United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

26 May 2010

USAFRICOM -related news stories

From and About Africa

SPANISH TRAWLER REPELS PIRATE ATTACK

Madrid - A Spanish fishing trawler repelled an attack by pirates off Madagascar on Tuesday, its owners
said. "This morning, our tuna trawler, the Campolibre Alai, was the victim of a pirate attack in the waters
of Madagascar, near the waters of the French island of Mayotte," the Echebasta company said in a
statement. "The boat took evasion manouevres and was able to leave the area with suffering any harm to
personnel," it said.

SUDAN TO NEGOTIATE HOSTAGE RELEASE

Khartoum - Sudanese authorities located kidnappers who are holding three aid workers, including an
American woman, and will negotiate the hostages' release, a minister said on Tuesday. "We succeeded in
locating them and we will negotiate their release using local mediators," state minister for humanitarian
affairs Abdel Baqi al-Jilani told reporters. "But we will refuse to pay a ransom and we reserve the right to
bring them to justice," he said

SEYCHELLES STEPS UP ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS

Information was received during the week that the Seychelles government is
in the process of establishing a separate chamber in its court system to
exclusively deal with pirate trials, supported by friendly nations participating
in the naval operations off the Horn of Africa and across the expanses of the
Indian Ocean.

SOMALIS DENY PIRACY IN LANDMARK EU TRIAL

Five Somalis denied today trying to hijack a ship from the Dutch Antilles in 2009, as the first European
piracy trial opened in a Dutch court. The five Somalis are accused of attacking and attempting to hijack
the Samanyolu, a Dutch Antilles-flagged ship, while it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden in January 2009.

SOMALIA SLAMS US PIRATE PROSECUTION

Somali official has criticized the United States for prosecuting a Somali pirate who
was caught during an attack against a cargo ship off the Horn of Africa. Jamaal
Cumar, a US-based Somali official, told the BBC that there are "serious concerns"
over Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse's case who is due to be sentenced in October. "The
Somali government's position has always been that we questioned the jurisdiction
of this case," Cumar said.

SOMALI PARLIAMENT ANNOUNCES SPEAKER ELECTION DATE

Mogadishu. The Somali parliamentary committee for the selection of the speaker on Tuesday announced
May 27 as the date for the election to replace the resigned parliament speaker, Xinhua informs.
USA FIRST NATION TO APPOINT AMBASSADOR TO EAC
KAMPALA, UGANDA: The United States has become the first nation to appoint an Ambassador to the
East African Community. The USA Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso E. Lenhardt presented his
credentials as USA's representative to the East African Community to the EAC Secretary General
Ambassador Juma Mwapachu last week. "Ambassador Lenhardt's accreditation to the EAC, endorsed by
the Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation makes the USA the first nation
to nominate an ambassador to the regional bloc," said the EAC spokesman Richard Owora. Ambassador
Mwapachu said the development will trigger a new wave of deeper cooperation between the US and the
East African Community.

SOUTH AFRICA BEEFS UP TEAM SECURITY IN OR TAMPO AIRPORT

Johannesburg — a separate terminal has been set up at OR Tambo International Airport for the 31 soccer
teams that will be arriving in South Africa for the FIFA World Cup, Airports Company South Africa said
on Tuesday.

ETHIOPIA ACTIONS DURING ETHIOPIAN ELECTIONS "DEEPLY TROUBLING" -- U.S

WASHINGTON - The limitation of independent observation and the harassment of independent media
representatives during the parliamentary elections in Ethiopia on Sunday were "deeply troubling," the
White House said on Tuesday night.

BURUNDI PARTIES WANT POLL ANNULLED

Bujumbura - Burundi's main opposition parties on Tuesday demanded that local polls held on Monday
be annulled, claiming the ruling regime rigged its way to victory. Eight of the country's top opposition
parties signed a joint statement condemning mass fraud and demanding a re-run.

TANZANIA PRESIDENT KIKWETE CALLS FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN EAST AFRICA

Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete has cautioned East African countries scheduled to conduct elections
in the next 10 months to ensure the polls are credible to avoid chaos in the region. Instead, the countries
should use the elections as opportunity to demonstrate democracy to the rest of the world. Uganda,
Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda will be holding general election while Kenyans, and
Tanzanians will be holding constitutional referendums. “Experience has shown many countries have
generated into political crises and violence,” said the Tanzanian leader celebrated for helping broker a
peace deal for Kenya following the 2008 post-election chaos. “We have to ensure that elections and
referendums are conducted in a manner that will be free and fair.”

SOMALIA RADICAL GROUP MOVES FORCES TO MOGADISHU

Mogadishu - Some sources in Mogadishu indicate that Ahlu Sunna wal-Jamea, the moderate Islamist
group allied with the Transitional Federal Government, have deployed fresh forces to the Somali capital.
Hundreds of militias have arrived in Mogadishu after they were airlifted from training centres in Central
Somalia.

SOMALIA GOV'T CLAIMS NO ATTACK ON VILLA SOMALIA

mogadishu - The Somali government rejects media reports of an attack on the Presidential Palace by al-
Shabab fighters as "false and fabricated".

US AUTHORIZES COVERT OPERATIONS ACROSS ME, AFRICA

WASHINGTON: A senior U.S. military commander issued a secret order last year that laid the ground
for an escalation of covert operations across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, officials said on
Monday reported by A Pakistan News.

AFRICAN LEADERS URGED TO SPREAD THE WEALTH

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Africa's growing wealth needs to be spread
beyond the confines of powerful elites and goverments must come clean
about opaque mining and oil deals, a leading think-tank said on Tuesday.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan addresses a news conference in Berlin April 24, 2007. Africa's
growing wealth needs to be spread beyond the confines of powerful elites and goverments must come
clean about opaque mining and oil deals, a leading think-tank said on Tuesday. In its annual report, the
Africa Progress Panel, chaired by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, identified poor
governance and creaking transport and power infrastructure as the main impediments to the continent of
a billion people. "Only leadership and governance can close the gap between a rich continent and a poor
people," Annan told a news conference in South Africa's commercial capital.

GUINEA-BISSAU FORMER FUGITIVE IS THE REAL POWER IN GUINEA-BISSAU

BISSAU— For months, as the United States Treasury Department
prepared to declare him a drug kingpin and a major figure in the
international narcotics trade, Rear Adm. José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto
was hiding out in the unlikeliest of places — living in the United
Nations building here, sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a United
Nations office and sometimes eating in the canteen. José Américo Bubo
Na Tchuto, accused by the United States of being a figure in the drug
trade, can be seen in the streets of Bissau riding in a pickup. All the
while, a coup was hatching, possibly by his hand. Last month, soldiers
loyal to Mr. Na Tchuto stormed the United Nations building as he was eating breakfast and also seized
his political enemies — including the nation’s prime minister and its army chief — to make it safe for him
to leave. Bubo Na Tchuto is actually the force behind the forces,” said Dr. Abdel Fatau Musah, the
political director for the Economic Community of West African States, a regional bloc of nations. “The
fact that he is controlling things is very unpleasant for the region.”

YEMEN US CONDUCTING COVERT AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN

The U.S. military has launched another air strike in Yemen - this time against a meeting of al Qaeda
operatives. As with earlier strikes in Yemen, no one in the U.S. government will officially acknowledge
that it took place, but these strikes are part of a stepped up campaign against al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula, the organization which allegedly dispatched Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmuttulab
to bring down an airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day. The strike took place Monday night, just as the
New York Times was revealing the contents of a secret order signed by Gen. David Petraeus directing the
military to step up its intelligence operations in countries throughout his area of command, which
stretches from Yemen to Pakistan and includes Iran as well as Iraq and Afghanistan.

YEMEN TRIBE HITS PIPELINE TO AVENGE ABORTIVE ANTI-QAEDA RAID!

SANAA - An airstrike in Yemen targeting al Qaeda missed its mark on Tuesday and killed a mediator by
mistake, prompting members of his tribe to blow up a crude oil pipeline in clashes that followed, a
provincial official said. A Yemeni news website seen as aligned with the opposition said the strike was
carried out by a drone, a weapon that the Yemen military is not believed to have. U.S. forces helping
Yemen fight al Qaeda have used drones in the past, but a U.S. diplomat declined to say if the United
States was involved. The strike could heighten anti-U.S. sentiment and broaden al Qaeda’s appeal among
some influential Yemeni tribes, threatening efforts to stabilise a country neighbouring oil power Saudi
Arabia and busy international shipping lanes, analysts said.

ISLAMIC WEALTH POOL STILL GROWING

Ernst & Young, a professional services firm, released its fourth annual Islamic Funds & Investment
report, which showed that global conventional mutual fund assets under management, or AuM,
exhibited signs of recovery from their lows of $19 trillion in 2008, reaching $22 trillion in 2009. Shariah
compliant investable wealth pool grew by 20 per cent to reach $480 billion in 2009. In 2008, this was $400
billion.

ISLAMIC FINANCE SET TO BE A $2 TRILLION GLOBAL INDUSTRY

DUBAI — Islamic finance is set to be a $2 trillion worldwide industry in the next five years, according to
Rushdi Siddiqui, Global Head of Islamic finance of Thomson Reuters. Speaking at a panel discussion at
the Middle East, North Africa and South Africa Forum, or MENASA, entitled “The Challenges Ahead for
Islamic finance,” Siddiqui said: “It took the Islamic finance industry 40 years to become a $1 trillion
industry. It will take another two to five years to become a $2 trillion industry.”

NIGERIA REPS WAR OVER SHARING OF N15 BILLION CAPITAL VOTE

Abuja — AS allegation over the intention of the House of Representatives to share both the recurrent and
capital vote of the House to each member, in this year's budget put most Representatives on edge,
yesterday, the House went into a two-hour close door session and refused to make an official statement
over the allegation. But, findings by Vanguard revealed that most of the members were angry with the
leadership of the House, accusing it of selling the story to the Press to cover up alleged dirty deals under
the capital vote of the House.

CAMEROON: FRAGILE STATE?

the latest background report from the International Crisis Group, examines Cameroon's history, its
contemporary politics and the relations between its main social groups. The report uncovers points of
potential instability and suggests how to tackle them. The country's history shows a pattern of apparent
stability followed by violent crisis. For long periods, problems have been masked but not dealt with, and
consequent frustrations have led to explosions of violence. Today, the nation-building project has become
frayed, as the economy has stagnated, and unemployment and inequality have risen. While potential
organising forces are weak and dissipated, popular anger is high. The country's institutions are weak,
and multiple conflict risks exist. The regime retains its old conservative reflexes, but the experiences and
expectations of a youthful population have moved on.

GHANA GHANAIANS FLEE FOR NORTHERN TOGO

Over 3,500 Ghanaian refugees have crossed over from Nandom province of northern Ghana into Togo
following ethnic clashes and land disputes. The victims, mainly women and children have been camped
in temporary shelter camps in Northern Togo. They complained about several attacks at home which
have become a regular occurrence in recent years.

CHAD UN AGREES TO PULL UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE

UNITED NATIONS (AP): Chad's government succeeded Tuesday in forcing a 3,300-strong U.N.
peacekeeping force operating in Chad and the Central African Republic to pull out by the end of this
year.

GUINEA CARTER CENTER LAUNCHES ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO GUINEA

Conakry - The Carter Center will deploy eight long-term observers throughout Guinea this week to
formally launch its international election observation mission of the country's June 27 elections. The
mission is supported by an office in Conakry, which was established in mid-May and led by Field Office
Representative John Koogler.

SOUTH SUDAN INDEPENDENCE 'MAJOR PROBLEM': AU CHIEF

OUAGADOUGOU — African Union (AU) chief Jean Ping voiced concern Tuesday about south
Sudan voting for independence in a referendum due in January, saying it would be a "major
problem" for other African nations. "From the outset we've argued in favour one of the options,
making (Sudan's) unity attractive," Ping told journalists during events marking Africa Day.

SUDAN CHARGES OPPOSITION JOURNALIST WITH TERRORISM

KHARTOUM - Sudan has charged a detained opposition journalist with terrorism and espionage and he
has been tortured in custody, his lawyers said on Tuesday. U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Watch
condemned the arrest earlier this month of opposition Islamist Hassan al-Turabi and four staff of his al-
Rai al-Shaab paper, mouthpiece of Turabi's Popular Congress Party (PCP).