United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

8 December 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

WikiLeaks: US spy planes over Algeria since January (AFP)

(Algeria) Algeria agreed in January to allow the United States to fly spy planes over its
territory to hunt for Al Qaeda bases in the Sahara, according to a leaked diplomatic
cable published yesterday.

WikiLeaks cables: Algeria goes from security joke to US ally in Maghreb (Guardian)
(Algeria) Algeria's government was badly shaken by al-Qaida bombings three years
ago as the terrorist organisation opened a new front in north Africa and the country's
"sclerotic and suspicious" security forces struggled to respond, US diplomatic cables
show.

Leaks: years of French-US anti-Qaeda cooperation in Maghreb (Middle East Online)

(North Africa) France and the United States have been cooperating more closely for a
year in the fight against an Al-Qaeda unit in north Africa, a push initiated by Paris, US
diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks and cited by the Le Monde newspaper showed
late Monday.

U.S. Behind Ethiopia Invasion in Somalia - Wiki Leaks Dispatch (Sudan Tribune)
(Somalia) A WikiLeaks' leaked diplomatic cables exposed Ethiopia and the US
government secret agreement to invade Somalia. However, the report indicated that
Ethiopia had no intention to the invasion and said the US was behind the plot and was
sponsored by the United States government.

A.U. Reportedly Taps Guinea's Transitional Leader for Standby Force (VOA)
(Guinea) The African Union has reportedly named Guinea’s interim president, General
Sekouba Konate, to lead the efforts for creation of the African Standby military Force.

Sudan's Abyei January 9 vote off: US (AFP)

(Sudan) The self-determination referendum on Sudan's oil-rich Abyei region will not
take place as planned on January 9, US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley
said Tuesday.

Nigeria charges Dick Cheney in bribery case (Christian Science Monitor)

(Nigeria) Nigeria handed down indictments today against former US Vice President
Richard Cheney in a bribery case involving a subsidiary of Halliburton during the
period in which Mr. Cheney was among Halliburton’s chief executives.

US urged to soften Mugabe criticism (Zim Online)

(Zimbabwe) The United States (US) embassy in London last year urged Washington to
tone down criticism of President Robert Mugabe and instead adopt a quieter but
tougher approach towards the Zimbabwean leader, according to cables released by
WikiLeaks.

US Urges Ivory Coast's Gbagbo to Accept Election Defeat (Voice of America)

(Ivory Coast) The United States is calling for incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent
Gbagbo to respect the outcome of last month's election, which the State Department
says was clearly won by challenger Alassane Ouattara. U.S. officials are concerned
about the prospect of violence if the west African country's political standoff continues.

ECOWAS Recognizes Alassane Ouattara as New Ivorian President (Voice of America)

(Ivory Coast) A top official of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) told VOA heads of state and government have unanimously called on
President Laurent Gbagbo to step down and hand over power to the new president,
Alassane Ouattara.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 Ban: challenges remain as UN mission departs Chad, Central African Republic
 UN seeks development ‘synergies’ along modified Nigeria-Cameroon border
 Côte d’Ivoire: UN steps up diplomacy in support of opposition presidential
victor
 UN refugee agency appeals to Egypt to help secure release of abducted Eritreans
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, December 10, 10:00 a.m.; Center for Strategic and
International Studies
WHAT: Preparing for Sudan’s Referendum
WHO: Traci Cook, Resident Director for Southern Sudan, National Democratic
Institute; Linda Bishai, Senior Program Officer, Academy for International Conflict
Management and Peacebuilding, United States Institute of Peace; Atul Khare, Assistant
Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations; Richard Downie,
Deputy Director and Fellow, CSIS Africa Program
Info: http://csis.org/event/preparing-sudans-referendum

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, December 14, 10:00 a.m.; US Institute of Peace

WHAT: Previewing Sudan’s January Referendum
WHO: Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Head of Mission, Government of Southern Sudan Mission
to the United States; Fatahelrahman Ali Mohamed, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy
of the Republic of Sudan; Zach Vertin, Sudan Analyst, International Crisis Group; Jon
Temin, Senior Program Officer, Center for Mediation & Conflict Resolution, U.S.
Institute of Peace; David Smock, Moderator, Vice President, Center for Mediation &
Conflict Resolution, U.S. Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/previewing-sudan-s-january-referenda

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday and Thursday, December 15-16; National Defense

Industrial Association
WHAT: Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations
WHO: Amb Robert Loftis, Acting Coordinator, Reconstruction and Stability,
Department of State (S/CRS); Susan Reichle, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau
for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID; Dr. James Schear,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Stability Operations; GEN Carter
Ham, Commander, US Army, Europe; and others (see agenda)
Info: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/1450/Pages/default.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, December 16, 9:00 a.m.; Africa Center for Strategic Studies
and the Center for Complex Operations
WHAT: Sudan: Regional Implications of Post-Referendum Scenarios
WHO: Special Envoy to Sudan, Maj. General Scott Gration (ret.), Keynote; See agenda
for full speaker list
Info: http://ccoportal.org/event/sudan-regional-implications-post-referendum-
scenarios
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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

WikiLeaks: US spy planes over Algeria since January (AFP)

PARIS: Algeria agreed in January to allow the United States to fly spy planes over its
territory to hunt for Al Qaeda bases in the Sahara, according to a leaked diplomatic
cable published yesterday.

The French daily Le Monde uncovered the secret note in the trove of secret US State
Department correspondence released by the WikiLeaks website.

“No partner is more important than Algeria in the fight against Al Qaeda,” the US
embassy in Algiers said, according to Le Monde’s French translation of the memo.
“Algeria wants to be strategic partner, not a rival.”

The memo said that the planes would usually operate from the US naval airbase in
Rota, in southern Spain.
A previous memo, dated December 30 last year and published on WikiLeaks’ website,
described the negotiations between US officials and senior Algerian foreign ministry
official Sabri Boukadoum that led to the deal.

The planes, Lockheed Martin EP-3 spy planes operated by the US Navy, intercept radio
and other electronic communications and will be tasked to overfly Algeria to patrol the
skies over Mali and Mauritania, it said.

Al Qaeda’s north African subsidiary — Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb — has bases in
the Mauritanian desert and regularly carries out kidnapping of Western civilians. It is
holding five French and two African hostages.

The December memo said the United States has asked other governments in the region
permission to make the flights and was awaiting their response.

On Monday, a senior US military leader in the region praised Algeria for leading the
fight against Islamic militants in the Sahel region of northern Africa and said progress
was being made.

“This is a regional issue where Algerian land forces have taken the leadership role and
it is very impressive the progress that has been made,” said Major General David Hogg,
the commander of US Army Africa.

Algeria has led a high-profile military and political push also involving Mauritania,
Mali and Niger against militants. The four countries have a joint command centre in the
southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset.
------------------
WikiLeaks cables: Algeria goes from security joke to US ally in Maghreb (Guardian)

Algeria's government was badly shaken by al-Qaida bombings three years ago as the
terrorist organisation opened a new front in north Africa and the country's "sclerotic
and suspicious" security forces struggled to respond, US diplomatic cables show.

But secret reports from the US embassy in Algiers reveal that intelligence co-operation
with the US has since improved so much that Washington considers Algeria the most
important country fighting al-Qaida in the Maghreb region.

In December 2007, however, there was an embarrassed silence from President

Abdelaziz Bouteflika after near simultaneous suicide bombings of a UN building and
the supreme court in the capital killed 41 people.

US embassy cables show disarray, confusion and an inability to handle basic security
problems. Bouteflika requested European help "to tap cell phones whose sim cards are
changed" while the US had been asked earlier to help in countering car bombs, the
documents show.

Many of the embassy's Algerian contacts attributed the president's silence after the
attacks "to his embarrassment that the suicide bombers were previously known to the
security services" and had benefited from an official reconciliation programme for
former militants. Some of 250-plus Islamists who had been granted amnesties had
joined al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim).

By February 2008, however, US co-operation with Algerian military intelligence had

improved and paid dividends. "They are a prickly, paranoid group to work with," the
embassy reported, "but with them we have rolled up several networks that sent
Algerian jihadis to Iraq."

A FBI office had been set up at the embassy to establish collaborative programmes with
the interior ministry, "but the Algerians are not rushing to co-operate". In military and
security co-operation, the Algerians remained "exceptionally careful".

In September 2008, Aqim called for the assassination of the then US secretary of state,
Condoleezza Rice, during her visit to Algiers. Algerian security forces foiled a plot to
attack the Hassi Messaoud airport, reportedly acting on information received from an
al-Qaida cell in Europe. The alleged plan involved hijacking an aircraft and a car bomb.

By late 2009, the US documents show, Algeria had "taken the lead" in persuading its
Mauritanian, Nigerien and Malian neighbours to set up a regional command for joint
counter-terrorism operations at Tamanrasset, in southern Algeria.

"Aqim," a senior Algerian official told US officials, "wants to embed itself in the region
and, therefore, Algeria intended to take the fight beyond Algeria's borders. Like a
skilled boxer ... the key is to keep pressure on your opponent and increase your room
for manoeuvre."

When the Algerians pressed for more intelligence-sharing, a US defence official

countered that surveillance overflights would have to be linked to direct action on the
ground since the cost of one mission was around $50,000, "so we had to be sure of the
result". Algeria also needed sophisticated improvised explosive device jammers because
insurgents used cell phones to detonate such bombs remotely.

The cables show that the Algerians were scathing about Mali, complaining that officials
in the capital, Bamako, "have alerted insurgents that their cell phone calls were being
monitored and leaked sensitive intelligence". Algeria also accused Mali of facilitating
ransom payments for hostages and called the country "a favourable business
environment for terrorists".
Late in 2009, Algeria was slow to respond to a US request to allow surveillance flights
by EP-3 aircraft "to survey the sigint (signals intelligence) environment in areas of
Mauritania and Mali where Aqim operates". This followed a visit by the US Africa
command chief, General William Ward, and was "a demonstration of the enhanced
security co-operation we want to support in the face of the Aqim threat in the trans-
Sahara region."

The flights were later approved but a new problem emerged this January when the
Algerian foreign minister summoned the US ambassador, David Pearce, to protest that
the country had been included on a list for "enhanced screening" by the US
transportation Security Administration. That followed last Christmas Day's attempt by
the "underpants bomber" sent by al-Qaida in Yemen to bring down a passenger plane
over Detroit.

"The placement of Algeria on a list that includes state sponsors of terrorism and
countries of interest creates the impression that Algeria is part of the problem and less
than a full partner in the fight against terrorism," the envoy was told.

"Over the past year, we have had a green light to develop new ties across the board,
from military to law enforcement," he reported back to Washington. "That light has now
turned yellow." Pearce added: "It is worth remembering that no country is more
important than Algeria in the fight against al-Qaida in the Sahel and Maghreb."
------------------
Leaks: years of French-US anti-Qaeda cooperation in Maghreb (Middle East Online)

PARIS - France and the United States have been cooperating more closely for a year in
the fight against an Al-Qaeda unit in north Africa, a push initiated by Paris, US
diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks and cited by the Le Monde newspaper showed
late Monday.

France officially acknowledged the cooperation in late summer but up to now no details
have been known about the meetings between the French and the Americans.

At the end of last year, the French said they were "losing the battle between
development of these countries and growing security threats," said a US memo written
after a meeting between advisors to the French presidency and US officials, according to
Le Monde's translations.

"Terrorism is virtually at our door," added the French, while less than a year later five
French nationals and two Africans working for French companies in uranium mining in
northern Niger were kidnappped.

The seven hostages are still being held in Mali by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
(AQMI).
"Some French installations are threatened by terrorist attacks, especially in the north,"
added at the time an advisor to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the leaked cables
said.

In January at a new meeting, an account written by the US embassy said that "the
French insist on better coordination in the area of military assistance, sharing
intelligence and development projects."

For the Americans, "it is vital that counter-terrorism has a 'local face'", another memo
said. Giving outsiders a high-profile in the fight risks "helping AQMI in its efforts to
recruit and collect funds," it said, expressing a viewpoint shared by the French.

The role of Mali in the anti-terrorism fight in the Sahel region is also commented on in
other US cables.

"We can count on him, he has the troops to do the work," the US ambassador to
Bamako, Gillian Milovanovic, wrote in 2009 about Malian President Amadou Toumani
Toure.

Several months later an account about training of Malian forces by US troops left some
doubts about Mali's capabilities.

Each Malian soldier fired 1,000 cartridges during five weeks of exercises which is
"probably more than a Malian soldier would use in his entire career," the cable said.

Meanwhile, the head of US land forces in Africa praised Algeria Monday for leading the
fight against militants in the Sahel region and said progress was being made.

"This is a regional issue where Algerian land forces have taken the leadership role and it
is very impressive the progress that has been made," said Major General David Hogg,
the commander of US Army Africa, at a news conference during a two-day visit.

"With the leadership of the Algerian armed forces and the work that they are doing
down there for coordination, progress is being made and it is going to take a regional
approach to do it," said Hogg, who reiterated Washington's continued support for
Algeria in security issues.
------------------
U.S. Behind Ethiopia Invasion in Somalia - Wiki Leaks Dispatch (Sudan Tribune)

Addis Ababa — A WikiLeaks' leaked diplomatic cables exposed Ethiopia and the US
government secret agreement to invade Somalia.
However, the report indicated that Ethiopia had no intention to the invasion and said
the US was behind the plot and was sponsored by the United States government.

Already tied up wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. had no position to openly
launch large-scale attack against Somalia and had to sponsor a country like Ethiopia.

Ethiopian troops invaded Somalian territory on July 20, 2006 aimed to squash an
Islamist group, Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). Ethiopia maintained it was providing
military assistance to the weak transitional government. Ethiopia then argued that the
islamists extremists were threat to regional peace and stability.

U.S. head for African affairs Jendayi Frazer was said the spearhead of the proxy war
along allies in the State Department and the Pentagon.

There was growing concern in the White House and the Pentagon that Somalia's
Islamists might ally themselves with Al Qaeda and turn to international terrorism.

Reports say an estimated 20,000 Somalis were killed and over 2 million were made
homeless as a result of the US backed war in Somalia.

The leaked diplomatic dispatch has also reported on talks between Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi and US under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero
on issues of Democracy, civil rights, election, climate change among others.

Meles said his country's inability to develop a strong democracy was not due to
insufficient understanding of democratic principles, but rather because Ethiopians had
not internalized those principles.

Referencing his own struggle against the Derg regime, Meles said he and his
compatriots received no foreign funding, but were willing to sacrifice and die for their
cause, and Ethiopians today must take ownership of their democratic development, be
willing to sacrifice for it, and defend their own rights.

Despite pushes from under Secretary Maria Otero and Assistant Secretary Carson to
hasten steps to liberalize the telecommunications and banking industries of the country,
the Ethiopian premier however made no Promises on this regard instead said he would
be happy to discuss the issue in the future joking that Americans' concept of time was
much faster than Ethiopians'.

As reported in WikiLeaks' the Ethiopian leader was also urged to back Copenhagen
climate accord.

"Otero urged Meles to sign the Copenhagen accord on climate change and explained
that it is a point of departure for further discussion and movement forward on the
topic." She noted that while the agreement has its limitations, it has the international
community moving in the right direction.

However, he expressed his disappointment that despite President Obama's personal

assurance to him that finances committed in Copenhagen would be made available, he
had received word from contacts at the UN that the U.S. was not supportive of
Ethiopia's proposal for a panel to monitor financial pledges regarding climate change.
Ms. Gavin assured the Prime Minister that she would look into his concerns.
------------------
A.U. Reportedly Taps Guinea's Transitional Leader for Standby Force (VOA)
(Guinea) The African Union has reportedly named Guinea’s interim president, General
Sekouba Konate, to lead the efforts for creation of the African Standby military Force.

Reports quoting A.U. Commission Chairman Jean Ping said General Konate’s title will
be “High Representative of the African Union for the Operationalization of the African
Standby Force.”

Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa program at the Washington-based Center for
Strategic and International Studies told VOA if the news of General Konate’s
appointment is true, it could mean that creation of the standby force could be nearer.

“I think it’s an evolution for the African Standby Forces. These were originally
envisioned back in 2003 for each African region to provide a brigade that could be
deploy quickly into areas of disaster assistance or into peacekeeping operations. And, I
think the various regional command brigades may be evolving to a point where the
African Union feels they warrant an overarching leader at this point,” she said.

Cooke said lack of political will on the part of African countries might have partly
contributed to the delay in bringing about creation of the African Standby force.

“The contributing countries obviously have many priorities of their own. I think part of
it is a question of political will and attention. But, it’s also difficult to coordinate across
countries, in certain instances, to do joint training, for example, and communication and
so forth. And, that’s really, I think, the challenge that the African standby forces are
intended to overcome,” Cooke said.

She said the new development in the establishment of African Standby Force could also
mean that African countries are ready to completely assume peacekeeping roles on the
continent.

“I think more and more the international community is looking at the African Union to
provide troops to places like Somalia, to Sudan and Darfur, to the operation in Burundi,
for example. So, I think it’s two-pronged. Yes, the international community is looking to
the African Union to do more and I think African states are looking to take on more of
those challenges on their own,” Cooke said.

Cooke said the African Union is probably rewarding General Konate for the role he
played in guiding a troubled country through a successful election.

“I tend to think he (General Konate) had a fairly good reputation with the African
Union. They did help negotiate the immediate crisis backed by the United States. So,
he’s in good standing with the African Union and with the United States and I think the
broader international community. They see him as having played a fairly neutral and
effective role in overcoming Guinea’s electoral crisis,” Cooke said.

She also thinks the African Union might have also been trying to remove General
Konate from the Guinea political environment.

“I don’t think they see him as going back to intervene militarily in Guinea in any way,
but, maybe, just a nice out (way) for him to distance himself now from the political
situation in Guinea,” she said.

Cooke said a unit like the African Standby Force could be sent to Ivory Coast, especially
if that country disintegrates further.

“If Cote d’Ivoire disintegrates further, there may actually be a greater role for
peacekeepers, and I think the African Union will be called upon to do that. My hope is
the African Union civilian leadership, together with ECOWAS (Economic Community
of West African States), can prevent disintegration into violence and do away with the
need, ultimately, for greater peacekeeping and military intervention,” Cooke said.
------------------
Sudan's Abyei January 9 vote off: US (AFP)

WASHINGTON – The self-determination referendum on Sudan's oil-rich Abyei region

will not take place as planned on January 9, US State Department spokesman Philip
Crowley said Tuesday.

Abyei is on the fault line between north and south Sudan and a referendum is due on
whether the region remain part of the north or join an autonomous or independent
south, which decides its future in a parallel January 9 referendum.

"We continue to press the parties with respect to the situation in Abyei," Crowley told
reporters.

"I think we have a recognition that that referendum will not go forward on January 9th,
but we continue to encourage the parties to work on a solution to Abyei," Crowley told
reporters.
North-south talks on Abyei broke down in Ethiopia last month, prompting northern
officials to say it would now be impossible to hold the vote, now just a month away, on
time.

The Abyei referendum commission has yet to be appointed and the parties remain
divided on voter eligibility.

The United States, Britain and Norway last week welcomed how voter registration was
proceeding for the January 9 referendum on southern Sudan's independence, but raised
concerns about the vote in Abyei.

The three countries are working to encourage both the south and north to follow
through on the referendums and other terms of a 2005 peace agreement that ended
Sudan's two-decade civil war, Africa's longest such conflict.

Crowley reiterated that the United States was pleased with the registration process for
the southern referendum.

"We have made it clear to leaders in Khartoum and Juba they must cooperate in the
post-referendum phase," Crowley said.

"And should the people of south Sudan vote for independence, it will be incumbent
upon them to work effectively and co-operatively leading to the creation of the new
nation of South Sudan next July," he added.

"This is arguably the most compelling story that the world will face in the first half of
2011, and we understand the risk," he said.

"If this goes well, it has the ability to... have a very positive effect in the region... if it
goes badly we understand that there is a significant risk of a return to civil war,"
Crowley said.
------------------
Nigeria charges Dick Cheney in bribery case (Christian Science Monitor)

Nigeria handed down indictments today against former US Vice President Richard
Cheney in a bribery case involving a subsidiary of Halliburton during the period in
which Mr. Cheney was among Halliburton’s chief executives.

The case revolves around allegations that employees or agents of KBR, a former
subsidiary of Halliburton, paid a $180 million bribe between 1994 and 2004 to secure a
$6 billion contract to build a liquefied natural gas plant in the Niger Delta. KBR has
already pleaded guilty to US charges of paying the $180 milllion in bribes in a case last
year, and now Nigeria’s courts are taking the case to KBR’s parent company,
Halliburton.

Nigerian police have already detained two employees of Halliburton for questioning.

"As the CEO of Halliburton, he has the responsibility for acts that occurred during that
period," Godwin Obla, the prosecuting counsel at the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission in Nigeria, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Terence O'Donnell, a lawyer for Cheney, denied the charges.

"The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated
that joint venture extensively and found no suggestion of any impropriety by Dick
Cheney in his role of CEO of Halliburton," Mr. O'Donnell said in a statement sent to The
Associated Press. "Any suggestion of misconduct on his part, made now, years later, is
entirely baseless."

The indictment of a major US political and corporate figure marks a tough new step for
Nigeria’s relatively untested anticorruption commission.

Nigeria ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ranked 134th out of 178
countries by anticorruption group Transparency International.

Nigerian activists argue that corruption is one of the main reasons why the oil-rich
nation of Nigeria remains desperately poor and inefficient. Nigeria ranks 142 out of 169
nations assessed in key indicators, including security, health, education, and income.
------------------
US urged to soften Mugabe criticism (Zim Online)

JOHANNESBURG – The United States (US) embassy in London last year urged
Washington to tone down criticism of President Robert Mugabe and instead adopt a
quieter but tougher approach towards the Zimbabwean leader, according to cables
released by WikiLeaks.

In an assessment of Britain’s Africa policy, political counsellor Richard Mills, whose

conclusions were apparently heavily influenced by the views of experts from several
political think tanks, suggested that the UK should maintain Zimbabwe on its priority
list for historical reasons.

But the US should instead strive not to be seen as too focused on Zimbabwe because,
according to the experts relied upon by Mills, Washington’s interest on the southern
African country was “surprising” given the fact that the Zimbabwean crisis was largely
a contained matter and also because Harare poses no threat to America.
“Zimbabwe should/will remain a priority for the UK for historical reasons, but the USG
(United States government)’s focus is ‘surprising,’ as it is largely a contained crisis that
should be treated as a regional issue. A ‘tough and quiet’ approach should be
considered,” Mills wrote in a cable sent to the State Department on 6 February 2009.

While accepting the UK’s pre-occupation with Zimbabwe, Mills however appeared to
criticise London’s vocal denunciations of Mugabe saying this was playing into the
veteran Zimbabwean leader’s propaganda trap.

Mugabe -- who denies Western charges that he is a dictator who has ruined Zimbabwe
and frequently abuses human rights -- loves to portray himself as a victim of Western
imperialists out to topple him as punishment for seizing white farmland for
redistribution to landless blacks.

“HMG (Her Majesty’s Government)’s history of bombastic statements has only served
to solidify President Mugabe’s status as a colonial liberation leader and rallied South
Africa’s unwavering support,” Mills said in the cable.

Mills also counsels against attempts to internationalise Zimbabwe’s crisis and said
Washington should not allow its stance on Mugabe to jeorpadise its relations with
South Africa, the biggest economy on the continent and of more strategic importance to
America.

The US diplomat advises against attempts to internationalise Zimbabwe’s crisis, frankly

pointing out that political think tanks regard the international community’s concern
about Zimbabwe being a regional destabiliser as “largely unfounded”.

Zimbabwe is among 10 countries that have the highest number of leaked US diplomatic
cables in the possession of WikiLeaks.

The whistleblower website is holding 2 998 cables on Zimbabwe, with 39 of the leaked
documents under the category of “secret”. 1 542 are categorised as “classified” while 1
417 are in the “unclassified” category.

Analysts in Harare say the cables -- including one by former US ambassador to

Zimbabwe Christopher Dell that virtually portrayed Washington as the hand guiding
Zimbabwean opposition politics -- will give Mugabe the excuse to crackdown on
opponents ahead of elections expected next year. – ZimOnline
------------------
US Urges Ivory Coast's Gbagbo to Accept Election Defeat (Voice of America)

The United States is calling for incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo to
respect the outcome of last month's election, which the State Department says was
clearly won by challenger Alassane Ouattara. U.S. officials are concerned about the
prospect of violence if the west African country's political standoff continues.

Though the comments here stopped short of an outright call for President Gbagbo to
step aside, the State Department says the election was clearly won by challenger
Ouattara and that Mr. Gbagbo should make the "right choice" in the best interests of his
country.

The comments here were the most extensive from the United States thus far on the tense
political stalemate that has gripped Ivory Coast since the November 28 voting.

In results endorsed by the United Nations, the country's independent election

commission gave Mr. Ouattara an outright victory with 54 percent of the vote.

But Mr. Gbagbo, who has run the country for a decade, has refused to yield, saying a
pro-government constitutional council annulled enough ballots to hand him a slim
victory.

U.S. President Barack Obama, in a statement last week, congratulated Mr. Ouattara on
his victory and urged all parties including Mr. Gbagbo to acknowledge and respect the
result.

At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Mr. Gbagbo
confronts a decision whether to take his country on a path toward isolation or the
preservation of democracy, and that the United States hopes he "makes the right choice"
in the coming days.

"Cote d'Ivoire [Ivory Coast] had an election. The international community judged the
election as free and fair. The result was clear, which is a victory for the challenger in the
election. It is time for President Gbagbo to recognize the will of the people of Cote
d'Ivoire and embark on a peaceful transition. The United States is calling on the
president to respect the will, and a clear decisive victory by Mr. Ouattra," he said.

Both men have declared themselves president and named new prime ministers, and
each has the support of rival armed forces.

Spokesman Crowley said the United States is obviously concerned about the risk of
violence if the Gbagbo government "makes the wrong choices."

He said the U.S. embassy in Abidjan is engaged with civil society groups and others to
try to keep the situation calm, amid mediation efforts by the African Union and the
West African regional group ECOWAS.
------------------
ECOWAS Recognizes Alassane Ouattara as New Ivorian President (Voice of
America)

A top official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) told VOA
heads of state and government have unanimously called on President Laurent Gbagbo
to step down and hand over power to the new president, Alassane Ouattara.

Sonny Ugoh, communications director for the West African regional bloc said the
regional leaders agreed with the U.N. assessment that former Prime Minister Ouattara
won last month’s run-off vote described by international observers as credible.

“They (regional leaders) decided to endorse the position of the U.N., which is accepting
the results of the election or the outcome as declared by the electoral commission to the
effect that Alassane Ouattara won the election. And, they are encouraging (Mr.) Gbagbo
to allow him to exercise his mandate because that is the voice of the people,” said Ugoh.

“We have suspended Cote d’Ivoire from all decision making authorities of ECOWAS in
line with article 45 of the protocol of democracy and good governance. They are two
very fundamental decisions that were taken by the heads of state and government in
their collective wisdom, and that we think it will send the message clearly to the people
of Cote d’Ivoire.”

ECOWAS issued a statement following a meeting of seven regional heads of state in

Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, Tuesday calling on Mr. Gbagbo to step down “immediately.”

Ugoh said ECOWAS leaders agreed with the international view on the election’s
outcome.

“Increasingly, you can see that there is a consensus within the international community
in favor of this position. It is now left to him (Mr. Gbagbo) to heed to the voice of the
international community and the voice of the people of Cote D’Ivoire.”

The head of ECOWAS, Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck, said the group is not
interested in a negotiated unity government saying such arrangements in other
countries like Kenya or Zimbabwe did not work.

Mr. Gbagbo maintains that he won the November election and has named a new prime
minister, who presented a new Cabinet to reporters in Abidjan Tuesday. Mr. Gbagbo
controls the army and state television.

Mr. Ouattara has also claimed victory, raising fears of renewed conflict in Ivory Coast.
After the runoff election last month, Ivory Coast's Constitutional Council annulled
nearly 10 percent of all ballots cast saying they were fraudulent. That led the council to
declare Mr. Gbagbo the winner.
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UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

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