Media Review for February 29, 2012

By Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Updated: 02/29/2012

Please note: The following news items are presented here for informational purposes. The views expressed within them are those of the authors and/or individuals quoted, not those of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the National Defense University, or the Department of Defense.

Today’s News

Senior Qaeda militant arrested in Cairo airport
Senior Al-Qaeda operative Seif al-Adel, who was reported to have briefly taken over the militant network’s leadership after Osama Ben Laden’s death, was arrested in Cairo airport on Wednesday, security officials said. The officials did not say why the Egyptian militant, who is on the FBI’s most wanted list with up to $5 million reward for his capture, flew to Cairo airport. An airport official said he arrived on an Emirates Airline flight from Pakistan with a stop over in Dubai. France 24

Observers question lack of results in Senegal
European Union observers on Tuesday questioned why Senegal’s government is not publishing real-time results from a contentious presidential election, saying that in the Internet age there is no reason for the delay. Times Live

Exercise Obangame Express begins in Gulf of Guinea
Twelve nations from around the world have kicked off Exercise Obangame Express 2012 in the Gulf of Guinea. The aim of the four-day military exercise is to fight piracy, oil theft, smuggling and other maritime security issues. The exercise, which began on Monday, is being hosted by Nigeria through the Navy’s Eastern Naval Command. The other nations participating include the United States, Belgium, Spain, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, the Republic of Congo, Benin, Sao Tome & Principe and Togo. DefenceWeb

Next pirate hot spot: the Gulf of Guinea
High-seas piracy has found another home, in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea on the West African coast. The number of attacks in 2011 far surpassed the total number for 2010, and the pace could increase this year as well, as oil-rich nations of the region increase their production. With global oil supplies tight and the price of oil already rising, the costs of West African piracy will almost certainly be felt at your local fuel pump. CS Monitor

Nigerian Pirates Rob Cargo Ship, Kidnap 2 Crew
Armed pirates robbed a cargo ship at anchor in a Nigerian port and kidnapped at least two crew members in the latest of several attacks off Africa’s west coast, an international maritime watchdog said Wednesday. NPR

Denmark piracy raid off Somalia leaves two dead
The Danish Navy has said two hostages have been killed as a Danish warship confronted a pirate vessel off the coast of Somalia. The Absalon was patrolling the Gulf of Aden under Nato command, reports say. The Danish ship fired at the pirate ship to force it to stop, the Danish navy said on its website. There were 17 pirates and 18 hostages on board the pirate ship, said its statement. Two hostages were found wounded and “could not be saved”. BBC

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples, Holds Change of Command
NAPLES, Italy – Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), and commander, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples (JFC), held a change of command ceremony on Naval Support Activity Naples in Naples, Italy, Feb. 24, where Adm. Bruce W. Clingan relieved Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III. Among the dignitaries and guests were Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations; Adm. James Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and commander, U.S. European Command; U.S. Army Gen. Carter Ham, commander, U.S. Africa Command; and David Thorne, U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic. U.S. Sixth Fleet

U.S. Continues Support for Central Africa as it Counters LRA Threat
The United States will continue to support the governments and people of Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan as they work to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a vicious insurgent group that has terrorized central Africa for more than 25 years. Africom

Uprising in Mali postpones Canadian military training mission
A Canadian special forces training mission set for Mali has been scuttled as that country finds itself now at war with rebels who are pushing for an autonomous state. A small team of soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa was to be in Mali in late February and throughout March as part of a U.S.-organized counter-terrorism training exercise called Flintlock. Ottawa Citizen

Algeria clamps down on terror funding
Algerian laws were tightened up another notch earlier this month, with a new order designed to prevent and control money laundering and terror financing. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika set the tone, telling the Council of Ministers that “Algeria’s commitment to fight terrorism is a reality. The same should also be true of the prevention of money laundering, as part of the fight against corruption and organised crime.” Magharebia

Tuareg rebels make troubled return from Libya to Mali
The hot season is fast approaching in northern Niger and the sun burns into the flimsy roofs of the refugee tents, the plastic sheeting an incongruous blue against the few stems of green on trees and the dun colour of the sandy ground. BBC

The Tuareg denominator
One tribe’s cooperation with various militant groups will continue to challenge stability in some of Africa’s most vital nations. They have long roamed northwest Africa, primarily through the nations of Algeria, Libya, Mali and Niger. Today, the group has become sedentary, resulting in the Tuaregs actively engaging these countries, particularly the Malian government, for a stake in power sharing and wealth benefits from the country’s natural resources. The Jerusalem Post

CAR -Chad: Military offensive creating humanitarian problems
A joint military offensive between the armed forces of the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad to oust Chad’s Front Populaire pour le Redressement (FPR) rebel movement from its stronghold in parts of north-central CAR is hampering operations to help the displaced, say humanitarian officials. IRIN

Nigeria: Boko Haram – Time for Ceasefire, Talks
[...] The Federal Government says it is not averse to talks. President Goodluck Jonathan has said the government will enter into talks if the sect leaders would come forward and present their demands. Although we are aware that some key security officials, including the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Army Staff, have expressed ideas contrary to the views of the President on the issue, we expect the Commander-in-Chief to take the larger national interest and stick to his publicly stated position. allAfrica

Nigerian Activists Press US Supreme Court Case Against Shell
Despite apparent skepticism by several U.S. Supreme Court justices, Nigerian activists and proponents of corporate accountability say they are confident that the giant petroleum firm Shell will face charges in the United States for alleged human rights violations. VOA

Somalia: Govt, African Union Forces Launch New Offensive
A renewed offensive against Al-Shabab insurgents by Somali government forces, backed by Ethiopian, Kenyan and African Union troops, has sparked another influx of civilians to the capital Mogadishu, locals told IRIN. IRIN

UN team out to verify needs of Kenya forces
A team of defence experts from the UN Security Council is in the country to certify the number of soldiers and the list of requirements given by the government for the integration of Kenya’s soldiers into African Union forces in Somalia. Daily Nation

South Sudan rebel group lays down arms
A major South Sudanese rebel group with alleged links to the northern government in Khartoum has signed an amnesty deal two months after its leader was killed, South Sudan said on Tuesday. Reuters

The 2012 South African Budget Reveals Big Shifts in Police Personnel Trends
Does hiring more police officers result in less crime? Or does more crime result in more police officers? The reasoning behind the first statement has guided South African policy makers for the past decade. The consequence of our policy choice has been the second. With falling crime rates following years of mass police recruitment, the government is likely to believe that its approach has been successful. ISS

Why South Africa will survive Mandela
Every time Nelson Mandela gets sick the office gets tense as people look for news of Mandela’s death, and we have been getting tense about this for years because Mandela is an old man. Times Live

Late Entry: Anti-Corruption Crusader Leaps Into Egypt’s Presidential Race
The youngest in a crowded field of presidential contenders, labor activist Khaled Ali is also the last to announce his candidacy. Not that it was his fault. Until turning 40 this past Sunday, he wasn’t technically old enough to run for the country’s highest office. Worldcrunch – Al Masry Al Youm

Prime Minister Mosisili leaves Lesotho ruling party
Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili on Tuesday resigned from the faction-riven Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to join a new movement. Mail and Guardian

‘No African time’ The man who made Rwanda’s buses run on time
When Olivier Nizeyimana was a student, the journey to Rwanda’s National University would sometimes take him ages so he thought it would be a good idea to start a bus company that made punctuality one of its core values. BBC

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This entry was written by Africa Center for Strategic Studies, posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:54 am, filed under Media Review. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.