United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

17 May 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Military Manoeuvres in the Sahel (IPS)

(West Africa) Military exercises are under way in the Sahel region as part of the United
States-led Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Partnership. Participating militaries are
enthusiastic, but civil society cautions that force may not be enough to ensure regional
security.

Military to Deploy Social Scientists to Africa, Searching for Signs of War

(Wired.com)
(Pan Africa) U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is planning to send researchers into the
field to conduct academic-style research in remote areas of the continent, according to a
copy of an unclassified information paper for the command‘s Social Science Research
Center.

Report advises Africa-based GIs: Mind the nomads (Washington Post)

(Pan Africa) A congressional watchdog report out Friday is advising the hearts-and-
minds personnel there to study up on local customs before heading out the door.

How Much Does Washington Care About African Democracy? (Pambazuka News)
(Pan Africa) Barack Obama is one in a long line US presidents who have proclaimed
their dedication to freedom for the world's people. Yet a simple review of the facts
makes it apparent that Sudanese President Bashir's open disdain for democracy in the
region is amply matched by Washington's.

Powerful churches target Kenya's Constitution over abortion (Christian Science

Monitor)
(Kenya) A letter by three US congressmen aims to stop Kenya from ratifying a newly
passed Constitution because they feel it encourages Kenyan women to have abortions.

Niger government to distribute 21,000 tons of food (Associated Press)

(Niger) Niger's government says it is launching a food distribution program in the West
African nation.
Sudanese Army Says It Has Seized Rebel Stronghold in Darfur (Reuters)
(Sudan) Sudan‘s army said Saturday that it had seized a key rebel stronghold in Darfur
and killed scores of insurgents on Friday, dealing a blow to floundering peace talks.

Nigeria, China Sign Major Oil Deal (Wall Street Journal)

(Nigeria) Nigeria and China have signed a tentative deal to build three oil refineries in
the West African state at a cost of $23 billion, in a move to boost badly needed gasoline
supply in Nigeria and to position China for more access to the country's coveted high-
quality oil reserves.

Grenade attacks kill one, injure 28 in Rwanda: report (Xinhua)

One person has been killed and 28 more injured in two separate grenade attacks in the
Rwandan capital Kigali, media reported on Sunday.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
Somalia: top UN envoy calls for national unity on anniversary of country's first
political party
If music be the food…, play on: UN launches song in war on hunger in Africa
UN Member States debate ways to fight piracy off Somalia
Chad becomes 100th nation to give UN nuclear inspectors greater access
Ugandan rebel group stepping up attacks, UN refugee agency reports
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, May 19, 10:00 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: Displacement, Violence and Peace in the Democratic Republic
of Congo
WHO: Mohamed Boukry, Regional Representative for DRC, United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees; Elisabeth Roesch, Gender-Based Violence Advocacy Officer,
International Rescue Committee; Mvemba Dizolele, Peter J. Duignan Distinguished Visiting
Fellow 2009-2012, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford University;
Dorina Bekoe, Senior Research Associate, U.S. Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/displacement-violence-and-peace-in-the-democratic-republic-
congo

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, May 25, 8:30 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: Council on Foreign Relations: A Conversation with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
WHO: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President, Republic of Liberia
Info: http://www.cfr.org/

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 2, 9:30 a.m.; Washington, D.C.

WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace: Threats to Maritime Security
WHO: Donna Hopkins, Director, Office of Plans, Policy and Analysis, Bureau of Political
Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Bruce A. Averill, Ph.D., Founder and Senior Partner,
Strategic Energy Security Solutions; Michael Berkow, President, Altegrity Security Consulting;
Robert M. Perito, Moderator, Director, Initiative on Security Sector Governance, U.S. Institute
of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/threats-maritime-security
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Military Manoeuvres in the Sahel (IPS)

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Military exercises are under way in the Sahel region
as part of the United States-led Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Partnership.
Participating militaries are enthusiastic, but civil society cautions that force may not be
enough to ensure regional security.

In recent years, the area between the southern limits of the Sahara desert but north of
where West Africa's savanna begins - has been the theatre for operations by militia
groups linked to Al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (known by its French acronym
AQMI). In addition, organised crime syndicates conduct racketeering and smuggling
activities in the region.

Operation Flintlock 2010, taking place from May 3-22, is the latest in a series of annual
U.S. military exercises in Africa, and will include forces from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger,
Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Chad and Tunisia. Some 1,200 soldiers
will be involved: 600 U.S. Special Forces, 400 from the various African armies, and 150
drawn from European countries, including France and the United Kingdom.

"The goal is to establish trust and build relationships with military forces of other
countries," said Anthony Holmes, deputy to the commander of civil-military activities
of the U.S. military command for Africa (AFRICOM).

The manoeuvres, which will be supervised by U.S. officers, are being run from a Multi-
National Coordination Centre set up for the purpose in Ouagadougou, the capital of
Burkina Faso.

"The purpose of this exercise is to improve cooperation and interoperability of West

African, U.S. and European forces and to enable communication and coordination
between various forces from a dozen countries," Holmes told IPS.

"Our task is even broader given the proliferation of arms and regional crises which offer
an opportunity for terrorist groups to inflitrate and carry out their deadly actions,"
Burkinabé defence minister Yéro Boly told journalists during the launch of the exercises
in Ouagadougou on May 3.

"It is a great opportunity for us to get a maximum of experience and become more
seasoned and better face the new challenges that appearing in today's world," said Boly.

For several years, U.S. Special Forces have supported the Algerian army against AQMI.
Observers of the security situation in the Sahel say AQMI is made up of highly mobile
groups that operate across an immense arid area nearly impossible to control.

The U.S. also regularly gives Malian soldiers anti-terrorist training as part of a
programme begun in the early 2000s and encompassing many Sahelian countries.

AQMI was accused of several attacks over the last few years and is currently holding
two Spanish citizens hostage. The group is also thought to be behind the kidnapping
last April of a French national in Niger.

But Holmes said the current military exercises will not try to free hostages. "It's not a
question of solving the hostage situation. The countries where the kidnappings took
place are responsible for that."

In April, Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger established a military command centre in
southern Algeria to coordinate anti-terrorism efforts.

Legislators from the Kidal region of northern Mali recently warned authorities of Al-
Qaeda recruitment among the Arab and Touareg populations in that area.

But the legislators stated their preference for economic development rather than
military operations. They argued that development would prevent Al-Qaeda from
exercising any influence over young Malians.

Burkina Faso's defence minister agrees. "The solution to terrorism cannot be just
military simply because terrorism isn't an identifiable enemy; the response should also
be economic, because we must fight some of the fundamental causes of terrorism which
are poverty and inequality in resource distribution between countries," Boly said.
Alexandre Pagomziri Ouédraogo, head of human rights and fair governance at the
Centre for Strategic Studies for Africa (CESA - the Centre d'études stratégiques pour
l'Afrique), told IPS: "The fight (against terrorism) is very important, but the way it is
conducted may discourage African countries, who see it as a territorial struggle
between larger, more powerful nations."
African governments, he added, are more preoccupied by poverty and exclusion. "The
fight against terrorism needs to incorporate poverty reduction and improvement of
living conditions in African countries."

AFRICOM is not insensitive to these assessments. According to the planners of

Flintlock, the exercise also includes civillian activities, such as providing health care to
communities and veterinary assistance for livestock in the areas involved.
--------------------
Military to Deploy Social Scientists to Africa, Searching for Signs of War
(Wired.com)

In Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military has embraced social science as a tool of
counterinsurgency, embedding anthropologists and sociologists within brigades as part
of an effort to understand local cultural and tribal dynamics. It‘s a controversial
approach, but in theory, it‘s supposed to make military operations less lethal by helping
commanders identify who their friends are.

In Africa, the military wants to try the same experiment, with a twist: The idea is to help
top military planners better understand Africa and its peoples, and perhaps provide
some ―early warning‖ to prevent conflicts before they start.

As part of this plan, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is planning to send researchers
into the field to conduct academic-style research in remote areas of the continent,
according to a copy of an unclassified information paper for the command‘s Social
Science Research Center, based at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The teams, called Socio-Cultural Research and Advisory Teams, or SCRATs, will be
skilled ethnographic or social science researchers with language skills and field
experience. Before a bilateral military exercise, for instance, the paper states, ―a SCRAT
may conduct a socio-cultural assessment to better focus U.S. efforts and develop
beneficial objectives. They may then accompany U.S. forces during the exercise in a
cultural advisory capacity and conduct a post-exercise assessment of the impact on the
local population.‖

It‘s part of a quiet, but steady, increase of U.S. military attention to the continent. Back
in 2008, the Pentagon united military activity on the continent under a new geographic
headquarters, AFRICOM. This week, the Army is hosting nearly 100 senior military
leaders from around the continent at its African Land Forces Summit. In parallel, the
U.S. military has been taking part in regular exercises like Flintlock, a multi-national
exercise that is supposed to help Trans-Saharan states develop professional militaries.

Ideally, SCRATs will work with with local researchers, and keep a light footprint:
According to the information paper, ―While the support and approval of U.S. Embassy
Country Teams is critical, SCRAT logistical requirements from Country Teams will be
minimal. Team members will most often speak the local language and have extensive
experience conducting academic research independently in remote locations.‖

Still, anthropologists have raised ethical and professional concerns about this kind of
collaboration with the military. They worry that research conducted by the military‘s
social scientists may violate principles of informed consent — and may potentially be
used in lethal targeting.

The information paper on the Africa socio-cultural teams is careful to stress professional
responsibility. ―Research will be carried out in full compliance with the local norms,
customs, and laws as well as the ethical guidelines laid out in the SSRC Code of Ethics,‖
the paper says. ―Researchers will make their research objectives clear and will remain
aware of the concerns and welfare of the individuals or communities studied.‖

What‘s more, the research teams ―do not engage in concealed, clandestine, or covert
activities and we will not be involved in activities that will harm our credibility as social
scientists or compromise our relationship with local communities. Freely given,
informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Researchers should use
courtesy and discretion in their initial approach to potential participants, understanding
that the individuals might not agree with the U.S. Military, nor wish to be publicly
identified with it.‖
--------------------
Report advises Africa-based GIs: Mind the nomads (Washington Post)

Some things never change: American GIs have always pitched in to help the locals with
medical clinics and digging wells.

In the Horn of Africa task force, however, where about 1,650 military and civilians
based in Djibouti work quietly on regional counterterrorism projects, it‘s part of the job.

A congressional watchdog report out Friday is advising the hearts-and-minds

personnel there to study up on local customs before heading out the door.

―In one case, according to a U.S. embassy official, [a civil affairs team] provided 3 days
notice to the host nation that it would conduct a medical clinic in a remote village in
Djibouti.‖ the Government Accountability Office related.

―However, because the villagers are nomads, it was difficult to get participants due to
the short amount of notice.‖

Next time, make an appointment.

―U.S. embassy officials also shared with us an instance in which [a] proposal for a 1-day
veterinary vaccination event could have actually harmed the livestock by having them
travel when they were weakened from a recent drought.‖

Check the local rainfall -- not to mention religion.

One day, the task force ―distributed used clothing to local Djibouti villagers during
Ramadan, which offended the Muslim population,‖ the GAO said.

But it‘s not all head-scratching, the GAO was quick to add.

―In Tanzania, for example, a U.S. embassy official said that the [task force] team
members had become proficient in Swahili, helping them to develop relationships,‖ the
GAO said.

―Getting to know the language, culture, and the people in the region, the embassy
official said, has contributed to the success in developing a Tanzanian-American
partnership in a region where extremists are known to operate.‖

The main thrust of the report was described by its title: ―DOD Needs to Determine the
Future of Its Horn of Africa Task Force,‖ a multi-agency project, now part of AFRICOM,
that conducts counterterrorism operations and training from Yemen to West Africa.
--------------------
How Much Does Washington Care About African Democracy? (Pambazuka News)

After five days of voting, the withdrawal of virtually all of the opposition presidential
candidates and countless accusations of ballot tampering, voter intimidation and worse,
Sudan's flawed elections drew to an unceremonial conclusion last month, while doing
little to advance democracy in Africa. Indicted war criminal Omar Hassan Ahmed
Bashir has maintained his grip on the presidency with 68 per cent of the national vote,
and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement will do the same in the south after
obtaining 93 per cent of votes in that region.

For their part, despite pro forma criticisms of electoral irregularities, outside powers
appear largely content to play along. In his 28 April Los Angeles Times op-ed article,
former president Jimmy Carter hailed Sudan's election as, despite flaws, an important
step to peace for the country. Glib comments such as US Special Envoy Scott Gration's
eyebrow-raising assertion that Sudan's elections would be 'as free and fair as possible'
raise an important and oft-obscured question: What is Washington actually looking to
accomplish in Africa's largest nation?

Tellingly, relations between the US and Sudan have typically been less bitter than
frequently reported. Even as the Darfur conflict peaked, Washington was actively
collaborating with Sudanese officials and groups directly implicated in the violence and
developed a close intelligence-sharing relationship with Sudan's notorious security
agency. Then-Sudanese intelligence chief Salah Abdallah Gosh - against whom the UN
recommended instituting sanctions - was flown to Washington for meetings with US
government officials on a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) jet in 2005.

However, since Khartoum's defiant tendencies and China's well-cemented position in

Sudan's booming oil industry make a full Washington-Khartoum rapprochement
unlikely, the US has turned to cultivating its budding alliance with oil-rich and
increasingly oppressive south Sudan, expected to be an independent nation after a 2011
referendum on its status.

And while the dust settles on post-election Sudan, several regional US allies are gearing
up for their own supposed exercises in democracy.

On Sudan's eastern border, US stalwart Ethiopia has been preparing for late May
elections by 'waging a coordinated and sustained attack on political opponents,
journalists and rights activists', in the un-minced words of Human Rights Watch
(HRW).

As documented, the ruling party has been using its 'near-total control' of the state
apparatus to 'systematically punish ... opposition supporters' and 'severely restrict the
activities of civil society and the media'.

As HRW comments with some understatement, 'Ethiopia is heavily dependent on

foreign assistance, which accounts for approximately one-third of all government
expenditures.' However, 'The country's principal foreign donors -- the World Bank,
United States, United Kingdom and European Union -- have been very timid in their
criticisms of Ethiopia's deteriorating human rights situation.'

One could also mention Ethiopia's past service to the US in invading Somalia to
decimate a nascent, relatively functional government in 2006 as part of the ever-invoked
'war on terror', thus ensuring the latter country's continued descent into chaos.

Elsewhere, in central Africa, the US-allied government of Paul Kagame in Rwanda is

gearing up for its own elections by 'doing everything it can to silence independent
voices', according to HRW.

'We've seen a real crackdown on critics,' according to Georgette Gagnon, HRW's Africa
director, including 'increasing threats, attacks and harassment' against opposition
parties. Tellingly, the Economist noted that while Kagame 'vigorously pursues his
admirers in Western democracies, he allows less political space and press freedom at
home than Robert Mugabe does in Zimbabwe'.
That Kagame also won his second term in office in 2003 with a highly suspicious 95.1
per cent of the vote and has continued a long-standing Rwandan policy of ravaging the
neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) speaks volumes about
Washington's commitment to human rights and democracy.

Finally, in Egypt, Sudan's neighbour to the north and the recipient of more US aid than
any country in the world except Israel, president-for-life Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30-
year reign continues unabated. Notably, the announcement by the prominent dissident
Mohamed ElBaradei that he would be willing to contest Mubarak in 2011 in the
normally rubber-stamped elections has elicited few smiles in Washington.

Barack Obama is one in a long line US presidents who have proclaimed their dedication
to freedom for the world's people. Yet a simple review of the facts makes it apparent
that Sudanese President Bashir's open disdain for democracy in the region is amply
matched by Washington's.
--------------------
Powerful churches target Kenya's Constitution over abortion (Christian Science
Monitor)

A letter by three US congressmen aims to stop Kenya from ratifying a newly passed
Constitution because they feel it encourages Kenyan women to have abortions.

How Kenya came undone In Kenya, International Criminal Court to try six top Kenyans
Full Kenya news coverage In their May 6 letter to the US State Department‘s acting
Inspector General, a copy of which has been obtained by the Monitor, Rep. Chris Smith
(R) of New Jersey, Rep. Darrell Issa (R) of California, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)
of Florida requested an audit of US government funds on the basis of a US law that
states that ―none of the funds made available under this Act may be used to lobby for or
against abortion.‖

The lawmakers' efforts come amid an initiative by powerful Kenyan churches to battle
what religious leaders see as an opening to abortion.

Kenya‘s draft Constitution actually forbids abortion, ―unless in the opinion of a trained
health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the
mother is in danger....‖ US Amb. Michael Rannenberger allegedly urged Kenyans to
vote for this new Constitution on numerous occasions, which these congressmen argue
is in breach of US law.

Two years after mob violence killed nearly 1,300 Kenyans and forced 300,000 others
from their homes – in the wake of an election that appeared to be deeply flawed and
manipulated by Kenyan politicians who had extraordinary powers over the judiciary
and the supposedly independent electoral commission – many Kenyans say that
passing a new constitution is necessary for the country‘s very survival.

A recent survey found that an overwhelming majority of Kenyans, more than 60

percent, approve of the new Constitution, which many Kenyans have read because of
freely available printed copies paid for by funds given by the US Agency for
International Development.

Powerful churches step in

Yet Kenya‘s powerful churches are putting on the brakes. And the draft Constitution‘s
provision for abortion is just one of many of their concerns.

―The Constitution is an important document for Kenya, but there is no reason why
Kenyans should adopt a bad constitution,‖ says Henry Njagi, spokesman for the
National Council of Churches of Kenya in Nairobi. ―For Christians don‘t see why they
should be asked to endure a constitution that is so directly against Christianity.‖

Mr. Njagi says that church leaders had engaged Kenya‘s politicians about revising the
Constitution since the 1980s, but ―at every stage, they did not address our issues. So
now, we have no choice but to say ‗no.‘ ‖

By threatening to scuttle the constitution process, Kenya‘s churches – particularly its

Roman Catholic and Pentecostal denominations – are moving into dangerous territory,
Kenyan political observers say.

―These people are playing with fire,‖ says Mwalimu Mati, director of the Mars Group
Kenya, an anticorruption watchdog that has pushed for the new constitution. ―They‘re
forgetting the benefits of the whole bill of rights, just because of one clause in the bill of
rights. We Kenyans have short memories, we don‘t remember that people were killed
because of the terrible effects of the stalemate of the last election, and if there is another
stalemate in a future election under this current Constitution, there will be bloodshed
again.‖

Mr. Mati rejects the idea that church leaders were ignored during the drafting of the
Constitution. ―Certain interest groups are trying to renegotiate ideas that they have
already agreed to, but where maybe they didn‘t get things the way they wanted them,‖
he says.

The US government has not specifically endorsed any particular section of the Kenyan
draft Constitution, but it has vigorously argued that Kenyans must adopt a constitution
that would prevent a return of the political violence that followed the Dec. 27, 2007,
elections.
―The Government of the United States welcomes Parliament‘s overwhelming approval
of Kenya‘s harmonized draft Constitution,‖ Michael Ranneberger, the US ambassador
to Kenya, said last month, after Kenya‘s parliament passed the draft. ―The leaders of the
coalition government have sent a clear and positive message to the Kenyan people that
the implementation of a new constitution is critical to achieving political reform.‖

The US government has spent nearly $1 million in helping Kenyans register to vote in
the upcoming referendum on the Constitution, now scheduled for Aug. 5, 2010. It has
also spent $500,000 printing copies of the draft Constitution to be handed out on street
corners, for Kenyans to familiarize themselves with the document.

Abortion issue rallies local Christians

Yet local Christians say the provision for abortion, even in emergency circumstances, is
antithetical to their beliefs. And they have received a kind of hallelujah chorus from
likeminded conservative Christian groups in the US, including Rev. Pat Robertson‘s
group, the American Center for Law and Justice.

"It opens the door to abortion on demand, which is why Christian organizations who
are pro-life are so opposed to that provision," Jordan Sekulow, international director for
ACLJ, told the Associated Press in an interview earlier this year.

In Nairobi, and throughout the country, religious activists have started a leaflet
campaign to winnow away support for the draft constitution. One letter, signed by
senior Pentacostalist church leaders, says, ―we shall not endorse a constitution that has
grossly overlooked justice and concerns persistently raised but ignored by the review
organs for the warning in the Bible is very clearly recorded in Exodus 21:2 – 'Do not
follow the crowd in wrong doing. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert
justice by siding with the crowd.' ‖
--------------------
Niger government to distribute 21,000 tons of food (Associated Press)

NIAMEY, Niger – Niger's government says it is launching a food distribution program

in the West African nation.

Government spokesman Mahamane Laouali Dan Dah said Saturday that more than
21,000 tons of food would be given to 1.5 million people in need.

Food has always been a deeply political topic in Niger, one of Africa's poorest nations.
Perched on the southern edge of the Sahara, it has suffered cyclical drought for
centuries.
Five years ago, Niger faced a similar crisis. Then-President Mamadou Tandja lashed out
at humanitarian agencies and opposition parties for allegedly fabricating "false
propaganda" for political and economic gain. Several aid groups were expelled.

Tandja, though, was ousted in a February coup.

--------------------
Sudanese Army Says It Has Seized Rebel Stronghold in Darfur (Reuters)

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan‘s army said Saturday that it had seized a key rebel
stronghold in Darfur and killed scores of insurgents on Friday, dealing a blow to
floundering peace talks.

The rebel Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, dismissed the report, saying it had
withdrawn from the remote Jabel Moun area voluntarily days earlier to spare the
population from government bombing raids and shelling. But it said other recent
clashes showed that Sudan‘s government had chosen to return to war and that the
chances of finding a negotiated solution were now ―very remote.‖

The rebels said two weeks ago that they were suspending peace talks with the
government, accusing it of breaking a cease-fire and failing to honor an initial peace
deal signed in Qatar in February.

An army spokesman, Khaled al-Sawarmi, said that government soldiers had also died
in the attack Friday, but that he did not know how many.

JEM said its troops had moved to different areas in North and South Darfur states, as
well as neighboring South Kordofan.

A senior JEM official, Tahir al-Faki, said the rebels were still prepared to return to talks
if the government in Khartoum and international mediators agreed to comply with a
list of demands, including the honoring of a previous cease-fire and the recognition of
JEM as the sole rebel negotiator.

―But I don‘t see any real prospect of negotiations or a peaceful settlement because the
other side does not want it,‖ he said.

―Sudan has chosen war against peace, and we are up for it.‖
--------------------
Nigeria, China Sign Major Oil Deal (Wall Street Journal)

LONDON—Nigeria and China have signed a tentative deal to build three oil refineries
in the West African state at a cost of $23 billion, in a move to boost badly needed
gasoline supply in Nigeria and to position China for more access to the country's
coveted high-quality oil reserves.

"This is a deal we need for Nigeria to cut our reliance on imports," said a senior
Nigerian oil official.

He said the Chinese commitment to build refineries in Nigeria—a country that has long
spent billions of dollars annually importing gasoline due to rickety refineries at home—
would also help put China "in the running" for getting additional access to oil acreage
in Nigeria, one of Africa's biggest crude producers and exporters. "This is business, but
it builds goodwill in addition," the official said.

China to Deepen Africa TiesAccess thousands of business sources not available on the
free web. Learn More For the Nigeria government, the deal represents a victory of sorts
over U.S. and European oil companies, which have long turned a deaf ear to Nigerian
government calls to operate refineries in the country because of the poor financial
returns.

Nigerian gasoline and diesel prices are highly subsidized. This government benefit is
one of the few that Nigerians, most of whom live in poverty, have seen over the years
from their country's big crude reserves. Nigeria's mostly low-sulphur crude, exported
largely to the U.S. and Europe, is relatively easy and cheap to refine into gasoline.

The fuel subsidies mean refineries operate at little or no profit, a primary factor that has
hurt new investment and upkeep at existing facilities. The subsidies have also
encouraged a thriving black market for Nigerian gasoline and other fuel products in
neighboring states like Benin.

But Nigeria's tough refining economics are an opportunity for the Chinese government,
which is bent on procuring its state oil companies access to new oil reserves to fuel the
country's speedy economic growth. Nigeria is looking to offer offshore oil fields to
foreign companies but hasn't yet announced a date for any new licensing rounds.

Funding for the three refineries, each expected to pump out 250,000 a day of refined
products, will come from the China Export & Credit Insurance Corp. and a group of
Chinese banks. The Nigerian official said he didn't have details on what sort of returns
Chinese banks might see from funding the projects.

Officials from China State Construction Engineering Corp. and Cnooc Ltd., the Chinese
state offshore oil company, weren't immediately available for comment, while China
National Petroleum Corp, China's largest oil company by assets, said it had no
information on the Nigerian government's announcement.
The deal also envisages Chinese help in constructing a petrochemicals facility, which
could help Nigeria convert some of its big natural gas reserves into higher-value
products such as plastics for export.

China imports a small amount of Nigerian crude, averaging just 28,000 barrels a day
last year—a drop in the bucket compared with China's total oil imports of 4.77 million
barrels a day in 2009, according to China Customs data.
--------------------
Grenade attacks kill one, injure 28 in Rwanda: report (Xinhua)

KIGALI, Rwanda - One person has been killed and 28 more injured in two separate
grenade attacks in the Rwandan capital Kigali, media reported on Sunday.

The reports said the attacks occurred Saturday night within an hour of each other, and
security officials are investigating whether the latest attacks are related to previous ones
that took place in February and March.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Somalia: top UN envoy calls for national unity on anniversary of country's first
political party
15 May – One week before a major international conference on the future of Somalia,
the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa country today called for a show of
unity on the 67th anniversary of the creation of the Somali Youth League, the political
party which united the country and played a role in its fight for independence from
colonization.

If music be the food…, play on: UN launches song in war on hunger in Africa
14 May – The United Nations today mobilized some of the foremost artists of Africa
and the airwaves of the world in launching a song and video to drum up support for
achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of combating hunger and
poverty across the continent.

UN Member States debate ways to fight piracy off Somalia

14 May – The United Nations General Assembly today held a day-long informal
meeting on piracy, with Assembly President Ali Treki calling for broader international
efforts and resources to combat the ever-expanding scourge, particularly off the coast of
war-torn Somalia.

Chad becomes 100th nation to give UN nuclear inspectors greater access

14 May – Chad has become the 100th nation to agree to give the United Nations
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more information about its nuclear
activities, which the agency hailed as a milestone in efforts to bolster global nuclear
verification efforts.

Ugandan rebel group stepping up attacks, UN refugee agency reports

14 May – The United Nations refugee agency today sounded the alarm at the dramatic
rise in both the frequency and brutality of attacks against civilians by a notorious
Ugandan rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan
and the Central African Republic (CAR).