Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Media Review for May 16, 2012

Africa Center for Strategic Studies — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:04:46 +0000

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

EU forces in anti-piracy raid on Somali mainland
The EU’s naval force off the Somali coastline on Tuesday carried out its first air strikes against pirate targets on shore, officials said. Maritime aircraft and attack helicopters took part in the attacks early in the morning on the mainland, a spokesman said. No casualties were reported in the raid along Somalia’s central coastline in the region of Galmudug. The long coastline of war-torn Somalia provides a perfect haven for pirate gangs preying on shipping off the east African coast. The Guardian

EU airstrike on Somali pirates echoes US drone strategy
An airstrike on Somali pirate logistics by EU helicopters puts EU members on footing similar to that of the US, which has used drones and special forces to target Islamist militant group Al Shabab. CS Monitor

Europe’s mainland piracy attack will escalate conflict
The midnight attack by a single helicopter firing its machine gun into half-a-dozen Somali pirate skiffs is some distance from the “shock and awe” that usually heralds the start of most campaigns. The Telegraph

Blogger Shines Light on U.S. Shadow War in East Africa
An innocuous-seeming U.S. Air Force press release. A serendipitous satellite image in Google Earth. Snapshots from a photographer on assignment at a Spanish air base. The crash of an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bomber in the United Arab Emirates. These are some of the fragments of information that Italian aviation blogger David Cenciotti has assembled to reveal the best picture yet of the Pentagon’s secretive war in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. In a series of blog posts over the past two weeks, Cenciotti has described in unprecedented detail the powerful aerial force helping wage Washington’s hush-hush campaign of air strikes, naval bombardments and commando raids along the western edge of the Indian Ocean, including terror hot spots Yemen and Somalia. Cenciotti outlined the deployment of eight F-15Es from their home base in Idaho to the international air and naval outpost at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, north of Somalia. Wired

Privately armed ‘navies’ to protect ships off Somalia coast
Privately armed patrol boats aimed at deterring Somali pirates could be up and running by as early as next month, after a prominent insurance firm agreed to provide financial support. Following the successful introduction of armed guards aboard several merchant ships plying the waters of the Gulf of Eden and the East African coast, Martin Reith, the founder and former chief executive of the Lloyd’s of London insurer Ascot Underwriting, has taken the protection business one stage further with his plans for a Convoy Escort Programme, which will complement the overstretched naval forces in the region. The East African

Big catch in joint hunt for LRA chiefs
The capture of a top Lord’s Resistance Army field commander at the weekend is a milestone that could signal they are closing in on notorious rebel leader Joseph Kony. News of the capture of Maj-Gen Caesar Acellam by Ugandan army, must be a heart-break to Kony, since he is likely to spill the beans regarding the insurgent group’s formation, recruitment and operation plan, as well as the whereabouts of its senior commanders that the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) troops are hunting down in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central Africa Republic jungles. Daily Nation

Al-Qaeda in northern Mali training recruits
Reports indicate a new al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) plan that may be under way to turn northern Mali into a base for training terrorists. AQIM is believed to have brought terrorist elements from Pakistan to provide training to new recruits in guerrilla warfare, use of various types of weapons, arms smuggling, and in laundering money collected from ransoms. This is in addition to providing advice to group leaders on how to deal with the world’s war against terror. Magharebia

Mali rebels face backlash after months of instability and violence
Attempts by Malian insurgents to impose sharia law in the north of the country have sparked protests against rebel control. Witnesses say Ansar Dine – the Islamic sect that controls much of northern Mali, together with Tuareg separatists the MNLA and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb – fired into the air injuring five people during protests in the northern city of Gao, including one by a stray bullet. “We received five wounded, including one by a bullet. They are all civilians,” a source at the hospital in Gao told the South African Press Association. The Guardian

Islamists block first Mali aid convoy to Timbuktu
Mali’s Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine blocked an aid convoy with tonnes of food and medical supplies for the northern city of Timbuktu objecting to the presence of women in a reception committee set up for the aid. The convoy marked the first aid deployed to Timbuktu since Mali’s government lost control of the vast northern region to separatist and Islamist rebels who capitalised on a March 22 coup in the capital Bamako to make a swift advance. DefenceWeb

Mali’s worst human rights situation in 50 years
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by fighting in northern Mali and dozens have been subjected to arbitrary detention, extra-judicial executions or sexual violence including rape, Amnesty International said today. In a report ‘Mali: Five months of crisis, armed rebellion and military coup’ Amnesty International catalogues a litany of human rights violations committed against the backdrop of a food shortage affecting 15 million people in the Sahel region. Amnesty International

Growing concern over jihadist ‘safe haven’ in eastern Libya
Diplomats and other observers in Libya say that with elections one month away, the National Transitional Council is struggling to exert control over various militia prominent in the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi. The situation is further complicated by tribal rivalries and a growing presence of Islamist militants in some areas. One source briefed by Western intelligence officials says of particular concern is the city of Derna on the Mediterranean coast some 160 miles (300 kilometers) west of the Egyptian border. CNN

NATO downplayed civilian deaths in Libya, HRW says
Human Rights Watch issued a report Monday saying that NATO air strikes killed 72 civilians in Libya last year and accusing the Western alliance of underplaying collateral damage during the campaign that helped oust Muammar Gaddafi. France 24

Sudan’s Bashir says no S.Sudan oil exports without security
Sudan will not allow South Sudan to export any oil through its territory unless the two states settle all disputes over border security, said President Omar al-Bashir. Oil, security and frontier disputes ignited border clashes last month and for a while raised fears of full-blown war in one of Africa’s most significant oil regions. South Sudan took three quarters of Sudan’s oil production when it became independent in July under a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war with Khartoum, Reuters reports. DefenceWeb

Sudan-South Sudan Conflict: Border Marked By New Trench As Rains Approach
[...] America and other nations are trying to stop all-out war from breaking out between Sudan and the world’s newest country, but the weather might do more to dampen hostilities. The sky is a low-hanging gray, portending seasonal rains which will turn the earth into mud, impassable to tanks and trucks. Brig. Gen. Abraham Jongroon Deng thinks the six-month rains will cool tensions. AP on the The Huffington Post

South Sudan’s announcement of $8 billion loan from China draws skepticism
The announcement made by South Sudan last month of an $8 billion loan from China appears to have been overblown, according to officials in Juba as well as diplomats. During a visit by South Sudan president Salva Kiir to Beijing, his Information Minister Barnaba Mariel Benjamin told reporters that the two sides sealed a deal on the line of credit that would be used mainly for infrastructure projects. Sudan Tribune

Uganda’s Museveni: The longer you stay, the lonelier it gets
[...] The country’s economy is at its weakest in nearly 18 years. Inflation dropped to 21 percent in March from a high of 31 percent at start of the year, and high interest rates have rattled investors and created mass discontent, sparking traders’ strikes and street uprisings. Only the army remains fiercely loyal to Museveni, but fissures have emerged over tribalised promotions. Recent leaks of secret information have shown that 86 percent of the top command of the special forces group comes from Museveni’s Western Region. Africa Report

Prosecutor seeks new Congo war crimes warrants
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has announced new charges against a former Congolese rebel leader who is also a general in the Congolese Army despite having been already accused of war crimes.The court issued an arrest warrant for Bosco Ntaganda in 2006 for his alleged role in perpetrating crimes against humanity, including the conscription of child soldiers in an eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CNN

Nigeria to deploy troops to Guinea Bissau within days
Nigeria will deploy troops to Guinea Bissau by May 18, Defence Minister Bello Haliru Mohammed said Monday at the opening of a meeting of military officials from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS in Abuja. France 24

Algerian women claw their way into parliament
Algeria’s legislative election saw women take almost a third of the seats, making the national assembly the most gender-balanced in the region but activists say the battle is far from won. Tiles Live

Despite Economic Growth, Food Insecurity Lingers in Africa
[...] food insecurity challenges are being faced by all Africans, as highlighted in a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which paints a gloomy picture of the food situation on the continent. The report, which was released on Tuesday, May 15, by the UNDP in Nairobi, decries what is says is the paradox of Africa being agriculturally endowed, but still acutely food insecure. IPS

Hollande faces first controversy over tribute to ‘racist’ Jules Ferry
France’s new President François Hollande started his term in office with a homage to Jules Ferry, the 19th-century politician seen as the father of the modern French education system. But Ferry was also an apologist for colonialism for racist reasons and that has aroused criticism. RFI


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Media Review for May 15, 2012

Africa Center for Strategic Studies — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:32:42 +0000

Today’s News

Africa’s army chiefs in Kampala to discuss security threats
A summit bringing together commanders of land forces of different African armies opened in Kampala yesterday with President Museveni cautioning the continent’s military brass against dabbling in sectarianism.[...]When asked whether the meeting will discuss the question of the American African Command (Africom) base being shifted from Germany to Africa, the Commander of the US Army Africa, one of the key facilitators of the summit, Maj. Gen. David Hogg, said the base would remain in Stuttgart. Daily Monitor

American trainers draw on lessons from a decade of war to train Ugandans for Somalia mission
The United States has sent in only small units of Special Forces to attack al-Qaida members in Somalia or hostage-taking pirates since U.S. troops withdrew from the nation in 1994, while other African countries have deployed thousands of troops to bring order to a country plagued by lawlessness, insurgents and hunger. Many of the American trainers give firsthand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t from years of learning to deal with improvised explosives, fighting insurgents in cities and other experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Washington Post

US leads world drive to oust Somalia terrorists
The current class of 3500 Ugandan soldiers, the biggest since the camp opened five years ago, is preparing to deploy to Somalia to join a growing international force composed entirely of African troops, but largely financed by Washington. After two decades of failed efforts, the US government and its allies in East Africa say the interventionist strategy is slowly bolstering security in war-torn and famine-stricken Somalia, long considered the most ungovernable country in the world. The European Union has also trained 603 Somalian soldiers in urban combat skills in preparation for deployment back to Somalia to maintain peace and order. Sydney Morning Herald

How America Settles Down Somalia (And, By Extension the Piracy Problem)
[...] Yes, nation-building in sum is hugely complex and far beyond the means of the U.S. government – much less its military. The only way to successfully build a nation is to integrate its economy to the larger regional and global economy, creating all sorts of invested stakeholders both inside and outside the country. When enough players value the economic transactions that ensue, stability will come because people with money will pay for it. Absent that underlying dynamic, no amount of security training or “capacity building” will matter. Government is a demand function – not a supply function. Create the demand and the governance will follow. Time

Supply vessels attacked of Nigeria as piracy threat grows
Two supply vessels have been attacked off the coast of Nigeria within 24 hours, with one vessel being briefly hijacked by pirates before being released. Piracy off West Africa has increased significantly this year, a maritime watchdog has warned. On May 7 a supply vessel with 17 crew on board was hijacked approximately 40 nautical miles from the coast and held for around 11 hours before being released, while the next day six pirates armed with assault rifles boarded a supply vessel towing a barge off Pennington Oil Terminal, Nigeria. The pirates launched their speedboat from a fishing trawler. DefenceWeb

African leaders meet on AU commission chief impasse
African leaders met in Cotonou Monday to examine again the thorny issue of electing a new chairman of the African Union Commission, a key post being contested by Gabon and South Africa. The one-day gathering was held to try to end the impasse after African leaders failed to choose between Gabon’s Jean Ping, who has held the post since 2008 and South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former foreign minister and ex-wife of the president. AFP

The Changing Chess Game In West African Politics (Opinion)
The former President of ECOWAS, James Victor Ghebo, was a catalyst in the dawning of West Africa’s changing political culture. And now, not to be out-done, the larger African Union body has come out swinging with jaw-dropping insinuations about the abominable political lethargy of the past. Africa’s political leaderships can no longer expect safe shelter behind the infinite power and influence of their non-descript monarchical regimes or hope that their impunities, a hallmark of their cataclysmic reigns, will continue to fall on deaf ears. Jollofnews

West African bloc may re-impose Mali sanctions
West Africa’s regional bloc threatened Monday to re-impose sanctions on Mali, saying that the junta’s actions “appear clearly designed to disrupt the political transition” after a coup in the West African nation.The statement came as Mali’s junta leader declared that the country would hold a national convention to choose a leader to rule until elections can be organized. AP on the Boston Globe

Algerian security services foil attack against EU monitors
A special unit of the Algerian security services has foiled a terror attack targeting EU monitors who were supervising the country’s recent parliamentary elections, local newspaper El Khabar reported Monday. Xinhua on China Daily

Looming Niger famine fails to attract aid
Agencies hoping to prevent a famine crisis in the landlocked West African nation of Niger are having trouble getting aid donors to take notice. Oil has recently been discovered in the country and it is set to become the world’s second-largest uranium exporter, but for the moment many of its residents are struggling to survive. Just 15 per cent of its land is good enough to produce food or raise animals and now, for the third time in the past decade, drought has returned to Niger. ABC Brisbane

Missing Pieces: China’s Challenges, Africa’s Mixed Picture, and More
In this week’s installment of Missing Pieces, Charles Landow discusses stories on China and Africa, as well as a report on U.S. international engagement. Enjoy the reading.
China’s Challenges: Last week brought troubling economic news for China, with disappointing indicators on everything from import growth to retail sales to real estate investment. The Financial Times, the Guardian, MarketWatch, and Reuters have reported on the numbers. The data indicating a slowdown come in the wake of major political scandals. Council on Foreign Relations

Defense minister: Nigeria ready to send troops to Mali, Guinea-Bissau after coups there
Nigeria’s defense minister says his country is ready to send troops to Guinea-Bissau and Mali as part of a regional force heading to the nations recently struck by coups. Bello Haliru Mohammed said Monday that the Nigerian troops would be part of the forces heading to the two West African countries on behalf of the regional body known as the Economic Community Of West African States. He said Nigerian troops will be in Guinea-Bissau before Friday, while soldiers would head to Mali when instructed by the regional body. AP on the Washington Post

Swazis disapprove of King Mswati’s leadership: poll
A public poll in Swaziland showed that 43 percent of the population disapproved of Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III, earning a sharp rebuke from the government on Monday. The poll by the US-based Gallup ranked Mswati among Africa’s least popular leaders. “Confidence in institutions is strongly associated with approval of the chief executive’s performance,” said Gallup in the survey. But the government rejected the results of the poll which covered leaders of 34 sub-Saharan nations. AFP

Could LRA commander’s capture help net Joseph Kony?
Captured deep in the remote Central African jungle, Ceasar Acellam is the highest-ranking Lord’s Resistance Army commander to be caught alive. Is the net closing on Joseph Kony? CS Monitor

‘Screaming Eagle’ Soldiers oversee demining in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Years after the Great War of Africa ended, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is covered with remnants of war scattered throughout the country in the aftermath of one of the deadliest conflicts worldwide since World War II. In an effort to help the DRC reduce the number of land mines and unexploded ordnance, four Soldiers from the 184th Ordnance Battalion (EOD), out of Fort Campbell, Ky., provided a train-the-trainer (TTT) course with 11 Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) deminers to improve their explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) skills. US Army Africa

Obama’s Gay Marriage Endorsement Not Popular in Africa
[...] The president’s immense popularity on the continent is taking a hit, even in his father’s native Kenya, says Nairobi resident Vincent Ondera. “President Obama, I just can’t imagine that he supports gay marriage. Why do I say so? In fact, I’m very much bitter with him, the president of the USA supporting gay marriage? Lesbian? No, it can’t happen” Homosexual acts are illegal in many sub-Saharan African countries like Kenya. Openly gay individuals on the continent face imprisonment, discrimination and physical violence. VOA

Murky world of South African politics
“Glass half-full or half-empty?” I’ve never known a country that provokes more obsessive, anxious debate about the future than South Africa – a miraculous, maddening, soap opera of a nation that seems to sneer disdainfully at the very idea that it might simply muddle through. BBC

Africa and the Power of the Pivot
[...] Africa, a continent widely associated in the Western imagination with poverty, corruption, conflict and disease. Yet Africa has become the world’s most underrated growth story — in part because many of its governments have developed the resilience that comes with the ability to pivot. You may have heard that Africa’s population surpassed one billion people in 2010, but did you know that though Africa and India have similar populations, Africans spent 35 percent more on goods and services in 2008 than Indians did. The percentage of Africans who live in cities is now comparable to that in China. By the end of this year, the number of mobile phones across the continent is expected to reach 735 million. The New York Times

Rebranding Africa
but not just for the sad and familiar reasons of conflict and suffering. The continent is entering the fashion arena, with the quality of its handwork, artistic creativity and its potential for economic growth bringing Africa literally in vogue. The key word for an overall résumé of changes in attitude and perception is “rebranding.” The New York Times

Nato hits back at Libya’s civilian deaths report
Nato has hit back at a report urging the alliance to investigate fully the deaths of civilians in air strikes in Libya last year. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at least 72 civilians had been killed in the strikes and the bloc needed to bear responsibility where appropriate. But Nato’s spokeswoman said the campaign was conducted “with unprecedented care and precision”. BBC

Op-Ed: New Africa or New Hype?
Page through any Africa section in the global press and you’re likely to be introduced to tech-savvy graduates in hip offices, stock traders checking commodity prices on mobile phones (of which there are more than in Europe and America), or African “lions” picking up where Asia’s “tigers” left off. By now everyone has heard that six of the world’s fastest growing economies are African. The Washington Post


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Global Challenge, Regional Responses: Forging a Common Approach to Maritime Piracy

Dubai School of Government — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:42:51 +0000

By Dubai School of Government, April 2011.

East and West Africa have emerged as global piracy hot spots where rising numbers of attacks have resulted in hundreds of kidnappings and billions of dollars in aggregate economic costs. Effective responses in both regions will require better management and control of maritime domains as well as legal reforms to address maritime criminality, subregional cooperation, and onshore political and development adjustments to mitigate the incentives that motivate many pirates.

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Media Review for May 14, 2012

Africa Center for Strategic Studies — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:55:31 +0000

Today’s News

Joseph Kony Top Commander Captured in Central Africa
A senior commander in the rebel army of the world’s most wanted warlord is now in custody, according to Ugandan military officials. The officials told The Associated Press they captured Joseph Kony’s top military strategist, Ceasar Acellam, Saturday in a brief gun battle in central Africa. “He’s a very big fish,” said one of the officials who asked to remain anonymous. “He is one of the top division commanders.” ABC News

US hails Algeria elections
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has hailed Algeria’s elections, despite widespread suspicion over results that saw the regime tighten its grip on power, bucking the Arab Spring trend of change. Official results from Thursday’s legislative election showed a higher-than-expected turnout of 42%, with the party that has ruled Algeria since independence 50 years ago winning comfortably and Islamists losing ground. News 24

Bouteflika’s ruling National Liberation Front wins Algeria election
Algeria’s ruling National Liberation Front has won legislative elections in a blow for the Islamists who were hoping to ride on the Arab Spring’s tide of democratic change. RFI

U.S. trains African soldiers for Somalia mission
[...] Despite the warnings, the number of recruits graduating from this boot camp — built with U.S. taxpayer money and staffed by State Department contractors — has increased in recent months. The current class of 3,500 Ugandan soldiers, the biggest since the camp opened five years ago, is preparing to deploy to Somalia to join a growing international force composed entirely of African troops but largely financed by Washington. The Washington Post

Al-Qaeda draws Maghreb militants to Mali
Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has a new strategy to bolster its ranks in northern Mali: bringing in recruits from the Maghreb. Maghreb militants are flocking to Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao to join al-Qaeda brigades, local officials report. “Hundreds of fighters from Tunisia, Libya and the Maghreb have arrived in northern Mali to join al-Qaeda, Malian daily L’Express quoted a defence ministry official as saying on Sunday (May 6th). Magharebia

Blog – Pushing all the right buttons: interview with Mali’s Captain Amadou Sanogo
[...]In the course of this 50-minute interview, conducted in French, it became clear that Sanogo is not only politically savvy but an effective communicator who knows how to reach an audience and push the right buttons. Bridges to Bamako

Deserting Refugees in the Sahara
As dusk settles over the isolated Saharan town Kufra, young guards order a few hundred migrants lined up at a detention centre to chant “Libya free, Chadians out”, before they kneel down for evening prayers. Most of the prisoners in the small, squalid compound called the Freedom Detention Centre – run by Kufra’s military council – are from Chad. Hundreds more, from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia, were moved to bigger facilities due to overcrowding. IPS

Tiny Guinea-Bissau has big role in drug smuggling, and seems likely to keep it
Guinea-Bissau, on the west coast of Africa, is one of the smallest and poorest countries in the world, but it has a big claim to fame: It’s become a key hub for South American drug traffickers looking to make a few hundred million dollars a year shipping their goods to Europe via West Africa. As a way station, it is ideal, just a four-hour flight from Brazil, with dozens of unpopulated islands for drug-bearing planes to land. And it is virtually risk free. Other than the underfunded Interpol office, Western police agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, don’t have much of a presence. More importantly, the country’s military is known to be deeply involved in the drug trade, guaranteeing that even if a shipment is detected, police intervention is useless. McClatchy News

Sudan’s conflict with South Sudan cuts both ways
It has come to this: The Sudanese government is sending out text messages to the population begging for donations to help the cash-strapped military. “Please help support the army,” the messages plead. “If you want to contribute 10 Sudanese pounds, send number 10, and if you want to contribute 50 pounds, send the number 50.” This would not appear to an optimum moment to get into a war with its newest neighbor, South Sudan. LA Times

Army plots Zanu’s election offensive
Zanu-PF is running a paramilitary campaign ahead of the next elections to ensure that President Robert Mugabe is re-elected for another five-year term, whatever it takes. Security forces, coordinated by the Joint Operations Command (JOC) – which brings together army, police and intelligence chiefs – are running covert operations and campaigning underground for Mugabe and Zanu-PF. Times Live

Rising tribalism in South Africa
A new wave of tribalism is threatening to unravel South Africa’s infant democracy, destroy economic development and unleash devastating ethnic violence if not stopped decisively. This apparent new upsurge in tribalism in South Africa appears to be driven by a number of factors. There has been appallingly poor political leadership at the helm of South Africa. A perception has now taken root that to be successful in South Africa, whether securing a job or a tender in the public and private sectors depends mostly about whom you, rather than one’s talents. Pambazuka News

Thousands of South African prisoners set to be freed
At least 15 000 prisoners would be released “conditionally or unconditionally.” They will be freed along with more than 20,000 offenders on probation or parole who qualify to have their sentences reduced over the next three months. Zuma made the announcement during the country’s Freedom Day celebrations at the end of April. He said prisoners who qualified would receive a blanket six to 12 month reduction of their prison sentences. The Africa Report

In Zimbabwe’s Media, It’s All About Robert Mugabe
[...] “It’s actually not journalism, it’s propaganda. I mean, it’s straightforward propaganda,” says Andy Moyse, the director of the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, a private group based in Harare. Under a 2009 agreement, Zimbabwe is now supposed to be opening the airwaves and implementing media reforms. But that hasn’t happened. NPR

South Sudan airlift to start
An airlift of up to 15 000 ethnic South Sudanese aims to start from the Sudanese capital early on Monday after a series of delays, the International Organisation for Migration said. “We hope that we will have one plane leaving either 09:00 or 09:30 tomorrow morning (06:00 or 06:30 GMT),” Jill Helke, who heads the IOM in Sudan, told AFP on Sunday. News 24

China Plays Bigger Diplomatic Role in Sudan Conflict
China is playing a bigger diplomatic role in trying to end hostility between Sudan and South Sudan. The Obama administration says that could help resolve a standoff that has cut Sudanese oil exports. VOA

Libya, U.S. Probe Oil-Company Deals
Authorities in the U.S. and Libya are investigating oil giants such as Italy’s Eni SpA and France’s Total SA over their past relations with the fallen Libyan regime, potentially casting a cloud on the companies’ ambitions to expand their foothold in the country with the largest oil reserves in Africa. Last year, a civil war that toppled Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi nearly shut down the country’s crude production, stressing global oil markets. But as oil-company operations return to normal, the probes may complicate the oil companies’ business in the country. The Wall Street Journal

Exclusive wire taps on Gaddafi’s inner circle
Al Jazeera has obtained secret recordings of Muammar Gaddafi made during the Libyan revolution. The recordings are mobile phone wire taps of two members of Gaddafi’s inner circle, Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, his prime minister and Tayeb el Safi, one of his most trusted aides. Al Jazeera

Nigeria ‘arrests senior Boko Haram official’
Nigerian soldiers have arrested a suspected leading Boko Haram fighter in a raid in the northern state of Kano, a military spokesman and security sources said. Suleiman Mohammed was arrested on Friday along with his wife and five children, a security source involved in the raid in the Farawa neighbourhood of Kano, the largest city in the north, said. Al Jazeera

Hype over East Africa’s oil, gas discoveries requires dose of reality
Since 2010, we have also seen major gas discoveries offshore of Tanzania and Mozambique and on March 26, this year, Tullow Oil announced an oil discovery in the Kenyan Rift Basin (though this is not confirmed as a commercial deposit despite the hype after the announcement). Coupled with this exploration success there has also been a good deal of M&A activity in the region’s oil and gas sector, culminating in the ongoing sale of Cove Energy plc, whose assets in Mozambique and Kenya have attracted the attention of many companies. So amid all the enthusiasm, what is the reality? East African

Race for Egypt: Inside the Three-Way Fight for the Presidency
Egypt’s first real presidential contest ever, for which the candidates met last night for the Arab world’s first-ever real presidential debate, has all the makings of a genuinely interesting fight. The front-runners nicely capture a wide stretch of the spectrum, while leaving out the extremes. Voter interest appears high, and the military rulers seem unlikely to allow major fraud based on their record with parliamentary elections. The Atlantic

Turkish commandos arrest 14 pirates, free seven Yemenis
Turkish commandos have arrested 14 pirates thought to be from Somalia off the coast of Oman and freed seven Yemeni sailors they were holding hostage, the army said Sunday. A helicopter of the frigate Giresun, which operates with NATO forces in the region, spotted the boat Friday around 190 nautical miles from the Omani coast, the army said in a statement on its website. Al Arabiya

Western Media Has Forgotten the Bright Side of Africa
When Americans think of Africa, images of famine, poverty, sickness, and war are embedded in their Western minds. AIDS, tribal warfare, and chaos are the associative key terms that remain in their thoughts. These negativities about Africa have been carried for generations, so long that even in 2012 these notions have not been fully abandoned. Policymic

Nigerian universities demand bribes for admission
Every year about 1 million Nigerian students pass college entrance exams, but the country’s universities can admit only 300,000. The shortage of university places leaves most of Nigeria’s best students frustrated and uneducated, according to Kabir Mato, director of the Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies at the University of Abuja. [...] Prospective university students say the fact that there are not enough university places is not nearly as frustrating as the corruption and nepotism of the application process. Globalpost

Congo: Fighting Malaria In The Face Of Ignorance And Intimidation
Despite political highjacking, corruption and lack of information, a campaign to promote insecticide-treated mosquito nets is helping the Democratic Republic of Congo fight its number one child killer: malaria. Worldcrunch-SYFIA


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Media Review for May 11, 2012

Africa Center for Strategic Studies — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:33:46 +0000

Today’s News

Mali coup leader who stood aside now wants power back
The officer who led a military coup in Mali in March wants to take back power when the term of a caretaker president, appointed under an agreement brokered by regional mediators, runs out later this month, aides said. The military nominally handed over power last month to Dioncounda Traore. Regional bloc ECOWAS, Mali’s foreign donors and many political parties want him to stay in office to oversee a transition back to civilian rule even after his 40-day mandate expires on May 21. DefenceWeb

Algeria’s parliamentary elections run smoothly: EU monitors
The head of EU electoral monitor mission in Algeria, Jose Ignacio Salafranca, said Thursday the country’s parliamentary elections have been running smoothly so far. “Everything is running normally and peacefully, for the moment, ” Salafranca told reporters this morning after visiting some polling stations in the capital Algiers. Xinhua

France’s New President: Foreign Policy and Where North Africa Stands
The North Africa Journal | President-elect François Hollande of France has his work cut out on the foreign policy front. His predecessor is leaving office with a sense of missed achievements and a series of policies blunders that need urgent fixing. In a five-year period, Sarkozy failed to leverage appropriately and responsibly his country’s global leadership position as a major economic and military power. That started with his failure to impose a more assertive France on the burning issues of the Euro-zone and the serious topic of the future of Europe. The North Africa Journal

Dissident Congo Colonel Says His Men Won’t Disarm
A group of Congolese soldiers who created a rebel group after defecting from the army have no intention of laying down their weapons despite an ultimatum from the government and the expiration of a cease-fire with the military, one of their leaders said Thursday. AP on ABC News

Rwanda on alert: DRC violence could help Interahamwe rebels to regroup
The recent violent clashes between forces loyal to rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda and the Congolese army in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo could help the Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda to regroup. The Rwandan army is now pushing for dialogue between the two parties after holding talks with top Congolese military officials last week. The East African

Guinea security forces clash with protesters
At least 41 people have been injured in clashes in Guinea between police and opposition protesters demanding long-delayed parliamentary elections. A total of 24 protesters were hurt in Thursday’s riots, including one in a serious condition after being shot, hospital sources said, while 17 police officers were injured by missiles, according to local television reports. Al Jazeera

In 2 Sudans, Familiarity With Path to War
The United States, the African Union and the United Nations have pushed both sides to stop fighting, saying the last thing this region needs is another major conflict. Sudan and South Sudan have agreed in principle in recent days to return to the negotiating table, though officials from the South say Sudan has continued to bomb areas along the border. Most South Sudanese, including top officials, are now convinced that more fighting is not a question of if, but when. “Khartoum will definitely be attacking us,” said South Sudan’s vice president, Riek Machar, who is leading the nationwide mobilization effort. “This is our history, this is our inbuilt way of coping with problems.” The New York Times

Sudan President Warns South Sudan His Forces Will ‘Chop Off Any Hand’ Trying To Take Land
Sudan’s president vowed revenge for any attacks by South Sudan against the north’s territory, saying Thursday his forces will “chop off any hand” trying to take Sudanese land. Omar al-Bashir also claimed his soldiers killed more than 1,300 South Sudanese troops during the 10-day fighting last month over the oil-rich border town of Heglig, which the south briefly captured. Heglig is claimed by the north and has since been reoccupied by Sudan. AP on The Huffington Post

Pirates seize Greek-owned tanker off Oman
Pirates have hijacked a Greek-owned oil tanker carrying 135,000 metric tonnes of crude oil while in the Arabian Sea, the first successful attack on an oil tanker off the Horn of Africa in more than a year. The vessel’s manager, Dynacom Tankers Management, said it had lost contact with the crew of the MT Smyrni, a Suezmax-class tanker, following the attack off Oman at 1115 GMT on Thursday. Reuters

Somalia set to unify anti-militant forces
The high-powered Joint Security Committee for Somalia Wednesday backed a plan to unify pro-government forces fighting the militant Al- Shabaab and Al-Qaeda extremist groups. The team, comprising representatives from the United Nations, African Union, Intergovernmental Agency on Development (Igad), United States and the United Kingdom, agreed that the forces would now all operate under the command of the Defence ministry. Africa Review

In Somalia, The Show Must Go On
In Mogadishu, artists have been forced to work underground for the past 21 years. Now as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab warlords lose their grip on the city, Somalian culture rises from its ashes, as symbolized by the reopening of the once bombed Mogadishu National Theater. Worldcrunch – Die Welt

Ethiopia: Development over democracy
International financial institutions rank Ethiopia as one of the fastest growing economies but debates rage over its political strategy and regional role. Africa Confidential

Ethiopia’s Meles Blames African Corruption on Foreign Investors
What is the poison that corrupts many African leaders, no matter how honorable their intentions when they take office? That was the question put to a panel of that included heads of state and government at the World Economic Forum on Africa on Thursday. The question received a surprisingly candid answer. VOA

South Africa troubled by corrupt cops
More than 630 police officers were arrested in South Africa’s Gauteng province in 2011, mainly on charges of fraud and corruption, but also for rape and murder, according to the latest statistics. “It’s good news,” said Lieutenant-General Mzwandile Petros, police commissioner of Gauteng, the province that includes the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, in describing the arrests. “If there is one thing the people of this province are sick of, it’s corruption in the police,” he told reporters. Globalpost

Presidential front-runners face off in historic TV debate
The two front-runners among Egypt’s 13 presidential candidates, Amr Moussa (right) and Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh (left), discussed their pasts, Islamic law and relations with Israel in a heated TV debate on Wednesday ahead of May 22-23 elections. France 24

Thousands remain in secret Libya militia prisons: UN
About 4,000 people are still being held in militia detention centres in Libya, often in secret and many are tortured, a UN envoy said. Times Live

Libya heavy weapons seized by Egypt
An Egyptian police official says security forces have confiscated dozens of heavy weapons seized from smugglers near the Libyan border. The official says the weapons include 40 surface-to-surface missiles, 17 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortar rounds, automatic rifles and around 10 000 artillery shells. News 24

Libya’s transitional council faces difficult path ahead
Libya’s first national democratic elections are scheduled to take place in June. But the ruling transitional council is hardly functional and the country faces a number of major problems. Deutsche Welle

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi ‘gave direct orders for Libyan opponents to be killed’
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi gave direct orders for opponents in the country’s east who had rebelled against the regime to be killed, taped telephone calls have revealed. The Telegraph

China and Angola A Marriage of Convenience?
There has been an explosion of attention on China’s interests and activities in Africa and on the wide spectrum of Chinese actors involved in countries across the continent, but the terms and implications of the China-Angola partnership remain unclear. This book focuses on the increased co-operation between Angola and China and shows that although relations with China might have bolstered regime stability and boosted the international standing of the Angolan government, China is not regarded as a long term strategic partner. Pambazuka Books

Zambia’s President Accuses Foreign Diplomats of Meddling
Zambian President Michael Sata has warned foreign diplomats against meddling in Zambia’s internal affairs. The warning came after opposition leaders reportedly met with European Union officials in Lusaka over the government’s suspension of three judges. Information Minister Fackson Shamenda said President Sata was simply reminding the diplomats to follow protocol, including informing Zambia’s foreign minister before meeting with Zambian opposition or NGOs. VOA

Malawi: Dream fades for inland port project
[...] For former President Bingu wa Mutharika, the construction of an inland port at Nsanje meant linking land-locked Malawi with the Indian Ocean port of Chinde, 238 kilometres away in neighbouring Mozambique, through the Shire-Zambezi Waterway project. The aim was to reduce the high costs of importing and exporting goods by road via Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre and the Mozambican port city of Beria – a round trip of about 1,200 kilometres. But Mutharika’s enthusiasm for the project was not matched by his counterpart in Mozambique. IRIN

The collapse of the Euro; the Fall of the CFA
The euro zone continues to falter as uncertainty surrounding the fiscal actions of Greece and Italy, skyrocketing unemployment figures and living costs lead to ever gloomier predictions. Conversely, most African economies are increasingly recording impressive growth rates in GDP and in other yardsticks. One sore point of convergence in the Euro-Africa recession and growth dichotomy, however, is the Franc Zone. That is, those former French colonies still under the economic protection of France as evidenced by their use of the CFA franc as a unifying currency. While the rest of sub-Saharan African countries have in recent times recorded between 5 – 11 per cent growth rates, the CFA franc zone has lagged behind at 2 – 3 per cent and even less. Pambazuka News


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Africa Center Hosts Roundtable with Africa Diplomats and U.S. Government Employees

Africa Center for Strategic Studies — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:12:45 +0000

View Photos of the Event.

African and U.S. diplomats offered their perspectives on U.S. relations with the continent and the current political turmoil in several African nations during a roundtable hosted by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) on May 3, 2012, at the National Defense University.

The roundtable featured Ambassador Al-Maamoun Keita, Mali’s ambassador to the United States; Ambassador Robert Weisberg, former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Congo; and Pascal Batjobo, minister-counselor at Burkina Faso’s embassy in Washington, D.C. The gathering was part of ACSS’s Introduction to African Security Issues (IASI) seminar, which helped 39 U.S. government employees working on U.S. relations with Africa to gain a richer understanding of the African security landscape as well as a more detailed understanding of U.S. interests, policies, and programs relating to the continent. Employees attending the four-day seminar included those who work for the U.S. Department of Defense and several other U.S. government agencies that work in and with Africa, such as the U.S Department of State and the Department of Agriculture.

Panelists discussed the African Union (AU) Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which has been ratified by 15 nations and entered into force in February 2012. Recent political upheavals in Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Senegal represented test for the Charter’s goal of political continuity in Africa. The discussions with African diplomats adhered to the Africa Center’s strict policy of non-attribution to for allow open academic dialogue. However, there was broad agreement that Senegal appears to have passed its recent test of governance while, while Guinea-Bissau and Mali remain works in progress. The recent military coups in West Africa were seen as anachronisms, representing serious setbacks for freedom and democracy. The coups also highlighted the fragility of Africa’s democracy and the daunting task of implementing the AU Charter.

David Brown, a career Senior Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State and diplomatic advisor to the Africa Center, moderated a question-and-answer session after the presentations. Topics included corruption, democracy and governance in Africa, and the challenges to achieving better cooperation between the United States and African nations and regional organizations. The audience also discussed U.S. assistance to African militaries and China’s growing role on the continent. At the conclusion of the roundtable, participants expressed their pleasure at the opportunity to discuss African issues and challenges with diplomats who have deep experience on the continent.

The Africa Center is one of five Department of Defense regional centers for research and academic outreach and supports U.S. policy by bringing civilian and military leaders together for informed debate on current security challenges facing Africa and the international community. Since 1999, more than 4,500 African and international professionals have participated in ACSS programs.

Division in Sudan’s Ruling Party and the Threat to the Country’s Future Stability

International Crisis Group — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:21:54 +0000

International Crisis Group, May 2011.

PICTURE: http://unmis.unmissions.org/DesktopModules/InfoPoint.dnnPhotoGallery3/ImageViewer.htm?url=/Portals/UNMIS/dnnPhotoGallery/5708/7791.jpg

Facing worsening instability, President Bashir and his National Congress Party allies have sought to reinforce their authority by fomenting rifts in the security forces, subnational authorities, and other potential challengers. The NCP leadership has also resisted reform calls from moderate party members and opposition groups and reinforced its exclusionary Arab-Islamic identity for Sudan. Such short-sighted maneuvers may result in a failure to address significant rights and reconciliation issues in restive peripheral regions of the country, a stagnating economy, and a deteriorating NCP party platform that lacks strategic vision. Download the Article: [PDF]

Zimbabwe: The Evolving Public Mood

AfroBarometer — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:19:32 +0000

By Afrobarometer, December 2010.

Zimbabweans continue to fear the political process in their country. According to surveys, substantial majorities support elections, but diminishing numbers believe they will be free and fair or that their new electoral commission is effective and independent. Moreover, growing numbers refuse to disclose their political party affiliation and continue to express concerns about the level of political violence in their country. Left unaddressed, these issues will complicate a forthcoming constitutional referendum and other preparations necessary to hold future national elections. Download the Article: [PDF]

Beyond Mugabe: Preparing for Zimbabwe’s Transition

Center for Strategic and International Studies — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:16:41 +0000

By Robert I. Rotberg. Center for Strategic & International Studies, August 2011.

Picture: http://www.irinnews.org/photo/Details.aspx?ImageID=2007111411

South Africa and many other Southern African Development Community (SADC) members no longer regard Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as indispensable, presenting new opportunities to enhance the likelihood of a sustainable democratic transition. International partners should reinvigorate their engagement and work closely with South Africa and SADC to strengthen progressive opposition forces in the government and moderate members of the ruling party in Zimbabwe. Additional useful options include referring Mugabe and regime leaders to the International Criminal Court and completing an election road map. Download the Article: [PDF]

Africa Center for Strategic Studies

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Africa Center Hosts Roundtable with Africa Diplomats and U.S. Government Employees

Division in Sudan’s Ruling Party and the Threat to the Country’s Future Stability

Zimbabwe: The Evolving Public Mood

Beyond Mugabe: Preparing for Zimbabwe’s Transition

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