United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 30 November 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please find attached news clips related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa, along with upcoming events of interest for November 30, 2011. Of interest in todays clips: In Ethiopia: Media continue to report on the potential for Ethiopian government and forces to support Kenyan forces fighting Al Shabaab in Somalia. In Kenya: International press focus on the potential outcome of Kenyas involvement in Somalia In Uganda: Separate reports discuss Chinas future ties to Uganda by supporting the UPDF forces fighting in Somalia, and by building roads and other infrastructure in Uganda. Provided in text format for remote reading. Links work more effectively when this message is viewed as in HTML format. U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: africom-pao@africom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa Ethiopia dragged reluctantly back into Somalia conflict (The Citizen) http://thecitizen.co.tz/editorial-analysis/-/17504-ethiopia-dragged-reluctantly-back-intosomalia-conflict 29 November 2011 Richard Lough Ethiopia is being sucked back into Somalia to open another front against Islamist rebels battling Kenyan forces but even a military victory is unlikely to end two decades of anarchy unless the country's feuding politicians and clans want peace. Kenyas Somali Gamble (News 24)
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http://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/Kenyas-Somali-Gamble-20111129 29 November 2011 By Hussein Solomon By any reckoning, 2011 was not a good year for Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (Movement of Striving Youth) or al-Shabaab (the Youth) as it is more commonly known. This Islamist and al-Qaeda aligned group in Somalia suffered various setbacks. Eritrea Denies It Supports Militants, Demands Independent Inquiry (VOA) http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Eritrea-Denies-It-Supports-MilitantsDemands-Independent-Inquiry--134705338.html 29 November 2011 Eritreas permanent representative to the United Nations has petitioned the U.N. Security Council to expedite an independent investigation into Kenyan allegations that Asmara is supporting the Somali militant group al-Shabab. Ambassador Araya Desta sharply denies the latest accusations, saying, Eritrea has never supported al-Shabab or any other group in Somalia. Uganda Government News: China To Support UPDF In Somalia http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/government/china-to-support-updf-insomalia/22867.aspx 28 November 2011 The government of the Republic of China has promised support to the Uganda People Defense Forces (UPDF) to accomplish their peace keeping mission in Somalia. China keen to build roads, railways in Uganda (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/29/uganda-diplomacyidUSL5E7MT5EF20111129 29 November 2011 By Elias Biryabarema China has said it wants to build roads and railways in Uganda, where the Asian giant has already been rapidly expanding its economic footprint in recent years, according to the office of the Ugandan president. Do Islamist Terrorists In Nigeria Pose A Threat To U.S.? One Republican Lawmaker Sounds Warning (Huffington Post) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/islamist-terrorists-nigeria-bokoharam_n_1119189.html 29 November 2011 Few terrorism experts would deny that a radical Islamist sect that has made a series of increasingly audacious attacks in Nigeria, including the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Africa's most populous nation this summer, is a growing threat. What isn't so clear is whether Boko Haram is an "emerging threat to the U.S. homeland." Kidnappings add to Mali woes http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Kidnappings-add-to-Mali-woes-20111128 29 November 2011
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The kidnapping of several Europeans adds to Mali's problems, already grappling with fallout from the Libya crisis after the demise of Muammar Gaddafi, a UN official said here on Monday. DR Congo's Vital Kamerhe leads calls to annul vote (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15948152 29 November 2011 Four opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo's election say it should be cancelled because of fraud and violence. They include Vital Kamerhe, who said the rigging was on a large scale and "deliberately planned" with pre-marked ballot papers. Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo arrives in The Hague (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15946481 Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. He left the northern town of Korhogo, after an arrest warrant was issued, and was flown to Rotterdam, from where he was transferred to detention in The Hague early on Wednesday. ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA Security Council renews arms embargo and sanctions in DR Congo 29 November The Security Council today agreed to extend by another year the arms embargo and other sanctions it has imposed against armed rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for nearly a decade. Conflict now major cause for displacement in Somalia, says UN refugee agency 29 November Insecurity and conflict due to insurgency is now one of the main causes for displacement in Somalias capital, Mogadishu, the United Nations refugee agency said today, warning that constant fighting is also hampering aid efforts in the country. UN envoy welcomes Somali and Central African progress on child soldiers 28 November New commitments by Somalias transitional Government and the Central African Republic (CAR) to end the use of child soldiers are encouraging, a United Nations envoy stressed today, but warned that despite these advancements, the situation in both countries remains volatile. Most pressing task for Libya is consolidation of security, UN envoy reports 28 November Libyas interim Government faces a number of challenges as it seeks to move past the recent conflict and decades of dictatorship, the most immediate of which is consolidating security, the top United Nations envoy to the country said today.

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(Full Articles on UN Website) ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Upcoming Events of Interest: 30 November 2011 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) Discussion on "America's Challenge: Engaging a Rising China in the Twenty-First Century." Speakers: Michael D. Swaine, David Lampton, and Geoff Dyer. WHERE: CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW CONTACT: 202-483-7600; web site: www.carnegieendowment.org SOURCE: CEIP - event announcement at: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2011/11/30/america-s-challenge-engaging-risingchina-in-twenty-first-century/7g14 2 December 2011 Middle East Institute (MEI) Discussion on "Insights from Egypt's First Round of Voting." Speakers: Joshua Stacher, Kent State University and Mohamed Elmenshawy, Al Shorouk News, Middle East Institute Scholar; moderated by Graeme Bannerman, Middle East Institute Scholar WHERE: MEI, 1761 N Street, NW CONTACT: 202-785-1141; web site: www.mei.edu SOURCE: MEI - event announcement at: http://www.mei.edu/Events/Calendar/tabid/504/vw/3/ItemID/370/d/20111202/Default.as px

### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New on www.africom.mil U.S. AFRICOM and Canadian Expeditionary Force Command Collaborate on African Security Issues http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7464&lang=0 By Diane Cano U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs STUTTGART, Germany, Nov 29, 2011 Commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM), Lieutenant General Stuart Beare, visited U.S. Africa Command headquarters November 28, 2011 to discuss continued partnership between
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CEFCOM and AFRICOM on the African continent in 2012. During his visit, Beare met with AFRICOM leaders, which served as an opportunity to discuss mutual interests between Canadian and U.S. forces. ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL TEXT Ethiopia dragged reluctantly back into Somalia conflict (The Citizen) http://thecitizen.co.tz/editorial-analysis/-/17504-ethiopia-dragged-reluctantly-back-intosomalia-conflict 29 November 2011 Richard Lough Ethiopia is being sucked back into Somalia to open another front against Islamist rebels battling Kenyan forces but even a military victory is unlikely to end two decades of anarchy unless the country's feuding politicians and clans want peace. A small Ethiopian contingent rolled across the border on November 19 and 20, although Addis Ababa has publicly denied its troops are there. They have revived bases used during its ill-fated 2006-2009 campaign to rid the anarchic country of hardline Islamist rebels. Regional leaders were meeting in the Ethiopian capital on Friday to discuss ways of supporting Kenya's campaign. Mogadishu has said it would welcome an Ethiopian force if there was an official mandate. Kenya has leaned heavily on Ethiopia to send a much larger force to join the assault against the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels. But Ethiopian troops are unlikely to stray far this time, aware that their last intervention was a rallying call for rebels, who portrayed Ethiopia as Christian invaders in a Muslim country. Kenya too has stressed it will leave Somalia once it has dismantled al Shabaab's network and seized strongholds that provide the insurgents a financial lifeline, potentially leaving a void for former warlords to step into. Somalia is a hotspot in the global war against militant Islam. But in the two decades since warlords and then Islamist insurgents reduced its government to impotence, a string of foreign forces, including American, have failed to bring order. "The Ethiopians can be none too happy with the state of affairs," said J. Peter Pham, Africa director with U.S. think-tank the Atlantic Council."The Kenyans, having foolishly charged in with apparently little thought as to realistic strategic objectives... are now bogged down and need an additional front opened against al Shabaab to relieve the pressure on themselves," he said.

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Kenyan forces crossed into Somalia nearly six weeks ago in an incursion designed to dismantle the militants' network. While they initially advanced smoothly on rebel strongholds in southern Somalia, the Kenyan campaign has stalled as al Shabaab fighters melt into the population, while heavy rains and muddy terrain swamp its forces.Ethiopian Foreign minister Hailemariam Desalegn said this week any measures against the rebels would be taken jointly with other members of the region's IGAD bloc and the African Union. Ethiopia is reviled across much of Somalia. With tacit US backing, and at the invitation of the beleaguered Somali government, Ethiopia blitzed its way through Somalia in late 2006 and 2007 to rout another Somali Islamist administration from de facto power. Washington said the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) had ties to al Qaeda. It now backs a government led by a former ICU boss. Al Shabaab rose from the broken ICU, its ranks swollen by a deep resentment at the perception of Ethiopia as a Christian invader in a Muslim country. "The Ethiopians understand all too well that their presence, as a Christian nation, in Somalia could be propaganda for al Shabaab," said an African Union official in Addis Ababa. "They're not going to repeat that mistake twice," the official said on condition of anonymity. "They will back up ASWJ, equip them, train them and not stray too far," referring to the pro-Mogadishu Sufi militia group, Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca, which is also closely allied to Ethiopia. A second AU official said Ethiopian troops might push as deep as Baidoa, about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of Mogadishu with an airport, to stretch rebel lines and cut off some supply routes. An Ahlu Sunna commander said the militia expected Ethiopia to train 4,000 fighters.Kenya boasts it could seize Kismayu, a nerve-centre for rebel operations and prized Kenyan target, any time it chooses.The advance on the port city was still on and the country's navy has blockaded the sea port, a Kenyan military source said. Kenya hopes to starve the militants of huge revenues on inflows of smuggled contraband and charcoal exports to the Gulf. The lack of a significant blow to the rebels so far, though, has raised questions about Kenya's troops numbers and strategy.In 2006, against Ethiopia, a military giant in the region, the insurgents squared up to the offensive and suffered."This time, they faded among the population ... even as they draw (Kenya) deeper into Somalia, extending their lines of communication and supply and allowing them to get bogged down in the unforgiving terrain," Pham said.

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Some Western diplomats believe Kismayu will fall, but acknowledge there are few answers to the question: What next? "I don't think even within the political and military circles anyone can tell you the end game, the exit plan," Ndung'u Wainaina, head the Nairobi-based think-tank International Centre for Policy and Conflict said. Kenyan troops might seek to switch berets and join an African peacekeeping force. That, though, would require the United Nations to extend the force's mandate beyond Mogadishu and raise the ceiling on troop numbers from the current 12,000. Western powers -- most likely the United States and European Union -- would also need to stump up more cash."It's difficult to see how that could happen anytime soon given that the salaries of the soldiers are paid for by the West. There's no stomach for giving any more money to AMISOM," said a Western diplomat working in the region.Even if Kenya and its regional allies crush the rebels, military force at best provides breathing space. The writer filed this analysis from Nairobi. ### Kenyas Somali Gamble (News 24) http://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/Kenyas-Somali-Gamble-20111129 29 November 2011 By Hussein Solomon By any reckoning, 2011 was not a good year for Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (Movement of Striving Youth) or al-Shabaab (the Youth) as it is more commonly known. This Islamist and al-Qaeda aligned group in Somalia suffered various setbacks. In March, Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces together with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) recaptured the town of Bulo Hawo. In April, the town of Dhobley, near the Kenyan border, also fell under the control of the TFG. By August 6, al-Shabaab was driven out of Mogadishu as a result of the co-ordinated attacks from AMISOM and TFG fighters. In the process, some senior and experienced al-Shabaab commanders were killed. On March 16 Abdelkadir Yusuf Aar who served as the groups leader in the Juba and Gedo region was killed. On April 3 another senior al-Shabaab operative, Hassan Abdurahman, was killed in Dhobley. On June 11, Fazul Abdullah Mohamed was killed by security forces in Afgoye, north-west of Mogadishu. Not only was Mohamed an al-Shabaab commander but he was also a senior al-Qaeda operative. In addition to this military pressure from AMISOM and the TFG, al-Shabaab was also suffering from a series of organizational problems. Tensions between the movements northern and southern commanders escalated on the ideological and tactical fronts; less money was entering al-Shabaabs coffers from the Somali diaspora at the same time when support for the movement from the Somali business community was ebbing; and

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clan militias increasingly challenged al-Shabaabs territorial hegemony in its heartland of southern Somalia. Attempting to lure Ethiopia It is in this context that the authorities in Nairobi embarked on an ill-conceived, badly planned and poorly executed Operation Linda Nchi (Swahili for Protect the Nation) which involved hundreds of Kenyan troops crossing the border into Somalia on October. The immediate catalyst for the operation was the kidnapping of several tourists from Kenya by ostensibly al Shabaab militants*. In doing so the government of Mwai Kibaki has played into the hands of al-Shabaab. For some time now al-Shabaab has been attempting to lure Ethiopia, the US and Kenya into sending boots on to Somali ground. In having a foreign occupation force once more on Somali soil, al-Shabaab hopes to play the nationalist card and to unite all factions under its banner whilst simultaneously weakening the TFG which is then seen as the puppets of these foreign forces. Washington, however, has refused to play by al Shabaabs rules, preferring surgical predator drone strikes. Addis Ababa, having withdrawn their troops and having learned their mistakes from its earlier intervention see no reason to once more re-engage militants on their home turf. Unfortunately, Nairobi still has to learn this painful lesson. Far from using its armed forces to seal its borders with Somalia or using its air force to provide support to TFG forces as it did at Dhobley, Kenya chose to send troops into al-Shabaabs heartland in southern Somalia to take on the movement directly. This will prove to be a costly mistake for Nairobi. Objective not clear In the first instance, the Kenyan authorities were not clear as to the objective of its military intervention. Thus whilst at first, Nairobi stated that their armed forces were pursuing al-Shabaab fighters across the border, subsequent statements suggests that the military objectives became ever more expansive. These expanded objectives included dismantling al-Shabaab itself as well securing Kismayo, an al Shabaab- controlled port, 155 miles from the Kenyan border. Second, given the expanded objectives and the topography of the region the military force deployed was much too small to attain the avowed objectives. Third, Kenyan military planners seemed not to have factored the weather when drawing up their plans. One reason for the offensive to have stalled was because of the heavy rains and mud which is slowing the advance. Fourth, rather than fight the Kenyans in conventional terms, al-Shabaab is employing guerilla tactics which the Kenyan military unfortunately did not anticipate. Fifth, the intervention is exacerbating popular anger against Kenyans especially when innocent
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civilians are being targeted. On October 30, for instance, the Kenyan air force, conducted an aerial bombardment of an internally displaced persons camp in Jilib which resulted in the deaths of five civilians, and the wounding of 45 others. Of the latter, 31 were children. Al-Shabaab has tapped into this popular anger as it recruits more fighters. It is already clear that Nairobi is seeking a not too gracious exit from the Somali stage. Recently a Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said that if the TFG commits to fighting al-Shabaab (which it has been doing), Kenya will halt its military advance. This Kenyan misadventure in Somalia may well prove to have given al Shabaab a life line. * It should be noted that al Shabaab never claimed responsibility for these abductions. Prof Solomon lectures Political Science at the University of the Free State. ### Eritrea Denies It Supports Militants, Demands Independent Inquiry (VOA) http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Eritrea-Denies-It-Supports-MilitantsDemands-Independent-Inquiry--134705338.html 29 November 2011 Eritreas permanent representative to the United Nations has petitioned the U.N. Security Council to expedite an independent investigation into Kenyan allegations that Asmara is supporting the Somali militant group al-Shabab. Ambassador Araya Desta sharply denies the latest accusations, saying, Eritrea has never supported al-Shabab or any other group in Somalia. Asmara also asked the U.N. to reprimand Nairobi over the allegations. He said Eritrea welcomes an independent inquiry into Kenyas latest accusation. Definitely that is what we have requested the Security Council [to do]. We want them to send an independent body to verify and investigate these allegations and come up with the result. So that the truth will come out because Eritrea has not participated in anything like that, said Desta. We dont have planes to go to Baidoa and there is no reason why we should send arms to al-Shabab. Earlier this year, the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia and Eritrea said Asmara was financing the Somali rebels. Desta says the Eritrean government is seeking peace and stability in the region. Eritrea wants Somalia to be peaceful, stable, and we want to see a government in Somalia, said Desta. The only possible way to see this is that the military [intervention] should stop because militarily, there would not be any solution.

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Destas comments came after Kenya formally asked the Security Council to investigate Eritrea, after accusing Asmara of supporting the Somali militant group. Kenya alleges that Eritrea recently supplied planeloads of arms to al Shabab militants inside Somalia. But Ambassador Desta sharply rejects the allegation as an insult to the intelligence of the international community. This is totally a fabricated lie. There is no evidence at all for things like that and there is no reason why Eritrea should send arms to al-Shabab, said Desta. We have drones in Ethiopia flying daily in Somalia.They have several radars checking every flight going in that region, so how is it that Eritrea can go undetected to Baidoa? Desta called for an enabling environment, which he said would encourage discussions among Somalis to come up with solutions to resolve their challenges. This is what Eritrea believes and has been fighting for. Analysts say the accusation and counter accusation between Eritrea and Asmara could complicate or thaw diplomatic relations between the two East African countries. Asked why Eritrea is often accused of financially and logistically supporting the Somali militants, Ambassador Desta said a border dispute with neighboring Ethiopia as the reason behind the negative campaign against his country. Because of this, Ethiopia is fabricating lies to accuse Eritrea, to defame Eritrea and these are the issues which have been coming to the Security Council, as well as other parties, said Desta. So the solution has to be finalized in order to get peace in the whole region of Horn of Africa. ### Uganda Government News: China To Support UPDF In Somalia http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/government/china-to-support-updf-insomalia/22867.aspx 28 November 2011 The government of the Republic of China has promised support to the Uganda People Defense Forces (UPDF) to accomplish their peace keeping mission in Somalia. UPDF is part of the AMISOM fighting the Islam extremist, Al-shabab who want to overthrow the transitional government of Somalia. Speaking to Journalists in Kampala today, the Minister of Defense, Dr. Chrispus Kiyonga said that the government of Uganda has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to the effect. Kiyonga says that the government of China has promised to support the UPDF with 30 million dollars and other unspecified logistical support.
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He says a delegation of about 20 officials from the Chinese defense ministry are in Uganda to discuss bilateral matters with their Ugandan counterparts and they will visit different barracks and military training schools among others. ### China keen to build roads, railways in Uganda (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/29/uganda-diplomacyidUSL5E7MT5EF20111129 29 November 2011 By Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China has said it wants to build roads and railways in Uganda, where the Asian giant has already been rapidly expanding its economic footprint in recent years, according to the office of the Ugandan president. In a statement, it said Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie made remarks to that effect during a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni at the start on Sunday of a fiveday visit to the east African nation. "The visiting Chinese Defence Minister said that Chinese companies would be interested in the construction of railways and roads in Uganda," said the statement. Over the last five years, China has funnelled hundreds of million of dollars into development of transport and communications infrastructure and construction of gleaming public offices in Uganda. Two prominent projects have been the funding of construction of a $93 million state house villa in 2007 and a toll road connecting the capital Kampala and Entebbe, the country's international airport. Chinese petroleum firm Cnooc, alongside France's Total are awaiting government approval of their proposed partnership with London-listed explorer Tullow Oil , in its fields in the country's nascent oil sector. Upon approval, the partnership is expected to unlock a $10 billion investment to start production in the Albertine basin in the west of the country, where oil was discovered in 2006. "We look forward to having more trade with China. Uganda always welcomes support from China," the presidency statement quoted Museveni as telling Guanglie. Although commercial ties with China have been expanding, Ugandan businessmen sometimes complain about a swelling number of Chinese in the country whom they accuse of too much competition when they engage in small businesses.
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A local paper, the Daily Monitor, on Wednesday quoted Ugandan Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi hailing China for its support in fighting Islamist militants in Somalia in a meeting with Guanglie on Monday. "China has been instrumental in giving direct support to Uganda in the war on terror in Somalia," the paper quoted Mbabazi as saying. Uganda forms the backbone of the African Union's AMISOM peacekeeping force that is shoring up the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu against Islamist al Shabaab rebels. ### Do Islamist Terrorists In Nigeria Pose A Threat To U.S.? One Republican Lawmaker Sounds Warning (Huffington Post) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/islamist-terrorists-nigeria-bokoharam_n_1119189.html 29 November 2011 WASHINGTON -- Few terrorism experts would deny that a radical Islamist sect that has made a series of increasingly audacious attacks in Nigeria, including the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Africa's most populous nation this summer, is a growing threat. What isn't so clear is whether Boko Haram is an "emerging threat to the U.S. homeland." Yet that's the title of a Wednesday hearing scheduled at the House Committee on Homeland Security's subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence. The panel's chairman, Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) appears to have drawn a straight line between Boko Haram and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the radical Muslim group linked to the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound plane by a Nigerian citizen. "While some believe Boko Haram will focus only on targets within Nigeria and does not have the intent or capability to strike the U.S. homeland, the same was believed about AQAP and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, before the near fatal attacks over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 and in Times Square in May 2010," Meehan said in a statement. "It is critical we examine all potential terrorist threats to the homeland, and I look forward to hearing from an expert panel on what steps the United States should take to ensure Boko Haram does not hit us here." Among the scheduled experts, who all declined requests by The Huffington Post to provide advance copies of testimony, is Laura Ploch, an Africa analyst at the Congressional Research Service. Earlier this year, she noted in a report on Nigeria that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has required additional screening of travelers flying from that country following the failed attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian-born "underwear bomber."

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"Abdulmutallab's actions are considered by most to be an isolated incident, and many observers stress that, by all accounts, Abdulmutallab's radicalization and training took place outside Nigeria," Ploch wrote. "Nevertheless, the expansion of conservative Sunni Islamist movements and clashes between security forces and Islamist sects in northern Nigeria have raised concerns among some observers and officials that other Nigerians may be susceptible to recruitment by Al Qaeda or other groups hoping to use violence against government or civilian targets in Nigeria or abroad." The previously obscure Boko Haram is an Islamist religious sect that formed in the northern part of Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, in 2002. Its Hausa-language name translates as "Western education is sin." Boko Haram has been dubbed the Nigerian Taliban by some and, like that fundamentalist group in Afghanistan, is fighting to overthrow its country's government. Its aim is to impose Shariah law throughout Nigeria, including the predominantly Christian south. Until the bombing of the United Nations building, Boko Haram was viewed as a local menace and not another entrant in the global terrorism ranks. But continuing attacks on Western targets in Nigeria and a death toll reaching at least 330 people in 2011 alone have gained the attention of American officials. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said the group may be expanding, thanks to an alliance with the Algeria-based al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Shabaab of Somalia. And on Nov. 5, the U.S. Embassy in the Nigerian capital of Abuja issued a warning that Boko Haram may be planning to bomb three luxury hotels -- including a Hilton and a Sheraton -- that cater to Westerners. Despite the group's growing reach, though, some experts doubt it can or intends to touch the U.S. homeland. "I have seen no particular evidence of Boko Haram even targeting Western facilities," said John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria who is now an Africa analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, adding that "we have to be terribly careful" when assigning motives to the group. He said the bombed U.N. headquarters was in a building linked to the Nigerian government, and the hotels that U.S. officials warned Westerners to avoid are also patronized by the Nigerian elite. "Boko Haram's focus is overwhelmingly domestic. Its enemies are secular and Nigerian, the military and police," Campbell told HuffPost. He also dismissed as "absolutely zero" the danger of Nigerian Americans becoming radicalized, as some members of Congress assert Somali Americans have. Most Nigerian immigrants, he noted, are from the country's south, and they are overwhelmingly Christian. Scott Stewart, vice president of global intelligence for the security firm Stratfor, recently wrote that Boko Haram made a "large operational leap" this year when it detonated its first suicide car bomb at police headquarters in Abuja. But when HuffPost asked him whether the group posed a threat on U.S. soil, he emailed, "I do not believe so yet."
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"Does the U.S. and the world need to keep a close eye on these guys? Certainly," Stewart wrote. "Do we anticipate them conducting an attack in Times Square in the next couple months? Very unlikely." While the U.N. bombing showed a willingness to take on transnational targets, "I have seen no evidence that they have any intent to conduct attacks outside of Nigeria," Stewart concluded. "I am also skeptical they possess the intricate network required to project their growing capabilities outside of Nigeria's north, much less across the Atlantic." ### Kidnappings add to Mali woes http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Kidnappings-add-to-Mali-woes-20111128 29 November 2011 The kidnapping of several Europeans adds to Mali's problems, already grappling with fallout from the Libya crisis after the demise of Muammar Gaddafi, a UN official said here on Monday. "The recent hostage-taking highlights the fact that the situation can only get worse when weapons are accumulating in a sub-region" like the Sahel which is already battling armed groups, said Said Djinnit, the UN chief's special representative for West Africa, after a meeting of the heads of UN peace missions in the area. "Countries in the sub-region and the international community are increasingly worried," he said. "I personally think that we must be at Mali's side as it faces this additional burden." On Friday, an armed gang snatched a Swede, a Dutchman and a man with dual BritishSouth African nationality from a restaurant on Timbuktu's central square and killed a German with them who tried to resist, officials said. The kidnappings brought to five the number of foreigners taken hostage in Mali in 48 hours, after two French nationals described as a geologist and an engineer were taken from their hotel in Hombori 240km to the south early on Thursday. On Saturday the Malian government evacuated some 20 tourists from Timbuktu and sent soldiers to join French military in the hunt for the two Frenchmen as the country seeks to mitigate the damage to its tourism industry. Nothing is known about the kidnappers but investigators suspect they are either members of or close to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which has held four Frenchmen since 2010 and intensified its activities in Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Algeria. "We are concerned about the impact of the Libyan crisis on Sahel countries, notably due
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to the influx of people [of Mali and Niger origin] from Libya" after the fall of Gaddafi, said Djinnit. Reintegrated The upheaval in Libya has severely affected the social and economic fabric as well as security, particularly in Niger where up to 130 000 people returned from Libya, after supporting their families by sending money, he added. These people must now be reintegrated into society, he said. "For Mali, there is the same problem, but then some" of those returning from Libya "are carrying arms," Djinnit said. Burkina Faso meanwhile stepped up surveillance at its long border with Mali and Niger, a senior intelligence official in Ouagadougou told AFP on Monday. "Even if we are not directly threatened we have deployed additional security forces, notably for intelligence purposes," said the official who is often involved in negotiations to free hostages. He said that as far as Ouagadougou knew, the latest hostages had been taken to northern Mali. A car said to belong to the kidnappers who abducted the two Frenchmen from Hombori has been found in northern Mali, a local security source said on Sunday. ### DR Congo's Vital Kamerhe leads calls to annul vote (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15948152 29 November 2011 Four opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo's election say it should be cancelled because of fraud and violence. They include Vital Kamerhe, who said the rigging was on a large scale and "deliberately planned" with pre-marked ballot papers. He was a close ally of President Joseph Kabila before breaking away in 2009. Many voters were unable to cast their ballots on Monday and so polling was extended until Tuesday in some areas. However, the BBC's Christophe Pons visited one such polling station in the capital, Kinshasa, and found that voting had still not taken place by Tuesday lunchtime.
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Votes have been counted in some polling stations, but it is not clear when results would be announced. Election officials are only now starting to organise the transport of these results to regional tallying centres, where provisional results can be announced, correspondents say. 'Fictitious polling stations' Angry residents told him that there were 1,300 registered voters but only 100 ballot papers had been received. Mr Kamerhe sent a letter to the election commission and international bodies, saying the vote should be annulled. Continue reading the main story Start Quote Voters who are at sites where ballots ran out and where the vote had to be interrupted for whatever reason are asked to stay calm and await further instructions Matthieu Mpita Election commission spokesman "There can be no doubt as to the scale of the fraud, deliberately planned by those in power with the connivance of the national election commission," he said. "Police chased witnesses from polling stations before counting could start." Mr Kamerhe's aides also accused the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo of showing bias towards Mr Kabila. "These elections must quite simply be annulled," the letter said. The Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa, a non-governmental organisation which deployed 5,000 observers to polling stations, also expressed concerns about irregularities, the AFP news agency reports. "The irregularities are so widespread it will be difficult for anyone to ignore and say they had no impact on the integrity of the vote," its country director, Pascal Kambale, is quoted as saying. He said millions of of voters had been turned away from polling stations after being told they were at the wrong stations.

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"A more worrying sign of a probable rigging attempt were a number of already-filled-in ballot papers that were discovered by people across the country," Mr Kambale is quoted as saying.

There were angry scenes at polling stations across the country Three other candidates, including Senate speaker Leon Kengo, have also called for the results to be declared null and void. In a joint statement, they said they had uncovered "fictitious" polling stations and premarked ballot papers. They said they attached "no credibility" to the vote and "demand the invalidation, pure and simple, of these elections given the breaches and irregularities". Our reporter says Mr Kamerhe's decision is the most significant as - along with Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) leader Etienne Tshisekedi - he was seen as one of the main opposition candidates. The UDPS has made similar accusations but it has not backed the call for the results to be nullified. It said it was confident that Mr Tshisekedi would win, despite the irregularities. Mr Kabila is running for a second term against 10 other candidates. More than 18,000 candidates are contesting 500 parliamentary seats. UN sanctions Our correspondent says many people who were unable to cast their ballots are angry. Some European Union election observers were withdrawn from polling stations on Monday for their own security, Reuters says. In the opposition stronghold of West Kasai, 15 polling stations were reportedly set on fire by voters angry at long delays. In the same province, there were unconfirmed reports of ballot boxes being full as polling opened. After decades of conflict and mismanagement, DR Congo, a country two-thirds the size of Western Europe, has hardly any functioning transport infrastructure such as roads or railways. The UN peacekeeping mission is using its helicopters to deliver voting materials to areas which have not yet voted, such as the central Bandundu province, Reuters reports.

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There had been calls for the vote to be postponed but on the eve of polling, the head of the election commission said everything was 99% in place. There were reports of lengthy delays at polling stations on Monday, with some voters telling the BBC they were unable to cast their ballots either because they could not find their names on the electoral register or because someone had already voted in their place. Late on Monday, election commission spokesman Matthieu Mpita said voting would take place on Tuesday in at least 400 polling stations across the country but that the polls could also be extended in other areas. "Voters at polling stations that never received ballots and which have not yet opened should await the delivery of the materials," he is quoted by the AP news agency as saying. "Voters who are at sites where ballots ran out and where the vote had to be interrupted for whatever reason are asked to stay calm and await further instructions." Meanwhile, the UN security council has added one of the parliamentary candidates, Ntabo Ntaberi Cheka, to its sanctions list, AFP reports. Mr Cheka, the head of a militia group, is wanted for allegedly organising mass rapes in eastern DR Congo in 2009. The French, UK and US missions to the UN said Mr Cheka would be subject to a worldwide travel ban and assets freeze, AFP reports "Our missions strongly encourage the Congolese government to implement the existing arrest warrant currently outstanding against Cheka," they said in a joint statement, AFP reports. ### Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo arrives in The Hague (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15946481 Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. He left the northern town of Korhogo, after an arrest warrant was issued, and was flown to Rotterdam, from where he was transferred to detention in The Hague early on Wednesday. The ICC has been investigating alleged war crimes committed in unrest after last year's disputed elections. The transfer comes just two weeks before legislative elections.
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Laurent Gbagbo had been under house arrest in Korhogo since April when he was ousted. The BBC's John James in the Ivorian commercial capital Abidjan says there have been continual reports in the local press that armed supporters of the former president would attempt a jail break. Forces loyal to him and those of his rival, President Alassane Ouattara, stand accused of killings, rapes and other alleged abuses in the conflict. 'Victor's justice' ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo visited the country in mid-October to investigate the post-election violence. He said his investigation would be impartial, and that he would focus on up to six people who he said were most to blame for the violence. A convoy of vehicles said to have taken Laurent Gbagbo to Korhogo airport A statement read on Ivorian national television signed by the state prosecutor, Simplice Kouadio, said the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Gbagbo last week, which he had received this Tuesday in the presence of his lawyers. Human rights groups welcomed the arrest warrant, but also cautioned against "victor's justice". "While the Gbagbo camp fuelled the violence, forces on both sides have been repeatedly implicated in grave crimes," said Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch. "Victims of abuse meted out by forces loyal to President Ouattara [also] deserve to see justice done," she said. In a statement to Reuters, an adviser to Mr Gbagbo, Toussaint Alain, branded the former president's transfer "victor's justice". Although the Ivory Coast is not one of the member countries covered by the ICC, it has accepted its jurisdiction. Mr Gbagbo is also being investigated by Ivorian justice officials for "economic crimes". He has been charged with looting, armed robbery and embezzlement. Laurent Gbagbo was the president of Ivory Coast for 10 years, during which time the country was virtually partitioned by civil war. But it is the period since the presidential elections a year ago that the prosecutors of the ICC have been investigating.

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Mr Gbagbo refused to give up power when his rival Alassane Ouattara was internationally recognised as the winner of last November's presidential vote. It is not clear what charges Mr Gbagbo will face at the ICC, but around 3,000 people died in the post-election violence provoked by Mr Gbagbo's decision to cling to power. The BBC's World Affairs correspondent Peter Biles says Mr Gbagbo's transfer to The Hague will be welcomed by some, but it could also re-open the wounds in a country still traumatised by conflict. ### END REPORT

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