The New Vision
9 January 2009
BY FORTUNATE AHIMBISIBWE
UGANDAN guards in Iraq are to lose $28.8m (sh56.2b) a year following a 40% salary reduction.
At least 6,000 guards will have their monthly salary reduced from $1,000 (about sh1.9m) to $600 (about sh1.2m), according to figures from the labour ministry.
Each of them is to lose $400 a month, translating into $28.8m (sh56.2b) for all of them annually.
The guards, mainly recruited by Dreshak Security Group, Askar Security Services and Watertight Security Services, have been forced to sign new contracts. The new terms stipulate that any recruit who demands a pay rise on arrival in Iraq shall be deported.
A labour ministry official dismissed accusations that the ministry pushed for the pay cut. Milton Turyagyenda, the commissioner for external labour, said on Wednesday the ministry approved the cut because ‘the companies gave satisfactory reasons to justify the pay cut.’
“In any business, the price is determined by demand and supply. In 2005 when the first Ugandans were recruited, not many countries were willing to allow their citizens to work in Iraq.
Currently, many other countries have allowed security companies to recruit their citizens. Moreover, there are people who are willing to work for $400 (about sh0.78m),” Turyagyenda said.
He stated that the companies informed the ministry of other countries which would provide guards if Ugandans refused $600.
“We allowed the companies to recruit Ugandans to work for $600 after reviewing this situation,” Turyagyenda said.
Some guards have recently accused the recruiting agencies of altering contracts and reducing their salaries a few months into the contract.
Dreshak which has close to 3,000 guards in Iraq, was the first company to reduce salaries in June last year. The minister of state for labour, Mwesigwa Rukutana approved the reduction at the request of Dreshak.
The recruiting agencies are paid by the main contractor although they charge some money from the recruits for medical check-up and passport fees.
Although the recruits are not taxed, their salaries are a major foreign exchange earner for the country.
A guard currently on vacation from Baghdad said in July last year, Special Operations Consulting-Security Management Group (SOC-SMG), an American security company threatened to recall anybody who refused to work for $600.
“We had signed contracts of $800 (about sh1.5m), but after four months, we were told that some Philipinos are willing to work for $300 (about sh0.58m). They said they were doing us a favour by by paying us $600,” a guard stated.
Dreshak public relations officer, Patience Atuhaire yesterday said the labour supply is overwhelming which prompted the employers to offer more jobs at lower salaries.
“There are so many people that want jobs and we were forced to reduce to $600. Those who did not want this money had a choice of not renewing their contracts,” she said.
Dreshak recruits for SOC-SMG while Askar recruits for EODT. Both US companies have tenders to provide private security services in Iraq on behalf of the US government.
Askar’s Managing Director, Kellen Kayonga, said her company was forced to recruit guards at $600 after Dreshak started recruiting for the same amount almost a year ago. She said they had written to the ministry of labour complaining about the reduced salaries.
Kayonga is currently in Iraq to explain to the guards why their salaries were reduced. “We lost business when we refused to reduce the salary to $600 because other companies were willing to recruit at this amount,” she stated.
The managing director of Watertight Security, Moses Matsiko said some firms had convinced the US employers that there are Ugandans who are willing to work for $600.
Another source at the ministry of labour said the 40% salary cut was a result of unfair competition between Ugandan companies.
“The local companies write to the US security firms indicating that they can get recruits at lower rates. If a company is recruiting guards for $800, another company writes to the employer saying they can offer the same service for $600. The US firms benefit from the Ugandan confusion,” the source said.
A source said most guards accepted the compromise because they possess forged discharge certificates from the army and the Police.
Additional reporting by
Chris Kiwawulo
10 January, 2009
What it means to work as a guard in Iraq.
The New Vision
9 January 2009
Over 12,000 Ugandans have been recruited to work in Iraq since 2005.
Most have spent at least two years there. The majority are guards who are either gun or dog handlers.
For a gun handler, you are supposed to get training once in Iraq, although you have prior knowledge about guns. The same applies to the dog handlers.
The day starts at 4:45am when every guard wakes up. They have breakfast at 5:00am. Breakfast is normally African tea with some bites.
The guards proceed to work in vehicles owned by the coalition forces when deployed far from their camps.
By 5:30am, most guards are at work. Their work involves guarding the camps, carrying out patrols and detecting explosives using trained dogs.
The guards work for 10 to 12 hours during the week and six hours during weekends, which are observed on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are working days.
Dog handlers have to be very careful when moving with the dogs. The handler has to alert other pedestrians by shouting ‘dog passing through’. If you don’t and the dog bites someone, you may face negligence charges.
But if after the warning, people refuse to give way, the guard has no case if the dog bites anyone.
Gun-handlers patrol the camps in shifts 24 hours a day. Even when there are no enemy attacks on the camp, you have to stay trigger-ready full-time.
All bases have anti-missile installations that divert them when fired at a camp. At times these missiles hit people’s homes.
The guards have lunch at work and they take supper in their camps.
There are also halls of entertainment with screens and gyms. However, there have been reports that some Ugandan guards were sodomised by American soldiers.
Within the camps, there are dry cleaners and cooks, who provide services to guards free of charge. The guards pay for airtime when they want to call home. It costs sh300 per minute to call home.
The bases have both permanent and temporary houses. Most shelters are made of containers that have Air conditioners.
During summer it is so hot that if you do not take water, you can die of thirst. The temperature goes as low as 8°C in Baghdad in winter. To keep alive, the guards wear thermal clothes that generate heat.
Guards are given a chance to return home every six months.
9 January 2009
Over 12,000 Ugandans have been recruited to work in Iraq since 2005.
Most have spent at least two years there. The majority are guards who are either gun or dog handlers.
For a gun handler, you are supposed to get training once in Iraq, although you have prior knowledge about guns. The same applies to the dog handlers.
The day starts at 4:45am when every guard wakes up. They have breakfast at 5:00am. Breakfast is normally African tea with some bites.
The guards proceed to work in vehicles owned by the coalition forces when deployed far from their camps.
By 5:30am, most guards are at work. Their work involves guarding the camps, carrying out patrols and detecting explosives using trained dogs.
The guards work for 10 to 12 hours during the week and six hours during weekends, which are observed on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are working days.
Dog handlers have to be very careful when moving with the dogs. The handler has to alert other pedestrians by shouting ‘dog passing through’. If you don’t and the dog bites someone, you may face negligence charges.
But if after the warning, people refuse to give way, the guard has no case if the dog bites anyone.
Gun-handlers patrol the camps in shifts 24 hours a day. Even when there are no enemy attacks on the camp, you have to stay trigger-ready full-time.
All bases have anti-missile installations that divert them when fired at a camp. At times these missiles hit people’s homes.
The guards have lunch at work and they take supper in their camps.
There are also halls of entertainment with screens and gyms. However, there have been reports that some Ugandan guards were sodomised by American soldiers.
Within the camps, there are dry cleaners and cooks, who provide services to guards free of charge. The guards pay for airtime when they want to call home. It costs sh300 per minute to call home.
The bases have both permanent and temporary houses. Most shelters are made of containers that have Air conditioners.
During summer it is so hot that if you do not take water, you can die of thirst. The temperature goes as low as 8°C in Baghdad in winter. To keep alive, the guards wear thermal clothes that generate heat.
Guards are given a chance to return home every six months.
Sect members suspected in murders.
AFP
10 January 2009
Members of a banned sect are suspected of having have killed seven men in a shanty town in the capital Nairobi, a police source said on Saturday.
Officers already made three arrests, said the source, who asked not to be named.
"Their badly mutilated bodies were found dumped in trenches while others were found in houses," he added.
"They were all men and we suspect they were killed by Mungiki sect members," he added.
The Mungiki was banned in 2002 after the authorities said it had evolved into a powerful crime ring with political links to certain high-ranking Kenya politicians.
Police crackdowns on the group have left more than a hundred people dead and was condemned by Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights last year.
10 January 2009
Members of a banned sect are suspected of having have killed seven men in a shanty town in the capital Nairobi, a police source said on Saturday.
Officers already made three arrests, said the source, who asked not to be named.
"Their badly mutilated bodies were found dumped in trenches while others were found in houses," he added.
"They were all men and we suspect they were killed by Mungiki sect members," he added.
The Mungiki was banned in 2002 after the authorities said it had evolved into a powerful crime ring with political links to certain high-ranking Kenya politicians.
Police crackdowns on the group have left more than a hundred people dead and was condemned by Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights last year.
Accord with EU signed in Russia-Ukraine gas row.
BBC News
10 January 2009
Russia and European Union officials have signed a deal, which could pave the way for the re-opening of gas supplies to Europe.
The deal, signed by Russian PM Vladimir Putin and Czech PM Mirek Topolanek, sets out how gas flowing to Europe through Ukraine will be monitored.
Hundreds of thousands of European homes have no heating after gas shipments via Ukraine were halted on Wednesday.
The Czech PM is going to Ukraine, which must sign the deal if it is to work.
The deal followed five hours of talks between Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and officials from the European Union.
"Let's sign and we will go immediately to Kiev to ask the same of the Ukrainian side. And so, we will end the crisis," said Mr Topolanek, who represented the EU.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's office says she will meet with Mr Topolanek in Kiev at 2030 local time, 1830 GMT.
The Ukrainian prime minister will meet for talks on the crisis later on Saturday.
Under the deal, EU, Ukrainian and Russian observers will monitor supplies, in order to calm Russian concerns that Ukraine might siphon off gas for its own use.
Mr Putin is quoted on Interfax, the Russian news agency, as saying that the "transit of gas through Ukraine will start again as soon as the (transit) control mechanism starts to work".
EU monitors are in Kiev and are expected to head to the pumping and measuring stations on Ukraine's eastern and western borders early on Sunday, a spokesman for Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state energy company, told the BBC.
10 January 2009
Russia and European Union officials have signed a deal, which could pave the way for the re-opening of gas supplies to Europe.
The deal, signed by Russian PM Vladimir Putin and Czech PM Mirek Topolanek, sets out how gas flowing to Europe through Ukraine will be monitored.
Hundreds of thousands of European homes have no heating after gas shipments via Ukraine were halted on Wednesday.
The Czech PM is going to Ukraine, which must sign the deal if it is to work.
The deal followed five hours of talks between Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and officials from the European Union.
"Let's sign and we will go immediately to Kiev to ask the same of the Ukrainian side. And so, we will end the crisis," said Mr Topolanek, who represented the EU.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's office says she will meet with Mr Topolanek in Kiev at 2030 local time, 1830 GMT.
The Ukrainian prime minister will meet for talks on the crisis later on Saturday.
Under the deal, EU, Ukrainian and Russian observers will monitor supplies, in order to calm Russian concerns that Ukraine might siphon off gas for its own use.
Mr Putin is quoted on Interfax, the Russian news agency, as saying that the "transit of gas through Ukraine will start again as soon as the (transit) control mechanism starts to work".
EU monitors are in Kiev and are expected to head to the pumping and measuring stations on Ukraine's eastern and western borders early on Sunday, a spokesman for Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state energy company, told the BBC.
Obama Taps CIA Veteran As Adviser On Counterterrorism.
By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009; A01
Barack Obama has picked John O. Brennan as his top adviser on counterterrorism, a role that will give the CIA veteran a powerful voice on the government's use of security contractors and on other sensitive issues in which he recently has played a private-sector role.
By appointing Brennan to a senior White House position not subject to Senate approval, Obama is also making him an influential adviser on the Middle East and on Iran, a topic on which Brennan has called for a sharp break with past U.S. policy.
The president-elect's decision comes only six weeks after Brennan was forced to pull out of contention for the directorship of the CIA because of fears that his statements supporting some controversial interrogation techniques would have complicated his confirmation.
The firm Brennan heads, the Analysis Corp., and its corporate parent have earned millions of dollars over the past decade assisting several federal agencies and private firms on counterterrorism. Those oil and telecommunications firms have worked in countries beset by violence, including Mozambique, Liberia, Colombia and Pakistan -- all of which have been topics of intense policy debate in Washington.
The parent corporation, London-based Global Strategies, has been a target of critical news accounts about harsh actions by its hired soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama has criticized the actions of similar firms, such as Blackwater Worldwide, and co-sponsored legislation to ensure that such firms are subject to U.S. laws even when operating overseas.
Brennan also has attracted personal criticism from human rights experts for defending the CIA's long-standing practice of forced renditions, or transfers, of terrorism suspects for interrogations, a position that forced the withdrawal in late November of his candidacy to head the CIA.
While Brennan has said he is uncomfortable about the CIA's practice of waterboarding, a simulated-drowning technique sometimes used on terrorism suspects, he has also made provocative comments about the agency's use of other interrogation methods. He told a PBS interviewer in 2006 that "we do have to take off the gloves in some areas," but without taking actions that would "forever tarnish the image of the United States abroad."
The "dark side has its limits," he said at the time.
His remarks and his tenure -- he was chief of staff to then-CIA Director George J. Tenet from 1999 to 2001 and director of National Counterterrorism Center from 2004 to 2005 -- provoked an open complaint against his nomination as CIA director from 200 psychologists.
Brennan's appointment as Obama's close aide was disclosed shortly after the president-elect drew bipartisan criticism for his selection of a relative outsider -- former White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta -- as the CIA's chief. The Democratic critics of that choice have since withdrawn their complaints.
Obama aides said the president-elect accepted Brennan's assurances that he played no role in setting abusive interrogation practices at the CIA and that he had expressed some private dissent about the practices. They said Obama also accepted the judgment of transition team advisers that Brennan was separated from any questionable practices by Global Strategies, which formally purchased Brennan's firm in 2007.
"No one has been more critical of private security contractors than Barack Obama," said Denis McDonough, a senior foreign policy adviser to the president-elect. McDonough said transition aides looked closely at the governing structure of Brennan's company and its parent and concluded that there was no way Brennan was involved with or "could be accountable" for the actions of Global Strategies' London-based division.
The choice of Brennan was first reported in yesterday's New York Times.
Following his long experience with the Middle East, including a stint as the CIA's station chief in Saudi Arabia, Brennan has expressed some potentially controversial opinions about how U.S. policy there must shift, particularly toward Iran. In an academic article published six months ago, for example, Brennan said President Bush and his aides had inappropriately publicly bashed Iran, and he urged that U.S. rhetoric toward the country be sharply toned down.
He also called for an increased role for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanese politics, an idea he acknowledged would be anathema to Israel.
Israel views Hezbollah, which for a time was listed by Washington as a terrorist group, as its mortal enemy. "Washington will need to convince Israeli officials that they must abandon their aim of eliminating Hezbollah as a political force," Brennan wrote in the article, published in the July issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
The new administration, he wrote, must also "be willing to exercise strategic patience" with Iran. The goal, he said, would be to strike a more nuanced and less absolutist policy, a direct dialogue to encourage Iran's moderates to shun the use of terrorist violence, without appearing to tolerate that violence. Similar views about Iran were expressed by Robert M. Gates before Bush selected him as secretary of defense, giving Brennan a key potential ally in the months ahead.
While serving as an assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism, with a dual hat as the White House adviser for homeland security, Brennan will be uniquely positioned to give Obama advice on such matters. Under Bush, the National Security Council's top counterterror official has been a deputy assistant and the Homeland Security Council has had a separate staff and its own director.
One of Brennan's first tasks, Obama aides said, will be to examine whether most of the Homeland Security Council staff should be folded into the NSC. A transition spokeswoman said that while no decision has been made, the idea has been recommended by many Obama advisers and independent experts, including those appointed by Congress to study how to prevent the recurrence of terrorist attacks like the ones on Sept. 11, 2001.
Michael P. Jackson, deputy homeland security secretary from 2005 until 2007, called the move "a sensible idea and a natural evolution of how to integrate homeland security with the broader national security agenda." He said that "it makes it more efficient for the departments that are involved in these issues to deal with fewer actors at the White House."
Since the election, Brennan -- who retains all his top security clearances -- has been conducting briefings for Obama on the CIA's ongoing covert actions, and aides said he won Obama's support in those meetings as a "straight shooter" whom agency officials trust. He has "unrivaled integrity" and a "great understanding of how all the parts of official Washington are affected by intelligence," McDonough said.
Brennan serves on the board of Global Strategies' North American subsidiary, along with a former director of the CIA's counternarcotics center and a former assistant secretary of state. But Obama's top aides concluded that he was "fully walled off from London," one said.
Brennan, who has been on unpaid leave from the firm, plans to resign Jan. 19 and will have no further financial ties to it, according to a transition official. Two months ago, the firm won a large five-year contract to provide "intelligence expertise and support services" to the FBI.
Staff writer Spencer S. Hsu and staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009; A01
Barack Obama has picked John O. Brennan as his top adviser on counterterrorism, a role that will give the CIA veteran a powerful voice on the government's use of security contractors and on other sensitive issues in which he recently has played a private-sector role.
By appointing Brennan to a senior White House position not subject to Senate approval, Obama is also making him an influential adviser on the Middle East and on Iran, a topic on which Brennan has called for a sharp break with past U.S. policy.
The president-elect's decision comes only six weeks after Brennan was forced to pull out of contention for the directorship of the CIA because of fears that his statements supporting some controversial interrogation techniques would have complicated his confirmation.
The firm Brennan heads, the Analysis Corp., and its corporate parent have earned millions of dollars over the past decade assisting several federal agencies and private firms on counterterrorism. Those oil and telecommunications firms have worked in countries beset by violence, including Mozambique, Liberia, Colombia and Pakistan -- all of which have been topics of intense policy debate in Washington.
The parent corporation, London-based Global Strategies, has been a target of critical news accounts about harsh actions by its hired soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama has criticized the actions of similar firms, such as Blackwater Worldwide, and co-sponsored legislation to ensure that such firms are subject to U.S. laws even when operating overseas.
Brennan also has attracted personal criticism from human rights experts for defending the CIA's long-standing practice of forced renditions, or transfers, of terrorism suspects for interrogations, a position that forced the withdrawal in late November of his candidacy to head the CIA.
While Brennan has said he is uncomfortable about the CIA's practice of waterboarding, a simulated-drowning technique sometimes used on terrorism suspects, he has also made provocative comments about the agency's use of other interrogation methods. He told a PBS interviewer in 2006 that "we do have to take off the gloves in some areas," but without taking actions that would "forever tarnish the image of the United States abroad."
The "dark side has its limits," he said at the time.
His remarks and his tenure -- he was chief of staff to then-CIA Director George J. Tenet from 1999 to 2001 and director of National Counterterrorism Center from 2004 to 2005 -- provoked an open complaint against his nomination as CIA director from 200 psychologists.
Brennan's appointment as Obama's close aide was disclosed shortly after the president-elect drew bipartisan criticism for his selection of a relative outsider -- former White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta -- as the CIA's chief. The Democratic critics of that choice have since withdrawn their complaints.
Obama aides said the president-elect accepted Brennan's assurances that he played no role in setting abusive interrogation practices at the CIA and that he had expressed some private dissent about the practices. They said Obama also accepted the judgment of transition team advisers that Brennan was separated from any questionable practices by Global Strategies, which formally purchased Brennan's firm in 2007.
"No one has been more critical of private security contractors than Barack Obama," said Denis McDonough, a senior foreign policy adviser to the president-elect. McDonough said transition aides looked closely at the governing structure of Brennan's company and its parent and concluded that there was no way Brennan was involved with or "could be accountable" for the actions of Global Strategies' London-based division.
The choice of Brennan was first reported in yesterday's New York Times.
Following his long experience with the Middle East, including a stint as the CIA's station chief in Saudi Arabia, Brennan has expressed some potentially controversial opinions about how U.S. policy there must shift, particularly toward Iran. In an academic article published six months ago, for example, Brennan said President Bush and his aides had inappropriately publicly bashed Iran, and he urged that U.S. rhetoric toward the country be sharply toned down.
He also called for an increased role for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanese politics, an idea he acknowledged would be anathema to Israel.
Israel views Hezbollah, which for a time was listed by Washington as a terrorist group, as its mortal enemy. "Washington will need to convince Israeli officials that they must abandon their aim of eliminating Hezbollah as a political force," Brennan wrote in the article, published in the July issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
The new administration, he wrote, must also "be willing to exercise strategic patience" with Iran. The goal, he said, would be to strike a more nuanced and less absolutist policy, a direct dialogue to encourage Iran's moderates to shun the use of terrorist violence, without appearing to tolerate that violence. Similar views about Iran were expressed by Robert M. Gates before Bush selected him as secretary of defense, giving Brennan a key potential ally in the months ahead.
While serving as an assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism, with a dual hat as the White House adviser for homeland security, Brennan will be uniquely positioned to give Obama advice on such matters. Under Bush, the National Security Council's top counterterror official has been a deputy assistant and the Homeland Security Council has had a separate staff and its own director.
One of Brennan's first tasks, Obama aides said, will be to examine whether most of the Homeland Security Council staff should be folded into the NSC. A transition spokeswoman said that while no decision has been made, the idea has been recommended by many Obama advisers and independent experts, including those appointed by Congress to study how to prevent the recurrence of terrorist attacks like the ones on Sept. 11, 2001.
Michael P. Jackson, deputy homeland security secretary from 2005 until 2007, called the move "a sensible idea and a natural evolution of how to integrate homeland security with the broader national security agenda." He said that "it makes it more efficient for the departments that are involved in these issues to deal with fewer actors at the White House."
Since the election, Brennan -- who retains all his top security clearances -- has been conducting briefings for Obama on the CIA's ongoing covert actions, and aides said he won Obama's support in those meetings as a "straight shooter" whom agency officials trust. He has "unrivaled integrity" and a "great understanding of how all the parts of official Washington are affected by intelligence," McDonough said.
Brennan serves on the board of Global Strategies' North American subsidiary, along with a former director of the CIA's counternarcotics center and a former assistant secretary of state. But Obama's top aides concluded that he was "fully walled off from London," one said.
Brennan, who has been on unpaid leave from the firm, plans to resign Jan. 19 and will have no further financial ties to it, according to a transition official. Two months ago, the firm won a large five-year contract to provide "intelligence expertise and support services" to the FBI.
Staff writer Spencer S. Hsu and staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Ukraine to supply Bulgaria, Moldova with gas.
AP
10 January 2009
Ukraine's president says his country will supply its own gas to freezing Bulgaria and Moldova amid a Russian cutoff.
Viktor Yushchenko says Ukraine will help the two countries by sending them gas from its own reserves starting Saturday. He didn't say for how long Ukraine will provide gas.
Deputy head of Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz Volodymyr Trikolich said Saturday it will supply daily about 2 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria and about 1.5 million cubic meters of gas to Moldova.
Russia cut off all supplies to European countries via Ukrainian pipelines Wednesday, leaving more than a dozen countries with no gas shipments. Bulgaria and Moldova were among the worst affected.
10 January 2009
Ukraine's president says his country will supply its own gas to freezing Bulgaria and Moldova amid a Russian cutoff.
Viktor Yushchenko says Ukraine will help the two countries by sending them gas from its own reserves starting Saturday. He didn't say for how long Ukraine will provide gas.
Deputy head of Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz Volodymyr Trikolich said Saturday it will supply daily about 2 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria and about 1.5 million cubic meters of gas to Moldova.
Russia cut off all supplies to European countries via Ukrainian pipelines Wednesday, leaving more than a dozen countries with no gas shipments. Bulgaria and Moldova were among the worst affected.
Pakistan extends house arrest of alleged militant.
AP
By Babar Dogar
9 January 2009
Pakistan has extended the house arrest of the head of a charity alleged to be a front for the militant group blamed in the Mumbai attacks, an official told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, a founder of the now-banned militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawa, will remain detained for another 60 days, said Usman Anwar, a top government official in the Punjab province.
"His house has already been declared a sub-jail where he will spend the rest of the detention period," Anwar said, adding that the province extended the detention on orders from the federal government. Anwar is the Punjab's additional home secretary.
Saeed leads Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity that the U.N. recently declared a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant organization that India alleges masterminded the November slaughter of 164 people in its financial center.
Pakistan has taken several steps against Jamaat-ud-Dawa, including shuttering scores of its offices, arresting dozens of activists and ordering banks to freeze its assets.
Saeed, who was placed under house arrest a month ago, has denied any role in the Mumbai attacks. Jamaat-ud-Dawa insists it cut ties to Lashkar after that group was banned in 2002. The charity runs schools and clinics and has helped earthquake victims, gaining support among a population suspicious of both India and the United States.
Analysts say Pakistani intelligence agencies helped establish Lashkar in the 1980s to act as a proxy fighting force in the dispute with India over the Kashmir region.
By Babar Dogar
9 January 2009
Pakistan has extended the house arrest of the head of a charity alleged to be a front for the militant group blamed in the Mumbai attacks, an official told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, a founder of the now-banned militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawa, will remain detained for another 60 days, said Usman Anwar, a top government official in the Punjab province.
"His house has already been declared a sub-jail where he will spend the rest of the detention period," Anwar said, adding that the province extended the detention on orders from the federal government. Anwar is the Punjab's additional home secretary.
Saeed leads Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity that the U.N. recently declared a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant organization that India alleges masterminded the November slaughter of 164 people in its financial center.
Pakistan has taken several steps against Jamaat-ud-Dawa, including shuttering scores of its offices, arresting dozens of activists and ordering banks to freeze its assets.
Saeed, who was placed under house arrest a month ago, has denied any role in the Mumbai attacks. Jamaat-ud-Dawa insists it cut ties to Lashkar after that group was banned in 2002. The charity runs schools and clinics and has helped earthquake victims, gaining support among a population suspicious of both India and the United States.
Analysts say Pakistani intelligence agencies helped establish Lashkar in the 1980s to act as a proxy fighting force in the dispute with India over the Kashmir region.
Musharraf to leave for US today.
Daily Times
10 January 2009
Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf will leave for the United States on a two-week visit on Saturday (today), a private TV channel reported.
According to the channel, the former president would be accompanied by his wife during the visit. Musharraf will meet with various US think-tanks and deliver lectures at several universities, the channel added.
10 January 2009
Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf will leave for the United States on a two-week visit on Saturday (today), a private TV channel reported.
According to the channel, the former president would be accompanied by his wife during the visit. Musharraf will meet with various US think-tanks and deliver lectures at several universities, the channel added.
US in early talks with India over missile defence.
Daily Times
10 January 2009
The United States is in preliminary talks with India over the sale of missile shield systems to help New Delhi guard against nuclear threats, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Thursday.
Citing officials at the US embassy in New Delhi, the business daily said talks took place mainly at a scientific and technical level, and US defence officials had conducted computer simulations with their Indian counterparts.
“India is a partner of ours, and we want to provide it with whatever it needs to protect itself,” one US embassy official was quoted as saying. “This fits into the overall strategic partnership we are building.”
Relations between India and the US, which were frosty for years, have warmed considerably in recent years and October saw the signing of a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation accord.
Thursday’s report comes amid increased tensions between India and Pakistan over the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November.
The FT quoted a senior Pakistani official with detailed knowledge of Islamabad’s nuclear programme as saying that it “will have to take counter measures to respond” to any US-India deal on missile defence.
But the daily noted that no decisions had yet been made, and an agreement would likely be extremely politically sensitive for the Indian government.
10 January 2009
The United States is in preliminary talks with India over the sale of missile shield systems to help New Delhi guard against nuclear threats, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Thursday.
Citing officials at the US embassy in New Delhi, the business daily said talks took place mainly at a scientific and technical level, and US defence officials had conducted computer simulations with their Indian counterparts.
“India is a partner of ours, and we want to provide it with whatever it needs to protect itself,” one US embassy official was quoted as saying. “This fits into the overall strategic partnership we are building.”
Relations between India and the US, which were frosty for years, have warmed considerably in recent years and October saw the signing of a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation accord.
Thursday’s report comes amid increased tensions between India and Pakistan over the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November.
The FT quoted a senior Pakistani official with detailed knowledge of Islamabad’s nuclear programme as saying that it “will have to take counter measures to respond” to any US-India deal on missile defence.
But the daily noted that no decisions had yet been made, and an agreement would likely be extremely politically sensitive for the Indian government.
US warns Ethiopia new law could curtail aid.
AFP
9 January 2009
The United States, Ethiopia's main donor, warned Friday that a new law adopted by Addis Ababa restricting foreign-funded aid groups may curtail its assistance.
Under the new law, any group that draws more than 10 percent of its funding from abroad will be classified as foreign, and thus banned from working on issues related to ethnicity, gender, children's rights and conflict resolution. "We recognise the importance of effective oversight of civil society organisations... However we are concerned this law may restrict US government assistance to Ethiopia," a State Department statement said.
Despite criticism, Ethiopia's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the bill, which the government claims is solely to safeguard citizens' rights.
Georgette Gagnon, the Africa director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the law is a "repression, not regulation."
"If enforced, this law will make Ethiopia one of the most inhospitable places in the world for both Ethiopian and international human rights groups," she said in a statement.
The Horn of Africa nation received more than 900 million dollars in aid from the US in 2008.
Ethiopia, a poverty-stricken country of 77 million, is among the world's chief aid recipients.
9 January 2009
The United States, Ethiopia's main donor, warned Friday that a new law adopted by Addis Ababa restricting foreign-funded aid groups may curtail its assistance.
Under the new law, any group that draws more than 10 percent of its funding from abroad will be classified as foreign, and thus banned from working on issues related to ethnicity, gender, children's rights and conflict resolution. "We recognise the importance of effective oversight of civil society organisations... However we are concerned this law may restrict US government assistance to Ethiopia," a State Department statement said.
Despite criticism, Ethiopia's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the bill, which the government claims is solely to safeguard citizens' rights.
Georgette Gagnon, the Africa director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the law is a "repression, not regulation."
"If enforced, this law will make Ethiopia one of the most inhospitable places in the world for both Ethiopian and international human rights groups," she said in a statement.
The Horn of Africa nation received more than 900 million dollars in aid from the US in 2008.
Ethiopia, a poverty-stricken country of 77 million, is among the world's chief aid recipients.
Air Force Releases 'Counter-Blog' Marching Orders.
Wired News
By Noah Shachtman
January 06, 2009
Bloggers: If you suddenly find Air Force officers leaving barbed comments after one of your posts, don't be surprised. They're just following the service's new "counter-blogging" flow chart. In a twelve-point plan, put together by the emerging technology division of the Air Force's public affairs arm, airmen are given guidance on how to handle "trolls," "ragers" -- and even well-informed online writers, too. It's all part of an Air Force push to "counter the people out there in the blogosphere who have negative opinions about the U.S. government and the Air Force," Captain David Faggard says.
Over the last couple of years, the armed forces have tried, in fits and starts, to connect more with bloggers. The Army and the Office of the Secretary of Defense now hold regular "bloggers' roundatbles" with generals, colonels, and key civilian leaders. The Navy invited a group of bloggers to embed with them on a humanitarian mission to Central and South America, last summer. Military blogger Michael Yon recently traveled to Afghanistan with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In contrast, the Air Force has largely kept the blogosphere at arms' length. Most of the sites are banned from Air Force networks. And the service has mostly stayed away from the Pentagon's blog outreach efforts. Captain Faggard, who's become the Air Force Public Affairs Agency's designated social media guru, has made strides in shifting that attitude. The air service now has a Twitter feed, a blog of its own -- and marching orders, for how to comment on other sites. "We're trying to get people to understand that they can do this," he tells Danger Room.
The flow chart lays out a range of possible responses to a blog post. Airmen can offer a "factual and well-cited response [that] is not factually erroneous, a rant or rage, bashing or negative in nature." They can "let the post stand -- no response." Or they cancan "fix the facts," offering up fresh perspective. No matter what, the chart says, airmen should "disclose your Air Force connection," "respond in a tone that reflects high on the rich heritage of the Air Force," and "focus on the most-used sites related to the Air Force."
Despite the chart's sometimes-stiff language, former military spokesman Steven Field says he's "a fan." Field, who's been occasionally critical of the armed services' blog outreach efforts, tells Danger Room: "I've always thought that a military-like process would be a good bridge to connect the services with the blogosphere. There's a field manual for everything in the military, so this flow-chart presents online communications in a DoD [Department of Defense] friendly format."
One stipulation -- While it should be a guide of communications, it shouldn't become a ball-and-chain. Online comms require some level of nimble, on-your-feet response. As long as the Air Force doesn't use the "evaluate" phase to get approval from every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Pentagon, it should be a good tool.
"Now they just need to lift those damn IP [Internet Protocol] filters," Field adds, so airmen can actually read those blogs that they're supposed to respond to.
By Noah Shachtman
January 06, 2009
Bloggers: If you suddenly find Air Force officers leaving barbed comments after one of your posts, don't be surprised. They're just following the service's new "counter-blogging" flow chart. In a twelve-point plan, put together by the emerging technology division of the Air Force's public affairs arm, airmen are given guidance on how to handle "trolls," "ragers" -- and even well-informed online writers, too. It's all part of an Air Force push to "counter the people out there in the blogosphere who have negative opinions about the U.S. government and the Air Force," Captain David Faggard says.
Over the last couple of years, the armed forces have tried, in fits and starts, to connect more with bloggers. The Army and the Office of the Secretary of Defense now hold regular "bloggers' roundatbles" with generals, colonels, and key civilian leaders. The Navy invited a group of bloggers to embed with them on a humanitarian mission to Central and South America, last summer. Military blogger Michael Yon recently traveled to Afghanistan with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In contrast, the Air Force has largely kept the blogosphere at arms' length. Most of the sites are banned from Air Force networks. And the service has mostly stayed away from the Pentagon's blog outreach efforts. Captain Faggard, who's become the Air Force Public Affairs Agency's designated social media guru, has made strides in shifting that attitude. The air service now has a Twitter feed, a blog of its own -- and marching orders, for how to comment on other sites. "We're trying to get people to understand that they can do this," he tells Danger Room.
The flow chart lays out a range of possible responses to a blog post. Airmen can offer a "factual and well-cited response [that] is not factually erroneous, a rant or rage, bashing or negative in nature." They can "let the post stand -- no response." Or they cancan "fix the facts," offering up fresh perspective. No matter what, the chart says, airmen should "disclose your Air Force connection," "respond in a tone that reflects high on the rich heritage of the Air Force," and "focus on the most-used sites related to the Air Force."
Despite the chart's sometimes-stiff language, former military spokesman Steven Field says he's "a fan." Field, who's been occasionally critical of the armed services' blog outreach efforts, tells Danger Room: "I've always thought that a military-like process would be a good bridge to connect the services with the blogosphere. There's a field manual for everything in the military, so this flow-chart presents online communications in a DoD [Department of Defense] friendly format."
One stipulation -- While it should be a guide of communications, it shouldn't become a ball-and-chain. Online comms require some level of nimble, on-your-feet response. As long as the Air Force doesn't use the "evaluate" phase to get approval from every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Pentagon, it should be a good tool.
"Now they just need to lift those damn IP [Internet Protocol] filters," Field adds, so airmen can actually read those blogs that they're supposed to respond to.
White House described Darfur as 'genocide' to please Christian right.
The Independent
By Anne Penketh
2 July 2005
The Bush administration described the Darfur atrocities as genocide in order to please the Christian right ahead of the American presidential elections, according to a senior US official.
America's former ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, made the admission in an interview in which he confirmed that the Bush administration's stance was dictated by domestic political considerations.
The Bush administration aligned its position last year with that of the US Congress, which urged President Bush in a vote in July to call the mass killings and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan "by their rightful name: genocide".
At that time, more than one million had been forced from their homes by militias allied to the government in Khartoum, and 60,000 people had been killed. The UN described Darfur as "the worst humanitarian disaster in the world" but declined to call it genocide.
Mr Danforth was asked by the BBC's Panorama programme whether the characterisation of genocide by President Bush and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had hindered a resolution to the Darfur conflict because of the loaded nature of the word.
"I didn't think it had much of an effect one way or another. I just thought that this was something that was said for internal consumption within the US. I did not think it would have very much effect within Sudan," Mr Danforth said. Asked whether "internal consumption" referred to the kind of language that would have appealed to the Christian right, he replied: "Right."
In the same programme, the Development Secretary, Hilary Benn, admits that in Darfur, "we haven't got it right in this instance."
By Anne Penketh
2 July 2005
The Bush administration described the Darfur atrocities as genocide in order to please the Christian right ahead of the American presidential elections, according to a senior US official.
America's former ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, made the admission in an interview in which he confirmed that the Bush administration's stance was dictated by domestic political considerations.
The Bush administration aligned its position last year with that of the US Congress, which urged President Bush in a vote in July to call the mass killings and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan "by their rightful name: genocide".
At that time, more than one million had been forced from their homes by militias allied to the government in Khartoum, and 60,000 people had been killed. The UN described Darfur as "the worst humanitarian disaster in the world" but declined to call it genocide.
Mr Danforth was asked by the BBC's Panorama programme whether the characterisation of genocide by President Bush and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had hindered a resolution to the Darfur conflict because of the loaded nature of the word.
"I didn't think it had much of an effect one way or another. I just thought that this was something that was said for internal consumption within the US. I did not think it would have very much effect within Sudan," Mr Danforth said. Asked whether "internal consumption" referred to the kind of language that would have appealed to the Christian right, he replied: "Right."
In the same programme, the Development Secretary, Hilary Benn, admits that in Darfur, "we haven't got it right in this instance."
09 January, 2009
Ethiopia: New law ratchets up repression.
Human Rights Watch
Press Release
8 January 2009
On January 6, 2009, Ethiopia's parliament enacted a new law on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that criminalizes most human rights work in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch said that the law is a direct rebuke to governments that assist Ethiopia and that had expressed concerns about the law's restrictions on freedom of association and expression.
The action comes just a week after the government reversed an earlier pardon and rearrested one of the country's leading opposition politicians on flimsy grounds and said she will serve out a life sentence, highlighting a growing trend of political repression.
"In the space of just eight days, the Ethiopian government has outlawed independent human rights work and jailed one of the country's most prominent opposition leaders for life," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The government is conducting an all-out assault on any kind of independent criticism."
The Ethiopian government claims that the new law, known as the Charities and Societies Proclamation (NGO law), is mainly intended to ensure greater openness and financial probity on the part of nongovernmental organizations. But instead it places such severe restrictions on all human rights and governance-related work as to make most such work impossible, violating fundamental rights to freedom of association and expression provided for in the Ethiopian constitution and international human rights law.
The law considers any civil society group that receives more than 10 percent of its funding from abroad – even from Ethiopian citizens living outside of the country – to be "foreign." These groups are forbidden from doing any work that touches on human rights, governance, or a host of other issues. Because Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries, with few opportunities for domestic fundraising, such constraints are even more damaging than they would be elsewhere. Under the law, groups based outside the country, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, are barred from doing human rights-related work in Ethiopia.
The law also creates a new government entity, the Charities and Societies Agency, with sweeping powers and an arsenal of onerous and byzantine requirements that will enable it to choke off independent civil society activity with red tape. The right to appeal is severely limited and is not extended to so-called "foreign" groups at all. Human Rights Watch has produced a detailed analysis of a recent draft of this law. The enacted law is not substantially different from that draft.
"The NGO law is repression, not regulation," said Gagnon. "If enforced, this law will make Ethiopia one of the most inhospitable places in the world for both Ethiopian and international human rights groups."
Human Rights Watch said the law is especially alarming because the government already permits very little independent civil society activity or peaceful dissent. The country's preeminent human rights group, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), is almost alone in producing extensive reporting inside Ethiopia on human rights abuses. In response to its reporting of government repression following Ethiopia's 2005 national elections, many of its staff were forced to leave the country or spent time in prison. Under the new law, the group will be considered a foreign human rights group because it receives most of its funding from international donors such as the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. It will either have to abandon its work or do without the funding it needs to meet its costs and pay its staff.
Countries that provide assistance to Ethiopia, including funds that keep the government afloat, have generally turned a blind eye to government abuses. However, many expressed private criticism of the NGO law, viewing it as a major step toward institutionalizing repression and creating impediments to development, which many support through Ethiopian NGOs. Human Rights Watch urged donor states to press for significant amendments to the new law or for its repeal. In the short term, they should urge the Ethiopian government not to enforce its most damaging provisions.
"Countries supporting Ethiopia should insist that the NGO law be substantially amended or repealed," Gagnon said. "Anything less would be a green light for even more egregious acts of repression in the coming year."
The new law is part of a broader trend toward political repression. Even though the country's political opposition has fractured since the 2005 elections and poses little real threat to government control, the authorities have continued to subject opposition leaders and activists to harassment and abuse. Within the past two months, the government has detained without charge two prominent opposition leaders. Bekele Jirata, the secretary general of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, was arrested in November and accused of plotting terrorist attacks. He has been in prison for more than a month even though the government has failed to produce any evidence against him or file formal charges. On December 28, Birtukan Midekssa, chairperson of the opposition Unity for Justice and Democracy party, was arrested in the street and imprisoned on old charges that Human Rights Watch believes are politically motivated.
Birtukan had been arrested in November 2005 along with dozens of other opposition leaders who encouraged public protests after losing the controversial 2005 elections. Government security forces put down those protests by force, killing hundreds of unarmed demonstrators. Birtukan was convicted of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and sentenced to life in prison. She was pardoned after lengthy negotiations and after she spent 18 months in prison. The government claims that her pardon was conditional on an apology for her crimes. It says it ordered her re-arrest over reports that she had publicly denied having apologized for her actions or asking for a pardon, and that she will now be imprisoned for life.
Ethiopia's already-dire human rights record has worsened in recent years. Ethiopian military forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in two conflicts in Ethiopia and in neighboring Somalia, with no meaningful effort to hold those responsible to account. Federal, regional and local officials have regularly harassed, arbitrarily detained, and subjected to torture critics of the government, and have denounced human rights groups that expose these problems. As a result, there is little independent criticism and political opposition in most of the country. In local elections in April 2008, the ruling party and its allies won more than 99 percent of more than 4 million elected positions, most in uncontested races.
Press Release
8 January 2009
On January 6, 2009, Ethiopia's parliament enacted a new law on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that criminalizes most human rights work in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch said that the law is a direct rebuke to governments that assist Ethiopia and that had expressed concerns about the law's restrictions on freedom of association and expression.
The action comes just a week after the government reversed an earlier pardon and rearrested one of the country's leading opposition politicians on flimsy grounds and said she will serve out a life sentence, highlighting a growing trend of political repression.
"In the space of just eight days, the Ethiopian government has outlawed independent human rights work and jailed one of the country's most prominent opposition leaders for life," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The government is conducting an all-out assault on any kind of independent criticism."
The Ethiopian government claims that the new law, known as the Charities and Societies Proclamation (NGO law), is mainly intended to ensure greater openness and financial probity on the part of nongovernmental organizations. But instead it places such severe restrictions on all human rights and governance-related work as to make most such work impossible, violating fundamental rights to freedom of association and expression provided for in the Ethiopian constitution and international human rights law.
The law considers any civil society group that receives more than 10 percent of its funding from abroad – even from Ethiopian citizens living outside of the country – to be "foreign." These groups are forbidden from doing any work that touches on human rights, governance, or a host of other issues. Because Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries, with few opportunities for domestic fundraising, such constraints are even more damaging than they would be elsewhere. Under the law, groups based outside the country, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, are barred from doing human rights-related work in Ethiopia.
The law also creates a new government entity, the Charities and Societies Agency, with sweeping powers and an arsenal of onerous and byzantine requirements that will enable it to choke off independent civil society activity with red tape. The right to appeal is severely limited and is not extended to so-called "foreign" groups at all. Human Rights Watch has produced a detailed analysis of a recent draft of this law. The enacted law is not substantially different from that draft.
"The NGO law is repression, not regulation," said Gagnon. "If enforced, this law will make Ethiopia one of the most inhospitable places in the world for both Ethiopian and international human rights groups."
Human Rights Watch said the law is especially alarming because the government already permits very little independent civil society activity or peaceful dissent. The country's preeminent human rights group, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), is almost alone in producing extensive reporting inside Ethiopia on human rights abuses. In response to its reporting of government repression following Ethiopia's 2005 national elections, many of its staff were forced to leave the country or spent time in prison. Under the new law, the group will be considered a foreign human rights group because it receives most of its funding from international donors such as the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. It will either have to abandon its work or do without the funding it needs to meet its costs and pay its staff.
Countries that provide assistance to Ethiopia, including funds that keep the government afloat, have generally turned a blind eye to government abuses. However, many expressed private criticism of the NGO law, viewing it as a major step toward institutionalizing repression and creating impediments to development, which many support through Ethiopian NGOs. Human Rights Watch urged donor states to press for significant amendments to the new law or for its repeal. In the short term, they should urge the Ethiopian government not to enforce its most damaging provisions.
"Countries supporting Ethiopia should insist that the NGO law be substantially amended or repealed," Gagnon said. "Anything less would be a green light for even more egregious acts of repression in the coming year."
The new law is part of a broader trend toward political repression. Even though the country's political opposition has fractured since the 2005 elections and poses little real threat to government control, the authorities have continued to subject opposition leaders and activists to harassment and abuse. Within the past two months, the government has detained without charge two prominent opposition leaders. Bekele Jirata, the secretary general of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, was arrested in November and accused of plotting terrorist attacks. He has been in prison for more than a month even though the government has failed to produce any evidence against him or file formal charges. On December 28, Birtukan Midekssa, chairperson of the opposition Unity for Justice and Democracy party, was arrested in the street and imprisoned on old charges that Human Rights Watch believes are politically motivated.
Birtukan had been arrested in November 2005 along with dozens of other opposition leaders who encouraged public protests after losing the controversial 2005 elections. Government security forces put down those protests by force, killing hundreds of unarmed demonstrators. Birtukan was convicted of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and sentenced to life in prison. She was pardoned after lengthy negotiations and after she spent 18 months in prison. The government claims that her pardon was conditional on an apology for her crimes. It says it ordered her re-arrest over reports that she had publicly denied having apologized for her actions or asking for a pardon, and that she will now be imprisoned for life.
Ethiopia's already-dire human rights record has worsened in recent years. Ethiopian military forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in two conflicts in Ethiopia and in neighboring Somalia, with no meaningful effort to hold those responsible to account. Federal, regional and local officials have regularly harassed, arbitrarily detained, and subjected to torture critics of the government, and have denounced human rights groups that expose these problems. As a result, there is little independent criticism and political opposition in most of the country. In local elections in April 2008, the ruling party and its allies won more than 99 percent of more than 4 million elected positions, most in uncontested races.
Burundi rebels reject violence, drop banned name.
Reuters
By Patrick Nduwimana
9 January 2009
Burundi's last remaining rebel group said on Friday it had renounced violence and was changing its name to reflect its transformation into a political party.
The Palipehutu Forces for National Liberation dropped the first part of its name, which means "party for the liberation of ethnic Hutus", a term the government had said was illegal.
Parties with tribal affiliations are outlawed in the small coffee-growing central African nation, which endured two decades of ethnic conflict that killed 300,000 people.
"Considering the great need for lasting peace in Burundi, we agree to make a sacrifice," former rebel leader Agathon Rwasa told reporters, adding the renamed FNL planned to contest the country's next election in 2010.
"We would like to ask the government to be flexible and register this new party without any conditions," he said.
Rwasa's group signed a peace deal in mid-2006 that ended the war, but tensions have remained high.
After many delays, increasingly impatient mediators led by South Africa had given both sides until the end of last year to complete the peace process or risk losing regional support.
As part of the deal, President Pierre Nkurunziza's government freed 247 FNL prisoners last week, while the rebels have agreed to demobilise and disarm their fighters.
Analysts say the political and military integration of FNL rebels is the final barrier to lasting stability in Burundi, and the mediators congratulated the group for Friday's "bold step".
"(We) appeal to both parties to seize upon the current momentum and work harder than ever as peace partners to speedily complete the ceasefire implementation process," they said in a statement.
(Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
By Patrick Nduwimana
9 January 2009
Burundi's last remaining rebel group said on Friday it had renounced violence and was changing its name to reflect its transformation into a political party.
The Palipehutu Forces for National Liberation dropped the first part of its name, which means "party for the liberation of ethnic Hutus", a term the government had said was illegal.
Parties with tribal affiliations are outlawed in the small coffee-growing central African nation, which endured two decades of ethnic conflict that killed 300,000 people.
"Considering the great need for lasting peace in Burundi, we agree to make a sacrifice," former rebel leader Agathon Rwasa told reporters, adding the renamed FNL planned to contest the country's next election in 2010.
"We would like to ask the government to be flexible and register this new party without any conditions," he said.
Rwasa's group signed a peace deal in mid-2006 that ended the war, but tensions have remained high.
After many delays, increasingly impatient mediators led by South Africa had given both sides until the end of last year to complete the peace process or risk losing regional support.
As part of the deal, President Pierre Nkurunziza's government freed 247 FNL prisoners last week, while the rebels have agreed to demobilise and disarm their fighters.
Analysts say the political and military integration of FNL rebels is the final barrier to lasting stability in Burundi, and the mediators congratulated the group for Friday's "bold step".
"(We) appeal to both parties to seize upon the current momentum and work harder than ever as peace partners to speedily complete the ceasefire implementation process," they said in a statement.
(Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership.
9 January 2009
Preamble
The United States of America and Georgia:
1. Affirm the importance of our relationship as friends and strategic partners. We intend to deepen our partnership to the benefit of both nations and expand our cooperation across a broad spectrum of mutual priorities.
2. Emphasize that this cooperation between our two democracies is based on shared values and common interests. These include expanding democracy and economic freedom, protecting security and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the right of dignified, secure and voluntary return of all internally displaced persons and refugees, supporting innovation and technological advances, and bolstering Eurasian energy security.
3. Stress our mutual desire to strengthen our relationship across the economic, energy, diplomatic, scientific, cultural and security fields.
Section I: Principles of Partnership
This Charter is based on core basic principles and beliefs shared by both sides:
1. Support for each other’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders constitutes the foundation of our bilateral relations.
2. Our friendship derives from mutual understanding and appreciation for our shared belief that democracy is the chief basis for political legitimacy and, therefore, stability.
3. Cooperation between democracies on defense and security is essential to respond effectively to threats to peace and security;
4. A strong, independent, sovereign and democratic Georgia, capable of responsible self-defense, contributes to the security and prosperity not only of all Georgians, but of a Europe whole, free and at peace.
5. An increasingly democratic Georgia can unleash the full creative potential of its industrious citizens, and thereby catalyze prosperity throughout the region and beyond.
6. The United States encourages efforts by Georgia to deepen its political, economic, security, and social ties with other nations of the Euroatlantic community.
7. The partners declare that their shared goal is the full integration of Georgia into European and transatlantic political, economic, security, and defense institutions as Georgia meets the necessary standards.
Section II: Defense and Security Cooperation
Our two countries share a vital interest in a strong, independent, sovereign, unified, and democratic Georgia. The United States recognizes Georgia’s important contributions to Coalition efforts in Iraq as demonstrating Georgia’s potential as a net provider of security. Deepening Georgia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions is a mutual priority, and we plan to undertake a program of enhanced security cooperation intended to increase Georgian capabilities and to strengthen Georgia’s candidacy for NATO membership. In this connection, we note the Alliance’s affirmation at its Bucharest Summit in April 2008 that Georgia will become a member of NATO.
1. Working within the framework of the NATO-Georgia Commission, the United States and Georgia intend to pursue a structured plan to increase interoperability and coordination of capabilities between NATO and Georgia, including via enhanced training and equipment for Georgian forces.
2. Recognizing the persistence of threats to global peace and stability, and recalling the Georgian and Russian commitment within the August 12 ceasefire agreement to the non-use of force, the United States and Georgia intend to expand the scope of their ongoing defense and security cooperation programs to defeat these threats and to promote peace and stability. A defense and security cooperation partnership between the United States and Georgia is of benefit to both nations and the region.
3. Acknowledging the growing threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the United States and Georgia pledge to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and dangerous technologies through adherence to international nonproliferation standards, effective enforcement of export controls, and strengthened enforcement of such controls.
4. Building on the existing cooperation among their respective agencies of defense and armed forces, the United States supports the efforts of Georgia to provide for its legitimate security and defense needs, including development of appropriate and NATO-interoperable military forces.
Section III: Economic, Trade and Energy Cooperation
The United States and Georgia intend to expand cooperation to enhance job creation and economic growth, support economic/market reform and liberalization, continue to improve the business climate, and improve market access for goods and services. We recognize that trade is essential to promoting global economic growth, development, freedom, and prosperity. We welcome the emergence of a Southern Corridor of energy infrastructure. The United States endeavors to facilitate the integration of Georgia into the global economy and appropriate international economic organizations.
1. Acknowledging the importance of increased investment to economic growth and development, the United States and Georgia intend to pursue an Enhanced Bilateral Investment Treaty, to expand Georgian access to the General System of Preferences, and to explore the possibility of a Free-Trade Agreement.
2. The United States is committed to assisting the post-war reconstruction and financial stabilization of Georgia. We intend to work together to respond to the needs of the Georgian people, implement policies and programs that reduce poverty in the country, and promote the welfare of all Georgian citizens through investments and sustained improvements in the health and education systems.
3. Recognizing the importance of a well-functioning, market-oriented energy sector, the United States and Georgia intend to explore opportunities for increasing Georgia’s energy production, enhance energy efficiency, and increase the physical security of energy transit through Georgia to European markets. We intend to build upon over a decade of cooperation among our two countries and Azerbaijan and Turkey, which resulted in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipelines, to develop a new Southern Corridor to help Georgia and the rest of Europe diversify their supplies of natural gas by securing imports from Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
Section IV: Strengthening Democracy
Recognizing Georgia’s significant achievements to date, our two countries commit to work together to strengthen media freedom, parliament, judicial reform, the rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts. We rededicate ourselves to our shared values of democracy, tolerance and respect for all communities, and intend to cooperate as follows:
1. The United States and Georgia pledge cooperation to bolster independent media, freedom of expression, and access to objective news and information, including through assistance to journalists and media outlets.
2. The United States and Georgia pledge cooperation to strengthen further the rule of law, including by increasing judicial independence. In this regard, the United States intends to provide assistance in this process, including training of judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and police officers. Through enhanced law-enforcement and judicial-branch relationships, we plan to address common transnational criminal threats such as terrorism, organized crime, trafficking in persons and narcotics, money laundering, and cyber crime.
3. The United States and Georgia plan to work together to promote good governance by increasing the transparency and accountability of Georgia’s executive branch and legislative processes, and expanding citizen and media access to government deliberation.
4. The United States and Georgia pledge to work together to increase political pluralism in Georgia, including by encouraging the development of political parties, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations, with their participation in developing legislation and enacting reforms to create a more competitive electoral environment.
5. The United States and Georgia plan to work together to strengthen the capacity of Georgian civil society to develop and analyze public policy, advocate on behalf of citizen interests, participate in the legislative process, and provide oversight of public officials.
Section V: Increasing People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
The United States and Georgia share a desire to increase our people-to people contacts and enhance our cultural, educational and professional exchange programs that promote democracy and democratic values and increase mutual understanding.
1. Recognizing the importance of increased contact between the people of the United States and Georgia, both sides intend to promote further cultural and social exchanges and activities through initiatives such as the Fulbright Program, the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), Undergraduate Exchange (UGRAD), Legislative Education and Practice (LEAP), the International Visitor Leadership Program, and the English Language Teaching and Learning Program.
2. Stressing the necessity of innovation and dynamism to the future of our two countries, the United States and Georgia intend to promote increased cooperation in higher education, business, and scientific research. The United States plans to facilitate the application process for U.S. visas consistent with U.S. laws and procedures so that qualified individuals in cultural, educational, business, and scientific activities are given the opportunity to participate.
3. In Georgia’s post-war environment, the United States and Georgia intend to restore damaged cultural-heritage sites and media outlets, and to foster continued contacts between the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and the rest of Georgia.
Preamble
The United States of America and Georgia:
1. Affirm the importance of our relationship as friends and strategic partners. We intend to deepen our partnership to the benefit of both nations and expand our cooperation across a broad spectrum of mutual priorities.
2. Emphasize that this cooperation between our two democracies is based on shared values and common interests. These include expanding democracy and economic freedom, protecting security and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the right of dignified, secure and voluntary return of all internally displaced persons and refugees, supporting innovation and technological advances, and bolstering Eurasian energy security.
3. Stress our mutual desire to strengthen our relationship across the economic, energy, diplomatic, scientific, cultural and security fields.
Section I: Principles of Partnership
This Charter is based on core basic principles and beliefs shared by both sides:
1. Support for each other’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders constitutes the foundation of our bilateral relations.
2. Our friendship derives from mutual understanding and appreciation for our shared belief that democracy is the chief basis for political legitimacy and, therefore, stability.
3. Cooperation between democracies on defense and security is essential to respond effectively to threats to peace and security;
4. A strong, independent, sovereign and democratic Georgia, capable of responsible self-defense, contributes to the security and prosperity not only of all Georgians, but of a Europe whole, free and at peace.
5. An increasingly democratic Georgia can unleash the full creative potential of its industrious citizens, and thereby catalyze prosperity throughout the region and beyond.
6. The United States encourages efforts by Georgia to deepen its political, economic, security, and social ties with other nations of the Euroatlantic community.
7. The partners declare that their shared goal is the full integration of Georgia into European and transatlantic political, economic, security, and defense institutions as Georgia meets the necessary standards.
Section II: Defense and Security Cooperation
Our two countries share a vital interest in a strong, independent, sovereign, unified, and democratic Georgia. The United States recognizes Georgia’s important contributions to Coalition efforts in Iraq as demonstrating Georgia’s potential as a net provider of security. Deepening Georgia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions is a mutual priority, and we plan to undertake a program of enhanced security cooperation intended to increase Georgian capabilities and to strengthen Georgia’s candidacy for NATO membership. In this connection, we note the Alliance’s affirmation at its Bucharest Summit in April 2008 that Georgia will become a member of NATO.
1. Working within the framework of the NATO-Georgia Commission, the United States and Georgia intend to pursue a structured plan to increase interoperability and coordination of capabilities between NATO and Georgia, including via enhanced training and equipment for Georgian forces.
2. Recognizing the persistence of threats to global peace and stability, and recalling the Georgian and Russian commitment within the August 12 ceasefire agreement to the non-use of force, the United States and Georgia intend to expand the scope of their ongoing defense and security cooperation programs to defeat these threats and to promote peace and stability. A defense and security cooperation partnership between the United States and Georgia is of benefit to both nations and the region.
3. Acknowledging the growing threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the United States and Georgia pledge to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and dangerous technologies through adherence to international nonproliferation standards, effective enforcement of export controls, and strengthened enforcement of such controls.
4. Building on the existing cooperation among their respective agencies of defense and armed forces, the United States supports the efforts of Georgia to provide for its legitimate security and defense needs, including development of appropriate and NATO-interoperable military forces.
Section III: Economic, Trade and Energy Cooperation
The United States and Georgia intend to expand cooperation to enhance job creation and economic growth, support economic/market reform and liberalization, continue to improve the business climate, and improve market access for goods and services. We recognize that trade is essential to promoting global economic growth, development, freedom, and prosperity. We welcome the emergence of a Southern Corridor of energy infrastructure. The United States endeavors to facilitate the integration of Georgia into the global economy and appropriate international economic organizations.
1. Acknowledging the importance of increased investment to economic growth and development, the United States and Georgia intend to pursue an Enhanced Bilateral Investment Treaty, to expand Georgian access to the General System of Preferences, and to explore the possibility of a Free-Trade Agreement.
2. The United States is committed to assisting the post-war reconstruction and financial stabilization of Georgia. We intend to work together to respond to the needs of the Georgian people, implement policies and programs that reduce poverty in the country, and promote the welfare of all Georgian citizens through investments and sustained improvements in the health and education systems.
3. Recognizing the importance of a well-functioning, market-oriented energy sector, the United States and Georgia intend to explore opportunities for increasing Georgia’s energy production, enhance energy efficiency, and increase the physical security of energy transit through Georgia to European markets. We intend to build upon over a decade of cooperation among our two countries and Azerbaijan and Turkey, which resulted in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa oil pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipelines, to develop a new Southern Corridor to help Georgia and the rest of Europe diversify their supplies of natural gas by securing imports from Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
Section IV: Strengthening Democracy
Recognizing Georgia’s significant achievements to date, our two countries commit to work together to strengthen media freedom, parliament, judicial reform, the rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts. We rededicate ourselves to our shared values of democracy, tolerance and respect for all communities, and intend to cooperate as follows:
1. The United States and Georgia pledge cooperation to bolster independent media, freedom of expression, and access to objective news and information, including through assistance to journalists and media outlets.
2. The United States and Georgia pledge cooperation to strengthen further the rule of law, including by increasing judicial independence. In this regard, the United States intends to provide assistance in this process, including training of judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and police officers. Through enhanced law-enforcement and judicial-branch relationships, we plan to address common transnational criminal threats such as terrorism, organized crime, trafficking in persons and narcotics, money laundering, and cyber crime.
3. The United States and Georgia plan to work together to promote good governance by increasing the transparency and accountability of Georgia’s executive branch and legislative processes, and expanding citizen and media access to government deliberation.
4. The United States and Georgia pledge to work together to increase political pluralism in Georgia, including by encouraging the development of political parties, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations, with their participation in developing legislation and enacting reforms to create a more competitive electoral environment.
5. The United States and Georgia plan to work together to strengthen the capacity of Georgian civil society to develop and analyze public policy, advocate on behalf of citizen interests, participate in the legislative process, and provide oversight of public officials.
Section V: Increasing People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
The United States and Georgia share a desire to increase our people-to people contacts and enhance our cultural, educational and professional exchange programs that promote democracy and democratic values and increase mutual understanding.
1. Recognizing the importance of increased contact between the people of the United States and Georgia, both sides intend to promote further cultural and social exchanges and activities through initiatives such as the Fulbright Program, the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), Undergraduate Exchange (UGRAD), Legislative Education and Practice (LEAP), the International Visitor Leadership Program, and the English Language Teaching and Learning Program.
2. Stressing the necessity of innovation and dynamism to the future of our two countries, the United States and Georgia intend to promote increased cooperation in higher education, business, and scientific research. The United States plans to facilitate the application process for U.S. visas consistent with U.S. laws and procedures so that qualified individuals in cultural, educational, business, and scientific activities are given the opportunity to participate.
3. In Georgia’s post-war environment, the United States and Georgia intend to restore damaged cultural-heritage sites and media outlets, and to foster continued contacts between the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and the rest of Georgia.
State Imposes Harsh Curbs On Civil Society.
Catholic Information Service for Africa
9 January 2009
Ethiopia has sunk deeper into despotism after it recently passed a law that restricts the work of independent human rights defenders and civil society organizations.
Two well-known international human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have strongly condemned the new Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSO law), enacted by parliament on January 2.
The organizations are urging donor and international organizations to condemn the new legislation, and to closely monitor and press for amendments to its most damaging provisions.
The new law criminalizes human rights activities undertaken by Ethiopian organizations that receive more than ten percent of their funding from abroad.
The future of NGOs, including campaigners for gender equality, children's rights, disabled persons rights and conflict resolution, is at stake if the legislation is enforced.
It also imposes disproportionate and criminal penalties for even minor administrative breaches of the law, establishes a Charities and Societies Agency with broad discretionary power over civil society organizations, and allows government surveillance of and interference in the operation and management of civil society organizations.
Human Rights Watch said that the law is a direct rebuke to governments that assist Ethiopia and expressed concerns about the law's restrictions on freedom of association and expression.
However, the Ethiopian government claims the CSO law addresses perceived inadequacies in the existing legal regime, promotes financial transparency and accountability, and provides a proper administration and regulation of civil society.
9 January 2009
Ethiopia has sunk deeper into despotism after it recently passed a law that restricts the work of independent human rights defenders and civil society organizations.
Two well-known international human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have strongly condemned the new Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSO law), enacted by parliament on January 2.
The organizations are urging donor and international organizations to condemn the new legislation, and to closely monitor and press for amendments to its most damaging provisions.
The new law criminalizes human rights activities undertaken by Ethiopian organizations that receive more than ten percent of their funding from abroad.
The future of NGOs, including campaigners for gender equality, children's rights, disabled persons rights and conflict resolution, is at stake if the legislation is enforced.
It also imposes disproportionate and criminal penalties for even minor administrative breaches of the law, establishes a Charities and Societies Agency with broad discretionary power over civil society organizations, and allows government surveillance of and interference in the operation and management of civil society organizations.
Human Rights Watch said that the law is a direct rebuke to governments that assist Ethiopia and expressed concerns about the law's restrictions on freedom of association and expression.
However, the Ethiopian government claims the CSO law addresses perceived inadequacies in the existing legal regime, promotes financial transparency and accountability, and provides a proper administration and regulation of civil society.
Taylor's son jailed for 97 years.
BBC News
9 January 2009
"Chuckie" Taylor, the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor has been sentenced by a US court to 97 years in prison for torture.
It is the first time a US court applied a 1994 law allowing the prosecution of citizens who commit torture overseas.
Chuckie Taylor, 31, who headed a notorious paramilitary unit during his father's rule, said he would appeal.
Charles Taylor is on trial at a court in The Hague - he denies 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
US District Judge Cecilia M Altonaga imposed the sentence on Chuckie Taylor - whose real name is Charles McArthur Emmanuel - at a hearing in a Miami court.
Shackled and dressed in a prison jumpsuit Taylor showed no emotion or reaction at the sentence, but told Judge Altonaga he would swiftly appeal.
He also said he rejected an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
"My innocence was important to me then, as it is now," said Taylor.
"My sympathies go out to all the people who suffered in the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone," he added.
"It is hard to conceive of any more serious offences against the dignity and the lives of human beings," Judge Altonaga said just before announcing the sentence. "The international community condemns torture," she added.
Torturing group
The prosecution had urged that Chuckie Taylor be sentenced to 147 years in prison.
Defence lawyers though had argued for leniency, arguing that many of the witnesses at his trial in October 2008 lied in a bid to win political asylum in the US or to settle political vendettas.
Chuckie Taylor as born in the US but after his father won Liberia's 1997 elections, he moved to the country and was made the head of the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) while in his early 20s.
This elite pro-government military division was widely feared in Liberia and the crimes were especially brutal when the unit was cracking down on a rebellion which began in 1999.
At his trial in Miami late last year, Chuckie Taylor was accused of committing or conspiring to commit executions, imprisoning a group of individuals in a hole in the ground, burning victims and administering electric shocks.
The jury made a direct link between some incidents of torture and the defendant.
9 January 2009
"Chuckie" Taylor, the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor has been sentenced by a US court to 97 years in prison for torture.
It is the first time a US court applied a 1994 law allowing the prosecution of citizens who commit torture overseas.
Chuckie Taylor, 31, who headed a notorious paramilitary unit during his father's rule, said he would appeal.
Charles Taylor is on trial at a court in The Hague - he denies 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
US District Judge Cecilia M Altonaga imposed the sentence on Chuckie Taylor - whose real name is Charles McArthur Emmanuel - at a hearing in a Miami court.
Shackled and dressed in a prison jumpsuit Taylor showed no emotion or reaction at the sentence, but told Judge Altonaga he would swiftly appeal.
He also said he rejected an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
"My innocence was important to me then, as it is now," said Taylor.
"My sympathies go out to all the people who suffered in the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone," he added.
"It is hard to conceive of any more serious offences against the dignity and the lives of human beings," Judge Altonaga said just before announcing the sentence. "The international community condemns torture," she added.
Torturing group
The prosecution had urged that Chuckie Taylor be sentenced to 147 years in prison.
Defence lawyers though had argued for leniency, arguing that many of the witnesses at his trial in October 2008 lied in a bid to win political asylum in the US or to settle political vendettas.
Chuckie Taylor as born in the US but after his father won Liberia's 1997 elections, he moved to the country and was made the head of the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) while in his early 20s.
This elite pro-government military division was widely feared in Liberia and the crimes were especially brutal when the unit was cracking down on a rebellion which began in 1999.
At his trial in Miami late last year, Chuckie Taylor was accused of committing or conspiring to commit executions, imprisoning a group of individuals in a hole in the ground, burning victims and administering electric shocks.
The jury made a direct link between some incidents of torture and the defendant.
US to airlift equipment to Darfur for Rwanda.
The New Times
9 January 2009
By Edwin Musoni
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), under the directive of President George Bush, will soon airlift Rwandan equipment meant for the Rwandan peacekeepers from Kigali to Darfur, Sudan.
In a statement released by the White House after a meeting on Monday between Bush and Sudanese Vice President and President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir. The US president said that that he had provided a waiver to the State Department so they can begin moving the equipment from Rwanda to Darfur.
Rwanda maintains about 3,500 peacekeepers in Darfur as part of the United nations/African Union Hybrid Mission.
“I have provided a waiver to the State Department to begin to move 240 containers worth of heavy equipment into Darfur, and that the Defence Department will be flying Rwandan equipment into Darfur to help facilitate the peacekeeping missions there,” Bush is quoted in the statement as saying.
In a phone interview with the head of Rwandan Defence Force Peacekeeping Missions, Lt. Col Peter Karimba, he confirmed the airlifting and said that the US will airlift 75 tonnes of heavy equipment.
They include about 250 commercial, military support, and engineering vehicles, material handling and navigation equipment, radio communication kits, close to 100 trailers, forklifts and other oversized cargo, fuel tank trucks and water treatment plants.
Media reports indicate that Two C-17 Globemaster III aircrafts are expected to jet in from the US to pick up 75 tons of large and heavy equipment to take to Darfur in about two or three weeks time.
The equipment worth US$20 million (approx. Rwf 11 billion) that will be flown to Darfur will be given to the Rwandan Government.
Rwanda obtained the equipment as a donation from the US government as a means of empowering nations who participate in multinational operations through the US African Contingent Operations Assistance (ACOTA) program.
9 January 2009
By Edwin Musoni
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), under the directive of President George Bush, will soon airlift Rwandan equipment meant for the Rwandan peacekeepers from Kigali to Darfur, Sudan.
In a statement released by the White House after a meeting on Monday between Bush and Sudanese Vice President and President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir. The US president said that that he had provided a waiver to the State Department so they can begin moving the equipment from Rwanda to Darfur.
Rwanda maintains about 3,500 peacekeepers in Darfur as part of the United nations/African Union Hybrid Mission.
“I have provided a waiver to the State Department to begin to move 240 containers worth of heavy equipment into Darfur, and that the Defence Department will be flying Rwandan equipment into Darfur to help facilitate the peacekeeping missions there,” Bush is quoted in the statement as saying.
In a phone interview with the head of Rwandan Defence Force Peacekeeping Missions, Lt. Col Peter Karimba, he confirmed the airlifting and said that the US will airlift 75 tonnes of heavy equipment.
They include about 250 commercial, military support, and engineering vehicles, material handling and navigation equipment, radio communication kits, close to 100 trailers, forklifts and other oversized cargo, fuel tank trucks and water treatment plants.
Media reports indicate that Two C-17 Globemaster III aircrafts are expected to jet in from the US to pick up 75 tons of large and heavy equipment to take to Darfur in about two or three weeks time.
The equipment worth US$20 million (approx. Rwf 11 billion) that will be flown to Darfur will be given to the Rwandan Government.
Rwanda obtained the equipment as a donation from the US government as a means of empowering nations who participate in multinational operations through the US African Contingent Operations Assistance (ACOTA) program.
Obama Names Deputy Defense Secretary, Top Pentagon Officials.
Washington Post
8 January 2009
By Philip Rucker
President-elect Barack Obama officially named William J. Lynn III as deputy secretary of defense today and also announced several other top Pentagon officials who will work under Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Mr. Lynn served as Undersecretary of Defense and Comptroller in the Clinton Administration, where he was the Pentagon's Chief Financial Officer, and currently serves as a senior vice president at Raytheon Company.
Obama also tapped Robert F. Hale, currently executive director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and a former assistant secretary of the Air Force, for the comptroller position. Michèle Flournoy, co-founder and President of the Center for a New American Strategy and a key official in Obama's transition, will become under secretary of defense for policy. Meanwhile, Jeh Charles Johnson, a partner in the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, will become general counsel at the Pentagon.
Below are the full biographies of the nominees, as provided by the Obama transition office:
William J. Lynn III, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Lynn brings decades of experience and expertise in reforming government spending and making the tough choices necessary to ensure that American tax dollars are spent wisely. Lynn served as the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 1997 to 2001. In that position, he was the chief financial officer for the Department of Defense and the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for all budgetary and fiscal matters. From 1993 to 1997, Lynn was the director of program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he oversaw all aspects of the DoD's strategic planning process. Lynn was awarded three DoD medals for distinguished public service, the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and awards from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also received the 2000 Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices. Lynn currently serves as senior vice president of Government Operations and Strategy at Raytheon Company. Before entering the DoD in 1993, Lynn served for six years on the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy as liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has also been a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, on the professional staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses and served as the executive director of the Defense Organization Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Lynn has a law degree from Cornell Law School and a Master's in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. He is married with a daughter.
Robert F. Hale, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Hale currently serves as the Executive Director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC). From 1994 to 2001 Mr. Hale was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller). He was responsible for the Air Force budget and all aspects of Air Force financial management. He also spearheaded creation of the first-ever certification program for defense financial managers. Hale served for twelve years as head of the defense unit of the Congressional Budget Office. Early in his career, Hale served on active duty as a Navy officer and worked for the Center for Naval Analyses. Robert Hale holds a BS with honors from Stanford University as well as an MS from Stanford and an MBA from George Washington University. He is also a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration. Mr. Hale has served on the Defense Business Board and recently completed service on a Congressionally-mandated Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care. He is a former National President of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and is a Certified Defense Financial Manager with acquisition specialty.
Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense (Policy)
In January 2007, Flournoy cofounded and was named president of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a venture dedicated to advancing a strong, centrist national security strategy. Prior to joining CNAS, she was a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she worked on a broad range of defense policy and international security issues. Previously, she was a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU), where she founded and led the university's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) working group, which was chartered by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop intellectual capital in preparation for the Department of Defense's 2001 QDR. Prior to joining NDU, she was dual-hatted as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and threat reduction and deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. In that capacity, she oversaw three policy offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense: Strategy; Requirements, Plans, and Counterproliferation; and Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasian Affairs. Flournoy was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000. In addition to several edited volumes and reports, she has authored dozens of articles on international security issues. Flournoy holds a B.A. in social studies from Harvard University and an M.Litt. in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Jeh Charles Johnson, General Counsel
Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, based in New York City. Johnson's career has been a mixture of successful private law practice (as an experienced trial lawyer) and distinguished public service (as a federal prosecutor and presidential appointee). At age 47, he was elected a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Johnson's career as a trial lawyer began in 1989-91, as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He served three years as a federal prosecutor. In 1998, Johnson left Paul, Weiss for 27 months when President Clinton appointed him General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, following nomination and confirmation by the United States Senate. While in that position, Johnson was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. In 2007-08, Johnson served as a foreign policy advisor to President-elect Obama's campaign. Johnson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a graduate of Morehouse College and Columbia Law School.
8 January 2009
By Philip Rucker
President-elect Barack Obama officially named William J. Lynn III as deputy secretary of defense today and also announced several other top Pentagon officials who will work under Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Mr. Lynn served as Undersecretary of Defense and Comptroller in the Clinton Administration, where he was the Pentagon's Chief Financial Officer, and currently serves as a senior vice president at Raytheon Company.
Obama also tapped Robert F. Hale, currently executive director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and a former assistant secretary of the Air Force, for the comptroller position. Michèle Flournoy, co-founder and President of the Center for a New American Strategy and a key official in Obama's transition, will become under secretary of defense for policy. Meanwhile, Jeh Charles Johnson, a partner in the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, will become general counsel at the Pentagon.
Below are the full biographies of the nominees, as provided by the Obama transition office:
William J. Lynn III, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Lynn brings decades of experience and expertise in reforming government spending and making the tough choices necessary to ensure that American tax dollars are spent wisely. Lynn served as the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) from 1997 to 2001. In that position, he was the chief financial officer for the Department of Defense and the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for all budgetary and fiscal matters. From 1993 to 1997, Lynn was the director of program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he oversaw all aspects of the DoD's strategic planning process. Lynn was awarded three DoD medals for distinguished public service, the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and awards from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also received the 2000 Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices. Lynn currently serves as senior vice president of Government Operations and Strategy at Raytheon Company. Before entering the DoD in 1993, Lynn served for six years on the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy as liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has also been a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, on the professional staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses and served as the executive director of the Defense Organization Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Lynn has a law degree from Cornell Law School and a Master's in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. He is married with a daughter.
Robert F. Hale, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Hale currently serves as the Executive Director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC). From 1994 to 2001 Mr. Hale was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller). He was responsible for the Air Force budget and all aspects of Air Force financial management. He also spearheaded creation of the first-ever certification program for defense financial managers. Hale served for twelve years as head of the defense unit of the Congressional Budget Office. Early in his career, Hale served on active duty as a Navy officer and worked for the Center for Naval Analyses. Robert Hale holds a BS with honors from Stanford University as well as an MS from Stanford and an MBA from George Washington University. He is also a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration. Mr. Hale has served on the Defense Business Board and recently completed service on a Congressionally-mandated Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care. He is a former National President of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and is a Certified Defense Financial Manager with acquisition specialty.
Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense (Policy)
In January 2007, Flournoy cofounded and was named president of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a venture dedicated to advancing a strong, centrist national security strategy. Prior to joining CNAS, she was a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she worked on a broad range of defense policy and international security issues. Previously, she was a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU), where she founded and led the university's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) working group, which was chartered by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop intellectual capital in preparation for the Department of Defense's 2001 QDR. Prior to joining NDU, she was dual-hatted as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and threat reduction and deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. In that capacity, she oversaw three policy offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense: Strategy; Requirements, Plans, and Counterproliferation; and Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasian Affairs. Flournoy was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000. In addition to several edited volumes and reports, she has authored dozens of articles on international security issues. Flournoy holds a B.A. in social studies from Harvard University and an M.Litt. in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Jeh Charles Johnson, General Counsel
Johnson is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, based in New York City. Johnson's career has been a mixture of successful private law practice (as an experienced trial lawyer) and distinguished public service (as a federal prosecutor and presidential appointee). At age 47, he was elected a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Johnson's career as a trial lawyer began in 1989-91, as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He served three years as a federal prosecutor. In 1998, Johnson left Paul, Weiss for 27 months when President Clinton appointed him General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, following nomination and confirmation by the United States Senate. While in that position, Johnson was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. In 2007-08, Johnson served as a foreign policy advisor to President-elect Obama's campaign. Johnson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a graduate of Morehouse College and Columbia Law School.
08 January, 2009
ARREST OF TOP RWANDAN OFFICER RE-LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ATTACK AGAINST HABYARIMANA’S PLANE.
Hirondelle News Agency
12 November 2008
The French investigation into the terrorist attack against former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, which was coming to an end, recently took a new turn with the arrest in Germany of Mrs. Rose Kabuye, Head of protocol for Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has threatened to prosecute French politicians and former soldiers accused by Kigali of having taken part in the genocide.
Mrs Kabuye, 47, former Major in the RPA, is one of the nine Rwandans which French anti-terrorist Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere issued arrest warrants against in November 2006. The French magistrate accuses them of having organized, on the order of General Kagame, the assassination on 6 April 1994 of President Habyarimana. The nine accused have denied the charges.
Mrs Kabuye, who is currently detained in the women’s prison in Frankfurt, voluntarily agreed to be handed over to French legal authorities. Once in Paris, she will be presented to the successors of Judge Bruguière and be notified of the investigation of her alleged role in this case, opened back in 1998 for "assassination and complicity in assassination in relation to a terrorist enterprise".
The court accuses her, notably, of having hosted the commando team before the attack in the CND buildings, where were confined the soldiers of the RPA (Rwandan Patriotic Army- armed wing of the rebellion which seized power in Kigali).
Then, the question of her placement in provisional detention will arise. French justice has jurisdiction because the crew of the presidential plane shot down by a missile above Kigali was French.
The investigation of Mrs. Kabuye will make it possible for Kigali to take note of this legal case which poisons the relationship between the two countries, Rwanda, having broken off its diplomatic relations with France after the issuance of the arrest warrants. After her arrest Sunday in Frankfurt, one of her lawyers, Lev Forster, voluntarily announced after that she wished to be heard by the judges.
Since May 2007, in addition to Mrs. Kabuye, two other people wanted by France, Mr. Samuel Kanyemera, known as Sam Kaka, a general and deputy of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and Mr. Jacob Tumwine, a businessman and reserve lieutenant colonel, requested of the judges, through Mr. Forster and his Belgian colleague Mr. Bernard Maingain, to be able to be heard in Rwanda without being investigated along with a certain number of witness testimonies. The judges refused because the French penal procedure does not authorize the lawyer of a person targeted by an arrest mandate to take note of the investigation case as long as this one has not been arrested.
In September, the two lawyers criticized an investigation led by the prosecution explaining that they awaited the transmission of the case before an assizes court to represent their clients and "to make sure that a complete investigation be carried out at that moment". This week, Forster indicated that his client wished to explain herself before French judges ensuring that she had nothing to do with this attack.
One of the lawyers of the families of French pilots said that the Rwandan authorities sacrificed the "fuse" Rose Kabuye in order to take note of the case to which it did not have access. All of it was probably very well orchestrated", deploring the end of the investigation was pushed back "sine die".
This arrest re-launches the investigation that the two French judges, Mr. Marc Trévidic and Mr. Philippe Coirre, were getting ready to end as they had recently announced to the civil parties.
12 November 2008
The French investigation into the terrorist attack against former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, which was coming to an end, recently took a new turn with the arrest in Germany of Mrs. Rose Kabuye, Head of protocol for Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has threatened to prosecute French politicians and former soldiers accused by Kigali of having taken part in the genocide.
Mrs Kabuye, 47, former Major in the RPA, is one of the nine Rwandans which French anti-terrorist Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere issued arrest warrants against in November 2006. The French magistrate accuses them of having organized, on the order of General Kagame, the assassination on 6 April 1994 of President Habyarimana. The nine accused have denied the charges.
Mrs Kabuye, who is currently detained in the women’s prison in Frankfurt, voluntarily agreed to be handed over to French legal authorities. Once in Paris, she will be presented to the successors of Judge Bruguière and be notified of the investigation of her alleged role in this case, opened back in 1998 for "assassination and complicity in assassination in relation to a terrorist enterprise".
The court accuses her, notably, of having hosted the commando team before the attack in the CND buildings, where were confined the soldiers of the RPA (Rwandan Patriotic Army- armed wing of the rebellion which seized power in Kigali).
Then, the question of her placement in provisional detention will arise. French justice has jurisdiction because the crew of the presidential plane shot down by a missile above Kigali was French.
The investigation of Mrs. Kabuye will make it possible for Kigali to take note of this legal case which poisons the relationship between the two countries, Rwanda, having broken off its diplomatic relations with France after the issuance of the arrest warrants. After her arrest Sunday in Frankfurt, one of her lawyers, Lev Forster, voluntarily announced after that she wished to be heard by the judges.
Since May 2007, in addition to Mrs. Kabuye, two other people wanted by France, Mr. Samuel Kanyemera, known as Sam Kaka, a general and deputy of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and Mr. Jacob Tumwine, a businessman and reserve lieutenant colonel, requested of the judges, through Mr. Forster and his Belgian colleague Mr. Bernard Maingain, to be able to be heard in Rwanda without being investigated along with a certain number of witness testimonies. The judges refused because the French penal procedure does not authorize the lawyer of a person targeted by an arrest mandate to take note of the investigation case as long as this one has not been arrested.
In September, the two lawyers criticized an investigation led by the prosecution explaining that they awaited the transmission of the case before an assizes court to represent their clients and "to make sure that a complete investigation be carried out at that moment". This week, Forster indicated that his client wished to explain herself before French judges ensuring that she had nothing to do with this attack.
One of the lawyers of the families of French pilots said that the Rwandan authorities sacrificed the "fuse" Rose Kabuye in order to take note of the case to which it did not have access. All of it was probably very well orchestrated", deploring the end of the investigation was pushed back "sine die".
This arrest re-launches the investigation that the two French judges, Mr. Marc Trévidic and Mr. Philippe Coirre, were getting ready to end as they had recently announced to the civil parties.
LAWYERS WITHOUT BORDERS (FRANCE) LAUNCHES AN OBSERVATORY BODY.
Hirondelle News Agency
2 December 2008
Lawyers Without Borders (France) celebrated its tenth anniversary recently and resolved creation of an observatory body, which will protect lawyers defending human rights in the world.
The organization, financed by the European Union in order to identify threatened lawyers, to determine the ways and means to come to their assistance, to intervening if need be for their defence and to establish each year an annual report, explained to the Hirondelle Agency François Cantier, the president of the association.
This association based in Toulouse (South-Western France) already organized assistance missions in Rwanda, Burundi, Peru, Colombia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Libya, Syria, China and Cambodia.
Of several hundreds of registered members, approximately a hundred lawyers have taken part in the missions organized by LWOB. “The internationalization of justice, criminal in particular, must answer an internationalization of defence”, explained Cantier, a defence lawyer before the ICTR of Tharcisse Renzaho, former Governor of Kigali whose verdict is expected at the beginning of next year.
ASF-France was created in 1998, six years after the founding association LWOB Belgium. Ten other national associations exist elsewhere, notably in Mali where the two organizations cooperate for the creation of a legal aid system.
2 December 2008
Lawyers Without Borders (France) celebrated its tenth anniversary recently and resolved creation of an observatory body, which will protect lawyers defending human rights in the world.
The organization, financed by the European Union in order to identify threatened lawyers, to determine the ways and means to come to their assistance, to intervening if need be for their defence and to establish each year an annual report, explained to the Hirondelle Agency François Cantier, the president of the association.
This association based in Toulouse (South-Western France) already organized assistance missions in Rwanda, Burundi, Peru, Colombia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Libya, Syria, China and Cambodia.
Of several hundreds of registered members, approximately a hundred lawyers have taken part in the missions organized by LWOB. “The internationalization of justice, criminal in particular, must answer an internationalization of defence”, explained Cantier, a defence lawyer before the ICTR of Tharcisse Renzaho, former Governor of Kigali whose verdict is expected at the beginning of next year.
ASF-France was created in 1998, six years after the founding association LWOB Belgium. Ten other national associations exist elsewhere, notably in Mali where the two organizations cooperate for the creation of a legal aid system.
Tullow Makes Inroad Into Ghana's Deepwater Tano Well, Extends Jubilee Field
The Chronicle
8 January 2009
Ghana's oil find has received another facelift as TULLOW announced it has achieved successful drilling results from the Hyedua_2 appraisal well offshore. The success of this well has substantially increased the proven areal extent of the Jubilee field and is likely to lead to material upgrades of current resource estimates.
Hyedua_2, Deepwater Tano, offshore Ghana, the Hyedua_2 appraisal well, which is being drilled to appraise the Jubilee field offshore Ghana, has intersected a significant light oil column.
Results of drilling, wireline logs and samples of reservoir fluid indicate an extension of the Jubilee field some 4km northwest of the Mahogany-1 discovery well in the West Cape Three Points license and 5km north of the subsequent Hyedua_1 discovery well in the Deepwater Tano license.
Hyedua-2 is located in the Deepwater Tano block and is the second appraisal well on the Jubilee field. The well has encountered a gross reservoir interval of 120 meters containing approximately 55 meters of high quality oil bearing reservoir sandstones.
A drill stem test will now commence on Hyedua-2 to determine potential production rates and to collect further oil samples for analysis. Testing is expected to take approximately four weeks and the well will then be suspended for use as a potential development well.
The Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible drilled Hyedua_2 to a total depth of 3,663 meters in water depths of 1,246 meters. On completion of testing the rig will move to a new location to drill a Jubilee development well before performing a drill stem test on the Mahogany-1 discovery well.
The Eirik Raude semisubmersible is currently drilling the Mahogany-3 exploratory-appraisal well in the West Cape Three Points license, where Kosmos is the block operator.
This well is targeting an extension of the Jubilee field to the southeast and is being extended to intersect a deeper exploration prospect, Mahogany Deep. Mahogany-3 is expected to reach Total Depth in approximately four weeks. Once the well is complete, the partnership expects to provide an update to Jubilee's current estimated resource range of 500 million to 1.8 billion barrels.
Tullow (49.95%) operates the Deepwater Tano license. Other partners include US-Based Kosmos Energy (18%), US-based Anadarko Petroleum (18%), US-based Sabre Oil & Gas (4.05%) [all based in Texas-Editor] and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) (10% carried interest). Tullow is also the Unit Operator of the Jubilee field.
Commenting today, Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive said, "Encountering significant hydrocarbon columns outside of the proven area of the Jubilee field is an outstanding result. Our continued successes will likely lead to material upgrades of current resource estimates with the Hyedua_2 result underpinning the requirement for additional phases of development on the Jubilee field."
8 January 2009
Ghana's oil find has received another facelift as TULLOW announced it has achieved successful drilling results from the Hyedua_2 appraisal well offshore. The success of this well has substantially increased the proven areal extent of the Jubilee field and is likely to lead to material upgrades of current resource estimates.
Hyedua_2, Deepwater Tano, offshore Ghana, the Hyedua_2 appraisal well, which is being drilled to appraise the Jubilee field offshore Ghana, has intersected a significant light oil column.
Results of drilling, wireline logs and samples of reservoir fluid indicate an extension of the Jubilee field some 4km northwest of the Mahogany-1 discovery well in the West Cape Three Points license and 5km north of the subsequent Hyedua_1 discovery well in the Deepwater Tano license.
Hyedua-2 is located in the Deepwater Tano block and is the second appraisal well on the Jubilee field. The well has encountered a gross reservoir interval of 120 meters containing approximately 55 meters of high quality oil bearing reservoir sandstones.
A drill stem test will now commence on Hyedua-2 to determine potential production rates and to collect further oil samples for analysis. Testing is expected to take approximately four weeks and the well will then be suspended for use as a potential development well.
The Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible drilled Hyedua_2 to a total depth of 3,663 meters in water depths of 1,246 meters. On completion of testing the rig will move to a new location to drill a Jubilee development well before performing a drill stem test on the Mahogany-1 discovery well.
The Eirik Raude semisubmersible is currently drilling the Mahogany-3 exploratory-appraisal well in the West Cape Three Points license, where Kosmos is the block operator.
This well is targeting an extension of the Jubilee field to the southeast and is being extended to intersect a deeper exploration prospect, Mahogany Deep. Mahogany-3 is expected to reach Total Depth in approximately four weeks. Once the well is complete, the partnership expects to provide an update to Jubilee's current estimated resource range of 500 million to 1.8 billion barrels.
Tullow (49.95%) operates the Deepwater Tano license. Other partners include US-Based Kosmos Energy (18%), US-based Anadarko Petroleum (18%), US-based Sabre Oil & Gas (4.05%) [all based in Texas-Editor] and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) (10% carried interest). Tullow is also the Unit Operator of the Jubilee field.
Commenting today, Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive said, "Encountering significant hydrocarbon columns outside of the proven area of the Jubilee field is an outstanding result. Our continued successes will likely lead to material upgrades of current resource estimates with the Hyedua_2 result underpinning the requirement for additional phases of development on the Jubilee field."
Puntland Elects New President.
Shabelle News Network
8 January 2009
The semi-autonomous of Puntland's parliament elected Abdurahman Mohamed Farole as the new president puntland in northeast of Somalia.
Farole received 49 votes in the 66-member house after hard contest and replaces Mohamud Musa Hirsi (Adde), who was ousted in the first round of voting.
He becomes the third president of Puntland, a region which declared its autonomy in 1998.
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed who resigned as Somali president last month was the first president of Puntland regions.
Abdisamad Ali Shire was also elected as the vice president of Puntland receiving 43 votes in 66-member of parliament.
The coast of Puntland is a major hub for pirates who have turned the Gulf of Aden into the world's most dangerous waters, wreaking panic in the world's shipping industry.
Puntland's security apparatus was depleted by Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed war effort against the Islamists and has become largely lawless. Several foreign reporters and aid workers were kidnapped there in recent months.
8 January 2009
The semi-autonomous of Puntland's parliament elected Abdurahman Mohamed Farole as the new president puntland in northeast of Somalia.
Farole received 49 votes in the 66-member house after hard contest and replaces Mohamud Musa Hirsi (Adde), who was ousted in the first round of voting.
He becomes the third president of Puntland, a region which declared its autonomy in 1998.
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed who resigned as Somali president last month was the first president of Puntland regions.
Abdisamad Ali Shire was also elected as the vice president of Puntland receiving 43 votes in 66-member of parliament.
The coast of Puntland is a major hub for pirates who have turned the Gulf of Aden into the world's most dangerous waters, wreaking panic in the world's shipping industry.
Puntland's security apparatus was depleted by Yusuf's Ethiopia-backed war effort against the Islamists and has become largely lawless. Several foreign reporters and aid workers were kidnapped there in recent months.
Ethiopia Committed to Withdraw - Ethiopian Official
Shabelle Media Network
8 January 2008
Top Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu reaffirmed Thursday that Ethiopia is committed to withdraw its troops from Somalia and waiting an order from Ethiopian government.
Ethiopia announced last year plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia by December 5, but missed that deadline on Monday.
Col. "Automatic", an Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu, said Ethiopian troops are primed to leave in the coming days. He addressed hundreds of people participating a demonstration that took place in Daynile district north Mogadishu in favour for Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and his efforts to bring peace in the war-ravaged country.
The demonstrators were shouting slogans supporting the peace process and requested from Ethiopia to quicken its troop pull out from Somalia.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in 2006 to help Somali government to defeat the Islamic Courts Union that ruled much of south and central Somalia.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in the Ethiopian occupation.
8 January 2008
Top Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu reaffirmed Thursday that Ethiopia is committed to withdraw its troops from Somalia and waiting an order from Ethiopian government.
Ethiopia announced last year plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia by December 5, but missed that deadline on Monday.
Col. "Automatic", an Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu, said Ethiopian troops are primed to leave in the coming days. He addressed hundreds of people participating a demonstration that took place in Daynile district north Mogadishu in favour for Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and his efforts to bring peace in the war-ravaged country.
The demonstrators were shouting slogans supporting the peace process and requested from Ethiopia to quicken its troop pull out from Somalia.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in 2006 to help Somali government to defeat the Islamic Courts Union that ruled much of south and central Somalia.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in the Ethiopian occupation.
U.S. to lead anti-pirate patrols off Somalia.
AP
8 January 2009
The U.S. Navy says one of its commanders will lead a new international force to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia.
More than 20 nations are expected to take part in the mission once it is fully under way later this month. The announcement Thursday by U.S. Navy officials in Bahrain did not list the countries participating, but said the force will be headed by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Terence McKnight.
Merchant fleets have been calling for a stronger military response to pirates after a sharp escalation in attacks last year. At least 111 ships were attacked and more than 40 of them commandeered.
It is not clear whether the new anti-pirate force will have any expanded powers to battle pirates.
8 January 2009
The U.S. Navy says one of its commanders will lead a new international force to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia.
More than 20 nations are expected to take part in the mission once it is fully under way later this month. The announcement Thursday by U.S. Navy officials in Bahrain did not list the countries participating, but said the force will be headed by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Terence McKnight.
Merchant fleets have been calling for a stronger military response to pirates after a sharp escalation in attacks last year. At least 111 ships were attacked and more than 40 of them commandeered.
It is not clear whether the new anti-pirate force will have any expanded powers to battle pirates.
Puntland election commission issues official candidate list.
Garowe Online
6 January 2009
The election commission in Somalia's Puntland region has issued an official candidate list for politicians aspiring to hold the regional government's top two jobs, Radio Garowe reports.
A document issued by the Puntland election commission Tuesday evening stated that only the recognized candidates can compete for the positions of president and vice president on Thursday, when the 66-seat Puntland parliament votes.
There are nine candidates running for president: incumbent President Adde Muse, opposition leader Abdirahman Farole, Gen. Abdullahi Ilkajir, Omar Hashi Farja, Nuradin Adan Dirie, Adan Mohamed Gadale, Ali Abdi Awaare, and Nur Hassan Farah.
For the position of Puntland VP, there are six candidates: incumbent VP Hassan Dahir Afqura, TFG lawmaker Ali Bashi, Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire, Saleban Isse Ahmed, Prof. Muhiyaddin Ali Yusuf, and Mohamed Haji Adan.
All the presidential candidates paid a mandatory fee in the amount of US$5,000 to the election commission, while the VP candidates paid half that amount.
6 January 2009
The election commission in Somalia's Puntland region has issued an official candidate list for politicians aspiring to hold the regional government's top two jobs, Radio Garowe reports.
A document issued by the Puntland election commission Tuesday evening stated that only the recognized candidates can compete for the positions of president and vice president on Thursday, when the 66-seat Puntland parliament votes.
There are nine candidates running for president: incumbent President Adde Muse, opposition leader Abdirahman Farole, Gen. Abdullahi Ilkajir, Omar Hashi Farja, Nuradin Adan Dirie, Adan Mohamed Gadale, Ali Abdi Awaare, and Nur Hassan Farah.
For the position of Puntland VP, there are six candidates: incumbent VP Hassan Dahir Afqura, TFG lawmaker Ali Bashi, Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire, Saleban Isse Ahmed, Prof. Muhiyaddin Ali Yusuf, and Mohamed Haji Adan.
All the presidential candidates paid a mandatory fee in the amount of US$5,000 to the election commission, while the VP candidates paid half that amount.
07 January, 2009
Ethiopia passes a bill to restrict aid agencies.
Afrol News
6 January 2009
Ethiopian Parliament has today endorsed a bill imposing restrictions on humanitarian aid agencies working in the poverty and hunger stricken Horn of Africa state.
The bill which was approved by the House of Representatives after making some amendments, prohibits all aid agencies getting more than 10 percent of their funding abroad from addressing a number of areas, including human rights, conflict resolution, and children's rights.
A local news agency report said the draft proclamation clearly dictates the activities and duties of charities and civil society organisations while clearly mentioning the areas to which the organisations can legally engage in.
6 January 2009
Ethiopian Parliament has today endorsed a bill imposing restrictions on humanitarian aid agencies working in the poverty and hunger stricken Horn of Africa state.
The bill which was approved by the House of Representatives after making some amendments, prohibits all aid agencies getting more than 10 percent of their funding abroad from addressing a number of areas, including human rights, conflict resolution, and children's rights.
A local news agency report said the draft proclamation clearly dictates the activities and duties of charities and civil society organisations while clearly mentioning the areas to which the organisations can legally engage in.
Range's fortunes in Puntlanders' hands.
The Sidney Morning Herald
7 January 2009
IT IS typical for a rights issue prospectus to be accompanied by a long list of potential risk factors for investors to consider.
But those factors usually involve issues such as timing and future financing rather than "acts of piracy" and "a high risk the company would not be able to effectively and legally enforce any of its rights under its agreement".
Unless, of course, the company is Range Resources, an oil and gas explorer in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland.
Range is seeking to raise about $3 million through a rights issue of options to help cover ongoing exploration costs and working capital, amid the expectation its Canadian joint venture partner, Africa Oil, will drill two wells this year following delays last year.
The plans are not set in stone. Range does not plan to mail its prospectus to shareholders until January 20, as it is awaiting the outcome of Puntland's presidential election this weekend.
The company claimed it was "confident of the re-election of current President [Mohamud Musse] Hersi" who signed the initial agreement giving Range exclusive mineral and oil rights to Puntland in 2005.
The presidential race initially drew about 35 candidates, but the two main challengers to Mr Hersi's rule appear to be General Abdullahi Ahmed Ilkajir, and the opposition leader, Abdirahman Mohamed Farole. Mr Farole, a doctoral candidate in the history department at La Trobe University, returned to Puntland in November after two years in Melbourne. He has been an outspoken critic of Range's rights to Puntland's resources since the initial agreement was signed.
In contrast, Mr Hersi's government has in the past received funding from Range and provides the company with armed security guards when its executives visit the region, which is often a staging ground for offshore pirates and onshore kidnappings of Westerners. Range will require extra protection for a planned offshore seismic survey that has already been delayed. "We don't deal with any of the opposition leaders," said Range's executive director, Peter Landau. "From our perspective, Hersi getting back in is very important."
Also important is Africa Oil's ability to fund the joint venture's ongoing exploration efforts. Africa Oil is spending $US45.5 million ($64 million) on exploration of two onshore blocks to earn an 80 per cent interest in those areas. The Canadian company completed an onshore seismic program last year, but as of the end of September it had only $US2.25 million cash on hand and had received $C6 million ($7 million) in loans from its major shareholder, Sweden's Lundin family.
Mr Landau said he was confident the Lundins would continue to support Africa Oil, particularly since it recently received almost $C300 million from selling a major stake in Syrian oil producer Tanganyika Oil to China's Sinopec.
Reuters this week reported that Africa Oil had stopped exploration in Puntland and had not paid staff for three months. Mr Landau claimed the report was inaccurate and was instead a typical dispute with a contractor.
A representative of Africa Oil, based in Vancouver, did not respond to the Herald's request for comment.
7 January 2009
IT IS typical for a rights issue prospectus to be accompanied by a long list of potential risk factors for investors to consider.
But those factors usually involve issues such as timing and future financing rather than "acts of piracy" and "a high risk the company would not be able to effectively and legally enforce any of its rights under its agreement".
Unless, of course, the company is Range Resources, an oil and gas explorer in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland.
Range is seeking to raise about $3 million through a rights issue of options to help cover ongoing exploration costs and working capital, amid the expectation its Canadian joint venture partner, Africa Oil, will drill two wells this year following delays last year.
The plans are not set in stone. Range does not plan to mail its prospectus to shareholders until January 20, as it is awaiting the outcome of Puntland's presidential election this weekend.
The company claimed it was "confident of the re-election of current President [Mohamud Musse] Hersi" who signed the initial agreement giving Range exclusive mineral and oil rights to Puntland in 2005.
The presidential race initially drew about 35 candidates, but the two main challengers to Mr Hersi's rule appear to be General Abdullahi Ahmed Ilkajir, and the opposition leader, Abdirahman Mohamed Farole. Mr Farole, a doctoral candidate in the history department at La Trobe University, returned to Puntland in November after two years in Melbourne. He has been an outspoken critic of Range's rights to Puntland's resources since the initial agreement was signed.
In contrast, Mr Hersi's government has in the past received funding from Range and provides the company with armed security guards when its executives visit the region, which is often a staging ground for offshore pirates and onshore kidnappings of Westerners. Range will require extra protection for a planned offshore seismic survey that has already been delayed. "We don't deal with any of the opposition leaders," said Range's executive director, Peter Landau. "From our perspective, Hersi getting back in is very important."
Also important is Africa Oil's ability to fund the joint venture's ongoing exploration efforts. Africa Oil is spending $US45.5 million ($64 million) on exploration of two onshore blocks to earn an 80 per cent interest in those areas. The Canadian company completed an onshore seismic program last year, but as of the end of September it had only $US2.25 million cash on hand and had received $C6 million ($7 million) in loans from its major shareholder, Sweden's Lundin family.
Mr Landau said he was confident the Lundins would continue to support Africa Oil, particularly since it recently received almost $C300 million from selling a major stake in Syrian oil producer Tanganyika Oil to China's Sinopec.
Reuters this week reported that Africa Oil had stopped exploration in Puntland and had not paid staff for three months. Mr Landau claimed the report was inaccurate and was instead a typical dispute with a contractor.
A representative of Africa Oil, based in Vancouver, did not respond to the Herald's request for comment.
Bill Clinton to lobby for Kosovo separatists.
Serbianna
5 January 2009
Former Democratic US President Bill Clinton is set to lobby world leaders to have them recognize the Albanian separatist government of Kosovo as an independent state, reports Albanian separatist media in Kosovo.
Albanian separatist paper Koha Ditore says that Bill Clinton will be joined in the lobby effort by the Austrian Albert Rohan.
Mr. Rohan was an assistant to the Finnish diplomat Marti Ahtasaari who wrote a plan calling for a supervised independence of Serbia’s Kosovo province.
Mr. Clinton promised that he will lobby the largest Muslim country, Indonesia, to have them recognize Kosovo.
German diplomat, Wolfgang Ischinger, will also join the effort.
Mr. Clinton has promised that he will lobby other countries and has promised results.
A helper in the separatist government in Kosovo, Fljora Citaku, said that the separatists have made a list of countries that need to be lobbied for recognition.
She declined to name which politicians will be hired to lobby for their recognition. Mrs. Citaku did not specify whether Mr. Clinton or anyone else will be paid money and if so, how much.
5 January 2009
Former Democratic US President Bill Clinton is set to lobby world leaders to have them recognize the Albanian separatist government of Kosovo as an independent state, reports Albanian separatist media in Kosovo.
Albanian separatist paper Koha Ditore says that Bill Clinton will be joined in the lobby effort by the Austrian Albert Rohan.
Mr. Rohan was an assistant to the Finnish diplomat Marti Ahtasaari who wrote a plan calling for a supervised independence of Serbia’s Kosovo province.
Mr. Clinton promised that he will lobby the largest Muslim country, Indonesia, to have them recognize Kosovo.
German diplomat, Wolfgang Ischinger, will also join the effort.
Mr. Clinton has promised that he will lobby other countries and has promised results.
A helper in the separatist government in Kosovo, Fljora Citaku, said that the separatists have made a list of countries that need to be lobbied for recognition.
She declined to name which politicians will be hired to lobby for their recognition. Mrs. Citaku did not specify whether Mr. Clinton or anyone else will be paid money and if so, how much.
White House criticizes NYT columnist, suddenly orders airlift to Darfur.
Sudan Tribune
6 January 2008
Editor's Note: Read "between the lines" on this one and you will have a good primer on how part of the next chapter in the larger ongoing Sudan saga will be set up.
The US president George Bush issued an executive order today to airlift equipments needed by the African Union – United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The order signed by Bush stated that the “airlift of equipment for peacekeeping in Darfur without reimbursement from the United Nations is important to the security interests of the United States”.
Bush’s national security adviser Stephen Hadley said the move provides a waiver from the 15-day congressional notification requirements to allow for the airlift to proceed immediately.
“The airlift will deliver equipment and vehicles that are critical to the UNAMID deployment, and will thus help UNAMID directly protect civilian lives and improve the safe and effective delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid to areas of west Darfur currently inaccessible due to security concerns” Hadley said in statements published by the White House.
The US has in the past airlifted African Union peacekeepers into Darfur and recently offered to continue the process.
The White House said the airlift had been in the planning stages for months. But some human rights activists expressed puzzlement at the timing of the move, a little more than two weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama.
"It is certainly more than passing strange to have the national security adviser come out and say that this step is being taken and congressional notification is being waived because of the urgency of the situation in the last two weeks of the administration, when Darfur has been on fire for five years," said John Norris, executive director of the Enough Project.
A spokesman for the United States Africa Command, Vince Crawley, said a small number of American troops would provide protection aboard the two C-17 cargo planes the Pentagon is sending and would remain in Darfur only long enough to unload the aircraft.
Mr. Crawley said the planes would fly from the United States to Rwanda to pick up 75 tons of large vehicles and heavy equipment, belonging to Rwanda, to take to Darfur in the next two to three weeks. Separately, the State Department is to hire a contractor to transport 240 containers of other supplies, currently stuck at Port Sudan.
Hadley blasted New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who accused the Bush administration of refusing to take tougher measures against Khartoum.
“President George W. Bush and his top aides have been given, and ignored, a menu of options for tough steps to squeeze Sudan even destroy its air force,” Kristof claimed.
“Bush himself seemed open to tougher action, officials say, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley always resisted, backed by the Pentagon. Rice and Hadley tarnished their own honor and America’s by advocating, in effect, acquiescence in genocide,” he believes.
But Hadley claims that military action against Khartoum was reviewed but determined not to be a viable option.
“The decision not to pursue those options was driven by the pleas of the leading church, advocacy, and humanitarian organizations dedicated to Darfur, who argued that United States military action would imperil their ability to deliver the kinds of life saving assistance that continues to keep more than 3.5 million Darfuris alive each year,” the national security adviser said today.
Mr. Kristof responded by stating that he was "flattered" that he was mentioned by name in Mr. Hadley’s statement.
6 January 2008
Editor's Note: Read "between the lines" on this one and you will have a good primer on how part of the next chapter in the larger ongoing Sudan saga will be set up.
The US president George Bush issued an executive order today to airlift equipments needed by the African Union – United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The order signed by Bush stated that the “airlift of equipment for peacekeeping in Darfur without reimbursement from the United Nations is important to the security interests of the United States”.
Bush’s national security adviser Stephen Hadley said the move provides a waiver from the 15-day congressional notification requirements to allow for the airlift to proceed immediately.
“The airlift will deliver equipment and vehicles that are critical to the UNAMID deployment, and will thus help UNAMID directly protect civilian lives and improve the safe and effective delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid to areas of west Darfur currently inaccessible due to security concerns” Hadley said in statements published by the White House.
The US has in the past airlifted African Union peacekeepers into Darfur and recently offered to continue the process.
The White House said the airlift had been in the planning stages for months. But some human rights activists expressed puzzlement at the timing of the move, a little more than two weeks before the inauguration of Barack Obama.
"It is certainly more than passing strange to have the national security adviser come out and say that this step is being taken and congressional notification is being waived because of the urgency of the situation in the last two weeks of the administration, when Darfur has been on fire for five years," said John Norris, executive director of the Enough Project.
A spokesman for the United States Africa Command, Vince Crawley, said a small number of American troops would provide protection aboard the two C-17 cargo planes the Pentagon is sending and would remain in Darfur only long enough to unload the aircraft.
Mr. Crawley said the planes would fly from the United States to Rwanda to pick up 75 tons of large vehicles and heavy equipment, belonging to Rwanda, to take to Darfur in the next two to three weeks. Separately, the State Department is to hire a contractor to transport 240 containers of other supplies, currently stuck at Port Sudan.
Hadley blasted New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who accused the Bush administration of refusing to take tougher measures against Khartoum.
“President George W. Bush and his top aides have been given, and ignored, a menu of options for tough steps to squeeze Sudan even destroy its air force,” Kristof claimed.
“Bush himself seemed open to tougher action, officials say, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley always resisted, backed by the Pentagon. Rice and Hadley tarnished their own honor and America’s by advocating, in effect, acquiescence in genocide,” he believes.
But Hadley claims that military action against Khartoum was reviewed but determined not to be a viable option.
“The decision not to pursue those options was driven by the pleas of the leading church, advocacy, and humanitarian organizations dedicated to Darfur, who argued that United States military action would imperil their ability to deliver the kinds of life saving assistance that continues to keep more than 3.5 million Darfuris alive each year,” the national security adviser said today.
Mr. Kristof responded by stating that he was "flattered" that he was mentioned by name in Mr. Hadley’s statement.
U.S. firm to invest in agriculture in South Sudan.
Sudan Tribune
3 January 2008
A privately held U.S. investment firm entered into an agricultural investment with a company controlled by the son of a South Sudanese general.
Jarch Management Group, Ltd, which is registered in the Virgin Islands, is managed by commodities traders and former State Department and Central Intelligence Agency officials, among others.
The investment group announced that it has purchased a 70% interest, by way of sub-participation, in a company incorporated in Juba, the capital of the autonomous region of Southern Sudan. This company, Leac for Agriculture and Investment Company Limited, is controlled by Gabriel Matip, the eldest son of General Paulino Matip Nhial, deputy commander-in-chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
In addition, Jarch has leased a large tract of farmland in Mayom county of Unity State.
“Jarch has leased approximately 400,000 hectares gross of prime farmland from General Paulino Matip. In addition, Jarch will acquire more farm land within Southern Sudan,” said a statement issued by the investment group.
The statement also noted that Mayom county, where the farmland was leased, contains some mineral resources, for which contracts will be executed by the Government of Southern Sudan in early 2009.
A number of commanders of the SPLA are members of Jarch’s advisory board. These figures are drawn particularly from influential members of the former insurgency in Nuerland, including Paulino Matip and Peter Gadet. Notably, Vice-President Riek Machar and Major General Gulwak Deng were also invited to join the advisory board.
Through Gabriel Matip’s company, Jarch Capital will have the right to grow products including cereals, oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, and flowers and can process these raw commodities for both local and export use, given the approval of the southern government’s Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development.
While U.S. companies are banned from doing business in Sudan, which the U.S. considers a state sponsor of terrorism, agriculture in Southern Sudan is exempted from sanctions provided that the Khartoum-based national government does not have any stake in the business and provided that no imports or exports pass through non-exempt areas.
“Jarch will only deal in Southern Sudan and will not involve any entity from the Government of Sudan,” said the company statement.
The privately-held firm operates in Africa to extract natural resources. The company is chaired by Philippe Heilberg, who during the 1990s worked in the commodities division of American International Group, a giant American financial company that nearly collapsed in 2008.
“Jarch continues to see tremendous opportunities in South Sudan as it continues to emerge to realize its full potential,” noted the investment group, which will look for a partner to help it maximize the value of this opportunity.
3 January 2008
A privately held U.S. investment firm entered into an agricultural investment with a company controlled by the son of a South Sudanese general.
Jarch Management Group, Ltd, which is registered in the Virgin Islands, is managed by commodities traders and former State Department and Central Intelligence Agency officials, among others.
The investment group announced that it has purchased a 70% interest, by way of sub-participation, in a company incorporated in Juba, the capital of the autonomous region of Southern Sudan. This company, Leac for Agriculture and Investment Company Limited, is controlled by Gabriel Matip, the eldest son of General Paulino Matip Nhial, deputy commander-in-chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
In addition, Jarch has leased a large tract of farmland in Mayom county of Unity State.
“Jarch has leased approximately 400,000 hectares gross of prime farmland from General Paulino Matip. In addition, Jarch will acquire more farm land within Southern Sudan,” said a statement issued by the investment group.
The statement also noted that Mayom county, where the farmland was leased, contains some mineral resources, for which contracts will be executed by the Government of Southern Sudan in early 2009.
A number of commanders of the SPLA are members of Jarch’s advisory board. These figures are drawn particularly from influential members of the former insurgency in Nuerland, including Paulino Matip and Peter Gadet. Notably, Vice-President Riek Machar and Major General Gulwak Deng were also invited to join the advisory board.
Through Gabriel Matip’s company, Jarch Capital will have the right to grow products including cereals, oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, and flowers and can process these raw commodities for both local and export use, given the approval of the southern government’s Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development.
While U.S. companies are banned from doing business in Sudan, which the U.S. considers a state sponsor of terrorism, agriculture in Southern Sudan is exempted from sanctions provided that the Khartoum-based national government does not have any stake in the business and provided that no imports or exports pass through non-exempt areas.
“Jarch will only deal in Southern Sudan and will not involve any entity from the Government of Sudan,” said the company statement.
The privately-held firm operates in Africa to extract natural resources. The company is chaired by Philippe Heilberg, who during the 1990s worked in the commodities division of American International Group, a giant American financial company that nearly collapsed in 2008.
“Jarch continues to see tremendous opportunities in South Sudan as it continues to emerge to realize its full potential,” noted the investment group, which will look for a partner to help it maximize the value of this opportunity.
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