United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

22 March 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

US sees food security as next big Africa push

Washington - The Obama administration will put food security at the heart of its Africa policy,
as it seeks to enhance ongoing US efforts on trade, investment and HIV/Aids on the continent, a
top United States diplomat said. "We want to see the food security initiative take on greater
momentum as more African countries are drawn into this programme," said Assistant Secretary
of State Johnnie Carson, the administration's top official for Africa.

Somalia rebels join forces in cyberspace

Mogadishu - Armed rebel groups in Somalia are using the
Internet for fund-raising and recruitment, and they achieve
better results through the Web than they do on the ground, a
United Nations report said. "Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam
have regularly conducted joint forums, achieving a greater
degree of cooperation in cyberspace than they do on the
ground," the report said. "The Internet continues to play an
important role in propaganda, recruiting and fund-raising by
Somali armed groups," the monitoring group said. The most
active al Shabaab online outlet is www.alqimmah.net, established in September 2007 and
registered in Sweden.

Kenya top al-Shabab terror suspect vanishes from police station

Nairobi A high-level terror suspect arrested by police in Kenya has mysteriously disappeared
from custody at a border police station. Anti-terror detectives identified the man as an operative
of the Somalia-based al-Shabaab which has links to the al-Qaeda terror network and had been
placed on an international watch list. The suspect had an Australian passport identifying him as
Farah Hussein, but Immigration officers arrested him after suspecting that the document was
forged. Two Busia businessmen were also arrested and charged in court for “aiding a prisoner to
escape” as they had visited the man at the station. The man had $3,400 (Sh258,400) on him when
he was arrested just after crossing the Uganda border.

Somalia Doubts grow on Somali offensive's chances at peace

Mogadishu In signs the offensive is approaching, close to 1,000 additional troops arrived from
Uganda last week to support the African Union's forces in Mogadishu, and the Islamists have
been digging trenches across the capital's streets to impede AU armored cars. Problems including
corrupt officials and a lack of supplies have delayed Somalia's military offensive against Islamic
insurgents, but even before the first shot has been fired new warnings have emerged that blood
may be spilled for little or no gain.

Somalia President Sharif Rejects Direct American Military Intervention

Mogadishu - Somalia's interim president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed says he does not welcome
direct military intervention from the US to support his fragile government in overcoming the
powerful insurgents. "We are requesting the US not engage in direct military in Somalia but
provide us with support in rebuilding the forces and weapons," said Sheikh Sharif who added
that he would not allow foreign country to directly intervene in his country.

Somalia Hizbul Islam Vows Attacks Against Ethiopian Troops in Central Somalia
Somalia — The Islamist fighters of Hizbul Islam in Hiran region in central Somalia have vowed
that they would attack Ethiopian troops who reportedly reached at parts of the region recently,
officials said on Friday.

Somalia militia faction disowns Somalia peace pact

Doubts surround a recent pact with a militia faction aimed at consolidating the power of the
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia after a section of the militia leadership disowned
the deal. In a sign of leadership struggles within the Ahlu Sunna, the most prominent moderate
Islamic group in Somalia, vice chairman Sheik Hassan Sheik Abdi convened a press conference
in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area to denounce the purported agreement as well as question the
leadership of his chairman, Sheikh Mahammud Sheikh Hassan, who was leading “a non-
representative delegation” at the talks. “There was no official delegation to the conference which
had proper authority to sign any agreement with the transitional government on our behalf,”
Sheikh Abdi asserted at the Nairobi press conference.

Puntland 22 Somali pirates jailed

Mogadishu - A court in Bosaso in northern Somalia's breakaway Puntland region on Saturday
sentenced 22 pirates to six years in jail, an official said. French anti-piracy forces operating off
Somalia last week handed 24 suspected pirates to the Puntland authorities. Two were later
released after being found not guilty. Meanwhile Puntland deputy police chief Mohamed Said
Jaqanaf said a further six suspected pirates were handed over to the authorities of the breakaway
region on Saturday.

Kenya Nation Stuck With Somali 'Mercenaries'

Nairobi — An estimated 2,500 Somali youths trained by Kenya to fight in Somalia are stranded
at Archer's Post in Isiolo, The Star has established.

Kenya oil exploration now renews hopes of a major discovery

Nairobi - Expectations were once again high in Nairobi last week as news trickled in that
CNOOC — the Chinese state-owned company currently exploring oil in Northern Kenya — had
hit what oil exploration experts described as a “very high concentration of gas.”

UBL’s son slams AQIM, says family doing well in Iran

Riyadh - Osama bin Laden's son Omar said on Saturday that al-Qaida's North Africa branch
should keep out of his family's affairs, after it accused Iran of mistreating his siblings stranded in
Tehran. The al-Qaida chief's fourth son also confirmed that his sister Iman bin Laden together
with their mother Najwa al-Ghanem had been allowed to leave Iran on Thursday after months of
trying, and they were now in Damascus.

Algeria Security services eliminate three terrorists east of Algiers

Algerian joint forces eliminated on Friday evening three terrorists in the region of Alma Labiad
in Tebessa, east of Algeria, and their bodies were transferred to the hospital of the locality. This
event coincides with the security operations which had put an end to the terrorists who belong to
the GSPC or AQIM on Friday through eliminating the last of its elements, especially the leader
of the battalion “Laouare”.

Namibia celebrates 20th independence anniversary

WINDHOEK - Namibia marked the 20th anniversary of independence from apartheid-era South
Africa on Sunday and swore in President Hifikepunye Pohamba for a second five-year term.

Chad African nations to meet on water supply

Ndjamena - The March 25 summit of the countries in the Permanent Interstate Committee for
Drought Control in the Sahel will focus on setting up a global coalition on managing water, the
Chad official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The committee groups Burkina Faso, Cape
Verde, Chad, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, many of which have
suffered falls in food production due to erratic rains.

Madagascar rulers seek restrictions on opposition

Antananarivo - The country's transitional institution, which is now in effect an advisory body
supporting strongman Andry Rajoelina, said in a statement it "recommends" a travel ban on
opposition leaders and blocking their bank accounts in retaliation for African Union sanctions
that prevent them from obtaining visas. It also called for resuming corruption charges against
former president Marc Ravalomana as well as charges for "high treason in connivance with
foreign factions."

CAR ex-leader to run for president

Bangui - Ex-Central African Republic leader Ange-Felix Patasse, who was ousted in a 2003
coup, has filed papers to run as a candidate in upcoming April 25 presidential elections, his
spokesman said Sunday.

Nigeria US Okays Jonathan’s style

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s consolidation of his grip on power is drawing applause
from the United States of America which says his efforts are easing a political crisis that once
fanned fears of instability in the country.

Nigeria Islamic cleric warns against meddling in Nigeria's affairs

Lagos - Nigeria's top Islamic cleric warned foreigners against meddling in the nation affairs on
Sunday, days after Libya's leader suggested the country be broken up into Muslim and Christian
areas.

Nigeria arrests 164 over massacre

Lagos - Nigerian police have arrested 164 people over a recent massacre near the central city of
Jos and plan to charge most with offences ranging from terrorism to arson, authorities said
Sunday. In its resolve to deal decisively with perpetrators of violence in the nation, the Nigeria
police has concluded investigation into the mass killings in Dogo Nahawa, Rasat and Jeji
villages...which occurred on 7th March 2010," police said in a statement.

Nigeria AU must probe Libya

Abuja - The Nigerian parliament passed a motion late on Thursday urging the government to
order an investigation by the African Union into whether Libya was supplying "infiltrators" to
destabilize the country.

Nigeria Community disowns militant leader

Warri - community in Delta State, yesterday, disowned a militant leader, “Commander” Jerry,
alleged to have led the militants that detonated two bombs at Government House Annex, Warri,
venue of the aborted post-amnesty dialogue organised by Vanguard Newspapers last Monday.
Intelligence reports indicated that “Commander” Jerry is based in Patani, but chairman of the
community, Sunday Bomabebe, said there was no militant in the community.

Senegal elderly president confident of third term

Dakar - Senegal's octogenarian president, Abdoulaye Wade, said on Friday he was confident
voters would grant him a third term in a 2012 election and his age was no obstacle to enjoying
five more years in power. Opposition figures say Wade is becoming increasingly authoritarian
and is trying to massage a succession to his son Karim, who despite a lack of political experience
runs a "super ministry" in charge of infrastructure and territorial planning.

Sudan Sarkozy invites Sudan’s Bashir to France-Africa summit

KHARTOUM — The French president Nicolas Sarkozy has extended an invitation to his
Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to take part in the 25th France-Africa summit that
is scheduled for next May at the Riviera city of Nice.

Sudan Bashir should face charges, says SPLM official

Sudan’s president should surrender to the International Criminal Court to face war crimes
charges, an official from the junior government coalition party said on Saturday, raising tensions
ahead of April elections.

Sudan Don’t break away from Sudan, West tells South

Donor circles want Southern Sudan to drop its bid for independence in the referendum next
January, as concerns grow that a rushed secession could trigger turmoil and instability beyond
Sudanese borders. Although the United States, which is considered to have a vested interest in
the outcome of Sudan’s peace process says it “takes no position on what the outcome of that
referendum should be,”

Ethiopia US reacts fiercely to Ethiopia's preparations to jam VOA

The US government has deplored Ethiopia's pre parations to jam the Voice of America Amharic
Service. According to a statement by Gordon Duguid, Acting Spokesman of the US State
Department, 'the United States opposes Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles' decision to jam Voice
of America's Amharic Service and condemns his comparison of their programming to Radio
Mille Collines of Rwanda'. Voice of America Director, Danforth Austin, issued a statement on
Thursday saying, "any comparison of VOA programming to the genocidal broadcasts of
Rwanda's Radio Mille Collines is incorrect and unfortunate".