United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

23 April 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Medical Personnel and Marines Lend a Hand in Senegal (DVIDS)

NOTO GOUREY DIAME, Senegal – Work started immediately for members of a
medical outreach team for Africa Partnership Station West and Marines with the
Security Cooperation Marine Air Ground Task Force as they arrived at the village in the
early morning to provide medical assistance.

Handle 2011 Threshold (New Democrat - Monrovia)

MONROVIA, Liberia - US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. William J.
Burns, Wednesday reemphasized the urgency for passing the Threshold Bill necessary
for the 2011 elections.

UNICEF: Measles hits tens of thousands in Africa (Associated Press)

JOHANNESBURG - The U.N. children's agency says 16 countries in West and Central
Africa are experiencing a measles outbreak this year.

Africa making dramatic strides in malaria fight (Reuters)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Africa is making dramatic progress in tackling
malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that has killed a million people a year on the
continent and stunted economic growth, a top expert said on Thursday.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad Arrives in Zimbabwe; PM Tsvangirai's Party Protests

(Voice of America)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Zimbabwe on Thursday afternoon
for a two-day state visit which the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai called a ―colossal political scandal.‖

Nigerian leader signs $31 bln budget (AFP)

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday signed
the 4.6 trillion naira (31-billion-dollar) budget for 2010 which he hoped will speed up
the oil producing giant's economic recovery.
Mauritania, Syria sign 7 cooperation agreements (Xinhua)
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Seven agreements were signed here on Wednesday
evening between Mauritania and Syria after a meeting of the joint Mauritania-Syria
cooperation commission, according to official sources.

Microsoft to invest in small black-owned firms in SAfrica (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Microsoft is to invest half a billion rands in small
black-owned software development firms in South Africa, the company said Friday.

Africa: Obama and U.S. Military Engagement in Continent (All Africa)

When Barack Obama took office as president of the United States in January 2009, it
was widely expected that he would dramatically change, or even reverse, the
militarised and unilateral national security policy toward Africa that had been pursued
by the Bush administration. But, after a little more than one year in office, it is clear that
the Obama administration is essentially following the same policy that has guided US
military involvement in Africa for more than a decade. Indeed, it appears that President
Obama is determined to expand and intensify US military engagement throughout
Africa.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
UN-backed group supports Somali Government’s peace overtures to rivals
DR Congo: UN envoy promises increased civilian protection in northwest
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday through Thursday, April 27-29; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: Corporate Council on Africa: U.S.-Africa Infrastructure Conference
WHO: Top U.S. and African government officials, seasoned business executives, sector experts
and financiers convene at the U.S. Africa Infrastructure Conference.
Info: http://www.africacncl.org/(xtahp03q0g1wdb55d42z1w55)/Default.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, April 28; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: U.S.-Relations with the Muslim World
WHO: This event will examine U.S. relations with the Muslim world one year after President
Obama's pivotal speech at Cairo University. Speakers include Oxford professor Tariq Ramadan,
Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith, and U.S. Special Envoy to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference Rashad Hussain. USIP specialists Abiodun Williams,
Daniel Brumberg and Mona Yacoubian will also participate in the event.
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/us-relations-the-muslim-world-one-year-after-cairo

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, April 30, 2:00 p.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: Creating Long-Term Peace in Cote d’Ivoire
WHO: Patrick N'gouan, The Civil Society Collective; Andre Kamate, Ivorian League of Human
Rights; Paola Piscitelli, Community of Sant'Egidio, USA; Dorina Bekoe, Moderator,
Senior Research Associate (Africa), U.S. Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/creating-long-term-peace-in-cote-divoire
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Medical Personnel and Marines Lend a Hand in Senegal (DVIDS)

NOTO GOUREY DIAME, Senegal – "Quick – get him inside, he's bleeding!"

With those words, an elderly Senegalese man, standing quietly amongst a pressing
throng of villagers, was hurriedly ushered inside the village health post compound. He
sat patiently while the large cut above his eye was skillfully cleaned, sutured, and
covered with a bandage.

Work started immediately for members of a medical outreach team for Africa
Partnership Station West and Marines with the Security Cooperation Marine Air
Ground Task Force as they arrived at the village in the early morning to provide
medical assistance.

The 16-member team of U.S. military medical and dental professionals, comprised of
Navy and Air Force physicians, optometrists, dentists, dental assistants, and general
duty corpsmen have treated more than 2,000 patients while working with the local
village health post April 15-19.

"Here, they're practicing a different type of medicine than they ever have before," said
Lt. Cmdr. Karen Corson, medical liaison for APS West. "Due to the fact that we are only
here a couple of days, everything we do here is short-term treatment."

Marines with the SC-MAGTF, who have been participating in military-to-military

events with the Senegalese Armed Forces in the nearby city of Thies over the past three
weeks, have been sending teams of Marines to help with the medical outreach missions.

"We helped with crowd control," said Cpl. Kenneth Magobet, a fire team leader with the
SC-MAGTF. "It was a good change of pace from being on the range or teaching infantry
classes."

Marines stood guard at the gate of the makeshift medical compound, allowing villagers
who had a paper ticket inside on an individual basis according to how fast they could
be seen by the physicians and dentists.
"There was one baby that really touched my heart," said Magobet. "She had scabies all
over her face, and her mom didn't have a paper ticket to get inside. I was able to talk to
the doctors and get her inside to get treated. That really meant a lot to me."

The assistance provided by the Marines and medical personnel goes far beyond
providing relief for just their bodily ailments. The display of compassion and care has
also touched the lives of the people they treat.

"I've been doing this since 2001," said Corson. "I didn't realize what an impact I was
having on people's lives until one day I had an African gentleman come up and tell me
he remembered me from a previous mission I'd been on. He told me, 'Because of you, I
am a part of the medical community now. We saw the United States truly cared about
us.' It was a very humbling thing to hear from someone."

After treating all the patients they could for the day, the Marines and medical personnel
packed up their medical equipment and prepared to leave the village. Even though they
were only in the area for four days, they made a profound difference in the lives of the
Senegalese.

"You have to ask yourself, 'What can I do for them today,'" said Corson. "We provide a
lot of moral support. That's where we make our mark."

APS is a multinational initiative under the auspices of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa,
designed to work cooperatively with U.S., European and African partners to enhance
maritime safety and security on the African continent. It is a concept that provides a
unique venue to align maritime engagements by employing a diverse team of maritime
professionals in a variety of military capacities and civilian fields such as fisheries
management, port security and meteorology.
--------------------
Handle 2011 Threshold (New Democrat - Monrovia)

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. William J. Burns, Wednesday
reemphasized the urgency for passing the Threshold Bill necessary for the 2011
elections.

His call came after talks with president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the cabinet.

Mr. Burns also resounded a similar concern when he met with leaders of political
parties during his brief visit.

The bill, now before the Supreme Court, has been rejected twice by the president, citing
"unconstitutionality and economic grounds".
At the meeting with the President in the Cabinet Room at the Foreign Ministry, Mr.
Burns insisted that the passage of the Threshold Bill "should move ahead quickly" to
ensure fairness and credible in the 2011 presidential and general elections.

"We emphasize how important 2011 elections are for Liberia and we want to strongly
support the creation of a foundation for those elections which will be fair and credible,"
the State Department official said.

He underscored continuous commitment of the US government to building democratic

institutions in Liberia, adding, "A process we remain very committed to". Mr. Burns
said the American government will continue support to the growth of democratic
institutions and economic development in Liberia.On his general assessment of the
country, Mr. Burns said, "remarkable progress has been made" in post-war recovery of
the country.Meanwhile, the US government has announced additional US$19.5m for the
police, adding that their support to the army will continue.
--------------------
UNICEF: Measles hits tens of thousands in Africa (Associated Press)

JOHANNESBURG - The U.N. children's agency says 16 countries in West and Central
Africa are experiencing a measles outbreak this year.

UNICEF said Thursday that 185 people have died among more than 22,000 cases. The
agency says it is $16 million short in its measles immunization campaign in Africa.

UNICEF says most countries in West and Central Africa have immunized less than 80
percent of their population. Last year more than 400 people died of measles in West
Africa.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases that exists. Though it is no longer a major
problem in the West, in poor countries, the disease can kill as many as 30 percent of the
children it infects, particularly in those with weakened immune systems.
--------------------
Africa making dramatic strides in malaria fight (Reuters)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Africa is making dramatic progress in tackling

malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that has killed a million people a year on the
continent and stunted economic growth, a top expert said on Thursday.

Infection rates in Zambia, for instance, more than halved from 2001 to 2008 due to
widespread distribution of mosquito nets, targeted spraying of insecticides and better
and cheaper diagnosis and treatment, said Rob Newman, director of the World Health
Organization's Global Malaria Program.
Zambia's success augurs well for similar programs in their relative infancy in much
larger countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, Africa's most
populous country and the one with the heaviest malaria case-load, he said.

"Where we are in Africa today compared to even a few years ago is dramatic," Newman
told Reuters from WHO headquarters in Geneva. "The steepness of the decline
surprises even me, and I've been doing this for a very long time.

"And the benefits we're seeing are just a preview of what we're going to see because a
lot of the resources have hit relatively recently."

Full figures appraising the success of the WHO's 10-year-old Roll Back Malaria
campaign across the continent of a billion people will not be available until next year
but already the numbers are showing a decline, Newman said.

The estimated death toll for 2008 was 860,000 compared to the million figure habitually
cited in the past, Newman said, adding that the oft-quoted statistic of malaria killing an
African child every 30 seconds was no longer true.

"I actually think it's more in the 40-45 second range now. Things are changing," he said.

Apart from the direct humanitarian consequences, falling infection rates in malaria will
have a positive effect on economies as fewer adults miss work and more children
complete schooling.

Economists have postulated a malaria "growth penalty" as high as 1.3 percentage points
of annual economic growth, which, when compounded over many years, results in
major income disparities compared to non-malarial countries.

Newman said it was still too soon to determine the extent of the economic boost across
the continent but the burden reduction was likely to be "very, very dramatic" when
programs in Nigeria and DRC reached the same scale as the likes of Zambia.

"What controlling malaria will do for African economies is multiple — the effect on
GDP, the effect on health spending, lost school days, lost work days," he said.

The high birth rate in Africa, which is on track to have two billion people by 2050, may
even fall as fewer infant deaths cause families to have fewer children, he added.

According to Newman, eight African countries besides Zambia have halved their
infection rates in the last decade: Eritrea, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Cape Verde and Sao Tome.
However, the success does not necessarily translate into lower malaria spending, on
average 40 percent of Africa's public health budget, since the gains can be reversed,
Newman said.

"If we make a one-time push and pull resources back, it's going to be a disaster," he
said. "You can't give someone a bednet, have it wear out in a few years and then expect
everything is going to be OK."

Nigeria, DRC, Uganda, Sudan and Tanzania, in that order, have the highest number of
cases and together account for more than half of all malaria deaths worldwide.
--------------------
Iranian President Ahmadinejad Arrives in Zimbabwe; PM Tsvangirai's Party Protests
(Voice of America)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Zimbabwe on Thursday afternoon

for a two-day state visit which the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai called a ―colossal political scandal.‖

President Robert Mugabe and other ZANU-PF officials welcomed Mr. Ahmadinejad at
Harare International Airport. The Iranian leader is to officially open the Zimbabwe
International Trade Fair showcase in Bulawayo on Friday.

The Tsvangirai MDC grouping called Mr. Ahmadinejad a war monger, a trampler of
human rights and an executioner of dissenting voices.

Hosting the Iranian leader, the MDC declared in a statement earlier this week, "will
definitely send a wrong message about the kind of company that we keep at a time
when the people of Africa and the rest of the world have begun to see us as a nation
working hard to restore democracy and good governance."

Sources in the party said neither Mr. Tsvangirai nor any other senior officials of his
MDC grouping would attend the opening of the trade fair by Mr. Ahmadinejad. The
party said Mr. Tsvangirai would be out of the country, but MDC sources said a boycott
was in effect.

A bilateral Zimbabwean-Iranian commission issued a statement saying Mr.

Ahmadinejad’s visit signaled that both nations are committed to promoting peace and
stability in their respective regions, and that he and Mr. Mugabe will sign bilateral
agreements.
Commenting on the visit, Director Nicole Fritze of the South African Litigation Center
told VOA Studio 7 reporter Ntungamili Nkomo that Iran has little to give Zimbabwe in
terms of development aid.

Tehran, in addition, has declined to extend new lines of credit to Zimbabwe until it
settles a US$5 million debt, sources said. News reports and sources informed on the
bilateral discussions said that in a meeting Wednesday in Harare Iranian officials
demanded the debt be paid down before Tehran can extend further financial aid.

Iran supplied agricultural equipment and broadcasting equipment to the government

led by Mr. Mugabe that preceded the current inclusive government.

Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development Deputy Chairman Masimba Kuchera

told VOA reporter Gibbs Dube that it is ironic Harare is being called upon to settle such
debts when program quality at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has declined
and many parts of the nation are facing hunger this year.
--------------------
Nigerian leader signs $31 bln budget (AFP)

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday signed

the 4.6 trillion naira (31-billion-dollar) budget for 2010 which he hoped will speed up
the oil producing giant's economic recovery.

"I sign this budget into law ... so that this appropriated expenditure may be rapidly
utilised to accelerate initiatives to enhance the pace of development of our nation," said
Jonathan.

Reflecting a 10 billion dollar, or 50 percent, rise from last year, the budget is based on a
67-dollar per barrel price for oil and an output of 2.35 million barrels per day.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and the world's eighth biggest oil exporter,
currently produces a little over two million barrels a day.

The budget forecast an exchange rate of 150 naira to the greenback.

The new budget shows a 13.3 percent increase from the original proposal of 4.079
trillion sent to the parliament by his President Umaru Yar'Adua last November shortly
before he was sidelined by a heart ailment.
--------------------
Mauritania, Syria sign 7 cooperation agreements (Xinhua)
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Seven agreements were signed here on Wednesday
evening between Mauritania and Syria after a meeting of the joint Mauritania-Syria
cooperation commission, according to official sources.

The accords, which were signed by Mauritanian Foreign Minister Naha Mint Mouknass
and Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fay-al El Moqdad, cover the areas of culture,
information, trade, technical and scientific exchanges, housing, urbanization and
regional development.

At the end of the signing ceremony, Naha hailed the documents as a great step in the
bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

She praised "the important role that is to be played by the business people and private
investors in the two countries in order to create a solid and sustainable partnership,
which will offer employment opportunities and contribute to the improvement of
people's living conditions."

On his part, the Syrian diplomat recalled last year's meeting in Doha between
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and his Syrian counterpart Bechar
Al Assad, saying the meeting ushered in a new era in the history of cooperation
between the two countries.

"Mauritania has helped Syria very much and has taken bold steps like the closure of the
Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott, something which was well received in Syria as well as
in the entire Arab world," said the Syrian foreign minister.

Mauritania and Syria are linked by a cultural cooperation accord which dates back to
1968. A number of Mauritanian civil servants especially those in the health sector were
trained in Syrian universities.
--------------------
Microsoft to invest in small black-owned firms in SAfrica (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Microsoft is to invest half a billion rands in small

black-owned software development firms in South Africa, the company said Friday.

The deal falls under South Africa's black economic empowerment policies introduced in
2003, to redress apartheid-era laws which barred most black people from any
meaningful economic activity.

"We want to create a new model for entrepreneurship and set a new benchmark for
developing talent in the local software industry," Microsoft South Africa managing
director Mteto Nyati told AFP.
"We want (black economic empowerment) to be associated with real development, job
creation, business development and skills enhancement.

"We came up with something unique and hope this model would be used by other
companies."

The empowerment deal will see the company invest 472 million rands (67.4 million US
dollars, 50.3 million euros) over the next seven years into the country's software
industry.

"The local industry is largely consumption based today. We take software packages
developed in other countries... there is nothing that is coming from South Africa," Nyati
said.

Beneficiaries will be chosen from responses to a nationwide request for proposal which
will be advertised on April 28.

Candidates will be screened by consultants KPMG, and the firms chosen will begin
work with Microsoft as soon as July 2010, the company said in a statement.

"We?re looking to take existing software development companies and transform them
into companies that compete in South Africa and around the world," Nyati said.

The investment follows several major empowerment deals. Brewer SABMiller sold 750
million dollars' worth of shares in its South African subsidiary to black investors in
December.

Last month global pulp and paper group Sappi announced its plans to sell a 4.5 percent
stake to black investors, enabling the company's local operation to have a 30 percent
black ownership as required by law.
--------------------
Africa: Obama and U.S. Military Engagement in Continent (All Africa)

When Barack Obama took office as president of the United States in January 2009, it
was widely expected that he would dramatically change, or even reverse, the
militarised and unilateral national security policy toward Africa that had been pursued
by the Bush administration. But, after a little more than one year in office, it is clear that
the Obama administration is essentially following the same policy that has guided US
military involvement in Africa for more than a decade. Indeed, it appears that President
Obama is determined to expand and intensify US military engagement throughout
Africa.
Thus, in its budget request for the State Department for the 2010 financial year, the
Obama administration proposed significant increases in funding for US arms sales and
military training programmes for African countries, as well as for regional programmes
on the continent, and is expected to propose further increases in its budget request for
the 2011 financial year.

The 2010 budget proposed to increase foreign military funding spending for Africa by
more than 300 per cent, from just over US$8.2 million to more than US$25.5 million,
with additional increases in funding for North African countries. Major recipients
included Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

The 2010 budget request for the International Military Education and Training
programme proposed to increase funding for African countries from just under US$14
million to more than US$16 million, with additional increases for North African
countries. Major recipients slated for increases include Algeria, Chad, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Mali,
Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

The 2010 State Department budget request also proposed increased funding for several
other security assistance programmes in Africa, including the African Contingency
Operations and Training Assistance programme (which is slated to receive US$96.8
million), the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement programmes in
Algeria, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Uganda, anti-
terrorism assistance programmes in Kenya and South Africa, and the Africa regional
programme.

The same is true for funding in the Defense Department budget for the operations of the
new Africa Command (AFRICOM) which became fully operational in October 2008 and
the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) forces, which have been
stationed at the US military base in Djibouti since 2002. The Obama administration
requested US$278 million to cover the cost of AFRICOM operations and Operation
Enduring Freedom-Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership operations at the
AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The administration also requested
US$60 million to fund CJTF-HOA operations in 2010 and US$249 million to pay for the
operation of the 500-acre base at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, along with US$41.8
million for major base improvement construction projects. And the administration is
now considering the creation of a 1,000-man Marine intervention force based in Europe
to provide AFRICOM with the capability to intervene in Africa.

The continuity with Bush administration policy is especially evident in several key
regions. In Somalia, for example, the Obama administration has provided some US$20
million worth of arms to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and initiated a
major effort to provide training to TFG troops at the CJTF-HOA base in Djibouti and in
Europe. Furthermore, President Obama has continued the programme initiated by the
Bush administration to assassinate alleged al-Qaeda leaders in Somalia and, in August
2009, he authorised an attack by US Special Forces units that killed Saleh Ali Saleh
Nabhan, who was accused to being involved in the bombing of the US embassies in
Kenya and Tanzania by al-Qaeda in August 1998.

In the Sahel, the Obama administration has also sought increased funding for the Trans-
Saharan Counter-Terrorism Program (US$20 million in 2010) and begun a special
security assistance programme for Mali to provide the country with some US$5 million
of all-terrain vehicles and communications equipment. Administration officials have
justified this escalating military involvement in the Trans-Saharan region by arguing
that the increasing involvement of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in criminal activity
(including kidnapping for ransom and drug-trafficking) constitutes a growing threat to
US interests in this resource-rich area.

In Nigeria, which supplies approximately 10 per cent of US oil imports, the Obama
administration has decided to expand US military support to Nigerian military forces,
despite concerns about security in the Niger Delta, Islamic extremism in northern
Nigeria and the country's fragile democratic institutions. Thus, during her visit to
Nigeria in August 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised that the
administration would consider any request by the Nigerian government for military
support to enhance its capacity to repress armed militants in the Niger Delta region.
The failure of the Nigerian government to implement major elements of its amnesty
programme in this vital oil-producing area has recently led to a resumption of violent
incidents and attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta.

In Central Africa and the Horn of Africa, the Obama administration is increasing
security assistance to Uganda, Rwanda, the Kenya, Ethiopia and other countries in the
region, and has conducted major training exercises both in Uganda and in Djibouti for
the new East African Standby Force (EASF). The EASF is a battalion-sized force
authorised by the African Union for independent African peacekeeping operations and
other missions, but it remains dependent upon external support - especially from the
United States - and is not expected to be able to operate on its own for many years to
come. And in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Obama administration has just
authorised the deployment of US Special Forces troops to train an infantry battalion at a
base at Kisangani that was recently rehabilitated by the United States. The Obama
administration has chosen to engage in this training programme despite the continuing
involvement of Congolese troops in gross human rights violations (including the rape
and murder of civilians) and in the illegal exploitation of the country's mineral
resources.
This growing US military engagement in Africa reflects the Obama administration's
genuine concerns about the threat posed by Islamic extremism and by instability in key
resource-producing regions, and its desire to help resolve conflicts throughout the
continent. However, all these measures increase the militarisation of Africa and tie the
United States even more closely to unstable, repressive and undemocratic regimes.
Furthermore, despite President Obama's rhetorical commitment to an approach that
combines military and non-military activities, the administration lacks a comprehensive
and effective plan to address the underlying issues - the lack of democracy and
economic development - that lead to extremism, instability and conflict in Africa.

This is chiefly because the Obama administration lacks the diplomatic and economic
means to address these issues. The State Department and the Agency for International
Development have been systematically starved of funding and other resources for years
and simply lack the capacity to engage in Africa in the manner that would make such
an effort possible. It will take many years and substantial increases in funding to build
this capacity. And the Obama administration's food security programme - its one major
new initiative for Africa - is highly problematic since it relies on the use of expensive
petroleum-based fertilizers, the mechanisation of agricultural production and the use of
genetically-modified seeds.

In the meantime, President Obama has decided that he has no choice except to rely
primarily on military instruments and to hope that this can protect US interests in
Africa, at least in the short term, despite the risk that this military engagement will
exacerbate existing threats. The Obama administration would be well advised to curtail
its military engagement in Africa and devote its attention to developing the capacity for
diplomatic and economic efforts to address Africa's underlying problems (as Joint Chief
of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen argued in a recent speech) and to working with the
European Union, China and other stakeholders on a cooperative engagement with
Africa that will not further undermine African security and jeopardise America's long-
term interests.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

UN-backed group supports Somali Government’s peace overtures to rivals

22 April – A United Nations-backed group supporting peace and reconciliation in
Somalia today welcomed efforts by the country’s transitional Government to reach out
to opposition groups willing to join the peace process.

DR Congo: UN envoy promises increased civilian protection in northwest

22 April – The top United Nations envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) has pledged to strengthen its military presence in the northwestern province of
Equateur to help the Government provide better protection for civilians following a
deadly raid by rebels earlier this month on the regional capital.