AFRICOM Related News Clips September 20, 2010

8/8/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips September 20, 2010

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United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office20 September 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

AFRICOM: Professionalism Key to Congo Medical Exercise (Congo Planet)(Congo) Humanitarian assistance -- especially medical and dental care -- is in highdemand in Africa. And, thats a big part of the reason the U.S. military is involved onthe continent, the commander of U.S. Army Africa said yesterday.

Somalia and the United States (The Economist) (Nairobi and Washington) Does it matter to the United States that Somalia is becominga hotbed of global jihad? The answer most often heard in Washington is impenetrable.Somalia is not important until it launches a terrorist attack which makes it important,explains a Pentagon official. There is wide agreement that a more aggressive Americanpolicy towards the jihadist rebels could well backfire. But if America is unwilling toinvade Somalia, bearing in mind its disastrous intervention in 1993, how does it plan,through less direct means, to limit the threat of Somali-based Islamist terrorists?

Nigeria: U.S. Strikes-Off Nigeria from Major Drug Nations' List (All Africa) (Lagos) The United States of America has delisted Nigeria from the list of major drugtrafficking countries due to the laudable efforts of the National Drug Law EnforcementAgency (NDLEA).

Obama softens approach to Sudan (Boston Globe)(Sudan) On the campaign trail, Barack Obama pledged to get tough with Sudan, aregime accused of committing genocide in Darfur and waging a relentless war againstits citizens in the south. But in the White House, Obama has adopted a far gentlerapproach.

US removes Nigeria from major drug trafficking list (AFP)(Nigeria) The United States has removed Nigeria from the list of major drug traffickingcountries, the country's anti-narcotics agency said on Sunday, describing the move asrecognition of its fight against trafficking.

Nigerian Board Seeks Vote Delay (Wall Street Journal)


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(Nigeria) Nigeria's electoral commission requested Sunday that the January 22presidential elections be postponed so it could be better prepare for a "credible" vote inAfrica's most populous country.

Terror spillover in Africa (Khaleej Times)(Pan Africa) A recent dispatch observed: Africom, as its called, has had to convinceAfrican leaders that the US is there to assist the countries, and is not planning to buildmilitary bases there. What remained unstated in that story was whether Africanleaders believe the United States.

Mauritania attacks Al-Qaeda-linked fighters: military (Radio NetherlandsWorldwide)(Mauritania) Mauritania warplanes attacked militants of Al-Qaeda's north Africanwing in northern Mali, senior officers said Sunday, amid claims that civilians werekilled in the strikes.

Uganda boosts African Union force in Mogadishu (Afrique en Ligne)(Uganda/Somalia) The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) hasgrown from 6,300 troops to 7,200 troops after an additional battalion from Uganda joined the force, an African Union (AU) envoy disclosed here Friday.

Kenya says world neglecting Somalia security threat (Reuters)(Somalia) The international community is neglecting the security threat from Somalia,Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said on Friday, suggesting that the UnitedStates wanted to avoid a repeat of a failed 1992 military intervention.

U.N. Millennium Development Goals appear out of reach in Africa (Los AngelesTimes)(Pan Africa) With only five years left to meet the targets of poverty reduction andhealthcare improvements set for 2015, most of sub-Saharan Africa lags behind amid thelack of aid and political will.

Why the U.S. Should Send Troops (and Spooks) to the Congo (Wired.com) (Democratic Republic of Congo) They arrive in the night like monsters. In northeasternCongo, in a swath of thick forest the size of some European countries, the apocalypticLords Resistance Army rebel group is a constant, foreboding presence. The LRAsfighters many of them kidnapped teens murder, abduct, rape and pillage whileconstantly eluding a half-heartedly pursuing Congolese army.

UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website

y UN gives hope to Rwandan communities ravaged by climate change


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y W est African States back UN resolution promoting role of women in peace and security

y V oter registration for Sudanese referenda must start as soon as possible UN expert

y Security Council calls for setting of new date for Guineas election run-off y Security Council urges DR Congo to bring mass rape perpetrators to justice

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

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, September 21, 2:00 p.m., U.S. Institute of PeaceWHAT: Civil Society in Darfur: The Missing PeaceWHO: Theodore Murphy, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue; Jrme Tubiana,Independent researcher; Jon Temin, Moderator,U.S. Institute of PeaceInfo: http://www.usip.org/events/civil-society-in-darfur-the-missing-peace

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, September 23, 9:00 a.m.WHAT: Breakfast Briefing with The Honorable Robert P. Jackson, New Ambassador ofthe United States to CameroonWHO: Business Council for International Understanding with Chevron CorporationInfo:http://www.bciu.org/wip01/online_event_invitation.asp?continent=0&country=0&currentorpast=current&eventsorprograms=events&IDNumber=1431&ProgramIDNumber=0&Keycode=8031275 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

AFRICOM: Professionalism Key to Congo Medical Exercise (Congo Planet)

Humanitarian assistance -- especially medical and dental care -- is in high demand inAfrica. And, thats a big part of the reason the U.S. military is involved on the continent,the commander of U.S. Army Africa said yesterday.

During a Sept. 15 DoD Live bloggers roundtable, Army Maj. Gen. David R. Hoggdiscussed Medflag 10, an ongoing humanitarian assistance exercise in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congos capital of Kinshasa.

The exercise helps to improve the readiness of both countries medical personnel andincludes classroom instruction, a mass casualty exercise and civic assistance activities inspecific areas in Kinshasa, Hogg said.

Throughout this exercise weve worked on some pretty basic achievements, he said.Soldiers on both sides received classes on triage, emergency treatment [and]evacuation techniques, and later on we conducted a medical humanitarian mission,


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where we treated over 1,700 people from the Kinshasa community on the medical anddental sides.

The Congolese emergency responders, called UMIR, also rescued a number of injuredpassengers after a bus accident. There were about 300 total participants in the exercise,Hogg said, 100 of them U.S. military personnel.

The joint venture came about at the request of the Congolese government, by way of theState Department. Medflag began in 1988 and has taken U.S. military units across thecontinent to assist and partner with different nations medical teams.

Were working hand-in-hand with the Congolese military to professionalize theirforce. It comes down to leader development, when you get down to it, Hogg said.

There also is a humanitarian aspect to each Medflag mission that not only provides care

to local residents, but also helps to give those residents confidence that theirgovernments military is there to help them.

Hogg said its too soon to say whether measures need to be taken as a result of Medflag,but he said one lesson he learned is not to underestimate any units capabilities.

The medical units we worked with here knew their business. They wereprofessionals, he said. They have a system to support their soldiers when theyre inthe jungle fighting. They have a system to support their civilian forces.

When you get down to it, the general continued, professionalization of a force does,in fact, make a difference. These exercises have an effect on how these groups willcontinue their operations.--------------------Somalia and the United States What's to be done? The Americans are at a loss to decidehow to take on Somalias jihadists (The Economist)

NAIROBI and WASHINGTON - Does it matter to the United States that Somalia isbecoming a hotbed of global jihad? The answer most often heard in Washington isimpenetrable. Somalia is not important until it launches a terrorist attack which makes it important, explains a Pentagon official. There is wide agreement that a moreaggressive American policy towards the jihadist rebels could well backfire. But ifAmerica is unwilling to invade Somalia, bearing in mind its disastrous intervention in1993, how does it plan, through less direct means, to limit the threat of Somali-basedIslamist terrorists?

The leading Islamist militia in Somalia is the Shabab (Youth). It controls large parts ofsouth and central Somalia. In the battered capital, Mogadishu, it is seeking to drive


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But the constant circulation of Somali-Americans back to Somalia to visit family orconduct business makes it hard for American intelligence to track would-be jihadists.Nor can Britain, Canada, Italy and Sweden, each with sizeable Somali communities, besure of the motives of all their citizens travelling to Somalia.

Kenyas intelligence service is also hard put to monitor the countrys 2.5m ethnicSomalis. It does not just worry about Kenyan Somali Islamists being trained in campsinside Somalia. More frightening is the prospect of terrorist cells being set up inNairobi, Kenyas capital, and elsewhere in the region.--------------------Nigeria: U.S. Strikes-Off Nigeria from Major Drug Nations' List (All Africa) LAGOS - The United States of America has delisted Nigeria from the list of major drugtrafficking countries due to the laudable efforts of the National Drug Law EnforcementAgency (NDLEA).

According to statement issued by NDLEA, "The United States government has gone astep higher than the usual annual drug certification of the country to outright removalof Nigeria from the majors list. The removal which is an acknowledgement of theagency's current drug control achievements is contained in the 2010 annual drugcertification report."

The agency said that the reports was presented to congress by President Barack Obamaon Friday, noting that it was the first time the country would be delisted from the drugmajors list since 1991.

The statement also said that President Obama pointed out that "Nigeria, a worldwidedrugtrafficking focal point, makes counternarcotics a top national security concern forthe country. United States and international data show a continued strengthening ofillegal drug trafficking between Latin America and West Africa, especially via Braziland Venezuela, with a considerable portion of illegal product destined for Europe".

The CEO of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said the honour was for all Nigerians and welldeserved.

"The removal of Nigeria from the majors list is an endorsement of our collective resolveto have a drug free society. It is a well deserved honour to all Nigerians. A product ofdedication, transparency, hardwork and cordial working relationship between Nigeriaand United States in drug control through the political will of President Goodluck Jonathan" Giade stated.

According to the report, Nigeria, Brazil and Paraguay were removed this year from thelist because they no longer meet the criteria for the list according to US law. The


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assistance of international donors and organisations to West African governments toimprove their counternarcotics capability is increasingly urgent.

The United States fully supports all efforts to promote, preserve, and protect thestability and positive growth of countries in West Africa."

While thanking President Barack Obama and Americans over what he described ascandid assessment of the country's performance, Giade noted that drug control hasdefined indices such that the most assiduous efforts of countries could be easilymeasured.

"I appreciate President Barack Obama and Americans for this candid and credibleassessment. The removal speaks volumes concerning our impressive scorecard anddetermination to address the drug problem. Illicit trade in narcotics transcends nationalboundaries. Our foreign collaborators also have a way of monitoring our most

assiduous efforts. All exit and entry points will remain invincible to drug criminalsthrough effective drug interdiction," Giade stated.

The NDLEA boss thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his anti-drug policies. Healso commended all stakeholders, reassuring that no drug baron or major drugtrafficker notwithstanding the status will go unpunished in the country. "NDLEA is oneof the best anti-drugs Agencies in Africa and we are prepared to make sacrifices tosustain and improve on our drug control performance" he promised.

Giade also said, "Our level of professionalism shall be further consolidated on the

tripod of transparency, anti-corruption and respect for the rule of law. It is a call to dutythat demands higher commitment on our part. We shall continue to partner with theUnited States and other stakeholders. No stone will be left unturned in our quest for adrug free society." Giade assured.NDLEA said that 20 countries on the list this year are Afghanistan, The Bahamas,Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti,Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru andVenezuela.

The agency also explained, "A major drug-transit country is defined as a significantdirect source of illicit narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substancessignificantly affecting the United States; or a country through which such drugs orsubstances are transported."The statement noted that the certification process was instituted by the United States todemand tougher counter narcotics measures by other governments.

"In Nigeria, US drug certification dates back to 1991 following the country's inclusion inthe majors list. However, between 1994 and 1998 Nigeria was decertified and was given


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a national interest waiver in 1999. The following year it was certified and continued toenjoy certification till last year before its removal this year," NDLEA narrated.--------------------Obama softens approach to Sudan (Boston Globe)

WASHINGTON On the campaign trail, Barack Obama pledged to get tough withSudan, a regime accused of committing genocide in Darfur and waging a relentless waragainst its citizens in the south. He harshly criticized what he called the Bushadministrations feckless compromises with the regime.

But in the White House, Obama has adopted a far gentler approach.

His special envoy J. Scott Gration has called the regime in Khartoum his friends andhas shied away from tough talk or new sanctions. This past week, the Obamaadministration announced a package of incentives for Sudan, including normalized

relations, if Khartoum chooses peace. Gration said there would also be consequences ifSudan turns to war, but he didnt detail what those would be.

The friendlier approach has alarmed some activists and former and current US officialswho say the country could fall back into bloodshed and civil war unless the Obamaadministration strongly pressures Sudan to fully implement the peace agreementbetween Khartoum and the south brokered under former president George W. Bush.

The deal, one of Bushs foreign policy achievements, man dates a vote in January onwhether the southern half of the country will become an independent state. Khartoum

has threatened to resume the war if the south breaks away.State Department officials acknowledge that they have taken a softer approach but saythat the administration is now intensifying its diplomatic efforts. Obama is expected tomake a strong statement on Sudan at a UN meeting Friday.

But some human rights activists and former US officials are still skeptical, saying theadministration has been too reluctant to consider harsh actions such as additionalsanctions, no-fly zones, or naval blockades to deter bloodshed.

Every envoy thinks they are going to be the one that the Sudanese government isgoing to deal with in a straightforward fashion, said Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretaryof state for African affairs under Bush. But then typically they learn that the regimeresponds mainly to pressure credible pressure.

The new incentive package immediately loosens restrictions on agricultural equipmentand would lift non-oil-related sanctions on Sudan if the vote takes place on time. Sudan


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would get debt relief, the lifting of more sanctions, and the restoration of full diplomaticties if it supports the outcome of the vote, and resolves the conflict in Darfur.

The softer line on Sudan has been surprising, given that Obamas foreign policy team ismade up of advocates of tough measures even military action on Sudan. GayleSmith, cofounder of the Enough Project, which aims to end genocide, is the seniorWhite House official on development; Susan Rice, who argued for airstrikes to protectpeople in Darfur, is ambassador to the United Nations; and Samantha Power, formerhead of Harvards Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and winner of a Pulitzer Prizefor a book about President Clintons failure to stop genocide in Rwanda, is a senior aideon refugees.

An exception was Gration, a retired Air Force major general with little diplomaticexperience, as his special envoy. Gration has worked tirelessly, traveling 20 times toSudan, but he has become a controversial figure. Those who favor a tougher approach

accuse him of being too trusting of the Sudanese regime and veering off the courseplotted by the previous administration.

We were in the final stretch of a 10-year process . . . and they absolutely made a U-turn, said Roger Winter, a former special representative on Sudan who now serves asan unpaid adviser to the southern Sudan leadership.

Rice, Power, and Smith declined to comment or did not return calls. Several US officialssaid privately that infighting between Gration and more hawkish officials hadparalyzed the administration.

A State Department official who was not authorized to be quoted acknowledged that ithad taken time to get on the same page but that all are now working together intenselyto avoid the resumption of war in Sudan. He defended Grations approach, contendingthat building trust is more effective than threats.

There is absolutely no question that the guy is a firm believer in the power of positivethinking, he said. That is just in his DNA. His primary interest is maintaining hisaccess to the regime, because access equals results. That is the Scott Gration mantra.

He noted that Khartoum is already facing the prospect of losing a third of its territoryand up to 80 percent of its oil revenue if the south breaks away, so there is little thatadditional US threats would accomplish.

Asked after a press briefing last week if his policy is all carrot and no stick Gration said:We have a policy that gives the north a pathway to better bilateral relations. If theydont take it, thats already a stick.


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US presidents have wrestled for decades how to handle Sudan, an oil-rich country thathas been consumed by war since its independence in 1956. The conflict broke out whenArab Muslims in the north tried to impose Islamic law on the Christian and animistAfrican tribes in the rest of country. They rebelled, sparking one of Africas longest civilwars. A 1972 peace agreement gave southerners autonomy, but the Sudanesegovernment failed to carry it out, plunging the country back into war.

When President Bush came into office in 2001, he took a personal interest in the plightof the Christians in the south, a cause clbre for his evangelical base. Bush met at leastthree times with southern rebel leaders at the White House and become a hero inrefugee camps, where babies were named after him.

Bush appointed a series of special envoys who painstakingly midwifed the peaceagreement in 2005. But making sure both sides follow through with the deal has been achallenge.

For instance, the peace deal stipulates that a commission would be appointed todetermine the borders of a disputed, oil-rich territory known as Abeyi.

The Sudanese government allowed the commission to be set up, then refused to acceptits findings. In 2008, government-backed fighters burned down Abeyis main city.

Richard Williamson, Bushs envoy at the time, spent six days negotiating a newagreement on how the borders would be decided. This time, it would be by aninternational arbitration court. The court issued its ruling last year, and Khartoum said

it accepted the ruling. But so far, it has refused to allow the new borders to be marked, akey step in the run-up to the January vote. The Sudanese embassy did not return a callseeking comment.

Gration told reporters on Wednesday that US diplomats were working intensely on theissue, but he did not call on Sudan to implement the courts ruling.

That sparked anger from Williamson, who said: The lesson . . . is that there is no cost tobreaking commitments and doing things that cost lives.

Another complication has been a separate conflict in the western region of Darfur thaterupted in 2003 when rebels demanded their own peace agreement. Khartoumresponded by arming militias that are accused of exterminating villages, leaving some300,000 people dead from attacks, starvation, or disease.

Last week, Gration praised the Sudanese government for its new plan to spend $1.9billion on highways and other infrastructure in Darfur. Its impressive, Gration said.They really want this thing to succeed.


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But Salih Osman Mahmoud, a human rights activist in Darfur who offers pro bono legalassistance to the victims of attacks, said the plan was another empty promise.

Mahmoud, who was in Washington lobbying for a tougher Sudan policy, said thatgovernment-backed militias opened fire in Darfurs Tebra market two weeks ago,killing about 80 people.

They will never spend that money on development, he said. The only person whobelieves it is Gration.--------------------US removes Nigeria from major drug trafficking list (AFP)

LAGOS The United States has removed Nigeria from the list of major drug traffickingcountries, the country's anti-narcotics agency said on Sunday, describing the move as

recognition of its fight against trafficking.

"The United States has gone a step higher than the usual annual drug certification of thecountry to outright removal of Nigeria from the majors list," the National Drug LawEnforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement.

"The removal, which is an acknowledgement of the agency's current drug controlachievement, is contained in the 2010 annual drug certification report," it said.

The west African country is a major transit point for South American drugs, notably

cocaine, bound for Europe.--------------------Nigerian Board Seeks Vote Delay (Wall Street Journal)

LAGOS, NigeriaNigeria's electoral commission requested Sunday that the January 22presidential elections be postponed so it could be better prepare for a "credible" vote inAfrica's most populous country.

The independent national electoral commission, or INEC, has been scrambling to set upelections in a country riddled with corruption. It is trying to register an estimated 70million eligible votersout of a population of 150 million but hasn't yet ordered theelectronic voter-registration machines. After a weekend meeting, the commissionreleased a statement saying it wanted an extension so it could "deliver on theaspirations of Nigerians for a credible voters' register and free, fair and credibleelections."


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The request for an extension would have to be approved by the Nigerian nationalassembly. The chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, didn't answer telephonecalls. An INEC spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment.

The request to push back the elections is the latest sign of a constantly changingpolitical situation in Nigeria, an oil-rich nation with one of Africa's fastest-growingeconomies, but also one that lacks even basic infrastructure, such as reliable electricity.

Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan announced on Facebook his intention run forre-election. His national security adviser, Aliyu Gusau, soon followed with his owndeclaration Friday that he resigned his post to run for president. The move dealt a blowto Mr. Jonathan, who was attempting to secure the backing of powerful northernNigeria to retain the presidency. Mr. Gusau is from the north, and ran for president in2007. Mr. Jonathan is a southerner.

An informal agreement in the ruling People's Democratic Party shifts power betweenthe northern and the southern part of the country every eight years, or two terms. Mr. Jonathan is finishing the first term of his northern predecessor, Umaru Yar'Adua, whodied in May.

An aide to Mr. Gusau said a committee of northern Nigerian elders would decide whowould be the candidate from the north. Among the candidates are Mr. Gusau, formermilitary ruler Ibrahim Babangida, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and currentchairman of the national governors' forum Bukola Saraki. Whichever candidate thiscommittee settles on would be a formidable opponent to Mr. Jonathan, a onetime

zoology professor who has never had to campaign for himself.The election uncertainty prompted Mr. Jonathan to cancel a planned speech atColumbia University this week, and it was unclear whether he would attend the UnitedNations General Assembly in New York.

The aide to the president said the speech was canceled "because of the urgent matters ofthe upcoming elections" and so the president could be in Nigeria for "grass-rootselectoral processes within [the ruling party] that are set to begin this week."--------------------Terror spillover in Africa (Khaleej Times)

I read an interesting dispatch about the Africa Command (September 16). Thecommand itself is described as a nascent command, which has struggled to gain afoothold on the sprawling continent that houses some of the worlds growing terrorthreats. One paragraph of that dispatch observed: Africom, as its called, has had toconvince African leaders that the US is there to assist the countries, and is not planningto build military bases there. The US military currently has a base at Camp Lemonier in


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Djibouti. What remained unstated in that story was whether African leaders believethe United States.

I have been watching the developments involving this command from its veryinception. It was a unique idea in the beginning. It was not going to be seeking basesanywhere in Africa. On the contrary, it was to remain focused on the nation-buildingaspects of its mission, focusing on the proposition that abject poverty and failed statesserve as fertile ground for terrorism. And the best way to counter terrorism is bynurturing through education and training effective ways of governance, democracy,transparency, and corruption-free political culture among young African elites. It wasto emulate the whole of government approach in training African leaders. The entireidea of implementing a template for effective governance in Africa especially to NorthAfrica, the trans-Sahel region, and the Horn would have been a powerful antidote toUBLs template of creating failed states and then attempting to take over, a la Somaliaor even Yemen. I remember a small but poignant personal story regarding the Africa

Command. During my stay at APCSS, I had an African international fellow (asstudents are called at that institution) in one of my seminars. A retired two-starAmerican general visited my seminar. I cannot remember what he talked about.However, during the question and answer session, that African international fellowraised his hand and asked the general, why is the United States so intent on invadingAfrica under the pretext of stationing the headquarters of its so-called Africa Commandthere?

The general almost fell out of his chair. He took the remainder of the Q&A sessiontrying to convince the African student that America has no such intention. During the

entire episode, the African student never stopped smiling. When the general left theseminar, I asked him whether the general succeeded in persuading him to accept hisargument. The African fellow simply said, No. I have encountered several Africanfellows since that experience. I made a point of asking them the same question that mystudent asked the American general. I cannot recall any African fellow disagreeingwith my former student. What troubled me more is that I cannot recollect that anyonegave much credence to the mounting terrorist threat that we (including myself) weretrying to describe in Africa.

Under the Obama administration, the Biden group (yes, I am referring to Vice President Joe Biden who has carved out a role for himself on the issue of terrorism and otherforeign policy matters) is not interested in carrying out the tedious campaign of nation-building. In fact, it fought tooth and nail with Generals David Petraeus and StanleyMcChrystals approach to counterinsurgency in the AfPak areas, of which nation-building was an integral part. Consequently, what we have in the AfPak region is amixture of CT and CI approach, with the pendulum swinging more toward the formerapproach than the latter.


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"I am currently at the hospital in Timbuktu," said Mohamed Lamine Ould Sidate, mayorof the nearby town of Ber.

"Two women from our region are dead and four men are wounded after gunfire from aMauritanian plane this morning on their vehicle," he said.

Their bullet-riddled car was in the courtyard of the hospital, he added.

"We are angry. We, the civilians, we have nothing to do with this business and herethey are killing us."

A source at the hospital said one of the dead women was very young. And one Maliansecurity source spoke of a blunder by the Mauritanian army.

Later Sunday a senior Mauritanian officer dismissed the claims of civilian casualties.

"Our targets are armed terrorists," the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity,told AFP. "If there is anyone who profits from these kinds of allegations, it it certainlypropaganda of the terrorists."

The attacks followed Thursday's kidnapping by suspected AQIM militants in northernNiger of five French nationals and a Togolese and a Madagascan.

France refused Sunday to rule out taking military action to free the seven hostages butsaid no French troops were involved in the latest Mauritianian offensive against AQIM.

"France will do everything to free the hostages," government spokesman Luc Chateltold Radio J in Paris.

Asked whether that could involve military action, he replied: "I won't say any more,you must understand why, given the hour at which I'm speaking."

Chatel said France had received no claim of responsibility nor any ransom demand forthe latest kidnappings.

French officials had said they believed the kidnappers were connected to AQIM andhad taken the hostages to Mali.

In July French commandos accompanied Mauritanian troops in a raid on an Al-Qaedacamp in Mali which left seven militants dead but failed to find a previous Frenchhostage, Michel Germaneau, now known to be have been killed.


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Security sources in Mali and Niger said meanwhile French reconnaissance planes hadbeen searching several countries in the Sahel region since Thursday's abductions.

The Sahel is a mainly desert region that covers Mali, southern Mauritania, southernNiger and several other countries, and includes areas where the north African branch ofOsama bin Laden's terror network operates.--------------------Uganda boosts African Union force in Mogadishu (Afrique en Ligne)

Nairobi, Kenya - The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) hasgrown from 6,300 troops to 7,200 troops after an additional battalion from Uganda joined the force, an African Union (AU) envoy disclosed here Friday.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni pledged to immediately deploy 2,000 troops toAMISOM in July, days after Somali Islamist group, Al Shabab, attacked Ugandan

capital, Kampala, to cow the Ugandan authorities into pulling out of Somalia.

AU Deputy Special Representative Wafula Wamunyinyi said efforts to keep Mogadishusafe had progressed in the past few months and the progress witnessed so far meantAMISOM was perfectly capable of monitoring return to peace in Mogadishu.

'We have 7,200 troops in Somalia at the moment and we expect more to come fromother countries,' Wamunyinyi told a news conference Friday.

East African countries, members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development

(IGAD), met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the level of the heads of state and agreed toimmediately boost the AMISOM troop levels by 2,000 troops to better handle thesituation.

Wamunyinyi said although suicide bombers, mostly Al Shabab fighters, had intensifiedtheir offensive in the past month, the AMISOM had shown it was capable of effectivelytackling the situation in Mogadishu.

'We are making some gains. The fact that we have contained the insurgents is evidenceenough that if we receive everything we have been asking for, we should be able torespond to the situation effectively,' said Wamunyinyi, a former Kenyanparliamentarian.

African countries have been reluctant to contribute troops and equipment, includingmilitary hardware to the Mogadishu-based AMISOM, because of low payment for itstroops and the lack of compensation mechanism for the replacement of lost equipment.


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Wamunyinyi said the issues of compensation has been addressed and the UN hasagreed to raise the salaries paid to AMISOM troops to the same level as those payable atany UN peacekeeping operations across the world.

African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping announced in July the low pay waspart of the problem that AMISOM faced.

The pay was increased from US$500 to US$750 in July. Wamunyinyi said the UN hadgreed to push the salary to US$1050 a month.

The Deputy AU envoy also spoke about the worsening humanitarian situation inMogadishu following intense militia activity in the month of Ramadan.--------------------Kenya says world neglecting Somalia security threat (Reuters)

NEW YORK - The international community is neglecting the security threat fromSomalia, Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said on Friday, suggesting that theUnited States wanted to avoid a repeat of a failed 1992 military intervention.

The festering Somali conflict is failing to get global attention, losing out to Sudan, thewar in Afghanistan, the bid for peace in the Middle East and the fight against drugs inMexico, Wetangula told Reuters in an interview in New York.

The virtually lawless country is the biggest security threat in the Horn of Africa asIslamist al Shabaab insurgents fight to topple Somalia's Western-backed administration,

he said."We know ... how much the United States is pumping into Afghanistan, we're told acouple of billion dollars daily. The East African region is asking for $500 million, notdaily, not monthly, not yearly, one-off" to stabilize Somalia, he said.

When asked why he believed Somalia was being ignored, he said: "Your guess is asgood as mine. For the United States, maybe the embarrassment they suffered when theywent there, I don't know. Maybe that's what is informing their policy."

The United States says it is committed to helping Somalia's government fight backIslamist rebels and to support African Union peacekeepers with equipment, trainingand logistical support.

But it has not had a presence in Somalia since 1994 after leading a failed U.N.intervention which began as a military food-aid effort in 1992. It withdrew after thekilling of U.S. troops in late 1993, depicted in the movie "Black Hawk Down."


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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged U.N. member states "to provide urgentmilitary and financial support and other resources" to the Somali government and hasorganized a high-level meeting on Somalia on September 23 on the sidelines of the U.N.General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders.

About 7,200 AU peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi are deployed in Mogadishuand focus on guarding the airport and seaport and shielding President Sheikh SharifAhmed from the militants.

LINE OF FIRE

Wetangula said problems of neighboring Somalia would not destabilize Kenya, but thathe was concerned Kenya could be targeted by al Shabaab, which claimed responsibilityfor killing 79 people in an attack in Uganda's capital on July 11.

"We are also in the line of that fire. If they can hit Kampala they can hit any other part ofEast Africa," he said.

"When you look at the events of Kampala ... when you see the inflow of ... weapons intomy country, into Ethiopia and the region, you sometimes cannot stop wondering whythose with the capacity and the ability to join hands in stabilizing regions that havebeen unstable are not doing so," he said.

Somalia has been plagued by anarchy since warlords ousted military dictator MohamedSiad Barre in 1991. Pirates are active in its coastal waters and have driven up shipping

costs in the Gulf of Aden.Al Shabaab has waged a three-year insurgency against the fragile transitionalgovernment and it controls much of Mogadishu and huge tracts of southern and centralSomalia.--------------------U.N. Millennium Development Goals appear out of reach in Africa (Los AngelesTimes)

Sub-Saharan Africa will not reduce poverty and hunger and improve child andmaternal healthcare to meet the goals set a decade ago by the United Nations unlessAfrican and Western leaders do much more, several recent reports suggest.

The main reasons: Donors have failed to keep pledges and many African nations havenot improved their governments or increased health spending as promised.

Only a handful of developed countries have met a pledge to increase foreign aid to 0.7%of their gross domestic product, while in some countries aid is declining. And only


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Rwanda, Tanzania and Liberia have met their pledge to spend 15% of their budgets onhealth, while in some African nations Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa andothers the proportion has fallen since 2000, according to a recent report out of Britain.

The average spending on healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa remains less than 10% ofGDP.

The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by about 190 U.N. membercountries in 2000 to tackle poverty, hunger, disease and early deaths in poor countries,with a series of targets set for 2015. The struggling efforts to meet those goals will bediscussed at a three-day U.N. summit in New York beginning Monday.

Almost from the outset it was clear that countries and international organizations werenot moving fast enough to meet the targets. The eight goals include halving the rate ofpoverty from 58% of the population in 1990 to 29% in 2015; reducing child mortality by

two-thirds from 18% of births in 1990 to 6% in 2015; and cutting maternal mortalityfrom .92% to .23% during the same period.

Other goals include providing universal primary education, combating HIV/AIDS andproviding universal access to treatment, and eradicating malaria.

"There's progress, but not at all sufficient if we are to meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals by 2015," said Elhadj As Sy, the Nairobi-based regional director ofUNICEF. "Even in countries where we had a drop in child mortality, in the best caseswe saw a reduction of 2.5 or 3% and we need a 5% reduction to meet the targets."

He said the situation is worst in countries mired in conflict, such as Somalia and theDemocratic Republic of Congo.

In the 10 years since the goals were set, meeting them has become more complicated, asthe global financial crisis plunged an additional 64 million people into extreme poverty,many of them in Africa. Global warming threatens future food production in sub-Saharan Africa, but in the last five years the amount of arable land under irrigation hasincreased by less than 1%.

The most disappointment has been in the efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality,both of which were to be slashed by two-thirds by 2015. So far, child mortality has beenreduced, but 14% of children still die before their fifth birthday.

The rate of maternal mortality had barely shifted, according to a U.N. report on theMillennium Development Goals, or MDGs.


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There also has been little improvement in the poverty and hunger levels. In 2008, 32% ofpeople in sub-Saharan Africa were undernourished, a proportion little changed since1990, according to the recent report by Britain's Commission for Africa. More than 1billion people worldwide were hungry last year, with insufficient nutrition a key factorin poor health and mortality.

Although the proportion living on less than $1.25 a day declined, the overall number inpoverty has risen to more than 400 million.

One worrying element, according to analysts, is that the easier improvements slashing debt, distributing mosquito nets, vaccinating children, improving primaryschool enrollments have been carried out in many parts of Africa. With only fiveyears left till 2015, far more challenging programs must be implemented, such as settingup decent health services for women in remote locations and improving the quality ofprimary education.

The U.S. has released its strategy to reach the goals, including providing an extra $63billion for healthcare in developing countries, $3.5 billion to help improve agriculturalproduction and $30 billion to help countries adapt to global warming.

"The road ahead will likely be more difficult than the road already traveled," said aUSAID report on meeting the 2015 goals. "To meet the MDGs by 2015, historic leaps inhuman development will be required. Many of the remaining poor and undernourishedwill be harder to reach because they live in marginal areas or face ethnic, religious, andother kinds of deep seated social exclusion. Some reside in conflict affected or fragile

states, where the prospects for development are least auspicious."Osten Chulu, a policy advisor in Johannesburg to the United Nations DevelopmentProgram, said the efficient use of aid in Africa was sometimes compromised by poorgovernance and the extreme disempowerment of populations who are unable to holdleaders accountable through democratic elections.

"In Europe and America, a politician is always wary of the reaction of voters," Chulusaid. "But here, it's the other way around. People are afraid of politicians and civilleaders."

Chulu said governments in both developed and developing countries had failed in theircommitments to meet the U.N. goals. "The question is not so much the money," he said."It's how you use the money."

This week's summit is reportedly aiming to generate billions of dollars in pledges ofaid. Nongovernmental groups such as Oxfam are calling for a much greatercommitment from developed countries. In 2005, the Group of 8 leading industrialized


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nations promised an extra $50 billion in aid by 2010, but only 61% of it has beendelivered.

"Unless an urgent rescue package is developed to accelerate fulfillment of all theMDGs," a recent Oxfam report said, "we are likely to witness the greatest collectivefailure in history."-------------------- Why the U.S. Should Send Troops (and Spooks) to the Congo (Wired.com)DUNGU, Democratic Republic of Congo - They arrive in the night like monsters. Innortheastern Congo, in a swath of thick forest the size of some European countries, theapocalyptic Lords Resistance Army rebel group is a constant, foreboding presence. TheLRAs fighters many of them kidnapped teens murder, abduct, rape and pillagewhile constantly eluding a half-heartedly pursuing Congolese army.

Suzane Fulale was just 15 when she was kidnapped last year and forced to marry an

LRA fighter. Freed by a Ugandan army raid, today the slightly-built Fulale is mother toan eight-month-old LRA baby. When she recounts her months in captivity, she castsher dark eyes to the ground and speaks in a barely-audible whisper.

Fulales is the human face of an escalating but (in the West) rarely-reported crisis. InSudan, in the Central African Republic, and especially in Congo, border-hopping LRAfighters drive before them thousands of refugees, disrupt agriculture andtransportation, and undermine already-fragile governments. In short, the LRA is one ofthe greatest dangers in a part of the world thats full of them. And theres a possible,clear-cut American military solution a rare thing in this era of seemingly endless

counter-insurgency campaigns. But does Washington care enough to act?Im in Congo at the moment reporting and researching a new graphic novel. This is therefrain Ive heard numerous times from U.S. government sources and the aidcommunity, always off the record: Unlike insurgent groups such as the Taliban,Somalias Al Shabab or one of Congos other rebel armies, these days LRA doesnt wantanything except to survive and pillage. They dont have political aims. Theres no hopeof accommodating them as a group. What began in the 1980s as a Ugandan rebelmovement with actual grievances is now just a roving tribe of killers. The LRA isorganized around a half-dozen key chieftans answering to top man Joseph Kony, wholoosely directs scattered bands of fighters by way of stolen satellite phones. If you wantto destroy the LRA, sources say, you only need to kill or capture the leaders: theres nograssroots support that would sustain the LRA while it rebuilds its leadership.

Problem is, Congo cant handle the task of taking down the LRA. With just 300 miles ofpaved roads in the whole country and no air force to speak of, the Congolese militarycant move fast enough to keep up with the LRA. Besides, the Congolese army has beencobbled together from various former rebel groups plus troops inherited from the


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countrys previous regime. There is very little discipline, Marcel Stoessel, Congodirector for the aid group Oxfam U.K., said of the Congolese army. To beat the LRA,Congo needs help from an army adept at locating elusive groups in rough terrain, andan air force trained to speed small, lethal teams to the battle zone. Sound like anymilitary we know?

Two years ago, the U.S. formed a new command to handle most of the Africancontinent. Africa Command based in Germany to avoid accusations of colonialism is by necessity a new kind of military organization. With most American forces devotedto the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Africom has to be pretty light. There are just a fewthousand people permanently assigned, many of them civilian contractors. WhenAfricom needs a couple hundred troops for a training exercise or some small-scalehumanitarian operation, it borrows them from the National Guard or some other,bigger regional command.

Africom is not designed to mount Afghanistan-size wars. Its all about brief, targetedintervention, influence and the Pentagons new favorite word, partnership.Admittedly, this is an indirect and long-term approach, Maj. Gen. William Garrett,then-commander of Africoms land troops, told me earlier this year. Recently, U.S.Special Forces helped form a new model Congolese army battalion. And earlier thismonth in Kinshasa, Congos sprawling capital, a hundred U.S. Army doctors andmedics teamed up with 250 Congolese personnel for a couple weeks of training. TheU.S. has determined it wants to be more involved in Africa, explained Army Lt. Col.Todd Johnston, the exercise commander.

So why not get involved where it can really help? Thats what advocates of U.S. actionin Congo are asking. After all, this is a mineral-rich country that takes millions andmillions in foreign donations, mostly from America. So find the LRA, and kill orcapture the chiefs before they make an already desperate country even worse.

But do it the Africom way. No massive troop deployment. No occupation. No drawn-out conflict. No headline news in the U.S. Just a few spooks, a few commandos, someairplanes and choppers and the permission of Congolese president Joseph Kabila. ByAmerican military standards, it wouldnt take much. But it would make life a lot saferfor millions of people in Central Africa and might help reduce the cost to the worldof keeping Congo on life support. Plus, it could show the way forward for a smarter,less expensive American way of war.

There are just two problems. First, the U.S. military has tried taking out the LRA before,albeit indirectly and failed. Last year, Ugandan and U.N. forces acting on U.S.-provided intelligence launched an offensive aimed at taking out LRA leadership. Butthe rebels escaped and killed hundreds of civilians as they hacked their way deeperinto the forest.


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Second, despite a growing body of legislation meant to define Americas role in Congosconflicts, at the moment theres no clear U.S. policy regarding Congo and no prospect ofone emerging anytime soon. The U.S. military might be the best solution to CongosLRA problem, but its a solution lacking one key component: political will--------------------

UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website

UN gives hope to Rwandan communities ravaged by climate change18 September Once home to many chimpanzees and golden monkeys, landslides,floods and torrential rains have destroyed thousands of hectares of land in Rwanda'sGishwati Forest.

W est African States back UN resolution promoting role of women in peace and security

17 September West African countries today moved towards ensuring the equalparticipation and full involvement in all peace and security issues in compliance with alandmark Security Council resolution.

V oter registration for Sudanese referenda must start as soon as possible UN expert 17 September Sudan is woefully unprepared for the upcoming referenda on thepossible independence for the southern region of Africas largest country and theGovernment has a duty to ensure that all people can vote free from fear or intimidation,a United Nations human rights expert said today.

Security Council calls for setting of new date for Guineas election run-off 17 September Holding peaceful, free and fair elections is vital to re-establishingconstitutional order in Guinea, the Security Council stressed today, voicing regret at thepostponement of the presidential run-off and urging that a new date be set quickly.

Security Council urges DR Congo to bring mass rape perpetrators to justice17 September In the wake of mass rapes of civilians in the restive far east of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Security Council called on the country totake swift and fair action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

AFRICOM Related News Clips September 20, 2010

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