United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

23 March 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

Ghana US OIL Firm officials Apologies to Gov't for their Conduct

After many months of muscle-flexing, US Oil firm, Kosmos Energy, finally checked itself, and
like a prodigal son, sneaked to the Castle to render an apology to President John Evans Atta
Mills and the people of Ghana for their conduct over the years.

Somalia group rejects deal with government

section of the leadership of Somali moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunna wal-Jamea (ASWJ) on
Monday hit at foreign countries accusing them for forcing an agreement between the group and
the Transitional Federal Government. Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, the group’s first vice
chairman Sheikh Hassan Sheik Abdi said external forces played a major role in the signing of the
peace agreement in Addis Ababa last week. Sheikh Abdi termed the pact as ‘premature’ saying it
came at a time when the group’s leadership was planning on how to engage external players, a
process which was yet to be completed. “We were all surprised. Then we were busy arranging
ourselves as a group, adopting a new strategy paper and preparing a new constitution. These,
needed a general conference which had been contemplated two months ago,” he said.

Liberia Armed Men Abduct Foreign Workers in Sinoe

Monrovia - About 50 armed men attacked a mining company in Sinoe County last week and
abducted a number of foreigners, including British, American and Australians.

Liberia UNMIL Soldiers Make U.S. List for Brutality Against Students, Journalist
Monrovia - UNMIL peacekeepers and Liberian police have made the US State Department
Report for brutalizing a journalist and students with impunity. A journalist on this paper was
severely brutalized when in covering a students riot in 2007 and the paper's camera damaged.
UNMIL conducted its probe into the incident but despite several written appeals from this paper,
UNMIL refused to acquaint the paper with its findings. They remain secret."During the year
UNMIL completed its investigation into the 2007 beating by LNP officers and UNMIL
peacekeepers of students and journalists. No action was taken against police or peacekeepers",
the report noted.

Liberia Govt. Rejects U.S. Rights Report

Monrovia - The Government has rejected the US State Department's 2009 Human Rights report
which outlined corruption, abuses and impunity in every aspect of the administration.

CAR Ugandan rebels kill 10 and kidnap dozens in CAR

BANGUI - Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebels killed at least 10 people and kidnapped
more than 50 in attacks on three villages in the eastern Central African Republic at the weekend,
local officials said on Monday.
Ethiopia Licensed to Steal
Addis - Last week the secret world of Meles Zenawi’s kleptocracy, famine aid-sharking and
money laundering in Ethiopia was exposed by two of his former comrades-in-arms in the
Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Gebremedhin Araya, a former treasurer and TPLF co-
founder Dr Aregawi Berhe, detailed the scam used to swindle, hustle and con millions of dollars
from international famine relief organisations in the mid-1980s. The two former top leaders
accused the TPLF leadership, including Zenawi, of taking tens of millions of dollars earmarked
for famine relief in the Tigrai region to buy weapons and enrich themselves.

Ethiopia Repression Rising Ahead of May Elections

Addis - Human Rights Watch calls on the Ethiopian government to take urgent steps to improve
the electoral environment by immediately releasing political prisoners; supporting independent
efforts to investigate and publicly report on abuses, including by international electoral
observers; and ceasing attacks and intimidation on political opposition, independent civil society,
and the media.

Kenya Terror suspect might have fled to Uganda

Nairobi A terror suspect who escaped from police custody in Busia is believed to have fled to
Uganda, while three police officers suspected to have let him escape have been suspended. Mr
Hashi Hussein Farah, who holds an Australian passport, is alleged to have links with the al
Shabaab rebels in Somalia and Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda. Sources at Busia police station said
his escape was well planned.

US warns ships of attacks off Yemen

The US government has warned ships sailing off Yemen's coast that they are susceptible to
attacks by al-Qaeda. Information suggests that al-Qaeda remains interested in maritime attacks in
the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen," the office
said in a statement, citing an advisory by the US department of transportation.

Britain at risk from al-Qa'ida 'dirty' nuclear bomb

Britain is facing an increased threat of nuclear attacks by al-Qa'ida terrorists, according to three
counter-terrorism reviews published yesterday.

Algeria Terrorism in Africa: Best way forward is economic development

Algiers - Participants of the Algiers conference agreed that quite apart from security issues, the
fight against terrorism and crime must be supported by economic development. We can indeed
not have a real and lasting security without addressing the roots of violence.

Algeria Spanish engineer disappeared in the desert of Ouargla

Algiers - No official information has been provided on the disappearance of the engineer who
would, according to information received by Ennahar, be missing since last Thursday.

Sudan South Sudan refuses northern army vote escort

KHARTOUM - South Sudan's dominant party on Tuesday accused the north of trying to skew
April's national elections by asking the northern army to transport ballot papers to the semi-
autonomous south.

Sudan SPLM up in arms against electoral list

Khartoum - SPLM has accused the National elections Commission (NEC) for not including the
names of its supporters on the voters list.

Sudan al-Bashir threatens U.S-funded election monitors

Khartoum - Sudan’s president, Mr. Omar al-Bashir has threatened United States-funded election
observers, Carter Center, with expulsion and attacks, should elections scheduled for April 11 be
postponed.

Djibouti president hints at third term

DJIBOUTI - The president of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh signalled in an interview that he
was prepared to run for a third six-year term if lawmakers amend the constitution in the small
Horn of Africa nation.

Djibouti's Foreign Minister says Dispute with Libya Over

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf has stated to
Asharq Al-Awsat that Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh will participate in the upcoming
Arab summit scheduled for end of March in Libya. In a telephone interview with Asharq Al-
Awsat the Foreign Minister called on the Arab summit to back Djibouti's position against Eritrea,
and announced the end of the dispute with Libya which arose as a result of the latter's opposition
to imposing sanctions on Asmara over its aggressive policy toward Djibouti and Somalia.

US President Obama Extends DED for Liberians in US

U.S. President Barack Obama has extended for 18 months the special immigration status for
about 4,000 Liberians who fled to the United States during Liberia’s civil war.

Mauritania formally severs diplomatic ties with Israel

Nouakchott - Mauritania has fully severed diplomatic ties with Israel, the northwest African
country's foreign minister said late on Saturday, completing a process that began last year.

Niger and Chad on hunger alert

DAKAR - The Red Cross is appealing for nearly $1 million to run food relief programmes in
Niger which is expected to be hardest hit by projected food shortages due to poor harvests in
West Africa's Sahel region, the IFRC said in Dakar on Monday.

Nigeria Jonathan likely to meet Obama in April: official

ABUJA – Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is likely to meet US President Barack
Obama next month in Washington, outgoing foreign minister Ojo Maduekwe said on Monday.

Nigeria Jonathan Urged to Stop Crude Export

Warri — acting President Goodluck Jonathan has been called upon to take steps to immediately
stop the exportation of all crude products from the country. An expert in the oil and gas industry
in Nigeria, Chief Charles Akeni, who made the call in Warri yesterday in a chat with newsmen
on the state of the nation, said export of crude products only served to create job opportunities in
foreign countries.

Nigeria crude output to ease in May

LONDON - Exports of Nigeria's two benchmark crude oil grades, Qua Iboe and Bonny Light,
were expected to fall in May from the previous month, trade sources said on Monday.
Nigeria Jonathan to meet with ex-militant leaders
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to meet with ex-militant leaders in Abuja
shortly to review the post-amnesty programme and the circumstances that led the Movement for
the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, to disrupt the post-amnesty dialogue, organized by
Vanguard Newspapers, March 15 in Warri. An ex-militant leader told Vanguard yesterday: "I
have been contacted that the Acting President wants to meet with us on his direction concerning
post-amnesty programme and Niger-Delta, as a whole but I don't know the date for the meeting
yet.

Nigeria Evangelist, 4 others kidnapped in Aba

ABA—Kidnappers last week went on rampage at the Ogbor Hill area of the commercial town of
Aba in Abia State, abducting five persons, including a popular TV preacher, Evanglist Jacob
Achilefu of the Church of Christ, Aba.

Nigeria Gunmen kidnap Imo monarch during Church Service

OWERRI—A first-class traditional ruler and secretary of Ndi-Eze in Owerri-West Local
Government Area of Imo State, Eze H.M. Obichere, Eze Ola 1 of Oforola was weekend
abducted by unknown gunmen, who stormed his country home and whisked him away at
gunpoint. Eze Obichere was said to have been abducted while attending a church service.

Nigeria PFN raises alarm over ‘quiet Jihad’

THE Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has raised the alarm over what it called the “quiet
Jihad” in some parts of the north, just as it alerted of fresh plans to launch similar attacks on
other states of the north. National Chairman, Youth wing of the PFN, Dr Abel Damina, in a
statement alleged that the Muslim fundamentalists were out to exterminate Christians in all parts
of the north in the spirit of the Jihad.

UN More deaths from unsafe water than from war

More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war, UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday in a message to mark World Water Day.

Senegal army, rebels clash

Kolda - The Senegalese army and suspected separatist rebels clashed on Monday in the country's
restive southern Camamance province, according to a military source.