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Complex Coverage
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Egypt Iraq Lebanon Libya Nigeria Somalia Sudan & South Sudan Syria IED & Demining 1 2 3 5 6 6 6 7 9

Review
30 October 2013

This document provides complex coverage of developments in regions of interest from 15 30 October 2013, with hyper-links to source material highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. For more information on the topics below or other issues pertaining to the region, please contact the members of the CFC, or visit our website at www.cimicweb.org.

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The Civil-Military Fusion Centre (CFC) is an information and knowledge management organisation focused on improving civil-military interaction, facilitating information sharing and enhancing situational awareness through the CimicWeb portal and our Weekly and monthly publications. CFC products are based upon and link to open-source information from a wide variety of organisations, research centres and media outlets. However, the CFC does not endorse and cannot necessarily guarantee the accuracy or objectivity of these sources. CFC publications are independently produced by Desk Officers and do not reflect NATO policies or positions of any other organsiation. The CFC is part of NATO Allied Command Operations.

Egypt

Foard Copeland foard.copeland@cimicweb.org

One week after the US government suspended significant portions of aid to Egypt, the countrys foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, spoke to local paper Al Ahram, describing the relationship between the two countries as one defined by turmoil. On 16 October, Fahmy told Voice of America (VOA), We are now in a delicate state reflecting the turmoil in the relationship and anyone who says otherwise is not speaking honestly. According to VOA, Egypt criticised the decision by the US in early October to suspend a portion of its aid package to the country, implying that Egypt would look to countries like Russia for military support. The Saudi government along with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have already promised Egypt a comprehensive aid package worth USD 12 billion, which considerably outstrips the annual US price tag of approximately USD 1.55 billion. On 30 October, the Egyptian government broke up a protest led by supporters of Mohamed Morsi on the al Azhar University campus, reports BBC. While demonstrators on campus had protested peacefully for weeks, the interior ministry said the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el Erian sparked student-led violence and destruction of property. El Erian serves as vice chair of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. Although many of his FJP counterparts have long-since been arrested, el Erian had been hiding in a house located in New Cairo, according to the Guardian. The arrest came as a blow to Muslim Brotherhood supporters who gathered throughout Cairo on 25 October in solidarity with Morsi, who will stand trial on 04 November. If Morsi appears at the trial (the military has not announced a decision), it will be his first public appearance since 03 July 2013.

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Also on 30 October, an explosive-laden vehicle was found outside a town in north Sinai, Sheikh Zuwayid, reports Global Post. Egyptian troops were targeted but the car detonated as a bomb squad approached the vehicle without causing any injuries. The military announced that it arrested 54 militants in the Sinai region on 29 October, reports Egyptian Independent. As attacks on Christian communities continue to increase, the LA Times reports that armed men gunned down celebrants outside a Coptic church on 21 October. The individuals were leaving a wedding. Three of the victims, including a girl and the mother of the bride, were killed. Finally, Yahoo announced that it will close its Cairo office, laying off all local employees, according to Associated Press (AP). The decision was made in order to streamline operations of the California -based tech giant. The company said it will now run its Middle East operations from Dubai and Amman.

Iraq

Linda Lavender linda.lavender@cimicweb.org

UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi visited Baghdad on 21 October as he continues to build international support for the Geneva II talks aimed at ending the Syrian war, reports Al Alam. Publically, Iraq has sought to avoid taking sides as the conflict continues to spill into its borders. According to a research team from the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, Simon Fraser University and Mustansiriya University, an estimated 405,000 additional Iraqi deaths are attributed to the US-led invasion of Iraq through mid-2011, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The newly released study not only reports violent deaths but other avoidable deaths linked to the invasion, insurgencies and subsequent breakdown of the Iraqi social fabric. The aim of the study was to provide a more realistic understanding of the suffering the war caused and to make governments aware that there is a high civilian price to pay when undertaking war operations. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki will meet with US President Barack Obama at the White House on 01 November, according to AFP. The meeting will focus on Iraqs growing sectarian violence as well as the countrys role in supporting Irans efforts in Syria. The Obama-Maliki talks will also address a US-Iraq Strategic Framework agreement that has governed relations between the countries following the US troop withdrawal in December 2011. Iraq pressed the United States to expedite delivery of F-16 fighters and inquired about an additional purchase of US drones in order to effectively combat a resurgent al Qaeda, reports Reuters. Meanwhile, on 24 October, the US offered USD one million to help resettle exiles of the Iranian opposition group, the Peoples Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran, reports AFP. The group is currently residing at a former US military base known as Camp Liberty on the outskirts of Baghdad. Iraq officials reported they have begun to receive arms from Russia under an historic October 2012 arms deal worth USD 4.3 billion, according to United Press International (UPI). The deal stalled, shortly after its signing, enmeshed in controversy over allegations of corruption. However, in the end, Iraqi officials moved forward with the agreement. Russia is Iraqs second largest arms suppl ier, after the US. At the conclusion of talks between Iraq and Turkey on 25 October, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said, We agreed to take new steps in order to improve bilateral relations and to open new horizons, according to AFP. Relations between the two countries have been characterised as a public war of words, accusing each other of inciting sectarian tensions and at various stages, summoning each others ambassadors in tit -for-tat manoeuvers. Plans for a new export pipeline in the Kurdish region of Iraq signals the regions increasing independence and self-sufficiency, reports Reuters. Once completed, pipeline revenues will exceed what the Kurdish region receives from Baghdad as a share of total Iraqi revenues. A Kurdistan-based industry source says, Oil is going to be an enabler of independence [for the Kurds]. The pipeline , which runs for 174 miles through the Kurdish region from the Taq Taq oilfield to an area that shares borders with Syria and Turkey, will initially pump 150,000 barrels per day (bpd). The largest investors in the Kurdish regions oil reserves, Dana Gas along with its Source: The Guardian partners at Crescent Petroleum and Pearl Petroleum have entered into arbitration with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) over long-term oil contracts that allegedly have not been honoured by the KRG, reports UPI. According to the KRG, there are no outstanding receivables owed by the KRG to Dana or Danas affiliates, reports Bloomberg. It is Dana and its affiliates that owe the KRG significant sums. The dispute threatens to damage the regions reputation for ease of doing business and creating a welcoming environment for investors.

30 October 2013

Accusing Turkey of waging a proxy war against Syrian Kurds, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK 1) militants readied themselves to reenter Turkey, threatening to reignite conflict, reports Reuters. The March 2013 ceasefire agreement is in peril of failing but Ankara strongly denies backing any rebel faction against Kurds in Syria and has engaged in regular talks with the head of the Syrian Kurdish group closely aligned with the PKK. AFP reports clashes between Kurdish fighters and jihadists near the Iraqi border crossing of al Yaarubia. The crossing is seen as a key supply route for arms and fighters. According to the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), identity-based assassinations, kidnappings and death threats in Iraq have been on the rise in recent months, not yet reaching the levels experience in 2006 through 2007. In recent months however, suicide and car bombings have brought levels of violence in Iraq to their highest in five years. Numerous violent incidents were reported throughout the country in recent weeks: 15-Oct-13: Sunni worshippers leaving mosque on the start of Eid were targeted by a bomb, killing 12 and wounding 24 others, reports Associated Press. The attack occurred in the restive city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. 17-Oct-13: In Mwafaqiya, Nineveh province, a suicide truck bomber detonated explosives, killing at least fifteen members of the Shabak2 minority, reports Reuters. CNN reports that the attack also wounded 66 residing in a refugee compound. Also, AFP reports that eleven car bombs exploded in eight areas in and around Baghdad, killing at least 44 people and wounding 120 others. In Tuz Khurmato, another bomber wearing an Iraqi police uniform detonated himself outside a caf, killing four people. 18-Oct-13: AFP reports that a car bomb near an ice cream shop in Baghdad killed twelve people. In Sinjar, west of Mosul, militants shot and killed a mother and her three sons, all members of the Yazidi 3 religious sect. Also in Baquba, a bomb killed two family members and wounded five others, while gunmen killed a Sahwa fighter at a Baquba checkpoint. 20-Oct-13: Nearly 50 people were killed by suicide attacks, according to United Press International (UPI). Thirty-seven were killed and 42 others wounded in Baghdad by a suicide bomber who targeted a caf frequented by a largely Shiite clientele. Five suic ide bombers attacked government buildings in restive Anbar province, killing five people. In a separate attack in Anbar, two militants detonated a car bomb near the Rawa police headquarters and a suicide bomber blew up the home of a police officer in Samarra. 21-Oct-13: In Fallujah, coordinated attacks against police headquarters killed seven officers, reports AP. 22-Oct-13: Militants killed 22 Iraqi security forces mainly in Anbar province, reports Reuters. In Rutba, west of Baghdad, a suicide bomber targeted a police checkpoint killing seven and in Jurf al Sakhar, south of Baghdad a tanker truck suicide bomb attacked a police checkpoint killing four officers. In Mosul, a suicide bomber attacked a military checkpoint south of the city. 23-Oct-13: In Mosul, gunmen killed six people, reports AFP. A roadside bomb in Baghdad killed three and wounded eleven. In Kirkuk, two Sahwa fighters were abducted and killed and a bomb killed a police officer in Baquba. AP reports that bombings at marketplaces throughout Iraq killed at least sixteen people. South of Baghdad in Madain, a bombing in a market killed five shoppers and wounded thirteen others. A rush hour bombing on a commercial Baghdad street killed four and wounded ten, and a bombing at an Abu Ghraib outdoor market killed two and wounded eight others. In Ramadi, gunmen shot and killed two police officers and in Mosul a bomb exploded in a caf, killing two people. 24-Oct-13: Bombings and shootings throughout Iraq resulted in the deaths of ten individuals, including a TV cameraman, reports AP. A drive-by shooting on a small fast food restaurant in Baghdad killed four people. Bashar al Nuaimi a cameraman working for local TV channel al Moussilyah was shot while walking near his home in Mosul. 25-Oct-13: In the town of Youssifiyah, south of Baghdad, a bomb attack on a crowded outdoor market killed five and wounded fifteen others, reports AP. Also, in Baquba, bombs exploded near several houses belonging to police officers, killing four people. In Baghdad a caf bombing killed four and wounded fifteen others. 26-Oct-13: Multiple attacks in and around the capital city resulted in ten deaths, reports AFP. 27-Oct-13: BBC reports that several car bombs exploded around Baghdad killing an estimated 39 people. The bombs were placed in parked vehicles and detonated over a half hour period on busy streets in largely Shiite neighbourhoo ds. In Mosul, a suicide bomber attacked Iraqi troops near a bank killing fourteen people.

Lebanon

Linda Lavender linda.lavender@cimicweb.org

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Hezbollah to withdraw its fighting force from Syria in a report to the UN Security Council, reports The Daily Star. Additionally, Ki-moon called on the Lebanese government and army to prohibit Hezbollah from obtaining weapons beyond the control of the state and for the formation of a government. Irans ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, expressed his countrys desire to strengthen ties with Lebanon and Irans Gulfrival Saudi Arabia, reports The Daily Star. Roknabadi stated, We stressed Irans interest in enhancing these relations and Irans
1 2

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, the European Union an d NATO. The Shabak are an Iraqi ethnic minority that live in the region of Mosul and are united by culture and language. Throughout their history, the Shabaks have been considered a low-class in Iraqi society. 3 The Yazidi sect is often labeled as an Islamic order, many Muslims reject this notion. Yazidims shares many similarities between them and certain Sufi Islam beliefs.

30 October 2013

[position] to stand by Lebanon and all Lebanese as well as the need to strengthen cooperation more and more, especially during this period. Meanwhile on 28 October, Iranian-backed Hezbollah accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to derail the Geneva II talks slated for mid-November, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of blocking talks because the situation in Syrian has not worked out in its favour. He also accused t he Kingdom of meddling in Lebanese politics in order to ensure Lebanon would not be able to form a new cabinet. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati suggested that if an invitation to the Geneva II conference is extended to Lebanon, leadership may take part in the conference, reports The Daily Star. According to multiple sources, including Western officials, several regional developments must take place before a new Lebanese cabinet can be formed, reports The Daily Star. The meeting between the P5 and Iran to discuss Irans nuclear program me, as well as the success or failure of UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimis efforts to secure a truce in the Syrian civil war could affect the formation of the Lebanese government. Western sources indicate that regional uncertainty would continue to negatively impact Lebanon. Despite the cabinet impasse, Lebanons presidential race is moving into full gear even though the election of the new head of state is still seven months away, reports The Daily Star. The selection of the next president is considered crucial for the countrys stability. Again, on 23 October, the Lebanese Parliament failed to reach quorum and could not convene, reports The Daily Star. The next parliament session is scheduled for 20 November. Al Fayyad, a Hezbollah Member of Parliament, commented that a cabinet could only be formed in Lebanon if rival political camps are granted veto power in the upcoming government, reports The Daily Star. Fayyad advanced a cabinet formula of 9-9-6 and said that those who think they can overcome Hezbollah in the process of forming the cabinet will eventually realize that they can postpone forming the government but cannot exclude Hezbollah from it and that they were just wasting the time of the Lebanese. UN Special Envoy to Lebanon Terry Rod Larsen warned that Lebanon was quickly heading toward a dangerous situation in light of the massive influx of refugees and political deadlock in the country, reports The Daily Star. President Michel Suleiman appealed for more international aid in order to deal with the massive influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, reports Al Jazeera. Suleiman called for a new donors conference to pledge money for Syrian refugees. Nearly 800,000 Syria refugees are now registered in Lebanon. Many more remain unregistered and refugees now comprise nearly 25 per cent of the Lebanese population. AFP reports that the European Union will donate an additional USD 9.6 million to Syrian refugees in Lebanon during the winter months. As winter quickly approaches, aid agencies are scrambling to prepare vulnerable communities against the elements. Caretaker Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil reported that an estimated 700,000 children under the age of five in Lebanon are to receive polio vaccines by the end of 2013, reports The Daily Star. The polio vaccination campaign is being launched to mitigate the potential for a polio outbreak. The World Health Organisation reported on 24 October that at least 22 Syrians, mostly children, had acute flaccid paralysis, a symptom of many diseases, including polio. According to McClatchy, Syrian rebels and their Lebanese allies are bracing for a potential Syrian government offensive meant to disrupt a crucial corridor that links rebel havens in Lebanon to Damascus. Rebel forces expect the Syrian offensive to attempt to cut off sympathetic areas in Lebanons Bekaa Valley from rebel-controlled villages across the border in Syria. The largest rebel haven near Damascus is Qalamoun whose population is swollen by Syrian refugees and rebel fighters. Seven men with alleged links to Syrian intelligence Services, have been charged for the twin car bombings in Tripoli that killed 47 people on 23 August, reports United Press International (UPI). Youssef Diab, Hasan Jaafar, Anas Hamzeh, Hayyan Ramadan, Ahmad Merhi, Khodr Jdoud and Salman Assaad were charged by Judge Saqr Saqr with forming an armed gang, murder, attempted murder and undermining the states authority. Numerous violent incidents were reported throughout the country in recent weeks: 15-Oct-13: Lebanese Security Forces intervened in the Beirut neighbourhood of al Tariq al Jadideh after masked gunmen from the Hezbollah-linked Resistance Brigade were seen in the area, raising Source: McClatchy tensions, reports The Daily Star. 16-Oct-13: The Lebanese Army arrested a number of suspects after an overnight shootout in the Bekaa Valley left several people wounded, reports The Daily Star. After the suspects were arrested, the military also confiscated weapons and ammunition. 19-Oct-13: A member of Fatah al Islam was shot within the Ain al Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp by unidentified assailants, reports The Daily Star. 21-Oct-13: Four rockets launched from Syria struck the northeastern town of Hermel in the Bekaa Valley, according to The Daily Star. Sources report that the strikes targeted artillery installations in the Hezbollah stronghold. 30 October 2013

22-Oct-13: Clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al Assad in the northern city of Tripoli, according to The Daily Star. The same day, five rockets fired from Syria hit the village of Qaa in northeastern Lebanon, reports The Daily Star. 23-Oct-13: A van driver was stabbed and several passengers beaten by a mob as the van operator transported passengers from Tripoli to Akkar, reports The Daily Star. The attack occurred along the Tripoli-Akkar highway in northern Lebanon. Clashes in the restive city of Tripoli occurred for the third consecutive day leaving one dead and 29 wounded, according to The Daily Star. 24-Oct-13: The Lebanese army detained four Syrians attempting to cross into Lebanon, reports The Daily Star. The army added that the four had a number of rifles, pistols, ammunition, military gear and a number of grenades in their possession as they he aded to the town of Arsal. BBC reports that four people have been killed in Tripoli as tensions between Sunni and Shiite neighbourhoods continue to escalate. 25-Oct-13: Al Jazeera reports that the death toll in ongoing Tripoli clashes mounted to five people. The latest fighting was the fiercest in terms of the intensity of fire and the types of weapons used, suggested a security official. 26-Oct-13: Tensions spiked in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al Hilweh following the assassination of a Fatah party member, according to The Daily Star. Deadly clashes in Tripoli entered the sixth consecutive day while the death toll climbed to ten. 28-Oct-13: Lebanons army began deployment into the northern city of Tripoli where recent violence resulted in 14 deaths and more than 80 wounded, reports AFP. Later reports indicate that the Army came under fire in Tripoli, failing to contain a week of bloody clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian government, reports The Daily Star. The fighting enters its second week and has claimed the lives of at least sixteen while wounding eighty others.

Libya

Foard Copeland foard.copeland@cimicweb.org

NATO agreed to send security advisors to Libya, after a request was made in May 2013 by the Libyan government for technical assistance with security reforms, reports Reuters. A NATO statement confirmed that it would send a small advisory team to provide advice, not hands-on training. The team is expected to be based in Brussels and not maintain a permanent post in Libya. The country is awash in weapons that were once held by Moammar Gaddafi but are now largely unaccounted for. Moreover, Libyan authorities continue to contend with dozens of militia groups that remain outside the authority of the interim government. Key among their leadership is Ibrahim al Jathran, a rebel based in the small cluster of oil installations and education establishments on the Gulf of Sidra known as Brega just south of Benghazi. According to Reuters, Al Jathran has consolidated considerable control of armed mercenaries and stopped as much as USD 5 billion worth of oil from leaving Libyan shores. He controls thousands of fighters and threatened in August to sell oil directly to the market. At the time, interim Prime Minister Ali Zeidan replied that he would bomb oil tankers attempting to pick up illegal oil from the Brega militants. Eighty per cent of Libyas oil is extracted from the countrys east, the vast Cyrenaica region (also called Barqa), which The Guardian reported on 19 October as being pushed towards a civil war. Long inhabited by nomads who distinguished themselves from the more settled western Libya, tribes in Cyrenaica now insist on greater autonomy, notes Al Jazeera. A federalist division is increasingly evident between eastern and western Libya. Ahmed al Barghathi, the countrys police commander responsible for investigations, was shot after exiting a mosque in Benghazi on 18 October, reports BBC. Wassid Ben Hamid, leader of the Islamist Libya Shield militia and member of a rival tribe, was bombarded at his home hours after the shooting. Followers of Bargthathi claimed that Ben Hamid was behind the assassination, according to Magharebia. Ben Hamid denied his involvement, reports The Guardian. Zeidan claims that Ben Hamids group was responsible for his kidnapping, which took place on 10 October, another claim denied by the Libya Shield commander. Meanwhile more news emerged about Abdelmonem al-Said, another likely mastermind behind the kidnapping of Zeidan. According to Christian Science Monitor (CSM), Saids brigade rose to prominence during the rebellion and was tasked by the transitional government with enforcing law and security in rebel-controlled areas after the fall of Gaddafi. Although it was later absorbed by the interior ministry, Saids brigade operates with practically no oversight from the interim government. In a press conference c overed by CSM, Said boasted of ignoring directives from the government and refusing to reintegrate into state security forces. He called the kidnapping of the prime minister effortless and claimed, Zeidan wants to harm me, but hes so weak I dont think its goin g to happen. Said also accused Zeidan of possessing an illegal German citizenship and of using his position to cover up evidence of his involvement in Libyas illicit drug trade. On 24 October, Algerian troops discovered a large weapons cache in Illizi, a southern town near the Libyan border located 200km from the Amenas4 gas plant. According to Reuters, the stockpile included over 100 anti-aircraft missiles and at least 500 MANPAD shoulder-launched rockets in addition to rifles, grenades and small arms. The discovery fuelled concern in Algeria about spill over violence from Libya. Finally, oil production declined further to less than 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) reports Bloomberg. With a capacity of more than 1.2 million bpd, the decrease in oil revenues continues to hamper the Libyan economy as countries like the US look to other crude producers to offset the market downtrend.

Amenas was the site of a gas plant assault in January 2013 that killed 69 people and was carried out by a diverse group of Tunisians, Egyptians and other jihadists loosely affiliated with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

30 October 2013

Nigeria

Foard Copeland foard.copeland@cimicweb.org

A gun battle between extremists and police that killed 127 people raged for five hours on 29 October in the northern state of Yobe, reports AP. Official accounts vary widely from reports given by journalists. As the AP recounts, the attack started when militants assaulted an army barracks outside of Damaturu, the Yobe state capital. After overpowering guards, the group stormed the base, stealing weapons, ammunition and an armoured vehicle. The militants then drove the vehicle into town, attacking multiple police stations and eventually overrunning the hospital, which they then looted for drugs and medical supplies. At least 22 soldiers died and reports of the number of police officers killed ranges from 8 to 17. Dozens of civilians are believed dead, but officials and journalists could not provide an exact number. On 24 and 25 October, the Nigerian army launched an offensive against Boko Haram in northeastern Borno state killing between seventy and ninety individuals, reports CNN International. According to Al Jazeera, the final toll was 74 deaths. The operation followed an assault on 21 October that killed 37 people who the government claims are Boko Haram members. Nigerian army spokesperson Lt. Col. Mohammed Dole, said, The operation, which involved ground and aerial assault supported by the Nigerian Air Force, led to the destruction of the identified terrorist camps, killing 74 terrorists while others fled with serious in juries. CNN notes the operation was carried out by a special 3-D unit of the Joint Task Force and that residents were forced to abide by a 24-hour curfew during the operation. The operation came days after Amnesty International, a human rights group, criticised the heavy-handed response by security forces in Nigerias north for its use of extra -judicial killings and human rights violations. Nearly 1,000 people died in Nigerian prisons this year due to overcrowding, suffocation, starvation and extra-judicial killings, according to a 15 October Amnesty International report. Local opposition groups in Kaduna, another restive northern state, called for the repeal of a ban on meetings, rallies or assemblies where police have not granted explicit permission, reports Voice of America. Organisations like Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria say the ban is unconstitutional and many opposition party members believe the ban is in place to limit electoral activity in advance of the 2014 elections. The Borno state commissioner of information requested the federal government investigate the involvement of foreigners in Boko Haram, particularly aliens from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, reports Leadership, a Nigerian newspaper. Finally, the Nigerian navy agreed to help locate two US citizens who were captured during an alleged kidnapping by pirates while docked at an undisclosed Nigerian port on 25 October, reports CNN. It is not clear what group was responsible for the abduction and whether the men were taken to sea or were being held on land.

Somalia

Foard Copeland foard.copeland@cimicweb.org

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged support for a request by the African Union (AU) to increase the troop size of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), reports Voice of America (VOA). The force currently operates with nearly 18,000 troops; the AU request would authorise deployment of 2,550 troops and 2,000 uniformed personnel over the next 18 to 24 months. Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said the troops are needed to stave off evolving extremist threats and maintain gains made by Somali and international on security forces. The UN Security Council held a special session on 30 October to discuss the country and weigh the AU request, according to an AMISOM communiqu. Addressing the Security Council, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said, I urge the Security Council to back the recommendations to provide greater support to the Somali National Security Forces. Paying a small price now to increase the capacity of Somali forces will save us all paying a much higher price later. Sabahi reported that gang-related violence, including rape, had increased dramatically in Hargeisa over the last year. Citizens report that robberies and instances of petty theft have turned increasingly deadly. Finally, diaspora communities in the United Kingdom mobilised in response to recent regulations restricting the transfer of remittances to Somalia, reports Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). An estimated 100,000 signatures were sent to the office of UK Prime Minister David Cameron, requesting his intervention and former Olympic athletes have joined the cause. Non-governmental organisations such as Oxfam, which use Barclays and other banks to transfer money into the country for their humanitarian operations, also protested the decision by the bank. Barclays announced a new policy that limits money transfers to Somalia due to scrutiny from UK regulators. The bank must ensure it complies with laundering and anti-terrorist financial regulations. According to IRIN, the decision by Barclays follows the example of HSBC, a bank that US prosecutors fined for USD 1.9 billion in December 2012.

Sudan & South Sudan

Callum Thomson callum.thomson@cimicweb.org

Darfur In his 28 October address to the eighth session of the National Legislature of Sudan, President Omar al-Bashir has renewed a call for the armed movements operating in Darfur to join the peace process outlined in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), according to the Sudan News Agency. Non-signatory rebel movements were urged to unconditionally join the DDPD or face punitive 30 October 2013

measures enforced by the African Union (AU). His petition follows a speech given in Abu Zaima the preceding week in which he pledged to eradicate the rebel groups, whom he described as saboteurs, arms bearers, bandits and infiltrators, by the end of 2013. Calls for peace talks have been largely rejected by rebel movements in Darfur, instead reiterating their demand for a comprehensive peace operation for the whole of Sudan, reports The Sudan Tribune. A spokesperson for the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), suggested it would be more appropriate for the AU to enforce the Internati onal Criminal Courts warrant for Bashirs arrest and stand beside the victim of the regime. The Justice and Equality Movement of Sudan (JEM), on 24 October, issued a response to the AU Peace and Security Council communique, reports the Sudan Tribune. The statement expresses disappointment with the AUs inability to establish peace in Darfur and the flaws in the Doha Peace Document characterised by the recent surge of inter-tribal conflict and attacks on UN peacekeepers. The brutal crackdown on the resurgence of protests in late September has also been described as a failure of the AU in its nil-response to the crisis and failure to uphold the constitutional rights of the Sudanese people. An increasing number of autumn diseases in Darfur have prompted the urgent requirement of UNAMID intervention to treat the thousands of displaced people in the South-Western Region. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against an outbreak of whooping cough that has so far affected an estimated thirty individuals. An outbreak of scabies affecting 45 individuals was also reported by Radio Dabanga. Poor living conditions and the unavailability of medical care render the population of 7,000 displaced people living in the deserted city of Labado especially susceptible to deadly diseases. In response to worsening conditions, 93 medical personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces are being deployed to Darfur in an effort to bolster the UN Peacekeeping Mission there. Sudan In his 28 October address, President al-Bashir outlined his plan to establish a National Peace Council, according to the Sudan News Agency. The address called for renewed dialogue between Khartoum and rebel groups in Darfur. He affirmed government keenness to support the Police, Security and Armed Forces and their efficiency in defending the homeland and Sudanese citizens. The address met resistance from opposition parties and the Sudanese parliament. Many Members of Parliament (MPs) underscored the need for a restructured government and little need for a larger military force. MPs also criticised the governments inability to control the economy, currently characterised by chaotic price fluctuations. A spokesperson for the National Consensus Forces (NCF), a coalition of all main opposition parties told Radio Dabanga that they rejected President Bashirs call for elections, seen as a stalling tactic, which are to take place in early 2015. South Sudan Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, held a closed-door meeting in South Sudans capital city of Juba on 22 October, according to the Sudan News Agency. The discussions included the disputed Abyei territory, security arrangements and the implementation of Joint Cooperation Agreements. Despite the highly anticipated event, endorsed by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the meeting yielded little advancement on reaching an agreement over disputed borders, territory, trade and oil, according to Voice of America (VOA). While there were no diplomatic breakthroughs, the meeting was amicable and both reaffirmed that the issues of Abyei and a demilitarised border zone as well as the abolition of diplomatic, special and official visas required to travel between the two countr ies were issues that needed resolution. In a largely symbolic referendum, an expected 65,000 votes will be cast in a three-day referendum that began on 27 October over the future of the oil-rich region of Abyei. While the referendum was not endorsed by South Sudan or Sudan, residents of the region hope the referendum will generate a decision on whether Abyei should be annexed by Sudan or South Sudan. The referendum, organised by the local, South Sudan-allied Ngok Dinka ethnic group, has been criticised by many, including the African Union (AU), risking further discord between the countries. Furthermore, while all residents of Abyei were allowed to vote, only members of the Ngok Dinka were expected to vote, prompting discontent with the rival Misseriya ethnic group in Abyei. The Misseriya who tend to align with Sudan have pledged to hold a counter referendum, according to The Sudan Tribune.

Syria

Linda Lavender linda.lavender@cimicweb.org

The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed reports of a polio outbreak in northeast Syria, reports Reuters. Twenty-two children in Deir al Zour province bordering Iraq became paralyzed on 17 October and WHOs regional laboratory in Tunis confirmed the outbreak. It is Syrias first outbreak of the disease since 1999. UN High Commission er for Refugees (UNHCR) chief Valerie Amos described the situation in Syria as a race against time as the agency mobili ses to undertake an emergency plan to vaccinate more than 2.5 million children against polio, reports The New York Times (NYT). With more than five million people internally displaced in Syria, only a trickle of the required humanitarian aid is getting into war-ravaged Syria, threatening starvation for many people as winter approaches, reports The Washington Post. Doctors Without Borders confirms cases of malnutrition and expressed concern that the winter months as food supplies run low and with inflated staple- prices malnutrition will rise as many struggle to feed their families. 30 October 2013

Syria successfully submitted a plan for the destruction of its chemical weapons to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) three days ahead of the established deadline, reports BBC. Chemical weapons inspectors completed the verification of Syrias chemical weapons arsenal at all but two of the countrys 23 chemical weapons sites, reports The New York Times (NYT). The OPCW inspectors indicated that they will complete the destruction of Syrian-based equipment used to mix chemical agents by the start of November. Security concerns were cited as the primary reason inspectors had not been able to reach the two additional sites, reports CNN. Syrias declaration of its chemical arsenal that was submitted last week to authorities is 714 pages long. Syria declared 41 facilities at 23 sites where it stored approximately 1,300 tonnes of chemical precursors and agents as well as 1,230 unfilled munitions, according to Associated Press (AP). Also, on 5 October, Norway rejected a United States request that it help destroy Syrias chemical weapons, asserting that Norway lacked suitable staff, equipment and regulations to safely carry out the weapons destruction, according to Reuters. A day earlier, AFP reports that Swedish officials agreed to assist the United Nations in the destruction of Syrias chemical weapons. For the first time since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, Turkish military forces shelled rebel positions as Turkeys lea dership expressed growing concern over the presence of radical Islamists controlling territory along the Turkish border, reports NYT. According to Henri Barkey, an expert on Turkey, the shelling was symbolic. Its a way of telling the re st of the world that we [Turkey] are taking a stand against these al Qaeda-type guys. Throughout October, several Syrian rebel groups have announced a series of mergers and alliances, reports Carnegie Middle East Center. The recent movements reflect a re-alignment rather than a unification of rebel groups and reveals a logic driven by competition for external funding that could mean greater polarisation and deepening divisions among opposition groups. According to the Center, the most recent mergers are a result of a Saudi plan that seeks to build a new national army for the Syrian opposition. Kurdish militants continue to consolidate their control in northeastern Syria of the countrys oil producing capabilities, reports Associated Press (AP). Fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK 5) were reclaiming areas held by the al Qaeda linked Islamic Stat of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), Jahbat al Nusra (JAN) and Ahrar al Sham. On 27 October, a member of the opposition Syrian National Coalition reported, The Kurds are now in control of the Yarubiya border post with Iraq, reports Reuters. According to the Arab League, the proposed Geneva II conference dates are set for 23 through 24 November, reports AP. Ahead of the Geneva II peace talks, AFP reports that powerful rebel groups in Syria are warning that attendance by opposition figures would be deemed an act of betrayal. Nineteen Islamist rebel groups issued a statement saying, We announce that the Geneva II c onference is not, nor will it ever be our peoples choice or our revolutions demand. The groups indicated that anyone who attends would be committing treason, andwould have to answer for it before our courts, according to Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, CNN reports that Iran will take part in the Geneva II conference if it receives an invitation. Speaking at a joint news conference with UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Tehran would participate in order to help end the war through political means. Reuters reports that a trilateral meeting between the United States, the United Nations and Russia is scheduled for 05 November to prepare for the upcoming Geneva II talks. US and European leaders continue to pressure the main Syrian Opposition group to attend the conference even though their presence could split the already fragmented opposition, reports AP. The opposition continues to present a list of demands that needed to be met in order for talks to proceed and Syrian President Bashar al Assad also cast doubt on the prospects for Geneva on 21 October when he said the factors that would help the conference succeed are not yet in place, according to the Washington Post. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reports Assad charged that the opposition groups that had been invited to the talks represent foreign powers rather than the Syrian people. Syrian state news reported on 25 October that the head of the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al Nusra, Abu Mohammad al Jolani, had been killed in Latakia, according to ABC News. However, later reports suggest that the head of the al Qaeda-linked group may not have been killed in western Syria, according to BBC. A source in Latakia indicated that Abu Mohammad al Jolani was alive and well. ABC News reports that the rules of war are changing as the advent of social media, in which amateurs chronicle the war themselves, has made a host of citizen journalists willing to document the bloody conflict. The heavy reliance on YouTube and social media makes the Syrian war the first conflict of its kind to be largely covered through alternative media sources. Below are some of the violent incidents reported throughout the country in recent weeks: 18-Oct-13: The rebel group Aisha bin al Sadiq Brigade claimed responsibility for the shooting death of Syrian General Jamaa Jamaa, a senior intelligence officer, in Deir al Zour, reports BBC. 19-Oct-13: At least sixteen soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing carried out by Jabhat al Nusra in the pro-government town of Jaramana, according to Voice of America (VOA). The town is largely comprised of Druze and Christians.
5

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is considered a terrorist organization b y Turkey, the United States, the European Union and NATO.

30 October 2013

20-Oct-13: In Syrias central city of Hama, a suicide bomber blew up a truck load of explosives, killing an estimated 31 people, according to Australian Associated Press (AAP). 23-Oct-13: Rebels attacked gas pipelines near the Damascus International Airport resulting in a black out, reports Al Jazeera. Syrian Electricity Minister Imad Khamis said that electricity in all provinces had been cut off as a result of the attack. 25-Oct-13: A car bomb outside a mosque in Suq Wadi Barada, near Damascus, killed forty people, reports The Telegraph.

IED & De-Mining

Linda Lavender linda.lavender@cimicweb.org

The CFC publishes a weekly IED and Demining Events map. This global compilation links to articles reporting significant IED related-events and demining efforts. This report covers 15-28 October 2013.

Recent CFC Special Reports

Blowback: The Unintended Consequences of Hezbollahs Role in Syria (Sep 2013)

LAPSSET Transport Corridor: Transit and Oil Infrastructure in East Africa (Sep 2013)

Malis Stabilisation Project: Political, Security and Humanitarian Assessments (June 2013)

Regional Monarchies in the Context of the Arab Spring (June 2013)

30 October 2013