United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

22 February 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

U.S. Army Africa Command Sgt. Maj. Hu Rhodes assumes responsibility in Vicenza
ceremony (U.S. Army Africa)
Command Sgt. Maj. Hu Rhodes joined U.S. Army Africa as its senior noncommissioned
officer in an assumption of responsibility ceremony today at Caserma Ederle in
Vicenza, Italy.

Libya must stop bloodshed now, Clinton says (Reuters)

(Libya) The United States told Libya on Monday to stop shedding the blood of
protesters seeking to end Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule and announced plans to
evacuate some U.S. diplomats from the oil-exporting nation.

Officials: O.C. Couple Among Hundreds Being Held Hostage By Pirates (LA Times)
(Somali) The Orange County couple whose yacht was hijacked by Somali pirates are
among hundreds of people being held hostage off the coast of Oman. A U.S. Navy
spokesman told BBC Africa that the pirates have about 30 boats and 600 people being
held against their will.

Pro-democracy protests reach Djibouti (FT)

(Djibouti) At least one person has been killed as pro-democracy demonstrations have
taken hold throughout the strategic, small north-east African coastal state of Djibouti,
echoing waves of protest seen throughout the Middle East.

Protests Against President Guelleh Breaking out in Djibouti Headquarts of U.S.

AFRICOM (All Voices)
(Djibouti) Protests have been going on in Djibouti now for several days. As with
Bahrain, Djibouti is key to U.S. military presence in the area. In 2001, the Djiboutian
government leased the former French military base Camp Lemonier to the United
States Central Command for operations related to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of
Africa (CJTF-HOA). In 2009, Central Command transitioned responsibilities in Africa to
AFRICOM. Djibouti is extremely poor and depends upon foreign aid for much of its
economy.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears on state TV (BBC)

 (Libya) Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has dismissed reports that he had fled amid
the unrest sweeping the country, calling foreign news channels "dogs"

Ivorian troops kill protesters, AU meets Gbagbo (Reuters)

(Ivory Coast) - Ivorian troops killed at least six protesters calling on Laurent Gbagbo to
step down as leader on Monday, witnesses said, as African presidents charged with
resolving Ivory Coast's crisis met the incumbent in Abidjan.

36 killed in stampede at Mali stadium: official (AFP)

(Mali) — A stampede in a Mali stadium at the end of a sermon by a renowned imam
killed at least 36 people on Monday night, an official at the interior and civil protection
ministry told AFP.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 UN-African mission voices concern at rebel warning against using Darfur
airports
 DR Congo mass rape verdicts send strong signal to perpetrators – UN envoy
 Liberia at ‘critical juncture’ in post-war recovery as elections approach – Ban
 UN agency starts moving Ivorian refugees in Liberia to new camp
 Kenya kicks off UN-backed effort to reduce vehicle emissions across East Africa
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 10:00 am; US Institute of Peace

WHAT: Can Nigeria Hold Credible Elections?
WHO: Peter M. Lewis, Director, African Studies Program, School of Advanced
International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Dave Peterson, Director of
Africa Programs, National Endowment for Democracy; Ambassador Robin Sanders,
Co-Moderator, International Affairs Advisor, Africare; David Smock, Co-Moderator,
Senior Vice President, U. S. Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/will-nigerias-elections-be-credible

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 1:00 pm; National Endowment for
Democracy (NED)
WHAT: Liberia, Elections, Corruption, Justice and the Role of the International
Community
WHO: J. Aloysius Toe, former executive director of the Foundation for Human Rights
and Democracy; and Dave Peterson of NED
Info: http://www.ned.org/events

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 2:00 pm; Heritage Foundation

WHAT: Referendum in Southern Sudan and the Road to Independence
WHO: Jon Temin, Director of the Sudan Program, U.S. Institute for Peace; Ambassador
Richard Williamson, former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan; Ambassador Ezekiel Lol
Gatkuoth, Head of Mission to the United States, Government of Southern Sudan.
Info: http://www.heritage.org/Events/2011/02/South-Sudan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

U.S. Army Africa Command Sgt. Maj. Hu Rhodes assumes responsibility in Vicenza
ceremony (U.S. Army Africa)

VICENZA, Italy — Command Sgt. Maj. Hu Rhodes joined U.S. Army Africa as its
senior noncommissioned officer in an assumption of responsibility ceremony today at
Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy.

“Thank you all for attending today,” said U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen.
David R. Hogg.

“This is an important ceremony for this command. I want to say thank you to our
Italian host for being here, especially the Carabinieri. . . . the rest of the community, the
command element from the 173rd and other members of the community,” Hogg said.

“I want to say thank you to Sgt. Maj. Miller . . . (he) has been the acting command
sergeant major here for about three or four months. He has done a fabulous job.

“Now as everybody understands, the noncommissioned officer corps is the backbone of

our Army, and the U.S. Army has the best noncommissioned officer corps in the world.

“The thing about a command sergeant major is, he embodies everything the
noncommissioned officer corps is about. He’s got the experience, he’s got the
credibility, and he understands Soldiers, and what it means to be a member of our
Army.

“And so that’s what we have today when we bring in Command Sgt. Maj. Rhodes as
the senior enlisted Soldier in this command. And so that everybody understands,
Command Sgt. Maj. Rhodes was not assigned to this command — he was selected for
this command. And he was selected on a list of about 10 highly qualified command
sergeants major who applied and wanted to be the command sergeant major for U.S.
Army Africa.

“And based on Command Sgt. Maj. Rhodes’ qualifications, he was the best man for the
job, and subsequently he was personally selected by me to be our next command
sergeant major,” Hogg said.
“Sir, thanks very much,” said Rhodes.

“I want to spend just a couple of minutes this morning talking about two things that
matter to me as I come into this position. First thing I want to do is, I want to talk about
just Soldiers, and the second thing I want to do is, I want to talk a little bit about
leadership.

“When you serve in the forces that protect your country, and your way of life and your
family — that is the most noble calling you can respond to. That’s what I see in
Soldiers,” Rhodes said, pledging his commitment to the men and women of the
command.

“I will always be open to time with you. My door is open. . . . Get on the calendar and
you can come in, no appointment necessary through your chain of command; just get
on my calendar so I’ll be in the office. I’ve got time for Soldiers. I care about the things
you do because what you do is real work.

“The second thing I want to say this morning is about the leadership part: I believe in
leadership. As the CG alluded to earlier, it’s not officer leadership or NCO leadership;
it’s just leadership. If you’re in a position of responsibility, of command over someone
else, you have a responsibility for your own ability before you have a responsibility for
what they do. And you must not fail in that.

“Young Soldiers deserve leaders that like their job. If you don’t like what you’re doing,
please get on my calendar and I will help you find another job; because if you don’t like
leading Soldiers, we are not going to get along.

“There is nothing more precious in my world than the responsibility of mentoring those
below us.

“Sir, it is an honor to be here. We won’t fail. Thank you,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes served most recently as Commandant of the 7th Army NCO Academy in
Grafenwoehr, Germany, and as the Command Sergeant Major of the Officer Candidate
School at Fort Benning, Ga.

Prior to that, he spent most of his 27-year service career with the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Rhodes has deployed on combat operations to Panama, Kuwait, Somalia, Afghanistan
and Iraq. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star among numerous other awards.
----------------------------------------
Libya must stop bloodshed now, Clinton says (Reuters)
The United States told Libya on Monday to stop shedding the blood of protesters
seeking to end Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule and announced plans to evacuate
some U.S. diplomats from the oil-exporting nation.
Gaddafi fought an increasingly bloody battle to hang on to power when protests spread
to the capital, Tripoli, after days of violence in the east of the country. Libya is the latest
Arab nation to see mass demonstrations against an authoritarian ruler.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi had killed dozens of people across the country, human rights
groups and witnesses said, prompting widespread condemnation from foreign
governments.

Al Jazeera news channel reported on Monday that a group of Libyan army officers had
issued a statement urging fellow soldiers to "join the people" and help remove Gaddafi.

"Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
said in a written statement in which she stressed Libya had a responsibility to protect its
citizens' rights, including freedom of speech and assembly.

No independent verification of the reports of violence was available and

communications with Libya were difficult.

But a picture emerged of a leader who has loomed large on the world stage for decades
and controls vast reserves of oil fighting for survival. Brent crude prices hit $108 a
barrel on fears the violence could disrupt supplies from Libya.

The United States said earlier on Monday it was ordering nonessential U.S. diplomats
as well as all embassy family members to leave Libya, a country with which it only
recently restored diplomatic relations after years of estrangement.

The improvement in ties began in late 2003, when -- after the U.S.-led war that toppled
former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein -- Gaddafi gave up Libya's weapons of mass
destruction programs and settled claims stemming from the 1988 Lockerbie bombing
and other alleged terrorist acts.

In a brief written statement, Clinton minced no words.

"The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm," she said. "We join the
international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya."

"The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the
people, including the right to free expression and assembly, she added. "We are
working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to
the Libyan government."
In a travel warning issued to U.S. citizens earlier, the State Department advised
Americans to defer all travel to Libya and told those in the country to limit their
movements, especially after dark, and to prepare "to shelter in place."

"Spontaneous demonstrations, violence, and looting are possible throughout the next
several days," it added.
--------------------------
Officials: O.C. Couple Among Hundreds Being Held Hostage By Pirates (LA Times)
Nairobi - The Orange County couple whose yacht was hijacked by Somali pirates are
among hundreds of people being held hostage off the coast of Oman.

A U.S. Navy spokesman told BBC Africa that the pirates have about 30 boats and 600
people being held against their will.

The U.S. military is said to be "evaluating the options" regarding a possible rescue of
Scott and Jean Adam, who own the yacht. Two other Americans -- Phylis Macay and
Bob Riggle -- are also aboard the boat with the Adam's.

A military source told CNN that a U.S. Navy warship and helicopters are trailing a boat
believed to be the hijacked yacht.

On Friday, a distress signal was sent by a yacht from the middle of the Indian Ocean,
according to French news agency AFP.

The hijacking was first reported by Ecoterra International, which monitors regional
maritime activity.

The Adam's were traveling with a group called Blue Water Rally, a sailing group that
travels together through a dangerous section of the Indian Ocean.

According to the group, the Adam's broke off from the group just days before their
yacht -- the S/V Quest -- was hijacked.

The Adam's were traveling the world delivering Bibles to schools and churches. They
started their world tour in 2004.

They are experienced boaters and belong to the Del Rey Yacht Club, in Marina Del Rey.

Fellow boaters say the couple is aware of the danger from pirates in the area, but were
determined to make the journey themselves rather than shipping their boat.
----------------------
Pro-democracy protests reach Djibouti (FT)
(Djibouti) At least one person has been killed as pro-democracy demonstrations have
taken hold throughout the strategic, small north-east African coastal state of Djibouti,
echoing waves of protest seen throughout the Middle East.

Opposition parties said more than 30,000 people protested on Friday against the
dynastic rule of President Ismail Guelleh, who last year scrapped a two-term
constitutional limit to allow him to stand for re-election at polls due in April.
Government officials say less than a thousand people took part.

Ismael Guedi Hared, an opposition leader who was arrested and released with two
others on Saturday, told the Financial Times that protests have continued in seven
towns throughout the tiny state of 850,000 people and that more organised
demonstrations will go ahead soon.

“The people are protesting against dictatorship, bad governance, lack of democracy and
dynastic succession,” Mr Hared told the FT. “The opposition has formed a coalition and
we have decided to do everything to make sure the protests continue.”

State television broadcast scenes of tear gas exploding outside the national stadium in
the capital on Friday, alongside riot police, burnt trucks, hospitalised police and
hundreds of protesters, some armed with batons.

Protests had started peacefully, with one eyewitness telling the Financial Times that
there had initially been an “enthusiastic party atmosphere”.

The eyewitness continued: “Just at the call for prayer around 18.30 there were a few
minutes of silence and immediately after that the police moved in, they had several tear
gas canister devices mounted on trucks and scatted everybody – everybody was just
running, running trying to get away.”

Minister for the interior Yacin Elmi Bouh told the FT there were only 500 to 800
protesters but said police have arrested 40 so far and confirmed the arrest and release of
three opposition leaders. Police had moved to disperse protesters after they failed to
disband at the agreed time, he said.

“Protesters burned two trucks and stoned a policeman to death,” he said, adding
another police officer was seriously injured. He said a second death, that of a boy said
to be a protester, had died in a traffic accident. Calls to the presidency went answered.

Abdourahman Boreh, a former friend of the regime who is now in exile, told the FT he
is helping to fund security for the opposition from London. “This president cannot get
away with this, he has broken the constitution – that is not acceptable especially today
with what we have seen happening in Tunis and Cairo,” said Mr Boreh. “The middle
class is in meltdown – it doesn’t even exist any more. There is no need for any of us to
be poor.”

Next door to conflict-wracked Somalia, Djibouti is an important base for anti-terrorist

and anti-piracy activities. Its port is crucial for landlocked Ethiopia and has attracted
millions of dollars of investment from Dubai and elsewhere in recent years.

The US bases its Africa military command, Africom, in the state, which the US says is a
“vital strategic location”. Last year it doubled its aid contribution to the country.

Nominations for Djibouti’s early April election, in which only 150,000 people make up
the electorate, are due to open next week.

“I think it’s going to escalate – people were very surprised that the police moved in,”
said a regional political analyst. “Having cracked open the door it’s angered people and
I don’t think it’s going to disappear.”
----------------------
Protests Against President Guelleh Breaking out in Djibouti Headquarters in U.S.
AFRICOM (All Voices)

Djibouti, Djibouti - Protests have been going on in Djibouti now for several days. As
with Bahrain, Djibouti is key to U.S. military presence in the area. In 2001, the
Djiboutian government leased the former French military base Camp Lemonnier to the
United States Central Command for operations related to Combined Joint Task Force
Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). In 2009, Central Command transitioned responsibilities in
Africa to AFRICOM. Djibouti is extremely poor and depends upon foreign aid for much
of its economy.

Investors from Dubai have leased the country's main port in Djibouti City. Investors are
also planning a bridge link between the country and Yemen in hopes to develop the
area. Unemployment in Djibouti runs at a rate of 40 to 50 per cent providing a fertile
ground for discontent. The country is in arrears on long term debt and struggles to meet
conditions of foreign aid donors.
At least one person has been killed in recent demonstrations. More than 30,000 people
protested Friday against the rule of president Ismail Guelleh. Guelleh last year changed
the two term limit rule to allow him to run again for the presidency.

Ismael Hared an opposition leader was arrested and later released. He claims more
protests are planned and that there have been protests in seven towns. Djibouti has
about 850,000 people. Hared said:"The people are protesting against dictatorship, bad
governance, lack of democracy and dynastic succession,"

Protests started peacefully but then the police moved in and violence ensued. The
Minister of the Interior claimed there were only 500 to 800 protesters and
said:"Protesters burned two trucks and stoned a policeman to death," A former friend of
the regime in exile in London said:"This president cannot get away with this, he has
broken the constitution - that is not acceptable especially today with what we have seen
happening in Tunis and Cairo," . "The middle class is in meltdown - it doesn't even exist
any more. There is no need for any of us to be poor."

Djibouti is of strategic importance for the U.S. and is the headquarters of its Africa
military command. As is common the U.S. has strongly supported President Guelleh
who has agreed to lease miliary bases both to the U.S. and France. Last year the U.S.
doubled its aid contribution to Djibouti.. The actions of the police angered the crowd
and may increase the protests as has happened elsewhere.
-----------------
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears on state TV (BBC)

Tripoli - Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has dismissed reports that he had fled amid
the unrest sweeping the country, calling foreign news channels "dogs".

Speaking to state TV from outside a ruined building, he asserted: "I am in Tripoli and
not in Venezuela."

UK Foreign Minister William Hague had said he had seen information suggesting Col
Gaddafi was on his way to Caracas.

Col Gaddafi's statement came after security forces and protesters clashed in the capital
for a second night.

Witnesses say warplanes and helicopters fired on protesters in the city. To the west,
sources said the army was fighting forces loyal to Col Gaddafi.

Earlier, the newly established General Committee for Defence said its forces would
cleanse Libya of anti-government elements.

A statement described the protesters as "terrorist gangs made up mostly of misguided

youths", who had been exploited and fed "hallucinogenic pills" by people following
foreign agendas.

Libyan leader
But Libya's diplomats at the United Nations in New York called for international
intervention to stop the government's violent action against street demonstrations in
their homeland.

Deputy Permanent Representative Ibrahim Dabbashi said Libyans had to be protected

from "genocide", and urged the UN to impose a no-fly zone.
Ali Aujali, Libya's most senior diplomat in the US, also criticised Col Gaddafi. He told
the BBC he was "not supporting the government killing its people".

'Satisfied'

Col Gaddafi appeared for less than a minute on state television shortly after 0200 local
time (0000 GMT).

He was seated in the passenger seat of an old, white vehicle and held up an umbrella to
shield himself from the rain while speaking.

"I am satisfied, because I was speaking in front of the youth in the Green Square
tonight, but the rain came praise to God it bears well," he said.

"I want to clarify for them that I am in Tripoli not in Venezuela. Do not believe these
channels - they are dogs. Good-bye."

It has been raining in Tripoli for much of the past two days.

Speculation mounted throughout Monday that Col Gaddafi had been forced to flee
Libya, especially when Mr Hague told reporters in Brussels that he had "seen
information that suggests he is on his way" to Venezuela.

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kayem did, however, tell state TV that the
leader was still in the country "as are all government officials".

Bombing raids

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in neighbouring Egypt, says Col Gaddafi has now lost the support
of almost every section of Libyan society.

Foreign journalists work under tight restriction in Libya, and much of the information
coming from the country is impossible to verify.

But the authorities have accepted that eastern cities such as al-Bayda and Benghazi -
traditional pockets of resistance to the government - are now under the control of the
opposition.

The unrest had not touched Tripoli until Sunday, when hundreds of protesters flooded
the streets, only to be suppressed by security forces.

On Monday, state TV reported that a renewed operation had begun against opposition
elements.
"Security forces have started to storm into the dens of terror and sabotage, spurred by
the hatred of Libya," it said.

A witness in Tripoli told the BBC he could see people being shot down by aircraft.

Another eyewitness in the capital said the suburbs of Fashloom and Zawiyat al-
Dahmani had been cordoned off by security forces.

Protesters were out on the streets, and flames and smoke could be seen rising from the
areas, the witness said.

Fashloom is one of Tripoli's poorest areas, and a BBC correspondent in the city says
there are fears that many people may have died in the clashes.

Witnesses estimate that more than 50 people have been killed in Tripoli since Sunday.

Before the unrest spread there, Human Rights Watch estimated that 233 people had
been killed. Other campaign groups said the figure was much higher.

Col Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, later told state media that there had been bombing
raids near Tripoli and Benghazi, but said they had targeted ammunition stores and no
civilian areas were hit.

'Outraged'

Amid the turmoil on the streets, senior officials have begun to desert the regime. Justice
Minister Mustapha Abdul Jalil quit the government because of the "excessive use of
violence", the Quryna newspaper said.

Libya's envoy to the Arab League, Abdel Moneim al-Honi, announced he was "joining
the revolution".

And several diplomatic missions reportedly said they were pledging allegiance to the
people of Libya rather than the Gaddafi government.

The US joined "international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya,"

said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed," she added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "outraged" at reports that the Libyan

authorities had been firing at protesters from military aircraft, and warned that they
would constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, a spokesman
said.
EU foreign ministers released a statement condemning the "ongoing repression against
demonstrators", and said they deplored the violence and death of civilians.

The violence has helped to push up oil prices to their highest levels since the global
financial crisis of 2008. International firms including BP, one of the world's biggest oil
companies, are preparing to pull their staff out.

Thousands of Europeans have already fled the country.

-----------------------
Ivorian troops kill protesters, AU meets Gbagbo (Reuters)

Ivorian troops killed at least six protesters calling on Laurent Gbagbo to step down as
leader on Monday, witnesses said, as African presidents charged with resolving Ivory
Coast's crisis met the incumbent in Abidjan.

Foreign ministers traveling with the presidents late on Monday met Guillaume Soro,
prime minister for Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognized as winner of a
disputed November 28 election, which Gbagbo refuses to concede.

It was not clear if a meeting was planned with Ouattara on Tuesday.

A dispute over the poll, which was meant to bring stability after a decade of economic
and political stagnation in the world's biggest cocoa-producing country, has paralyzed
the country and led to the violent deaths of about 300 people.

Cocoa exports have dried up, driving futures prices to new highs. International banks
have shut down operations.

A source who had access to preparatory talks on Sunday said the African panel would
insist that Gbagbo stand down, in return for guarantees, to allow Ouattara to take
charge of the west African country in accordance with to U.N.-certified results.

There was no statement from the leaders during the day. Gbagbo has previously
rejected similar proposals.

The two rivals have formed opposing, parallel governments, although Ouattara
remains restricted to a lagoon-side hotel protected by a ring of U.N. peacekeepers.

Ouattara's government has called for an Egyptian-style revolution to remove Gbagbo

but attempts to demonstrate have been thwarted by security forces. Residents reported
gunfire in pro-Ouattara neighborhoods of Abidjan, the commercial capital, as soldiers
and paramilitaries broke up attempted protests.
In the Koumassi district, residents said soldiers fired on protesters from machineguns
mounted on military vehicles. At least three demonstrators were killed, said Koumassi
resident Djate Traore, who reported seeing the bodies.

Three people were killed and 14 wounded in the city's Treichville neighborhood, an
official at the mayor's office who asked not to be identified told Reuters by telephone,
adding he saw the dead and helped evacuate the wounded to a clinic.

Ouattara's camp said the death toll for Monday was twelve, including three civilians hit
by a rocket-propelled grenade.

There was no immediate comment from the military. Downtown Abidjan was deserted
for most of the afternoon. Youths gathered in small numbers and set up roadblocks of
burning tires. Piles of stones lay scattered across roads.

PANEL "IN AGREEMENT"

Similar attempts to demonstrate at the weekend were crushed by pro-Gbagbo forces,

who witnesses said killed at least five people when they opened fire on attempted
gatherings.

Army spokesman Babri Gohourou told state television at least four soldiers or
policemen had been lynched by protesters in the past two weeks, three of killed by
having their throats cut.

The army extended an overnight curfew imposed at the weekend until Thursday.
Ouattara's camp said protests would continue.

"The Ivorian people will rise up against Gbagbo, because it can no longer accept that an
imposter stays in power," his ambassador to France Ally Coulibaly told Le Parisien
newspaper.

"The people eventually get the better of all dictators, even the most impregnable."

The leaders of South Africa, Mauritania, Chad, Burkina Faso and Tanzania met in
Mauritania on Sunday to discuss proposals drafted by African Union experts.

"We could not go back on the previous decision made by the AU commission" which
recognized Ouattara as winner of the election, said the source familiar with the talks.

"It was considered that the two candidates could not co-exist, so a transfer of power
with guarantees to the losing party was favored ... The high-level panel agreed on the
path to be chosen but there are still many details to work out."
Burkinabe president Blaise Compaore did not travel to Ivory Coast, where Gbagbo
supporters accuse him of pro-Ouattara bias.

Citing the "rapid deterioration of the financial sector," SIB, part of the Moroccan
Attijariwafa Group, on Monday became the latest international bank to suspend
operations.

Finance Ministry sources said Gbagbo officials were due to meet staff in the Ivorian
branches of Societe Generale and BNP Paribas, with a view to re-opening them as
nationalized banks on Tuesday.
------------------------------
36 killed in stampede at Mali stadium: official (AFP)

Bamako — A stampede in a Mali stadium at the end of a sermon by a renowned imam

killed at least 36 people on Monday night, an official at the interior and civil protection
ministry told AFP.

The stampede occurred as the crowd swarmed to get close to imam Osman Madani
Haidara as he delivered blessings on a Muslim holiday in the packed 25,000-seat
Modibo Keita stadium in the capital Bamako.

The majority of the victims were women who waited in the front of the crowd hoping to
be touched by the religious leader and receive healing and protection, a source said.
Another 70 people were injured.

Civil protection services quickly arrived on the scene and were backed up by
emergency services from Keita, 15 kilometres from the capital. The wounded were
mostly taken to the Bamako's main hospital.

Last year 26 people died in a stampede at a famed mosque in the north-western city of
Timbuktu during the festival, which marks the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.

Officials said that accident on February 26 occurred due to a bottleneck caused by

renovation work on the 14th-century mosque made largely from mud.
------------------------

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website

UN-African mission voices concern at rebel warning against using Darfur airports
21 February – The United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur today
voiced its grave concern after a rebel leader warned that airports in the strife-torn
region, as well as the rest of Sudan, have been designated as military targets and could
be vulnerable to attacks by his group.
DR Congo mass rape verdicts send strong signal to perpetrators – UN envoy
21 February – A senior United Nations official has welcomed today's verdicts by a
military court in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which mark the first
time that a high-ranking commander and several other army personnel were arrested,
tried and sentenced for conflict-related sexual violence in the strife-torn nation.

Liberia at ‘critical juncture’ in post-war recovery as elections approach – Ban

18 February – Liberia has reached “a critical juncture” in its long recovery from civil
war as it prepares for its second democratic elections later this year, and considerable
work remains to be done before the United Nations can hand over security
responsibilities to national authorities, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

UN agency starts moving Ivorian refugees in Liberia to new camp

18 February – The United Nations refugee agency today began relocating Ivorians who
fled the political turmoil and violence in their country away from the border area in
Liberia to a newly established camp further west, aiming to move an estimated 15,000
people into the camp in the next couple of weeks.

Kenya kicks off UN-backed effort to reduce vehicle emissions across East Africa
18 February – Kenya has officially launched its transition to low-sulphur diesel as part
of a United Nations-backed effort to improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions
across East Africa.