AFRICOM Related News Clips February 14, 2011

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United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office14 February 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Danish Navy Sidelines Somali Pirate ¶Mothership' (VOA)(Somalia) The Danish navy says one of its warships has put a Somali pirate´mothershipµ out of action. A statement from the navy Sunday says the warshipEsbern Snare stopped a suspicious-looking boat off the coast of Somalia on Friday.

AU, US gov·t in talks to support AU peace, security efforts (Walta Info)(Ethiopia) Africa is working to address the root causes of conflict in order for it to growand prosper. ´Causes of conflict on the continent come down to the basics i.e. access toresources, food, pasture, water etcµ, and in some cases, these issues have not beenresolved.

U.S. Seeks to Cut Costs in Sustained War Against HIV/Aids (America.gov)The U.S. government is preparing for a sustained war against HIV/AIDS. At agathering of international health experts in Washington February 10, the Obamaadministration official in charge of the anti-HIV/AIDS campaign, Dr. Eric Goosby, saidthe watchword in the campaign has become "sustainability" -- rather than "emergency" -- and the key is reaching more people while reducing costs.

Sudan: Death Toll in Jonglei Clashes Reaches Over 105 - Officials (Sudan Tribune)(Sudan) Officials say at least 105 people have been killed following deadly clashesinvolving forces belonging to the South Sudan army and armed groups loyal to GeneralGeorge Athor, a renegade commander in Fangak County, Jongeli State.

New pro-reform rally in Algeria called for Feb. 19 (Associated Press)(Algeria) - The organizers of a pro-reform protest that brought thousands of Algerians

onto the streets of the capital over the weekend called Sunday for another rally nextweek.

Nigeria: Accidents, Stampede Claim Lives as Jonathan Campaigns (Vanguard)(Nigeria) Two separate accidents, yesterday, involving the convoy of some governors,occurred in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when President Goodluck Jonathan visited thestate to launch his presidential campaign in the south-south.



Tunisia's foreign minister leaves transitional govt weeks after predecessor'sresignation (Canadian Press)(Tunisia) - Tunisia's foreign minister has resigned just weeks after he was named toreplace the month-old transitional government's first, short-lived foreign minister, theofficial TAP news agency said Sunday.

Uganda opposition threatens Egypt-style protests (Associated Press)(Uganda) - Opposition members in Uganda are threatening Egypt-style protests if next

Friday's presidential election is rigged so that Yoweri Museveni can extend his 25-yeargrip on power.

Opposition Leader in Rwanda is Sentenced to 4 Years (New York Times)(Rwanda) A prominent Rwandan opposition leader, Bernard Ntaganda, who wasaccused of stoking ethnic tensions was sentenced on Friday night to four years in jail,Rwandan authorities said.

Charles Taylor war crimes trial extended in The Hague (BBC)(Liberia) The war crimes trial of Liberia's former President Charles Taylor has beenextended after judges said they would decide on a defence appeal. Friday was due tobe the last day of the trial, which began in 2007.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Websitey UN partners with West African nations to boost information technology in

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elp needed for Sudan''s displaced following referendum, says UN agency-------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 2:00 pm; Brookings InstitutionWHAT Access During Humanitarian Crises: Barriers to Protection and AssistanceWHO: Claude Wild, Head of the Political Affairs Division IV, Swiss FederalDepartment of Foreign Affairs, The Swiss Confederation; Elizabeth FerrisSenior Fellow and Co-Director, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, TheBrookings Institution; Buti Kale, Deputy Regional Representative for the United Statesand the Caribbean, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;Martin de Boer, Deputy Head, Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada,International Committee of the Red Cross; Gerry Martone, Director, HumanitarianAffairs, International Rescue Committee; Ashraf Hadari, Political Counselor, Embassyof AfghanistanInfo:https://www.cvent.com/EVENTS/Register/IdentityConfirmation.aspx?e=1fbbf519-874e-4ac1-a753-9c1c457ca0aa



WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 10:00 am; US Institute of PeaceWHAT: Can Nigeria Hold Credible Elections?WHO: Peter M. Lewis, Director, African Studies Program, School of AdvancedInternational Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Dave Peterson, Director of

Africa Programs, National Endowment for Democracy; Ambassador Robin Sanders,Co-Moderator, International Affairs Advisor, Africare; David Smock, Co-Moderator,Senior Vice President, U. S. Institute of PeaceInfo: http://www.usip.org/events/will-nigerias-elections-be-credible ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Danish Navy Sidelines Somali Pirate ¶Mothership' (VOA)

The Danish navy says one of its warships has put a Somali pirate ´mothershipµ out of

action.

A statement from the navy Sunday says the warship Esbern Snare stopped a suspicious-looking boat off the coast of Somalia on Friday.

It says Danish forces boarded the vessel and found weapons, ammunition, a largequantity of fuel, and two small boats of the kind that pirates use to launch their attacks.

The statement says the forces found two Yemeni hostages on board and 16 suspectedSomali pirates. It says the Yemenis were from a fishing vessel hijacked by pirates nearly

a year ago.

The Yemenis were placed on the Esbern Snare for return to Yemen. The suspectedpirates were taken back to Somalia after a Danish task force decided there was notenough evidence to prosecute them.

The warship is part of the NATO anti-piracy force operating off the coast of Somalia.

Despite the efforts of NATO, the European Union, and other world powers, Somalipirates continue to hijack ships and hold them for ransom.

The pirates use large, so-called ´mothershipsµ to travel far out to sea and attack ships inthe Indian Ocean.

Estimates vary, but the pirates are believed to be holding about 30 ships and some 700hostages.--------------------------------AU, US gov·t in talks to support AU peace, security efforts (Walta Info)



Addis Ababa - Africa is working to address the root causes of conflict in order for it togrow and prosper. ´Causes of conflict on the continent come down to the basics i.e.access to resources, food, pasture, water etcµ, and in some cases, these issues have notbeen resolved.

However, Africa is continuing to make progress in resolving conflict as evidenced bythe decline in the number of active conflicts on the continent, and the adoption of goodgovernance mechanisms. In addition, the AU needs the continued support andcooperation of partners in order to succeed in ensuring peace and security.

This was said at the AU Commission on February 9, 2011 by the Commission·s DeputyChairperson Erastus Mwencha when he met a US delegation led by Ambassador VickyHuddleston, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of Defense for Africa.

The delegation also included the US Ambassador to the AU, Michael Battle, accordingto a press release AU sent to WIC today.

Mwencha said in efforts to stabilize the continent, the AU is working to resolve theconflict in Somalia and allow the country to become a nation state; it is working withSudan in the post referendum period to resolve border disputes and to make sure SouthSudan benefits from its independence; and it is also heavily involved in efforts to bringstability to Cote D·Ivoire.

In fact, at the time of the meeting, he said that a delegation of the Panel of 5 selected by

the AU Assembly in January this year, as well as the Chairperson of the Commission Dr Jean Ping, was in Cote D·Ivoire to meet the two parties to the stalemate in efforts toensure that the country goes back to normalcy.

But, he said, continued support and cooperation was required from partners tocapacitate the AU to continue engaging in peace efforts. In this regard, he highlightedthe importance of making sure the African Standby Force becomes operational as wellas the need to secure African coastlines from conflict and piracy.

Mwencha·s comments were made in the context of the ongoing collaboration betweenthe AU and the US, through its US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the statedobjective, by Ambassador Huddlestone that the US Department of Defense andAFRICOM were looking to the AU to see how they can structure their activities aroundAU priorities.

The discussions were also informed by President Obama·s strategy where the USsupports African solutions and builds the capacity of African institutions so that theycan spearhead development.



The talks with Ambassador Huddleston also touched on the need to counter terrorismand to prevent internal conflicts from spilling over into neighbouring countries.---------------------U.S. Seeks to Cut Costs in Sustained War Against HIV/Aids (America.gov)

The U.S. government is preparing for a sustained war against HIV/AIDS.

At a gathering of international health experts in Washington February 10, the Obamaadministration official in charge of the anti-HIV/AIDS campaign, Dr. Eric Goosby, saidthe watchword in the campaign has become "sustainability" -- rather than "emergency" -- and the key is reaching more people while reducing costs.

Since PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) was launched in 2003,the cost of administering anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to one patient has fallen from

$1,400 per year a few years ago to an average of $435 per patient per year now, Goosbysaid. The former medical director of the AIDS clinic of the San Francisco GeneralHospital now heads the global AIDS office at the U.S. State Department.

In the first five years of PEPFAR, ARVs reached 1.7 million people as funding shotupward from $2.3 billion in 2003 to $6 billion in 2008, Goosby said. But because ofbudgetary constraints that have come with the global recession, funding increases tocombat the disease have flattened out. In 2009, the Obama administration spent $6.7billion and in 2010, $6.8 billion for PEPFAR. Nevertheless, the number of peoplereceiving ARVs has mushroomed from 1.7 million in 2008 to 3.3 million through the

end of 2010.

Goosby said that PEPFAR has a special focus on children.

"In the last year alone, we have been able to prevent 114,000 transmissions to childrenduring pregnancy of HIV-positive mothers," he said, adding that 3.8 million vulnerablechildren are cared for by PEPFAR programs. "From birth until they are 18 years old, wefeed them, clothe them, house them, educate them, train them for jobs and turn themloose, and we have a case management relationship with them as they go into youngadulthood. This is a remarkable example of the American people's tax dollars having ahigh impact to stabilize lives and save lives, stabilize communities and stabilizecountries."

"Despite funding constraints, the number of people receiving treatment is increasingrapidly," said Dr. Charles Holmes, PEPFAR's chief medical officer.

As the United States prepares for a long-term campaign against the disease thatdestroys the body's immune system, Goosby said making health management systems



more efficient is the core theme. "It's not flashy or sexy, but it has a huge monetaryimpact. We want to have one manager for 20 clinics, not 20 managers for 20 clinics. Wewant to have one procurement system for 20 clinics, not one procurement system foreach clinic," he said.

Goosby said the international community needs to do more to support the anti-AIDSstruggle, and said he hopes to see greater contributions from European countries, Chinaand Saudi Arabia, among others. PEPFAR, he said, is engaging faith-based charitiesoperating in AIDS-stricken countries as another measure to broaden its partnershipsand cut costs.

"When the PEPFAR efforts move out of cities into rural areas, medical facilities thin outand people are more dependent on nonprofit groups. We have taken full advantage ofthat, especially with faith-based organizations," Goosby said.

The end goal of PEPFAR is to enable health ministries in AIDS-affected countries totake control of the efforts to counter the epidemic.

"The unifying thread is having a ministry of health that is strong enough to take thereins so that they are able to plan effectively, define and prioritize unmet needs, thenmove to implement the program," he said. "We are making a permanent system of careembedded in the existing ministries of health that will be there long after PEPFAR isgone."

Dr. Ndwapi Ndwapi of Botswana said he is taking many ideas from the conference to

make his country's anti-AIDS programs more effective.

"The emphasis on cost control, knowing how much things cost, going into the details,looking at those areas that are most costly and finding interventions, such as theprocurement of ARV drugs, a strategy that South Africa is undertaking. I look at themwith great interest," Ndwapi said.

Ndwapi said it is urgent for the Botswana Health Ministry to bring down costs anddevelop a self-sustaining program because international donors are beginning to sendtheir anti-AIDS funds to other countries deemed to be in greater need.------------------------------Sudan: Death Toll in Jonglei Clashes Reaches Over 105 - Officials (Sudan Tribune)

Khartoum - Officials say at least 105 people have been killed following deadly clashesinvolving forces belonging to the South Sudan army and armed groups loyal to GeneralGeorge Athor, a renegade commander in Fangak County, Jongeli State.



Athor was a former deputy chief of general staff in the southern army SPLA, whobecame rebel after losing the gubernatorial seat for Jonglei, to his main rival, incumbentgovernor Kuol Manyang Juuk, after contesting as independent candidate in the 2010April elections. He accused the southern ruling party, the Sudan People's LiberationMovement (SPLM), of intimation and vote rigging and refused to recognize the results.

In April 2010, the government of South Sudan in a weekly cabinet meeting accused himto have staged an attack on SPLA base adjacent to his home village of Khorfulus,located North West of Jonglei capital, Bor. Athor denied the accusations, claiming thathis rebellion occurred when soldiers in the southern army under his control refusedorders to arrest him.

Since his rebellion Athor's forces, predominantly members of his ethnic group andmembers of the surrounding communities, clashed several times with forces belongingto the SPLA. In October, South Sudan's President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued a

presidential decree pardoning him and his forces. Kiir also extended the amnesty tosome other armed groups, including Gabriel Tanginka (AKA Gabriel Tang) whoseforces clashed with the SPLA on several occasions in Malakal in 2007 and 2008.

Tanginka's forces fought internally when they were asked to move North with theirweapons as part of 2005 peace deal after the South voted to secede. The conflict spreadto other areas of Upper Nile state resulting in many deaths.

The decree stated that one of the conditions for the amnesty included laying down armsprior to joining the SPLA. However, Athor has requested that Kiir review this

condition.

In January, his negotiating team and the government of south Sudan with the SPLA,signed a cessation of hostilities agreement, which charted a way forward for a finalagreement after integration of his forces by the end of January 2011.

According to Athor, several places were selected to be transit assembly points for hisforces. This included Door in Jonglei, Wang Kei in Unity state. Other areas includedPablo in Pibor county where his zonal operation commanders Gatluak Gai and DavidYau Yau operate.

However, Athor said Wednesday that SPLA forces in the area attacked his forces inKoliet and Kolnyang and received another attack from Fangak the same day afternoon.But SPLA spokesman Colonel Phillip Aguer Panyang denied the attack was initiated bythe southern army.



"Our forces never launched an attack on General Athor's forces. It was them whoattacked our forces. Not only did he attack but laid landmines. This is dangerous to thelocal population", Aguer told Sudan Tribune from Juba on Thursday.

James Maluit Ruei, Fangak commissioner also confirmed the clash and blamed Athor

for the attack.

"George Athor attacked and captured Koliet and Kolnyang on Wednesday. Headvanced to Fangak and captured it after taking Door but was repulsed. Again, heattacked Pom and overran it. The SPLA launched a counter attack but were repulsed.Lives have been lost on both sides the commissioner said in an interview with SudanTribune on Friday.

The violence comes days after results of a referendum on secession confirmed SouthSudan would declare independence in July, after decades of civil war which claimed

two million lives.

Fangak youth in Juba and in different parties of the world took to the streetsdemonstrating against the clash reported to have claimed the lives of civilians in thearea and Friday. The group called on the President Kiir Mayardit and his governmentcabinet to pay attention to the conflict with immediacy. They also warned takingunilateral actions to defend their area if the president takes too long to respond.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune from Juba, Ruei Chany, a spokesman of the Fangak youthgroup in Juba said needs President Salva Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar to act

fast otherwise they would take unilateral action to defense their community.

"A lot of people have been killed. The media are saying 105 have been killed but it ismore than that. President Kiir and his Vice Dr. Riek Machar must act now otherwise wewill take act against perpetuators and members of their communities".

"Our people should not be victims of the tribal tension between Atar Gier Chuang andthe Luac Dinka of Athor. That is their problem why bring it to our innocent people.President Kiir must act now".

"The situation in Fangak cannot wait. Our people have been ruthlessly and mercilesslykilled by George Athor", Chany told Sudan Tribune from Juba.

Dok James Puok, spokesman of General Athor said no report of new fighting on Fridayand the details of those killed in the fighting are still not clear but the number could 105or more.



"I still do not have clear information but it is possible that number of casualties could be105 or more. Casualties on our side will be more or less than six. Because reports fromour forces on the ground indicates that we lost three in the past clash on Wednesdayand three others in the last fighting on Thursday," said Puok.

However, Colonel Phillip Aguer, spokesman of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, ina separate interview confirmed 105 people were killed. Reports from the area indicatethat 105 people from both sides have killed: 39 civilians, 24 police and 42 from Athor'smen.

The military officer reiterated that the southern government holds Athor responsible forthe attacks but said the SPLA was committed to reconciliation.

"The government is committed to full implementation of the ceasefire and completeagreement and do not understand why Athor attacks. So, because we are still respecting

the ceasefire and it is holding, our forces never attacked General Athor because weknow the ceasefire is holding. It was George Athor's men who came with machine guns,AK 47s and started shooting at our men. They never started fight," said Aguer.----------------------------New pro-reform rally in Algeria called for Feb. 19 (Associated Press)

Algiers, Algeria - The organizers of a pro-reform protest that brought thousands ofAlgerians onto the streets of the capital over the weekend called Sunday for anotherrally next week.

The Coordination for Democratic Change in Algeria - an umbrella group for humanrights activists, unionists, lawyers and others - has called for the Feb. 19 demonstrationsto take place throughout the country.

Saturday's rally - which came a day after an uprising in Egypt toppled that country'sautocratic ruler - took place only in the capital, Algiers.

Organizers said around 10,000 took part in the gathering, though officials put turnout at1,500. Many protesters held signs reading "Bouteflika out," in reference to PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika, in power in the impoverished but gas-rich North African nationsince 1999.

Under the country's long-standing state of emergency, public protests are banned inAlgiers, and an estimated 26,000 riot police set up barriers throughout the city in afailed bid to quash Saturday's gathering, organizers said.

A human rights campaigner said police briefly detained around 400 people. No injurieswere reported.



The hours-long rally dissolved peacefully Saturday afternoon, and Sunday was calm inthe capital, though youth clashed with riot police in the eastern coastal city of Annaba.

The skirmish broke out after thousands of people responded Sunday to an ad in the

local paper announcing job vacancies at Annaba's city hall. When it turned out no jobswere on offer, members of the angry mob started throwing stones at police.

Annaba is 375 miles (600 kilometers) east of Algiers, near the border with Tunisia.

Tensions have been high in Algeria since a spate of riots over high food prices early lastmonth that left three dead. and recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that deposedthose country's leaders.

The success of those uprisings is fueling activists' hope for change in Algeria, although

many in this conflict-scarred nation of 35 million people fear any prospect of a return toviolence. The country lived through a brutal Islamist insurgency in the 1990s that left anestimated 200,000 people dead.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley called on the securityservices to exercise restraint.

"In addition, we reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people,including assembly and expression," Crowley said. "These rights apply on the Internet.Moreover, these rights must be respected. We will continue to follow the situation

closely in the days ahead."-------------------------Nigeria: Accidents, Stampede Claim Lives as Jonathan Campaigns (Vanguard)

(Nigeria) Two separate accidents, yesterday, involving the convoy of some governors,occurred in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when President Goodluck Jonathan visited thestate to launch his presidential campaign in the south-south.

Whereas the accidents occurred along Aba Road, 10 persons were allegedly crushed in astampede at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, the venue of the president's rally,when policemen on horseback, after the event, rode into a crowd of people who werescampering for Naira notes thrown into the air by a political bigwig.

Four reportedly died on the spot while six gave up the ghost at the hospital where theywere rushed to, after the stampede.



However, Rivers State police PRO, Dr. Rita Inoma-Abbey (a DSP), said no one diedduring the stampede but that "people only suffocated and fainted and no death wasrecorded. I have been to the hospital, no corpse has been deposited there".

Sunday Vanguard observed that police vans carried what appeared like lifeless people

as they drove away from the stadium premises, even as some people laid motionlessoutside the gate of the stadium after the stampede.

It was also noticed that people wailed as the police vans drove along Elekahiacommunity, which hosts the stadium, just as some people rushed to the stadium toascertain the whereabouts of their relations who had gone to the rally.

A morgue attendant at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital who did not want his namein print said "some policemen brought some corpses a few minutes ago and they saidthe people died during the president's visit".

Meanwhile, the president has assured the people of the south-south that his presidencywould bring about transformational change in the region. Addressing the zonalcampaign in Port Harcourt, Jonathan said he would sit with governors and leaders ofthe party from the region to evolve a concrete development plan for the area after he iselected in the general elections.

Promising that any project started by his administration in the region would becompleted, the president pleaded for cooperation from youths and people of the region.According to him, no development comes up overnight.

He also said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was already in talkswith those to invest in the petrochemical industry in the region. Jonathan said hispresidency would strive to address the challenges of unemployment. The presidentstated with the local content law already in place people from the region would emergekey actors in the oil and gas sector.

Noting that his ticket along with his vice president, Namadi Sambo, signifies nationalunity and positive changes, Jonathan thanked the region for voting for him and hisdeputy massively at the last presidential primary election of the PDP in Abuja.

The acting national chairman of the party, Dr Bello Muhamed, presented flags to thePDP governorship candidates in the five states of the region where election would holdin April this year. They include Governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers,Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa , Senator Liyel Imoke ofCross Rivers and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta.



Other speakers at the event lauded the Jonathan/Sambo ticket, expressing the hope thatit would take the country to greater heights.---------------------Tunisia's foreign minister leaves transitional govt weeks after predecessor's

resignation (Canadian Press)

Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisia's foreign minister has resigned just weeks after he was namedto replace the month-old transitional government's first, short-lived foreign minister,the official TAP news agency said Sunday.

The report didn't provide any details about the reasons behind Ahmed Ounaies'resignation, but critics have decried what they saw as the offhand way he described the"people's revolution" that ousted the North African nation's longtime autocraticpresident, Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, on Jan. 14.

It was not immediately clear when Ounaies' replacement would be named.

Ounaies's predecessor, Kamel Morjane, was a minister under Ben Ali and one of severalwho initially kept their jobs in the transitional government formed days after the massuprising forced Ben Ali into exile. Continuing street protests later forced theresignations of Morjane and most other Cabinet ministers with their roots in Ben Ali'sruling RCD party.

Ounaies, a 75-year-old retired diplomat, was named to replace Morjane on Jan. 27 butsoon ran into trouble.

An interview with Tunisian television channel Nessma angered many who didn'tappreciated the light tone with which he spoke about the deadly protests that toppledBen Ali after 23 years in power.

A Feb. 4 visit to Paris, where he met with French counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie, gothim into more trouble. In declarations following their meeting, Ounaies told reporters"Meeting Mrs. Alliot-Marie is a dream come true. I love to hear what she says in everycircumstance."

Tunisia is a former French protectorate, and some here took umbrage with thecomment's sycophantic overtones.

Alliot-Marie was also embroiled in a controversy over a year-end 2010 trip to Tunisiathat saw her and her family members take a private plane owned by a Tunisianbusinessman suspected of having close relations with the fallen regime.



France's foreign minister had also come under fire for offering French police know-howto Tunisian security forces while the number of demonstrators killed by Tunisian policemounted. The opposition called on her to resign, but Alliot-Marie has resisted.----------------------------------Uganda opposition threatens Egypt-style protests (Associated Press)

Kampala, Uganda - Opposition members in Uganda are threatening Egypt-styleprotests if next Friday's presidential election is rigged so that Yoweri Museveni canextend his 25-year grip on power.

Museveni is widely expected to win another term in office, and the Ugandan militaryand police would likely crush any attempted revolt.

"As long as people are oppressed for a long time, as long as they become hopeless in allprocesses ... then a time comes when their anger explodes," opposition candidate Kizza

Besigye said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Museveni, who seized power in 1986 as the head of a guerrilla army, faces Besigye andsix other opponents in the election. The longtime leader, who has been accused ofquashing dissent and reversing presidential term limits, warned against unrest duringthe upcoming poll.

"I hear some characters talking about violence during elections. There will be noviolence. Whoever attempts will do so at his or her own risk," he said earlier this month.

Pro-democracy protesters in Egypt brought down President Hosni Mubarak on Fridayafter three decades of authoritarian rule. Analysts are playing down the possibility of asimilar Ugandan uprising.

"There may be some pockets of people coming to protest but it won't be full-scale," saidindependent security analyst Levi Ochieng. "The police and army would act withdecisive force."

At a rally on Friday, Museveni arrived to the sound of his hit campaign song, a rap tunefeaturing him singing the chorus "Do you want another rap?" Museveni has tried toappeal to Ugandan youth; most are too young to remember any other ruler.

The top opposition candidate is Besigye, who is Museveni's former personal physician.Besigye lost to Museveni in 2001 and 2006 polls that were tainted by intimidation andviolence. Besigye claims a pro-Museveni electoral commission means next Friday's voteis already "fundamentally flawed."



U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said during a swing through East Africaearlier this month that the will of Ugandan voters must be heard in the upcoming vote.Steinberg met with Museveni and opposition candidates in early February.

"For the United States it's not about individuals it's about institutions and processes,

and so what's important for us is that there be an open and transparent political andelectoral process that allows candidates to run and gives them access to the media,"Steinberg said.

Museveni has won plaudits from the U.S. for contributing thousands of troops to theAfrican Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.

Uganda suffered twin terror bombings that killed 76 people during the final of theWorld Cup last July, and the Somali militant group that claimed responsibility saidUgandan had been targeted because of its AU troops. Police have warned of possible

terrorist attacks ahead of the election, though the run-up to the vote has been largelypeaceful.

Despite concerns over human rights and spiraling corruption, Western diplomats inUganda say the election campaign has been largely well-managed. They point toUganda's rapid economic growth as justification for Museveni's continued popularity.

Some observers say the peaceful run-up to Friday's vote is because the president'sruling National Resistance Movement is bribing the electorate with money likelyfunneled into the campaign coffers from public funds.

"This time the level of bribery is unprecedented," said Robert Lugolobi, executivedirector at Transparency International Uganda. Bribes handed out on the campaign trailrange from just a couple of cents to envelopes stuffed with cash, Lugolobi said.

Anti-corruption campaigners have faced harassment and intimidation for raising theissue of alleged bribery during the campaign, Human Rights Watch said in a statementThursday.

But ruling party spokesman Ofwono Opondo denied claims that Museveni is usingpublic funds to bribe voters.

"The claims of bribery are just being used as a scapegoat for people who are surelygoing to lose," Opondo said.-------------------Opposition Leader in Rwanda is Sentenced to 4 Years (New York Times)



Kampala, Uganda - A prominent Rwandan opposition leader, Bernard Ntaganda, whowas accused of stoking ethnic tensions was sentenced on Friday night to four years in jail, Rwandan authorities said.

´There is no place for hate speech and divisionism in Rwanda,µ the chief prosecutor,

Martin Ngoga, said in a statement. ´Our laws are there to protect Rwandans from thosewho want to reverse the economic and social progress as well as the reconciliation thathas been made.µ

Mr. Ntaganda pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is the second person who sought torun in last year·s elections to end up in jail. The other was Victoire Ingabire. Both areHutu; President Paul Kagame is Tutsi.

Mr. Kagame handily won last August·s election, in which he ran against three marginal,regime-friendly candidates, garnering 93 percent of the vote.

The election was the second since the end of Rwandan genocide in 1994, when radicalHutu slaughtered nearly one million ethnic-minority Tutsi, and gave Mr. Kagame asecond seven-year term.

In a statement, Amnesty International criticized the court·s ruling against Mr.Ntaganda. ´Ntaganda·s prosecution for threatening state security and ¶divisionism· wasbased solely on his speeches criticizing government policies,µ the statement said. Itadded, ´Today·s ruling once again criminalizes peaceful dissent.µ

Human rights advocates argue that the government has misused powerful laws meantto stop a repeat of the killing, sometimes using them to sideline political opponents.

Last month, two journalists were imprisoned on accusations that they promoted ethnicdivisions, denied the genocide and insulted the president. One of them was sentencedto 17 years, the other to 7 years.

According to Mr. Ntaganda·s indictment, he was accused by the courts of criticizing aneconomic program and the special genocide courts, saying some judges were unfairlyruling against people based simply on their ethnic backgrounds.

Mr. Ntaganda was charged with endangering state security, as well as harboring ethnicdivisionism.

Mr. Ntaganda, who was the president of a political party, PS-Imberakuri, was arrestedat dawn on June 24, the first day presidential candidates could officially register.



He never had the chance. For the last half-year, Mr. Ntaganda has waited in prison andwas taken to a hospital after a hunger strike in October.-----------------------------Charles Taylor war crimes trial extended in The Hague (BBC)

The war crimes trial of Liberia's former President Charles Taylor has been extendedafter judges said they would decide on a defence appeal.

Friday was due to be the last day of the trial, which began in 2007.

But defence lawyer Courtenay Griffiths stormed out of court this week after judgesrefused to accept the late submission of a document.

Mr Taylor denies 11 counts - including murder, rape, and using child soldiers duringthe civil war in Sierra Leone.

He is accused of arming and controlling the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebelsduring a 10-year campaign of terror conducted largely against civilians.

The RUF became infamous for hacking off the limbs of their victims, and using rape andmurder to terrorise the population.

Mr Taylor also boycotted the opening of his trial in June 2007, arguing he would not geta fair hearing.

'Blood diamonds'

Mr Griffiths was in court on Friday but Mr Taylor was not.

Mr Taylor and his lawyers were upset at the court's refusal to accept a 500-page writtensummary of the trial that was submitted late.

"What we were trying to do is ensure we get some semblance of justice out of this andit's turned into this personalised attack on us," Mr Griffiths told reporters outside thecourt on Wednesday. "I find it totally despicable."

The defence team has now been granted leave to appeal.

The BBC's Peter Biles in The Hague says after that appeal has been heard - perhapswithin the next two weeks - the defence will still need to discuss whether it will beallowed to present closing oral arguments.



The separate issue over the apology demanded by the judges from Mr Griffiths ispotentially a disciplinary matter and has been deferred until 25 February, he says.

The defence has argued that Mr Taylor tried to broker peace in Sierra Leone at therequest of regional powers.

He is accused of selling "blood diamonds" for the rebels, in return for supplying themwith weapons.

Last year supermodel Naomi Campbell and actress Mia Farrow were summoned togive evidence at the trial.

The prosecution was trying to establish a link between Mr Taylor and a number ofuncut diamonds that Miss Campbell said she had been given in South Africa in 1997.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague has heard from more than 100witnesses in what is the first international trial of an African former head of state.

The judges are expected to deliver a verdict later in the year.

If convicted, Mr Taylor would serve a prison sentence in the UK.--------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website

UN partners with West African nations to boost information technology in universities11 February ² The United Nations agency tasked with promoting education and theWest African monetary union today signed an agreement to launch a $12 million projectto boost the information and communications technology (ICT) capacity of universitiesby creating a regional virtual library network.

H elp needed for Sudan''s displaced following referendum, says UN agency11 February ² With the historic referendum on South Sudan''s independence nowcomplete, help is needed to support the return of southerners back to the South fromother parts of Sudan, according to the United Nations refugee agency, which is seeking$53.4 million for this.

AFRICOM Related News Clips February 14, 2011

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