United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 25 January 2012

Please find attached news clips for January 25, 2012, along with upcoming events of interest and UN News Service briefs. Of interest in todays clips: - Raid in Somalia frees two hostages - Ongoing challenges in Nigeria - GEN Ham in Rwanda - Libya is still unstable as loyalists to Qadhafi begin fighting in Bani Walid - Boko Haram has reported killed nearly 1,000 since 2009 - Conflict continues in Somalia - Nigerians arrest 158 suspected Boko Haram This message is best viewed in HTML format.

U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: publicaffairs@usafricom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687) -------------------------------------------Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa American hostage in Somalia rescued by US Navy SEALs in overnight raid (MSNBC) http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10229917-american-hostage-insomalia-rescued-by-us-navy-seals-in-overnight-raid January 25, 2012 By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent WASHINGTON -- In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News. US Army Prepares For Nigerias Possible BREAK-UP (Tumfweko <Zambian News>) http://tumfweko.com/2012/01/23/us-army-prepares-for-nigerias-possible-break-up/ January 24, 2012
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By an unattributed author There are strong indications that the United States of America, USA, may be gearing up for a possible balkanisation of the country following developments in the last few years. AFRICOM Commander In Rwanda (IGIHE) http://en.igihe.com/spip.php?article1623 January 23, 2012 By Joram Muhoozi The president of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame has received General Carter F. Ham, AFRICOM Commander in his office at Village Urugwiro. Overnight explosions heard in Nigeria's Kano (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/201212402548882842.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author Explosions and gunfire were reported early on Tuesday from an area near a police station in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, where co-ordinated attacks and gun battles last week killed about 178 people. Former Gaddafi stronghold revolts against Tripoli (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N04T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Oliver Holmes BANI WALID, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's ramshackle government lost control of a former stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi on Tuesday after local people staged an armed uprising, posing the gravest challenge yet to the country's new rulers. Fighting erupts in Libya's Bani Walid (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/2012123182559826642.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author At least five people have been killed in fighting in the Libyan town of Bani Walid between fighters still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and forces supporting the country's transitional government. South Africa investigates 'gay slur' King Zwelithini (BBC News) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16697943 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author South Africa's Human Rights Commission is investigating reports that Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini called gay people "rotten" during a speech. Somalia's al-Shabab attack Ethiopian base in Beledweyne (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16697879 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author
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Islamist militants have launched a suicide truck bomb attack on an Ethiopian military base in central Somalia, witnesses say. Nigeria's Boko Haram killed 935 people since 2009: report (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N00K20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author ABUJA (Reuters) - The Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed at least 935 people since it launched an uprising in 2009, including more than 250 in the first weeks of this year, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Somalia suicide bomber attacks govt office near border (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N01T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - An al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in central Somalia used by troops and politicians on Tuesday, a military official and an al Shabaab spokesman said. Zambia dissolves board of Libya-owned Zamtel (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE80N03S20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia has dissolved the board of Libya-controlled Zamtel and appointed a new acting CEO, the government said on Tuesday, as it seizes 75 percent in the fixed-line operator from owner LAP Green Networks. Aircraft bomb South Sudan refugee camp: UN (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N06W20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author GENEVA (Reuters) - Aircraft bombed a South Sudan camp containing 5,000 refugees near the border with Sudan on Monday, injuring one boy and leaving 14 missing, the United Nations refugee agency said. Somalia suicide bomber attacks govt office near border (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N01T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - An al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in central Somalia used by troops and politicians on Tuesday, a military official and an al Shabaab spokesman said. South African mediator says rival Madagascar leaders irresponsible (Washington Post / Associated Press)
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/south-african-mediator-says-rivalmadagascar-leaders-irresponsible/2012/01/24/gIQAwFZKNQ_story.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author PRETORIA, South Africa Regional heavyweight South Africa says efforts to mediate a solution to Madagascars political crisis have been frustrated by the irresponsible behavior of the Indian Ocean island nations rival leaders. West African states to work together against terror (AFP) http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_beNThiiBqmjtszfcqS55U9xqw?docId=CNG.173c36ad7fcb2b6231ea476adcec64a0.6f1 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author NOUAKCHOTT Representatives from Sahel states and Nigeria vowed Tuesday to help each other fight terrorism from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Islamist sect Boko Haram, which are said to have ties. THE WORLD; International court indicts Kenyans; The charges stem from the postelection violence that racked the country in 2007 (LA Times) (Text available below) January 24, 2012 By Robyn Dixon The International Criminal Court ordered four powerful politicians in Kenya to stand trial for crimes against humanity, a rare legal challenge to an elite that has long enjoyed impunity in the East African nation. Darfur: Security Council condemns attack on UN-African Union peacekeepers (M2 Presswire) (Text available below) January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author The Security Council today strongly condemned this weekend's attack on a United Nations-African Union patrol in Darfur, which resulted in one death, and called on the Sudanese Government to bring the perpetrators to justice. Nigerians arrest Islamist militant suspects, sources say (CNN) http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/24/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 January 24, 2012 By Nima Elbagir, Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- A joint military task force in Nigeria arrested 158 suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, security sources told CNN Tuesday, three days after a spate of bombings and shootings left more than 200 people dead in Nigeria's second-largest city.

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UN News Service Africa Briefs http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA (Full Articles on UN Website) UN expert calls for urgent international food assistance to Sahel region 24 January An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged the global community to take quick action to prevent millions of people in Africas Sahel region from slipping into a full-scale food emergency, warning that drought, poor harvests and rising food prices have left the region on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Cte dIvoire: Relief support key to reconstruction and development UN official 24 January A senior United Nations relief official stressed today that assisting the people of Cte dIvoire in overcoming their current humanitarian difficulties will lay the foundation for the countrys transition to reconstruction and development after last years bloody post-election violence. ICC prosecutor hails ruling on Kenya as crucial step for countrys future 24 January The recent ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC) requiring four prominent Kenyans to stand trial for crimes against humanity allegedly committed in late 2007 represents a significant step towards a peaceful future in the country, the Courts prosecutor said today. Somalia: UN envoy re-establishes office in Mogadishu after 17-year hiatus 24 January The United Nations envoy for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today formally moved his office back to the countrys capital, Mogadishu, from neighbouring Kenya, where it has been based for 17 years. UN agency condemns air raids on refugee site in South Sudan 24 January The United Nations refugee agency today condemned two air raids near a refugee transit centre in South Sudan, saying that 14 people went missing during the attacks and that a teenage boy was injured. ### Upcoming Events of Interest: 25 JANUARY 2012 WHEN: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. WHAT: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) Discussion on "Awakening Arab Innovation." Speakers: Marwan Muasher, Inger Andersen, and Rami Khouri. WHERE: CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW CONTACT: 202-483-7600 ; web site: www.carnegieendowment.org SOURCE: CEIP - event announcement at:
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http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2012/01/25/awakening-arab-innovation/92mp WHEN: 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. WHAT: Center for American Progress (CAP) Discussion on "President Obama and a 21st Century Military." Speakers: Featured panelists: Michael Breen, Vice President, Truman National Security Project; Jim Arkedis, Director, National Security Project, Progressive Policy Institute; and Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Moderator: Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President of National Security and International Policy, Center for American Progress. WHERE: CAP, 1333 H Street, NW CONTACT: 202-682-161; web site: www.americanprogress.org SOURCE: CAP - event announcement at: http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2012/01/defensestrategy.html WHEN: 4:00 -7:30 p.m. WHAT: U.S. Institute of Peace, Next Generation Peacebuilding and Social Change in the Arab World. Featured the U.S. premiere of "Salam Shabab" (Peace Youth), the first peacebuilding reality TV series for Iraqi youth WHERE: USIS, 2301 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC CONTACT: Alexis Toriello at atoriello@usip.org SOURCE: http://www.usip.org/salam-shabab-premiere 26 JANUARY 2012 WHEN: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. WHAT: Brookings Institution Discussion on "Negotiating Humanitarian Access: How Far to Compromise to Deliver Aid." Speakers: Introduction and Moderator Elizabeth Ferris, Co-Director, Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement; Panelists: William Garvelink, Senior Adviser, U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic International Studies; Markus Geisser, Deputy Head of Regional Delegation, International Committee for the Red Cross; Michael Neuman, Research Director, Centre de Rflexion sur lAction et les Savior Humanitaries , Mdecins Sans Frontires; and Rabih Torbay, Vice President for International Operations, International Medical Corps. WHERE: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW CONTACT: 202-797-6105; events@brookings.edu; web site: www.brookings.edu SOURCE: Brookings Institution - event announcement at: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2012/0126_negotiating_access.aspx ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULLTEXT
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American hostage in Somalia rescued by US Navy SEALs in overnight raid (MSNBC) http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10229917-american-hostage-insomalia-rescued-by-us-navy-seals-in-overnight-raid January 25, 2012 By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent WASHINGTON -- In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News. American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group. According to the U.S. officials, two teams of Navy SEALs landed by helicopter near the compound where the two hostages were being held. As the SEALS approached the compound on foot gunfire broke out, the U.S. officials said, and several of the militants were reportedly killed. There is no word that any of the Americans were wounded. The SEALs gathered up Buchanan and Thisted, loaded them onto the helicopters and flew them to safety at an undisclosed location. The two hostages were not injured during the rescue operation and are reported to be in relatively good condition. The two had been working for the Danish Refugee Council on a demining project in northern Somalia. The humanitarian group has been providing relief to some 450,000 refugees in the Somalia-Kenya border region. News reports at the time said the two were kidnapped Oct. 25 along with a Somali colleague when their three-car convoy was stopped on the way to an airport. A selfproclaimed Somali pirate said they had been kidnapped for ransom by pirates stymied by Western nations' efforts to stop the seizure of ships off the coast. The fate of the Somali colleague was unclear. The first indication of the rescue operation came Tuesday night in Washington from President Barack Obama himself. As the president entered the House chambers to give his State of the Union Speech, he pointed to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta standing in the crowd and said, "Leon. Good job tonight. Good job tonight." The president made no mention of the hostage rescue, but finished his speech with a reference to the killing of Osama bin Laden last May in a similar operation to the one conducted by Navy SEALs Tuesday night. ###
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US Army Prepares For Nigerias Possible BREAK-UP (Tumfweko <Zambian News>) http://tumfweko.com/2012/01/23/us-army-prepares-for-nigerias-possible-break-up/ January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author There are strong indications that the United States of America, USA, may be gearing up for a possible balkanisation of the country following developments in the last few years. This indication is contained in a publication credited to NEWSRESCUE in America, where accounts of an article written by Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, DC and Guest Columnist of AllAfrica Global Media, Mr. Daniel Volman and speakers in an AFRICOM conference held at Fort McNair were given. It would be recalled that in 2005, the US predicted that Nigeria would cease to be a nation state in 2015 in view of threats posed by continued ethno-religious crisis over the years. Similarly, 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 with a mention of Nigeria. Also, the question of how to handle possible splits between factions within the Nigerian government was tested with a plan by the Americans to send about 20,000 troops to secure and take over the oil-rich South while the North would be turned into an Arab aligned, possibly terrorist enclave. Recent developments in the polity, namely the post-election violence up country, the activities of militants in the South and the recent activities of the Islamic Boko Haram sect in a spate of terrorism-like bomb attacks may have laid strong credence to the claim. Indications are that the US will favour a disintegration of the country given Nigerias not too distant past romance with countries considered not to be allies of the self-acclaimed world super power. The Nigerian government had not long ago signed deals with Russia and Iran for major resource, military and power (Nuclear generation) mutual ventures. This alliance did not go down well with the US as these nations are considered perpetual enemies. In addition, Nigeria has been promoting development, not by serving US interest but by cooperations with so-called third world Nations like Brazil. The US has been known to be at the center of important breakups in the past. Countries like Vietnam and Korea had the US play a major skewed role, and when these Nations divided into North and South, the US stationed its troops at the border to defend usually the Southern territory, and the Northern usually became a rejected, isolated rudiment. It would also be recalled that in the 2010 budget, the US had made provision for the expansion of the operations of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), which will
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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. This is even as in 2009, Nigerias late President, Umaru Musa YarAdua, clearly rejected the installation of US AFRICOM military command in Nigeria, probably sensing that the Pentagon had planned to establish a new military command in Africa. Newsrescue ### AFRICOM Commander In Rwanda (IGIHE) http://en.igihe.com/spip.php?article1623 January 23, 2012 By Joram Muhoozi The president of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame has received General Carter F. Ham, AFRICOM Commander in his office at Village Urugwiro. This is in connection with AFRICOM the U.S established state partnership program with Rwanda that was established in 2009 and aimed at providing support to the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF). General Hams visit is aimed at holding discussions with Rwanda military officials on how to further strengthen the existing partnership. General Ham said during the visit that the U.S troops have good relationship with Rwanda troops because they provide through trainings for capacity building focusing on sustainable security. Ham is a United States Army general, who serves as the second and current Commander, U.S. Africa Command. In that position, he has been in command of the initial 2011 military intervention in Libya. He served as an enlisted Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division before attending John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant through the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (Army ROTC) in the Infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1976. ### Overnight explosions heard in Nigeria's Kano (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/201212402548882842.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author
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Explosions and gunfire were reported early on Tuesday from an area near a police station in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, where co-ordinated attacks and gun battles last week killed about 178 people. The AFP news agency reported early on Tuesday that its correspondent heard a series of blasts and gunshots coming from an area where a mobile police headquarters is located. Details were not immediately clear and police were not available for comment. A resident reported a similar account. "I was awoken from sleep by explosions and gunshots coming from the mobile barracks and police station opposite," the resident said, adding that they had stopped after several minutes. "It's terrifying ... It's too dangerous to go out, besides there is curfew." Sporadic gunfire could still be heard after the explosions halted. A nighttime curfew is in effect in the wake of Friday's bomb attacks and fierce gun battles between Boko Haram fighters and police in Kano, Nigeria's second largest city. On Monday, Nigerian police said they had found several cars and vans filled with explosives in the city. "The police were on a stop-and-search today and in two of the checkpoints, the Boko Haram members on sighting the checkpoints abandoned their vehicles and ran," a highlevel police officer told the Reuters news agency, asking not to be named. "The vehicles were later checked and the cars were loaded with explosives. Two brand new Hilux open pick-up vans were also found packed with explosives in the Bompai area of Kano." Unexploded car bombs Authorities discovered at least 10 unexploded car bombs, including one near a police station in Kano, as well as around 100 other explosive devices through the day on Monday. Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege, reporting from Kano, said the cars, which were discovered at a petrol station near the central police station, were "filled with explosive devices that were clearly designed to go off on Friday" but did not. In reaction to the discovery of the bombs, and potential for the discovery of more explosives, our correspondent said police had been asking for citizens to report any suspicious activities or unattended vehicles parked near symbols of Nigerian authority such as police stations and government buildings.
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Magaji Musa Majiya, a police spokesperson, said officers were able to disarm the car bombs. According to police figures released on Monday, 29 policemen, three intelligence officers, two immigration officers and scores of civilians were among the dead in last week's attacks. "Nearly all Nigerian security agencies are involved [in trying to figure out] how Boko Haram were able to co-ordinate the attacks. They are trying to beef up authority around the symbols of Nigerian authority" our correspondent said. In Maiduguri, a town in the northeast that has been at the centre of Boko Haram activity, a policeman was shot dead on Monday. "The policeman was on patrol along with his colleague in a vehicle when the Boko Haram opened fire and shot him dead," said Simeon Midena, the commissioner of police. "As usual the killers just disappeared into the crowd." Maidiguri patrols The joint military task force has increased its defences and widened its patrols in Maiduguri in recent days. On Sunday, the military killed four suspected Boko Haram gunmen in Maiduguri and found explosives in their car, a military spokesman said. Boko Haram, which was formed in Maiduguri in 2002, has killed hundreds of people in the last year, mostly in and around its home state of Borno, though its attacks have been spreading across the north of Africa's most populous nation. The group, loosely modelled on Afghanistan's Taliban, focuses its attacks mostly on the police, military and government, but has also targeted Christians more recently. It says it is fighting enemies who have wronged its members through violence, arrests or economic neglect and corruption. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has been severely criticised for not getting a grip on a group that he says has infiltrated the police, military and all areas of government. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies ### Former Gaddafi stronghold revolts against Tripoli (Reuters)
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http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N04T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Oliver Holmes BANI WALID, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's ramshackle government lost control of a former stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi on Tuesday after local people staged an armed uprising, posing the gravest challenge yet to the country's new rulers. Elders in Bani Walid, where militias loyal to the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) were driven out in a gunbattle a day earlier, said they were appointing their own local government and rejected any interference from the authorities in the capital Tripoli. The town's revolt will heighten doubts in the West about the NTC government's ability to instil law and order crucial to rebuilding oil exports, to disarm tribal militias and guard Libyan borders in a region where al Qaeda is active. Local elders denied reports that they were loyal to Gaddafi, who was captured and killed in October after weeks on the run, and Reuters reporters in Bani Walid saw no signs of the Gaddafi-era green flags which witnesses earlier said had been hoisted over the town. But the collapse of NTC authority in the town, one of the most die-hard bastions of proGaddafi sentiment during Libya's nine-month civil war last year, will compound the problems besetting a government that in the past week has been staggering from one crisis to another. The uprising in Bani Walid could not come at a worse time for the National Transitional Council government. In the past week its chief has had his office overrun by protesters angry at the slow pace of reform and the second most senior official has quit, citing what he described as an "atmosphere of hatred." Reuters reporters who entered Bani Walid on Tuesday morning saw a few of the black, green and red flags of last year's anti-Gaddafi rebellion but there was no sign of any central government presence. About 200 elders who gathered in a mosque decided to abolish an NTC-appointed military council for the town and appoint their own local council, in direct defiance of the authority of the government in Tripoli. "If (NTC chief Mustafa) Abdel Jalil is going to force anyone on us, we won't accept that by any means," one of the elders, Ali Zargoun, told Reuters at the mosque. "BROTHERS IN REVOLUTION" Accounts from Bani Walid, a town about 200 km (120 miles) from Tripoli, late on Monday described armed Gaddafi supporters attacking the barracks of the progovernment militia in the town and then forcing them to retreat.
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A fighter with the routed pro-government militia told Reuters the loyalists were flying "brand new green flags" from the centre of town. The flags were symbols of Gaddafi's maverick, 42-year dictatorship. But elders on Tuesday disputed that account. "In the Libyan revolution, we have all become brothers. We will not be an obstacle to progress," said another elder, Miftah Jubarra. "Regarding allegations of pro-Gaddafi elements in Bani Walid, this is not true. This is the media. You will go around the city and find no green flags or pictures of Gaddafi." Bani Walid, base of the powerful Warfallah tribe, was one of the last towns to surrender to the anti-Gaddafi rebellion last year. A Libyan air official said war planes were being mobilised to fly to Bani Walid. But it was not immediately clear what the government in Tripoli could do. It has yet to demonstrate that it has an effective fighting force under its command and Bani Walid, protected behind a deep valley, is difficult to attack. EMBATTLED GOVERNMENT During Libya's nine-month war, anti-Gaddafi NTC rebels tried to take Bani Walid but did not progress much beyond the outskirts of the town. It later emerged that Saif al-Islam, one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons who was captured in the Sahara desert in November, had been using Bani Walid as a base. Soon before the end of the conflict, with Gaddafi's defeat unavoidable, local tribal elders negotiated an agreement under which forces loyal to the NTC were able to enter the town without a fight. Relations have been uneasy since then and there have been occasional flare-ups of violence. A local resident, who did not want to be identified, said Monday's violence began when members of the May 28 militia, affiliated to the NTC, arrested some former Gaddafi loyalists. That prompted other supporters of the former leader to attack the militia's garrison. "They massacred men at the doors of the militia headquarters," said the resident. FRAGILE GRIP ON POWER The NTC still has the backing of the NATO powers who, with their diplomatic pressure and bombing campaign, helped push out Gaddafi and install the new government. NTC authorities pledged to unify the tribally-divided country, reconstruct its once mighty oil industry that made Libya a major exporter in OPEC, and hold democratic elections.
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But questions are now being raised inside some Western governments about the NTC's ability to govern Libya effectively and secure its frontiers against al Qaeda, arms traffickers and illegal migrants trying to get into Europe. The NTC tumbled into its worst crisis since the end of the civil war at the weekend when a crowd of protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi stormed the council's local headquarters when NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil was inside. The protesters, who supported the revolt against Gaddafi, were angry that more progress had not been made to restore basic public services. They also said many of the NTC's members were tarnished by having served in Gaddafi's administration. Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, deputy head of the NTC and target of some of the protests, said he was resigning. Abdel Jalil warned that the protests could drag the country into a "bottomless pit." ### Fighting erupts in Libya's Bani Walid (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/01/2012123182559826642.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author At least five people have been killed in fighting in the Libyan town of Bani Walid between fighters still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and forces supporting the country's transitional government. Mohamed Bashir, the town's mayor, told Al Jazeera late on Monday that forces loyal to the National Transitional Council had pulled out of the town at 7pm local time after about four hours of fighting, while a town spokesman said the Gaddafi-era Libyan green flag had been raised over the town. "We don't see fighting right now, but there are a lot of casualties," said Bashir. "Tomorrow morning, the situation will probably be much better... A military force [will] take over Bani Walid, to take back security," he said. A resident of the town, about 200km southeast of Tripoli, said the fight on Monday used heavy weaponry, including 106-mm anti-tank guns, and that 20 people were wounded. The assault was the first major offensive launched by Gaddafi loyalists since he was killed in October, weeks after being toppled from power. "There are around 100 and 150 men armed with heavy weapons who are attacking. We have asked for the army to intervene, but the defence ministry and NTC have let us down," Mahmud Warfelli, a spokesperson for the Bani Walid local council, said.
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"[The gunmen] took control and hoisted the green flag on some important districts in the centre of the city," he said, referring to the Gaddafi-era flag. "We've been warning about this for the past two months." Last stronghold Bani Walid, considered a bastion of the powerful Warfallah tribe, was one of the last towns in Libya to surrender to the uprising that toppled Gaddafi last year. Many people in the area still oppose the country's new leadership. The violence in Bani Walid first broke out when members of the May 28 group arrested some Gaddafi loyalists. That prompted other supporters of the former leader to attack the group's garrison in the town, according to the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They massacred men at the doors of the militia headquarters," the resident said. Fathi Baja, a senior NTC member, said that ambulances had been unable to evacuate those wounded because there were "snipers positioned on a school and a mosque in the vicinity" of the attack. Fotmani said later that Gaddafi loyalists had taken all the heavy weaponry from the NTC garrison, and set fire to the local council's main building. "Yesterday they had distributed leaflets saying 'We will be back soon. We will take the rats out'," he said. NTC struggling Libya's NTC has already been struggling with violent protests in its stronghold city of Benghazi and the resignation of its second most senior official. An air force official told Reuters that jets were being mobilised to fly to Bani Walid. In Tripoli, there were signs of security being tightened, Reuters reporters in the city said. During Libya's nine-month civil war, fighters opposed to Gaddafi fought for months to take Bani Walid. Local tribal elders eventually agreed to let NTC fighters enter the town, but relations have been uneasy since and there have been occasional flare-ups of violence. In November last year, several people were killed in Bani Walid when an armed group from Tripoli's Souq al-Juma district arrived in the town to try to arrest some local men.
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Re-taking control of the town is a challenge due to natural defences. Anyone approaching from the north has to descend into a deep valley and then climb up the other side, giving defenders an advantage. It was this landscape, in part, that prevented opposition fighters from taking the town during the civil war, despite the fact they were heavily armed. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies ### South Africa investigates 'gay slur' King Zwelithini (BBC News) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16697943 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author South Africa's Human Rights Commission is investigating reports that Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini called gay people "rotten" during a speech. The rights group says it has obtained transcripts of the speech to look into the matter. The royal household has denied that the king made any homophobic comments - and has blamed "reckless translation". South Africa's Times newspaper, which first carried the story, told the BBC it stands by its translation. South Africa's constitution specifically forbids discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation - but homophobia is widespread and gay people complain they are often attacked. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says that as the leader of South Africa's largest ethnic group, King Zwelithini is the most influential of the country's many traditional rulers. HRC spokesperson Vincent Moaga says the traditional king is respected by millions of South Africans - and they need "an accurate reflection of what he said". The HRC says it will be writing to the king and will demand an immediate retraction if he admits to making homophobic remarks. "If it is indeed accurate that His Majesty, the Zulu king, made the utterances as reported, they constitute hate speech... and are inflammatory," Mr Moaga said.

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King Goodwill Zwelithini allegedly made the anti-gay remarks in rural eastern South Africa during a ceremony at the weekend to mark the Battle of Isandlwana - a famous 19th Century Zulu victory over British troops. "Traditionally, there were no people who engaged in same-sex relationships," The Times quoted the king as saying. "There was nothing like that and if you do it, you must know that you are rotten," King Goodwill said, according to the newspaper, adding: "I don't care how you feel about it ... same sex is not acceptable." But the king's office says the newspaper reports were badly translated and the king's meaning misconstrued. "At no stage did His Majesty condemn gay relations or same relations," spokesperson Prince Mbonisi Zulu told the Sapa news agency. The king was referring to cases of male rape as a sign of moral decay, the spokesman said. President Jacob Zuma - the first Zulu leader of modern South Africa - was also at the weekend ceremony and used the occasion to call on South Africans to end discrimination against gay people. Last year's brutal murder of 24-year-old gay activist Noxolo Nogwaza highlighted South Africa's growing homophobia, correspondents say. ### Somalia's al-Shabab attack Ethiopian base in Beledweyne (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16697879 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author Islamist militants have launched a suicide truck bomb attack on an Ethiopian military base in central Somalia, witnesses say. Al-Shabab says it killed 10 Ethiopian soldiers in the attack in the town of Beledweyne but this has not been confirmed. Ethiopian forces seized Beledweyne from al-Shabab last month. Kenyan troops have also entered Somalia to battle the al-Qaeda linked group which still controls many areas.

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Beledweyne is a strategic town, 30km (20 miles) from the Ethiopian border on the main road to the capital, Mogadishu, and also on the major artery linking the north and south of the country. "There was a heavy explosion that shook the whole the city," local security official Mohamed Osman told the AFP news agency. "The suicide bomber was shot by security guards before reaching the gate and he blew up the vehicle. We are still investigating," he said. Much of the government building, which Ethiopian troops had taken over, has collapsed, witnesses say. Ethiopia has said it wants to withdraw its forces from Somalia and the African Union has said its troops will replace them, however no date has been set. The AU is supporting government forces in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab pulled out of the capital in August 2011 but has continued to stage suicide attacks on the city. In what BBC correspondents say is a sign of increasing confidence in the security situation in the city, the UN special representative has moved back from neighbouring Kenya to Mogadishu - after an absence of 17 years. "I sincerely hope that the arrival of the UN Political Office will mark the start of renewed hope for the future of Somalia," Ambassador Augustine Mahiga said in a statement released after his arrival at the airport. "We have much to do and we are eager to get straight to work," he said, promising the move would "herald the beginning of a new era of co-operation and political engagement as the transitional period draws to a close". The presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia was hugely controversial in 2006-9, however, analysts say there is less opposition this time, as al-Shabab have lost some support. The Islamist group has banned most international aid agencies from the areas it controls in the midst of the region's worst drought for 60 years. Tens of thousands of people died, as some areas were declared famine zones. ### Nigeria's Boko Haram killed 935 people since 2009: report (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N00K20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author
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ABUJA (Reuters) - The Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed at least 935 people since it launched an uprising in 2009, including more than 250 in the first weeks of this year, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful" in the Hausa language spoken in northern Nigeria, is loosely modelled on Afghanistan's Taliban. It has claimed responsibility for bombing churches, police stations, military facilities, banks and beer parlours in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria. The sect focuses its attacks mostly on the police, military and government, but has recently increased its attacks on Christian institutions. It says it is fighting enemies who have wronged its members through violence, arrests or economic neglect and corruption. Bomb attacks and gun battles in Nigeria's second largest city, Kano, killed 186 people on January 20, in Boko Haram's most deadly attack to date. Gunfire was heard in Kano early on Tuesday, witnesses said. "Boko Haram's attacks show a complete and utter disregard for human life," said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The Nigerian authorities need to call a halt to this campaign of terror and bring to justice those responsible for planning and carrying out these reprehensible crimes." The report said 550 people were killed in 115 separate attacks by Boko Haram last year, mostly in the far northeastern state of Borno, where the sect was founded in 2002. Boko Haram has moved from drive-by shootings and petrol bombs to suicide attacks using large and increasingly sophisticated explosives. A suicide car bomb last year killed 25 people at the United Nations headquarters in the capital Abuja. In July 2009 the sect launched an uprising in the northeast in which more than 800 people were killed in five days of fighting with security forces. The sect originally said it wanted sharia (Islamic law) to be applied more widely across Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan has been severely criticised for not getting a grip on a group he says has infiltrated the police, military and all areas of government. "Jonathan's inability to respond effectively, or articulate a credible strategy, reinforces the growing perception of a deep leadership void in Abuja," London-based risk adviser Eurasia Group said in a research note on Tuesday. "So far militarization of the region and strict curfews have only had limited effect and huge (military) spending outlays in 2012 offer little hope for a credible broader strategy."
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### Somalia suicide bomber attacks govt office near border (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N01T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - An al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in central Somalia used by troops and politicians on Tuesday, a military official and an al Shabaab spokesman said. The attack occurred in Baladweyne, a town near the Ethiopian border which was captured by Ethiopian troops about three weeks ago. Both Ethiopia and Kenya have sent troops into Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab following a wave of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that Nairobi blamed on the rebels. The militia, which left most of its bases in the capital Mogadishu last August, has launched guerrilla-style attacks despite losing ground in some key southern strongholds since the incursion by Ethiopian and Kenyan troops. "A minibus carrying explosives entered Baladweyne administration headquarters compound. Government soldiers tried to stop it by firing but all in vain," Hussein Aden, a senior military official, told Reuters by phone. Aden said there was no immediate report of casualties and the area surrounding the compound had been sealed off. Aden Abdulle, head of a pro-government militia group fighting alongside Somali and Ethiopian soldiers against al Shabaab, told Reuters the building attacked by the rebels housed Transitional Federal Government lawmakers and Ethiopian and Somali government soldiers. Abdulle said the number of casualties was unknown. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had inflicted many casualties. "We carried the car bomb successfully into the Ethiopian and Somali base in Baladweyne this morning. Our brave driver is martyred. There we killed many Ethiopian and Somali troops on a parade," al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters by phone. Ethiopian soldiers previously went into Somalia in 2006, and left in early 2009 after pushing the Islamist organization, Islamic Courts Union, out of the capital Mogadishu.

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Al Shabaab, which wants to impose a harsh interpretation of sharia, Islamic law, on the Horn of Africa nation, has waged a bloody five-year campaign to drive the largely impotent government from power. The Western-backed government is supported by an African Union military force. ### Zambia dissolves board of Libya-owned Zamtel (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE80N03S20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia has dissolved the board of Libya-controlled Zamtel and appointed a new acting CEO, the government said on Tuesday, as it seizes 75 percent in the fixed-line operator from owner LAP Green Networks. The government also said in a statement it would restructure the ownership of Zamtel to ensure Zambians own the bulk of the company. "The President has ordered the dissolution of the board of Directors of Zamtel," Lusaka's State House said in the statement. An official for LAP Green Networks said the company was preparing a statement. Zambia's finance minister said on Monday the government planned to take back the 75 percent stake, which was sold by the previous administration to the Libyan operator for $257 million. A government inquiry in November ruled the 2010 transaction illegal. Zambia last week seized bank accounts belonging to Zamtel as part of a money-laundering investigation. The company has denied any wrongdoing. Since his election in September on promises to fight corruption, Zambian President Michael Sata has chipped away at several deals made during the administration of his predecessor Rupiah Banda. Sata in October reversed the $5.4 million sale of unlisted Finance Bank to South Africa's FirstRand. ### Aircraft bomb South Sudan refugee camp: UN (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N06W20120124 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author
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GENEVA (Reuters) - Aircraft bombed a South Sudan camp containing 5,000 refugees near the border with Sudan on Monday, injuring one boy and leaving 14 missing, the United Nations refugee agency said. Several bombs were dropped on Elfoj, a transit site less than 10 km from the border in Upper Nile state, at 10 a.m. local time, U.N. spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a statement on Tuesday. Fleming did not say Sudan was behind the attacks but Khartoum and its southern neighbour, which seceded from the north last year, regularly trade accusations of supporting armed insurgencies on each other's territory. Their row escalated on Monday when South Sudan started to shut down oil production, accusing Sudan of stealing $815 million worth of crude that it piped to its northern neighbour for shipment. The United Nations said it moved 1,140 refugees away from he border. Another 4,000 followed. ### Somalia suicide bomber attacks govt office near border (Reuters) http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE80N01T20120124 January 24, 2012 By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - An al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in central Somalia used by troops and politicians on Tuesday, a military official and an al Shabaab spokesman said. The attack occurred in Baladweyne, a town near the Ethiopian border which was captured by Ethiopian troops about three weeks ago. Both Ethiopia and Kenya have sent troops into Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab following a wave of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that Nairobi blamed on the rebels. The militia, which left most of its bases in the capital Mogadishu last August, has launched guerrilla-style attacks despite losing ground in some key southern strongholds since the incursion by Ethiopian and Kenyan troops. "A minibus carrying explosives entered Baladweyne administration headquarters compound. Government soldiers tried to stop it by firing but all in vain," Hussein Aden, a senior military official, told Reuters by phone. Aden said there was no immediate report of casualties and the area surrounding the compound had been sealed off.
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Aden Abdulle, head of a pro-government militia group fighting alongside Somali and Ethiopian soldiers against al Shabaab, told Reuters the building attacked by the rebels housed Transitional Federal Government lawmakers and Ethiopian and Somali government soldiers. Abdulle said the number of casualties was unknown. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had inflicted many casualties. "We carried the car bomb successfully into the Ethiopian and Somali base in Baladweyne this morning. Our brave driver is martyred. There we killed many Ethiopian and Somali troops on a parade," al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters by phone. Ethiopian soldiers previously went into Somalia in 2006, and left in early 2009 after pushing the Islamist organization, Islamic Courts Union, out of the capital Mogadishu. Al Shabaab, which wants to impose a harsh interpretation of sharia, Islamic law, on the Horn of Africa nation, has waged a bloody five-year campaign to drive the largely impotent government from power. The Western-backed government is supported by an African Union military force. ### South African mediator says rival Madagascar leaders irresponsible (Washington Post / Associated Press) http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/south-african-mediator-says-rivalmadagascar-leaders-irresponsible/2012/01/24/gIQAwFZKNQ_story.html January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author PRETORIA, South Africa Regional heavyweight South Africa says efforts to mediate a solution to Madagascars political crisis have been frustrated by the irresponsible behavior of the Indian Ocean island nations rival leaders. South African deputy foreign minister Marius Fransman gave his blunt assessment before heading into a meeting Tuesday with factions from Madagascar, which has been in turmoil since President Marc Ravalomanana was toppled in 2009 in a coup led by Andry Rajoelina. Fransman says a weekend attempt by Ravalomanana to fly home from his South African exile was premature, unfortunate and it was irresponsible.

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Fransman also says Rajoelina, who blocked Ravalomananas journey mid-flight Saturday, was irresponsible for threatening to arrest Ravalomanana. ### West African states to work together against terror (AFP) http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_beNThiiBqmjtszfcqS55U9xqw?docId=CNG.173c36ad7fcb2b6231ea476adcec64a0.6f1 January 24, 2012 By an unattributed author NOUAKCHOTT Representatives from Sahel states and Nigeria vowed Tuesday to help each other fight terrorism from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Islamist sect Boko Haram, which are said to have ties. Ministers from Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Algeria are in Nouakchott for the second day of a security meeting to which Nigeria has been invited to examine links between the two organisations. "We invited Nigeria to exchange experiences and intelligence regarding the fight against terrorism and extremism and to see how we can help each other face the challenge posed by AQIM in the Sahel and Boko Haram in Nigeria," said Mauritania's foreign minister Hamadi Ould Hamadi. He said the meeting aimed to "build a strategic vision to eradicate terrorism, transfrontier crime and other challenges facing our region. Niger's Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum called for "regular contact to face a rapidly evolving situation which provides us with greater challenges. "We will take stock of developments and the deteriorating situation due to the proliferation of Libyan weapons including the return of armed fighters and the rise of the sect Boko Haram." Mali's Foreign Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said there was a "confirmed link" between AQIM and Boko Haram. "We will ... conduct joint patrols along our borders, prosecute criminals, control travel documents," he said on cooperation efforts. Security has deteriorated across the hard-to-patrol Sahel desert strip in recent months. AQIM is currently holding nine European hostages, while a new splinter group calling itself the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa claims to hold two Spaniards and an Italian kidnapped in Algeria in October.
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Mali is also facing an offensive by Tuareg rebels who returned heavily armed from fighting for fallen Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. Boko Haram -- believed to have a number of factions with differing aims, including some with political links and a hardcore Islamist cell -- has carried out a wave of deadly attacks in Nigeria. ### THE WORLD; International court indicts Kenyans; The charges stem from the postelection violence that racked the country in 2007 (LA Times) http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy6.ndu.edu/docview/917276718/13476894C706BE0B3 4/17?accountid=12686 January 24, 2012 By Robyn Dixon The International Criminal Court ordered four powerful politicians in Kenya to stand trial for crimes against humanity, a rare legal challenge to an elite that has long enjoyed impunity in the East African nation. Two potential candidates in next year's presidential election, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Higher Education Minister William Ruto, were among those indicted for the political violence that racked the country after the 2007 presidential race. The charges include murder and forcible removal of people from their homes. Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua Arap Sang face similar charges. Kenyatta, a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki, is a member of one of Kenya's most influential political dynasties and the son of the country's first president, Jomo Kenyatta. He is accused of hiring members of Kenya's biggest criminal gang, the Mungiki, to kill and rape supporters of Raila Odinga, a 2007 presidential candidate who is now prime minister. Ruto is accused of masterminding attacks on supporters of Kibaki, who defeated Odinga in the widely disputed balloting. Ruto said Monday that he would stand for election regardless of the charges. The trials threaten to unleash new tension between members of the Kenyan tribes whose members massacred one another after the 2007 election. The international court has charged two men from either side in the conflict. Kenyatta and Muthaura, who is also an ally of Kibaki, will be tried together. A separate trial will be held for Ruto and Sang, both Odinga supporters.
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Odinga became prime minister in an uneasy power-sharing deal brokered by the United Nations after the postelection turmoil. An estimated 1,500 people died in the ethnic violence that erupted after Odinga accused Kibaki, the incumbent, of stealing the election. About 300,000 people fled their homes, some never to return. The troubled Rift Valley was hardest hit by massacres. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, prosecutor for the Hague-based International Criminal Court, contends that the violence was orchestrated by Kenya's political elite. After the ICC announcement Monday, Kibaki appealed for calm and ordered Kenya's attorney general to study the judgment and advise on the way forward. ### Darfur: Security Council condemns attack on UN-African Union peacekeepers (M2 Presswire) http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy6.ndu.edu/docview/917283718/13476894C706BE0B3 4/44?accountid=12686 January 24, 2012. By an unattributed author The Security Council today strongly condemned this weekend's attack on a United Nations-African Union patrol in Darfur, which resulted in one death, and called on the Sudanese Government to bring the perpetrators to justice. One Nigerian peacekeeper serving with the mission, known as UNAMID, was killed in Saturday's attack and three others were wounded, one of them seriously. "The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the family of the peacekeeper killed in the attack, as well as to the Government of Nigeria," Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa, which holds the 15-member body's presidency for this month, said in a statement read out to the press. "They called on the Government of Sudan to bring the perpetrators to justice, and stressed that there must be an end to impunity for those who attack peacekeepers," he added. Council members also reiterated their full support for UNAMID and called on all parties in Darfur to cooperate with the mission.Fighting and large-scale displacement has convulsed Darfur since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the Government, whose military forces responded with the support of allied militiamen.Deployed at the start of 2008, UNAMID is tasked with protecting civilians, promoting an inclusive peace process and help ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance across Darfur, an arid region on Sudan's western flank.
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### Nigerians arrest Islamist militant suspects, sources say (CNN) http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/24/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 January 24, 2012 By Nima Elbagir, Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- A joint military task force in Nigeria arrested 158 suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, security sources told CNN Tuesday, three days after a spate of bombings and shootings left more than 200 people dead in Nigeria's second-largest city. Some suspects resisted arrest and exchanged gunfire with the task force in the city of Kano, said security sources who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media. No casualties have been reported so far, they said. The arrests come as community leaders said the number of dead from the Kano bombing and gun attacks has risen to at least 211. Community leaders have been keeping their own count of the number of dead from Friday's attacks, they told CNN Tuesday, including victims who never made it to hospitals. They declined to be quoted by name for security reasons. Government officials declined to confirm the number of victims. They previously put the death toll at 157. Police in Kano announced Tuesday that they had seized 10 cars laden with explosives and about 300 improvised explosive devices hidden in soft drink cans and bottles at a number of locations in the city. The state police commissioner, Ibrahim Idris, said a mass search turned up the explosives after police found undetonated devices at a police barracks in Kano. President Goodluck Jonathan toured the city Sunday after the attacks there left the police headquarters and other government buildings in charred ruins Friday night. "The message I had for the people of Kano is the same message I have for all Nigerians: A terrorist attack on one person is an attack on all of us," Jonathan said in a post on his official Facebook page after the visit. Boko Haram -- whose name means "western education is sacrilege" -- claimed responsibility for the blast in a phone call to the Daily Trust, according to journalists at the newspaper.
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The group has been blamed for months of widespread bloodshed, with churches and police stations among the targets. The United States Tuesday strongly condemned the "terrorist attacks" carried out in Kano on Friday and in the neighboring state of Bauchi on Sunday, State Department representative Victoria Nuland said. "This is a time for all Nigerians to stand united against the enemies of civility and peace," she said in a written statement. "Nigeria's ethnic and religious diversity is a source of strength for the country and those who seek to undermine that strength with divisive tactics cannot succeed," she insisted. The bombings hit eight government sites Friday. Shell-shocked residents wandered the streets, looking for loved ones. Others hid behind barricaded doors, too scared to leave for fear of more attacks. "That's the scary part, not knowing," said Faruk Mohammed, 27, who lives near one of the bombed police stations. "We don't know what's going to happen next. No one thought this would ever happen here. There's a general sense of despair." The attacks paired bomb blasts with shootings at various sites including police stations, the passport office, state security headquarters and the immigration office. During the attack, assailants entered a police station, freed detainees and bombed it, authorities said. They later canvassed the area in a car led by motorcycles, spraying targets with gunfire. "I counted at least 25 explosions," Mohammed said. "... Then it went deathly quiet. Kano is a bustling city. ... I've lived here for years and it has never been quiet, even at night. But after the bombings stopped, the only noise you could hear were dogs barking." On Sunday, two churches and a security checkpoint were attacked in Bauchi state, the state police commissioner said in a written release. At least 11 people, including police and army personnel, were killed in the checkpoint attack, the commissioner said. There were no casualties reported from the church attacks. Police said they suspect Boko Haram was involved in the checkpoint attack. In December, Jonathan declared a state of emergency in four northern states after a series of Christmas Day attacks on churches blamed on Boko Haram.

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The man suspected of orchestrating those attacks was briefly captured before escaping police custody while being transferred to another prison. Depending on the faction, Boko Haram's ambitions range from the stricter enforcement of their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law to the total destruction of the government. Its grievances remain local, but it has attacked international institutions --- such as the United Nations -- on Nigerian soil. An August 26 attack -- during which a Boko Haram suicide bomber drove a Jeep laden with explosives into the U.N. headquarters in Abuja -- was one of the deadliest in the world body's history. Twenty-four people were killed, including 12 U.N. staff members. The group was formed in 2002 by Islamic preacher Mohammad Yusuf as an outgrowth of ethnic tensions in the country in the 1990s. Nigeria's population is split between mostly Muslims living in the north and predominantly Christians in the south. Yusuf advocated the institution of Sharia law throughout the northern states and opposed democracy. The group operated openly out of northeastern Nigeria and staged small-scale attacks against government targets. In 2009, Nigerian police forces moved to crack down on Boko Haram. Harsh police tactics led to an armed uprising and the arrest of Yusuf, who later died in police custody. The death spurred the group to begin its attacks on police stations. Ensuing clashes between group members and the police killed hundreds. The following year, Boko Haram re-emerged as a more radicalized, insurgent-style group, staging assassinations and attacks against not only government targets, but also churches and even a beer garden. "We're dealing with a movement of inchoate rage," said John Campbell, a U.S. ambassador to Nigeria who left his post in 2007. "It's highly decentralized, but what it has in common is a strongly Islamic character, and hatred for the secular, political economy of Nigeria, particularly the federal and state governments," he said. ### END REPORT

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