," Bracken told the briefing in Brussels.

But a Zawiyah resident, who could only be named as Mohamed, told Reuters byphone on Tuesday that it had since gone quiet, neither side having advancedmuch since the skirmish.

The main highway west from Tripoli to Tunisia, which had been closed becauseof the fighting, reopened.

NATO said it struck armoured vehicles and rocket launchers east of Tripoli onTuesday and vehicles in Misrata on Monday.

State television reported late on Tuesday the alliance had bombed Al Jufrah incentral Libya for a second consecutive day. A NATO official denied any strike onAl Jufrah, but said it did strike an ammunition store at Waddan, not far from thecity.

South African President Jacob Zuma accused NATO on Tuesday of abusing aU.N. resolution authorising it to protect Libyan civilians in order to pursue"regime change ... assassinations and foreign military occupation".

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged African leaders on Monday toabandon Gaddafi, who has over the years won support from many African statesin exchange for financial help.


12/21

Liberia heeded that call on Tuesday severing diplomatic ties with Gaddafi'sgovernment, joining Senegal and Mauritania.

NATO defence chiefs met in Belgrade to discuss the mission, after U.S. DefenseSecretary Robert Gates accused some European allies of failing to pull their

weight.

A senior NATO commander appeared to raise questions about the alliance'sability to intervene in Libya long-term.

"The Libyan crisis came as a surprise to, I guess, everybody ... We are conductingthis operation with all the means we have, and the best we can. If the operationwere to last long, of course, the resource issue will become critical," GeneralStephane Abrial told the conference.

Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner told President Barack Obama onTuesday the administration would be in violation of the country's 1973 WarPowers Resolution on Sunday unless Libyan operations end by then or Congressauthorises them.

The resolution prohibits U.S. armed forces from being involved in militaryactions for more than 60 days without congressional authorization.

Tunisia flew an F-5 warplane and a helicopter along its border with Libya afterLibyan troops fired several rockets into Tunisia, close to rebel territory in the

Western Mountains, causing no damage or injuries.

A Reuters journalist in Ryayna, 15 km east of Zintan in the Western Mountains,said rebels had captured the village and Gaddafi's forces had been pushed back.(Additional reporting by Matt Robinson in Misrata, Tarek Amara in Tunis, NickCarey in Tripoli, Mohammed Abbas in London, Jaksa Skekic in Belgrade, HamidOuld Ahmed in Algiers, David Brunnstrom in Brussels, Souhail Karam and JohnIrish in Rabat; Writing by Tim Cocks and John Irish; editing by Tim Pearce)--------------------------- Libya mission to last as long as needed forces chief (BBC)By Unattributed AuthorJune 14, 2011The head of the armed forces has said UK operations can continue in Libya aslong as necessary - after concerns were raised by the head of the Royal Navy.

General Sir David Richards told the BBC: "We can sustain this operation as longas we choose to".


13/21

Nato took over the Libyan mission on 31 March, initially for 90 days but that hasbeen extended by a further 90 days.

Navy chief Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said on Monday priorities must change ifthe mission exceeds six months.

The Nato mission - enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians using"all necessary measures" short of a ground invasion - was prompted by Libyanleader Col Muammar Gaddafi's violent response to an uprising against his 41-year rule.

'Absolutely clear'It was mandated by the United Nations, and led by France, Britain and the USuntil 31 March, when Nato took over.

Having initially been given 90 days - which would have run out on 27 June - themission has now been extended for a further 90 days.

World leaders including UK Prime Minister David Cameron have said ColonelGaddafi must go but despite months of air strikes on military targets, the Libyanleader remains in control of the capital Tripoli and much of the west of thecountry.

As the UN resolution specifically ruled out ground troops, concerns have beenraised the action could lead to stalemate.

General Richards told the BBC: "We can sustain this operation as long as we can."

He said Adm Stanhope's comments had been "misconstrued" adding: "We cansustain this operation as long as we choose to. I'm absolutely clear on that."

On Monday Adm Stanhope, told a media briefing: "How long can we go on aswe are in Libya?"

"Certainly in terms of Nato's current time limit that has been extended to 90days, we are comfortable with that. Beyond that, we might have to request thegovernment to make some challenging decisions about priorities."

Ark RoyalHe continued: "If we do it longer than six months we will have to reprioritiseforces. That is being addressed now.


14/21

"It could be from around home waters. I will not prejudge what that decision willbe."

He did not say what might have to be reprioritised and insisted he was notcalling for a re-examination of the decision to cut the Ark Royal and its fleet of

Harriers.

Critics of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) have suggested theLibya mission illustrated the importance to the Navy of an airport carrier.

Adm Stanhope admitted Harrier jets could have been deployed in 20 minutesrather than the 90 minutes taken to send Tornado and Typhoon aircraft from theGioia del Colle air base in Italy.

But he conceded they would not have been able to use Brimstone missiles carried

by the Typhoons and Tornados.

Last week Defence Secretary Liam Fox denied the Libya mission had a six-monthdeadline.

Responding to Adm Stanhope's comments Dr Fox said the Libya operationshowed the UK was still "a leading military power with the fourth largestdefence budget in the world" and said the spending review would not bereopened.

"We continue to have the resources necessary to carry out the operations we areundertaking and have spare capacity with the Royal Navy Cougar Taskforcewhich is currently on exercise in the Gulf."Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said Adm Stanhope's comments were"incredible".

"The country will be dismayed to hear that the operation in Libya could havebeen conducted more cheaply and more effectively had the government taken adifferent approach," Mr Murphy said.

"It is vital that ministers tell us now how they intend to equip the mission inLibya should it go beyond the six-month mark."

On Sunday RAF Tornados and Typhoons conducted strikes against twoammunition depots, destroying nine underground storage bunkers, the Ministryof Defence said.


15/21

A spokesman said British Army Apache attack helicopters were also asked tointercept two high-speed inflatable boats detected approaching Misrata - amidconcerns they were being used by Gaddafi forces to attack the harbour.---------------------------Sudan: UNHCR Seeking Humanitarian Access in Kadugli (UNHCR)

By Unattributed AuthorJune 14, 2011UNHCR is appealing to authorities in Kadugli, capital of the state of SouthKordofan in Sudan, as well as the Central Government to allow air and roadaccess for humanitarian agencies trying to help thousands of people who havebeen uprooted by fighting between the forces of North and South Sudan.

For nearly one week now, humanitarian flights have been denied authorizationto land in Kadugli despite our efforts to secure such an agreement. Land access isalso being hampered by armed militiamen who have set up roadblocks, from

which we are hearing reports of harassment of people on the move. Insecuritymeans our operations are severely constrained and UNHCR is currently unableto reach a warehouse just five kilometres from the UN peacekeeping mission'sbase in the city. The warehouse contains supplies to assist 10,000 displacedpeople.

UNHCR currently knows of an estimated 41,000 displaced people aroundKadugli and in Southern Kordofan State, whom we are seeking fuller access to.But we fear that many more have been forced to flee their homes and arecontinuing to do so as fighting continues. Most are women and children.

UNHCR is coordinating humanitarian assistance in and around Kadugli wheredespite the hostile environment, aid agencies have managed to deliver food andother relief material to some 6,000 internally displaced people. This is far belowthe number we would be able to reach if we had secure access.

Heavy fighting has been going on in and around Kadugli since last week and airstrikes can still be heard in the vicinity. The civilian casualties include 10confirmed deaths.---------------------------Arrest Sudans Bashir, Amnesty says (UPI)By Unattributed AuthorJune 14, 2011LONDON Malaysia shouldn't let itself become a safe haven for fugitives,Amnesty International said after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was invitedthere.

Malaysia announced during the weekend that Bashir is to take part in aneconomic forum in its country next week.


16/21

"Malaysia should not turn itself into a port of call for fugitives from internationaljustice," Donna Guest, deputy Asia Pacific director at Amnesty International, saidin a statement. "The Malaysian government should bar al-Bashir from itsterritory and arrest him if he turns up."

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1593 in 2005 referred Sudan to the InternationalCriminal Court after evidence emerged of serious rights violations in Darfur.

Bashir is accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.Khartoum isn't party to the Rome Statute that created the international court,however.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor at the ICC, told the Security Councilthat Bashir "has learned how to continue to commit crimes" and act in defiance of

the United Nations.

Bashir returned to Khartoum from Ethiopia where he was engaged inmultilateral talks over various conflicts in Sudan. Skirmishes along the de factoborder between Sudan and South Sudan, which gains independence in July,threaten to unravel a 2005 peace deal.

A U.S. State Department official told reporters during a background briefing thatU.S. officials didn't have contact with Bashir during the talks in Addis Ababa.---------------------------

South Sudan rebel militia raid kills 29, says army (Times of India)By Unattributed AuthorJune 15, 2011JUBA A rebel militia killed 29 people including police and civilians in asouth Sudan cattle raid, the southern army said on Tuesday, adding to theregion's woes ahead of independence in July.

The vast territory has been wracked by violence since southerners voted inJanuary to separate from the north and form a new nation. More than 1,500people have since died in south-south violence, according to the United Nations.At least seven rebel militias are at war with the government, the UN says. Gunbattles between these militias and the army, and tribal warring over cattle, haveerupted in nine of the south's 10 states.

South Sudan's internal crisis has been overshadowed by the threat of openconflict with the north, and persistent fighting in the border region in recentweeks has displaced tens of thousands and strained the fragile peace.


17/21

Analysts say that even if the north-south peace holds, the new country could stillfail if it cannot rein in its internal violence.

"This was a cattle raid assumed to be carried out by armed militia from Unitystate," said army spokesman Philip Aguer. "Seven police were killed including

two officers, and 22 civilians." These were preliminary figures, he said, addingthat the raid took place in Warrap state.

The southern army said it was holding defensive positions near the north-southborder after it accused the north of twice bombing its territory, on Friday andMonday.

The independence vote was the climax of a 2005 peace deal that ended a civil warwhich killed about 2 million people. North and south Sudan have fought for allbut a few years since 1955, a conflict caused by ethnic, religious and ideological

differences and oil.

The Republic of South Sudan is due to be founded on July 9.--------------------------- Sudans break-up threatened by fresh fighting(FT)By Katrina MansonJune 14, 2011KAMPALA, Uganda A flare-up in fighting, alleged ethnic cleansing and aerialbombardments reminiscent of the worst chapters in Sudans long civil war hassent tens of thousands into flight and ratcheted up tension just weeks before the

country is due to split.

As African mediators in neighbouring Ethiopia attempted to broker the finalsettlement before the break-up of Sudan, reports were flowing in from non-governmental organisations and UN officials of a brutal new campaign byKhartoum government forces to assert authority over the border state ofSouthern Kordofan. This follows earlier fighting in the contested state of Abyei.

The fighting has yet to provoke all-out conflict between northern and southernSudan. But it has caused a humanitarian crisis, according to UN officials, and isthreatening the chances of a smooth transition to division.Southern Kordofan will fall north of the border when the south splits away onJuly 9 and contains most of the oil reserves that will be left under Khartoumscontrol. About 75 per cent of Sudans oil production is in the south.But the state has a large population sympathetic to the southern rebels whofought Khartoum for more than two decades until a peace agreement in 2005.There are about 40,000 Sudan Peoples Liberation Army rebels in the region.


18/21

As part of the provisions of the peace agreement, southern Sudan voted inJanuary to separate from the north. But negotiations over the demarcation of theborder, citizenship rights and sharing of oil wealth have yet to be concluded.Many of those forced to flee the recent fighting are holed up without food, withthousands sheltering in a makeshift perimeter guarded by UN peacekeepers

around its state headquarters in Kadugli.

Rights groups report targeted ethnic killings and house-to-house searches carriedout by government forces and allied militia.

The UN peacekeeping mission says it has been denied access for days. It saysgovernment jets bombed an airstrip intended for humanitarian relief aircraft onTuesday, even as the presidents of north and south met for peace talks inEthiopia.

The extreme violence reported in 11 of the states 19 districts follows years offailure to reach a political agreement on the fate of sensitive border states.Tensions in Southern Kordofan were heightened by the recent election amidallegations of vote-rigging of Ahmed Haroun, Khartoums candidate forgovernor, who is wanted on war crimes charges by the International CriminalCourt.

Nuba people believe that Khartoum has finally revealed they have no interest ina political solution, said a researcher based in Southern Kordofan. People areterrified by the idea of continued war but unless there is a significant change in

structure and policy in Khartoum they see no chance for peace.

Yasir Arman, head of the northern chapter of the Sudan Peoples LiberationMovement, has warned that border states such as Southern Kordofan, Darfurand Abyei could become the new south fighting the government forautonomy.Khartoum says it has a legitimate right to crush SPLM guerrillas in the northernpart of the country who have yet to demobilise, and to extend its authority to theborder. However, a political analyst in Khartoum said the onset of heavy raincould reverse the advantage Khartoum has over lighter-armed rebels, setting thestage for a protracted conflict.--------------------------- Cte d'Ivoire: More Than 300,000 Still Displaced; 200,000 Remain Overseas

(UNHCR)By Unattributed AuthorJune 14, 2011ABIDJAN Some two months after the resolution of Cte d'Ivoire's post-election crisis, more than 300,000 people remain displaced across the country.


19/21

Over the past three weeks, UNHCR and its partners have registered 322,277internally displaced people (IDPs) and the exercise is continuing.

More than 200,000 Ivorian refugees remain in other countries in West Africa after

fleeing violence that erupted between supporters of the rival candidates -Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara - in last November's presidential poll.

The remaining IDPs are sheltered in special sites or with host families. Most areconcentrated in the west (132,188), the north (62,676) and the country'scommercial centre, Abidjan, (55,912) in the south.

They told UNHCR assessment teams that other people are still hiding in thebush. Local communities also told us that return conditions have improved insome of the areas that were worst affected by fighting. For example, in western

Cte d'Ivoire's Zouan-Hounien and Teapleu areas, local communities arereporting significant improvements in the security situation.

By contrast, communal tensions are still high in the south-western Sassandraregion. This was where more than 280 civilians were killed in early May bygroups of mercenaries on the run from Abidjan. Many of the dead are buried inmass graves.

More than 500 houses and a pharmacy were destroyed in five villages. Anestimated 17,000 people are displaced in that region, including an unknown

number reportedly still hiding in the forest. Some of the IDPs are accused ofhaving supported the mercenaries.

The continued presence of armed vigilantes is also preventing the return of thesedisplaced communities. The UN refugee agency and its partners are finding newclusters of displaced people as they continue assessment visits around thecountry.

"We have been delivering food and basic relief supplies to these new IDPs whilecontinuing to support existing IDP sites and host families," a spokeswoman said."At the same time, we are building new IDP camps to better assist andaccommodate those unable to go back home for the time being."---------------------------Eritrea Volcano Disrupts East Africa Air Travel (VOA)By Peter HeinleinJune 14, 2011ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia A volcanic eruption in Eritrea has sent a plume of ashacross the Horn of Africa, disrupting airline schedules and sparking health


20/21

concerns.

Satellite photos show a column of ash rising from the long-dormant Nabrovolcano in far southeastern Eritrea, near its border with Ethiopia and the city-state of Djibouti. The eruption is also about 100 kilometers from the coast of

Yemen, just across the mouth of the Red Sea.

A photo posted on the website earthobservatory.nasa.gov shows the ash plumespreading westward toward Sudan.

The ash cloud prompted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to cut short a visitto Ethiopia, where she addressed the African Union Monday. It has alsodisrupted commercial aviation. Several major airlines cancelled flights todestinations in the region.

Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Getachew Tesfa said Addis Ababas Bole airportremains open, and only Ethiopian's flights to northern parts of the country andDjibouti have been cancelled.

"Currently flights are operating from Bole airport. Its only local destinations andthese regional Djibouti, Djibouti the airport is closed because of this, so as soonas they tell us it is clear, then we will continue. The rest of the flights are stillworking," Getachew said.

An Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority official says conditions are being

constantly monitored to determine flight safety.

Internet bloggers on Tuesday reported that as much as one millimeter of ash dusthas accumulated on surfaces at some locations in northern Ethiopia and Djibouti,raising questions about the health risk.

But Dr. Olle Liungman, a Swedish physician in Addis Ababa who has beenmonitoring the ash clouds movement, said the immediate danger from inhalingthe dust is minimal.

"As a general attitude toward that cloud, it can be [come] more and it can go upand be much bigger than it is now, but as it is now, it is not a major thing,"Liungman said.

The Nabro volcano was thought to have been extinct, but it rumbled to lifeSunday night after a serie s of minor earthquakes. The region, known as the AfarTriangle, sits along a geologic fault known as the East African Rift, where thecontinent is slowly being pulled apart by tectonic plate movements.


21/21

Geologists say at its current rate of expansion, the Great Rift Valley will growinto an ocean, splitting Africa in two within a few million years.---------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website

UN envoy hails Chads action plan to end use of child soldiers14 June A senior United Nations official today hailed the action plan signed bythe Government of Chad to end the use of children by the countrys securityforces, while highlighting important next steps on the path to eradicating thescourge of child soldiers.

Sudan: UN reports intense air bombardment ofSouthern Kordofan state14 June The United Nations has reported heavy bombardment by Sudanese

warplanes during the past week in areas surrounding the towns of Kadugli andKauda in the troubled state of Southern Kordofan, with planes early todaydropping at least 11 bombs on an airfield close to a UN camp.

Ongoing insecurity preventing return of displaced civilians in Cte dIvoire UN

14 June At least 300,000 civilians are still displaced in Cte dIvoire two monthsafter the end of the post-election crisis, the United Nations refugee agencyreported today, adding that ongoing insecurity in some areas is preventing theirreturn.

Funding for Horn of Africa drought falls short of needs, UN says13 June Despite the driest year in the Eastern Horn of Africa in more than 15years, and the threat to the livelihoods of millions in the region, funding for reliefefforts is barely over 50 per cent of announced needs, the UN Office for theCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

UN voices alarm as clashes continue in Sudanese state ofSouthern Kordofan13 June Clashes continue to be reported in the Sudanese state of SouthernKordofan despite calls by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other top UnitedNations officials for an end to the hostilities that have displaced tens ofthousands of civilians since it began earlier this month.

AFRICOM Related News Clips 15 June 2011

Documents

Transcript of AFRICOM Related News Clips 15 June 2011