United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

6 July 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Centr.Africa calls on US to help crush LRA (AFP)

(Central African Republic) The Central African Republic has called on the United States
for military support to help "neutralise" LRA rebels terrorising the country, state radio
said Monday.

AFRICOM Visits USS John L. Hall In Rota, Spain (Mayport Mirror)

(Pan Africa) USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) recently hosted General William "Kip" Ward,
Commander of US Africa Command, while in port Rota, Spain.

Africom and the Development of the Nation (All Africa)

(Sierra Leone) The development of economic prosperity and individual security will
play an important role in Sierra Leone's growth as a stable country.

Africa's evolving Security Environment - Team Mauritius makes a strong Impression

in Portugal (lexpress.mu)
(Pan Africa) A seminar in Lisbon provided a forum for a broad cross-section of senior
military officers and civilian officials from Africa, the United States and Europe, and the
international community, to discuss strategies for addressing challenges and for
enhancing Africa's security.

US Executive Director Ian Solomon’s Statement on Liberia’s Debt Relief (The

Liberian Journal)
(Liberia) Solomon welcomed discussion of Liberia’s Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative Completion Point and the Multilateral Debt Relief
Initiative (MDRI) as well as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) First Annual
Progress Report (APR) and IDA-IMF Staff Advisory Note (JSAN).

US can help solve Zimbabwe problem (Global Post)

(Zimbabwe) Although the U.S. is in no position, given Afghanistan and Iraq, to
intervene unilaterally in Zimbabwe, even if there were any will to do so, Washington
can still be a positive catalyst.
Africa cannot afford luxury of talk shows (The Herald - Zimbabwe)
(Pan Africa) African leaders meet in Kampala, Uganda, mid this month amid
revelations by the United States of America that the continent is growing in military,
strategic and economic importance to the super power’s foreign policy.

Congo Blast Death Toll Passes 230 (Associated Press)

(Congo) Moaning and badly burned survivors from a massive tanker blast that killed at
least 230 people recovered in a crumbling eastern Congo hospital Sunday, two days
after the wrecked fuel truck exploded on a rural highway.

Somalia Launches Offensive Against Militants (Wall Street Journal)

(Somalia) Somali and African Union troops launched a long-promised battle Thursday
against an al-Qaeda backed group in the capital, Mogadishu, seeking to push back
Islamic militants that have left the government all but powerless to rule the chaotic
eastern African country.

New President of Somaliland Fights for Recognition (AFP)

(Somalia) The newly-elected president of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamud Silaanyo,
vowed on Friday to campaign “vigorously” for international recognition of his
breakaway republic in the Horn of Africa.

Diallo declared front-runner in Guinea election (CNN)

(Guinea) Certified presidential election results announced Friday in Guinea put
conservative Cellou Dalein Diallo in first place out of a field of 24 contestants, followed
by liberal Alpha Conde, an election observer told CNN.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
• Darfur ex-combatants opt for voluntary discharge backed by UN-African
mission
• UN mission rushes to assist victims of deadly fuel truck blast in DR Congo
• UN envoy holds consultations on Western Sahara
• UNESCO deplores murder of independent Rwandan journalist
• Small-scale farmers in Malawi latest beneficiaries under UN local purchase
scheme
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, July 7, 2:00 p.m., Brookings Institution

WHAT: Weathering the Storm: Africa after the Crisis - Presentation on the 2010 African
Economic Outlook
WHO: Ernest Aryeetey, Senior Fellow and Director, Africa Growth Initiative, The
Brookings Institution; Abebe Shimeles, Principal Research Economist, African
Development Bank; Emmanuel Asmah, Africa Research Fellow, The Brookings
Institution; Olumide Taiwo, Africa Research Fellow, The Brookings Institution; John
Mutenyo, Africa Research Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Info: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2010/0707_africa_economics.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, July 8, 12:00 p.m., Heritage Foundation

WHAT: U.S. Capabilities to Manage Irregular Conflicts in the 21st Century
WHO: Roy Godson, Ph.D., President, National Strategy Information Center (NSIC)
and Emeritus Professor of Government, Georgetown University; Richard Shultz, Ph.D.,
Professor and Director, International Security Studies Program, Fletcher School, Tufts
University and NSIC Research Director
Info: http://www.heritage.org/Events/2010/07/Irregular-Conflicts

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, July 9, 1:00 p.m., U.S. Institute of Peace

WHAT: Measuring Progress in Stabilizing War-Torn Societies
WHO: Colonel John Agoglia, Discussant, Director, Counterinsurgency Training Center
– Afghanistan; Michael Dziedzic, Moderator, Senior Program Officer, U.S. Institute of
Peace; Barbara Sotirin, Discussant, Deputy Director for Global Security Affairs, The
Joint Staff; John McNamara, Discussant, Director, Office of Planning, Office of the
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/measuring-progress-in-stabilizing-war-torn-
societies
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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Centr.Africa calls on US to help crush LRA (AFP)

BANGUI, Central African Republic — The Central African Republic has called on the
United States for military support to help "neutralise" LRA rebels terrorising the
country, state radio said Monday.

Rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army "have been on Central African territory since
February 2008 when they were chased out of Uganda, and have been committing
violations of all kinds and sowing terror among the population," it quoted Foreign
Minister Antoine Gambi as saying.

Gambi made the comments in a speech at the US embassy in Bangui during a reception
Sunday marking US Independence Day.

"The danger the LRA represents for Uganda has been transposed to the Central African
Republic. We hope that the United States of America can contribute to the efforts of the
Central African armed forces, backed by the Ugandan forces, with the aim of
neutralising the LRA," the minister said.
In May, US President Barack Obama promulgated a law to develop a comprehensive
strategy to protect civilians from LRA attacks in the four countries in which they have
been active, Uganda, DR Congo, south Sudan and the CAR.

The foreign minister said he hoped "that the American government will emphasise
particularly the case of the Central African Republic," especially as it was a "post-
conflict" country preparing to hold elections.

"The American government will understand the sense of this request, to allow the
organisation of elections in Central Africa. Because one of the causes of the delay (in
holding elections) is the persistent insecurity in Central Africa's regions."

After years of instability, the country has begun a peace process of which long-delayed
presidential and legislative polls are an essential part. The electoral commission has
proposed the elections be held on October 24, having already postponed them twice so
far this year.
--------------------
AFRICOM Visits USS John L. Hall In Rota, Spain (Mayport Mirror)

USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) recently hosted General William "Kip" Ward, Commander of
US Africa Command, while in port Rota, Spain.

During a previously scheduled visit to Naval Station Rota June 11, Ward took the
opportunity to offer some commander's guidance to John L. Hall and her crew.

John L. Hall is participating in Africa Partnership Station, which is a program

coordinated by Naval Forces Africa and US 6th Fleet to promote regional security and
stability.

Emphasizing the impact John L. Hall and her crew will have in the region, General
Ward told the Sailors, "It's an important part of the world and you all are making a
difference."

Ward also thanked the assembled crew for their hard work and dedication during
deployment.

"Thanks for your service and I'm proud to serve with all of you," he said.

John L. Hall and embarked HSL-48 Detachment Nine are conducting a scheduled
deployment to the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
--------------------
Africom and the Development of the Nation (All Africa)
Freetown - The development of economic prosperity and individual security will play
an important role in Sierra Leone's growth as a stable country.

Through collaboration between the Sierra Leone government and U.S. Africa Command
(AFRICOM), Sierra Leone has gained valuable experience and training, while
enhancing economic development and security.

U.S. Africa joint command was announced in February 2007 with the goal of building
long term security partnerships between the United States, African nations, regional
organizations and the African Union.

The integrated staff structure of AFRICOM includes significant representation from the
U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and
other U.S. government agencies as well as partner nations and humanitarian
organizations.

Having staff from varied agencies and organizations working side by side insures that a
common approach is being taken with regards to security, development, diplomacy,
and prosperity in Africa.

The AFRICOM mission is carried out through military-to-military programs, military-

sponsored activities and other military operations. For example, the Africa Partnership
Station provides training in maritime law enforcement, search and rescue capabilities,
civil engineering and logistics, and navigation.

Crew members also participate in humanitarian assistance efforts lead by interagency

and non governmental organizations focusing on heath care, education, and other
projects. Another AFRICOM initiative is the African Maritime Law Enforcement
Partnership (AMLEP) program, which Sierra Leone has participated in with great
success.

Through the AMLEP program, African nations are assisted in building up their own
maritime security capacity and in improving management of their maritime
environment through real world combined law enforcement operations. The first
AMLEP operation in Sierra Leone took place in 2009 and included the Sierra Leone
Maritime Wing and fisheries Ministry.

This operation resulted in the seizure of an illegal fishing vessel. AMLEP's next
operation was also in Sierra Leone and was even more successful. Combined U.S. Coast
Guard and Sierra Leone boarding teams seized four boats for violating Sierra Leonean
fishing laws.
The Sierra Leone team then used its own vessels to escort the seized vessels to port. This
action sent a strong message to illegal operators in Sierra Leone's national waters. It also
resulted in significant fines being paid to the government of Sierra Leone in accordance
with international legal proceedings. These funds are used to protect fisheries resources
and to provide sustainability for the maritime forces so that they do not become a
burden on the national budget.

Each year, Africa loses more than 1 billion US dollars because of illegal fishing. Sierra
Leone is among the West African nations most affected by this illegal exploitation of
resources.

The World Bank has estimated that Sierra Leone loses an estimated 30 to 40 million
dollars each year in royalty payments alone. AMLEP operations are also useful in
apprehending illegal traffickers of narcotics, people and weapons, as well as
perpetrators of environmental crimes, which all negatively impact the nation's economy
and stability.

The philosophy of AFRICOM is to seek African solutions to African challenges through

a collaborative effort to respond to the requests of African partners. AFRICOM
organizes multinational exercises that allow participants to practice working together to
solve regional security issues.

AFRICOM has also listened to the needs of regional economic and political groups such
as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.
By building strong and lasting strategic partnerships with Africa and by delivering
sustained effective and coherent security cooperation programs, U.S. Africa Command
helps foster a more stable and secure Africa:

Where military organizations perform professionally and with integrity That promotes
legitimate and professional security institutions That has the will and means to
dissuade, deter, and defeat transnational threats And whose militaries and
governments are increasingly capable of supporting continental and international peace
efforts

The cooperation between U.S African command and the African continent presents a
unique opportunity for the growth and development of Sierra Leone and the whole of
Africa. By resolving issues of economic prosperity, security, and environmental
degradation through a positive working relationship with the United States, AFRICOM
makes way for a stronger Africa and a stronger Sierra Leone.
--------------------
Africa's evolving Security Environment - Team Mauritius makes a strong Impression
in Portugal (lexpress.mu)
Port Louis — There were 85 senior-level participants coming from 42 countries (Africa,
Europe and US) gathered from 12 to 25 June in Lisbon, Portugal, to discuss Africa's
current and emerging security challenges. And our own Doreen Fong Weng-Poorun,
Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, was selected to deliver the
participants' appreciation of this high-level Seminar co-hosted by the Africa Center for
Strategic Studies and the ministry of Defense of Portugal.

Mauritius was also represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Mario Nobin (who
has some field experience with the African Union's peace keeping mission and Assistant
Superintendent Baldeo Hangsraj who holds a law degree). "It was indeed a challenge to
bring together so many high level persons for two weeks. The African countries have
responded positively, recognizing the importance of the seminar, of the discussion.

The common denominator that prompted us all to respond to the invitation is to secure
and promote Peace and Security in Africa," stated Doreen Fong-Weng Poorun in her
remarks.

Actually, the seminar provided a forum for a broad cross-section of senior military
officers and civilian officials from Africa, the United States and Europe, and the
international community, to discuss strategies for addressing challenges and for
enhancing Africa's security. The discussion was divided into four main components:
trends and challenges (discussion on the evolving security, political and economic
issues dominating African policy dialogue), elements of the strategic approach (analysis
of various factors necessary for effective strategic planning), critical security challenges
(peace operations, post-conflict transitions, transnational crime, natural resource-based
competition) and external actors in Africa (which focused on Africa's role in modern
geo-politics).

Over and above their discussion, which took place under a strict non-attribution policy,
the Mauritian delegation, very active, initiated contacts with their Senegalese
counterparts for an exchange in the field of community police and with the Director of
Police of Lisbon to learn about his police strategy. They also met with Ambassador
Johnnie Carson, in charge of the US Policy toward Africa under the Obama
administration, General William Kip Ward, Commander of the Africa Command, and
General (ret.) Martin Luther Agwai from Nigeria (whose engagement in peacekeeping
in Africa won him special recognition during the seminar).

"Their words will inspire us," said Ms. Fong Weng-Poorun. According to Ms. Fong
Weng-Poorun, this seminar, in terms of networking and experience sharing, has been
vital in the steps leading toward the preparation of the National Security Strategy of
Mauritius.
This document begins "with an assessment of the interests a nation determines to be
worthy of protecting with available resources." And it goes way beyond traditional
security dealing mainly with territorial protection and/or fending off external
aggression. Many experts agree that for African nation-states, communicable diseases,
climate change and food security are among issues of serious national interest that
require thoughtful strategic consideration. Mauritius is clearly no exception.
--------------------
US Executive Director Ian Solomon’s Statement on Liberia’s Debt Relief (The
Liberian Journal)

MONROVIA, Liberia - Enhanced HIPC Debt Initiative Completion Point and

Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative and PRSP Progress Report and Joint IDA-IMF Staff
Advisory Note

We welcome today’s discussion of Liberia’s Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

(HIPC) Debt Initiative Completion Point and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative
(MDRI) as well as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) First Annual Progress
Report (APR) and IDA-IMF Staff Advisory Note (JSAN). We thank Staff for the bilateral
exchanges and underline our full support for Liberia’s continued progress.

Liberia has persevered through the economic crises and its performance in meeting the
HIPC triggers illustrates a determined commitment to economic reform. We applaud
the authorities for their drive in moving to HIPC completion point in such a timely
manner, and heartily welcome Liberia’s reaching completion point under the Enhanced
HIPC Initiative. This is a momentous day for the authorities and they deserve our
continued support as they work to rebuild Liberia.

We also thank Staff and the numerous donor countries and development partners who
have worked with the Liberian authorities as well as the donors who have contributed
generously to help relieve Liberia’s debt burdens. This step moves forward the
country’s efforts to address its unsustainable debt burden, to make progress in
advancing economic reforms, and to build a foundation for sustainable growth and
poverty reduction.

We applaud the authorities for their continued strong performance on fiscal policy and
look forward to the completion of the ongoing public financial management reforms.
However, we urge the authorities to adopt a cautious approach to future debt
accumulation and management, prioritizing projects that have high returns that
contribute to economic growth and government revenues. The temptation to fund
pressing needs, even with concessional debt, must be managed within a strong budget
and debt framework if Liberia is to reap the benefits of debt relief. To this end, Liberia
will need continued technical support and the assistance of donors to implement
reliable debt management procedures.
We also welcome Liberia’s designation as an EITI compliant country, the first country
in Africa and the second in the world to be validated. This is a strong example of
leadership and should serve the country well in terms of investment and in benefitting
from its resource development strategy.

Finally, with respect to the Liberia Poverty Reduction Strategy (LPRS), we note that the
results of the first year of implementation of the ambitious reform agenda of the LPRS
were below expectations despite notable achievements in reforms to curb corruption
and delivery of basic services. We join Staffs in commending the authorities’ response to
the APR findings by adopting the Rapid Results Approach to improve implementation.
We encourage the authorities to continue to pursue governance and judicial reforms
and implement programs and reforms aimed at improving the business climate and
creating employment.

With these comments, we wish Bank Management and Staff and the Liberian
authorities much success.
--------------------
US can help solve Zimbabwe problem (Global Post)

BOSTON — Neither the forces of world order, the powers of Africa, nor the global
spirit of democracy has managed to curb Robert G. Mugabe’s dictatorship in
Zimbabwe.

Indeed, the once prosperous country is an increasingly desperate place, with

intensifying poverty, deteriorating life expectancies and health outcomes, 90 percent
unemployment, renewed ruling party brutalities against hapless civilians and
opponents, and no likelihood of any amelioration.

Moreover, the so-called unity government of Mugabe’s party and the opposition led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is wildly disunited. Unlike the compromise bilateral
government in Kenya, Zimbabwe’s is entirely a fig leaf for continued unimpeded power
by Mugabe and his henchmen.

South Africa, first under former president Thabo Mbeki and now under President Jacob
Zuma, was supposed to encourage substantive change by mediating between Mugabe
and Tsvangirai and between their respective parties. But that hope has long been
demonstrated to be a chimera. Nothing is happening, and the corrupt followers of
Mugabe are getting more corrupt on the sale of blood diamonds while the bulk of the
country’s population either goes hungry or flees to South Africa.

Mugabe’s men even managed in June to subvert an international inquiry into the
diamond business in eastern Zimbabwe and to persuade a South African investigator to
permit, under the Kimberley Process, the licit sale of diamonds mined under shady
auspices by Mugabe’s cronies.

Since the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (controlled
by South Africa) are unwilling to label Mugabe a tyrant and unwilling to critique his
failures of commission and omission, only non-Africans can possibly return Zimbabwe
to democracy and to its people.

China is strongly supporting Mugabe, however, which makes U.N. condemnation and
effective sanctions difficult. So are oil powers such as Libya. Mugabe is now backed by
the very worst of the worst.

What can be done?

Although the U.S. is in no position, given Afghanistan and Iraq, to intervene

unilaterally in Zimbabwe, even if there were any will to do so, Washington can still be a
positive catalyst.

President Barack Obama has had Zimbabwe on his foreign policy radar, and for the
right reasons. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken forcibly about the
Zimbabwe tragedy. She has asked President Zuma for his help and cooperation.
Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson, once ambassador to Mugabe’s
Zimbabwe, has also spoken clearly about Zimbabwe, even to Mugabe directly in 2009.
At that time Mugabe famously called Carson “an idiot,” and walked out. But such jaw-
boning has not yet brought about change or the hope of action.

Nevertheless, Secretary Clinton’s voice is strong and true, and widely influential in key
capitals in Africa. She should urgently declare Washington’s desire to help to make the
unity government in Zimbabwe work by meeting with Zuma and the heads of state and
government of the SADC region.

She should appoint a strong roving ambassador to be her agent within southern Africa
for as long as it takes to create an effective partnership government within Zimbabwe
and to reduce Mugabe’s despotic grip. Her enunciated goal should be the end of
violence and human rights abuses, the transfer of effective power to Prime Minister
Tsvangirai, and a rapid diminution of Mugabe's presidential authoritarianism.

The appointment of a roving ambassador would demonstrate Washington’s

commitment to the southern Africa and her desire to persuade South Africa and the
other nations of the region that the U. S. is serious about achieving improvements to the
regime in Zimbabwe.
A roving ambassador would provide the kind of close attention to the issue that Carson,
with so many other African concerns, and the individual ambassadors in the region,
cannot.

Washington holds carrots and sticks to support such an ambassadorial approach. If and
when Zimbabwe is better governed, existing “smart” sanctions against Mugabe’s
henchmen and their relatives can slowly be lifted. Additional incentives would include
new funds with which to jump start the faltering Zimbabwean economy.

Washington can encourage SADC to ban official aircraft carrying Mugabe and his
entourages from crossing neighboring airspace, thus ending his and his wife’s penchant
for shopping trips to Dubai, Hong Kong (where they own expensive property), Kuala
Lumpur, Singapore (where Zimbabwean diamonds are allegedly converted into
property), Rome, Copenhagen, and so on.

With a little persuasion of South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique, Washington could
confine Mugabe to Zimbabwe and deny him medical treatment in South Africa or
beyond. A roving ambassador with Secretary Clinton’s stamp could make these cases,
and demonstrate finally that the U. S. cares.
--------------------
Africa cannot afford luxury of talk shows (The Herald - Zimbabwe)

AFRICAN leaders meet in Kampala, Uganda, mid this month amid revelations by the
United States of America that the continent is growing in military, strategic and
economic importance to the super power’s foreign policy.

"Africa’s emerging potential as a major oil, diamonds producer and supplier to the
United States, has been of interest to the Sub-Committee on Africa that I’ve chaired for
some time.

"The sub-committee held a hearing to look at this topic in 2000. It’s clearly in our
national interest to diversify our energy supply, especially given the turbulent political
climate in key parts of the world today. The expansion of energy production in Africa
matches to that interest…,’’ said the US State Department last week.

Zimbabwe’s diamonds marketing, war-torn DRC, war in Uganda and Somalia are other
examples where African leaders should come up with proper mechanisms to contain
outside influence and enable the governments there to perform.

This is big-money talk rather than a humanitarian outrage. On January 2 2002, a

Washington DC symposium held to discuss African oil came up with a document
entitled "African oil: A priority for US national security and African development",
which paved the way for the rest to happen.
It was attended by Washington’s Africa heavyweights, people like: Barry Schutz, a Bush
administration specialist on Africa; Lieutenant-Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, a high-
ranking air force officer; and Walter Kansteiner, Bush’s under-secretary of state for
African affairs.

Pending legislation, "The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda
Recovery Act 2009," being pushed by Representative Ed Royce would empower
AFRICOM not only to give technical support but to physically go to war with the
armed groups that both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo forces have not
been able to dislodge.

An analytic eye sees the meeting as an opportunity to ring-fence Africa’s unity,

independence, liberation war gains, indigenisation projects, governance and
exploitation of natural resources.

It will be folly for African leaders not to analyse why America has suddenly identified
the continent as being of strategic importance to its foreign policy. Issues around this,
are expected to take centre stage given that African leaders are becoming more and
more aware of the threat paused by super power ambitions to be in sole control of
Africa’s resources as the expense of the African themselves.

However, many nations on the African continent continue to rely on the international
community for assistance with security concerns and the leaders have a challenge to
come out with specific strategies to ensure that the continent is not manipulated as the
super powers focus their mineral resource attention on Africa.

Solving the continent’s puzzle in the troubled spots might be a bigger issue especially
when you see Africa’s reliance on foreign forces who have their own agenda.

This is the sole reason why, from an analytic point of view, the US has set up Africom,
to bully any other nation that tries to interfere or disturb its quest to exploit the mineral
resources of Africa.

AFRICOM is a Unified Combatant Command of the US Department of Defence,

responsible for US military operations and military relations, with African nations,
except Egypt. This is a dangerous military unit which Africa will rue the day it ever
allowed it to stay on its soil, so Africa should say a big no!

Egypt is obviously US’ point country in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and will not be
dealt with like all other ordinary African countries.
The US African Command was established on October 1, 2007 and formally activated
on October 1, 2008 at a public ceremony at the Pentagon attended by selected
representatives of African nations.

With time, it has become categorically clear that the idea was not primarily to fight
against ‘‘Islamic terror’’, which was said to be growing in influence, but to protect and
help expand American military and economic interests, mainly in the energy sector.

As the African leaders meet in Uganda, it is prudent for them to come up with sector
specific solutions and strategies to deal with issues that surround independence,
indigenisation, governance, democracy, and accountability that will make the continent
free from recolonisation.

What is interesting is that diamonds in Zimbabwe and the DRC have taken centre stage
and that the American and their kith and keen do not want Zimbabwe to sell its
diamond stockpile, worth US$1,7 billion.

All people with good and reasonable brains can tell that anyone with interest or at least
good will on Zimbabwe would have been happy that the country has some natural
resource to sell and help it climb out of its economic problems. The ordinary people of
Zimbabwe matter inasmuch as the ordinary American matters.
--------------------
Congo Blast Death Toll Passes 230 (Associated Press)

SANGE, Congo — Moaning and badly burned survivors from a massive tanker blast
that killed at least 230 people recovered in a crumbling eastern Congo hospital Sunday,
two days after the wrecked fuel truck exploded on a rural highway.

In a conflict-strewn corner of one of the world's most unstable countries, the shocking
tragedy late Friday in the village of Sange was a devastating blow for residents in a still
lawless region who survived back-to-back wars that lasted from 1996 to 2002.

"It's a miserable, poor life we have here in Congo," said Muke Ndengwa, whose 15-
year-old son was nearly killed in the blast. "When we had the war here, we had
everything stolen from us. Now we have lost so much again."

Troubles began when the tanker hauling fuel from the provincial capital, Bukavu,
overturned as it tried to pass a minibus in Sange, a small village near the Burundi
border. Laying on its side, the wrecked vehicle began gushing gasoline beside three
flimsy television halls made of brick and wood, where hundreds of people had
gathered to watch the World Cup.
Crowds gathered around the wreck, and dozens of people began trying to collect the
leaking gasoline with jerry-cans and plastic buckets, ignoring pleas from U.N.
peacekeepers to move away because of the danger. Within an hour, a fire began—
nobody is sure exactly how—and a massive explosion suddenly engulfed the three TV
halls and a nearby market.

At the time, Jackson Ndengwa, 15 years old, was inside one of the makeshift halls to
watch one of his favorite teams, Ghana, play Uruguay.

"The hall was full of people," he said from his hospital bed in the lakeside town of
Uvira, about 20 miles to the south. "We never expected that there could be a fire like
this."

"There were people with petrol on their clothes and skin and they started catching fire,"
he said. "As we were so close together I got burned, too."

Mr. Ndengwa managed to escape through a window, but sustained serious burns to his
legs and stomach. His father hired a car early Saturday to transport him to Uvira.

U.N. spokesman Madnodje Mounoubai said Sunday at least 231 died and 195 were
injured in the explosion. The Red Cross said at least 61 children and 36 women were
among those killed. Kumba Mupepe, a doctor at the Uvira hospital said at least 46
wounded between the ages of 12 and 40 were brought there.

Mr. Ndengwa was among 46 wounded between the ages of 12 and 40 who were
brought to the Uvira hospital, said a doctor there, Kumba Mupepe.

In the intensive care ward Sunday in Uvira, one badly burnt man screamed
continuously in agony, as relatives tended to other victims nearby, their bodies covered
head to toe in purple antiseptic.

"People are suffering terribly," said Namweze Bahizire, a nurse. "Yesterday we lost two
men and a woman a few hours after surgery and during the night we lost another male
victim."

Late Saturday, Red Cross teams buried most of the dead in two mass graves a few miles
from Sange. "We have decided to make mass graves because most of the bodies are
completely burnt and are not identifiable, and also to prevent the corpses from
decomposing" in the tropical heat, deputy provincial Gov. Jean-Claude Kibala Nkolde
told United Nations Radio Okapi.

It was not known exactly what sparked the blaze.

Desperately poor people in Congo and other African nations often descend quickly
around damaged or disabled oil trucks leaking fuel on roads and highways, carting it
away with plastic jugs, unaware of the danger of doing so.

Some of the worst tragedies have occurred in Nigeria, where thousands have died as
crowds siphoned fuel from ruptured or pierced oil pipelines that subsequently
exploded. In a separate accident Friday involving another fuel truck, an out-of-control
gasoline tanker flipped over and exploded outside the gates of a local hospital in
northern Nigeria, killing 14 people in an inferno in Gombe state.
--------------------
Somalia Launches Offensive Against Militants (Wall Street Journal)

Somali and African Union troops launched a long-promised battle Thursday against an
al-Qaeda backed group in the capital, Mogadishu, seeking to push back Islamic
militants that have left the government all but powerless to rule the chaotic eastern
African country.

In fighting that began early Thursday morning, 16 people died and 45 were wounded in
the neighborhood of Karan, in the north of Mogadishu, hospital and ambulance
workers said.

Government troops, backed by a force of some 5,000 African Union peacekeepers,

attempted to seize positions from the militants, who control most of the country apart
from a small, government-controlled slice of Mogadishu. Government troops seized
positions during hours of fierce fighting between sides armed with automatic weapons,
rocket-propelled grenades and other arms and missiles, residents of Karan said by
telephone.

On Thursday evening, residents said, militants pushed the troops back to their bases.
They said the death toll was likely to rise citywide, with some residents believed killed
when mortars that landed on their homes.

Officials declined to provide details about the fighting or independently confirm

casualty figures.

Government officials said the offensive is their first major military stand against al
Shabaab, the al Qaeda-backed group that has vowed to topple the government. The
group, which began as an armed wing of an Islamic government that briefly held
Mogadishu in 2006, controls most of southern Somalia and a large portion of
Mogadishu. The government controls a small slice of the capital.
The government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has been under siege by the
militant group since the government was formed early last year in absentia in
neighboring Djibouti.

In attempting to reclaim part of the city, the government aims both to remove a perilous
threat to its rule but also to regain support of Somalis and provide space for genuine
governance, officials said. "This is an operation for providing security and we shall
continue until the city's security becomes reliable," said Somalia's police chief, Ali
Hassan Loyan.

An al Shabaab spokesman told local reporters Thursday that its fighters had burned an
African Union tank. An AU spokesman confirmed that a tank had caught fire, but said
the cause was unrelated to insurgents' fire.

Attacks in Mogadishu by al Shabaab and allied militias have kept the government from
providing basic services and attacked rare parliamentary sessions. The government has
been so hamstrung, Mr. Sharif says, that its biggest achievement in its year in power has
been to establish a functioning radio station to counter militant propaganda.

The government has promised since last year to mount an offensive against al Shabaab,
but Mr. Sharif has sought international support, saying the government needed funds
to boost security and pay government workers, including a force of 10,000 soldiers that
has been wracked by defections as members have gone unpaid.

The government estimates it needs about $110 million annually to boost its security
sector and pay government employees—well above the $22 million it expects to earn in
customs duties this year, according a document viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

It isn't clear whether the attacks were made possible by incoming funds. The offensive
came on the 50th anniversary of the formation of Somalia.

Officials played down the push in an apparent attempt to manage expectations. Prime
Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke described the government offensive as
"counteraggression," following attacks from Islamic rebels who in recent weeks had
seized positions close to presidential palace.

"The government has rights to defend itself because they attacked us," Mr. Sharmarke
told reporters Wednesday night.

Somalia has been largely lawless since its last strong federal government fell in 1991.
That instability has become a source of concern from neighbors and Western countries,
including the U.S., that fear it has become a magnet for foreign fighters allied with al
Qaeda.
Intelligence officials estimate the group's militia could number 8,500 to 12,000. But they
have angered and alienated locals with harsh punishments, including beheadings,
meted out by ad hoc courts for what are perceived to be transgressions of Islamic law.
--------------------
New President of Somaliland Fights for Recognition (AFP)

HARGEISA, Somalia — The newly-elected president of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamud

Silaanyo, vowed on Friday to campaign “vigorously” for international recognition of
his breakaway republic in the Horn of Africa.

“During my tenure as president I will vigorously fight for the recognition of

Somaliland. The world must recognize our democracy,” Mr. Silaanyo said a day after
the announcement of his election victory.

“The first part of recognition of our independence is acquired as our people recognize
themselves as a free country. What we are seeking is recognition by the outside world,”
he said in an interview.

Mr. Silaanyo, a member of the dominant Issak clan, studied economics in Britain and
served in the government of former Somali president Mohamed Siad Barre.

A former British colony tacked on to Somalia when the latter gained independence from
Italy in 1960, Somaliland has remained reasonably stable, spared the clan warfare that
has dogged Somalia because of the domination of the Issaks.

It broke away from Somalia in 1991 after the overthrow of Siad Barre plunged the
country into chaos and anarchy.

An official of the hard-line Shabab militia that controls much of southern Somalia said:
“The election is a sham and a dictation of anti-Islamic forces.”

“Silaanyo must denounce secession,” added the official, who did not want to be named.

Mr. Silaanyo, elected for a five-year term, said his government will “concentrate on
development and rehabilitation of public services.”

He expressed gratitude to outgoing president Dahir Riyale Kahin, from the Gaddabursi
clan, “for his services to the nation, including the holding of democratic elections.”

Mr. Kahin, who came to power in 2002, conceded on Friday night.

“This was a friendly match and at the end somebody had to emerge as a winner,” Mr.
Kahin said. “I congratulate President Ahmed Mohamud Silaanyo and his Kulmiye
party for winning the presidential election.”

He added: “I will remain in the country as an opposition leader and I will hand over my
responsibilities immediately, in accordance with the law.”

Mr. Silaanyo said he would maintain close links with Ethiopia and called on Somalia to
sort out its problems.

“Our neighbor Somalia needs peace more than anyone and it is the Somalis themselves
who can achieve that. We are praying for peace in their country,” he said.

“The Ethiopians are our neighbors. They have always been friends of Somaliland.”

Mr. Silaanyo’s election marks the second democratic transfer of power in Somaliland
since 1991.
--------------------
Diallo declared front-runner in Guinea election (CNN)

Certified presidential election results announced Friday in Guinea put conservative

Cellou Dalein Diallo in first place out of a field of 24 contestants, followed by liberal
Alpha Conde, an election observer told CNN.

Diallo won 39.72 percent of the vote; Conde took 20.67 percent, said the observer,
Abdel-Fatau Musah.

That means Diallo and Conde will compete in a runoff for the presidency late this
month or early next month, said Musah, who is political affairs director for the
Economic Community of West African States.

Though the constitution calls for the runoff to be held July 18, "problems with
preparations and things like that" will likely delay it until later in the month or early in
August, he said.

Sunday's voting represented the first free ballot since the west African nation gained
independence from France more than half a century ago. Observers applauded the vote
in a country ruled by authoritarian and military dictators since it gained independence
from France in 1958. About 77 percent of the 4 million people eligible to vote did so, he
said.
Prior to Friday's announcement of the results, 21 of the candidates had accused the
process of having been tainted by fraud, but Musah said observers found no
widespread problems.

"Of course, there were technical challenges, but no organized fraud or anything like
that," he said. "The elections were quite free and fair."

He said votes were canceled from 16 of the more than 8,000 polling stations that
participated. "That's a very small percentage," he said.

ECOWAS is one of many observers in the country, as is the Carter Center from the
United States. ECOWAS has the largest delegation in the country, according to Musah.

Though Diallo and Conde are both pro-democracy candidates, Diallo is right of center
and Conde is left of center, Musah said in a telephone interview from the capital city of
Conakry.

"The two of them are probably the worst kind of combination that you could find, in
terms of maintaining a peaceful environment, because their supporters are very
passionate -- and we may see some clashes," he said.

Asked if that meant violence, he said, "Violence, yeah. It's a distinct possibility between
these two because tensions are very high."

Diallo's resume includes service in ministerial positions in previous regimes; Conde

served time in prison until an international outcry secured his release, then he went into
exile in France before returning to Guinea, Musah said.

"One is very much an activist type of person; the other person is an establishment
person," Musah said.

Whoever wins will find plenty of challenges, Musah said, with the biggest problems
being a governing structure that needs to be demilitarized, an economy that "has
collapsed -- literally," and rampant drug trafficking.

The election will put a civilian in charge of a nation ruled by a military junta, which
replaced veteran ruler Lansana Conte after his death in late 2008.

Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara seized power and promised elections and the introduction
of civilian rule.

Last year, the opposition organized a protest against him in a stadium in Conakry, but
the military attacked the demonstrators. About 150 people were killed, more than 100
raped and at least 1,000 injured, according to the U.S. government and international
human rights groups.

Camara himself was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt by an aide in

December 2009, and flown overseas for medical treatment. He survived, but agreed not
to return to the country.

Minister of Defense Brig. Gen. Sekouba Konate became interim president, paving the
way for Sunday's elections.

Guinea, a country of about 10 million people, has gold and diamond mines. It is a
leading producer of bauxite, an important aluminum ore.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Darfur ex-combatants opt for voluntary discharge backed by UN-African mission

4 July – More than 800 former combatants in the conflict in Sudan's western region of
Darfur are expected to take part in a three-week voluntary discharge exercise that began
today, with the support of the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping
mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

UN mission rushes to assist victims of deadly fuel truck blast in DR Congo

3 July – The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
has deployed staff and equipment to assist victims at the scene where a fuel truck
overturned, caught fire and exploded, killing more than 200 people who had gathered
there in an attempt to siphon fuel.

UN envoy holds consultations on Western Sahara

2 July – The United Nations envoy dealing with Western Sahara is holding
consultations in the capitals of the nations comprising the so-called Group of Friends, a
diplomatic cluster working to help resolve the dispute over the territory.

UNESCO deplores murder of independent Rwandan journalist

2 July – The United Nations agency tasked with promoting press freedom today
condemned the assassination of a prominent independent journalist from Rwanda, who
was gunned down outside his home in the capital, Kigali.

Small-scale farmers in Malawi latest beneficiaries under UN local purchase scheme

2 July – Malawi has become the latest country to join an innovative scheme by which
the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) buys surplus from local farmers’
organizations for its aid operations, thereby helping to boost agricultural production
and incomes in developing nations.