BBC Monitoring via Comtex
8/20/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=79508
Turkey and Syria signed a protocol Thursday regarding construction of a natural gas pipeline.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz and Syrian Oil Minister Sufyan Allaw signed the protocol in Damascus.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Yildiz said Arab natural gas was an important part of Turkey's energy policies.
Yildiz said an important step has been taken on Syria's gas supply thanks to the natural gas pipeline, underlining the importance of the protocol for the region.
Yildiz said they planned to conclude construction of the pipeline within 15 or 18 months, indicating that Egypt's natural gas could be shipped to Europe via Turkey after completion of the pipeline.
Syrian minister said Turkey and Syria have initiatives to explore oil jointly and noted that talks were under way to establish a joint company.
21 August, 2009
State Department Gives Green Light to Canada-U.S. Oil Pipeline.
The Washington Post
8/21/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=79526
The State Department has approved the construction of a multibillion-dollar pipeline from Canadian oil sands to refineries in the United States, prompting an outcry from environmental groups opposed to oil sands development.
Extraction of the oil in Alberta has drawn opposition because it scars vast tracts of land and uses large quantities of energy and water. The projects have contributed to a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions by Canada, which as a result will not meet its own climate change targets.
"By approving this pipeline, we are committing to another generation of dependence not only on fossil fuels but on the dirtiest, most greenhouse-gas-emitting fossil fuels," said Sarah Burt, an attorney for Earthjustice. "We thought that the Obama administration would walk the walk on this, but it appears that that's not happening."
But the State Department said Houston-based Enbridge's proposed pipeline -- which would extend about 326 miles from the Canadian border near Neche, N.D., to Superior, Wis. -- would promote trade with a friendly neighbor and reduce reliance on oil imports from other nations. Officials added that, within U.S. borders, the line would meet U.S. environmental standards.
"This will advance a number of strategic interests of the United States, including expanding available supplies of energy, also increasing trade with a stable and reliable ally such as Canada, a positive economic signal during a difficult economic period," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, who issued the permit Aug. 3, said that concerns about "higher-than-average levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil sands crude" would be "best addressed in the context of the overall set of domestic policies that Canada and the United States will take to address their respective greenhouse gas emissions."
The State Department has permitting authority under executive orders issued in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and in 2004 by President George W. Bush. The environmental group Earthjustice said it would file suit challenging the permit, arguing among other things that Congress has authority over interstate or international commerce.
Environmental groups also said U.S. refineries would have to deal with high levels of toxic chemicals such as mercury, nickel and lead in petroleum from the oil sands.
Michael Levi, author of a Council on Foreign Relations study of the Canadian oil sands, said the biggest environmental issues were in Canada and did not fall under State Department jurisdiction. "The Obama administration made clear that it's not going to go about its climate policy in a crude, blunt way," he sad. "It understands that it needs to work cooperatively in order to achieve its long-term goals."
8/21/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=79526
The State Department has approved the construction of a multibillion-dollar pipeline from Canadian oil sands to refineries in the United States, prompting an outcry from environmental groups opposed to oil sands development.
Extraction of the oil in Alberta has drawn opposition because it scars vast tracts of land and uses large quantities of energy and water. The projects have contributed to a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions by Canada, which as a result will not meet its own climate change targets.
"By approving this pipeline, we are committing to another generation of dependence not only on fossil fuels but on the dirtiest, most greenhouse-gas-emitting fossil fuels," said Sarah Burt, an attorney for Earthjustice. "We thought that the Obama administration would walk the walk on this, but it appears that that's not happening."
But the State Department said Houston-based Enbridge's proposed pipeline -- which would extend about 326 miles from the Canadian border near Neche, N.D., to Superior, Wis. -- would promote trade with a friendly neighbor and reduce reliance on oil imports from other nations. Officials added that, within U.S. borders, the line would meet U.S. environmental standards.
"This will advance a number of strategic interests of the United States, including expanding available supplies of energy, also increasing trade with a stable and reliable ally such as Canada, a positive economic signal during a difficult economic period," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, who issued the permit Aug. 3, said that concerns about "higher-than-average levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil sands crude" would be "best addressed in the context of the overall set of domestic policies that Canada and the United States will take to address their respective greenhouse gas emissions."
The State Department has permitting authority under executive orders issued in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and in 2004 by President George W. Bush. The environmental group Earthjustice said it would file suit challenging the permit, arguing among other things that Congress has authority over interstate or international commerce.
Environmental groups also said U.S. refineries would have to deal with high levels of toxic chemicals such as mercury, nickel and lead in petroleum from the oil sands.
Michael Levi, author of a Council on Foreign Relations study of the Canadian oil sands, said the biggest environmental issues were in Canada and did not fall under State Department jurisdiction. "The Obama administration made clear that it's not going to go about its climate policy in a crude, blunt way," he sad. "It understands that it needs to work cooperatively in order to achieve its long-term goals."
U.S. Marine Corps delegation in Georgia to discuss military ties.
RIA Novosti
21 August 2009
A delegation of the United States Marine Corps arrived in Georgia on Friday to discuss military cooperation between the countries, Georgia's Defense Ministry said.
The delegation, led by General James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, met with Georgian Defense Minister Vasil Sikharulidze, former defense chief Davit Kezerashvili, who oversees military ties with the U.S., and other officials.
"The main focus of discussions was on present and future cooperation. The sides also discussed the security environment surrounding Georgia, and priorities for the ministry, and reform issues," the ministry said in a statement.
U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft and Defense Attache in Tbilisi Matthew Brand also took part in the meeting.
The U.S. delegation will later meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, and National Security Council chief Eka Tkeshelashvili.
A team of U.S. marine instructors earlier arrived in Georgia to train a battalion for service as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan. A team of 60-70 marines will be in the country for six months to help train a 750-strong battalion.
Military support provided by the U.S. to Georgia, and the Caucasus country's drive to join NATO, are a major point of contention in both countries' relations with Russia.
Moscow has accused Washington of promoting Tbilisi's aggression against the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August. Russia repelled the attack, fighting a five-day war with Georgia.
The United States helped train Georgian troops for a mission in Iraq before last August's armed conflict.
21 August 2009
A delegation of the United States Marine Corps arrived in Georgia on Friday to discuss military cooperation between the countries, Georgia's Defense Ministry said.
The delegation, led by General James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, met with Georgian Defense Minister Vasil Sikharulidze, former defense chief Davit Kezerashvili, who oversees military ties with the U.S., and other officials.
"The main focus of discussions was on present and future cooperation. The sides also discussed the security environment surrounding Georgia, and priorities for the ministry, and reform issues," the ministry said in a statement.
U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft and Defense Attache in Tbilisi Matthew Brand also took part in the meeting.
The U.S. delegation will later meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, and National Security Council chief Eka Tkeshelashvili.
A team of U.S. marine instructors earlier arrived in Georgia to train a battalion for service as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan. A team of 60-70 marines will be in the country for six months to help train a 750-strong battalion.
Military support provided by the U.S. to Georgia, and the Caucasus country's drive to join NATO, are a major point of contention in both countries' relations with Russia.
Moscow has accused Washington of promoting Tbilisi's aggression against the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August. Russia repelled the attack, fighting a five-day war with Georgia.
The United States helped train Georgian troops for a mission in Iraq before last August's armed conflict.
Opposition parties rally in Somaliland, Ethiopia official visits.
Garowe Online
20 August 2009
Opposition parties in Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland held rallies Thursday, a day after a visiting Ethiopian government delegation arrived, Radio Garowe reports.
Somaliland President Dahir Riyale met with Dr. Tekede Elemu, Ethiopia's state minister for foreign affairs, at the presidential compound in Hargeisa.
Ethiopian officials in Hargeisa
According to a press release from the president's office, discussions among the officials included continuing cooperation in security and trade matters.
"The two parties [also] discussed political matters, especially the presidential election [in Somaliland]," read the press release, issued by President Riyale's office.
Dr. Elemu arrived yesterday from Addis Ababa for a three-day visit to Hargeisa for talks with Somaliland officials. He was welcomed at Egal International Airport by Somaliland's foreign minister, Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Du'ale.
Opposition rallies
In Hargeisa, on Thursday, hundreds of opposition supporters took to the streets to demonstrate against President Riyale's government ahead of the presidential election.
The opposition parties, Kulmiye and UCID, jointly organized the protest in Hargeisa, as hundreds of protestors walked the streets and attempted to gather at Liberty Garden.
Hargeisa protest
But Somaliland security forces had cordoned off Liberty Guard from the protestors. Even more soldiers guarded the street in front of the president's office.
Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe, chairman of UCID party and a presidential candidate, expressed frustration with the Somaliland government's decision to block off Liberty Garden. He stood among the protestors speaking on a bullhorn, as soldiers nearby watched.
Kulmiye party's deputy chairman, Muse Bihi, said the demonstrations shows the public's feeling towards the presidential election and "the need for change."
Somaliland's election crisis started in mid-2008 when President Riyale's administration received a one-year term extension, which opposition parties said was unconstitutional.
The subsequent dispute was resolved, but Riyale received another controversial six-month extension earlier this year, angering opposition parties and triggering protests in Hargeisa.
President Riyale has vowed to hold the presidential election on time on September 27, despite the opposition's demands that the voter-registration data be used in the election.
The government has rejected the opposition's demands, arguing that the voter data is flawed.
Somaliland is located in northwest Somalia. The region unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the Horn of Africa country in 1991, but has not been recognized internationally.
20 August 2009
Opposition parties in Somalia's breakaway republic of Somaliland held rallies Thursday, a day after a visiting Ethiopian government delegation arrived, Radio Garowe reports.
Somaliland President Dahir Riyale met with Dr. Tekede Elemu, Ethiopia's state minister for foreign affairs, at the presidential compound in Hargeisa.
Ethiopian officials in Hargeisa
According to a press release from the president's office, discussions among the officials included continuing cooperation in security and trade matters.
"The two parties [also] discussed political matters, especially the presidential election [in Somaliland]," read the press release, issued by President Riyale's office.
Dr. Elemu arrived yesterday from Addis Ababa for a three-day visit to Hargeisa for talks with Somaliland officials. He was welcomed at Egal International Airport by Somaliland's foreign minister, Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Du'ale.
Opposition rallies
In Hargeisa, on Thursday, hundreds of opposition supporters took to the streets to demonstrate against President Riyale's government ahead of the presidential election.
The opposition parties, Kulmiye and UCID, jointly organized the protest in Hargeisa, as hundreds of protestors walked the streets and attempted to gather at Liberty Garden.
Hargeisa protest
But Somaliland security forces had cordoned off Liberty Guard from the protestors. Even more soldiers guarded the street in front of the president's office.
Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe, chairman of UCID party and a presidential candidate, expressed frustration with the Somaliland government's decision to block off Liberty Garden. He stood among the protestors speaking on a bullhorn, as soldiers nearby watched.
Kulmiye party's deputy chairman, Muse Bihi, said the demonstrations shows the public's feeling towards the presidential election and "the need for change."
Somaliland's election crisis started in mid-2008 when President Riyale's administration received a one-year term extension, which opposition parties said was unconstitutional.
The subsequent dispute was resolved, but Riyale received another controversial six-month extension earlier this year, angering opposition parties and triggering protests in Hargeisa.
President Riyale has vowed to hold the presidential election on time on September 27, despite the opposition's demands that the voter-registration data be used in the election.
The government has rejected the opposition's demands, arguing that the voter data is flawed.
Somaliland is located in northwest Somalia. The region unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the Horn of Africa country in 1991, but has not been recognized internationally.
Gazprom Approached DRC on Methane Gas Project.
Dow Jones Newswires
20 August 2009
By Benoit Faucon
Gazprom approached Congo-Kinshasa earlier this year to study and extract hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Lake Kivu area, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The African country wants to turn the methane gas found at the bottom of the Lake Kivu into electric power as it tries to rebuild its economy following years of warfare.
The region's Lake Kivu contains 65 billion cubic meters of methane gas, enough to power the U.S. for a month, the U.N. Environment Program said in a 2006 report.
The person said Gazprom proposed to exploit the whole Lake Kivu area - an offer that was declined.
However, the person added the government will now divide the area in blocks to be awarded. He said Gazprom had not ruled out any future interest for Congo and it was now expected to show interest for the licenses.
If Gazprom decides to follow up with its Congo approach, it will be its latest foray into volatile parts of Africa, after pledging an investment of $2.5 billion in Nigeria.
A Gazprom spokesman declined to comment.
20 August 2009
By Benoit Faucon
Gazprom approached Congo-Kinshasa earlier this year to study and extract hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Lake Kivu area, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The African country wants to turn the methane gas found at the bottom of the Lake Kivu into electric power as it tries to rebuild its economy following years of warfare.
The region's Lake Kivu contains 65 billion cubic meters of methane gas, enough to power the U.S. for a month, the U.N. Environment Program said in a 2006 report.
The person said Gazprom proposed to exploit the whole Lake Kivu area - an offer that was declined.
However, the person added the government will now divide the area in blocks to be awarded. He said Gazprom had not ruled out any future interest for Congo and it was now expected to show interest for the licenses.
If Gazprom decides to follow up with its Congo approach, it will be its latest foray into volatile parts of Africa, after pledging an investment of $2.5 billion in Nigeria.
A Gazprom spokesman declined to comment.
20 August, 2009
Norway to Support Ugandan Oil Sector.
Daily Monitor
20 August 2009
By Grace Natabaalo
The Norwegian government has boosted Uganda’s energy sector with a grant to shore up the management of the young and promising oil and gas sector.
The grant worth shs78 billion (239 Million Kroner) which will also be used to support various efforts to fight poverty among other areas.
According to a statement from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Keith Muhakanizi, the grant will also enhance the forest and meat export sectors and also cover rural electrification.
The statement says that shs22 billion will be used to strengthen the government’s program to fight poverty while shs 27 billion will go to the oil and gas sector to ensure well coordinated and results oriented resource management and improve areas of revenue.
At least shs23 billion will help the National Forestry Authority to restores forest plantations and degraded forest reserves especially in Northern Uganda.
Also, shs6 billion will be used to support the Uganda Meat Export Development Program aimed at developing an export-oriented meat industry in Uganda.
“The program is expected to establish disease control zones, enhance livestock production, develop animal health and meat hygiene services and also establish the Uganda Meat Export Company that will ensure sustainability of the program,” Mr Muhakanizi said.
An undisclosed amount will be used to finance the feasibility study of the establishment of six Rural Electrification Projects aimed at increasing access to energy by the rural people especially in Northern Uganda.
20 August 2009
By Grace Natabaalo
The Norwegian government has boosted Uganda’s energy sector with a grant to shore up the management of the young and promising oil and gas sector.
The grant worth shs78 billion (239 Million Kroner) which will also be used to support various efforts to fight poverty among other areas.
According to a statement from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Keith Muhakanizi, the grant will also enhance the forest and meat export sectors and also cover rural electrification.
The statement says that shs22 billion will be used to strengthen the government’s program to fight poverty while shs 27 billion will go to the oil and gas sector to ensure well coordinated and results oriented resource management and improve areas of revenue.
At least shs23 billion will help the National Forestry Authority to restores forest plantations and degraded forest reserves especially in Northern Uganda.
Also, shs6 billion will be used to support the Uganda Meat Export Development Program aimed at developing an export-oriented meat industry in Uganda.
“The program is expected to establish disease control zones, enhance livestock production, develop animal health and meat hygiene services and also establish the Uganda Meat Export Company that will ensure sustainability of the program,” Mr Muhakanizi said.
An undisclosed amount will be used to finance the feasibility study of the establishment of six Rural Electrification Projects aimed at increasing access to energy by the rural people especially in Northern Uganda.
'Puntland to become home to Somalia navy'.
Garowe Online
20 August 2009
Officials from Somalia's UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Government of Puntland State in northeastern Somalia have agreed on a number of key issues, Radio Garowe reports.
On Wednesday, three joint committees were established to advance closer cooperation between the two entities.
Inside reports say the new law and security committee has already reached a number of decisions regarding the anti-piracy campaign and the federal constitution, according to our sources.
Puntland was recognized as being home to most of Somalia's pirates and the TFG officials have agreed to make Puntland home to the country's new naval force, whose main tasks including combating piracy and illegal fishing.
New recruits for the Somali navy will receive training inside Puntland regions under a security arrangement between the TFG and Puntland.
Secondly, the capital of Puntland, Garowe, will become the headquarters of the constitutional committee composed of TFG and Puntland representatives, with Puntland "acting on behalf of all federal states in Somalia," the sources added.
The constitutional committee's working expenses will be paid for by the Puntland government, on conditions that the 2004 Federal Charter be used as the basis of the final federal constitution and that work on the new constitution be started immediately.
Further, Puntland's government has the legal authority to sign agreements with international donors and foreign companies, "until other Somali federal states like Puntland are established."
Finally, Somalia's new passport, which was introduced during ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf's term, will be changed from the "Republic of Somalia" insignia on the frontpage to the "Federal Republic of Somalia."
Puntland's leaders have vowed to uphold federalism as the only political settlement for Somalia. Currently, the war-torn Horn of Africa country does not have a naval force and its long coastline is hunting ground for local pirates.
20 August 2009
Officials from Somalia's UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Government of Puntland State in northeastern Somalia have agreed on a number of key issues, Radio Garowe reports.
On Wednesday, three joint committees were established to advance closer cooperation between the two entities.
Inside reports say the new law and security committee has already reached a number of decisions regarding the anti-piracy campaign and the federal constitution, according to our sources.
Puntland was recognized as being home to most of Somalia's pirates and the TFG officials have agreed to make Puntland home to the country's new naval force, whose main tasks including combating piracy and illegal fishing.
New recruits for the Somali navy will receive training inside Puntland regions under a security arrangement between the TFG and Puntland.
Secondly, the capital of Puntland, Garowe, will become the headquarters of the constitutional committee composed of TFG and Puntland representatives, with Puntland "acting on behalf of all federal states in Somalia," the sources added.
The constitutional committee's working expenses will be paid for by the Puntland government, on conditions that the 2004 Federal Charter be used as the basis of the final federal constitution and that work on the new constitution be started immediately.
Further, Puntland's government has the legal authority to sign agreements with international donors and foreign companies, "until other Somali federal states like Puntland are established."
Finally, Somalia's new passport, which was introduced during ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf's term, will be changed from the "Republic of Somalia" insignia on the frontpage to the "Federal Republic of Somalia."
Puntland's leaders have vowed to uphold federalism as the only political settlement for Somalia. Currently, the war-torn Horn of Africa country does not have a naval force and its long coastline is hunting ground for local pirates.
Federal govt and Puntland to form joint committees.
Garowe Online
19 August 2009
Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Government of Puntland State have agreed to form joint committees to advance cooperation on many levels, Radio Garowe reports.
The federal government delegation, led by Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, is in the Puntland city of Galkayo for talks with the State's president, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," and other government officials.
Three committees will appointed, according to government sources, who identified them as: a political committee, an economic cooperation and social affairs committee, and finally, a law and security committee.
The two-way talks, being held at Galkayo's Taar City Hotel, are the first between the Puntland Government and the TFG, ever since Sheikh Sharif Ahmed became Somalia's interim president after the conclusion of the Djibouti peace talks last January.
Meanwhile, security is tight in Galkayo, an important trade town that links Puntland with the central regions of Somalia, where insurgents have been fighting to topple the TFG since early 2007.
Puntland is located in northeastern Somalia and has a functioning government, which is the first state in Somalia to adopt federalism, the founding principle of the UN-recognized TFG in Mogadishu.
19 August 2009
Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Government of Puntland State have agreed to form joint committees to advance cooperation on many levels, Radio Garowe reports.
The federal government delegation, led by Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, is in the Puntland city of Galkayo for talks with the State's president, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," and other government officials.
Three committees will appointed, according to government sources, who identified them as: a political committee, an economic cooperation and social affairs committee, and finally, a law and security committee.
The two-way talks, being held at Galkayo's Taar City Hotel, are the first between the Puntland Government and the TFG, ever since Sheikh Sharif Ahmed became Somalia's interim president after the conclusion of the Djibouti peace talks last January.
Meanwhile, security is tight in Galkayo, an important trade town that links Puntland with the central regions of Somalia, where insurgents have been fighting to topple the TFG since early 2007.
Puntland is located in northeastern Somalia and has a functioning government, which is the first state in Somalia to adopt federalism, the founding principle of the UN-recognized TFG in Mogadishu.
Islamists Say Forces Captured Parts of Gedo Region Are Supported By Ethiopia.
Shabelle News Network
19 August 2009
The Islamic administration of Kismayu town said on Wednesday that forces captured parts of Gedo region are militias supported by the Ethiopian government, officials said on Wednesday.
Sheik Hassan Ya'qub Ali, head of the information of the Islamic administration in Kismayu town said that the forces captured Balad Hawo town in Gedo region and also the others making military movement in parts of Bakol region and also those who are fighting against the Islamist forces in central Somalia are militias trained and backed by Ethiopia adding that it only wants to fight against the Islamist fighters to take over the control of southern Somalia.
Sheik Hassan said that those forces are not the ones of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics adding that they are armed militias serving for the Ethiopian government.
The statement of the Islamic administration spokesman of Kismayu town comes as the spokesman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama,a fighters Sheik Abdullahu Sheik Abdirahman Abu Qadi said before a day that they would liberate what he called people who are bathering Somalis from parts of the country.
19 August 2009
The Islamic administration of Kismayu town said on Wednesday that forces captured parts of Gedo region are militias supported by the Ethiopian government, officials said on Wednesday.
Sheik Hassan Ya'qub Ali, head of the information of the Islamic administration in Kismayu town said that the forces captured Balad Hawo town in Gedo region and also the others making military movement in parts of Bakol region and also those who are fighting against the Islamist forces in central Somalia are militias trained and backed by Ethiopia adding that it only wants to fight against the Islamist fighters to take over the control of southern Somalia.
Sheik Hassan said that those forces are not the ones of Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics adding that they are armed militias serving for the Ethiopian government.
The statement of the Islamic administration spokesman of Kismayu town comes as the spokesman of Ahlu Sunna Waljama,a fighters Sheik Abdullahu Sheik Abdirahman Abu Qadi said before a day that they would liberate what he called people who are bathering Somalis from parts of the country.
Ugandan Army to Forcibly Displace Villages in Oil-Rich Hoima District.
The New Vision
18 August 2009
By Pascal Kwesiga and Hebry Mukasa
Kampala — Over 4,000 residents in seven villages of Kyangwali sub-county in Hoima District face eviction. The land will be used to establish an army base for the protection of the oil reserves in the region.
The residents, led by their local leaders and the MP for Buhaguzi, Tomson Abwooli Kyahurwenda, have vowed to resist the eviction saying the land was inhabited by their ancestors.
The land in question measures about 15 square miles and covers the villages of Katikara 1, Katikara 2, Kituti Kasonga, Kabenena, Ngurwe and Ngoma.
Kyahurwenda has written to the defence minister, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, protesting the army's 'illegal' demarcation of the disputed land.
He said officials from the prime minister's office had demarcated the land.
Kyahurwenda said the officers led by a man only identified as Bataali, had marked the land.
"I seek your urgent intervention. Change your decision to grab the land whose owners have had it customarily since time immemorial," the letter, also copied to the Prime Minister said.
The MP explained that the people the army wants to evict helped the Government in 1967 to establish a refugee camp measuring approximately 145 square kilometres.
In 1998, due to encroachment, the land was surveyed, marked and reduced to 98 square kilometers.
"The demarcations of the 98 square kilometers are known and there is no dispute. Over 79 homesteads were here in 1967 but have multiplied to nearly 240 homesteads now. Other people from various tribes have also settled on the land," Kyahurwenda wrote.
He also said he would petition the Speaker of Parliament and might consider going to court.
He invited Kigongo to visit the affected area and address the concerns of the residents.
He said the Government must respect their entitlements just as the residents respected the boundaries of the refugee settlement.
Army spokersperson Maj. Felix Kulayigye, however, said what the army was allocated was part of Government land, adding that Kyangwali like other refugees camps of Acholi Pii, Kyaka I, Kyaka II and Nakivale sits on Government land.
"When Rwandese refugees left in 1994, many people encroached on the refugee camp land thinking that Government will never come back to reclaim it," Kulayigye argued.
The residents have also petitioned President Yoweri Museveni to halt the project and first discuss with the rightful owners.
The Kitakara LC I chairman, Mugenyi Tibamwenda, said army officers had planted mark-stones claiming they had acquired the land.
He said residents had abandoned agriculture because of fear that they would be evicted from their land soon.
Tom Muhe Bigabwenkya, a sub-county councillor warned of serious consequences for the National Resistance Movement during the 2011 general elections.
The mid-western regional Police commander, Marcellino Wanitto, has promised to take up the matter to ensure that it is resolved amicably.
18 August 2009
By Pascal Kwesiga and Hebry Mukasa
Kampala — Over 4,000 residents in seven villages of Kyangwali sub-county in Hoima District face eviction. The land will be used to establish an army base for the protection of the oil reserves in the region.
The residents, led by their local leaders and the MP for Buhaguzi, Tomson Abwooli Kyahurwenda, have vowed to resist the eviction saying the land was inhabited by their ancestors.
The land in question measures about 15 square miles and covers the villages of Katikara 1, Katikara 2, Kituti Kasonga, Kabenena, Ngurwe and Ngoma.
Kyahurwenda has written to the defence minister, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, protesting the army's 'illegal' demarcation of the disputed land.
He said officials from the prime minister's office had demarcated the land.
Kyahurwenda said the officers led by a man only identified as Bataali, had marked the land.
"I seek your urgent intervention. Change your decision to grab the land whose owners have had it customarily since time immemorial," the letter, also copied to the Prime Minister said.
The MP explained that the people the army wants to evict helped the Government in 1967 to establish a refugee camp measuring approximately 145 square kilometres.
In 1998, due to encroachment, the land was surveyed, marked and reduced to 98 square kilometers.
"The demarcations of the 98 square kilometers are known and there is no dispute. Over 79 homesteads were here in 1967 but have multiplied to nearly 240 homesteads now. Other people from various tribes have also settled on the land," Kyahurwenda wrote.
He also said he would petition the Speaker of Parliament and might consider going to court.
He invited Kigongo to visit the affected area and address the concerns of the residents.
He said the Government must respect their entitlements just as the residents respected the boundaries of the refugee settlement.
Army spokersperson Maj. Felix Kulayigye, however, said what the army was allocated was part of Government land, adding that Kyangwali like other refugees camps of Acholi Pii, Kyaka I, Kyaka II and Nakivale sits on Government land.
"When Rwandese refugees left in 1994, many people encroached on the refugee camp land thinking that Government will never come back to reclaim it," Kulayigye argued.
The residents have also petitioned President Yoweri Museveni to halt the project and first discuss with the rightful owners.
The Kitakara LC I chairman, Mugenyi Tibamwenda, said army officers had planted mark-stones claiming they had acquired the land.
He said residents had abandoned agriculture because of fear that they would be evicted from their land soon.
Tom Muhe Bigabwenkya, a sub-county councillor warned of serious consequences for the National Resistance Movement during the 2011 general elections.
The mid-western regional Police commander, Marcellino Wanitto, has promised to take up the matter to ensure that it is resolved amicably.
The 'genocide' in Darfur isn't what it seems.
By Marc Gustafson
August 19, 2009
Christian Science Monitor
Opinion
The "Save Darfur" movement is one of the largest American activist movements in recent history.
It emerged in the summer of 2004 in reaction to an issue that had little impact on the lives of average Americans: a year-old civil war in Darfur. Horrific stories of rape, murder, and genocide began to appear in US newspapers and define Darfur. Millions were moved by these accounts and organized a movement to stop the violence.
In the next five years, however, the war in Darfur became one of the most misunderstood conflicts in recent history.
That's because the activist campaigns mischaracterized and sensationalized it in order to grow the movement. Such distortion helped the PR effort, but it arguably hurt the very people who needed help.
Activists inflated casualty rates, often claiming that hundreds of thousands of Darfurians have been "killed." What they tended to leave out was that the majority of the casualties occurred as a result of disease and malnutrition ( stemming from war).
Differentiating between those may seem insignificant in the shadow of the horrific acts of war crimes in Darfur, but ignoring these categorizations has led many activists to put pressure on the US government to fund violence-prevention plans and international peacekeeping troops, often in lieu of providing humanitarian aid and funds for peacemaking.
The Save Darfur Coalition has been particularly effective in using its scores of followers to pressure policymakers. They have hired lobbyists in Washington to draft legislation and pressure politicians to focus their efforts on violence prevention and UN troop deployment.
Before these lobbyists were hired, the US had sent a total of $1.01 billion dollars to Darfur. Of this, $839 million (83 percent) was allocated to refugee camps and humanitarian assistance, while $175 million (17 percent) was directed to fund peacekeeping activities. These numbers show that Washington was initially more focused on providing humanitarian aid than peacekeeping.
From 2006 until 2008, when the Save Darfur Coalition and many other groups began to pressure the government, the allocation of US funds shifted dramatically from humanitarian aid to peacekeeping, presumably due to the influence of the lobbyists and public pressure campaigns.
Of the $2.01 billion that was spent, $1.03 billion (51.3 percent) was spent on humanitarian aid, while $980 million (48.7 percent) was spent on funding peacekeeping missions, a significant shift toward peacekeeping.
In the end, these proportional changes were problematic because, as many casualty surveys show, the number of people who were "killed" in Darfur declined significantly after the April 8 cease-fire of 2004, while the rate of those who were dying of disease and malnutrition remained high.
Had the Darfur activists not advocated for a reallocation of funds, more lives would probably have been saved.
Many activists have also mischaracterized the nature of the violence in Darfur, intimating that the government of Sudan and rogue Arab tribes have been responsible for most, if not all, of the bloodshed. "Save Darfur" advertisements, newsletters, and websites frequently use the term "ongoing genocide" to describe the conflict.
The term "genocide" was originally used to provide a sense of gravity so that international governments and institutions would respond more rapidly to the conflict.
Despite the good intentions of activists, the popularity of the word "genocide" posed many unanticipated problems and it distorted the balance of culpability and innocence.
Using the term "genocide" implies that there is a unidirectional crime taking place. To be clear, horrible crimes have been committed, but the perpetrators aren't as clear-cut as the term would make it seem.
The government of Sudan has killed many people and is responsible for war crimes in Darfur, but the rebel insurgents bear some responsibility, too. When the United Nations conducted its International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, it found that many of the rebel groups engaged in "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law."
By using the word "genocide," and attaching the term to only one side of the conflict, the opposite side is easily ignored.
In Darfur, the use of the term "genocide" has allowed the rebel groups to slip under the radar and commit crimes against humanity without the rest of the world taking notice. Had "genocide" not been the focus, activist campaigns might have challenged the rebel groups and checked their criminal acts.
For example, Eritrea, Chad, and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement were the principal funders of the rebel groups in Darfur. They were and are also allies and aid recipients of the US government, which means they could have easily been pressured to cut their lifelines to the rebel groups.
Today, the situation in Darfur continues to be mischaracterized. Most of the ongoing violence can be attributed to banditry, lawlessness, and fighting between rebel groups. According to the latest United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) report, 16 fatalities were recorded for the month of June and none of them was linked to the conflict between Sudanese forces and the rebel groups.
The conflict in Darfur has not met the 1,000 casualties per year threshold that most political scientists consider necessary for a conflict to be categorized as a "civil war" since last year.
Despite these changes, many continue to argue that the government of Sudan is waging a large-scale assault on Darfur. The terms "ongoing genocide" and "war in Darfur" are still used frequently in activist literature and advertisements, which has left the American people believing that not much has changed in Darfur.
President Obama himself has recently used the word "genocide" to refer to the current situation. Similarly, the State Department and the US ambassador to the UN distanced themselves from the US presidential envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who dared to suggest that the genocide in Darfur was over.
If they wish to help ameliorate the conflict, officials in Washington and activists alike must recognize that there have been big changes in the scale and nature of the violence in Darfur.
Instead of focusing on military intervention or the punishment of only one participant in the conflict (the Sudanese government), efforts should be directed toward funding the peacemaking process and the safe return of more than 2 million displaced refugees.
Marc Gustafson is a Marshall Scholar and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. He is currently writing his dissertation on political trends in Sudan.
August 19, 2009
Christian Science Monitor
Opinion
The "Save Darfur" movement is one of the largest American activist movements in recent history.
It emerged in the summer of 2004 in reaction to an issue that had little impact on the lives of average Americans: a year-old civil war in Darfur. Horrific stories of rape, murder, and genocide began to appear in US newspapers and define Darfur. Millions were moved by these accounts and organized a movement to stop the violence.
In the next five years, however, the war in Darfur became one of the most misunderstood conflicts in recent history.
That's because the activist campaigns mischaracterized and sensationalized it in order to grow the movement. Such distortion helped the PR effort, but it arguably hurt the very people who needed help.
Activists inflated casualty rates, often claiming that hundreds of thousands of Darfurians have been "killed." What they tended to leave out was that the majority of the casualties occurred as a result of disease and malnutrition ( stemming from war).
Differentiating between those may seem insignificant in the shadow of the horrific acts of war crimes in Darfur, but ignoring these categorizations has led many activists to put pressure on the US government to fund violence-prevention plans and international peacekeeping troops, often in lieu of providing humanitarian aid and funds for peacemaking.
The Save Darfur Coalition has been particularly effective in using its scores of followers to pressure policymakers. They have hired lobbyists in Washington to draft legislation and pressure politicians to focus their efforts on violence prevention and UN troop deployment.
Before these lobbyists were hired, the US had sent a total of $1.01 billion dollars to Darfur. Of this, $839 million (83 percent) was allocated to refugee camps and humanitarian assistance, while $175 million (17 percent) was directed to fund peacekeeping activities. These numbers show that Washington was initially more focused on providing humanitarian aid than peacekeeping.
From 2006 until 2008, when the Save Darfur Coalition and many other groups began to pressure the government, the allocation of US funds shifted dramatically from humanitarian aid to peacekeeping, presumably due to the influence of the lobbyists and public pressure campaigns.
Of the $2.01 billion that was spent, $1.03 billion (51.3 percent) was spent on humanitarian aid, while $980 million (48.7 percent) was spent on funding peacekeeping missions, a significant shift toward peacekeeping.
In the end, these proportional changes were problematic because, as many casualty surveys show, the number of people who were "killed" in Darfur declined significantly after the April 8 cease-fire of 2004, while the rate of those who were dying of disease and malnutrition remained high.
Had the Darfur activists not advocated for a reallocation of funds, more lives would probably have been saved.
Many activists have also mischaracterized the nature of the violence in Darfur, intimating that the government of Sudan and rogue Arab tribes have been responsible for most, if not all, of the bloodshed. "Save Darfur" advertisements, newsletters, and websites frequently use the term "ongoing genocide" to describe the conflict.
The term "genocide" was originally used to provide a sense of gravity so that international governments and institutions would respond more rapidly to the conflict.
Despite the good intentions of activists, the popularity of the word "genocide" posed many unanticipated problems and it distorted the balance of culpability and innocence.
Using the term "genocide" implies that there is a unidirectional crime taking place. To be clear, horrible crimes have been committed, but the perpetrators aren't as clear-cut as the term would make it seem.
The government of Sudan has killed many people and is responsible for war crimes in Darfur, but the rebel insurgents bear some responsibility, too. When the United Nations conducted its International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, it found that many of the rebel groups engaged in "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law."
By using the word "genocide," and attaching the term to only one side of the conflict, the opposite side is easily ignored.
In Darfur, the use of the term "genocide" has allowed the rebel groups to slip under the radar and commit crimes against humanity without the rest of the world taking notice. Had "genocide" not been the focus, activist campaigns might have challenged the rebel groups and checked their criminal acts.
For example, Eritrea, Chad, and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement were the principal funders of the rebel groups in Darfur. They were and are also allies and aid recipients of the US government, which means they could have easily been pressured to cut their lifelines to the rebel groups.
Today, the situation in Darfur continues to be mischaracterized. Most of the ongoing violence can be attributed to banditry, lawlessness, and fighting between rebel groups. According to the latest United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) report, 16 fatalities were recorded for the month of June and none of them was linked to the conflict between Sudanese forces and the rebel groups.
The conflict in Darfur has not met the 1,000 casualties per year threshold that most political scientists consider necessary for a conflict to be categorized as a "civil war" since last year.
Despite these changes, many continue to argue that the government of Sudan is waging a large-scale assault on Darfur. The terms "ongoing genocide" and "war in Darfur" are still used frequently in activist literature and advertisements, which has left the American people believing that not much has changed in Darfur.
President Obama himself has recently used the word "genocide" to refer to the current situation. Similarly, the State Department and the US ambassador to the UN distanced themselves from the US presidential envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who dared to suggest that the genocide in Darfur was over.
If they wish to help ameliorate the conflict, officials in Washington and activists alike must recognize that there have been big changes in the scale and nature of the violence in Darfur.
Instead of focusing on military intervention or the punishment of only one participant in the conflict (the Sudanese government), efforts should be directed toward funding the peacemaking process and the safe return of more than 2 million displaced refugees.
Marc Gustafson is a Marshall Scholar and doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. He is currently writing his dissertation on political trends in Sudan.
19 August, 2009
US to Deploy Recon Aircraft Near Seychelles.
Reuters
19 August 2009
The US military said on Wednesday it would be deploying unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the skies above the Seychelles archipelago, officially to conduct anti-piracy patrols.
Maritime security groups warned in May of an increase in the number of pirate "mother ships" operating in Seychellois waters.
Piracy has increased off the Somali coast, where sea gangs defy foreign navies monitoring the vast shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe, although monsoon rains have caused a lull in attacks.
"We have the recent arrival of our P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft that will aid in conducting the surveillance of Seychelles territorial waters and as we look into the future, (we will) bring unmanned surveillance vehicles," said General William Ward, commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Two vessels flying the Indian Ocean nation's flag have been hijacked this year while in April an Italian cruise ship fended off an assault in Seychelles' waters.
Piracy attacks worldwide more than doubled to 240 during the first half of 2009, driven by a surge in hijackings in the waters off the Horn of Africa, according to an International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre report in July.
19 August 2009
The US military said on Wednesday it would be deploying unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the skies above the Seychelles archipelago, officially to conduct anti-piracy patrols.
Maritime security groups warned in May of an increase in the number of pirate "mother ships" operating in Seychellois waters.
Piracy has increased off the Somali coast, where sea gangs defy foreign navies monitoring the vast shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe, although monsoon rains have caused a lull in attacks.
"We have the recent arrival of our P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft that will aid in conducting the surveillance of Seychelles territorial waters and as we look into the future, (we will) bring unmanned surveillance vehicles," said General William Ward, commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Two vessels flying the Indian Ocean nation's flag have been hijacked this year while in April an Italian cruise ship fended off an assault in Seychelles' waters.
Piracy attacks worldwide more than doubled to 240 during the first half of 2009, driven by a surge in hijackings in the waters off the Horn of Africa, according to an International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre report in July.
Iraq Hopes to Sign Rumaila Deal in September.
by Hassan Hafidh
Dow Jones Newswires
8/19/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=79429
Iraq aims to sign a contract for the giant Rumaila oil field with BP and China National Petroleum Corp., or CNPC, in September a top Iraqi oil official told Dow Jones Wednesday.
Following two-day meetings in Baghdad last week involving the interested parties and at which technicalities were discussed, "We are expecting that we will sign the contract in September," Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, deputy director-general at Iraq's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate, or PCLD, said.
The PCLD has suggested August for the final signing of the deal which is the only one awarded in the first postwar licensing round held on June 30 in Baghdad, out of two gas fields and six oil fields.
BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward has said that target is probably not realistic and Rumaila is more likely to be signed by the end of the year.
However, Ameedi said last week's meetings, chaired by Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, had cleared the way for an imminent signing.
Dow Jones Newswires
8/19/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=79429
Iraq aims to sign a contract for the giant Rumaila oil field with BP and China National Petroleum Corp., or CNPC, in September a top Iraqi oil official told Dow Jones Wednesday.
Following two-day meetings in Baghdad last week involving the interested parties and at which technicalities were discussed, "We are expecting that we will sign the contract in September," Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, deputy director-general at Iraq's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate, or PCLD, said.
The PCLD has suggested August for the final signing of the deal which is the only one awarded in the first postwar licensing round held on June 30 in Baghdad, out of two gas fields and six oil fields.
BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward has said that target is probably not realistic and Rumaila is more likely to be signed by the end of the year.
However, Ameedi said last week's meetings, chaired by Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, had cleared the way for an imminent signing.
President Museveni travels to Russia.
The New Vision
18 August 2009
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday left for Moscow, Russia on an official working visit.
A statement issued from State House last evening, did not give details about the President’s visit.
The New Vision, however, learnt that during his visit, President Museveni was expected to hold talks with the Russian President, Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The President was seen off at Entebbe International Airport by the Vice-President, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, the deputy chief of the defence forces, Lt. General Ivan Koreta, the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura and the head of public service, John Mitala, the statement said.
18 August 2009
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday left for Moscow, Russia on an official working visit.
A statement issued from State House last evening, did not give details about the President’s visit.
The New Vision, however, learnt that during his visit, President Museveni was expected to hold talks with the Russian President, Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The President was seen off at Entebbe International Airport by the Vice-President, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, the deputy chief of the defence forces, Lt. General Ivan Koreta, the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura and the head of public service, John Mitala, the statement said.
President Museveni travels to Russia.
The New Vision
18 August 2009
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday left for Moscow, Russia on an official working visit.
A statement issued from State House last evening, did not give details about the President’s visit.
The New Vision, however, learnt that during his visit, President Museveni was expected to hold talks with the Russian President, Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The President was seen off at Entebbe International Airport by the Vice-President, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, the deputy chief of the defence forces, Lt. General Ivan Koreta, the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura and the head of public service, John Mitala, the statement said.
18 August 2009
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday left for Moscow, Russia on an official working visit.
A statement issued from State House last evening, did not give details about the President’s visit.
The New Vision, however, learnt that during his visit, President Museveni was expected to hold talks with the Russian President, Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The President was seen off at Entebbe International Airport by the Vice-President, Professor Gilbert Bukenya, the deputy chief of the defence forces, Lt. General Ivan Koreta, the Inspector General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura and the head of public service, John Mitala, the statement said.
Kenyan Govt Hires Top U.S. Image Firm.
Daily Nation
17 August 2009
By Kevin Kelley
The Kenyan government has retained a top Washington public relations firm to improve its image in the United States at a reported cost of Sh129 million ($1.7 million) over the next two years.
Officials at CLS & Associates confirm that the Kenyan Government has been added to its list of high-powered clients.
But the lobbyists declined to comment further on the grounds that the campaign on behalf of the Grand Coalition had not yet been fully formulated.
Kenya's ambassador to the United States Peter Ogego also said he had no comment on the CLS contract.
The Paris-based Indian Ocean newsletter reported recently that the deal with CLS was made jointly by the office of the President and the Kenyan embassy in Washington.
In the initial phase of its work, CLS has compiled a series of eight fact sheets on Kenya for distribution to the US media, government officials in Washington and American corporate executives.
These brief releases attempt to put a positive spin on Kenya's efforts at national reconciliation, its fight against corruption and the country's security ties to the United States.
This strategy appears designed to highlight considerations that are already at the forefront of the Obama administration's relations with the Grand Coalition.
Terror threat
While sharply criticising aspects of the Kenyan Government's performance, senior State Department officials have also been emphasising Kenya's importance to the United States in containing the alleged threat of terrorism from Somalia and from individuals linked to al-Qaeda.
CLS' clients include corporations such as Pfizer; educational institutions such as Harvard University; and half-a-dozen governments in Europe, South America and Africa.
In a fact sheet entitled "A Stable Government," CLS says Kenya has made significant strides toward reconciliation and reform in the past year.
17 August 2009
By Kevin Kelley
The Kenyan government has retained a top Washington public relations firm to improve its image in the United States at a reported cost of Sh129 million ($1.7 million) over the next two years.
Officials at CLS & Associates confirm that the Kenyan Government has been added to its list of high-powered clients.
But the lobbyists declined to comment further on the grounds that the campaign on behalf of the Grand Coalition had not yet been fully formulated.
Kenya's ambassador to the United States Peter Ogego also said he had no comment on the CLS contract.
The Paris-based Indian Ocean newsletter reported recently that the deal with CLS was made jointly by the office of the President and the Kenyan embassy in Washington.
In the initial phase of its work, CLS has compiled a series of eight fact sheets on Kenya for distribution to the US media, government officials in Washington and American corporate executives.
These brief releases attempt to put a positive spin on Kenya's efforts at national reconciliation, its fight against corruption and the country's security ties to the United States.
This strategy appears designed to highlight considerations that are already at the forefront of the Obama administration's relations with the Grand Coalition.
Terror threat
While sharply criticising aspects of the Kenyan Government's performance, senior State Department officials have also been emphasising Kenya's importance to the United States in containing the alleged threat of terrorism from Somalia and from individuals linked to al-Qaeda.
CLS' clients include corporations such as Pfizer; educational institutions such as Harvard University; and half-a-dozen governments in Europe, South America and Africa.
In a fact sheet entitled "A Stable Government," CLS says Kenya has made significant strides toward reconciliation and reform in the past year.
18 August, 2009
SA GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR MINING COMPANIES FOR MORE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
MISNA
17 August 2009
Mining companies must return some of their profits in the form of investments to help local communities said the minister of mining resources Susan Shabangu, in a communiqué. The text says that to secure operation licenses, companies, including foreign multinationals must issue a social development and employment plan in the communities where they operate. “The future generations of mining engineers and geologists must come from what have been disadvantaged communities. This is one of the reasons why we have fought for democracy in South Africa, to give children the opportunity to reach what at one point hey would only have dreamt” said the minister in occasion of the inauguration of a child care center near Port Edward, financed in equal measures by public funds and by a cement company. Shabangu’s statement comes just days after the end of a long contract negotiation between the unions and the mining agencies to secure salary increases from 7 to 10%, after a difficult season marked by the dismissal of 25,000 workers. South Africa is one of the richest countries in mining resources, including diamonds, uranium, platinum and 40% of the world’s gold, making it the world’s largest producer of this metal.
17 August 2009
Mining companies must return some of their profits in the form of investments to help local communities said the minister of mining resources Susan Shabangu, in a communiqué. The text says that to secure operation licenses, companies, including foreign multinationals must issue a social development and employment plan in the communities where they operate. “The future generations of mining engineers and geologists must come from what have been disadvantaged communities. This is one of the reasons why we have fought for democracy in South Africa, to give children the opportunity to reach what at one point hey would only have dreamt” said the minister in occasion of the inauguration of a child care center near Port Edward, financed in equal measures by public funds and by a cement company. Shabangu’s statement comes just days after the end of a long contract negotiation between the unions and the mining agencies to secure salary increases from 7 to 10%, after a difficult season marked by the dismissal of 25,000 workers. South Africa is one of the richest countries in mining resources, including diamonds, uranium, platinum and 40% of the world’s gold, making it the world’s largest producer of this metal.
Mozambique to chair SADC organ.
SAPA
17 August 2009
Mozambique is to chair the Southern African Development Community (SADC) organ on politics, defence and security from September, a report said on Tuesday.
The daily Noticias reported that Mozambican deputy foreign affairs minister Henrique Banze said the country's candidacy for one of the regional body's strongest organs will be made at the next SADC troika meeting.
Banze was speaking on the sidelines of the SADC day celebrations held in the central Chimoio town, north of Maputo.
Currently Swaziland chairs the organ while Mozambique is deputy.
SADC's website said the organ is co-ordinated at the level of a summit on a troika basis and reports to the chairperson of SADC.
"Like the summit chairing the organ is on a rotation basis for a period of one year. The chairperson of the organ does not simultaneously hold the chair of the summit," according to information on the website.
The structure, operations and functions of the organ were regulated by the protocol on politics, defence and security co-operation which was approved and signed by the summit at its meeting of August 2001 in Blantyre, Malawi.
At the executive level, its work is co-ordinated by the directorate of the organ at the SADC secretariat.
17 August 2009
Mozambique is to chair the Southern African Development Community (SADC) organ on politics, defence and security from September, a report said on Tuesday.
The daily Noticias reported that Mozambican deputy foreign affairs minister Henrique Banze said the country's candidacy for one of the regional body's strongest organs will be made at the next SADC troika meeting.
Banze was speaking on the sidelines of the SADC day celebrations held in the central Chimoio town, north of Maputo.
Currently Swaziland chairs the organ while Mozambique is deputy.
SADC's website said the organ is co-ordinated at the level of a summit on a troika basis and reports to the chairperson of SADC.
"Like the summit chairing the organ is on a rotation basis for a period of one year. The chairperson of the organ does not simultaneously hold the chair of the summit," according to information on the website.
The structure, operations and functions of the organ were regulated by the protocol on politics, defence and security co-operation which was approved and signed by the summit at its meeting of August 2001 in Blantyre, Malawi.
At the executive level, its work is co-ordinated by the directorate of the organ at the SADC secretariat.
Ahlu Sunnah take trade town along Kenya border.
Garowe Online
17 August 2009
Pro-government Islamist fighters have peacefully taken control over a trade town along the Somali-Kenya border, Radio Garowe reports.
Locals in Beled Hawo town in Gedo region of southwestern Somalia said well-armed fighters loyal to Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a dressed in military fatigues entered the town Monday morning.
Al Shabaab fighters who controlled the town's administrative building and the police station withdrew. There were no reports of fighting.
Sheikh Abdullahi Abdirahman "Abu Yusuf," spokesman for Ahlu Sunnah militia, told reporters via a telephone press conference that the group now controls Beled Hawo town and "plans to capture more towns" in Gedo region.
Ahlu Sunnah is an Islamist militia that was formed in late 2008 to stop Al Shabaab's northward expansion through the central regions into the relatively stable regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
The group is based in the central region of Galgadud, where months of fighting between Ahlu Sunnah and Al Shabaab has killed hundreds of people.
Ahlu Sunnah fighters are also active in Gedo region, where unconfirmed reports said clan fighters loyal to ex-Kismayo warlord Col. Barre Hirale were part of the Ahlu Sunnah militia that seized control of Beled Hawo today.
Meanwhile in Kismayo, a southern port controlled by Al Shabaab, there are ongoing military movements as Al Shabaab fighters prepare to defend their bases in the Jubba regions.
17 August 2009
Pro-government Islamist fighters have peacefully taken control over a trade town along the Somali-Kenya border, Radio Garowe reports.
Locals in Beled Hawo town in Gedo region of southwestern Somalia said well-armed fighters loyal to Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a dressed in military fatigues entered the town Monday morning.
Al Shabaab fighters who controlled the town's administrative building and the police station withdrew. There were no reports of fighting.
Sheikh Abdullahi Abdirahman "Abu Yusuf," spokesman for Ahlu Sunnah militia, told reporters via a telephone press conference that the group now controls Beled Hawo town and "plans to capture more towns" in Gedo region.
Ahlu Sunnah is an Islamist militia that was formed in late 2008 to stop Al Shabaab's northward expansion through the central regions into the relatively stable regions of Puntland and Somaliland.
The group is based in the central region of Galgadud, where months of fighting between Ahlu Sunnah and Al Shabaab has killed hundreds of people.
Ahlu Sunnah fighters are also active in Gedo region, where unconfirmed reports said clan fighters loyal to ex-Kismayo warlord Col. Barre Hirale were part of the Ahlu Sunnah militia that seized control of Beled Hawo today.
Meanwhile in Kismayo, a southern port controlled by Al Shabaab, there are ongoing military movements as Al Shabaab fighters prepare to defend their bases in the Jubba regions.
PM 'fires' Foreign Minister in dispute over Puntland visit.
Garowe Online
17 August 2009
Somalia's interim Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake has fired Foreign Minister Abdullahi Oomar in a dispute over the Prime Minister's first visit to the northern regions of Puntland, confidential sources tell Garowe Online.
Mr. Abdullaho Oomar
The Prime Minister has appointed Mr. Ali "Jangeli" Ahmed as the Horn of Africa country's new Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Jangeli, who was Foreign Minister during President Abdullahi Yusuf's term, is presently part of the Prime Minister's delegation in Galkayo.
It is not clear why the Prime Minister fired Mr. Oomar, but unconfirmed reports said the former Foreign Minister refused to accompany Prime Minister Sharmake as part of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) delegation in Galkayo city for talks with Puntland government leaders.
The Prime Minister is expected to a formal announcement soon, with some reports voicing the possibility for a complete Cabinet re-shuffle.
Meanwhile, official talks between the visiting TFG delegation and Puntland government leaders are scheduled to begin tomorrow. Prof. Ibrahim Addow, the TFG's Minister for Higher Learning, is also expected to join the talks.
The talks will primarily focus on cooperation between the TFG and Puntland government organs in the fields of security, politics and resource-sharing.
It is Sharmake's first visit to Puntland since being appointed Somali PM in February 2009.
17 August 2009
Somalia's interim Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake has fired Foreign Minister Abdullahi Oomar in a dispute over the Prime Minister's first visit to the northern regions of Puntland, confidential sources tell Garowe Online.
Mr. Abdullaho Oomar
The Prime Minister has appointed Mr. Ali "Jangeli" Ahmed as the Horn of Africa country's new Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Jangeli, who was Foreign Minister during President Abdullahi Yusuf's term, is presently part of the Prime Minister's delegation in Galkayo.
It is not clear why the Prime Minister fired Mr. Oomar, but unconfirmed reports said the former Foreign Minister refused to accompany Prime Minister Sharmake as part of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) delegation in Galkayo city for talks with Puntland government leaders.
The Prime Minister is expected to a formal announcement soon, with some reports voicing the possibility for a complete Cabinet re-shuffle.
Meanwhile, official talks between the visiting TFG delegation and Puntland government leaders are scheduled to begin tomorrow. Prof. Ibrahim Addow, the TFG's Minister for Higher Learning, is also expected to join the talks.
The talks will primarily focus on cooperation between the TFG and Puntland government organs in the fields of security, politics and resource-sharing.
It is Sharmake's first visit to Puntland since being appointed Somali PM in February 2009.
Chinese to Explore for Oil in Uganda; Invest in Hydropower Plants.
5 December 2006
Global Insight Daily Analysis
By Thomas Pearmain
The China-Africa Co-Operation Forum (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China’s capital, in November continues to produce new energy deals (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 6 November 2006: ). The East African reports the China Natural Oil and Exploration Development Corp. (CNODC) and the China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) will drill for oil in the Albertine Graben region and the western Rift Valley. China has also announced it will fund the construction of two large hydropower plants, Ayago North (300MW) and Ayago South (200MW), both located along the River Nile.
Uganda's Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Daudi Migereko is quoted as saying "[w]e have signed an agreement with China, to come and invest in the sectors of petroleum and power".
Significance: Uganda looks increasingly likely to receive significant investment from China now the country has established it has proven reserves of crude oil and is set to become an oil-producing country within three years (see Uganda: 10 October 2006:). Following Chinese Premier Wen Jibao's visit to Uganda earlier this year, there have been closer ties between the two countries. Uganda already has two large hydropower plants set for construction over the next few years, the 250MW facility at Bujagali Falls and the 200MW Karuma Falls project. However, construction of Uganda's planned 250MW hydropower plant at Bujagali Falls in Jinja is now not set to proceed until next year and is not expected to start producing energy until 2010. (see Uganda: 28 September 2006: ). While it is sensible to utilise a country's natural resources to boost electricity generation, four large hydropower plants being constructed at the same time is a strange planning decision. Uganda has also been accused of draining Lake Victoria to boost its energy capacity; the lake is a vital source of water for the entire East Africa region.
Global Insight Daily Analysis
By Thomas Pearmain
The China-Africa Co-Operation Forum (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China’s capital, in November continues to produce new energy deals (see Sub-Saharan Africa: 6 November 2006: ). The East African reports the China Natural Oil and Exploration Development Corp. (CNODC) and the China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) will drill for oil in the Albertine Graben region and the western Rift Valley. China has also announced it will fund the construction of two large hydropower plants, Ayago North (300MW) and Ayago South (200MW), both located along the River Nile.
Uganda's Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Daudi Migereko is quoted as saying "[w]e have signed an agreement with China, to come and invest in the sectors of petroleum and power".
Significance: Uganda looks increasingly likely to receive significant investment from China now the country has established it has proven reserves of crude oil and is set to become an oil-producing country within three years (see Uganda: 10 October 2006:). Following Chinese Premier Wen Jibao's visit to Uganda earlier this year, there have been closer ties between the two countries. Uganda already has two large hydropower plants set for construction over the next few years, the 250MW facility at Bujagali Falls and the 200MW Karuma Falls project. However, construction of Uganda's planned 250MW hydropower plant at Bujagali Falls in Jinja is now not set to proceed until next year and is not expected to start producing energy until 2010. (see Uganda: 28 September 2006: ). While it is sensible to utilise a country's natural resources to boost electricity generation, four large hydropower plants being constructed at the same time is a strange planning decision. Uganda has also been accused of draining Lake Victoria to boost its energy capacity; the lake is a vital source of water for the entire East Africa region.
17 August, 2009
Eni Looks to Explore Ghana, Uganda to Expand in Africa.
Bloomberg News
14 August 2009
By Kari Lundgren and Eduard Gismatullin
Eni SpA, Italy’s biggest oil producer, may start exploration in Ghana, Uganda and Congo after several companies made discoveries in the African nations, analysts said.
Eni’s Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni this week held meetings with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills and Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the company said on its Web site. Eni executives also signed a “strategic agreement” with the Democratic Republic of Congo, it said. The Rome-based company doesn’t currently operate in the three countries.
Scaroni is “offering the services of Eni,” Jason Kenney, an analyst at ING Wholesale Banking, said today by telephone. “Some of these countries have resources, which are going to be needed to be exploited in the not-too-distant future.”
Eni operates in 13 African nations, including the continent’s largest oil producers, Nigeria and Angola. BP Plc and Tullow Oil Plc are among companies reporting oil and natural-gas discoveries in Angola, Ghana and other African states in the last several years.
“The meetings have stressed Eni’s long history of working in the region and the technical and commercial skills it can bring to the aid of the host governments,” Keith Morris and Richard Griffith, London-based analysts at Evolution Securities Ltd., said today in an e-mailed note. “The projects in Ghana and Uganda are material in scale to interest Eni and other international oil companies.”
Africa Acquisitions
Scaroni’s tour may mean Eni is preparing for a takeover bid or seeking a partner, the Evolution analysts said.
Eni paid more than $850 million for First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. in September to gain oil and gas fields in Algeria and $3.4 billion for Burren Energy Plc in 2007, which owned assets in the Republic of Congo. The Italian company has spent at least $14 billion on acquisitions in the past decade.
Eni is also present in Nigeria, Gabon and Mozambique, and pumps 450,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in the Sub-Saharan region, according to company data.
“The Gulf of Guinea has a long-term resource potential,” ING’s Kenney said. “In the West Africa margin, as you go across towards Cote d’Ivoire, there’s potential, good geological reasoning to think there could be extensions of quite prolific basins.”
Tullow and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., along with larger competitors such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc, are expanding the search for oil offshore West Africa.
14 August 2009
By Kari Lundgren and Eduard Gismatullin
Eni SpA, Italy’s biggest oil producer, may start exploration in Ghana, Uganda and Congo after several companies made discoveries in the African nations, analysts said.
Eni’s Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni this week held meetings with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills and Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the company said on its Web site. Eni executives also signed a “strategic agreement” with the Democratic Republic of Congo, it said. The Rome-based company doesn’t currently operate in the three countries.
Scaroni is “offering the services of Eni,” Jason Kenney, an analyst at ING Wholesale Banking, said today by telephone. “Some of these countries have resources, which are going to be needed to be exploited in the not-too-distant future.”
Eni operates in 13 African nations, including the continent’s largest oil producers, Nigeria and Angola. BP Plc and Tullow Oil Plc are among companies reporting oil and natural-gas discoveries in Angola, Ghana and other African states in the last several years.
“The meetings have stressed Eni’s long history of working in the region and the technical and commercial skills it can bring to the aid of the host governments,” Keith Morris and Richard Griffith, London-based analysts at Evolution Securities Ltd., said today in an e-mailed note. “The projects in Ghana and Uganda are material in scale to interest Eni and other international oil companies.”
Africa Acquisitions
Scaroni’s tour may mean Eni is preparing for a takeover bid or seeking a partner, the Evolution analysts said.
Eni paid more than $850 million for First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. in September to gain oil and gas fields in Algeria and $3.4 billion for Burren Energy Plc in 2007, which owned assets in the Republic of Congo. The Italian company has spent at least $14 billion on acquisitions in the past decade.
Eni is also present in Nigeria, Gabon and Mozambique, and pumps 450,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in the Sub-Saharan region, according to company data.
“The Gulf of Guinea has a long-term resource potential,” ING’s Kenney said. “In the West Africa margin, as you go across towards Cote d’Ivoire, there’s potential, good geological reasoning to think there could be extensions of quite prolific basins.”
Tullow and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., along with larger competitors such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc, are expanding the search for oil offshore West Africa.
Ex-Zambia leader cleared of graft.
BBC News
17 August 2009
Zambian former president Frederick Chiluba has been cleared of corruption charges after a long-running trial.
He was accused of embezzling $500,000 during his 10-year presidency, but a judge ruled the funds could not be traced to government money.
The Lusaka court delivered its verdict following a six-year trial prolonged by the 63-year-old's health problems.
Mr Chiluba's immunity from prosecution was lifted in 2003 by his successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who died last year.
Mr Chiluba - who was president of the impoverished southern African nation from 1991 to 2001 - had argued that he was targeted in a political witch hunt backed by the British, Zambia's former colonial rulers.
In a separate case two years ago, the High Court in Britain found Mr Chiluba guilty of defrauding the Zambian government of tens of millions of dollars using London-based bank accounts.
Mr Chiluba has refused to accept the ruling, labelling it "racist".
His wife, Regina Chiluba, was jailed in March for receiving stolen funds while her husband was in office. She is appealing against the sentence.
17 August 2009
Zambian former president Frederick Chiluba has been cleared of corruption charges after a long-running trial.
He was accused of embezzling $500,000 during his 10-year presidency, but a judge ruled the funds could not be traced to government money.
The Lusaka court delivered its verdict following a six-year trial prolonged by the 63-year-old's health problems.
Mr Chiluba's immunity from prosecution was lifted in 2003 by his successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who died last year.
Mr Chiluba - who was president of the impoverished southern African nation from 1991 to 2001 - had argued that he was targeted in a political witch hunt backed by the British, Zambia's former colonial rulers.
In a separate case two years ago, the High Court in Britain found Mr Chiluba guilty of defrauding the Zambian government of tens of millions of dollars using London-based bank accounts.
Mr Chiluba has refused to accept the ruling, labelling it "racist".
His wife, Regina Chiluba, was jailed in March for receiving stolen funds while her husband was in office. She is appealing against the sentence.
Special session of the assembly of the African Union heads of state and government.
African Union Commission
17 August 2009
WHEN: 30 – 31 August 2009
The AU Special Summit will hold according to the following schedule:
30 August 2009 – : Workshops on specific themes on peace and security. The workshop will provide useful recommendations and ideas on the best way forward.
Executive Council (EC) meeting;
31st August 2009 – : Special Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
WHERE: Tripoli, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
WHO: African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with AU Member States
WHY THIS THEME:
At its 13th Ordinary Session held in Sirte, Libya, from 1st to 3rd July 2009, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) resolved to hold a Special Summit in Tripoli on 31 August 2009, on the margins of the celebrations marking the 40th Anniversary of the Libyan Revolution to discuss the issue of conflicts resolution in Africa.
Of the many challenges facing the continent, the quest for peace and security is undoubtedly the most pressing. Hence, the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa is one of the key objectives of the AU as provided for under Article 3 (f) of the Constitutive Act. A stable environment is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of Africa.
In furtherance of these provisions of the Constitutive Act, the Heads of State and Government, at the 1st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002, adopted the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU. This marked a watershed in the efforts aimed at providing the AU with a more effective institutional framework to address the scourge of conflicts in Africa, for it substantially strengthened the powers of the AU in matters of conflict prevention and resolution. Of particular significance, the Protocol introduced new rules of procedure by which any Member State – including members of the PSC – cannot participate in deliberations and decision-making with respect to the conflict in which it is involved.
Objectives: The Special Session will provide Africa’s leaders with an opportunity to review the ongoing efforts to address the challenges of peace and security on the continent. It will also give further impetus for the implementation of the decisions made by various AU policy organs on peace and security issues.
The African Heads of States will also discuss the putting in place a strong and effective institutional framework – Towards the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture
The specific objectives of the Special Summit on Peace and Security:
The Special Session will review the various conflict and crisis situations in Africa and look at ways and means of ensuring the effective implementation of the decisions adopted by the AU policy organs on these issues. In particular, the session is expected to focus on the following conflict situations and thematic issues:
Somalia: the focus is expected to be on how to further support for the TFG through the strengthening of its institutions, enhancing the security of the country and implementation of the various IGAD, AU and UN decisions on Somalia;
Darfur: the need for enhanced security is paramount and this will be possible through the full deployment of UNAMID, continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and the peacekeeping mission, restraint between Chad and Sudan and parties to the conflict agreeing to negotiate in good faith;
Great Lakes region: the Session will explore ways and means of consolidating the significant progress made over the past few years towards the promotion of lasting peace, security and stability.
In addition, the Session will also consider the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization, with specific reference to the roles that could be played by member States and the Regional Mechanisms. Guinea Bissau, which is faced with numerous challenges ranging from security sector reform to socio-economic recovery, is a case in point for such consideration.
The Commission is preparing a report that will provide an overview of the conflict and crisis situations on the Continent.
Some Achievements:
Since its establishment, the AU has been at the forefront of conflict resolution efforts on the continent. African leaders have consistently committed themselves to dealing decisively with the conflict situations on the continent, and to make peace a priority.
Amongst other initiatives, the ongoing AU efforts in Somalia, with the deployment of an AU peace support operation in that country (AMISOM), deserve special mention. AMISOM troops are performing critical tasks, including providing security in some parts of Mogadishu and to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), promoting confidence building and providing humanitarian assistance such as medical and water to the local population. In addition, the AU is working closely with IGAD and the United Nations to support the political process in Somalia. Joint AU/UN efforts led to the signing, on 19 August 2008, of the Djibouti Agreement between the TFG and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).
The AU is also actively engaged in the search for a solution to the crisis in Darfur. From 2004 to 2007, the AU deployed a peace support operation in that region (AMIS), which was later replaced by a Hybrid AU/UN Operation (UNAMID). The AU is also working closely with its partners in order to achieve a political solution to the crisis, building on earlier efforts, including the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed, under the AU auspices, in Abuja, in May 2006. More recently, the AU established a High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), with the mandate to examine the situation in Darfur in depth and submit recommendations on how best to address the issues of accountability and combating impunity, on the one hand, and peace, reconciliation and healing, on the other, in an effective and comprehensive manner. Since its inauguration, in March 2009, the Panel has consulted widely within Sudan and particularly in Darfur, as well as in the region. The AUPD is due to submit its report in September 2009.
In Burundi, the AU played an instrumental role in the restoration of peace in that country, including through a peace support operation (AMIB) that was later taken over by the UN, and is spearheading the implementation process of the 2006 Agreements between the Government of Burundi and the latest rebel movement to have joined the peace process – the FNL. The AU is also engaged in the efforts aimed at consolidating the remarkable progress made in the democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More generally, the AU is lending its support to the overall efforts aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes Region, including the implementation of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development.
Other instances of AU’s involvement in the search for peace and security include the efforts exerted in the Comoros, as well as its contribution to peace making and peace building in Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Central African Republic, South Sudan, to cite a few examples.
The AU has also adopted several instruments designed to facilitate the structural prevention of conflicts. These instruments relate to human rights, governance, fight against corruption and the on-going democratisation processes on the continent, as well as combating terrorism. The Pelindaba Treaty establishing a free nuclear zone in Africa is another essential tool for the Continent’s collective security.
Of particular importance, in this respect, is the Declaration on the AU “Border Programme” (AUBP), adopted by the Executive Council as its June 2007 session in Accra, with the overall objective of preventing conflicts and deepening integration on the continent. The AUBP revolves around two main axes, namely: the delimitation and demarcation of African borders where such an exercise has not yet taken place and the development of cross-border cooperation. It is worth noting that, since African countries gained independence, the borders – which were drawn during the colonial period in a context of rivalries between European countries and their scramble for territories in Africa – have been a recurrent source of conflicts and disputes in the continent. Most of the borders are poorly defined. The location of strategic natural resources in cross-border areas poses additional challenges.
Participants: – the participants include:
African Union Heads of States;
African Union Ministers;
Regional Economic Communities;
AU bilateral and multilateral partners;
Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution; and the relevant AU institutions.
Background:
Undoubtedly, over the past few years, noteworthy progress has been made towards peace and security. Yet, in a number of countries and regions where peace was restored, the situation still remains precarious, thus requiring sustained efforts to consolidate the progress made and avoid relapse into violence.
At the same time, violence has continued to plague some regions, inflicting further suffering on the civilian population, destroying already scarce infrastructure and making ever remote prospects for development and stability in those regions. This situation calls for renewed efforts by all concerned, for, as underlined in the PSC Protocol, “no single factor has contributed more to the socio-economic decline on the continent and the suffering of civilian population than the scourge of conflicts within and between our States”.
Furthermore, new challenges to peace and security have emerged over the past few years. Election processes have, in some instances, undermined ethnic and regional cohesion and triggered conflicts and violence, threatening the social order, economic development, and efforts to strengthen regional integration. The emerging challenges occasioned by election-related conflicts and political violence underscore the importance of building institutions that balance competition with order, participation with stability, and contestation with consensus.
It is within this context that the Assembly, at its 10th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from 31 January to 2 February 2008, stressed the need to initiate a collective reflection on the challenges linked to the disputes and tensions that often characterize electoral processes in Africa, including the strengthening of African capacity at the national, regional and continental levels to observe and monitor elections. As indicated above, and as part of its contribution to conflict prevention, the Panel of the Wise initiated a reflection on election related conflicts and violence in Africa and submitted a report thereon to the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly. The Assembly requested the Commission to take all necessary steps to implement the recommendations of the Panel and to report to it regularly on the progress made in this respect.
Another major challenge to peace and security in the recent past has been the problem of unconstitutional changes of Government. The last year witnessed a number of unconstitutional changes of Government in Africa. In reaction to these developments, the Assembly of the Union, at its 12th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from 1st to 3 February 2009, expressed its deep concern over the resurgence of the scourge of coups d’Etat on the continent, which constitutes not only a dangerous political downturn and a serious setback to the democratic processes, but also a threat to peace, security and stability of the Continent, and called on Member States to react firmly and unequivocally to put an end to this scourge. The Assembly further requested the Chairperson of the Commission to submit concrete recommendations relating to the implementation of appropriate preventive measures against unconstitutional changes of Government.
It is on this basis that the Chairperson submitted a report to the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, which requested him to initiate consultations with the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) and other relevant AU organs and institutions on the ways and means of strengthening the capacity of the AU to deal with the scourge of unconstitutional changes of Government and submit, in light of these consultations, as well as relevant international experiences, a final report together with comprehensive recommendations on the matter, to its next Ordinary Session in January/February 2010.
At its 13th Ordinary Session, the Assembly reviewed the peace and security situation on the continent on the basis of the report of the PSC on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa. The Assembly then adopted decision Assembly/AU/ Dec.252 (XIII) covering the various conflict situations facing the continent. While welcoming the efforts deployed towards the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent, as well as the progress achieved in the establishment of the APSA, the Assembly encouraged all the concerned parties to intensify their efforts to resolve the crisis and conflict situations in the continent and to consolidate peace where it has been achieved.
CONTACTS:
Mrs. Habiba Mejri-Cheikh
Division of Communication and Information (DCI)
African Union Commission
P.O. Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel. Off. (+251) 11 551 7700 Ext. 236
Fax: (+251) 11 551 1299
E-mail: mejri-cheikh.habiba@hotmail.com
17 August 2009
WHEN: 30 – 31 August 2009
The AU Special Summit will hold according to the following schedule:
30 August 2009 – : Workshops on specific themes on peace and security. The workshop will provide useful recommendations and ideas on the best way forward.
Executive Council (EC) meeting;
31st August 2009 – : Special Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
WHERE: Tripoli, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
WHO: African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with AU Member States
WHY THIS THEME:
At its 13th Ordinary Session held in Sirte, Libya, from 1st to 3rd July 2009, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) resolved to hold a Special Summit in Tripoli on 31 August 2009, on the margins of the celebrations marking the 40th Anniversary of the Libyan Revolution to discuss the issue of conflicts resolution in Africa.
Of the many challenges facing the continent, the quest for peace and security is undoubtedly the most pressing. Hence, the promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa is one of the key objectives of the AU as provided for under Article 3 (f) of the Constitutive Act. A stable environment is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of Africa.
In furtherance of these provisions of the Constitutive Act, the Heads of State and Government, at the 1st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002, adopted the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU. This marked a watershed in the efforts aimed at providing the AU with a more effective institutional framework to address the scourge of conflicts in Africa, for it substantially strengthened the powers of the AU in matters of conflict prevention and resolution. Of particular significance, the Protocol introduced new rules of procedure by which any Member State – including members of the PSC – cannot participate in deliberations and decision-making with respect to the conflict in which it is involved.
Objectives: The Special Session will provide Africa’s leaders with an opportunity to review the ongoing efforts to address the challenges of peace and security on the continent. It will also give further impetus for the implementation of the decisions made by various AU policy organs on peace and security issues.
The African Heads of States will also discuss the putting in place a strong and effective institutional framework – Towards the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture
The specific objectives of the Special Summit on Peace and Security:
The Special Session will review the various conflict and crisis situations in Africa and look at ways and means of ensuring the effective implementation of the decisions adopted by the AU policy organs on these issues. In particular, the session is expected to focus on the following conflict situations and thematic issues:
Somalia: the focus is expected to be on how to further support for the TFG through the strengthening of its institutions, enhancing the security of the country and implementation of the various IGAD, AU and UN decisions on Somalia;
Darfur: the need for enhanced security is paramount and this will be possible through the full deployment of UNAMID, continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and the peacekeeping mission, restraint between Chad and Sudan and parties to the conflict agreeing to negotiate in good faith;
Great Lakes region: the Session will explore ways and means of consolidating the significant progress made over the past few years towards the promotion of lasting peace, security and stability.
In addition, the Session will also consider the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization, with specific reference to the roles that could be played by member States and the Regional Mechanisms. Guinea Bissau, which is faced with numerous challenges ranging from security sector reform to socio-economic recovery, is a case in point for such consideration.
The Commission is preparing a report that will provide an overview of the conflict and crisis situations on the Continent.
Some Achievements:
Since its establishment, the AU has been at the forefront of conflict resolution efforts on the continent. African leaders have consistently committed themselves to dealing decisively with the conflict situations on the continent, and to make peace a priority.
Amongst other initiatives, the ongoing AU efforts in Somalia, with the deployment of an AU peace support operation in that country (AMISOM), deserve special mention. AMISOM troops are performing critical tasks, including providing security in some parts of Mogadishu and to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), promoting confidence building and providing humanitarian assistance such as medical and water to the local population. In addition, the AU is working closely with IGAD and the United Nations to support the political process in Somalia. Joint AU/UN efforts led to the signing, on 19 August 2008, of the Djibouti Agreement between the TFG and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).
The AU is also actively engaged in the search for a solution to the crisis in Darfur. From 2004 to 2007, the AU deployed a peace support operation in that region (AMIS), which was later replaced by a Hybrid AU/UN Operation (UNAMID). The AU is also working closely with its partners in order to achieve a political solution to the crisis, building on earlier efforts, including the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed, under the AU auspices, in Abuja, in May 2006. More recently, the AU established a High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), with the mandate to examine the situation in Darfur in depth and submit recommendations on how best to address the issues of accountability and combating impunity, on the one hand, and peace, reconciliation and healing, on the other, in an effective and comprehensive manner. Since its inauguration, in March 2009, the Panel has consulted widely within Sudan and particularly in Darfur, as well as in the region. The AUPD is due to submit its report in September 2009.
In Burundi, the AU played an instrumental role in the restoration of peace in that country, including through a peace support operation (AMIB) that was later taken over by the UN, and is spearheading the implementation process of the 2006 Agreements between the Government of Burundi and the latest rebel movement to have joined the peace process – the FNL. The AU is also engaged in the efforts aimed at consolidating the remarkable progress made in the democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More generally, the AU is lending its support to the overall efforts aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes Region, including the implementation of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development.
Other instances of AU’s involvement in the search for peace and security include the efforts exerted in the Comoros, as well as its contribution to peace making and peace building in Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Central African Republic, South Sudan, to cite a few examples.
The AU has also adopted several instruments designed to facilitate the structural prevention of conflicts. These instruments relate to human rights, governance, fight against corruption and the on-going democratisation processes on the continent, as well as combating terrorism. The Pelindaba Treaty establishing a free nuclear zone in Africa is another essential tool for the Continent’s collective security.
Of particular importance, in this respect, is the Declaration on the AU “Border Programme” (AUBP), adopted by the Executive Council as its June 2007 session in Accra, with the overall objective of preventing conflicts and deepening integration on the continent. The AUBP revolves around two main axes, namely: the delimitation and demarcation of African borders where such an exercise has not yet taken place and the development of cross-border cooperation. It is worth noting that, since African countries gained independence, the borders – which were drawn during the colonial period in a context of rivalries between European countries and their scramble for territories in Africa – have been a recurrent source of conflicts and disputes in the continent. Most of the borders are poorly defined. The location of strategic natural resources in cross-border areas poses additional challenges.
Participants: – the participants include:
African Union Heads of States;
African Union Ministers;
Regional Economic Communities;
AU bilateral and multilateral partners;
Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution; and the relevant AU institutions.
Background:
Undoubtedly, over the past few years, noteworthy progress has been made towards peace and security. Yet, in a number of countries and regions where peace was restored, the situation still remains precarious, thus requiring sustained efforts to consolidate the progress made and avoid relapse into violence.
At the same time, violence has continued to plague some regions, inflicting further suffering on the civilian population, destroying already scarce infrastructure and making ever remote prospects for development and stability in those regions. This situation calls for renewed efforts by all concerned, for, as underlined in the PSC Protocol, “no single factor has contributed more to the socio-economic decline on the continent and the suffering of civilian population than the scourge of conflicts within and between our States”.
Furthermore, new challenges to peace and security have emerged over the past few years. Election processes have, in some instances, undermined ethnic and regional cohesion and triggered conflicts and violence, threatening the social order, economic development, and efforts to strengthen regional integration. The emerging challenges occasioned by election-related conflicts and political violence underscore the importance of building institutions that balance competition with order, participation with stability, and contestation with consensus.
It is within this context that the Assembly, at its 10th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from 31 January to 2 February 2008, stressed the need to initiate a collective reflection on the challenges linked to the disputes and tensions that often characterize electoral processes in Africa, including the strengthening of African capacity at the national, regional and continental levels to observe and monitor elections. As indicated above, and as part of its contribution to conflict prevention, the Panel of the Wise initiated a reflection on election related conflicts and violence in Africa and submitted a report thereon to the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly. The Assembly requested the Commission to take all necessary steps to implement the recommendations of the Panel and to report to it regularly on the progress made in this respect.
Another major challenge to peace and security in the recent past has been the problem of unconstitutional changes of Government. The last year witnessed a number of unconstitutional changes of Government in Africa. In reaction to these developments, the Assembly of the Union, at its 12th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from 1st to 3 February 2009, expressed its deep concern over the resurgence of the scourge of coups d’Etat on the continent, which constitutes not only a dangerous political downturn and a serious setback to the democratic processes, but also a threat to peace, security and stability of the Continent, and called on Member States to react firmly and unequivocally to put an end to this scourge. The Assembly further requested the Chairperson of the Commission to submit concrete recommendations relating to the implementation of appropriate preventive measures against unconstitutional changes of Government.
It is on this basis that the Chairperson submitted a report to the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly, which requested him to initiate consultations with the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) and other relevant AU organs and institutions on the ways and means of strengthening the capacity of the AU to deal with the scourge of unconstitutional changes of Government and submit, in light of these consultations, as well as relevant international experiences, a final report together with comprehensive recommendations on the matter, to its next Ordinary Session in January/February 2010.
At its 13th Ordinary Session, the Assembly reviewed the peace and security situation on the continent on the basis of the report of the PSC on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa. The Assembly then adopted decision Assembly/AU/ Dec.252 (XIII) covering the various conflict situations facing the continent. While welcoming the efforts deployed towards the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent, as well as the progress achieved in the establishment of the APSA, the Assembly encouraged all the concerned parties to intensify their efforts to resolve the crisis and conflict situations in the continent and to consolidate peace where it has been achieved.
CONTACTS:
Mrs. Habiba Mejri-Cheikh
Division of Communication and Information (DCI)
African Union Commission
P.O. Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel. Off. (+251) 11 551 7700 Ext. 236
Fax: (+251) 11 551 1299
E-mail: mejri-cheikh.habiba@hotmail.com
Le Minister Charles Michel annonce la réouverture de l’antenne de coopération à Lubumbashi.
Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs
17 August 2009
Le Ministre de la Coopération au développement Charles Michel annonce la réouverture de l’antenne de coopération au développement à Lubumbashi, capitale de la province congolaise du Katanga. Cette province de 8.2 millions d’habitants s’étend sur quelques 500.000 km² au sud-est de la République Démocratique du Congo.
Le Consulat-général de Lubumbashi était fermé depuis juin 2008. Parallèlement à sa réouverture, l’antenne de la coopération belge au développement pourra reprendre ses activités vendredi prochain.
Le Ministre Charles Michel a chargé Mr Philip Heuts, 58 ans, de prendre la fonction d’attaché de coopération au développement à Lubumbashi. Il y suivra l’important portefeuille de projets de coopération belge au Katanga qui touchent aujourd’hui les secteurs de l’infrastructure, de l’eau et de l’assainissement, de l’éducation, de la santé ou encore de l’agriculture. De nombreux acteurs belges y sont actifs comme la Coopération Technique Belge (CTB) mais aussi des ONG et des universités qui y développent d’importants partenariats. Il sera également chargé de mettre en œuvre les réformes dans le secteur de la coopération visant à renforcer l’efficacité des projets et le meilleur rapport qualité-prix du partenariat belgo-congolais.
Il aura aussi la tâche importante d’assurer le suivi des programmes de la coopération belge dans l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, soit les deux Kivus, le Maniema et l’Ituri. Ces provinces, ruinées par les guerres et la violence, font l’objet d’une attention particulière de la Belgique qui y met entre autres en œuvre d’importants programmes de lutte contre l’impunité et contre les violences sexuelles.
17 August 2009
Le Ministre de la Coopération au développement Charles Michel annonce la réouverture de l’antenne de coopération au développement à Lubumbashi, capitale de la province congolaise du Katanga. Cette province de 8.2 millions d’habitants s’étend sur quelques 500.000 km² au sud-est de la République Démocratique du Congo.
Le Consulat-général de Lubumbashi était fermé depuis juin 2008. Parallèlement à sa réouverture, l’antenne de la coopération belge au développement pourra reprendre ses activités vendredi prochain.
Le Ministre Charles Michel a chargé Mr Philip Heuts, 58 ans, de prendre la fonction d’attaché de coopération au développement à Lubumbashi. Il y suivra l’important portefeuille de projets de coopération belge au Katanga qui touchent aujourd’hui les secteurs de l’infrastructure, de l’eau et de l’assainissement, de l’éducation, de la santé ou encore de l’agriculture. De nombreux acteurs belges y sont actifs comme la Coopération Technique Belge (CTB) mais aussi des ONG et des universités qui y développent d’importants partenariats. Il sera également chargé de mettre en œuvre les réformes dans le secteur de la coopération visant à renforcer l’efficacité des projets et le meilleur rapport qualité-prix du partenariat belgo-congolais.
Il aura aussi la tâche importante d’assurer le suivi des programmes de la coopération belge dans l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo, soit les deux Kivus, le Maniema et l’Ituri. Ces provinces, ruinées par les guerres et la violence, font l’objet d’une attention particulière de la Belgique qui y met entre autres en œuvre d’importants programmes de lutte contre l’impunité et contre les violences sexuelles.
Tribunal’s Work Incomplete: Rwandan Patriotic Front Killings in 1994 Never Addressed.
Human Rights Watch
Press Release
17 August 2009
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda may lose its credibility unless it indicts and tries Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) officers suspected of having committed war crimes in Rwanda in 1994, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the tribunal’s chief prosecutor made public today.
Responding to claims by the chief prosecutor, Hassan Jallow, that he has done everything he can to investigate crimes on all sides for the events of 1994, the letter points out that the tribunal has brought to justice leading figures behind the genocide but failed to pursue officers of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the rebel group that ended the genocide and has since become Rwanda’s governing party. The RPF is alleged to have killed between 25,000 and 45,000 civilians in the same three-month period.
“The prosecutor’s failure to commit to prosecuting senior RPF officers has undermined his credibility and that of the ICTR,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Time is running out for him to fulfill his mandate and to secure the tribunal’s legacy as a champion of justice and accountability for all victims in Rwanda.”
Although the tribunal has investigated RPF crimes for more than 10 years and has gathered witness testimony and physical evidence, Jallow told the UN Security Council on June 4, 2009, in a briefing about the tribunal’s progress, that he did “not have an indictment that is ready in respect of these allegations at this particular stage.”
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged Jallow (http://www.hrw.org/node/83536) to outline his plans for prosecuting the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s crimes before the tribunal’s tenure ends at the end of 2010.
In response to Human Rights Watch’s previous requests, the prosecutor issued a letter (available at http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/2009_06_Rwanda_Jallow_Response.pdf) suggesting that his office did not have enough evidence to bring prosecutions against Rwandan Patriotic Front officers. The prosecutor defended his June 2008 decision to transfer an RPF case to Rwanda to be prosecuted there. He reiterated his position that Rwanda’s attempt to hold RPF officers to account in last year’s domestic trial – known as the Kabgayi case – met international fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch’s own monitoring of the trial concluded the proceedings amounted to a political whitewash and a miscarriage of justice.
Press Release
17 August 2009
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda may lose its credibility unless it indicts and tries Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) officers suspected of having committed war crimes in Rwanda in 1994, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the tribunal’s chief prosecutor made public today.
Responding to claims by the chief prosecutor, Hassan Jallow, that he has done everything he can to investigate crimes on all sides for the events of 1994, the letter points out that the tribunal has brought to justice leading figures behind the genocide but failed to pursue officers of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the rebel group that ended the genocide and has since become Rwanda’s governing party. The RPF is alleged to have killed between 25,000 and 45,000 civilians in the same three-month period.
“The prosecutor’s failure to commit to prosecuting senior RPF officers has undermined his credibility and that of the ICTR,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Time is running out for him to fulfill his mandate and to secure the tribunal’s legacy as a champion of justice and accountability for all victims in Rwanda.”
Although the tribunal has investigated RPF crimes for more than 10 years and has gathered witness testimony and physical evidence, Jallow told the UN Security Council on June 4, 2009, in a briefing about the tribunal’s progress, that he did “not have an indictment that is ready in respect of these allegations at this particular stage.”
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged Jallow (http://www.hrw.org/node/83536) to outline his plans for prosecuting the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s crimes before the tribunal’s tenure ends at the end of 2010.
In response to Human Rights Watch’s previous requests, the prosecutor issued a letter (available at http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/2009_06_Rwanda_Jallow_Response.pdf) suggesting that his office did not have enough evidence to bring prosecutions against Rwandan Patriotic Front officers. The prosecutor defended his June 2008 decision to transfer an RPF case to Rwanda to be prosecuted there. He reiterated his position that Rwanda’s attempt to hold RPF officers to account in last year’s domestic trial – known as the Kabgayi case – met international fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch’s own monitoring of the trial concluded the proceedings amounted to a political whitewash and a miscarriage of justice.
US Army Planning for Nigeria’s Possible Break-up.
This Day
17 August 2009
By Paul Ohia
The United States military had, in May 2008, conducted a war games test called Unified Quest 2008, to ascertain how its military might respond to a war in parts of Africa including Nigeria and Somalia.
According to an article written by Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, DC and Guest Columnist of AllAfrica Global Media, Mr. Daniel Volman, the Nigerian scenario was predicated upon a possible war in 2013. The article observed that it was the first time the African scenarios were included, as part of Pentagon’s plan to create a new military command for Africa: the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). It also emerged that “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market” was one of the “guiding principles” of AFRICOM, as articulated by Vice Admiral Robert Moeller at an AFRICOM conference held at Fort McNair on February 18, 2008.
The 2013 war date, the article said, was a test of how AFRICOM could respond to a crisis in Nigeria in the event that rival factions and rebels fight for control of the oil fields of the Niger Delta and the government was near collapse.
Among scenarios examined, Volman said, were the possibility of direct American military intervention involving some 20,000 US troops in order to "secure the oil,” bearing in mind that Nigeria is a major supplier of US oil needs.
Also, the question of how to handle possible splits between factions within the Nigerian government was tested.
Other options included diplomatic pressure, military action, with or without the aid of European and African nations.
One participant, US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Mark Stanovich, drew up a plan that called for the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops within 60 days, which even he thought was undesirable, Volman stated.
"American intervention could send the wrong message: that we are backing a government that we don't intend to," Stanovich said. Other participants suggested that it would be better if the U.S. government sent a request to South Africa or Ghana to send troops into Nigeria instead,” the article stated.
According to Major Robert Thornton, an officer with the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, "it became apparent that it was actually green (the host nation government) which had the initiative, and that any blue [the U.S. government and its allies] actions within the frame were contingent upon what green was willing to tolerate and accommodate.”“As the game progressed, according to former U.S. ambassador David Lyon, it became clear that the government of Nigeria was a large part of the problem. As he put it, ‘we have a circle of elites [the government of Nigeria] who have seized resources and are trying to perpetuate themselves. Their interests are not exactly those of the people,” said the article.
“The recommendations which the participants drew up for the Army's Chief of Staff, General George Casey, do not appear to be publicly available, as what the participants finally concluded was not known. But since the war games took place in the midst of the presidential election campaign, General Casey decided to brief both John McCain and Barack Obama on its results,” the article stated.
The game ended without military intervention because one of the rival factions executed a successful coup and formed a new government that sought stability.
AFRICOM representatives were said to be in communication throughout the test, but non of their officers were part of the event, said Volman.
Volman observed that neither the General of AFRICOM William Ward nor Vice Admiral Mueller “were under illusions about the” purpose of the command.
“Thus when General Ward appeared before the House Armed Services Committee on March 13, 2008, he cited America’s growing dependence on African oil as a priority issue for AFRICOM and went on to proclaim that combating terrorism would be “AFRICOM’s number one theatre-wide goal.” He barely mentioned development, humanitarian aid, peace-keeping or conflict resolution.”
“Since then, as General Ward has demonstrated in an interview with AllAfrica, he has become more adept at sticking to the US government official public position on AFRICOM’s aims and on its escalating military operations on the African continent,” stated the piece. Volman argued that contrary to expectations, President Obama had chosen to increase US military intervention in Africa by providing arms and training to the Transitional Government in Somalia, an attempt to make the continent a central battlefield in the “global war on terrorism.”
He further argued that the operations of AFRICOM had been expanded through a proposed budget for financial year 2010, which will provide increased security assistance to repressive regimes in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and key US allies such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Rwanda and Uganda.
The war game test drew various participants from the State Department and other US government agencies, foreign military officers (including military representatives from several NATO countries, Australia and Israel), journalists, academics, and the private military contractors that helped run the war games: the Rand Corporation and Booz-Allen.
Another of the four scenarios that were war-gamed was a test of how AFRICOM could respond to a crisis in Somalia — set in 2025 — caused by escalating insurgency and piracy. Unfortunately, no information on the details of the scenario is available.
The five-day game was designed to look at what crisis might erupt in different parts of the world in five to 25 years and how the US might respond. Back in 2005, the US had predicted that Nigeria would break-up in 2015. The report was highly criticised by Nigerian leaders.
17 August 2009
By Paul Ohia
The United States military had, in May 2008, conducted a war games test called Unified Quest 2008, to ascertain how its military might respond to a war in parts of Africa including Nigeria and Somalia.
According to an article written by Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, DC and Guest Columnist of AllAfrica Global Media, Mr. Daniel Volman, the Nigerian scenario was predicated upon a possible war in 2013. The article observed that it was the first time the African scenarios were included, as part of Pentagon’s plan to create a new military command for Africa: the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). It also emerged that “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market” was one of the “guiding principles” of AFRICOM, as articulated by Vice Admiral Robert Moeller at an AFRICOM conference held at Fort McNair on February 18, 2008.
The 2013 war date, the article said, was a test of how AFRICOM could respond to a crisis in Nigeria in the event that rival factions and rebels fight for control of the oil fields of the Niger Delta and the government was near collapse.
Among scenarios examined, Volman said, were the possibility of direct American military intervention involving some 20,000 US troops in order to "secure the oil,” bearing in mind that Nigeria is a major supplier of US oil needs.
Also, the question of how to handle possible splits between factions within the Nigerian government was tested.
Other options included diplomatic pressure, military action, with or without the aid of European and African nations.
One participant, US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Mark Stanovich, drew up a plan that called for the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops within 60 days, which even he thought was undesirable, Volman stated.
"American intervention could send the wrong message: that we are backing a government that we don't intend to," Stanovich said. Other participants suggested that it would be better if the U.S. government sent a request to South Africa or Ghana to send troops into Nigeria instead,” the article stated.
According to Major Robert Thornton, an officer with the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, "it became apparent that it was actually green (the host nation government) which had the initiative, and that any blue [the U.S. government and its allies] actions within the frame were contingent upon what green was willing to tolerate and accommodate.”“As the game progressed, according to former U.S. ambassador David Lyon, it became clear that the government of Nigeria was a large part of the problem. As he put it, ‘we have a circle of elites [the government of Nigeria] who have seized resources and are trying to perpetuate themselves. Their interests are not exactly those of the people,” said the article.
“The recommendations which the participants drew up for the Army's Chief of Staff, General George Casey, do not appear to be publicly available, as what the participants finally concluded was not known. But since the war games took place in the midst of the presidential election campaign, General Casey decided to brief both John McCain and Barack Obama on its results,” the article stated.
The game ended without military intervention because one of the rival factions executed a successful coup and formed a new government that sought stability.
AFRICOM representatives were said to be in communication throughout the test, but non of their officers were part of the event, said Volman.
Volman observed that neither the General of AFRICOM William Ward nor Vice Admiral Mueller “were under illusions about the” purpose of the command.
“Thus when General Ward appeared before the House Armed Services Committee on March 13, 2008, he cited America’s growing dependence on African oil as a priority issue for AFRICOM and went on to proclaim that combating terrorism would be “AFRICOM’s number one theatre-wide goal.” He barely mentioned development, humanitarian aid, peace-keeping or conflict resolution.”
“Since then, as General Ward has demonstrated in an interview with AllAfrica, he has become more adept at sticking to the US government official public position on AFRICOM’s aims and on its escalating military operations on the African continent,” stated the piece. Volman argued that contrary to expectations, President Obama had chosen to increase US military intervention in Africa by providing arms and training to the Transitional Government in Somalia, an attempt to make the continent a central battlefield in the “global war on terrorism.”
He further argued that the operations of AFRICOM had been expanded through a proposed budget for financial year 2010, which will provide increased security assistance to repressive regimes in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and key US allies such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Rwanda and Uganda.
The war game test drew various participants from the State Department and other US government agencies, foreign military officers (including military representatives from several NATO countries, Australia and Israel), journalists, academics, and the private military contractors that helped run the war games: the Rand Corporation and Booz-Allen.
Another of the four scenarios that were war-gamed was a test of how AFRICOM could respond to a crisis in Somalia — set in 2025 — caused by escalating insurgency and piracy. Unfortunately, no information on the details of the scenario is available.
The five-day game was designed to look at what crisis might erupt in different parts of the world in five to 25 years and how the US might respond. Back in 2005, the US had predicted that Nigeria would break-up in 2015. The report was highly criticised by Nigerian leaders.
16 August, 2009
Aide: Zelaya plane stopped at base with US troops during coup.
By FREDDY CUEVAS,
Associated Press
By Freddy Cuevas, Associated Press Writer
A top official in Honduras' ousted government claims there was U.S. involvement in the coup that deposed Manuel Zelaya, saying the plane that flew him into exile stopped at an airfield manned by hundreds of American troops.
Patricia Valle, who served as Zelaya's deputy foreign minister, says the Honduran military aircraft took off from the capital's Toncontin airport, then landed to take on fuel at the Soto Cano base before heading to Costa Rica. She says Zelaya stayed on the plane during the stop.
Soto Cano, also known as Palmerola, is a Honduran military base that is home to at least 500 U.S. troops engaged in counter-narcotics operations and other missions in Central America.
Valle charged Saturday that the stop at Palmerola showed U.S. officials at some level were complicit in the June 28 coup, although she gave no evidence that American personnel at the base interacted with the Honduran military officials on the plane or that they even knew Zelaya was there.
"Zelaya was taken to Palmerola," Valle told The Associated Press. "The United States was involved in the coup against Zelaya."
She didn't offer any proof for that assertion and stressed that she didn't believe the highest levels of the Obama administration were involved.
Valle made the allegation in response to a question about a report in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo saying Zelaya spoke about stopping at the base during a meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday.
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Shantel Dalton said she had no information about Valle's claim and could not comment. Joint Task Force-Bravo, the military unit that operates at the base, and the U.S. Southern Command did not return calls.
Palmerola was used by the United States during the Central American civil wars of the 1980s. U.S. Air Force personnel are responsible for maintaining the airfield and share air traffic control duties with Honduran authorities, according to the Joint Task Force-Bravo Web site.
Zelaya has increasingly voiced his frustration with the U.S. government for failing to impose tougher penalties on the coup-installed government.
Washington has suspended millions of dollars in military and development aid to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. But it has stopped short of imposing trade sanctions that could cripple the Honduran economy, which is highly dependent on exports to the United States.
The government of interim President Roberto Micheletti is trying to withstand international pressure to restore Zelaya before scheduled Nov. 29 presidential elections. It insists Zelaya was legally removed from office after violating court orders to call off a referendum asking voters whether they would support rewriting the constitution.
Zelaya's supporters tried to keep up the pressure Saturday. More than 1,000 sympathizers congregated in a plaza to commemorate a 19-year-old man killed during a July 5 protest.
Associated Press writers Alexandra Olson in Mexico City and Alan Clendenning in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
Associated Press
By Freddy Cuevas, Associated Press Writer
A top official in Honduras' ousted government claims there was U.S. involvement in the coup that deposed Manuel Zelaya, saying the plane that flew him into exile stopped at an airfield manned by hundreds of American troops.
Patricia Valle, who served as Zelaya's deputy foreign minister, says the Honduran military aircraft took off from the capital's Toncontin airport, then landed to take on fuel at the Soto Cano base before heading to Costa Rica. She says Zelaya stayed on the plane during the stop.
Soto Cano, also known as Palmerola, is a Honduran military base that is home to at least 500 U.S. troops engaged in counter-narcotics operations and other missions in Central America.
Valle charged Saturday that the stop at Palmerola showed U.S. officials at some level were complicit in the June 28 coup, although she gave no evidence that American personnel at the base interacted with the Honduran military officials on the plane or that they even knew Zelaya was there.
"Zelaya was taken to Palmerola," Valle told The Associated Press. "The United States was involved in the coup against Zelaya."
She didn't offer any proof for that assertion and stressed that she didn't believe the highest levels of the Obama administration were involved.
Valle made the allegation in response to a question about a report in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo saying Zelaya spoke about stopping at the base during a meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday.
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Shantel Dalton said she had no information about Valle's claim and could not comment. Joint Task Force-Bravo, the military unit that operates at the base, and the U.S. Southern Command did not return calls.
Palmerola was used by the United States during the Central American civil wars of the 1980s. U.S. Air Force personnel are responsible for maintaining the airfield and share air traffic control duties with Honduran authorities, according to the Joint Task Force-Bravo Web site.
Zelaya has increasingly voiced his frustration with the U.S. government for failing to impose tougher penalties on the coup-installed government.
Washington has suspended millions of dollars in military and development aid to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. But it has stopped short of imposing trade sanctions that could cripple the Honduran economy, which is highly dependent on exports to the United States.
The government of interim President Roberto Micheletti is trying to withstand international pressure to restore Zelaya before scheduled Nov. 29 presidential elections. It insists Zelaya was legally removed from office after violating court orders to call off a referendum asking voters whether they would support rewriting the constitution.
Zelaya's supporters tried to keep up the pressure Saturday. More than 1,000 sympathizers congregated in a plaza to commemorate a 19-year-old man killed during a July 5 protest.
Associated Press writers Alexandra Olson in Mexico City and Alan Clendenning in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
DRC holds Freeport staff in alleged visa scam.
Reuters
15 August 2009
By Joe Bavier
Congolese authorities have detained three employees of a giant Freeport-MacMoRan mining project on suspicion of embezzling millions of dollars in a visa and work permit scam, Congo's top prosecutor has told Reuters.
Two Congolese staff and Dirk Vanhooymissen, administrator at Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) in which US-based Freeport is majority stakeholder, are being held at the capital Kinshasa's central prison.
"They are being prosecuted for misappropriation of public funds and forgery," Democratic Republic of Congo's prosecutor-general Octave Tela told Reuters late on Friday.
He said they were under suspicion of involvement in a scheme under which usual procedures were bypassed for paying visa and work permit fees for TFM employees, adding that the sums in question amounted to several million dollars.
Francois Saidi Hamici, director of immigration in Katanga province, had also been detained in connection with in the affair, Tela said.
The TFM mine project in Congo's Katanga province is widely considered to be the largest and highest-grade undeveloped copper and cobalt project in the world.
TFM said in a statement that the company was aware that the three employees were being held for questioning in relation to their alleged involvement in the scheme.
"The government has not presented TFM with any evidence of wrongdoing by TFM's employees. The company is cooperating with government inquiries and conducting its own internal investigation," TMF spokeswoman Margaret Kabamba said.
She added that according to company policy, any lawyers employed on behalf of the accused would not be authorised to talk to the media. The employees themselves could not be reached for comment.
Freeport has a 57,75 percent stake in the Tenke mine.
Toronto-listed Lundin Mining owns 24,75 percent with Congolese state copper miner Gecamines holding 17,5 percent.
The affair comes a week after Congo's government completed a long-delayed review of 61 mining contracts, most of which were agreed during the chaos of a 1998-2003 war and the three-year transitional government that followed.
Officials said Tenke has yet to agree to the rewriting of the contract in accordance with new legislation, extra royalties on additional production, and the integration of the state company into management structures.
The government gave the TFM an additional 60 days in which to complete the process.
15 August 2009
By Joe Bavier
Congolese authorities have detained three employees of a giant Freeport-MacMoRan mining project on suspicion of embezzling millions of dollars in a visa and work permit scam, Congo's top prosecutor has told Reuters.
Two Congolese staff and Dirk Vanhooymissen, administrator at Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) in which US-based Freeport is majority stakeholder, are being held at the capital Kinshasa's central prison.
"They are being prosecuted for misappropriation of public funds and forgery," Democratic Republic of Congo's prosecutor-general Octave Tela told Reuters late on Friday.
He said they were under suspicion of involvement in a scheme under which usual procedures were bypassed for paying visa and work permit fees for TFM employees, adding that the sums in question amounted to several million dollars.
Francois Saidi Hamici, director of immigration in Katanga province, had also been detained in connection with in the affair, Tela said.
The TFM mine project in Congo's Katanga province is widely considered to be the largest and highest-grade undeveloped copper and cobalt project in the world.
TFM said in a statement that the company was aware that the three employees were being held for questioning in relation to their alleged involvement in the scheme.
"The government has not presented TFM with any evidence of wrongdoing by TFM's employees. The company is cooperating with government inquiries and conducting its own internal investigation," TMF spokeswoman Margaret Kabamba said.
She added that according to company policy, any lawyers employed on behalf of the accused would not be authorised to talk to the media. The employees themselves could not be reached for comment.
Freeport has a 57,75 percent stake in the Tenke mine.
Toronto-listed Lundin Mining owns 24,75 percent with Congolese state copper miner Gecamines holding 17,5 percent.
The affair comes a week after Congo's government completed a long-delayed review of 61 mining contracts, most of which were agreed during the chaos of a 1998-2003 war and the three-year transitional government that followed.
Officials said Tenke has yet to agree to the rewriting of the contract in accordance with new legislation, extra royalties on additional production, and the integration of the state company into management structures.
The government gave the TFM an additional 60 days in which to complete the process.
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