United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 26 January 2012

Please find attached news clips for January 26, 2012, along with upcoming events of interest and UN News Service briefs. The succesful military operation that freed two hostages from Somali pirate hands early on the 25th led in most media throughout the day. Of other interest in today's clips: - Despite ongoing violence the UN special envoy to Somalia has moved into Mogadishu for the first time in 17 years. - An appeal for a stay of deportation filed by Leon Mugesera, a former Rwandan accused of delivering a speech that helped incite the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has been rejected by two Canadian courts. Deportation could be on his horizon. - Violence in Bani Walid, Libya has subsided, locals report "Allegations of pro-Gaddafi elements in Bani Walid," are not true. This message is best viewed in HTML format.

U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: publicaffairs@usafricom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687) -------------------------------------------Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa Statement by the President on Successful Hostage Rescue (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/25/statement-president-successfulhostage-rescue January 25, 2012 For Immediate Release: On Monday, I authorized an operation to rescue Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen who was kidnapped and held against her will for three months in Somalia. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our Special Operations Forces, yesterday Jessica Buchanan was rescued and she is on her way home. As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts.
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Statement by the Secretary of Defense on Hostage Rescue Operation in Somalia http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=15024 January 25, 2012 Last night U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted, by order of the President of the United States, a successful mission in Somalia to rescue two individuals taken hostage on October 25, 2011. Ms. Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen employed by the Danish Demining Group, and her Danish colleague, Mr. Poul Thisted, were kidnapped at gunpoint by criminal suspects near Galcayo, Somalia. U.S. Forces Rescue Kidnapped American, Danish Humanitarian Workers in Somalia (AFRICOM.mil) http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7561&lang=0 January 25, 2012 STUTTGART, Germany, Jan 25, 2012 - By the order of the President of the United States and under the direction of U.S. Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM), early Wednesday morning, January 25, 2012, U.S. Special Operations Forces rescued an American citizen and a Danish citizen from captivity in Somalia. Special Operations Forces Rescue Hostages in Somalia (DoD homepage) http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=66914 January 25, 2012 By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama announced early this morning. Sources: US raid frees American and Dane held hostage in Somalia (AP) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/25/sources-us-raid-frees-american-and-daneheld-hostage-in-somalia/?test=latestnews January 25, 2012 U.S. military forces flew in helicopters under the cover of darkness on a raid into Somalia early Wednesday and freed an American and a Dane held hostage, Western officials said. Pirates reported a gun battle with several casualties. Aid workers kidnapped in Somalia are rescued (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/africa/somalia-aid-workers/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 January 25, 2012 By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) -- Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia last year were rescued during an operation early Wednesday, a Danish aid group said. U.S. raid frees two pirate hostages in Somalia (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/25/us-somalia-hostagesidUSTRE80O0I220120125
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January 25, 2012 By an unattributed author MOGADISHU (Reuters) - U.S. helicopters swooped into central Somalia on Wednesday and rescued two hostages, an American and a Dane, from pirates in a rare raid into the Horn of Africa nation to free foreign captives. Somalia: Western hostages freed in 'US military raid' (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16714344 January 25, 2012 By an unattributed author Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a US military raid, officials say. US official: SEAL team in rescue also killed Osama (AP) http://news.yahoo.com/us-official-seal-team-rescue-killed-osama-132142355.html January 25, 2012 By Kimberly Dozier WASHINGTON (AP) A U.S. official says the Navy SEAL team that rescued two hostages in Somalia was the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. Somalia: Western hostages freed in US military raid (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-16714344 By an unattributed author January 25, 2012 Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a rare US military raid. UN envoy moves to Somalia as violence rages (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/201212418481378344.html January 25, 2012 The UN special envoy to Somalia moved to Mogadishu for the first time in 17 years, signalling international support for a government fight against Islamist rebels and preparations for elections this year. Canada deports Rwandan genocide suspect Leon Mugesera (FRANCE24 / AFP) http://www.france24.com/en/20120124-rwanda-genocide-hutu-tutsi-canada-deportationleon-mugesera January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author AFP - Two Canadian courts on Monday rejected last-ditch appeals of a Rwandan man accused of helping incite the 1994 genocide in his homeland, moving him one step closer to possible deportation. Nigeria, U.S. Facing Similar Terror Threats, Says Envoy (allAfrica.com) http://allafrica.com/stories/201201250238.html 25 January 2012
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By Tokunbo Adedoja and Zacheaus Somorin The United States has said it will partner Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, a phenomenon it described as similar to that being faced by Americans. Africa: Aid Can Spur 'Historic Progress' - Bill Gates (allAfrica.com) http://allafrica.com/stories/201201250001.html January 24, 2012 By Tami Hultman INTERVIEW: Bill and Melinda Gates, who co-chair the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, say that they are responding to a challenge from Warren Buffet by taking on "the really tough problems." They are optimists, they say, focusing on a few big goals and funding innovations, as they work with a variety of partners around the world. Anger, chaos but no revolt after Libya violence (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80O03220120125 January 25, 2012 By Oliver Holmes BANI WALID, Libya (Reuters) - A bullet-scarred barracks, scorched and abandoned like the ageing tanks guarding its shattered gateway, was all that remained on Tuesday of what passed for the Libyan government's grip on Bani Walid. ### UN News Service Africa Briefs http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA (Full Articles on UN Website) Outgoing UN envoy stresses importance of reconciliation for Liberia 25 January The outgoing United Nations envoy in Liberia today stressed the need for reconciliation in the country, adding that this is an essential step to consolidate stability and to ensure that the progress achieved by the democratic elections held last year can continue. DR Congo: UN peacekeeping chief stresses need for stability and reconciliation 25 January The United Nations peacekeeping chief stressed today the need for stability and reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has experienced a tense political climate since its presidential elections in November.

Libya facing challenging transition, but authorities striving to succeed UN 25 January Libya is going through a difficult transition, having inherited weak state institutions and an absence of political parties, the top United Nations envoy in the country told the Security Council today, adding that the interim Government is committed to addressing the challenges.
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### Upcoming Events of Interest: 26 JANUARY 2012 WHEN: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. WHAT: Brookings Institution Discussion on "Negotiating Humanitarian Access: How Far to Compromise to Deliver Aid." Speakers: Introduction and Moderator Elizabeth Ferris, Co-Director, Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement; Panelists: William Garvelink, Senior Adviser, U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic International Studies; Markus Geisser, Deputy Head of Regional Delegation, International Committee for the Red Cross; Michael Neuman, Research Director, Centre de Rflexion sur lAction et les Savior Humanitaries , Mdecins Sans Frontires; and Rabih Torbay, Vice President for International Operations, International Medical Corps. WHERE: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW CONTACT: 202-797-6105; events@brookings.edu; web site: www.brookings.edu SOURCE: Brookings Institution - event announcement at: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2012/0126_negotiating_access.aspx ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULLTEXT Statement by the President on Successful Hostage Rescue (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/25/statement-president-successfulhostage-rescue January 25, 2012 For Immediate Release On Monday, I authorized an operation to rescue Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen who was kidnapped and held against her will for three months in Somalia. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our Special Operations Forces, yesterday Jessica Buchanan was rescued and she is on her way home. As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts. Jessica Buchanan was selflessly serving her fellow human beings when she was taken hostage by criminals and pirates who showed no regard for her health and well-being. Last night I spoke with Jessica Buchanans father and told him that all Americans have Jessica in our thoughts and prayers, and give thanks that she will soon be reunited with
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her family. The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice. This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people. ### Statement by the Secretary of Defense on Hostage Rescue Operation in Somalia http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=15024 January 25, 2012 Last night U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted, by order of the President of the United States, a successful mission in Somalia to rescue two individuals taken hostage on October 25, 2011. Ms. Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen employed by the Danish Demining Group, and her Danish colleague, Mr. Poul Thisted, were kidnapped at gunpoint by criminal suspects near Galcayo, Somalia. Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted have been transported to a safe location where we will evaluate their health and make arrangements for them to return home. This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others. I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation. This mission demonstrates our military's commitment to the safety of our fellow citizens wherever they may be around the world. I am grateful to report that there was no loss of life or injuries to our personnel. I express my deepest gratitude to all the military and civilian men and women who supported this operation. This was a team effort and required close coordination, especially between the Department of Defense and our colleagues in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They are heroes and continue to inspire all of us by their bravery and service to our nation. #### U.S. Forces Rescue Kidnapped American, Danish Humanitarian Workers in Somalia (AFRICOM.mil) http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7561&lang=0 January 25, 2012 STUTTGART, Germany, Jan 25, 2012 - By the order of the President of the United States and under the direction of U.S. Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM),
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early Wednesday morning, January 25, 2012, U.S. Special Operations Forces rescued an American citizen and a Danish citizen from captivity in Somalia. Mrs. Jessica Buchanan of the United States and Mr. Poul Thisted of Denmark, who both worked for the Danish Demining Group, a non-profit humanitarian organization, were kidnapped at gunpoint on October 25, 2011, near Galcayo, Somalia, and were being held for ransom. The Department of Justice requested assistance from the Department of Defense, which, in turn, directed U.S. AFRICOM to plan and conduct the rescue operation. Receiving actionable intelligence, U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a coordinated operation in the vicinity of Gadaado, Somalia. During the course of the operation, the rescue force patrolled to the location and confirmed the presence of Mrs. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted guarded by nine captors. All nine captors were killed during the assault. After securing the location, U.S. Special Operations Forces found Mrs. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted unharmed in the outdoor encampment. "Last night's mission, boldly conducted by some of our nation's most courageous, competent, and committed special operations forces, exemplifies United States Africa Command's mission to protect Americans and American interests in Africa," said General Carter F. Ham, commanding general, U.S. Africa Command. "I am extraordinarily proud of the joint-service team that planned, rehearsed and successfully concluded this operation. Thanks to them, a fellow American and her Danish co-worker are safe and will soon be home with their families. We should remember that Mrs. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were working to protect the people of Somalia when they were violently kidnapped. It is my hope that all those who work in Somalia for the betterment of the Somali people can be free from the dangers of violent criminals." At the time of their abduction, Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted had finished conducting a demining training course for local Somali citizens. ### Special Operations Forces Rescue Hostages in Somalia (DoD homepage) http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=66914 January 25, 2012 By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama announced early this morning.
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Both are well and are in a secure location, and there were no American casualties in the operation. Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted were working as part of a Danish demining group when Somali criminals kidnapped them near Galcayo, Somalia, on Oct. 25, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Galcayo is near the border with Ethiopia. There was no word where the two were held. This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others, Panetta said in the statement. I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation. The president said he had spoken with Buchanans father and told him that all Americans are thankful that his daughter is safe and will soon be home. The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice, Obama said in his statement. This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people. Panetta stressed the rescue was a team effort and required close coordination between the Defense Department and the FBI. They are heroes and continue to inspire all of us by their bravery and service to our nation, Panetta wrote. The Danish Demining Group trains local people to defuse and render safe landmines and other ordnance left in the wake of war. In addition to Somalia, the group is working in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Liberia, South Sudan and Uganda. At the beginning of the presidents State of the Union address last night, TV cameras caught Obama shaking Panettas hand and saying Good job. No one knew then what he was talking about. During his address, Obama lauded service members commitment and ability to work together. The rescue operation is another example of that. As commander in chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts, the president said in his statement. ### Sources: US raid frees American and Dane held hostage in Somalia (AP) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/25/sources-us-raid-frees-american-and-daneheld-hostage-in-somalia/?test=latestnews January 25, 2012
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U.S. military forces flew in helicopters under the cover of darkness on a raid into Somalia early Wednesday and freed an American and a Dane held hostage, Western officials said. Pirates reported a gun battle with several casualties. The Danish Refugee Council confirmed that hostages Jessica Buchanan -- an American -and Poul Hagan Thisted -- a Dane -- were freed "during an operation in Somalia." An official told The Associated Press that the raid was carried out by U.S. military forces. A second official said the helicopters and the hostages landed at a U.S. base in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti after the raid. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released publicly. Maj. Kelly Cahalan, a military spokeswoman at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, said she had no information on the reported raid. A spokeswoman at the Pentagon had no immediate comment. The two hostages had been held in Somalia since October. The Danish Refugee Council said both are unharmed "and at a safe location." A pirate who gave his name as Bilal Hussein said he had spoken to pirates at the scene of the raid and they reported that nine pirates had been killed. A second pirate who gave his name as Ahmed Hashi said two helicopters attacked at about 2 a.m. at the site where the hostages were being held about 12 miles north of the Somali town of Adow. ### Aid workers kidnapped in Somalia are rescued (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/africa/somalia-aid-workers/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 January 25, 2012 By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) -- Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia last year were rescued during an operation early Wednesday, a Danish aid group said. "After being held hostage for three months, American citizen Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted from Denmark have today successfully been rescued from their kidnappers in Somalia," a statement from the Danish Refugee Council said. The details of their rescue were not immediately available, but the group said both were unharmed and at a safe location. Gunmen abducted them in October after they visited humanitarian projects in the northern Galkayo area, the aid group said.

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Both were working for the council's de-mining unit, which aims to make civilians safe from landmines and unexploded ordnance. A number of high-profile abductions of foreigners have occurred in Somalia and in Kenya, close to the border with largely lawless Somalia. The kidnappings have been blamed on the Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab. ### U.S. raid frees two pirate hostages in Somalia (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/25/us-somalia-hostagesidUSTRE80O0I220120125 January 25, 2012 By an unattributed author MOGADISHU (Reuters) - U.S. helicopters swooped into central Somalia on Wednesday and rescued two hostages, an American and a Dane, from pirates in a rare raid into the Horn of Africa nation to free foreign captives. American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagen Thisted were working for the Danish Demining Group (DDG) when they were kidnapped from the town of Galkayo in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region in October. "The Danish Refugee Council hereby confirms that Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted have been rescued earlier today during an operation in Somalia," the aid group said in a statement. "The two aid workers from the Danish Refugee Council's demining unit, DDG, are both unharmed and at a safe location," it said. Galmudug's president, Mohamed Ahmed Alim, told Reuters nine pirates were killed and five captured during the rescue operation near the pirate haven of Haradheere. Alim was speaking from Hobyo, another major pirate base north of Haradheere, where he said he was negotiating to secure the release of an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday. "About 12 U.S. helicopters are now at Galkayo. We thank the U.S. Pirates have spoilt the whole region's peace and ethics. They are mafia," Alim said. While U.S. and French forces have intervened to rescue pirate hostages at sea before now, attacks on pirate bases are very rare. The only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa is in neighboring Djibouti.

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NBC News, citing U.S. officials, reported that two teams of U.S. Navy SEALs landed by helicopter and rescued the hostages after a gun battle with the kidnappers. The freed hostages were taken by helicopter to an undisclosed location, NBC reported. President Barack Obama was overheard congratulating Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, apparently for the success of the rescue operation, as Obama entered the House of Representatives chamber on Tuesday night to give his annual State of the Union speech. "Leon. Good job tonight. Good job tonight," Obama said. He did not mention the rescue during his speech. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu, John Acher in Copenhagen, David Clarke in Nairobi and Eric Beech in Washington; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by David Clarke) ### Somalia: Western hostages freed in 'US military raid' (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16714344 January 25, 2012 By an unattributed author Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a US military raid, officials say. The overnight raid was carried out by military helicopters and involved US Navy Seals, unidentified Western officials said. A shoot-out followed but a Danish humanitarian group says the two hostages were unharmed. The two - a US woman and a Danish man - were seized on 25 October. They had been working for the Danish Demining Group when they were abducted by gunmen near the town of Galkayo. The group helps dispose of unexploded bombs and teaches communities about the dangers of land mines. Hostages 'unharmed' They rescue party is said to have landed close to a compound where hostages were being held A local security official, Mohamed Nur, told AFP news agency that several of the pirates had been killed.
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The freed hostages were believed to have been flown to nearby Djibouti by the rescuers, he said. They were named as American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Thisted, 60, of Denmark. The Danish Refugee Council, which had been involved in efforts to free them via mediation, said they were unharmed and "at a safe location". The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington said the first hint of the successful operation appeared to come from US President Barack Obama himself - as he prepared to give the State of the Union address, he turned to his Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and said "Good job tonight." ### US official: SEAL team in rescue also killed Osama (AP) http://news.yahoo.com/us-official-seal-team-rescue-killed-osama-132142355.html January 25, 2012 By Kimberly Dozier WASHINGTON (AP) A U.S. official says the Navy SEAL team that rescued two hostages in Somalia was the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. SEAL Team Six parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness Wednesday and rescued an American woman and a Danish man from an outdoor camp where they were being held by Somali pirates, the official said. The same team executed the mission last May in which al-Qaida leader bin Laden was killed. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the top secret operation. ### Somalia: Western hostages freed in US military raid (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-16714344 By an unattributed author January 25, 2012 Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia three months ago have been freed in a rare US military raid. US officials have confirmed that elite US Navy Seals were dropped into Somalia to carry out the overnight operation which resulted in a shoot-out.
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The two hostages were freed uninjured, although nine of their captors are said to have been killed. No casualties have been reported among US forces. The hostages - a US woman and a Danish man - were seized on 25 October. BBC Security correspondent Frank Gardner says Wednesday's rescue is the highest profile US action in Somalia since it pulled its forces out of the country in 1994. A Pentagon official has confirmed to the BBC said that the unit involved was the elite Seal Team Six, which killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan last May, although the same personnel were not necessarily involved. Seal Team Six suffered heavy losses last August in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan which killed 38 people. US officials said the Somali kidnappers were "criminals" rather than Islamist al-Shabab militants. More than 150 people are still being held hostage in Somalia - mostly sailors from ships seized for ransom by pirates. They include a UK tourist and two Spanish medics who were abducted in neighbouring Kenya. Kenya blames al-Shabab for those kidnappings, but the group - which controls much of southern and central Somalia - denies any involvement. 'One hour on ground' At the time of the raid, American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Dane Poul Thisted, 60, were being kept about 40km (25 miles) east of the town of Adado and 100km south of Galkayo. A US official said the Seals parachuted from a plane into an area near the compound where they were being held. Shots had been fired as the team approached the compound, but there were no US casualties. The rescue team was on the ground for about an hour and the raid was over by 03:00 (24:00 GMT). The freed hostages and the Seals left the area by helicopter for the nearby tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti, where the US has a military presence.

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They were taken to Camp Lemonnier - where about 2,500 personnel are based as well as armour, fighters and drones. Denmark's foreign minister has suggested that a rescue had become a pressing issue because one of the hostages had a "very serious" disease, although no further details were given. The two had been working for the Danish Demining Group, part of the Danish Refugee Council, when they were abducted by gunmen near the north-central town of Galkayo. "We are so relieved and so happy that Paul and Jessica are safe," Andreas Kamm, secretary general of the Danish Refugee Council, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. He said no-one from the group had yet spoken to the pair. 'Message to world' Correspondents say that following the 1993 killing in Mogadishu of 19 US soldiers and the wounding of 70 others, there has been no appetite for full-scale US ground operations in Somalia. The country has been wracked by two decades of conflict and lawlessness, and has not had a functioning central government since 1991. The current UN-backed interim government controls the capital, Mogadishu, thanks to the efforts of a 12,000-strong African Union force. In a statement, US President Barack Obama said he had personally authorised the mission on Monday and that it constituted "another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people". The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington said the first hint of the successful operation appeared to come from President Obama himself - as he prepared to give the State of the Union address, he turned to his Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and said "Good job tonight." In his annual address, the US president praised the US Navy Seals team who killed alQaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan in May 2011. ### UN envoy moves to Somalia as violence rages (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/201212418481378344.html January 25, 2012
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The UN special envoy to Somalia moved to Mogadishu for the first time in 17 years, signalling international support for a government fight against Islamist rebels and preparations for elections this year. High-level officials from the UN have been based in neighbouring Kenya since 1995 because of security concerns, although its Political Office for Somalia had a few officers in the Somali capital. Al-Shabab fighters withdrew from most of their bases in Mogadishu last August after sustained pressure from Somali and African Union troops, but violence still grips many parts of the country. UN Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, arrived on Tuesday at the airport in Mogadishu, where the UN flag was raised. Mahiga was due to meet President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and African Union force officials. The UN said the move showed its commitment to supporting Somali leaders who adopted a political roadmap in September that is meant to lead to parliamentary and presidential elections in August, ending a series of fragile transitional governments. "It is historic to bring the UN back to Somalia. The secretary-general told me I should go and join you to make the roadmap a reality," Mahiga said as he handed a letter from UN chief Ban Ki-moon to the Somali president. Speaking in the presidency later, where Somali men performed a traditional dance, Mahiga called on UN agencies and other countries to send their representatives to be based in Somalia. Baladwayne attack Somalia descended into chaos in 1991 after dictator Siad Barre was ousted. The first internationally backed transitional government was established in 2004 only to lose control to rebels and semi-autonomous administrations. Al-Shabab, who control many parts of southern and central Somalia, have been able to launch guerrilla-style attacks in the capital despite a Kenyan, Ethiopian and Somali offensive. On Tuesday, an al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in Baladwayne, a town in central Somalia about 45km from Ethiopia.

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"A minibus carrying explosives entered Baladwayne administration headquarters compound. Government soldiers tried to stop it by firing but all in vain," Hussein Aden, a senior military official, told the Reuters news agency by phone. Aden said there was no immediate report of casualties and the area surrounding the compound had been sealed off. Aden Abdulle, head of a armed group fighting alongside Somali and Ethiopian soldiers against al Shabaab, said the building housed Transitional Federal Government lawmakers and Ethiopian and Somali government soldiers. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. "We carried the car bomb successfully into the Ethiopian and Somali base in Baladwayne this morning. Our brave driver is martyred. There we killed many Ethiopian and Somali troops on a parade," Al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab said. Al-Shabab said in a statement it had killed 33 Ethiopian soldiers and wounded at least 72. There was no immediate comment from Addis Ababa. ### Canada deports Rwandan genocide suspect Leon Mugesera (FRANCE24 / AFP) http://www.france24.com/en/20120124-rwanda-genocide-hutu-tutsi-canada-deportationleon-mugesera January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author AFP - Two Canadian courts on Monday rejected last-ditch appeals of a Rwandan man accused of helping incite the 1994 genocide in his homeland, moving him one step closer to possible deportation. The Quebec Superior Court and Canada's Federal Court dismissed motions to stay the deportation of Leon Mugesera, who hoped it could wait until the United Nations Committee Against Torture probed a claim that he would face political persecution in Rwanda if he was sent back. Mugesera made an infamous speech in 1992 that allegedly played a major role in sparking the 1994 genocide, in which radical ethnic Hutus killed as many as 800,000 Tutsis. He was to have been deported two weeks ago, but last-minute appeals to the two courts and the UN Committee Against Torture earned him a reprieve until Monday.

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Mugesera was taken into custody while his request for a six-month stay of deportation was considered. Mugesera wanted the extra time for United Nations officials to carry out their probe. "As long as the order is not suspended (by a court), he still faces deportation," Mugesera's lawyer Martin Roy told reporters. "I'm afraid that at this very moment he is being extradited," Roy said. In the infamous speech, Mugesera allegedly called Tutsis "cockroaches" and "scum," and encouraged his fellow Hutus to kill them. Mugesera fled to Canada the following year to avoid prosecution, then waged a 15-year legal battle to avoid being sent back. ### Nigeria, U.S. Facing Similar Terror Threats, Says Envoy (allAfrica.com) http://allafrica.com/stories/201201250238.html 25 January 2012 By Tokunbo Adedoja and Zacheaus Somorin The United States has said it will partner Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, a phenomenon it described as similar to that being faced by Americans. The country's Consul General, Mr. Joseph Stafford, who stated this during a courtesy visit to THISDAY Corporate Headquarters in Lagos Tuesday, pointed out that the matter was on the agenda of US, Nigeria Bi-National Commission summit which ended in Abuja Tuesday. Stafford, nonetheless, berated the wanton destruction of lives and property by Boko Haram during their attacks. "We recognise the violence that Boko Haram represents and in the spirit of partnership, whatever comes out of the meeting would be followed up" he stated, adding that US could help in terms of information sharing, trainings and other helpful ways. Stafford said the motive behind the bombings transcends recidivist attitude, but poverty and rigorous economic survival in the Northern part of the country. "We do not believe it is solely a security issue. The underlying political and social factors must be taken into consideration," he said. He, however, said that such a condition should not be an excuse to terminate lives of innocent people.
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He also said that US had been assisting Nigeria on security through the Bi-National Commission with different groups working out the mode of US intervention, adding that the outcome of the ongoing meeting between the two countries would determine the gravity of the situation and the US appropriate response to the terrorism challenge in Nigeria. He pointed out that there had been trainings organised by US for the Nigerian forces in the Gulf of Guinea and other strategic places. Stafford emphasised the importance of good governance as one of the conditions for peace, but pointed out that inadequacy of such should not be allowed to create opportunity for unbridled violence as being perpetrated by Boko Haram. On arms proliferation, he said the bi-national commission's agenda included effort at making sure that control measures are put in place to tame its excesses through a committee set up in that regard. While commending THISDAY for its vibrant news reportage, and harping on the need for press freedom to enhance democracy, he said the recent revelations by Wikileaks had not deterred US diplomatic missions from doing its work. He, however, said the challenge that the online whistle blower had posed was that there was need for its diplomatic missions to be as confidential as possible and protect every information given to it. On the fight against graft in Nigeria, the envoy said there had been trainings and retraining of officials of Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) both in Abuja and Lagos. He explained also that there had been concerted effort in aiding Nigeria financially, an evidence of which, he said, was the visit by US Exim Bank's managing director to the country for the purpose of enhancing projects like energy. On the speculations that China has taken over African markets and Nigeria in particular, Stafford said it had rather been a competition by both countries, adding that many American companies are also involved in the construction and energy sectors of the Nigerian economy as being encouraged through Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). He said US is not threatened by China's growth. He said Nigeria imported goods worth N5 billion in 2011 from his country. According to him, despite the fact that its consulate in Lagos and Abuja are besieged with fusillade of applications on a daily basis, it had been able to cope and improve on its visa service to Nigerians through its online services which he said had been user friendly.
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Meanwhile, US has said it is "extremely concerned" about what it called "horrific" spate of bombings in Nigeria. Reacting to attacks that claimed scores of lives in Kano last Friday, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Ms. Victoria Nuland, at a press briefing at the State Department in Washington on Monday, said: "We are obviously extremely concerned, and it was a really horrific spate of bombings over the weekend." She said US was consulting "extremely closely" with Nigeria on counter-terrorism issues, adding that US had a broad and rich counter-terrorism dialogue with Nigeria, which included efforts to support steps to cut off funding. Nuland added that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, William Fitzgerald, was in Nigeria in continuation of the security dialogue and for an assessment of what Nigeria's security needs might be in this respect. Also Tuesday, Nuland issued a statement on Nigeria condemning the attacks in Kano and Bauchi and called for a full investigation so as to bring those responsible to justice. In the statement, she noted that this was a time for all Nigerians to stand united against the enemies of civility and peace, adding, "Nigeria's ethnic and religious diversity is a source of strength for the country and those who seek to undermine that strength with divisive tactics cannot succeed." ### Africa: Aid Can Spur 'Historic Progress' - Bill Gates (allAfrica.com) http://allafrica.com/stories/201201250001.html January 24, 2012 By Tami Hultman INTERVIEW Bill and Melinda Gates, who co-chair the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, say that they are responding to a challenge from Warren Buffet by taking on "the really tough problems." They are optimists, they say, focusing on a few big goals and funding innovations, as they work with a variety of partners around the world. In his fourth annual letter about the work of the foundation, Bill Gates covers a range of topics related to improving lives by reducing poverty, with a particular emphasis on the benefits of investing in agriculture. He links food scarcity to a number of development challenges, and the letter is an argument to wealthy nations even in the midst of fiscal austerity to make the choice "to keep on helping extremely poor people build selfsufficiency".

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On Wednesday, 25 January at the London School of Economics, Bill Gates will launch this year's letter at the inauguration of a Global Poverty Ambassadors project during a live webcast. Swedish public health scholar Hans Rosling of the Karolinska Institute, whose Gapminder Foundation illustrates complex data through imaginative, interactive graphics, will also argue the benefits of development assistance at the event. AllAfrica's Tami Hultman talked by phone with Bill Gates about Africa, the letter, and the sources of his optimism. HULTMAN: Your letter links food scarcity to poor nutrition to higher rates of disease and death - and then notes that climate change could add further pressure on food security by reducing crop yields by as much as 25 percent. And you want to eradicate polio, deliver other life-saving vaccines, attack malaria, stem the tide of HIV - and attract funding for all these things. With so much to be done - and all of it inter-related - how is it possible to avoid discouragement and donor fatigue? GATES: The key is to show the success stories. Certainly the state of the world - and the state of Africa - is far better today than ten years ago, fifty years ago. And there is a direct connection between aid generosity and government policies and those improvements. One of my favorite books on this is Charles Kenny's "Getting Better" that talks about how improvements in literacy and health actually outdistance what the pure economic figures would say. That's not to discount economic growth - but over time, we've done even better than that one metric would indicate. Malaria is a great story, with about a 20 percent reduction. HIV drug treatment is a good story. Even the agricultural story although in the last decade we lost focus on it, and Africa has had nowhere near the benefit that big parts of Asia have had to the degree that people have focused on agriculture, there are some good things that have happened. So that's the one that I spend the most time on, because at a time when people are looking at what they do with their aid budgets, trying to get agriculture back at a higher level of funding is pretty important. You still have a billion people that haven't moved up their productivity level to have enough to eat, with all the negative consequences that has. HULTMAN: In your letter you discuss innovation - the necessity for it and the need to share it. How do you go about spreading the word about effective interventions, like the drought-resistant seeds I recently saw boosting crop yields in Kenya? How can strategies and mechanisms that work get communicated and replicated most efficiently? GATES: One way you can do it is try to have market mechanisms where farmers hear the reputation of new seeds from each other and allow entry of new seed companies. Kenya has been particularly good on this. AGRA [Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa], through our seeds program, is working with farmers, and a whole bunch of new seed companies have come in. Some of those seeds have developed really good
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reputations and are being used. A lot of African countries don't allow new seed entrants to come in, so particularly for the non-staple crops fruits, vegetables, things like that the kind of innovation, the variety, the choice that should be there is not there. For other things like getting mothers to know how to treat newborns and getting them to seek out vaccination services there we have to be innovative. With women's groups or radio, or other kinds of media approaches: how do you create that demand for innovative solutions, both in health and agriculture? Those are things that we continue to learn. And, of course, some things that work in one country may not work as well in another country. HULTMAN: To follow up on that, at AllAfrica we get a lot of announcements people send us, wanting us to tell the story about their initiatives, whether a better toilet or a cleaner cook stove. How can you combine forces to let market mechanisms work, so that the best kind of intervention can be adopted and scaled up to reach more people? GATES: Well, we fund a lot of toilet-related work, and I have looked at the different stove-related things. Ideally, you would like to have vouchers in the hands of the people who need those things, and then they could look at which products meet their particular needs. Cook stoves is one area where there has been a fair bit of naivet about what people are used to, in terms of how their food ends up tasting, or what cooking practices people are used to. So there have been a lot of things that haven't been that well adopted, just because they don't tend to meet the needs, or they tend to be out of the price range, even though some in terms of fuel efficiency or health benefits look very good on paper. That's been a tough one. In the area of toilets, frankly most of the new designs really didn't solve the smell problem perfectly. So compared to the gold standard, which is the flush toilet, it has been very difficult. And there are all sorts of maintenance and servicing costs that come in so, you picked two that are fairly difficult! You know, what you would like is to have the donors or someone who is neutral do the evaluation in terms of what the particular local needs are and then use the voucher program to get those things out there. Fortunately, in the case of farming, the understanding of what is productivity is reasonably straight forward. So if you can get a critical mass of adoption, then you tend to get very good spread. Now you may have to be patient; you may have to pick the right people to be your pilot-type users. But there are great success stories unfortunately more in Asia than in Africa because there were better seeds. But there are lots of great stories where seeds did get very high uptake over a five-year period. HULTMAN: This all leads into the role of research and science and science education. The new seeds being used in Kenya's Machakos area are produced locally. What do you think is the role of African science education and African researchers doing science in Africa, adapted to local conditions and sensibilities?
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GATES: In the long run, that is what you have to have, because they know what the particular needs are. So if you look at the relative lack of success in African agricultural productivity increase versus Asian, this education thing is one of many factors that you would look at. We've got, through Agra, a couple of PHD programs; one at the University of Kwazulu Natal and another in Ghana, that are going to start to turn out, over the next five years, some meaningful numbers. We have a huge effort to work with African scientists. I highlight [in the letter] Joseph in Tanzania, who is doing cassava work. I was just down in Australia seeing some banana work and the key to the success of that is people in Uganda and the national agriculture research organization there, who partnered up on that banana project. So, fortunately, there is a generation now that hopefully will become role models, and the young generation will come along and learn from the very modest number of senior agricultural experts that Africa has today. HULTMAN: You opened your letter by saying that 15 percent of the world's population lives in extreme poverty compared to 40 percent 50 years ago which by some calculations represents a decline in absolute numbers of the very poor, despite a doubling of population. GATES: One amazing statistic is that China is a huge part of that. In other words, there would be more people living in poverty today if China hadn't done such a very good job. The numbers are unbelievable, because they went from having about 75 percent of their population in poverty to now under 10 percent. There are things that aren't perfect, but in terms of poverty, that is a very amazing story. Sadly, Africa, because of its high population growth and relative lack of progress, is the continent that has more people who face malnutrition and poverty than in the past a smaller percentage, but a higher absolute number. That is unacceptable, no matter what is going on with financial issues up in the north. I am arguing that cutting back the aid that is going to enable that to change that shouldn't happen. HULTMAN: So you end your letter by saying that you are going to spend the next year spreading the word that modest investments in development can improve the lives of billions of people. You've just cited challenges in Africa. How can you make the case compelling that Africa, too, can reduce poverty? GATES: There are great success stories going on in Africa. The last decade in Africa has been pretty good. You always have the problem that bad news is more of a headline than good news. So as people in the West are reading about Africa, they are reading about Sudan instead of the relative progress that is taking place that's very gradual, one day at a time. In a country like Kenya, which has certainly had its fair share of difficulties, there have been a lot of good things going on in both agriculture and health. You know, part of our goal is to get more people to come and visit and see the progress.
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My wife Melinda was just in Tanzania 10 days ago with six United States senators, and the most impactful part of that visit was talking to a woman farmer. They noticed she had no electricity, no running water, and yet when they asked her: "What would you do if you had more productivity," she thought that was a silly question because it was obvious that she wanted to be able to pay her children's school fees and get her kids more education. She wasn't going to spend the money on getting running water or electricity! So I think people have to see the sense of commitment and what it looks like when it works. In health work, the Global Fund [to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria], is an overwhelming success story. The very small percentage of corruption that they did a good job to spot has become more the impression of what's going on with Global Fund than the fact that 95 percent of the money is saving millions of lives in their target diseases. We have a real communications challenge that we have to rise to. Sometimes donors may think that they are not getting the proper appreciation for the aid [they give]. So it's tough. We need to make sure that they feel better about that and really assure them that we are getting smarter about how it's spent and its impact, a lot of which is health and agricultural work. If people think of Africa as a whole, they might just think about the toughest parts, and you know better than I that there is incredible variety, including a lot of great progress. ### Anger, chaos but no revolt after Libya violence (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80O03220120125 January 25, 2012 By Oliver Holmes BANI WALID, Libya (Reuters) - A bullet-scarred barracks, scorched and abandoned like the ageing tanks guarding its shattered gateway, was all that remained on Tuesday of what passed for the Libyan government's grip on Bani Walid. But a day after townsmen put to flight a force loyal to the Western-backed interim administration in Tripoli, elders in the desert city, once a bastion of support for Muammar Gaddafi, dismissed accusations they wanted to restore the late dictator's family to power or had any ambitions beyond their local area. "Allegations of pro-Gaddafi elements in Bani Walid, this is not true," said Miftah Jubarra, who was among dozens of leading citizens gathered at a local mosque to form a municipal council now that nominal representatives from the capital have fled. "In the Libyan revolution, we have all become brothers," Jubarra told Reuters. "We will not be an obstacle to progress."
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That might reassure the National Transitional Council, the body which won NATO backing to oust Gaddafi last year but which is now struggling to restore services and impose order on myriad armed groups. An official of the NTC's government in Tripoli insisted it saw no threat from the "limited local incident". Yet the violence, 150 km (90 miles) south of the capital, was also symptomatic of major obstacles to Libyan hopes of a rapid transition to peace, democracy and oil-fueled prosperity. Residents heard warplanes overhead late on Monday as NTC forces hastily drove south from Tripoli to take up positions 50 km from Bani Walid. But those troops had, as yet, no orders to move on the town, where Gaddafi loyalists fought rebel forces to a standstill before negotiating a surrender in October. Interior Minister Fawzi Abd al-All told a news conference in Tripoli would "strike with an iron fist" anyone who posed a threat to Libyan security - but he also said there would be no NTC move against Bani Walid until it was clear what happened. People in Bani Walid urged the NTC to keep back and the government official in Tripoli, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the interim administration was in no hurry to get mired in a dispute he characterised as a spat between local factions, rather than a counter-revolution. "GREEN FLAGS" ABSENT Though pro-government militiamen who fled on Monday spoke of their barracks being overrun by fighters flying the green flag of the old regime, Reuters journalists who toured the town of 75,000 on Tuesday saw little overt sign of such allegiances to Gaddafi, whose now captive son Saif al-Islam staged a last stand in Bani Walid before fleeing into the Sahara three months ago. Rather than green flags, the most common banners flying were the red, green and black tricolour of the NTC. Some graffiti spoke of lingering nostalgia for the Gaddafis in a town whose dominant Warfalla tribe fared well under him. But those willing to talk to reporters insisted the violence was no revanchist putsch but was provoked by local abuses allegedly committed by The May 28th Brigade, a militia loyal to the NTC. "When men from Tripoli come into your house and harass women, what are we to do?" said Fati Hassan, a 28-year-old Bani Walid resident who described the men of May 28th as a mixture of local men and outsiders, former anti-Gaddafi rebels who had turned into oppressors when given control over the town.

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"They were arresting people from the first day after liberation. People are still missing. I am a revolutionary and I have friends in The May 28th Brigade," said Hassan, who said he urged them to ease off. "The war is over now." A sleep-deprived doctor at the poorly supplied local hospital in Bani Walid, as well as other residents of the town, said at least seven people were killed on Monday when tempers boiled over, and an eighth died of wounds on Tuesday. It was unclear if this figure included four militiamen whose comrades in the NTC brigade said were killed. Jubarra, who sat at the meeting of elders, gave details of the incident which, he said, caused patience to snap among the people of the town. "On Friday, the May 28th Brigade arrested a man from Bani Walid. After Bani Walid residents lodged a protest, he was finally released. But he had been tortured. "This caused an argument that escalated to arms. "Bani Walid fighters took over the 28th May camp, confiscated weapons and pushed them out of the city," Jubarra explained to the elders, who sat in silence around him, many of them wrapped in traditional white woollen blankets. SIGNS OF BATTLE At the barracks once used by Gaddafi's army, which had been their headquarters, spent cartridge cases crunched under foot, testifying to an intense gunfight. A metre-wide hole in the perimeter wall showed where a rocket had blasted through. Local people said the two sides exchanged fire with anti-tank weapons. Clearly conscious of the risk that the NTC, keen to assert an authority that has been ebbing in recent weeks as memories fade of the victory over dictatorship, local people were anxious to send a message to Tripoli not to hit back: "We are asking the NTC not to escalate this issue by sending troops," Jubarra said, turning his from the assembled town elders gaze to address Reuters journalists directly. Another of those gathered at the mosque to form a local government, Ali Zargoun, said they would reject any attempt by NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil, Libya's de facto head of state, to impose an authority on them: "If Abdel Jalil is going to force anyone on us, we won't accept that by any means." Abdel Jalil was already having a bad week and has warned Libyans of a "bottomless pit" if trouble goes on in a country awash with guns. His deputy quit, bemoaning an "atmosphere of hatred" after being roughed up by disgruntled citizens.
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And Abdel Jalil found himself besieged in his office by protesters in Benghazi, the seat of the revolt. They were complaining about delays in providing services for people in a country impatient to see its oil riches shared out more widely. There is also growing dismay at progress toward an election due in June, with details still unclear on how the vote will be conducted and complaints of a lack of transparency from a body that includes many who held important positions under Gaddafi. TENSIONS NATIONWIDE While Bani Walid was and remains a particular headache for the NTC, it is not alone. Towns and cities across the country are being run with little reference to central authority and in a number of areas old scores and local frictions are being fought over by groups that were nominally allies in the revolt. "The civil war has produced new conflicts that are far from settled and that have yet to play out, namely power struggles at the local level, and conflicts between local centres of power for influence at the national level," said Wolfram Lacher of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs who has been in the country researching postGaddafi Libya. "Most of these are unlikely to develop into violent conflicts as in Bani Walid," Lacher said from Berlin. "But they will be playing out across the country in the coming months." The government official acknowledged the difficulties. Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, he said: "As we all know, some regions are fragile in view of the vastness of the country and the presence of huge quantities of arms." Among the issues being disputed is determining who will replace those who held power under Gaddafi, and who might be punished or otherwise held accountable for past abuses. Many Libya watchers urge caution, however, in branding any of those competing groups as "Gaddafi loyalists", and few see any real threat of the late leader's exiled sons, or Saif al-Islam who is being held captive by pro-NTC fighters in the town of Zintan, becoming a focus for a fight back by the old guard. Rather, the label "pro-Gaddafi" has tended to be applied to adversaries by groups keen to undermine their rivals' cause: "We should be cautious regarding reports of Gaddafi loyalists," Libya expert Lacher said. "This may be one local party to the conflict trying to get other forces to intervene by painting its adversaries as pro-Gaddafi." During clashes between rival militias since "liberation" was declared in October, Reuters journalists have often been told by both sides in various disputes that they are aligned with the NTC and are fighting the remnants of Gaddafi's troops.
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Though there are those among the six million Libyans who yearn for the old days, and there is pro-Gaddafi graffiti in Bani Walid, as well as boisterous children ready to yell "Only Gaddafi!" at foreign journalists, many regard that as largely evidence of irritation with the NTC than of a serious threat to turn the clock back on Libya's "Arab Spring" revolution. LOCAL PRIDE Mustafa Fetouri, an academic and writer who comes originally from Bani Walid, saw this week's violence there as a matter of local pride, notably among elders of the Warfalla tribe, who felt ill used by the incoming powers in Tripoli - even though many Warfalla clansmen fought for the NTC during the war. "It's tribal dignity not necessarily in support of the old regime," Fetouri told Reuters. "The (NTC's) goal is to teach the Warfalla a lesson ... It will be bloody and fruitless." Many townspeople were keeping indoors on Tuesday, although markets were being held and life seemed relatively normal. Handfuls of armed local men manned checkpoints out the edges of the town, which sits in a desert ravine that proved hard for NTC forces to take during the fighting last September and October. The fighters themselves were distinguishable from the motley forces loyal to the interim government only in that they did not wear the laminated identity badges distributed to NTC militiamen. They carried the same automatic rifles and drove the same pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns that became the emblem of the chaotic war against Gaddafi's army. Potential adversaries from men who describe themselves as part of the NTC's "national army" sat by the road closer to Tripoli. "We have received no orders to enter Bani Walid," said Mohammed al-Ajali, who said his unit had been sent there from eastern Libya on Monday to deal with the trouble in the town. He had little patience for the protestations of the townsfolk that they were not counterrevolutionaries: "The solution for Bani Walid is to disarm them," Ajali said. "I think 75 percent are Gaddafi supporters." A Libyan air official said warplanes were being mobilised to fly to Bani Walid. But it was not immediately clear what the government in Tripoli could do. It has yet to demonstrate that it has an effective fighting force under its command. ### END REPORT
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