Media Review for June 20, 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

Libya becomes focal point for foiling terror
A breakdown of security in Libya has allowed a significant flow of militants and weapons into other troubled areas in North Africa, according to the top Pentagon official on Africa policy. The outflow of Libyan weapons and militants has “created opportunities for al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to exploit instability and establish new and expanded safe havens,” said Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Amanda J. Dory. Speaking at a conference sponsored by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies this week, Ms. Dory specifically noted the turbulent situation in Mali, where rebel military forces and Islamist militants have seized control of a large part of the country. The Washington Times

Both presidential candidates claim victory in Egypt
Thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square Tuesday night to protest what they call a coup by Egypt’s military rulers and show their support for the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate. Conflicting reports about the health of ousted President Hosni Mubarak overshadowed the protest, as one news agency reported he was clinically dead, which the military quickly denied. CNN

Egyptian rivals unite to confront the military
An emboldened Muslim Brotherhood appeared to be on a collision course with Egypt’s ruling generals last night, as it called on its millions of supporters to protest against this week’s military power grab and the recent dissolution of the Islamist-led parliament. The call, which followed the Brotherhood’s disputed claims of victory in the final round of presidential elections, came as Egypt’s unelected army rulers faced further pressure from Washington yesterday. The Independant

What the Wisconsin Recall Says About the Future of the U.S. Military
[...] As one D.C. friend told me over lunch recently, “The recession has finally reached Washington, and it ain’t leaving anytime soon.” [...] President Obama’s “symmetricization” of warfare points the way: more cyber, more SOF, more assassinations, more “leading from behind” (i.e., enforced hub-and-spokes collaboration with more incentivized local military powers), and fewer boots on the ground – or anywhere. U.S. Africa Command — AFRICOM — is the future: tiny facilities networked across the continent and a heavy reliance on contractors; a certain amount of do-good boots-on-the-ground presence but a preference for drone attacks. Time

Azawad forms interim government
The breakaway Touareg state of Azawad swore in an interim government Friday (June 15th) in Gao, despite a lack of recognition from the international community. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) established the interim authority unilaterally after a breakdown in talks with Islamist rebels Ansar al-Din. The secular-leaning MNLA originally declared an independent state in northern Mali on April 6th. Magharebia

Unrest in tense Nigeria leaves at least 95 dead
A fresh outbreak of unrest rocked parts of northern Nigeria on Tuesday, with 95 people killed in three days of violence and the country’s main Christian body evoking a “religious cleansing.” The new unrest broke out in the cities of Kaduna and Damaturu, adding to fears of spiralling violence in the country’s north, where Islamist group Boko Haram’s insurgency has been concentrated. AFP

Natural gas discoveries put E.Africa on world energy map
Massive offshore gas discoveries in East Africa are catapulting the region into a major player in the global energy arena, bringing billions in investment that could transform entire economies. Off the pristine beaches of Africa’s Indian Ocean coast, multinationals have struck gas — well upon well upon well. AFP

How to share the wealth of Uganda’s oil?
Africa seems to be experiencing something of a boom in the energy industry. Kenya recently announced its first oil discovery, while Tanzania and Mozambique are continuing to find large gas deposits off their coasts. Uganda was the first in the region to find oil and is in the process of evaluating its reserves with the aim of starting production in 2016. This has led to a big debate in the country over how to manage and share its coming wealth. BBC

UN and partners seek $1.6 billion for crisis-hit Sahel region in West Africa
The United Nations and its partners today appealed for $1.6 billion to provide vital humanitarian aid to people in the crisis-stricken Sahel region of West Africa, revising their previous requests for funding in light of the dramatic deterioration of the situation. The appeal will help provide food, nutrition, health services, sanitation and other urgent assistance to 18.7 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Gambia, Nigeria and Senegal. UN

Liberians in Ghana: When Refugees Cease to be Refugees
What next for the Liberians in Ghana who will lose their refugee status on June 30? [...] June 30 is D-Day for refugees at Buduburam and thousands of Liberians like them throughout the sub-region and the diaspora. On that day, Liberian refugees will be stripped of the protection of refugee status. The international community now has faith that Liberia has stabilised. UNHCR-Ghana says the country has shown significant improvements in human rights, the rule of law, and procedural democracy through two post-war ‘free and fair’ elections. It is debatable, Think Africa Press

Rwanda tells Congo to take responsibility for fighting
Rwandan President Paul Kagame called on neighbouring Congo to take responsibility for a surge in rebel fighting rather than blame Kigali for stoking the violence, marking a sharp escalation in rhetoric between the former foes. Kagame’s comments came after Congo accused officials in Rwanda of arming eastern rebels and diplomats said there was wrangling at the U.N. Security Council over a report believed to support the allegations of Rwandan interference. Reuters

US Increases Pressure on ‘Filthy Rich’ African Regime
At least a dozen Western companies—including some in the U.S.—were asked for millions of dollars in bribes or special favors by the forestry minister in the tiny West African nation of Equatorial Guinea, and some complied, according to a new filing by the U.S. Justice Department. Meantime, Equatorial Guinea’s president was in Washington Friday for what a State Department spokesperson described as “an open and frank exchange” with an assistant secretary of state, congressional staffers and civil society groups who have long complained about rampant corruption in the country. CNBC

Minister MacKay Announces Canadian Forces Participation in Exercise Africa Endeavor
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today announced the Canadian Army will send 12 military members to participate in Exercise Africa Endeavor (Exercise AE 12) being held in Douala, Cameroon from June 18 to 27. Exercise AE 12 is an annual international communications exercise that focuses on interoperability and information sharing among African partners. “I am pleased that Canada’s military contingent participating in this exercise is supporting the capacity building of our partner nations in Africa,” said Minister MacKay. Market Watch

Two tonnes of trafficked ivory seized: Interpol
Interpol on Tuesday said its biggest international operation against ivory traffickers had led to more than 200 arrests and yielded nearly two tonnes of contraband ivory. The three-month-long Operation Worthy, spread across 14 countries in east, south and west Africa, also led to the recovery of more than 20 kilograms of rhinoceros horn, a statement said. France 24

Africans protest in China as man dies in police custody
More than 100 Africans protested on Tuesday outside a police station in China’s southern Guangdong province after an African man died in police custody, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities. Reuters

Blog: How I navigated Kenya using Twitter
Surfers beware. There is an incredibly influential and vocal group on Twitter, using a common hashtag and blazing keyboards to ensure their African country is discussed fairly and with respect online. Kenyans on Twitter, better known as #KOT, are a 21st century phenomenon born out of the social media boom and growing economy in East Africa’s most populous city, Nairobi. Why are they so vocal and what is it doing for the country at large? My mission for “Inside Africa” recently was to find out – and I did so with an experiment. CNN

Power to More People: In African villages, solar systems can bring electricity to those off the grid
Africa may be about to get a whole lot more power. For years, nonprofits have worked to make lighting available and affordable to Africans who aren’t connected to a power grid. But they’ve managed to help only a tiny percentage of that population, mainly by selling them inexpensive kerosene lamps. Now, some of the world’s biggest energy companies are thinking on a much grander scale. They’re conducting projects to test the viability—and marketability—of solar-powered systems to provide electricity for lighting and other purposes in villages all over Africa. The Wall Street Journal

Ham: Africa Presents Opportunity, Challenges
For decades, Africa was arguably the most overlooked continent on the globe, with U.S. military involvement there shared among three combatant commands and engagement activities episodic at best. But five years since the standup of U.S. Africa Command, its commander called Africa a land of great opportunity, but he also said the continent presents threats not only to the immediate region, but to the United States and its interests as well. “There are a lot of reasons why Africa matters to the United States,” Army Gen. Carter F. Ham said during a recent interview with American Forces Press Service at his headquarters here. U.S. Department of Defense

Assistant Secretary Carson: Africa’s Development Is Top U.S. Priority
The top U.S. diplomat for Africa told a group of senior African security leaders that development is among the highest priorities for U.S. foreign policy on the continent. “Nowhere else in the world is development more critical to our engagement than in Africa,” Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson told a room full of decision-makers on June 18, 2012, the first day of a two-week seminar hosted in Arlington, Virginia, by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). [Watch the Video] . Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Security Leaders Briefed on New U.S. Africa Strategy at Africa Center Seminar
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) opened its annual Senior Leaders Seminar on June 18, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia, during which keynote speaker Amanda J. Dory, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa Policy, for the first time in public discussed the White House’s newly updated U.S. policy for sub-Saharan Africa [Watch the Video]. Africa Center for Strategic Studies


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