United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

11 May 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Pelosi, Congressional Delegation Meet with Troops and Visit Wounded Warriors in
Germany (PR Newswire)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up a four-day
Congressional Delegation to the Middle East and Afghanistan today by meeting with
troops and visiting wounded warriors in Germany.

US Special Forces, Marines train African armies to face terrorists and traffickers in
Sahara (Canadian Press)
KATI, Mali - The yearly exercise, known as "Flintlock," is being beefed-up to face
traffickers and al-Qaida-linked terrorists mounting increasingly brazen operations in
this vast region of porous borders and lawless tribes.

Clinton, Tsvangirai discuss democratic reform in Zimbabwe (AFP)

WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and visiting Zimbabwean Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai here Monday discussed ways to aid Zimbabwe and foster
democratic reform there, a US official said.

Museveni Hits Back At Clinton Over Elections (New Vision)

KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has promised free and fair
elections next year and warned the United States and the United Kingdom against
lecturing Uganda on democracy. The President's assurance was based on Uganda's
Constitution, which he said is superior and clear on elections.

Carter Centre says Sudan election results highly dubious (AFP)

KHARTOUM, Sudan – The count in last month's Sudanese elections was marred by
irregularities, "raising serious questions about the accuracy of election results," the US-
based Carter Centre that monitored the polls said on Monday.

Biggest peacekeeping force at crossroads in Congo (Associated Press)

MBANDAKA, Congo – More than a decade and billions of dollars after U.N.
peacekeepers deployed to Congo during a civil war, President Joseph Kabila wants
them out.
Draft Constitution Has Kenyan Support (Voice of America)
A Kenyan legislator says several polls show a majority of Kenyans support the draft
constitution ahead of a meeting between the ―parliamentary political parties,‖ the
president and the prime minister scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Judge Acquits Top Aide to Zimbabwe Premier (Associated Press)

HARARE, Zimbabwe - A judge acquitted top prime minister's aide Roy Bennett of all
charges Monday in a terrorism case that had strained Zimbabwe's struggling coalition
government since it was forged more than a year ago.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
UN official’s visit to Tanzania focuses on development and conservation
Safety of Darfur peacekeepers tops talks between UN, African Union and Sudan
Despite challenges, Burundi can give lesson in democracy to others – UN envoy
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, May 12, 9:00 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: Seizing the Moment: Media & Peacebuilding
WHO: Dr. Roy Godson, Dr. Richard Shultz, and former Director of Global Outreach for the
National Security Council Kevin McCarty
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/seizing-the-moment-media-peacebuilding

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, May 12, 11:00 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Sudan: A Critical Moment for the CPA,
Darfur, and the Region
WHO: Major General Scott Gration, USAF (Ret.), Special Envoy to Sudan, Department of State
Info: http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/20100512/

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, May 12, 10:00 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: Center for Strategic and International Studies: U.S. Capabilities to Manage Irregular
Conflicts in the 21 Century
WHO: Michel Martin, Moderator, Host, Tell Me More, National Public Radio ; Jared Cohen
Member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State; Patricia
Harrison, President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Marvin Kalb, Veteran
Broadcaster and Visiting Expert, USIP; Riz Khan, Senior News Anchor, Al Jazeera English;
Gary Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop; Rebecca MacKinnon, Co-Founder, Global
Voices; Mir Ibrahim Rahman, CEO, Geo TV Pakistan; Frank Sesno, Director, School of Media
and Public Affairs
Info: http://csis.org/event/us-capabilities-manage-irregular-conflicts-21-century

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, May 14, 9:30 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: Responsive and Accountable Leadership for a Peaceful and
Prosperous Congo
WHO: Dr. George Alula – Macroeconomy, Movement of the Congolese Unity, UNIC; Engineer
Agnes Dimandja – Mining, Former Minister of Public Works, Urban and Housing; Dr. Patience
Kabamba – Microeconomy, Emory University; Dr. Malonga Miatudila - Foreign Aid, Retired
World Bank Senior Health Specialist; Professor Kitenge N'Gambwa – Education, Montgomery
College; Dr. Raymond Gilpin, Moderator, U.S. Institute of Peace; Ms. Nita Evele - Peace,
Justice & Security, Congo Global Action; Mr. Victor Ilunga – Leadership, Stable and Prosperous
Democratic Republic of Congo Foundation; Mr. Jacques Muzusangabo – Elections, Solidarity
International Foundation, Inc., Dr. Stephan Tubene - Good Governance, University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/responsive-and-accountable-leadership-peaceful-and-
prosperous-congo
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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Pelosi, Congressional Delegation Meet with Troops and Visit Wounded Warriors in
Germany (PR Newswire)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up a four-day

Congressional Delegation to the Middle East and Afghanistan today by meeting with
troops and visiting wounded warriors in Germany.

This morning, Pelosi and the delegation were briefed by senior commanders of the U.S.
Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) on military operations in Europe, toured the flight line of
Ramstein Air Base, including a review of the contingency response and tactical airlift
units. The delegation then visited troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq who have
been airlifted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

The delegation then flew to Stuttgart, where General William "Kip" Ward, Commander
of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and Lt. Gen. John Gardner, Deputy Commander,
U.S. European Command (EUCOM), led briefings on operations in Africa, Europe, and
with our NATO partners in Afghanistan and Iraq. The delegation concluded their visit
to Stuttgart by thanking our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines for their service.

Over the weekend, the delegation visited with troops in Afghanistan, including meeting
with female troops who are mothers, on Mother's Day, and meeting with Afghan
women and with female Marines who engage with Afghan civilians in the field. The
delegation arrived in the Middle East on Friday and visited American troops at Qatar's
Al Udeid Air Base, part of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

"We honor their sacrifice and the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, who
serve with bravery, courage, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and security
of the American people," Pelosi said.
In addition to Speaker Pelosi, other members of the Congressional Delegation are:
Susan Davis of California, Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military
Personnel; Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, Member of the Armed Services Committee;
Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts, Member of the Armed Services Committee; and Donna
Edwards of Maryland, Member of the Science and Technology Committee.

The delegation returns to Washington tonight.

--------------------
US Special Forces, Marines train African armies to face terrorists and traffickers in
Sahara (Canadian Press)

KATI, Mali - A U.S. Special Forces instructor leans toward a steering wheel, showing
some 50 Malian soldiers gathered around an army pickup how a passenger should take
control of a car if the driver is killed in an ambush.

The elite Malian troops look on, perplexed. "But what can we do if we don't know how
to drive?" asks Sgt. Amadou, echoing many of his colleagues' concern.

There are a few laughs, but the Malians are not joking; most of their unit does not know
how. The lack of ability to perform such a basic task illustrates part of the huge
knowledge gap the U.S. military is seeking to bridge in Africa as it trains local armies to
better face the region's mounting threats.

The exercises Monday in Kita, a shooting range in the savanna near Mali's capital,
Bamako, are but one leg of an ambitious program led by the Pentagon's Africa
Command, or AFRICOM, to provide top-tier training in six African countries during
three weeks this month. Over 200 "Green Berets" from the Special Operations Forces
and from the U.S. Marines Special Forces have deployed in Mali, Mauritania and other
countries that line the Sahara Desert's southern rims.

The yearly exercise, known as "Flintlock," is being beefed-up to face traffickers and al-
Qaida-linked terrorists mounting increasingly brazen operations in this vast region of
porous borders and lawless tribes.

Western intelligence officers estimate some 400 heavily armed Islamist militants have
made northern Mali their rear-base. A kidnapped French tourist is being held
somewhere in the desert, and half-a-dozen were held hostage last year.

More worrying still for authorities, the militants, known as al-Qaida in the Islamic
Maghreb, or AQIM, are now believed to be co-operating with traffickers who
increasingly use the desert routes to carry large quantities of South American cocaine to
Europe. This brings more weapons and more cash to the region, increasing the
militants' potency.

Small forces from several European countries and some 500 African troops are taking
part in this year's exercise, including countries that don't directly touch the desert, like
Senegal.

"The point is, we've got to start getting ready for al-Qaida if they come our way," said
Maj. Cheikhna Dieng, who headed 30 Senegalese soldiers taking part in Monday's
exercises. "They recruit from Islamists, and that's a threat we're taking seriously,"
because over 90 per cent of Senegal's population is Muslim, he said. Armies in the
impoverished countries that militants and traffickers cross are usually no match for the
outlaws' heavily armed columns, and vast swathes of eastern Mauritania, northern Mali
and Niger, and southern Algeria are now considered no-go zones.

But Mali's army plans to reclaim its part of the area in the coming months, said Capt.
Ongoiba Alou, the commander of the embryonic Malian Special Forces. "The whole
purpose of the exercise is for our troops to be able to fight the terrorists," he said.

That most of his unit training Monday can't drive is a sign of Mali's lack of funds, Alou
says.

"These are our elite troops," he said, stating they'd proven their worth in combat during
clashes with a rebellion of ethnic Tuareg nomads that ended a few years ago in the
volatile north.

Most of the Malian Special Forces, formed at the American's prodding, come from
paratrooper units. But they lack training, and one paratrooper died last week during a
Flintlock parachuting exercise. An investigation is still under way, but Malian and U.S.
officers said it seemed the trooper had somehow knocked his head against the plane as
he was jumping.

Shooting in live fire exercises and jumping from planes can be challenging for poorly
trained and poorly equipped armies in a patchwork of uniforms like Mali's, but U.S.
soldiers say they find the troops very motivated.

"Training with them is also an outstanding opportunity to build contact," said Capt.
Shane West, the U.S. Special Forces team leader who headed the exercise.

Malian and American authorities have given orders for the U.S. Special Forces to only
conduct training, and none will launch real operations during Flintlock, West said.
"We're essentially here to help our host nation handle whatever situation it needs to," he
said. "And we're taking it step by step."

Clinton, Tsvangirai discuss democratic reform in Zimbabwe (AFP)

WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and visiting Zimbabwean Prime

Minister Morgan Tsvangirai here Monday discussed ways to aid Zimbabwe and foster
democratic reform there, a US official said.

President Barack Obama's administration has groped for ways to help Zimbabweans
without bolstering their powerful president Robert Mugabe, who is seen as resisting
change despite sharing power with his reform-minded premier.

"The secretary and prime minister discussed how we can best assist the people of
Zimbabwe and foster greater democratic reform and political opening in Zimbabwe,"
Clinton's spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

"The United States continues to be the single largest donor of humanitarian aid and
health assistance to the people of Zimbabwe. Last year, the United States funded over
300 million dollars in assistance programs," Crowley said.

The meeting in Washington occurred after a Zimbabwean judge acquitted Roy Bennett,
a top Tsvangirai aide, in an alleged plot to topple Mugabe, ending a trial that had
threatened the fragile unity government.

"Well it's good news, it's very positive," Tsvangirai told reporters as he and Clinton
posed for the cameras before holding private talks.

"As I've always said he's not being prosecuted, he's being persecuted. I hope that the
persecution has ended," said Tsvangirai.

"Obviously, obviously, there's more to do," the premier said when asked if other steps
had to be taken to shore up the fragile unity government.

Bennett, a white farmer, was arrested last year shortly before he was due to be sworn in
as deputy agriculture minister.

Since the setting up of the power-sharing agreement in February last year, Tsvangirai
and Mugabe have failed to implement terms of the deal which include the
appointments of senior government officials.
In Harare last week, Tsvangirai called for a speedy resolution of major disagreements
over Bennett's case, as well as provincial governors, attorney general, Reserve Bank,
security sector reform and ministerial portfolios.

Clinton said: "I'm delighted to welcome the prime minister back to Washington. We had
very productive meetings last time when he was here.

"We continue to support the efforts for reform and positive changes inside Zimbabwe.
And of course the prime minister has played a major role in attempting to move his
country on the right path."

In June last year, during a visit by Tsvangirai, Obama announced 73 million dollars in
aid which the Zimbabwean premier said would develop basic services, such as
rebuilding water and sanitation systems, hospitals and schools.

Previous aid had focused on immediate humanitarian needs.

Obama, citing concern "about consolidating democracy, human rights and rule of law,"
cautioned that the aid will go to the Zimbabwean people rather than to a government
where Tsvangirai shares power uneasily with Mugabe.

The prime minister's warm welcome here this year and last contrasts with the
international chill towards Mugabe.

Both the European Union and the United States maintain a travel ban and asset freeze
on Mugabe, his wife and inner circle in protest at controversial elections and alleged
human rights abuses by his government.
--------------------
Museveni Hits Back At Clinton Over Elections (New Vision)

KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has promised free and fair
elections next year and warned the United States and the United Kingdom against
lecturing Uganda on democracy. The President's assurance was based on Uganda's
Constitution, which he said is superior and clear on elections.

However, he admitted that the voter register has problems, largely because it is manual.

"The only remaining problem is the computerisation of the voter register. Once we are
done, this will be the Mecca for democracy," said Museveni.

The President made the remarks on Friday while addressing journalists at a press
conference at Entebbe State House.
He had been asked to react to a report issued by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in
which she accused the Government of failing to sort out the voters register, just months
to the elections.

Clinton said the Government had taken no action to establish an accurate and verifiable
voter register and doubted that the ongoing biometric voter registration system would
weed out double registration.

The report also raised concern about the independence of the Electoral Commission,
Police harassment of opposition politicians and stifling of the media.

In a reaction at the press conference, Museveni promised to write to Clinton, stating

Uganda's position on the report.

"We shall answer her, but what I know is that the election in Uganda will be the most
free in the world," he argued.

"Our Constitution is the best in the world, unlike some of these countries with unclear
laws."

Museveni criticised the just-concluded elections in the UK, which produced the so-
called Hung Parliament, in which no one won an outright majority needed to form the
next government.

As such, the Conservatives, who won the most seats, are negotiating a possible
marriage with the Liberal Democrats who came third in the elections.

Museveni said despite this confusion, Uganda was not lecturing the UK about elections.

"In the UK, people are rioting on the streets; no one has won," he said.

"The electoral commission in the UK is very inefficient; but we don't go lecturing people
and issuing reports on that."

Asked about corruption in Government, the President said: "Corruption is there but the
problem is proving it. But we have over the years developed capacity to deal with the
thieves."

He said corrupt government officials would be charged, particularly engineers, health

and forestry officials.
The President said the permanent secretary of the health ministry, Mary Nanono, is not
off the hook yet, although the Inspectorate of Government cleared her of charges of
defying his orders to label government drugs.

"I am the one who appoints permanent secretaries. I will read the report and if I am not
satisfied I will talk to the Attorney General," Museveni said.

On child sacrifice, Museveni said he was closely following the cases, especially the one
of 10-year-old Margaret Babirye, whose mutilated body was found in a forest in
Katugwe in Wakiso district.

The Police have arrested three suspects.

The High Court recently also acquitted city businessman Kato Kajubi of murdering 12-
year-old Joseph Kasirye in Masaka in 2008 for ritual purposes.

"On Kajubi , I am glad that the Police have protested the judgment and the Director of
Public Prosecution has appealed the case," Museveni said.

On the environment, the President said the incomplete environmental laws, coupled
with corruption, were contributing to deforestation.

"The foresters in Uganda are the biggest enemies of forests. The peasants invade the
forest and the forest authority takes bribes from peasants," Museveni said.

He called for a law to protect forests and trees both on public and private land. "It is
private land, the forest is yours, but don't cut the tree," Museveni said.

He also noted that deforestation is caused by population growth, urbanisation and lack
of adequate electricity.

Museveni called on Ugandans to plant forest trees but also fruit trees.

"Over 40 million cubic metres of wood is destroyed annually because of firewood and
charcoal. That is why we must insist on electrification. Anyone who is against it, should
be resisted," he stressed.

On urbanisation and bad roads in Kampala, the President said plans are in place to
make Kampala a metropolitan city, as well as those towns in the oil drilling areas.

He said the Government is to work on five major roads in Kampala.

After the press conference, the President launched a tree-planting campaign dubbed '31
million trees, 31 million Ugandans. You and I plant a tree'.

The campaign, championed by Nile Broadcasting Services TV, aims at convincing every
Ugandan to plant a tree by June 2011 to mitigate the effects of climate change.
--------------------
Carter Centre says Sudan election results highly dubious (AFP)

KHARTOUM, Sudan – The count in last month's Sudanese elections was marred by
irregularities, "raising serious questions about the accuracy of election results," the US-
based Carter Centre that monitored the polls said on Monday.

Counting in the landmark April 11-15 legislative, local and presidential polls was
"highly disorganised, non-transparent and vulnerable to electoral fraud," said the
centre, headed by former US president Jimmy Carter.

The elections, the first multi-party polls in the war-ravaged country since 1986, were
replete with technical problems, fraud charges and opposition boycotts.

Sudanese authorities said on Monday that a video posted on YouTube showing alleged
ballot stuffing was real and not a fabrication as it had claimed last month.

"We've investigated and we can now confirm that there was an error (on our part),"
Mukhtar al-Asam, a senior official at the National Election Commission (NEC), told
AFP.

Charges had been brought against the people suspected of committing fraud, Asam
said, adding only that the NEC had forwarded the case to the judiciary.

Enough Project, an American group that observes Sudan closely, posted the video on
YouTube on April 19 showing the alleged fraud at a polling station in the country.

It showed men dressed in traditional east Sudan outfits -- a dark waistcoat over a white
robe -- stuffing plastic ballot boxes, supervised by a person wearing an orange vest,
worn by NEC officials in polling stations.

Authorities blocked access to YouTube after the video appeared online, after opposition
parties, including several that boycotted the election, had accused incumbent President
Omar al-Beshir of fraud.

EU observers and the Carter Centre both concluded that the elections failed to live up to
international standards, and both said the chaos was worse in semi-autonomous south
Sudan, which also elected its own president.
In the north, Beshir claimed victory with 68 percent of the vote, after two top rivals
accused him of orchestrating a victory in advance and withdrew from the contest.

Several other results for legislators and state governors have been bitterly criticised by
losing candidates, especially in the south.

"Carter Centre observers reported that the tabulation process was chaotic and lacked
transparency throughout the country, raising serious questions about the accuracy of
election results," the centre said in a statement.

"While alterations to results were often an attempt to correct mathematical errors, in

some cases numbers were arbitrarily changed without clear explanation," it added.

"In at least a quarter of observed states, data entry staff were frequently observed
altering Results Forms, increasing or decreasing both the number of invalid votes and
also the number of votes won by candidates so as to reconcile the figures," the statement
said.

"This raises serious questions about the accuracy of the results and makes it extremely
difficult to track how votes were tallied and how discrepancies were resolved at each
data centre.

"According to Carter Centre observers, domestic observers, party agents, and

candidates, the elections in Unity State suffered from large-scale intimidation, violence,
flaws in administration, and indications of manipulation," the statement said.

Incumbent Salva Kiir won the presidency in south Sudan, where a referendum on
independence will be held next year.
--------------------
Biggest peacekeeping force at crossroads in Congo (Associated Press)

MBANDAKA, Congo – More than a decade and billions of dollars after U.N.
peacekeepers deployed to Congo during a civil war, President Joseph Kabila wants
them out.

The 20,000 peacekeepers tasked with guarding a country the size of Western Europe
have been unable to protect civilians from a variety of rebel groups who kidnap
children, rape women and decapitate enemies. Some of the peacekeepers themselves
are even accused of sexual abuse, gold trading and corruption.

The United Nations isn't signing off on a date for leaving but U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon recommended they start with up to 2,000 troops leaving peaceful areas by
June 30, which marks the 50th anniversary of Congo's independence from Belgium.
Officials had planned to start in Equateur — a relatively peaceful corner of the country
until a conflict erupted six months ago. Last month, more than 100 insurgents there
overwhelmed a handful of U.N. peacekeepers guarding an airport.

Congolese officials say it was the latest evidence of the U.N. mission's failure to protect
civilians.

Information Minister Lambert Mende accused the U.N. of pretending "to help a people
while trampling its dignity" and suggested it is trying to seize power in mineral-rich
Congo. "Don't do anything for us. We will do it ourselves," Mende said.

But U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes warned that violence may spiral out of
control if the peacekeepers all leave.

"You could find yourself in a much more dangerous situation," Holmes told The
Associated Press during a recent trip to Congo.

Even human rights groups and others who have criticized the U.N. force say it's far too
soon for the peacekeepers to leave a country in which rebel groups are waging brutal
campaigns in several regions.

At least 8,300 rapes were committed in eastern Congo alone last year, the U.N. said.
And just two months ago, a Ugandan rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army
attacked a Congolese village, killing as many as 100 people and slicing off the lips and
ears of many others.

"For us, any imminent departure of the blue helmets would be premature," said
Raphael Wakenge of the Congolese Initiative for Justice and Peace, who coordinated an
appeal from 30 civil society and rights groups for the peacekeepers to stay longer. "In
numerous regions of our country, the Congolese government and its security forces
simply don't yet have the capacity to guarantee people's security."

Congo's sprawling borders reach nine other African countries and conflict here can
spark instability in its neighbors. Fears remain that fighting in Congo could invite
invasion and escalate into an international war. Last year, Rwandan troops joined
Congolese soldiers to fight Rwandan Hutus who perpetrated that country's 1994
genocide and continue to terrorize people in eastern Congo. Ugandan troops are here
trying to end the 20-year rebellion of the Lord's Resistance Army, now holed up in
forests in northeastern Congo.
Senegalese Gen. Babacar Gaye, the commander of the peacekeepers, says critics often
forget the state Congo was in when the blue-helmeted forces arrived in 1999 to observe
a cease-fire and the withdrawal of foreign troops.

Rebels had ousted longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997, then turned on each
other in back-to-back civil wars that became an international scramble for the country's
minerals and drew in soldiers from a half-dozen African nations. The $1.35 billion-a-
year U.N. mission helped hold Congo's first democratic elections in 40 years in 2006,
though results were disputed and critics said the process favored Kabila, the incumbent
and a former warlord.

Some critics allege Kabila wants the peacekeepers to leave to prevent international
oversight of presidential elections in September 2011. The government has said the U.N.
peacekeepers should be gone by September 2011 and has asked the U.N. to produce a
schedule for withdrawal. The mission's mandate expires in less than two weeks and
cannot continue without the government's consent. The U.N. Security Council plans to
visit Congo at the end of this week and that Ban plans to come around the start of June.

Over the years, the U.N. mandate has grown more complex as rebel groups splintered
and new ones emerged, including ones created by deserting Congolese army officers.
Gaye said there are so many militias that "it is near-impossible to list them all."

Peacekeepers are authorized to use force to protect civilians but also must support
Congolese armed forces who often prey on those same civilians, drawing the ire of
rights groups who charge the U.N. of feeding soldiers who have killed civilians, gang-
raped girls and cut the heads off young men in the latest push to oust the Rwandan
rebels.

Enraged residents of eastern Congo threw rocks at U.N. compounds in the city of Goma
after peacekeepers failed to protect them at the height of one rebellion in November
2008. Around the same time, 100 peacekeepers barricaded themselves into their base on
the outskirts of the northeast town of Kiwanja, keeping the gates locked against
civilians begging for refuge while rebels massacred at least 150 civilians just a mile
away.

In Congo's northeast, communities besieged by the Ugandan rebels have formed self-
defense groups because they cannot rely on the peacekeepers against fighters who hack
victims to death with machetes and force children to kill other children.

The peacekeepers say they just do not have enough troops to protect everyone.

"The U.N. peacekeepers are being put in an appalling situation," Human Rights Watch
said in December.
In the past, some Congolese troops fought alongside the Rwandan rebels, causing rights
groups to charge the U.N. was indirectly supporting perpetrators of the Rwandan
genocide. In November, the U.N. suspended support to one army unit with the worst
alleged offenders but Gaye later said there would be no more suspensions, arguing they
were counterproductive.

Peacekeepers also have been criticized for failing to arrest those wanted by the
International Criminal Court, including former rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, now a
general in Congo's army.

Holmes insisted the peacekeepers cannot end any of the conflicts, saying political
negotiations must resolve root causes of the violence.

He said the U.N.'s massive humanitarian efforts would continue even if the military
mission, which provides protection and logistics for aid agencies, ends.

But he warned that if the peacekeepers go, it would be much more difficult to deliver
food and medical help to the more than 2 million Congolese who are refugees in their
own country. Already at least a third do not get help because of perilous security.

Congo's government and its ill-equipped and often unpaid armed forces have shown
they are incapable of replacing the peacekeepers, known by their French acronym as
MONUC.

"I cannot gainsay the politicians but, speaking as a soldier, we need MONUC's help," Lt.
Col. Ndango Ngoy said.
--------------------
Draft Constitution Has Kenyan Support (Voice of America)

A Kenyan legislator says several polls show a majority of Kenyans support the draft
constitution ahead of a meeting between the ―parliamentary political parties,‖ the
president and the prime minister scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Doni Khalwale, chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee said the aim
of the meeting is to decide on the needed strategy to use in the upcoming referendum
on the constitution.

―When we meet later on this morning, we want to take a collective decision on how to
approach the campaign for the forthcoming referendum. Of course, we have the ‗no‘
and the ‗yes‘ side. However, the majorities are overwhelmingly in yes,‖ he said.
Both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for the meeting
Tuesday to decide on a strategy to encourage Kenyans to support the draft constitution.

The two former opponents formed a ―grand coalition‖ that led to the unity government
after the 2007 post-election violence that led to the loss of lives and properties.

A Commission of Experts sought the views of Kenyans during the drafting of the
constitution.

Kenya‘s Attorney General, Amos Wako, published the newly drafted constitution last
week. And, Kenyans are scheduled to vote on it in a referendum in August.

Legislator Khalwale said Kenyans were widely consulted before the constitution was
drafted.

―The consultations that have been going on, unlike in many countries in the whole
world that have attempted to do the constitution, the consultations in Kenya have taken
a period of around 20 years and, in the process, many people have forgotten what their
contribution was,‖ Khalwale said.

Most members of the coalition government, including President Kibaki and Prime
Minister Odinga, are reportedly supporting the draft constitution.

But, a handful of cabinet ministers including William Ruto, minister for Higher
Education, Naomi Shabaan, Special Programs and Samuel Poghisio, Communications
and Information have joined forces with some churches to strongly oppose the draft
constitution.

Khalwale said those against the draft constitution are misinformed.

―The people who are coming out with the ‗no,‘ they have serious misinformation. So, if
we do not counter them, the people will unsuspectingly think that the naysayers are the
ones who are carrying the truth,‖ Khalwale said.

Critics seized upon the reported mixed reactions to the draft constitution saying the
elitists will be engaging in strategies Tuesday with the aim of shoving the constitution
down the throats of Kenyans - - a charge supporters of the government, including
Khalwale, deny.

―We have done quite a number of different polls and, in all those opinion polls, the
public which participates at random, the public which is not part of the so-called elite,
they are returning an overwhelming ‗yes‘ for the draft. You cannot say this morning‘s
meeting is for the elite because the membership of political parties is not limited to MP‘s
(members of parliament) alone,‖ Khalwale said.

Kenyans are expected to undergo a 30-day period of civic education before official
campaigns ahead of the referendum.
--------------------
Judge Acquits Top Aide to Zimbabwe Premier (Associated Press)

HARARE, Zimbabwe - A judge acquitted top prime minister's aide Roy Bennett of all
charges Monday in a terrorism case that had strained Zimbabwe's struggling coalition
government since it was forged more than a year ago.

Bennett had faced weapons and insurgency charges that could have carried the death
penalty stemming from an alleged plot to topple longtime President Robert Mugabe.
Bennett's supporters including Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai maintained the
charges were baseless and aimed at undermining the coalition.

''We are fortified and strengthened to continue our fight for real change for the people
of Zimbabwe,'' said Bennett, who was surrounded by jubilant supporters.

Bennett was Tsvangirai's choice for deputy minister of agriculture in the coalition
government, but Bennett was arrested on Feb. 13, 2009, the day the unity Cabinet was
sworn in. Mugabe had refused to swear in Bennett until the trial was over.

Tsvangirai praised Bennett's acquittal during an appearance in Washington with U.S.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

''Well it's good news, it's very positive,'' he said. ''As I've always said, he's not being
prosecuted, he's being persecuted. I hope that the persecution has ended.''

He added that more steps need to be taken to restore confidence in the unity
government.

Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the prime minister's party, said they would press for
Bennett to take up his designated post as deputy minister of agriculture. No comment
was immediately available from Mugabe's office.

Judge Chinembiri Bhunu ruled Monday that the prosecution had failed to prove that
Bennett and arms dealer Peter Michael Hitschmann ''connived to unlawfully depose the
government'' between 2002 and 2006 while amassing a weapons cache.

Bhunu said the most important evidence presented by prosecutors was inadmissible -- a
confession Hitschmann said he was tortured into making.
The judge also ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove that e-mails allegedly linking
Bennett to Hitschmann were genuine. And the state could not produce bank statements
to back allegations Bennett paid $5,000 for weapons into Hitschmann's account in
neighboring Mozambique.

Hitschmann was sentenced to four years in prison for possessing unlicensed weapons
but later was freed after a ruling that his confession was made under torture.

Bennett, who is white and a former farmer is eastern Zimbabwe, forfeited his land
during the often violent seizures of thousands of commercial farms that began in 2000.

A fluent speaker of the local Shona language, Bennett's political activism angered
Mugabe's party. Bennett was seen as symbolizing defiance against land seizures that
Mugabe insisted were needed to correct colonial-era imbalances in land ownership.

The seizures disrupted the agriculture-based economy and led to acute food shortages
and world record inflation. Mugabe insists Western sanctions caused the economic
collapse.

Deep divisions still remain in Zimbabwe's government, which was forged as a

compromise after disputed national elections in 2008.

Tsvangirai's party blames Mugabe for reneging on key provisions of the power-sharing
deal that allow for democratic and media reform, and an end to lawlessness after years
of political and economic turmoil.

Mugabe alleges Tsvangirai's party has failed to win concessions from its Western allies
to remove targeted sanctions against Mugabe loyalists that include an assets freeze and
travel bans.

The coalition deal calls for fresh elections next year under a new constitution, but efforts
to rewrite the nation's supreme law have stalled over bickering and lack of funds for a
countrywide public outreach program.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

UN official’s visit to Tanzania focuses on development and conservation

10 May – The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today met
with Tanzania‘s finance minister to discuss the country‘s progress towards achieving
the social development and poverty alleviation targets known as Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).
Safety of Darfur peacekeepers tops talks between UN, African Union and Sudan
10 May – The protection of blue helmets serving in Darfur has topped the agenda of the
latest talks between the United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese
Government, which are taking place just days after two peacekeepers were killed and
three others seriously wounded in an ambush in the war-torn region.

Despite challenges, Burundi can give lesson in democracy to others – UN envoy

10 May – After decades of ethnic war in which hundreds of thousands of people died,
Burundi has the chance to set a new standard with its upcoming elections for peace and
democracy in the broader region despite significant challenges, the top United Nations
envoy in the Central African country said today.