United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 23 March 2012 USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please see today's news review for March 23, 2012. This new format is best viewed in HTML. Of interest in today's report: - U.S. statements on Mali coup - Mali coup leaders close borders; France suspends cooperation - South Africa provides humanitarian assistance to the Sahel - Secretary Clinton to let military aid to Egypt continue U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: [email protected] 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687)

Headline Statement by the White House Press Secretary on Mali

Date 03/22/2012

Outlet White House Press Office

Mar 22, 2012 -- The United States strongly condemns the violence initiated by elements of the armed forces of Mali. We call for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule in Mali, including full civilian authority over the armed forces and respect f...

Statement From U.S. Senator Coons on Situation in Mali Mali coup leaders close all borders 'until further notice'

03/22/2012 03/22/2012

AllAfrica.com France 24

Rogue Mali soldiers who deposed President Amadou Toumani Toure in a coup overnight Wednesday have closed the country's borders. France reacted by suspending cooperation with the country, and urging the mutineers to leave the president unharmed.

UN Security Council slams mutiny in Mali, demands release 03/23/2012 of detained officials

Xinhua News Agency

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the action of mutinous soldiers seizing power by force in Mali, and demanded the release of all detained officials including some government ministers arrested duri...

Tuareg military campaign failure 03/23/2012 gives impetus to Mali coup

The Africa Report

Soldiers calling themselves the "Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State" announced the coup in a televised address. Lieutenant Amadou Konare, a spokesman for the renegade soldiers said it was the end of President A...

France Suspends Co-Operation 03/23/2012

RFI English

After Coup Topples Amadou Toumani Tour

West Africa: Tuareg Insurgency Exacerbates Food Insecurity in 03/22/2012 Sahel Region

AllAfrica.com

The South African government, quite unlike to its response to the Somali famine last year, announced on Wednesday an "intervention" into the Sahel crisis. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Sahel region, the Western shoulder of the Afr...

South Africa provides humanitarian assistance for Sahel region

03/22/2012

Africa Online

Johannesburg, South Africa - South Africa has announced it will provide humanitarian assistance to Sahel countries, following a meeting between International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane and the Peace and Security Council of t...

Dialogue - FG Urges Boko Haram to Re-Think

03/22/2012

AllAfrica.com

Mar 22, 2012 (Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX News Network) -- The Federal Government yesterday reiterated its readiness to dialogue with Boko Haram in an effort to bring an end to the security challenges in the country.

Clinton to let military aid to Egypt continue: State Department official

03/23/2012

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will allow U.S. military aid to Egypt to continue despite Cairo's failure to meet pro-democracy conditions, a senior State Department official said on Thursday, a move sharply criticized on Cap...

Bissau general seeks refuge at EU compound

03/23/2012

Reuters

BISSAU (Reuters) - Guinea Bissau General Jose Zamora Induta, who was head of the West African state's armed forces until he was ousted in a 2010 mutiny, is seeking refuge at the European Union compound in the capital, an EU official said on Thursday.

Somali troops, Ethiopian forces 03/22/2012 seize southern town

Xinhua News Agency

MOGADISHU, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces on Thursday captured a strategic town in the south of the horn of African nation after Al-Shabaab rulers fled the area, residents and officials said.

Al Qaeda leader to Afghans: 03/23/2012 Rise up against Western troops

CNN.com

(CNN) -- Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri calls on Afghans to rise up against Western troops -- especially American forces -- in their country and back the Taliban, according to a recent audio message posted on jihadist web forums Wednesday.

Military Train New Sailors During a Lifesaver Course, APS 03/22/2012 Staff Observes

U.S. Naval Forces Europeth Africa/U.S. 6 Fleet Public Affairs

Douala, Mar 22, 2012 (United States Africa Command/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX News Network) -Cameroonian Navy sailors made history as they took part in a three-day combat lifesaver course at the region two military hospital in Doula, Cameroon, Ma...

United Nations News Centre Africa Briefs

03/23/2012

- Ahead of elections, UN envoy calls on Sierra Leone's politicians to put national interests first - UN warns that foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Egypt threatens entire region - UN condemns political instability in Mali after armed rebellion

News Headline: Statement by the White House Press Secretary on Mali | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: White House Press Office News Text: Mar 22, 2012 -- The United States strongly condemns the violence initiated by elements of the armed forces of Mali. We call for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule in Mali, including full civilian authority over the armed forces and respect for the country's democratic institutions and traditions. The United States stands by the people of Mali and the legitimately elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure. We welcome the strong statements by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States condemning this unconstitutional seizure of power.
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News Headline: Statement From U.S. Senator Coons on Situation in Mali [press release] | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: Washington, DC, Mar 22, 2012 (United States Senate/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX News Network) -- U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, released the following statement Thursday on the situation in Mali. "I strongly condemn the military's seizure of power in Mali and urge the immediate restoration of the country's democratically elected civilian government. Mali has been a model of democracy in West Africa over the past two decades, and I urge the Malian armed forces to adhere to their nation's democratic tradition. The members of the military who initiated this violence should immediately stand down and restore the constitutional rule of President Amadou Toumani Toure. I join the White House, the State Department, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and others in the international community in calling for a return to constitutional order in Mali." Copyright 2012 United States Senate. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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News Headline: Mali coup leaders close all borders 'until further notice' - MALI - FRANCE 24 |

News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: France 24 - Online News Text: Rogue Mali soldiers who deposed President Amadou Toumani Toure in a coup overnight Wednesday have closed the country's borders. France reacted by suspending cooperation with the country, and urging the mutineers to leave the president unharmed. AFP - Coup leaders in Mali Thursday ordered all borders closed after taking over key buildings in Bamako and ousting President Amadou Toumani Toure overnight, sparking international concern and condemnation. The renegade army officers, calling themselves the National Committee for the Establishment of Democracy, said their move was prompted by government's "inability" to put down a Tuaregled insurrection in the north. Sporadic gunfire rang out in the capital as condemnation poured in from western powers and

the African Union urged "the mutineers immediately to put an end" to the country's first coup in 21 years. France suspended cooperation with its former colony, urging soldiers not to harm Toure who was at a military camp under protection from his elite paratrooper guard. Washington called "for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule." While politically stable, smouldering troubles in Mali's north where light-skinned Tuareg tribes have long felt ignored by a southern government and Al-Qaeda has taken deep root, turned the region into a tinderbox. This was ignited when the demise of Moamer Kadhafi sparked the return of hundreds of heavily-armed Tuareg rebels who had fought for him in Libya and were ready to take up a decades-long struggle for independence. What began as a mutiny over the government's response to the rekindled Tuareg insurrection in the north on Wednesday afternoon turned into a full-blown coup as soldiers seized control of the presidential palace and the state broadcaster. A few dozen soldiers appeared on the screens after hours of music videos played in a loop. Their spokesman Lieutenant Amadou Konare said the takeover was a result of a "lack of adequate material to defend the nation". Claiming to represent the nation's defence forces, Konare said the junta "solemnly commits to restore power to a democratically-elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are re-established." The man presented as their leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo, said a curfew would be imposed but did not specify hours and in a subsequent televised announcement, the junta said all borders were closed "until further notice". Renegade soldiers in the northeastern city of Gao also detained their military chiefs to support the coup. Little traffic circulated a day after wild shooting by mutineering soldiers sowed panic in the capital of the landlocked west African state and Malians were left disappointed at the blow to their democracy. "We are worried for the future of our democracy. I am against this coup d'etat. We need a return to constitutional order," said motorcyclist Moussa Kante. A female student, Nady, said: "Democracy does not mean anarchy. Calm must return quickly." Toure was initially holed up in the palace as shots were traded outside but he managed to flee the premises. "The president is in Bamako, he is not at an embassy. He is in a military camp where he is in command," a military source said on condition of anonymity, adding the elite "Red Beret" paratroopers were keeping watch. The president is himself a former soldier who led the ouster of president-for-life Moussa Traore in 1991 before handing power to civilians. He later won an election in 2002 and was re-elected in 2007. Under his leadership Mali -- which has battled successive Tuareg rebellions since

independence and more recently Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb -- has since been hailed as a growing democratic success in the region. The Tuareg, many of whom fled drought and discontent under a southern government to work and fight for Kadhafi in Libya, returned heavily armed, battle-experienced and jobless after last year's conflict. In mid-January they launched a fresh rebellion for independence of what they call Azawad, their stomping ground which makes up the vast desert northern triangle of the bow-tie shaped nation. The fighting has seen up to 200,000 flee their homes, creating a humanitarian disaster in a region gripped by drought and food shortages. Mali has become a new frontline in Africa and Western powers concerned that the troubled north country could become a safe haven for Al Qaeda were quick to call for order to be restored. "We believe that grievances should be addressed through dialogue, not through violence," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon voiced "deep concern", as did neighbouring Algeria, Bamako's main partner in the fight against Al Qaeda. Continental powerhouses Nigeria and South Africa also condemned the coup. The African Union called the coup "a significant setback for Mali". Former colonial power France, which has a military presence in several neighbouring countries, said a fresh election was the urgent next task at hand.
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News Headline: UN Security Council slams mutiny in Mali, demands release of detained officials | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: Xinhua News Agency News Text: UNITED NATIONS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the action of mutinous soldiers seizing power by force in Mali, and demanded the release of all detained officials including some government ministers arrested during the military coup. The condemnation was contained in a statement read to the press here by Mark Lyall Grant, British UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for March, after the 15- nation UN body met behind closed doors to hear a briefing of the current situation in Mali. "The members of the Security Council strongly condemn the forcible seizure of power from the democratically elected government of Mali by some elements of the Malian armed forces," the statement said. "They call on these elements to ensure the safety and security of President Amadou Toumani Toure and to return to their barracks." The council members "demand the release of all detained Malian officials," said the statement, adding "The members of the Security Council call for the immediate restoration of constitutional law and the democratically elected government."

Mutinous soldiers have seized power in Mali after storming the presidential palace and arresting some of the government ministers, a spokesman for the mutinous soldiers said on Thursday. The National Committee for Redressment of Democracy and Restoration of the State (CNRDR) announced through Malian radio and television at 4:40 a.m. local time on Thursday that they had toppled Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure. "They also call for the preservation of the electoral process as previously scheduled," the statement added. "The members of the Security Council urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence, and remain calm." "The members of the Security Council welcome efforts by UNOWA (the United Nations Office in West Africa) and international partners especially the African Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and further express their intention to continue to follow closely the evolution of the situation in Mali," the statement said. "The members of the Security Council emphasize the need to uphold and respect the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Mali," the statement noted. Earlier on Thursday, B. Lynn Pascoe, UN under-secretary- general for political affairs, told reporters after he briefing the council on Mali, that the United Nations has significant concerns about the situation in Mali, where the president has been overthrown. "Clearly a coup d'etat has been carried out," Pascoe said. " Our concerns about this issue are very strong. They should return to a constitutional order as quickly as possible."
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News Headline: Tuareg military campaign failure gives impetus to Mali coup | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: Africa Report - Online, The News Text: Soldiers calling themselves the "Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State" announced the coup in a televised address. Lieutenant Amadou Konare, a spokesman for the renegade soldiers said it was the end of President Amadou Toumani Toure's "incompetent regime". The previous day the disgruntled soldiers had taken to the streets of the Malian capital Bamako, firing shots into the air. They eventually took over the Malian Radio-Television Office (ORTM). And after sustained gunfire at the presidential palace, the soldiers made announcements on national radio and television calling for calm. Although it was not certain if the renegade soldiers had the backing of the whole military force, the Red Berets, Mali's elite paratroopers took up positions around the presidential palace late Wednesday afternoon, to defend Toure. The Red Berets, on Thursday morning, still appeared to be loyal to Toure, 63, who is said to be in a safe location. The coup d'tat against Toure's administration follows a surge in the military might of the Tuareg, following the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Tuareg mercenaries who had fought for Gaddafi accumulated military firepower and returned to Mali, heavily armed and skilled. Under the command of the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA), the Tuaregs launched a military offensive against Toure's administration in mid-January. Toure hit back by

sending the army to fight the heavily armed Tuareg rebels who are fighting for the independence of the Tuareg people. But overwhelmed by the offensive, the army has since fallen under the military might of the Tuareg. Many government soldiers have been killed and over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict in Africa's third largest gold miner. As the military succumbed to a war in which they were ill-prepared, Toure sent his Defence Minister Sadio Gassama to the Kati military camp to appease the growing tensions. Observers had described the offensive as an ill fated mission because of the government's inability to match the sophisticated weaponry of the separatists. The soldiers protested by firing shots into the air demanding proper weapons to match the Tuareg rebels. Condemnation Meanwhile, the regional body, ECOWAS, has condemned the coup in Mali and insisted that the election earmarked to take place on April 29 goes ahead "at all costs". Abdel-Fatau Musah, director of external relations at ECOWAS, estimated that only 10 per cent of the country's eight million eligible voters were from areas affected by the Tuareg insurgency. He said it was "better to hold an imperfect election than not holding elections at all". Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission has also strongly condemned the rebellion saying it "seriously undermines constitutional legality and constitutes a significant setback" for Mali as well as the ongoing democratic processes on the continent. The United Nations, France and the United States immediately called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Toure's administration, which has been at the helm since the 2002 elections had battled successive Tuareg rebellions since independence and more recently Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The president, also known as "the Soldier of Democracy", was due to step down in April after serving two presidential terms. Under his administration, Mali was hailed as a growing democratic success in West Africa. Before Toure, Mali and Niger had experienced rebellions from Tuareg who fought for an independent state in the 1960s, 1990s and early 2000, with resurgence between 2006 and 2009. Toure, a former paratrooper, first came to power in 1991 when he overthrew long time military ruler, Moussa Traore in a coup. A year later he handed power back to a civilian government, until 2002 when he successfully run for president in a democratic election. Meanwhile, analysts argue the perceived incapacity of the Malian army to match the Tuaregs' artillery should be blamed for the mutiny.
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News Headline: France Suspends Co-Operation After Coup Topples Amadou Toumani Tour | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: RFI English News Text: France said on Thursday it was suspending cooperation with Mali and urged that President Amadou Toumani Tour,who was forced to flee his palace during an overnight coup, be unharmed. A foreign ministry spokesman said France wanted Tour who was believed to under the protection of his presidential guard at a Bamako military camp, to be kept safe and "all those detained" by the coup plotters to be freed.

There are conflicting rumours in Mali as to the whereabouts of Tour. Some say he has taken refuge in the United States embassy in the capital, Bamako. Foreign minister Alain Jupp made clear that he is not in the French embassy in Mali. His aides say he is unharmed and under the protection of loyalist members of the presidential guard at a military camp in Bamako. Tour came under siege late on Wednesday at his presidential palace as a junta announced on state television that it had overthrown what it called his "incompetent government". Tour had been hailed by many for his role in bringing about a multi-party democracy to the country but there was growing resentment among army officers over his government's handling of a Tuareg insurrection in northern Mali. President of the African Union commission, Jean Ping said on RFI on Thursday "We no longer accept coup d'tats" Ecowas, (the Economic Community of West African States) "strongly condemns the misguided actions of the mutineers" European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the "apparent coup" and called for "democratic elections as soon as possible".
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News Headline: West Africa: Tuareg Insurgency Exacerbates Food Insecurity in Sahel Region | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: The South African government, quite unlike to its response to the Somali famine last year, announced on Wednesday an "intervention" into the Sahel crisis. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Sahel region, the Western shoulder of the African continent, currently faces a food crisis that could affect as many as 16-million people. A day after the African Union's Peace and Security Council met in Bamako, Mali to discuss the worsening security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel region, Bamako was beset with titillating rumours of a coup d'tat. The Malian presidency responded swiftly to the rumours, insisting that the government had not been overthrown, and that too on Twitter. The presidency countered the rumour with an actual confirmation of a mutiny by armed forces based in a garrison in Kati, about 20km north of Bamako. The mutiny on Wednesday is the latest in a series of riots disrupting barracks in Mali in recent weeks. A rising number of disgruntled Malian soldiers have joined a military uprising further hampering efforts to stem a Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country. Jeremy Keenan, writing for Al-Jazeera believes that after two months of fighting, the Malian army has lost control of most of northern Mali. "The number of troops that have either been

killed, taken captive or deserted is now thought to be at least 1,000," he says. Keenan illustrates the severity of the lack of resources within the Malian army with an incident at an army base at Aguelhok in late January. In battle against Tuareg forces, or Kel Tamasheq, (the Tamasheq-speaking people, as they prefer to be known) Malian troops defending the base ran out of ammunition. And it is just one of several humiliating setbacks the Malian army has endured. The number of soldiers killed, taken captive or deserted, along with equipment destroyed or captured in these setbacks is thought to be considerable. As the army loses more ground to the Tuareg rebels, soldiers have grown dispirited, complaining of a lack of adequate equipment and, in some cases, food. A mere month away from presidential elections, anger against the government's handling of the rebellion is growing unabated. Last month, wives and mothers of soldiers deployed in the battle against the Tuareg protested in Bamako against the government's perceived incompetence in handling the conflict. Disgruntled soldiers complain they lack adequate equipment to battle the rapid advance of the rebels. This is of course not the first skirmish between the Tuareg and government forces in the region. The Tuareg have historically launched several military campaigns for greater autonomy in both Mali and Niger. The first rebellion of the Tuareg against a Malian government broke out in 1963 when a young renegade called Alladi Ag Alla attacked two camel-mounted policemen in the north of the country. "Mali had only just won its independence from France, and the Kel Tamasheq, detached from world events in their far flung d esert home, simply could not understand why their cherished independence and age old nomadic culture had been subsumed into a new state ruled by black Africans living hundreds of miles away who had never proved their right nor their fitness to become the Tuareg's new masters," explains Andy Morgan. The latest rebellion, however, comes after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The Tuareg and Gaddafi shared a relationship of mutual opportunism. Many Tuareg fought on the Gaddafi side in the civil war in Libya last year but Morgan notes they were often obliged or paid to do so. "It was a matter of expediency rather than belief," he says. But as thousands of Tuareg people returned to Mali and Niger after Gaddafi's death, well armed but empty handed, coupled with the expedient timing of internal Tuareg politics, it was an opportune time to launch a new campaign to assert the autonomy of the Tuareg people. And so on the morning of Tuesday, 17 January 2012, a new Tuareg rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) attacked the town of Menaka in the north east of Mali. The clashes have exacerbated a lack of security in a region plagued by fighters linked to alQaeda. And indeed for many in the West, the Tuareg rebellion is seen as proof of an ascendant al-Qaeda faction in the region. And while many outside Mali continue to cheer the Malian forces on, the fight spirit in Malian soldiers is rapidly waning. The mutiny on Wednesday occurred after a visit by the defence minister to a barracks in Kati. The minister is said to have visited Kati to speak to troops about their grievances against the government but soldiers were unconvinced. Dozens of them took weapons and vehicles from

the army stores and marched to the capital, firing shots before storming the state broadcaster to demand better equipment to fight the Tuareg insurgency. The conflict has so far killed several thousand people and forced nearly 200,000 civilians to flee their homes, severely compounding the threat of food insecurity in the region. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the Sahel region, the Western shoulder of the African continent, currently faces a food crisis that could affect as many as 16million people. This includes 3-million in Mali, 5.4-million people in the Niger, some 1.7-million in Burkina Faso, 3.6-million in Chad, 850,000 in Senegal, 713,500 in the Gambia and a further 700,000 in Mauritania. Under strain from its ineffectual attempts at warding off the Tuareg rebellion and attempts to address a looming food crisis, Mali have requested South Africa's help to ease the humanitarian burden in the country. The South African government, quite unlike to its response to the Somali famine last year, announced on Wednesday an "intervention" into the Sahel crisis. It's not quite the military intervention the Malian government may well welcome but South Africa's pledge to send vital aid to Mali - as well as Niger, Chad and Mauritania - is a timely reminder of the humanitarian emergency beneath the Malian conflict. The depth of the food crisis is of course not easily explained. Drought, sharp declines in cereal production and high grain prices, a shortage of fodder for livestock, a reduction in remittances from migrant workers in several countries, environmental degradation, displacement and chronic poverty have all contributed to entrench the crisis. The Tuareg conflict could not have arrived at a worse time. The human cost of this conflict is telling in the number of people who have been forced to flee their homes in northern Mali. Between 65,000 and 70,000 people are internally displaced persons (IDPs) according to estimates by the Malian government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Over 70,000 others have fled to neighbouring countries. These include over 30,000 in Mauritania, nearly 20,000 in Burkina Faso, more than 5,000 in Algeria and about 16,000 in Burkina Faso, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Speaking to reporters at a news briefing in Geneva, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic said refugees fleeing Mali are afraid they too will be caught in the conflict. "They are also concerned about bandits, who are taking advantage of the prevailing instability to loot homes and property," Mahecic said. The UN estimates some 1,500 refugees arrive from Mali to Mauritania every day. For perspective, at the height of the Somali famine last year, it was said about 2,000 Somali refugees were arriving at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya daily. Mauritania is itself reeling from political instability and food insecurity. The toll of the Tuareg conflict is fast outstripping Mali's border. Once again conflict and hunger haunt Africa together.
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News Headline: South Africa provides humanitarian assistance for Sahel region | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: Africa Online - Online News Text: Johannesburg, South Africa - South Africa has announced it will provide humanitarian assistance to Sahel countries, following a meeting between International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in Bamako, Mali, Wednesday.

Nkoana-Mashabane said Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Chad had approached the South African government for assistance. 'South Africa has taken heed of the call made by the four core Sahelian countries because of the humanitarian crisis currently confronting this region,' said department spokesperson Clayson Monyela. The countries also stipulated the areas where they required assistance and immediate humanitarian relief. Monyela said the council expressed its concern over the humanitarian crisis currently facing countries in the Sahel region as a result of environmental degradation, climate change and food insecurity. He said emergency food and nutritional aid would be directly delivered to these countries as a matter of urgency.
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News Headline: Dialogue - FG Urges Boko Haram to Re-Think | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: Mar 22, 2012 (Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX News Network) -The Federal Government yesterday reiterated its readiness to dialogue with Boko Haram in an effort to bring an end to the security challenges in the country. Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak gave the government's position in an interview with the BBC Hausa service monitored in Abuja. He denied 'insinuations' that the government is not ready for the dialogue saying "Government is ready to dialogue with anybody or group in order to bring peace in the country." Gulak urged members of the Boko Haram sect to rethink their decision foreclosing further dialogue with the federal government. "I am sure what is happening is very sad even to them [Boko Haram]." He also said that the purported leaking of the talks to the media should not stop Dr Datti Ahmad from playing his mediatory role."When the president offered the chance to dialogue, he made it public. There is nothing wrong if Nigerians get to know what is happening because they have the right to know." He said rather that withdrawing from the talks, Dr Datti Ahmad should have made his grievances known to the president or other leaders. He denied the allegation by the sect that government deceived people right from the onset of the dialogue. Copyright 2012 Daily Trust. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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News Headline: Clinton to let military aid to Egypt continue: State Department official | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: Thomson Reuters - Africa - Online News Text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will allow U.S. military aid to Egypt to continue despite Cairo's failure to meet pro-democracy conditions, a senior State Department official said on Thursday, a move sharply criticized on Capitol Hill. The office of Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on foreign aid,

revealed Clinton's decision and made clear his deep unhappiness with it, arguing that Clinton should now limit the amount of military aid that is released. Clinton should "release no more taxpayer funds than is demonstrably necessary, withholding the rest in the (U.S.) Treasury pending further progress in the transition to democracy" in Egypt, Leahy said in a statement. Hours later, a senior State Department official confirmed Clinton would on Friday waive a requirement, recently passed by Congress and authored by Leahy, for Egypt's government to support a transition to democracy in order for U.S. military aid to continue. "On the basis of America's national security interests, she (Clinton) will waive legislative conditions related to Egypt's democratic transition, allowing for the continued flow of 'Foreign Military Financing' to Egypt," the official said. The move reflects "our overarching goal: to maintain our strategic partnership with an Egypt made stronger and more stable by a successful transition to democracy," the official said, asking not to be named. Since long-time Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a street revolution early last year, Egypt has made marked progress toward democracy. It has held parliamentary elections and is scheduled to elect a new president in May. However, a crackdown on pro-democracy forces - including some U.S. groups - over the last several months infuriated U.S. lawmakers and caused the Obama administration to warn Egypt that its aid might be in peril. Congress has approved $1.3 billion (821 million pounds) in military aid to Egypt - the same level the country has received for years - for the current fiscal year, which ends on September 30. Congress also approved $250 million in economic aid and up to $60 million for an "enterprise fund." But for the U.S. military aid to flow, the law requires Clinton to certify that the Egyptian government is supporting a transition to civilian government, including holding free and fair elections, and implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, religion and due process of law. Clinton is using a provision in the law that allows her to waive those conditions on national security grounds. Leahy said this sends the wrong signal to the Egyptian military, which has ruled the country since Mubarak was ousted. "The Egyptian military should be defending fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, not harassing and arresting those who are working for democracy," Leahy said. "They should end trials of civilians in military courts and fully repeal the Emergency Law, and our policy should not equivocate on these key reforms." The State Department official argued that Egypt had made "more progress in 16 months than in the last 60 years" toward democracy. But the official allowed that "more work remains to protect universal rights and freedoms." U.S. law also requires the Secretary of State to certify that Egypt is meeting its obligations under its peace treaty with Israel to receive any of the U.S. aid, and Clinton also made this certification, the State Department official said. MIXED REACTIONS

The Republican chair of the House of Representatives foreign aid subcommittee, Kay Granger, said she was disappointed Clinton had decided to waive conditions on military aid while the Egyptian government's transition was still underway. The law still requires Clinton to consult congressional appropriators before any funds are transferred to Egypt, Granger added in a statement. However, another Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham, said it was in U.S. national security interests to provide the aid. "The United States military has a close working relationship with their Egyptian counterparts. These relationships proved to be invaluable and have been a stabilizing influence during these troubling and uncertain times in Egypt," Graham said. Egyptian authorities recently accused U.S., Egyptian and other pro-democracy campaigners, including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, of working for groups receiving illegal foreign funding, and initially prevented some of the Americans from leaving the country. Most of the U.S. pro-democracy activists flew out of Egypt on March 1 after Egyptian authorities lifted a travel ban. But the charges have not been dropped against either the American or Egyptian activists, and trial is set for next month. David Kramer, the president of Freedom House, one of the non-governmental organizations affected by the crackdown, said a resumption of military aid sends the wrong message to Egyptians. The message is "that we care only about American NGO workers (who were allowed to leave), not about the aspirations of the Egyptian people to build democracy." Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Centre for American Progress think tank, said the Obama administration may be making a tactical move by keeping some aid going for now. "They don't want to make any massive overhauls in our assistance until we have greater clarity for what the new Egypt looks like," he said.
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News Headline: Bissau general seeks refuge at EU compound | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: Thomson Reuters - Africa - Online News Text: BISSAU (Reuters) - Guinea Bissau General Jose Zamora Induta, who was head of the West African state's armed forces until he was ousted in a 2010 mutiny, is seeking refuge at the European Union compound in the capital, an EU official said on Thursday. Induta arrived at the compound days after the country's former military spy chief Samba Diallo was shot dead by unknown gunmen on the day of a presidential election, prompting fears of further political assassinations. "When you go to an embassy to stay, it is an indication that you are feeling threatened," EU spokesman Piero Valabrega said by telephone, confirming Induta was at the compound. He declined to give further details.

Security guards blocked the road leading to the EU compound, a Reuters witness said. Guinea Bissau has a long history of coups and assassinations since independence from Portugal in 1974. Its weak policing and tortuous coastline of mangrove-lined islands has made it a haven for drug smugglers. Induta and Diallo were among the military officials temporarily jailed in April 2010 after an army mutiny, believed to be over control of the drugs trade, deposed them. General Antonia Indjai replaced Induta as Army Chief of Staff. Both Induta and Diallo were considered allies of presidential candidate Carlos Gomes Junior, himself a former prime minister who has had a rocky relationship with Indjai since the mutiny. Gomes Junior scored 49 percent in Sunday's presidential election, poll authorities said on Wednesday, well ahead of his main rival, but just short of the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round. Diplomatic sources have said tensions may be rising over the possibility a Gomes Junior presidency would seek to replace Indjai with Induta. Gomes Junior, who has won tacit foreign support for his outspoken opposition to drugs smuggling, told Reuters last week he has a "good working relationship" with Indjai and the military. The election's runner-up Kumba Yala, an ex-president who scored 23 percent according to preliminary results, has demanded the poll be annulled on grounds of fraud. Yala shares the Balanta ethnicity with about a quarter of the population and most of the military. The election, held to find a successor to president Malam Bacai Sanha who died of a long illness in January, was aimed at drawing a line under decades of turmoil. While voting was peaceful, it was clouded hours later by the killing of the former military spy chief and by the subsequent allegations of fraudulent voting.
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News Headline: Somali troops, Ethiopian forces seize southern town | News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: Xinhua News Agency News Text: MOGADISHU, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces on Thursday captured a strategic town in the south of the horn of African nation after Al-Shabaab rulers fled the area, residents and officials said. The town of Hudur, provincial capital of Bakool region in the southwest of the country fell into government hands without any fighting with Al-Shabaab fighters who left the town hours before the troops entered, residents said. Somali government has welcomed the retaking of the strategic town which has a disused airbase of the former Somali government. Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said that the capture of Hudur shows "the determination of Somali government to liberate the rest of the country from the grip of al Qaida linked Al-Shabaab". The militant group of Al-Shabaab has been losing territory to Somali government forces and forces from neighboring country following the retreat of the group's fighters from the Somali capital Mogadishu last year.

The Al-Shabaab commanders have described their withdrawal from Hudur and other areas in south and centre of the country including Mogadishu as tactical move, saying their forces would revert to guerilla war. Ethiopian troops as well as Kenyan forces have launched military offensive against Al-Shabaab militants in central and southern Somalia. The group lost two previous keys towns of Baidoa in the south and Beledweyne in the centre to Ethiopian forces. Kenyan military have also pushed the group's fighters from areas close to the common frontier with Somalia. Kenya offered to join more than 4,500 of its troops to be part of the UN authorized African Union peacekeeping troops (AMISOM) currently operating in Mogadishu. AMISOM is scheduled to replace Ethiopian troops in southern provinces of Bay and Bakool.
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News Headline: Al Qaeda leader to Afghans: Rise up against Western troops | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: CNN.com News Text: (CNN) -- Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri calls on Afghans to rise up against Western troops -- especially American forces -- in their country and back the Taliban, according to a recent audio message posted on jihadist web forums Wednesday. The message, running more than 11 minutes in length, condemns the values of "crusader secular Western civilization" and follows a series of acts by American soldiers in Afghanistan that have been heavily publicized, including U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of slain insurgents. "This act represents their values," al-Zawahiri says,"and this is their view toward other people in general and the Muslims in particular, and this is their way of treating us." Other events inflaming Muslim passions included the accidental burning of Qurans by U.S. troops and a shooting spree by an American soldier that left 16 Afghan civilians dead. The United States has apologized for the acts. "Honorable Afghans, the way is clear! It is either to stand by the banner of Islam to fight and support the Mujahideen using your hand, tongue, money and heart," the al Qaeda leader says. "Or you will be humiliated in this life and be punished in the hereafter." The message is the second in a week's time from al-Zawahiri. In a video released Friday, he called on Pakistanis to join the Arab Spring uprisings and revolt against their government, saying the country's leaders are "slaves of America." The comments refer to the Arab Spring, the pro-democracy movement that swept through North Africa and the Middle East in 2011, toppling longtime rulers in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and threatening President Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria. Al-Zawahiri, 60, was appointed the leader of al Qaeda in June, less than two months after a U.S. raid killed Osama bin Laden in his compound in Pakistan.
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News Headline: Military Train New Sailors During a Lifesaver Course, APS Staff Observes |

News Date: 03/22/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: Douala, Mar 22, 2012 (United States Africa Command/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX News Network) -- Cameroonian Navy sailors made history as they took part in a three-day combat lifesaver course at the region two military hospital in Doula, Cameroon, March 19- 21, 2012. This is the first course taught entirely by Cameroon military to their fellow service members, while members of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) medical training team observed, and is the second phase of a collaborative effort between the Cameroon military and APS. "We want to have everyone in the military trained in at least the basic first aid skills. There are areas of the country where military personnel and civilians are dying from injuries that could be treated," said Cameroonian Colonel Abeng Mbozo'o, chief medical officer of the hospital. "This is the best way to achieve our goal; we will train each other like a chain reaction until everyone is trained." The lack of properly trained medical personnel in certain areas of Cameroon has inspired many to take action and make a positive impact. "First, I lost my mother and I didn't have the skills to be able to help her or anyone else," said Chief Warrant Officer Maurice Tsafack, a nurse in the Cameroon army and instructor at the combat lifesaver course. "Now, I'm using everything I know to teach others so that even people in the most remote villages will have someone nearby that can help." The APS staff visited Douala last week to provide a refresher course for the instructors and their roles have shifted from teacher to mentor. "They really haven't needed much help from us at all. They are correcting each other and moving smoothly from one topic to the next," said Petty Officer 1st class Gustavo Maya-Perez. "As a Corpsman, it's my job to help others but in this case, it is more rewarding to not be needed." APS is an international security cooperation initiative facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces EuropeAfrica, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa. Copyright 2012 United States Africa Command. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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News Headline: United Nations News Centre - Africa Briefs | News Date: 03/23/2012 Outlet Full Name: News Text: Ahead of elections, UN envoy calls on Sierra Leone's politicians to put national interests first 22 March Ahead of presidential elections later this year and amidst reports of the importation of assault weapons, the outgoing head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) today called on the country's political establishment to put the country's national interests ahead of their own political ambitions.

UN warns that foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Egypt threatens entire region 22 March Urgent action is needed to control a major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Egypt and prevent its spread throughout North Africa and Middle East, with serious implications for food security, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today. UN condemns political instability in Mali after armed rebellion 22 March United Nations officials and the Security Council have condemned the rebellion by elements of the Malian armed forces, which have announced the dissolution of the Government and seized control of the country, and called for a return to constitutional rule.
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