United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

27 May 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

Did you know?

Feb 11, 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of Nelson
Mandela release from Prison, he turns 92 in Jul 2010.
His eyesight, which was never good as a result of long
incarceration in dimly lit cells, and hearing are
inevitably failing, but not his smile and famous
charm. Doctors are amazed at his fortitude. Some
believe that the strength of character that drove him
to survive 27 years in prison has allowed him to outlive all his contemporaries from
the days of struggle against apartheid and to fight prostate cancer.

LOOSE TWEETS SINK FLEETS: SOLDIERING IN THE INTERNET ERA

"O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you
inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands." The Israeli Defense
Force (IDF) was recently forced to scrap a mission after a soldier posted details about it on
his Facebook page, the Jerusalem Post reported in March. The soldier was jailed for 10
days and kicked out of his unit, while the Israeli military kicked off a major education and oversight
effort.
One instruction from the United States Air Force, AFI35-101, lays down the law for the troops:
"Specifically, each Air Force member or employee is responsible for obtaining the necessary review and
clearance … before releasing any proposed statement, text or imagery to the public. This includes any
digital products being loaded on an unrestricted website."
In Germany, there have been few similar revelations regarding social networking websites. The
Bundeswehr has never dictated the proper use of online platforms."Soldiers are legally obligated to have
discretion when speaking about duty-related issues and to maintain the reputation of the Bundeswehr in
public," Tautges said.

AFRICAN SECURITY FORCES KILL WITH IMPUNITY: AMNESTY

LONDON — Security forces and police in Africa killed hundreds of people in 2009 but were rarely
investigated due to a culture of impunity, Amnesty International said in an annual report released today
(Thursday).

GERMANY MORNING STRIKES CALLED AT BERLIN AIRPORTS

A host of flights have been cancelled at Berlin's two main airports Thursday, as ground crews called
morning strikes over an ongoing wage dispute.

US OBAMA'S NEW SECURITY STRATEGY BREAKS WITH BUSH

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is breaking with the go-it-alone Bush years in a new strategy
for keeping the nation safe, counting more on U.S. allies to tackle terrorism and other global problems. It's
an approach that already has proved tricky in practice. the new strategy breaks with some previous
administrations in putting heavy emphasis on the value of global cooperation, developing wider security
partnerships and helping other nations provide for their own defense. John Brennan, the White House's
top counterterrorism adviser, said Wednesday that the administration would add combating homegrown
terrorism to its strategy. Terror attacks like the shooting at Fort Hood last year, which killed 13
bystanders, as well as the failed Times Square bombing on May 1, have thrust homegrown terrorism into
the spotlight, and U.S. citizens like Najibullah Zazi and David Headley have been charged with plotting
terror attacks.

US NEW YORKER ACCUSED OF AIDING AL-QAIDA IS DETAINED

NEW YORK — A prosecutor says a native New Yorker accused of conspiring to join al-Qaida returned to
the United States from Yemen after pledging allegiance to the group and tried to start his own "mini al-
Qaida cell." Federal prosecutor John Cronan (CROH'-nin) made the accusation against Wesam El-Hanafi
(WAH'-sehm el-HA'-nah-fee) on Wednesday as the defendant made his first appearance in federal court
in Manhattan.

US SOMALI LINKED TO AL-SHABAB TERROR MAY BE TEXAS THROUGH MEXICO

HOUSTON — Federal officials have asked authorities in Houston to watch for a member of a Somali
terror group who may be coming to Texas through Mexico. The Homeland Security Department last
week issued an alert for a suspected member of the group al-Shabaab. Harris County Sheriff's
spokeswoman Christina Garza said Wednesday she couldn't share details. U.S. Customs and Border
Protection spokesman Lloyd Easterling says he can't discuss specific intelligence regarding groups. The
alert was issued after new federal charges were filed in San Antonio against a 24-year-old Somali man,
Ahmed Muhammed Dhakane. He pleaded not guilty May 14 to immigration fraud charges.

SA WORLD CUP AL-QAEDA PLOT, 'BLUFF': FIFA

Speaking to a group of journalists in South Africa, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke said that
following the detention of a Saudi army officer in Iraq for alleged involvement in a plot to target the cup,
a string of investigations were conducted by the Interpol into the case. Valcke went on to brush aside
speculations about the possibility of any terrorist plots between June and July when World Cup matches
would be held, describing the report published in recent weeks as a" bluff," a Press TV correspondent
reported.

SA NELSON MANDELA TO SKIP WORLD CUP OPENING

New Delhi - Nelson Mandela plans to skip the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup finals in South
Africa in June and will watch the tournament from home, his grandson told AFP on Wednesday.

SA THE US AND SOUTH AFRICA ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IAEA TO
ENHANCE THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF RADIOLOGICAL SOURCES (MAIL&GUARDIAN)
In the lead-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup the US and South Africa are working in partnership with the
IAEA to enhance the physical protection of radiological sources, for example at nuclear storage sites.
There was similar US cooperation with China to further improve the security of radiological sources prior
to the 2008 Olympic Games and with Greece in 2004. Stronger and more secure protection measures will
guard against theft or redirection of these sources. As we cooperate to reduce the risks of nuclear
terrorism and proliferation, our two countries are breaking new ground to meet growing energy needs.
This effort was spearheaded last September when South Africa and the US signed a bilateral agreement
in Vienna on cooperation in the research and development of nuclear energy and followed up with a US-
South African energy dialogue in Washington DC on April 12. The US and South Africa will work
together to develop a nuclear security support centre, which will further enable South Africa and regional
countries to develop the expertise and capacity-building critical for South Africa's burgeoning nuclear
energy needs. The centre will further enhance the capacity that already exists through IAEA courses
conducted in South Africa and other African countries.
SA JUSTICE MINISTER RADEBE SAYS PIRACY COULD SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA
Piracy off the coast of Somalia will spread to other parts of the continent unless urgent interventions are
made to stop it, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe warned on Tuesday. "If we allow such an illegal activity to
fester in one part of Africa, we are sending an open invitation for it to spread to other parts of Africa," he
told an African Renaissance conference in Durban. Radebe said South Africa did not rejoice in the fact
that the long route around Cape Town was being considered a viable alternative to the Somali coast,
which was infested by pirates.

SA TROOPS REINFORCING A POROUS AND DANGEROUS BORDER

Musina — South African special forces troops have begun a six-month deployment along the troubled
border with Zimbabwe, where rape, robbery and other crimes are commonplace, and the flow of
desperate migrants continues unabated. Two companies of Parabats - elite South African paratroopers
deployed in recent years to Sudan, DRC and Burundi as peacekeepers - have arrived at a highly porous
border in the first phase of a deployment that will see soldiers from various units return to all South
Africa's land borders in the next few years.

ZIMBABWE GOVT BANS DIAMOND EXPORTS

Harare — GOVERNMENT has, with immediate effect, banned the export of diamonds from any mine
operating in Zimbabwe until the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme certifies the sale of diamonds
from Chia-dzwa. In an interview with The Herald yesterday, Mines and Mining Development Minister
Obert Mpofu said communication had been made to River Ranch and the Rio Tinto-owned Murowa
Diamonds - the only two companies currently mining and exporting diamonds - on Government's
decision

ETHIOPIA TWO OPPOSITION MEMBERS KILLED, RERUN CALLS

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian police shot dead two opposition members in the sensitive Oromia region
after an election the ruling party won by a landslide, an opposition party and the government said on
Wednesday.

SOMALIA BRITISH HOSTAGE COUPLE APPEAL TO NEW GOVERNMENT

LONDON — A British couple held hostage in Somalia appealed to Prime
Minister David Cameron's government to help free them, in an interview aired
Wednesday, but London again insisted it would not talk to hostage-takers.
Paul and Rachel Chandler, who appeared in reasonable health in the video and
were back together after being separated, said they wanted Cameron to clarify
Britain's position seven months after their abduction. "I would like to say
congratulations to David Cameron first. As the new prime minister we
desperately need him to make a definitive public statement of the
government's attitude to us," said Paul Chandler. "We are two British citizens,
we have been kidnapped in the Seychelles which was a perfectly safe place to
be," he added in the interview, broadcast by Britain's Channel Four News.

SOMALIA CLASHES CLAIM 6, INJURE 17

Fresh clashes in Somalia have left at least six people dead and 17 others wounded near the capital city of
Mogadishu, witnesses say. Somali government forces attacked al-Shabab fighters late Wednesday, a Press
TV correspondent reported on Thursday. "The dead included two civilians who were killed by mortar
fire in Yaqshid district," an eyewitness told Press TV.

NIGERIA JOS CRISIS: SOLDIERS TAKE OVER SCHOOLS AS FREARFULL CHRISTIAN

TEACHERS ABANDON CLASSES
Jos - The Military Special Task Force (STF), maintaining internal security in Jos, has taken over the
teaching of nomadic primary schools in Sho-Luggere area of Barinkin Ladi Local Government following
the abandonment of classes by its Christians teachers. The teachers, who are manly natives, had refused
to go to classes for fear of being attacked by the Fulanis. Lt. Col. Kingsley Omoh, who disclosed this in Jos
yesterday, said the army had already deployed 20 soldiers with teaching qualifications to primary
schools. ―The entire teachers of Sho-Luggere Nomadic Schools were the native that are fighting the
Fulanis and they refused to go to the schools for fear of losing their lives.‖

NIGERIA ILLEGAL TRANSFER OF PETROLEUM SETS 20 FUEL TANKERS IN FIRE AND KILLS
PREGNANT WOMAN
Lagos – A pregnant woman and one other person on Tuesday lost their
lives to a fuel tanker fire incident that claimed about 20 vehicles at the
Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Tanker Terminal, Orile-Iganmu,
Lagos. They attributed the cause of the fire to what they described as
‗illegal transfer of petroleum products‘ from one tanker to another at the
park. Daily Sun investigation revealed that the fire actually started from
a generator used to pump the fuel from one tanker to the other. In the process, the generator sparked and
resulted in flames that consumed multi-million naira property.

NIGERIA U.S. WANTS FREE, FAIR POLLS IN 2011

The United States (U.S.) said yesterday that nothing other than a free, fair and transparent elections
should be expected in Nigeria next year. Working on both sides to actualise this, according to the U.S.
under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, María Otero. Undersecretary Otero stated this
yesterday in Abuja at the start of the BNC talks featuring its first working group-Good Governance,
Transparency and Integrity (GTI).

NIGERIA U.S OFFICIAL VISITS KANO TO FORTIFY TIES WITH MUSLIM LEADERS
A top United States official said he will visit Kano State to meet with local Islamic leaders, emirs,
governor and civil society to establish more trust between U.S and Islamic society. Ambassador Robin
Renee Sanders said she was quiet impressed with the way Ni-geria has moved forward in terms of
developing a national security plan, and in terms of planning by ministry of defence.

NIGERIA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR ARMED FORCES

Lagos - Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Murtala Yar‘Adua, has expressed the willingness of the
Federal Government to assist in the training and provision of logistic to military formations across the
country. The nation‘s Armed Forces, he said, will be provided the necessary tools that will transform
them for optimum performance which will raise their capability to defend the country‘s territorial
integrity. The minister stated this in Makurdi yesterdaywhile on an inspection visit to defence formation
in the state.

SUDAN SHUTS DOOR ON MORE PEACE TALKS WITH DARFUR REBEL GROUP
KHARTOUM — Sudan has closed the door on peace talks with Darfur's main rebel group, the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM), a top negotiator said Wednesday, warning that instead its leaders will be
prosecuted.

SUDAN HAGUE COURT TELLS UN SUDAN PROTECTING SUSPECTS

Amsterdam - The Sudanese government is protecting suspects wanted for war crimes in Darfur instead
of arresting them to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), judges told the U.N. Security
Council on Wednesday.

SUDAN AL-BASHIR TO BE SWORN IN AS SUDAN PRESIDENT

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, the only sitting head of state wanted for war crimes by the
International Criminal Court (ICC), will be sworn in on Thursday after his re-election in polls marred by
boycotts.

RWANDA GENOCIDE FUGITIVE ARRESTED IN FRANCE

 Kigali — The Government of Rwanda has commended the French police for arresting top
Genocide fugitive, Eugene Rwamucyo, a few days after the Rwandan doctor participated in
a conference Genocide deniers' in Brussels, Belgium. According to sources, Rwamucyo was
detained in Sannois, north of Paris, after attending the funeral of Jean Bosco Barayagwiza,
who was convicted for war crimes by the Arusha-based International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda
(ICTR) and died in jail.

GABON PRESIDENT BONGO BUYS €100M PARIS MANSION

Paris - Ali Ben Bongo, the 51-year-old president of poverty-ravaged Gabon, has bought a magnificent
Paris mansion worth €100m, a French investigative newspaper said on Wednesday. It added mockingly
that he had even practised "good governance" and "transparency" by announcing the purchase, though
not the address or the price. The house is just around the corner from the Musee d'Orsay, one of the top
museums in Paris. Before his father Omar Bongo died, French prosecutors were investigating him for
misappropriating Gabonese funds.

MOROCCO ELTON JOHN CONCERT UPSETS MOROCCO'S MUSLIM POLITICIANS

Rabat - A concert by Sir Elton John has tested the limits of Morocco's drive for modernity, exposing the
Muslim nation's complex and ambiguous attitudes toward homosexuality.

KENYA JUDGES IN KADHI COURTS RULING COULD BE PROBED

Nairobi — Parliament and the Judiciary are on a collision course after an MP gave notice of a motion to
discuss the conduct of three judges who declared kadhi courts unconstitutional.