United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

6 October 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

Clinton says it is 'difficult' dealing with Khartoum (AFP)

(Sudan) US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conceded Tuesday how "difficult" it is
dealing with the Sudanese government in Khartoum, three months before a vote on
independence for the south.

Murtala Mohamed appeals for RSLAF (Sierra Express Media)

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Leone’s foremost entertainment website
www.salonejamboree.com has appealed to the United States Government for more
support for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).

UN and US to be vigilant on Sudanese Peace Accord (Afripol)

(Sudan) The Obama administration and United Nations must utilize all the leverage
they can muster to make sure that the Sudanese government of President Omar al-
Bashir do not back down from the timetable and the implementation of the accord.

UN envoys worried about Sudan violence (AFP)

(Sudan) A top US envoy expressed concern Tuesday about renewed violence in Darfur
as the UN Security Council powers headed to Sudan to maintain pressure over a
referendum which could lead to the country's break-up.

Sudan sets out referendum timetable (BBC)

(Sudan) The south is widely expected to vote for secession from the north and Sudan
has announced a timetable for January's referendum on independence for the south of
the country.

Building An Army In Somalia, Teaching It To Fight (NPR)

(Somalia) EU soldiers are spending a year training 2,000 Somali recruits in hopes of
sending them to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, to help fight off Islamist insurgents
trying to topple the country's beleaguered government.

U.S., Diamond Bank Splash $8.7 Million On Private Health Sector (This Day)
(Nigeria) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in
conjunction with Diamond bank and ACCION Microfinance Bank Limited have
announced the creation of credit fund with a guaranteed sum of $8.7m to support
institutions in Nigeria's private health sector.

Azazi is New National Security Adviser (This Day)

(Nigeria) President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday approved the appointment of
General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd) as the new National Security Adviser (NSA). This
came two days after the president promised to overhaul the nation's security apparatus
following last Friday's bomb blasts in Abuja.

Nigeria arrests, then frees top opposition figure in bomb probe (Christian Science
Monitor)
(Nigeria) With the arrest of Nigeria’s top media mogul – who also serves as the
campaign director for former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida – the investigation
into last week’s deadly bombing in the capital, Abuja, has taken a decidedly political
turn.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 Hundreds of Burundian refugees return home from DR Congo – UN agency
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, October 7, 9:00 a.m.; Center for Strategic and International
Studies
WHAT: Next Steps on Sudan: Has the Comprehensive Peace Agreement Paved the
Way to Peace?
WHO: Lieutenant General Lazaro K. Sumbeiywo, former Kenyan Special Envoy and
Lead Mediator of the Sudanese Peace Process
Info: http://csis.org/events

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, October 7, 12:30 p.m.; Johns Hopkins School of Advanced

International Studies
WHAT: Food Sovereignty and Land Grabs in Africa
WHO: Mamadou Goita, Director of a Food Security Program in Mali; Rachel Smolker,
Biofuel Watch; Matt Kavanagh, Health Gap; Emira Woods, Moderator, Co-Director of
IPS’ Foreign Policy in Focus
Info: http://www.sais-jhu.edu/calendar/

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, October 12, 6:00 p.m.; Council on Foreign Relations

WHAT: A Trip Report: Sudan
WHO: John Predergast, Co-founder, The Enough Project; George Clooney, Co-founder,
Not On Our Watch
Info: http://www.cfr.org/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Clinton says it is 'difficult' dealing with Khartoum (AFP)

WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conceded Tuesday how

"difficult" it is dealing with the Sudanese government in Khartoum, three months before
a vote on independence for the south.

"It is going to be hard, and it is difficult to deal with Khartoum, try to figure out what
they want and how they are intending to go forward," she told US ambassadors and
chiefs of mission to African countries gathered in Washington.

"But we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can," the chief US diplomat
added.

Sudan on Tuesday set November 14 as the start date for voter registration in a historic
vote on independence for the south. Fears however remain over the amount of time left
to organize the referendum.

Under a 2005 peace agreement that ended Africa's longest-running civil war, the south
is to vote on January 9 on whether to become independent or to remain part of a united
Sudan.

US President Barack Obama's administration has deployed more diplomats to Sudan in

what Clinton called "a full court press" aimed at smoothing the way for the referendum.

During a special meeting at the United Nations on September 24, Obama and UN chief
Ban Ki-moon led warnings to Sudan that the vote -- which could lead to the breakup of
Africa's largest nation -- must be held on time and without violence.

"The preparations are behind schedule but we think that, through an agreement and
rapid action, a successful referendum can still occur on time," Clinton's spokesman
Philip Crowley told reporters on Tuesday.

Western diplomats have warned that if the vote does not go ahead on schedule,
southern leaders might declare independence unilaterally, potentially triggering
renewed civil war.
--------------------
Murtala Mohamed appeals for RSLAF (Sierra Express Media)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Leone’s foremost entertainment website
www.salonejamboree.com has appealed to the United States Government for more
support for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).
Murtala Mohamed Kamara was part of a discussion which focuses on assessing
President Barack Obama’s policy towards Africa at the just concluded Africa Policy
Forum: A vision for the 21st Century at the Marquis Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia. The
panel discussion was focused more on Obama policy towards Africa and his global
health care initiative plan.

Ms Susan Paige, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (tentative) and
Gen. William Ward, Commander US Africa Command represented the US
administration at the two hour discussion. Ms Mbarka Bouaidi, the youngest Moroccan
Member of Parliament who is also the Chair of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and
National Defense and Religious Affairs was also part of the panel.

Making his presentation, Kamara appealed to Gen. Ward for his administration’s
support towards the RSLAF. He said the British Government through the International
Military Advisory Training Team (IMMAT) has been very supportive to the RSLAF
over the years. “This region used to be one of the most dangerous regions some twelve
to fifteen years ago… After the end of the civil war the British Government has been
very supportive to our army. Today we have one of the best armies in the region
providing training for even armed forces in the region but the RSLAF remains one of
the most ill equipped armed forces in the world. Just recently you (Gen Ward) went to
Sierra Leone to meet with our President. I don’t know what is Obama’s policy towards
providing support for security forces like RSLAF to sustain peace in that region,”
Kamara asked Gen Ward.

Gen. Ward in his response maintained that the US has been very supportive over the
years to the RSLAF. He said they have provided training and equipment for the Naval
division of the RSLAF and that they are more than willing to do more. He assured
Kamara during a private meeting that he will soon embark on another visit to Sierra
Leone.

Founded by Rev. H. Sullivan, the Africa Policy Forum has attracted thousands of
delegates from within and outside Africa. The forum aims to bridge the gap between
Africa and US through economic corporation among other things.

The next summit will be hosted in Morocco.

--------------------
UN and US to be vigilant on Sudanese Peace Accord (Afripol)

Sudan as a nation has never known peace since her independent from Britain in 1956.
There were always inter or intra tribal conflicts, regional division, ideological
fragmentations and religious conflagration. There were two protracted civil wars and
Darfur conflict that resulted into genocide. These intractable problems have never gone
away and the constancy of these problems has disorganized the largest land mass
country in Africa. Sudan is endowed with natural resources notably crude oil but
massive poverty, diseases and wars have become the landmark of the troubled land.

At this moment emerges a window of opportunity from the notably Peace Accord made
between the Islamic North and mostly Christian South that called for a referendum in
January for the self-determination of the South. This opportunity to end the wars,
genocide and abhorrent status quo in Sudan cannot be allowed to flatter away. The
Bush administration must be acknowledged for their contribution to the advancing of
peace making between the warring factions in Sudan that culminated to the Peace
Accord, subsequently with the scheduled forthcoming independent referendum in
January.

The Obama administration and United Nations must utilize all the leverage they can
muster to make sure that the Sudanese government of President Omar al-Bashir do not
back down from the timetable and the implementation of the accord. Earlier, President
al-Bashir was indicted by International Criminal Court at Hague for war crime in the
Darfur genocide. Although President al-Bashir has assented that he will abide by the
outcome of the referendum which will surely result to the secession of the Southern
Sudan but the watchful eye of the world is still necessary.

United Nations must make the necessary arrangement to ensure that the outcome of the
referendum will be honored in orderly framework. The presidential candidate Barrack
Obama was talking up the issue of Sudan during his campaign for presidency and was
showing all the signs of being on top of it once he got elected. The critics of Obama
administration including Human Rights organizations and some members of US
congress were complaining that his policy on Sudan is murky and that may be
unfounded.

President Obama administration is backing the independent referendum which he

reiterated America’s support during his appearance at the United Nations conference in
September. President Obama said, "The stakes are enormous, we all know the terrible
price paid by the Sudanese people the last time north and south were engulfed in war --
some 2 million people killed."

The United Nations General Assembly cannot afford to be playing child’s picnic with
the issue of Sudan because the downside will be a horrible ramification that will
quadrupled human sufferings that comes with massive loss of lives, property
destruction and with unspoken tolls of hardship. United Nations has to put more
resources and energy by aiding African Union and listening to the counsel of Nigeria’s
Professor Gambari, United Nations Special envoy to the Arab League Summit that he is
offering in order for the cessation of the violence to be sustainable. African Union (AU)
can be of great help because Sudan is in their turf but AU lacks the necessary fund,
resources and logistic to implement the accord singlehanded.
Khartoum government may likely back down from the accord without any credible
power breathing down over their back. Bashir government has every reason to
withdraw from the peace accord because the oil resource is in the south. Therefore the
United States and United Nations can bring firmness on the issue that will not provide
the Khartoum incentive to be become reluctant to implement the accord.

This is not the time to appease tyrants and dictators who are not willing to work
together with global community to foster tranquility and peace in their corner of the
world. As Sudan is aspiring to be a democratic nation and a responsible nation she will
follow up with the peace accord and avert further destruction of her land. President
Bashir has to display a statesmanship with responsibility that will convince the peace
loving people of our globe that his quest for peace and unity is without doubt.

Peace can be made self-evident not by words and promises but action and commitment
to peace. The world community must be willing to work with the Sudanese government
to bring to an end the wars and disease in the land. At the end of the day if the South
ratified the referendum by voting Yes, then their self-determination will be honored
and respected. And that will mark a new chapter in the annals of peace making and a
new dawn of peace will commence in the troubled land of Sudan.

In 21st century Africa, peace is a precious resource and Africa must be willing to do
anything within her power to maintain a peaceful continent. The greatest bearer of
brunt of African wars, instability and dilemma are women and children. The children of
Africa and Sudan must be protected from wars, diseases and abuses emitted by their
selfish leaders and war lords who were bent on implementing ideas and policies that do
not promote peace, liberty and unity in the political landscape.
--------------------
UN envoys worried about Sudan violence (AFP)

KAMPALA – A top US envoy expressed concern Tuesday about renewed violence in

Darfur as the UN Security Council powers headed to Sudan to maintain pressure over a
referendum which could lead to the country's break-up.

Envoys from the 15 nations on the Security Council headed for Sudan to give the
international message that a secession vote in South Sudan must take place on January 9
as scheduled. Fears have been expressed that a delay could spark a new civil war in
Africa's biggest nation.

UN ambassadors or top representatives from Britain, China, France, Russia and the
United States are on the mission to follow up on a call made by US President Barack
Obama and other world leaders at a recent UN summit.
"With less than 100 days until the vote, our visit comes at a crucial time for Sudan," said
US ambassador Susan Rice, who highlighted the new fears about events in Darfur, in
western Sudan.

"We will push for peaceful, on-time referenda that reflect the will of the people of South
Sudan and Abyei, and we will visit Darfur to assess the humanitarian situation and the
plight of civilians in the wake of a disturbing uptick in violence," she said.

The envoys have avoided a meeting with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted on
war crimes charges by the UN's International Criminal Court over the Darfur conflict
where an estimated 300,000 people have died since 2003.

Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda's UN envoy and president of the Security Council for
October, said: "The council has not requested a meeting with the president, and the
president has not offered to meet the council. The council will be meeting other senior
officials."

The trip's aim was "to support efforts for the promotion of peace on the areas that we
will visit," he added.

Diplomats said Bashir would not be in the country during the visit.

"We welcome the visit of the Council, which will allow us to continue the dialogue so
that members can see the facts on which the government's position is based," Sudanese
Vice President Ali Osman Taha said.

The Security Council ambassadors gather in Kampala on Tuesday and then go to South
Sudan, which is set to hold a breakaway referendum, Darfur and Khartoum.

Referenda are to be held in South Sudan and the small region of Abyei on January 9 on
whether they want to remain part of Sudan.

Diplomats and observers expect both to vote to break away, but preparations for the
votes are seriously behind schedule, heightening fears of a unilateral declaration of
independence and possible conflict if there is a delay.

A diplomat said the main aim of the mission was to get the message across that "Sudan
must do everything to make sure these referenda are held on time."

The diplomat said the envoys would go to Darfur because of new concerns about the
conflict there.

Darfur rebel groups have accused Sudan's military of staging new attacks in the region.
UN agencies have not confirmed the claims however.
Qatar has led floundering efforts to bring Sudan's government and rebel groups to
peace talks.

The referenda are to be held as part of a 2005 peace agreement between the Khartoum
government and rebels in South Sudan, to end two decades of civil war which left about
two million dead.

Obama told a special UN meeting on Sudan last month 24 that "the fate of millions of
people hangs in the balance."

"What happens in Sudan in the days ahead may decide whether people who have
endured too much war, move towards peace or slip backwards to bloodshed."

He and UN chief Ban Ki-moon have told the Sudanese government and its rival in
southern Sudan that they must accelerate preparations for the January votes and accept
the results.

Bashir and his government have repeatedly said they will accept the results but voter
registration and other basic logistics have yet to start.

Officials must be trained, tonnes of material must be printed and delivered across a
region of jungle, swamp and grasslands the size of Spain and Portugal, but with only 60
kilometers (40 miles) of tarred roads.
--------------------
Sudan sets out referendum timetable (BBC)

The south is widely expected to vote for secession from the north Sudan has announced
a timetable for January's referendum on independence for the south of the country.

Voter registration will start on 14 November and end on 4 December, with campaigning
starting a few days later.

The referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal to end two decades of conflict between
the north and oil-rich south in which some 1.5 million people died.

There has been growing international concern that the referendum could be delayed,
sparking violence.

The BBC's Peter Martell in the southern capital, Juba, says the timing for the
referendum - due to be held on 9 January - is extremely tight.
But Chan Reec, deputy chairman of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, says
he believes the timetable will be met - and only "unseen reasons" would delay it by a
week or two.

"You can see that we will have no Christmas this year, because we will be working," he
said.

However, preparations for the separate referendum also to be held on 9 January in

Abyei, on whether the oil-rich region wants to be part of the north or south of the
country, are making less headway.

UN-mediated talks are being held in Ethiopia to try and resolve disputes over voter
eligibility and the physical demarcation of the state's border.

Hand-shake concerns

The announcement by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission comes as 15

members of the UN Security Council are visiting the region to make sure the
controversial votes go ahead on time in a fair and peaceful manner.

Continue reading the main story

South Sudan awaits oil bonanza
The Security Council delegation will also be travelling to Darfur, where there has been
renewed violence after the breakdown of a ceasefire between the government and the
main rebel group.

UN missions there have faced mounting difficulties, with humanitarian workers

blocked from conflict zones and peacekeepers killed in the fighting.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has been indicted for alleged war crimes in Darfur,
which he denies.

Correspondents say council members almost called off the trip because some were
worried they would have to meet him and shake his hand, but went ahead after all the
ambassadors agreed they would not ask for a meeting.
--------------------
Building An Army In Somalia, Teaching It To Fight (NPR)

Imagine trying to build an army to defend a state that barely exists.

That's what the European Union is trying to do for Somalia.

EU soldiers are spending a year training 2,000 Somali recruits in hopes of sending them
to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, to help fight off Islamist insurgents trying to topple the
country's beleaguered government.

And the salaries for those soldiers are funded by the United States.

The training, which began in April, is being held on a remote military base in the rolling
hills of southwestern Uganda. Classes include crowd control, target practice and urban
warfare.

A European military trainer uses a white board to teach urban warfare tactics. Because
of the chaos in Somalia, most of the soldiers have spent little time in school and can't
read.

A European military trainer uses a white board to teach urban warfare tactics. Because
of the chaos in Somalia, most of the soldiers have spent little time in school and can't
read.
On a recent day, 1st Sgt. Paulo Gujao of the Portuguese army teaches Somali recruits
how to fight in streets and abandoned buildings.

A student lies inside a small brick structure that stands in for the bombed-out Somali
capital. He pokes the barrel of his AK-47 through a hole.

"Don't put the muzzle of your weapon outside the building," Gujao barks to the
recruits, skinny young men whose olive fatigues hang on their shoulders. "Because
when you shoot — especially at night — the enemy will see the flame ... and all of you
in the room will die, OK?"

"Mafahantay?" Gujao asks in Somali. "Understand?"

"Yes," the recruits yell.

"Always be more smart than al-Shabab. Always," says Gujao, as another man translates
his words into Somali.

Anarchic History Complicates Training

Al-Shabab is an Islamist militant group that controls most of south and central Somalia.
In recent weeks, it has tried to destroy the country's weak, U.S.-backed government
with a surge of suicide bombs and mortar fire.

Al-Shabab wants to turn Somalia into a strict Islamic state, and some of its members
want to export violence to neighboring countries in East Africa, including allies of the
U.S.
Gujao hopes his students can help derail those plans, but he says teaching the recruits
has not been easy — largely because of Somalia's anarchic history.

Civil war has engulfed Somalia for nearly two decades, and most schools have been
closed for years.

"We have people here who can't read, so it's difficult," Gujao says during a break
between classes. "But there's one good thing — they want to learn. That's important."

Gujao adds: "If they don't understand my letter, I make a picture on the ground."

Other Surprises For Trainers

Reading, though, isn't the only problem.

Somalia fragments along complicated clan lines like an East African version of the
Hatfields and the McCoys — only on a larger, more lethal scale.

Trainers say that when recruits first arrived, clans hung together and members
occasionally got into fistfights.

Col. Philippe Bouillard, the training mission's deputy commander, says the biggest
surprise was the Somalis' fighting skills. For people who'd spent so much time at war,
they weren't very good at it.

"The guys fighting before in Mogadishu use the weapons, no aiming, no nothing, and
only to launch some bullets," says Bouillard.

In addition to the warfare classes, recruits took classes in Somali history and citizenship.

Trainers say they split up clans and got soldiers working together, and Gujao says
they've improved over time.

"I know they are better than when they came here," he says. "Because when they came
here, they couldn't pick up a gun. And now they know how to aim. They know how to
use the weapon."

Competent Military Crucial To Country, Region

The European Union has a basic budget of $7 million to train the Somalis.

Next month, the recruits will return home and join thousands of Somali army soldiers,
who are heavily supported by about 7,000 African Union troops.
Learn More About Areas Of Control In Mogadishu
Trainers say building a competent military is critical to Somalia's future — and security
in East Africa.

In July, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for two bombings in Uganda that killed more
than 70 people.

Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye, spokesman for the Ugandan army, says if Somalia remains
lawless, it will become a platform for international terrorism.

"And I want to assure you, you Americans are not safe from terrorism as long as
Somalia provides them a safe haven," he says. "So it pays the Americans to spend on
stabilizing Somalia."

The U.S. government seems to agree. It's providing $100 a month in salary to recruits in
Somalia through the end of the year.

But getting money into the soldiers' pockets has been a problem.
Challenge Of Keeping Morale Up

Just ask Mohammed Arab Barre, who is in his 40s and who has fought as a part of the
Somali army for seven years.

Americans are not safe from terrorism as long as Somalia provides them a safe haven.
So it pays the Americans to spend on stabilizing Somalia.

- Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye, spokesman for the Ugandan army

He says the government owes him a lot of money.

"After thee or four months, we get one month's pay," he says.

Other soldiers say they wait even longer.

Arab Barre says this kills morale. He says that during one training trip, soldiers
deserted in droves.

"When we went to train in Ethiopia, we were 900," Arab Barre recalls. "After three
months, we were down to 300."

"Some joined al-Shabab, because they hadn't been paid," Arab Barre adds. "Some went
home, and some disappeared."
Arab Barre says some soldiers even sold their government-issued rifles to al-Shabab for
$800 or $900 just to buy food.

The U.S. government is paying the salaries of some government army units through the
accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers to make sure American taxpayer dollars end
up where they should.

American officials say part of the problem is the Somali government doesn't have
enough money to pay the entire army regularly.

And soldiers suspect that someone in the government has been siphoning off their
salaries.

Passing On New Skills

Arab Barre says the EU trainers taught him many new valuable skills, such as fighting
in urban areas and how to set up roadblocks.

And he's excited to put them to use.

"I'll go back to Somalia and train other soldiers there," he says.

The EU trainers say that's the ultimate test — not what recruits learn in Uganda, but
whether they return to Somalia and use what they've learned to help their homeland.
--------------------
U.S., Diamond Bank Splash $8.7 Million On Private Health Sector (This Day)

Abuja — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in

conjunction with Diamond bank and ACCION Microfinance Bank Limited have
announced the creation of credit fund with a guaranteed sum of $8.7m to support
institutions in Nigeria's private health sector.

A statement issued to newsmen by the US Mission in Abuja yesterday said the

collaboration was to support maternal health services and help improve reproductive
health system in Nigeria.

The statement added that it would promote lending to enterprises that offer family
planning and child health services also.

"Nigeria's private health sector accounts for two thirds of total health care delivery and
plays a key role in the country's health insurance scheme, with 80 percent of its services
managed by private health maintenance organizations," the statement read.
"However, the sector has limited access to financing, which undermines its ability to
expand, purchase new equipment, and make improvements. Also, private healthcare
providers frequently face stock shortages of basic, non-prescription medicines
(including anti-malarial, pain killers, and vitamins) in rural and under-served areas," it
pointed out.

USAID works with financial institutions to open up existing sources of local finance
that can be used to invest in under-served markets for development results.
--------------------
Azazi is New National Security Adviser (This Day)

Abuja/New York — President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday approved the

appointment of General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd) as the new National Security
Adviser (NSA).

This came two days after the president promised to overhaul the nation's security
apparatus following last Friday's bomb blasts in Abuja.

And in a major boost to the anti-terrorism efforts of the government in the face of these
attacks, the United Nations Security Council has urged all countries to cooperate
"actively" with Nigeria.

Azazi, a former Chief of Army Staff and later Chief of Defence Staff, took over from the
acting NSA, Colonel Kayode Are (rtd), who held the position temporarily follwong the
resignation of Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau who is now a presidential aspirant in the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ima
Niboro, said Azazi had a rich and illustrious career in the military during which he rose
to head the Nigeria military intelligence as Director of Military Intelligence (DMI).

He was General Officer Commanding 1 Infantry Division, Kaduna in 2005, from where
he was appointed Chief of Army Staff by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in June
2006. He rose to become Chief of Defence Staff and retired on August 28, 2008.

Azazi, born at Peretorugbene in present Bayelsa State on February 1, 1952, had his early
education in old Bendel State where he attended Government College Bomadi and
graduated in the class of 1968, after which he joined the Nigerian Defence Academy
Regular Combatant Cadet-Course in 1972.

The full text of the UN Security Council statement issued by Council President
Ruhakana Rugunda of Uganda read thus:
"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist
bombings that occurred in Abuja, Nigeria, on 1 October 2010, causing numerous deaths
and injuries. They expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the victims of this
heinous crime and to their families, and to the people and Government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation, wherever,
whenever and by whomsoever committed, and further reaffirmed the need to combat
by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, threats to
international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. The members of the Security
Council reminded States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism
comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international
human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

"The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators,
organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice,
and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and
relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Nigerian
authorities in this regard.

"The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to combat all forms
of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United
Nations."
--------------------
Nigeria arrests, then frees top opposition figure in bomb probe (Christian Science
Monitor)

With the arrest of Nigeria’s top media mogul – who also serves as the campaign
director for former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida – the investigation into last
week’s deadly bombing in the capital, Abuja, has taken a decidedly political turn.

Raymond Dokpesi, owner of Africa Independent Television, turned himself in to police

on Monday morning and was detained for hours without access to his attorney or
family. Nigerian police say that there was a series of text messages between Mr.
Dokpesi and other arrested suspects in the bombing both before and after the blasts.

With Dokpesi’s arrest, Nigerian authorities say their investigation is now leading them
away from pinning sole responsibility for Friday's dual car-bomb attack on the
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the top militant group in
the oil-rich region.

Even though MEND, whose attacks on oil facilities in the No. 3 supplier of crude to the
US have frequently caused oil prices to spike, claimed responsibility for the attack,
Nigerian authorities and some analysts are wondering whether other groups may have
been in on the attacks for political reasons.

“I think this is just domestic politics,” says Charles Dokubo, director of the Nigerian
Institute for Security Studies in Lagos. “I don’t think this was MEND [that carried out
the attacks], because the president is a man who comes from their region and if there is
anyone who would give the Niger Delta the attention it needs, it is him. No, this comes
from those people who are worried they will not be allowed to get their way in
Nigerian politics.”

Refusing to “name names,” Mr. Dokubo adds, “No person from a minority has ever
been president before, and there are people who are trying to upset all this.”

Upcoming presidential vote

With national presidential elections expected as soon as January 2011 the arrests of a
major opposition campaign figure is almost certain to signal the start of a very
contentious election period for Nigeria.

Even before the blasts, tensions were rising as members of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s own party – especially those from the Muslim north of the country – were
putting pressure on Mr. Jonathan to step aside to allow the Muslim North to have a
president of their own faith.

Nigeria’s ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party, has imposed a policy of power
sharing to ensure communal harmony between Muslims of the north and Christians
from the south. Under the policy, power shifts from region to region to ensure both
Christians and Muslims are represented. Since Jonathan’s predecessor, Umaru
Yar’Adua, died in office after just over a year in power, many Muslims from the north
believe that their community was denied a full term in office.

In all, nine people have been arrested in the Oct. 1 bomb blasts, including the accused
“masterminds” of the attack, Chima Orlu and Ben Jessy. Police say that all nine suspects
“have direct links to Henry Okah, not MEND.” Mr. Okah, the former MEND leader,
was also arrested this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he has been living
for the past year under an amnesty deal with the Nigerian government.

Babangida campaign denies involvement

Dokpesi’s office and the Babangida presidential campaign deny any involvement in the
bomb blasts in Abuja during Nigeria’s 50 year independence anniversary.

MEND continues to insist that it carried out the attacks on behalf of that region’s long
neglect by the Nigerian government.
Jomo Gbomo – a nomme de guerre for spokesmen representing MEND – told the
Monitor by e-mail that MEND definitely carried out the car bomb blasts, and that they
gave warnings both to the government and to the news media an hour in advance of the
blasts.

“The attack was meant to be a one-off thing and symbolic, not strategic,” Mr. Gbomo
wrote in his e-mail. “Unfortunately, the security agencies who we gave prior notice
failed to take our warning seriously causing avoidable loss of lives. Imagine that the
WTC (World Trade Center) building was given a one hour notice, do you think lives
would have been lost? The twin towers would have been evacuated to the last kitten.”

Gbomo also insisted that former MEND leader Henry Okah – who took asylum in
South Africa last year as part of an amnesty program and has been arrested this
weekend in Johannesburg for alleged involvement in the bomb blast – has nothing to do
with the attacks or with the organization.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Hundreds of Burundian refugees return home from DR Congo – UN agency

5 October – Hundreds of Burundian refugees crossed the border from the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) to return to the country they escaped decades ago, kicking
off a new series of voluntary returns, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.