United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

8 July 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

U.S. Agency Commits U.S.$15 Million for Land, Education and Trade Reforms
(AllAfrica.com)
(Liberia) The Liberian government signed a grant agreement Tuesday with the
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), awarding U.S.$15 million to the country for
what is called a threshold program grant.

Health Personnel Lined Up for Blood Collection Training (Business Daily - Nairobi)
(Kenya) A $2 million initiative seeking to improve laboratory services in Sub-Saharan
Africa has been launched under PEPFAR to reduce exposure to HIV and related
diseases among medical personnel.

Kenya's constitutional vote on sharia courts pits Muslims against Christians

(Washington Post)
(Kenya) The U.S. ambassador to Kenya has publicly urged Kenyans to vote in favor of
the proposed constitution, including the kadhis courts, arguing that passage is key to
keeping Kenya stable.

Rwandan president cleared to run for re-election (AFP)

(Rwanda) President Paul Kagame will face three challengers in Rwanda's August 9
presidential elections, the electoral commission announced Wednesday.

Entrepreneur Urges Washington to Include South African Apparels in AGOA (Voice

of America)
(South Africa) The chief executive officer of the South Africa based TRUBOK, an
apparel manufacturing company, has called on the U.S. government to open its vast
market to high quality garments produced in her country.

Eni, Snamprogetti to Pay Total $365 Million to Settle Bribery Charges (Wall Street
Journal)
(Nigeria) Italy's Eni and its former Dutch unit Snamprogetti will pay a total $365
million to settle charges by the U.S. SEC and Justice Department in an alleged scheme in
which bribes were funneled to Nigerian government officials.
Serbia sends first peacekeeping team to Africa (Xinhua)
(Chad and Central African Republic) A Serbian medical team, which departed for Chad
and the Central African Republic on Wednesday, represents the first time that Serbia
has participated independently in a United Nations peacekeeping mission, according to
a Government of Serbia statement.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
• Darfur: UN-African Union mediator welcomes steps towards peace
• Aid shortfalls could deprive 32 million African children of an education – UN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

U.S. Agency Commits U.S.$15 Million for Land, Education and Trade Reforms
(AllAfrica.com)

MONROVIA, Liberia — The Liberian government signed a grant agreement Tuesday

with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), awarding U.S.$15 million to the
country for what is called a threshold program grant.

The MCC is an independent U.S. government agency that assists countries deemed to
be effectively pursuing economic and political reform. It provides grants to countries
demonstrating a commitment to good governance, economic freedom and investments
in their citizens. The grant for Liberia is for a three-year 'threshold program' focused on
land rights and access, girls' primary education and trade policy.

"These areas represent key constraints to economic growth, identified by Liberians

themselves as part of their own national development strategy," said Cassandra Butts,
MCC senior advisor. She said the U.S. and Liberia partner on a number of fronts,
including promoting democracy and good governance, and she thanked President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf for supporting the program, calling the Liberian leader "a beacon of
optimism for Liberians and a model of progress for all Africa."

Through the threshold program, the MCC provides limited support to countries that
are on course to meeting its stringent eligibility criteria, which are required to qualify
for the next level of assistance, a five-year, large-scale compact.

The MCC signing event, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Monrovia, was graced by a large U.S congressional delegation, most of whom looked
delighted to be part of the occasion.

The chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Donald
Payne (Democract-New Jersey), who spoke on behalf of the delegation, congratulated
Johnson Sirleaf and the people of Liberia for meeting the "strict criteria which warrants
the threshold agreement," and he highlighted the importance of the specific areas the
grant money covers.

The delegation includes members of the House Democracy Partnership, chaired by Rep.
David Price (Democrat-NC), which supports the development of democratic
governments around the world.

Since the end of Liberia's civil war in 2003, land disputes have been a source of ongoing
tension with worrisome potential to disrupt post-conflict peace. Payne welcomed the
Liberian government's decision to prioritize land rights and access, warning that "until
the land issue is resolved, we cannot have real true development."

Payne also endorsed the importance of girls' education and cited the president's fervent
commitment to female education, quipping that Johnson Sirleaf told him girls in Liberia
are now saying to the boys: "Don't tell me what to do, our president is a woman."

The U.S ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas Greenfield, admonished the Sirleaf
administration to press forward with the MCC program towards the Compact stage,
where she said the "true reward comes to those countries that actually cross the
threshold."

She cited the case of Ghana, Liberia's west African neighbor, which is receiving U.S.
$547 million from the MCC. "It's that kind of money that could make a real difference. It
could build miles of roads, bring electricity to thousands of people, and make a real
difference in the lives of so many Liberians," she said.

Out of the 19 MCC compacts signed to date, 12 are with African countries.
The ambassador acknowledged that the path to an MCC Compact is not easy, stressing
that the MCC's byword is "accountability." She said the threshold program reflects U.S.
confidence in and commitment to all that Liberia has achieved in five years. "Liberia
now enjoys a free press, opened political debate, transparent budget, and ever-
improving management of natural resources," she said.

For her part, Johnson Sirleaf thanked the congressional delegation for coming to Liberia
and the Obama administration for continuing the MCC program, which was created by
the United States Congress in January 2004 at the urging of former U.S. President
George W. Bush.

She reiterated the importance of the grant's focus areas. Regarding land ownership,
Sirleaf said she would like to see disputes resolved in a reasonable, rational and legal
manner, adding that land redistribution may be a part of the resolution process.

The president also spoke of the establishment of the Liberian Education Trust (LET) that
is providing scholarships for girls in order to breach the gender gap and is funded
primarily by private institutions in the United States.

But there is more to be done, she said. "The problem is bigger than that, retaining them
in school is the issue." While there may be many girls at the primary level now, she said,
by the time they reach upper classes, they begin to drop out, due to poverty or sexual
abuse. She said the MCC program will help her government tackle those problems.

Addressing the third MCC area, she said transitioning from a reliance on aid to
economic growth built around trade is "our trade policy and Africa's long term
ambition," adding that Liberia is committed to using its extensive natural resources to
sustain its own development efforts.
--------------------
Health Personnel Lined Up for Blood Collection Training (Business Daily - Nairobi)

A $2 million initiative seeking to improve laboratory services in Sub-Saharan Africa has

been launched.

Becton and Dickinson (BD), a USA based biomedical technology company and PEPFAR
(US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) launched the programme late last
month.

The project focuses on safer methods of drawing blood to reduce exposure to HIV and
related diseases among medical personnel.
It is carried out in collaboration with Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and National
Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (Nascop) in Nyanza,
Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley.

Training will be conducted at provincial and district hospitals.

BD's senior director for global health in pre-analytical systems, Renuka Gadde, talked
with Business Daily.

What is the driving force behind the safe blood collection initiative in Africa?

BD has been carrying out safe blood collection campaigns globally for years. The
initiative being piloted in Kenya came as a result of signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding between BD and PEPFAR to strengthen laboratory systems in five sub-
Saharan Africa countries.

The pilot is being carried out in the local hospitals that were identified by the Ministry
of Health, CDC and Nascop, the main organisations we are working with.

Vacutainer is safe equipment for drawing blood and has been in the global market since
1948.

It is safer than the ordinary syringe both in terms of reducing chances for the health
worker contracting diseases while drawing specimen and the quality of the specimen is
maintained.

The device has two syringes, making it easier for the medical personnel to transfer
blood into a test tube as it goes directly to the vacuum tube from the patient.

This is important as cases of the medical staff injecting themselves while transferring
the specimen are reduced at the same time lowering chances of contamination.

How is it financed?

The total value of the initiative is $2 million and it is expected to run for three years.

BD has injected $1 million into the initiative being in terms of funds, human resources
and curriculum to train local staff and worth of equipment to be used in the initiative.

Other funds are mainly from PEPFAR and other supporting organisations.

What can be said of the blood collection technology in Kenya?

It could be harsh if I said that there is no safe blood collection in Kenya. There is high
potential for safe blood collection locally and even the new technology for blood
collection is present in the country.

All that needs to be done is invest in training more medical personnel to embrace the
new technology and improve on safer use of the technology.

We are quite impressed that the initiative to train on safe blood collection has picked up
well and we are expecting more positive results.

At the end of the three-year initiative, what is the partnership hoping to achieve?

The core purpose of the initiative is to promote safer blood collection through new
technology at the same time train medical personnel on safer handling of the blood
drawing technology.

At the lapse of the three years, achievements will be gauged on how best the safer blood
collection mission has been achieved, to what extent has the risk of exposing medical
personnel to infection has the initiative been able to achieve and, of course, if the it has
enhanced accurate diagnosis by reducing instances of specimen contamination.

Our aim was to train few medical personnel who we expect should train others in their
respective work stations.

The training should not stop after the initiative's term ends because through the support
of the Ministry of Health, the trained medical staff will be take over the role of trainers
at their work stations.
--------------------
Kenya's constitutional vote on sharia courts pits Muslims against Christians
(Washington Post)

NAIROBI -- For 13 years, Judge Mudhar Ahmed has worked in relative obscurity,
issuing Muslim marriage certificates, divorcing Muslim couples and weighing in on
Muslim inheritance disputes. Now, he's facing an issue unlike any he has seen. He has
one word to describe it: "Islamophobia."

Ahmed is the head of Nairobi's Kadhis Court, one of 17 judicial bodies that administer
sharia, or Islamic law, to Kenya's Muslim minority. The courts were enshrined in the
nation's constitution decades ago, but Christian leaders are seeking to remove them
from a proposed new constitution, scheduled for a referendum Aug. 4. They argue that
Kenya is a secular state and that Muslims should not receive special privileges.
Muslim leaders say the maneuvers are part of an agenda to deny their community
rights and undermine their beliefs. "They are creating hatred between Muslims and
Christians," said Ahmed, his soft voice hardening.

The tussle portends a larger collision between Islam and Christianity in Kenya, a vital
U.S. ally in a region where Washington is quietly fighting the growth of Islamic
radicalism. Many Kenyans are concerned that the tensions, if not contained, could
deepen political fissures and spawn the sort of communal upheaval that left more than
1,000 people dead in 2008 after elections.

In this predominantly Christian nation, Christians are worried about a Muslim

community that is growing in numbers and influence, and they have been vocally
backed by U.S.-based Christian groups. Muslims are wary of the rising power of
fundamentalist Christian organizations backed by American Christians.

The 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania frayed relations
between Christians and Muslims. Those links have further eroded in the decade since
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as concerns about Islamic radicalization and terrorism
grew in this East African country.

Many Kenyans today fear that the civil war in neighboring Somalia, where the al-
Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militia is seeking to overthrow the U.S.-backed government,
could spread into Kenya. A massive influx of Somali refugees, almost all Muslim, has
spawned xenophobia and extended misconceptions of Islam.

"The kadhis courts issue is a red herring," said Rashid Abdi, a Nairobi-based analyst
with the International Crisis Group. "They feed into historical prejudices on both sides
and misperceptions which has increased in the last 10 years."

Centuries of tradition

The kadhis courts have existed in Kenya for centuries. Under Kenya's constitution, their
jurisdiction is limited to matters concerning personal law, such as marriages, divorces
and inheritances for Muslims, who form 10 percent of Kenya's population. The courts
do not hear criminal matters and have far less power than Kenya's higher courts.

For decades, the courts operated without controversy, under the radar of most Kenyans.

But after the Sept. 11 attacks, church leaders grew concerned that the courts could breed
extremism. In 2004, a group of churches filed a court case to remove the kadhis courts
from the current constitution, but it languished for years in the judicial system. Some
Christian leaders worry that the courts could be used to justify an expansion of sharia
law in Kenya.
The proposed constitution is part of an effort to create a fairer balance of power among
Kenya's ethnic groups. It was that perceived imbalance that led to much of the 2008
violence. While religion did not play a significant role in the violence, it is now
dominating the debate on the upcoming vote.

The U.S. ambassador to Kenya has publicly urged Kenyans to vote in favor of the
proposed constitution, including the kadhis courts, arguing that passage is key to
keeping Kenya stable. But on Web sites and in opinion pieces, conservative U.S.
Christian groups have denounced the proposed constitution. They are opposed to the
kadhis courts provision, and they see other aspects of the constitution as being pro-
abortion. Some have organized petition drives against the courts.

The American Center for Law and Justice, founded by evangelical Pat Robertson,
opened an office in Nairobi this year to oppose the new constitution. On its Web site,
the group says that the "high number of Muslims in the slums and a significant increase
in the number of Somalis" have brought the kadhis courts issue into "sharp focus."

"There are those who believe there is an overall Islamic agenda geared towards the
Islamisation of the country," the group says.

Last month, Kenya's high court ruled that the kadhis courts provision should be
removed from the draft constitution. That decision is being appealed. Some senior
politicians have railed against removing the courts from the draft constitution, partly
because Muslims have become a powerful voting bloc.

'We want unity'

On June 13, explosions ripped through a park in Nairobi during a demonstration

against the constitution, killing five people and injuring dozens. No one asserted
responsibility, but the assault deepened the suspicion among Christian groups.

"We want unity in Kenya, but not a unity that will compromise us," said Bishop Joseph
Methu, a senior evangelical Christian leader. Christian leaders say they fear that if the
courts are enshrined in the constitution, "sooner or later, you will find an enclave where
they will say we are predominantly Muslim and Islamic laws rule here," said Oliver
Kisaka, deputy general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya. "You
have created space for the creation of a nation within a nation."

As evidence, the Christian leaders point to an incident in April in which a group of

Muslim clerics in the northeastern town of Mandera, near the Somalia border, imposed
a ban on public broadcasts of films and soccer ahead of the World Cup.
Muslim leaders say the kadhis courts protect their community's rights and cultural
values.

"A good constitution is gauged by the extent to which it protects minorities," said
Abdalla Murshid, a Muslim lawyer and community leader.

Other Muslim leaders said the courts would stem Islamic radicalism in Kenya. Judges,
not mosque imams, would regulate the uses of sharia law. Muslims would feel a deeper
sense of national identity.

Kadhis courts are an entity that binds "Muslims to the Kenyan state," said Hassan Ole
Naado, head of the Kenyan Muslim Youth Alliance. "It is for the best interests of Kenya
to have such courts."

A recent public debate about the courts at a hotel in Nairobi quickly degenerated into a
Muslim-vs.-Christian fight.

A Muslim woman named Fatima said that removing the courts from the constitution
would make it too easy for Christian members of parliament to get rid of them
altogether.

"That's what we want," muttered a man in the audience.

Then a Christian said: "Who are the Muslims? Are they Kenyan or non-Kenyan? If they
are Kenyan, they should be satisfied with only one court."

"The Christian clergy have a problem with Islam," said Hussein Mahad, a sheik from
the northeastern town of Garissa. "But we are here to stay. We are not going anywhere."

Afterward, he declared: "This is a Christian agenda to keep Islam contained. They think
we are all terrorists."
--------------------
Rwandan president cleared to run for re-election (AFP)

KIGALI, Rwanda – President Paul Kagame will face three challengers in Rwanda's
August 9 presidential elections, the electoral commission announced Wednesday.

Social Democratic Party candidate and Deputy Parliament Speaker Jean Damascene
Ntawukuriryayo, the Liberal Party's Prosper Higiro and Alvera Mukabaramba of the
Progress and Harmony Party -- the only woman candidate -- will challenge Kagame in
the ballot.
Kagame, who has led the central African country since the end of the 1994 genocide, is
the favourite to win the vote.

Rights groups have accused Kagame of stifling any form of dissent in recent months,
while the US blamed Rwandan authorities of taking "worrying actions" to restrict
freedom of expression ahead of the presidential poll.

"They are the four (candidates) who were cleared because they fulfilled the legal
requirements," said Charles Munyaneza, the electoral commission's secretary.

Opposition leader Victoire Ingabire who tried to register her party for the election was
briefly detained on charges of denying genocide and collaborating with a terrorist
group.

Another opposition candidate who intended to run for the top seat was arrested last
month and charged with a terrorism offence and his trial alongside nine co-accused is
under way.
--------------------
Entrepreneur Urges Washington to Include South African Apparels in AGOA (Voice
of America)

The chief executive officer of the South Africa based TRUBOK, an apparel
manufacturing company, has called on the U.S. government to open its vast market to
high quality garments produced in her country.

Doreen Vilakazi, who will participate in the upcoming Africa Growth and Opportunity
Act (AGOA) conference, scheduled in August, said her revamped apparel
manufacturing company is producing quality garments that will rival products from
any part of the world.

Vilakazi said, since taking over the affairs of apparel manufacturing company
TRUBOK, her focus has been on the manufacturing of clothes, emphasizing quality for
the local South African market, as well as the international market including the United
States and Europe.

AGOA, which is a U.S. Trade Act, significantly enhances access to America’s market for
39 sub-Saharan African countries.

The ninth annual AGOA forum is scheduled to take place in two parts: August 2-3 in
Washington, D.C. and August 5-6 in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme of the conference
is "AGOA at 10, New Strategies for a Changing World."
CEO Vilakazi said South Africa wants to be part of the countries currently benefiting
from AGOA.

“AGOA is critical to the South African manufacturers. We are going to Washington to

negotiate with the powers there to make sure that South Africa is part of the countries
that are benefiting from AGOA. It is very critical and we really want to say that to the
USA government that we will like to be part of it as South Africa,” Vilakazi said.

Initially, the U.S. act originally covered an eight-year period from October 2000 to
September 2008, but amendments signed into law by former President George W. Bush
in July, 2004 further extend AGOA to 2015.

Recently, Florie Liser, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative to Africa, has urged
American apparel buyers, especially from the big players like Walmart and Target, to
source at least one percent of their apparel from Africa.

CEO Vilakazi said there is a need for the big American apparel buyers to consider
buying high quality garments from her company.

“We will like those companies that are big (such as Walmart) to source at least one
percent because I can tell you now that TRUBOK is supporting so many families in
South Africa. We are employing 1300 people and one person in South Africa will
support about five to 10 people,” Vilakazi said.
--------------------
Eni, Snamprogetti to Pay Total $365 Million to Settle Bribery Charges (Wall Street
Journal)

WASHINGTON — Italian oil and gas company Eni SpA and its former Dutch unit
Snamprogetti Netherlands BV will pay a total $365 million to settle charges by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department in an alleged scheme
in which more than $180 million in bribes were funneled to Nigerian government
officials in an effort to obtain contracts to build a liquefied natural-gas plant.

Eni and Snamprogetti consented to the settlement and court orders to jointly pay $125
million to settle the charges.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department filed criminal charges against Snamprogetti, which
led to the company's agreement to pay $240 million in criminal penalties to avoid
prosecution.

The Justice Department said Wednesday it would drop charges in two years if
Snamprogetti, its current parent company Saipem SpA and its former owner Eni abide
by agreed-upon terms.
Snamprogetti was part of a joint venture that received contracts to build liquefied
natural-gas facilities in Nigeria.

"The monetary penalties and enforcement actions that have resulted from this
investigation should send a clear message to companies and their employees that using
foreign bribery as a means of winning contracts abroad will be punished," a Justice
Department assistant attorney general, Mythili Raman, said in a statement.

Since the allegations, the companies have made "substantial enhancements" to their
anticorruption compliance programs, according to a statement on Saipem's website.

"Saipem SpA and its subsidiaries are committed to continuous improvements to their
internal compliance program and policies," the statement read.

The settlement brings the total paid to settle cases related to the bribery scheme to more
than $1.28 billion from a joint venture of companies that also included Technip SA, KBR
Inc. and its former parent Halliburton Co.

Last month, Technip agreed to pay $240 million to settle a similar SEC complaint.

Eni and Snamprogetti join a growing list of foreign companies hit with substantial fines
for allegedly violating antibribery laws in third-world countries.
--------------------
Serbia sends first peacekeeping team to Africa (Xinhua)

BELGRADE - A Serbian medical team, which departed for Chad and the Central
African Republic on Wednesday, represents the first time that Serbia has participated
independently in a United Nations peacekeeping mission, according to a Government
of Serbia statement.

The 14-member medical team from the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army will
be replacing the Norwegian contingent of the MINURCAT peacekeeping mission. The
deployment of a Serbian team of "blue helmets" came at the request of the UN.
Individual Serbian peacekeepers had been involved with work at field hospital prior to
the departure of the Norwegians.

The task of the Serbian team will be to continue to care and treat mission personnel,
along with the local population.

Currently, Serbia has individuals from the Ministry of Defense participating in

international peacekeeping missions in the Congo, Liberia and Cote d'ivoire. The
Serbian parliament recently agreed to send peacekeepers to Lebanon and Cyprus.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Darfur: UN-African Union mediator welcomes steps towards peace

7 July – The joint African Union-United Nations mediator working to help resolve the
conflict in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region has welcomed progress made in negotiations
between the Government and a key rebel group.

Aid shortfalls could deprive 32 million African children of an education – UN

7 July – The United Nations agency tasked with promoting universal education today
warned that a lack of adequate funding is undermining efforts by African countries to
have an estimated 32 million children who are currently out of school back into
classrooms.