United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

19 April 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

Europe flights resume

European Union officials said air traffic could return to half its normal level this morning if the
dense cloud begins to dissipate. Germany has already allowed some flights to resume.

AFRICOM's First War: U.S. directs Large-Scale Offensive in Somalia

The U.S.-NATO-EU global triad plans an even larger collective military role in the new
scramble for Africa. On March 4 and 5 a delegation from AFRICOM met with European Union
officials in Brussels "seeking EU cooperation in Africa," specifically in "areas where cooperation
could be possible, notably with the soon-to-be-launched EU mission to train Somali troops."
"An American official in Washington, who said he was not authorized to speak publicly" - a
hallmark of the American free press - was, if not identified, quoted as maintaining that U.S.
covert operations were planned if not already underway and “What you’re likely to see is
airstrikes and Special Ops moving in, hitting and getting out.”

Report Somalia Al-Shabaab Metes Out Repression in

the South
The Islamist armed group al-Shabaab is subjecting
inhabitants of southern Somalia to killings, cruel
punishments, and repressive social control, Human Rights
Watch said in a report released today. Al-Shabaab, the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and African
Union (AU) forces in the war-torn capital, Mogadishu,
continue to conduct indiscriminate attacks, killing and
wounding numerous civilians. The 62-page report, "Harsh
War, Harsh Peace: Abuses by al-Shabaab, the Transitional Federal Government, and AMISOM
in Somalia," finds that al-Shabaab forces have brought greater stability to many areas in southern
Somalia, but at a high cost for the local population - especially women. "While al-Shabaab has
brought stability to some areas long plagued by violence, it has used unrelenting repression and
brutality," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The population
under al-Shabaab's control is paying a very steep price."

Report Tanzania leads region in illicit money flows

Dar es Salaam - Tanzania leads the list of East African states that have lost billions of dollars to
money laundering, tax evasion, government graft and other illegal operations, according to a
report by a US-based financial watchdog group. The report “Illicit Financial Flows from Africa:
Hidden Resources for Development,” by Global Financial Integrity, states that the country has
lost $8.9 billion over the past four decades through the illicit means. Kenya lost $7.3 billion
while Uganda lost $6.4 billion over the same period. Tanzania is ranked 13th among the top 15
countries with cumulative illicit outflows after Angola, Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Côte
d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan.
Zambia and Zimbabwe take the 14th and 15th positions respectively.

Back in April 8
Madagascar Sacked MOD minister denies coup plot
Antananarivo - The sacked Malagasy minister of armed forces, Noel
Rakotonandrasa, has said his dismissal was based on mere speculation and no
fact. “If we had wanted, this would have been done, but that is not desirable for
us or for Madagascar," he told journalists.

Ten days later on April 18

Madagascar Coup attempt foiled in Madagascar
Antananarivo - A coup attempt was foiled on Sunday in Madagascar after the minister of armed
forces in the Indian Ocean island country was sacked early in the month, according to the
military. Seven military officers and civilians planning to attack the leadership between Sunday
night and Monday morning were arrested in the afternoon, announced colonel Rene Lilison, who
heads the force of special intervention of the presidency.
The arrestees were captured around 1 p. m., Lilison told a press conference. They were shown to
journalists before being transferred to a brigade of the gendarmerie stationed at Betongolo near
the Defense Ministry.

Ethiopia EU agrees to observer status in May 2011 Addis polls

Addis Ababa - After a week of diplomatic wrangling, the European Union agreed to observer
status in Ethiopia’s general election scheduled for May 2011 after it reached a compromise last
Tuesday with the Ethiopian government. The EU was strongly opposed to the government’s
proposed code of conduct for election observers, and according to the deal, the European Union
election monitoring team will adhere to some of the Ethiopian government rules but will be
guided by EU guidelines.

Nigeria Germans kidnapped in Nigeria

Lagos - Two German men, aged 45 and 55, were kidnapped on Sunday from a beach in Nigeria's
oil-producing southeast, a security source said. One works in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers
State, while the other came from Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos. No group has claimed
responsibility for the kidnapping.

Nigeria sectarian tension rises

Kano - Nigerian Police on Sunday heightened security in the mainly Muslim state of Bauchi in
northern Nigeria in the wake of the murder of a Christian pastor and his wife. The burnt bodies
of a Pentecostal pastor, Ishaya Kadah, and his wife, Selina, were discovered on Thursday by the
police in Boto village, two days after they were kidnapped. Local residents and officials allege
the couple were abducted and killed by some Muslims from the village.

Sudan polls example for Africa says AU

Khartoum - Sudanese polls were "free and fair" considering the context, African Union observers
said on Sunday, a day after observers from the European Union and the Carter Centre said they
had failed to reach world standards. "It was not a perfect election... but it was a historic one,"
said Kunle Adeyemi who headed the AU observer mission in Sudan. "Looking into the fact this
is a country that had not had a multi-party election for almost a generation... to say they are free
and fair, to the best of our knowledge we have no reason to think the contrary," Adeyemi said.
"We have not found evidence of fraud... we saw a vote that was very transparent."

Sudan poll short of world standards says AU and US

Khartoum - "These elections have struggled to reach international standards. They have not
reached them all," the head of the European Union observer mission in Sudan, Veronique de
Keyser, told reporters. "It is apparent that the elections will fall short of meeting international
standards and Sudan's obligations for genuine elections in many respects," said a statement from
the US Carter Center.

Mali Italians freed in Mali 'look well'

Bamako - Sergio Cicala, 65, and his Burkina Faso-born wife Philomene Kabore, 39, were freed
on Friday after being abducted on December 18 in Mauritania and handed over to al-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali.

Algeria AQIM releases Algerian man

Algiers - An elderly Algerian man has been freed after being held hostage for almost a month by
al-Qaeda, state radio said on Sunday.The group had been demanding a ransom, but the villagers
of Ait Koufi in the Kabylie region, traditionally a safe haven for militants, refused to pay and
instead urged his captors to release him."We hope the kidnappers will learn a lesson, and will no
longer attack our people," a villager was quoted as saying by El Watan newspaper.

Africa troops to help keep peace in DRC

The Buffalo Volunteer Rifles (BVR) regiment is sending some of its most qualified troops to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in mid- May.The troops departed for Mthatha
yesterday for the final phase of their training, before heading to Bloemfontein and Pretoria and,
finally, to the DRC, Staff Sergeant Mark Hiles said. Another corporal, Sobantu Tshiqi, said he
was “proud” of his fellow soldiers and his country, and he wanted to go to the DRC to show the
world that “South Africa is a peace-loving nation … it’s time for nation-building, not fighting”.

DRC Canadian official arrives in Congo as speculation swirls

over Canada's military role
Kinshasa - Canadian Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean arrived in Congo
under heavy security Sunday amid indications Canada could take a
leading role in the world's deadliest conflict since the Second World
War.

DRC Only Congolese will initiate and bring change to DR Congo

Kinshasa - Considering local challenges and harmful international interference in the Democratic
Republic of Congo for the past 400 years, it takes the greatest courage to overcome fear of
oppression and to act for change. The courage demonstrated by grassroots Congolese women to
resist and overcome fear of their local and international oppressors is extraordinary in the history
of Africa....Congolese women refuse to be used as a propaganda tool by politicians or
NGOs and feel that the pictures of their nudity and poverty as well as that of their children
should not be exposed in such a way in America and Europe as to draw sympathy and money
that will never even reach the recipients…It is only by ending war and restoring the rule of law
through distributive justice that sexual violence will be effectively addressed in the DR Congo.
CAR official expects elections to be postponed again
Yaounde - Already postponed from April 25 to May 16, the presidential and legislative elections
in the Central African Republic could be postponed again, according to an official source. The
source close to the presidency told Xinhua on Sunday on telephone from Bangui, the capital of
the Central African Republic, the new postponement had been justified by the authorities as a
necessary guarantee for the success of elections.

Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Campaign Nabs Top Officials

Freetown — The crusade against corruption seems to be gathering momentum in this West
African country, with the arrest and prosecution of senior government officials, including cabinet
ministers.The latest to be roped in by the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), is
Afsatu Kabba, the then-Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, who is currently facing a
17-count indictment for graft and abuse of office. Kabba was sacked immediately the indictment
was announced. She was charged shortly after the conviction, in March, of another cabinet
minister, Sheku Tejan Kamara, who was heading the Health and Sanitation ministry.