United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

17 November 2010

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

Interview reveals U.S. presence may increase security in central Africa (EnerPub)
(Central Africa) Kisangani has an important role for peace in the DRC and the Great
Lakes Region of Africa, because it was there that a training center for the Congolese
Army was created with the help of the U.S. military (the training materials teach
compliance with the laws of war and human rights) and it was where the first
conference of religious leaders of the four countries affected by the violence of the
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was held. Archbishop Utempi Tapa expressed some
considerations on the security situation in the region.

Obama Hails the Commencement of Voter Registration (Sudan Tribune)

(Sudan) The United States on Monday lauded the kickoff of the voter registration
process for citizens of South Sudan who will decide next January whether they want to
establish their own state separate from the North.

US Issues Travel Ban on Senior Kenyan Government Officials (Voice of America)

(Kenya) The United States has issued travel bans on four senior members of the
Kenyan government and one prominent businessman for alleged involvement in
narcotics trafficking.

Angola and 16 Other African Missions Facing U.S. Bank Account Closures
(AllAfrica.com)
(Pan Africa) At least 16 African missions in the United States and a similar number
from other regions are said to be facing service restrictions imposed by several large
U.S. banks, according to U.S. government officials and private sector sources, who
declined to be identified due to diplomatic complications the actions are causing.

California woman charged with terrorist aid (Associated Press)

(Somalia) A California woman has been charged with conspiring to provide money
and people to a Somali terrorist group to help carry out killings in the African nation,
according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.

South African Mines Minister Postpones U.S. Roadshow (Bloomberg)

(South Africa) South African Mines Minister Susan Shabangu, who yesterday said her
department uncovered “many irregularities” in awarding mining rights, delayed an
investor roadshow to New York and Boston days before she was due to fly.

Chinese vice president arrives in South Africa for visit (Xinhua)

(South Africa) Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived here on Tuesday, kicking off
his official visit to South Africa.

UN wants extra peacekeepers for conflict risk in Sudan (AFP)

(Sudan) UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday raised fears of "wider conflict" in Sudan
and said the United Nations wants to send in more peacekeepers ahead of a key self-
determination vote.

U.N. asked to investigate violence in Western Sahara (Washington Post)

(Western Sahara/Morocco) Western Sahara's national liberation movement demanded
Monday that the U.N. Security Council launch a probe into clashes last week between
Moroccan authorities and Western Saharan protesters, arguing that it is essential to
"establish an authoritative account" of the most violent episode in years in the disputed
territory.

Guinea election rivals both declare victory, setting stage for tense showdown
(Christian Science Monitor)
(Guinea) Euphoria over the announcement that Alpha Conde is Guinea’s first
democratically elected president melted into apprehension as rival candidate Cellou
Dalein Diallo also proclaimed himself winner – setting the stage for a tense showdown
in the days ahead.

Oil Attacks In Nigeria Show New Militancy (Wall Street Journal)

(Nigeria) An armed attack and kidnapping on a Nigerian oil facility owned by Exxon
Mobil Corp. disrupted production Monday, providing the latest sign of how a fraying
government amnesty deal with militants has posed fresh risks for energy companies
operating in the oil-rich nation.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 Africa’s youth can do great things for the continent, says Ban
 Sudan: Security Council calls for ‘urgent action’ for peaceful, credible referenda
 UN moves Sudanese refugees away from volatile Central African Republic
border
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, November 18, 9:30 a.m.; U.S. Senate Committee on Armed
Services
WHAT: SASC Nomination Hearing
WHO: General Carter F. Ham, U.S. Army, for reappointment to the grade of general
and to be Commander, U.S. Africa Command; and General Claude R. Kehler, U.S. Air
Force, for reappointment to the grade of general and to be Commander, U.S. Strategic
Command
Info: http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=4847

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, November 18, 1:30 p.m.; Center for Strategic and
International Studies
WHAT: Foreign Policy and Development Structure, Process, and Policy
WHO: Jerry Hyman, President, Hills Program on Governance, CSIS; Jim Kolbe, Senior
Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund; Former Chair, House of Representatives
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs; Larry Garber, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa; Dan
Runde, Director, Project on Prosperity and Development, CSIS
Info: http://csis.org/event/foreign-policy-and-development-structure-process-policy

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, November 23, 2:00 p.m.; Brookings Institution

WHAT: The Role of Africa’s Regional Organizations in Conflict Prevention and
Resolution
WHO: Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Info: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2010/1123_africa_conflict_resolution.aspx

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday and Thursday, December 15-16; National Defense

Industrial Association
WHAT: Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations
WHO: Amb Robert Loftis, Acting Coordinator, Reconstruction and Stability,
Department of State (S/CRS); Susan Reichle, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau
for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID; Dr. James Schear,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Stability Operations; GEN Carter
Ham, Commander, US Army, Europe; and others (see agenda)
Info: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/1450/Pages/default.aspx
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FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Interview reveals U.S. presence may increase security in central Africa (EnerPub)

"I'm ready to take up the pilgrim's stick as defender and herald of peace," Archbishop
Marcel Utempi Tapa, Archbishop of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
said when interviewed.

Kisangani has an important role for peace in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region of
Africa, because it was there that a training center for the Congolese Army was created
with the help of the U.S. military (the training materials teach compliance with the laws
of war and human rights) and it was where the first conference of religious leaders of
the four countries affected by the violence of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was
held. Archbishop Utempi Tapa expressed some considerations on the security situation
in the region.

What is the role of Kisangani in the search for peace in the Great Lakes Region?

From the geographical and strategic viewpoint, Kisangani is situated in the heart of
Africa. It is a position that allows our city to host institutions and leaders who can
ensure the promotion of peace, not only for the DRC, but for the entire Great Lakes
Region, and of course, for all of Africa. The war that devastated the DRC in recent years
has caused untold damage to Kisangani, where two foreign armies (Rwanda and
Uganda) have fought for control of the region's resources. Because of this conflict, we
have suffered enormous loss on a human and psychological level, as well on the
material and economic level.

The presence of a U.S. military training mission on the Congolese Army base in
Kisangani could help improve security in the region, creating a form of persuasion and
dissuasion. This base is well established in the area and there are plans to expand its
facilities, to allow formation of a greater number of Congolese soldiers.

Could you describe the "problem" of the LRA?

The presence of the LRA in the Eastern Province has been reported with certainty since
December 2005. In particular, the rebels of Ugandan origin have settled in Garamba
National Park, which is located within the ecclesiastical boundaries of the Diocese of
Dungu, and within the administrative district of Haut-Uélé. Over the last three years,
the members of the LRA have started to commit violence on local communities: the
looting of villages, kidnappings, especially of children, rapes, murders, especially of the
elderly. This group now has a regional configuration that works in the DRC, southern
Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Among its ranks are not only Ugandans, but
also those of Congolese and South Sudanese origin, conscripted by force.

The joint military operation conducted two years ago by the Ugandan Army and the
Congolese Army against the LRA has not only neutralized the LRA, but has made its
members scatter into small groups in Haut- Uélé, as well as in Bas-Uélé and the Central
African Republic. The decision of the governments of Uganda and the DRC to seek a
purely military solution to the problem has not achieved the expected results but, in
contrast, has added to the fury of the guerrillas who have increased violence against
civilians.

Thus, even those of Central African have been forcibly recruited by the LRA. Faced with
this tragic humanitarian and security situation, we have stated that the Church cannot
remain indifferent. For this reason, I took the initiative to convene in Kisangani,
February 2 to 4, 2010 (see Fides 02/05/2010), an International conference of religious
leaders - not only Catholics but also Anglicans, Protestants and Muslims of the areas
affected by the violence of LRA: the Eastern Province of the DRC, Uganda (Gulu
Province), South Sudan (Juba and Yambio). Representatives of Central Africa were also
invited, but were unable to intervene.

What were the aims of the Conference you convened?

The conference allowed us to fully understand the problem of the LRA and, in
particular, the damage that its members have caused in our countries. We realized that
the humanitarian and social needs are immense, as are the needs for safety. The
displaced people are without food (because the crops were looted by the rebels), health
care, and education.

In the concluding document of the conference, we proposed some recommendations.

Among these, I remember the call to the international community to assist the displaced
populations, providing them with food and essential services (health and education), as
well as safe places for the collection. In terms of security, we have asked the
governments involved to do everything possible to ensure the protection of civilians.
Finally, to definitively resolve this issue, we launched an appeal to the four countries
involved asking that they develop a common security policy.

Is there any hope for the future?

The conference in Kisangani is having results. We are pleased that the representatives of
the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, and Central Africa recently met in Bangui, to take a
common position on the problem of the LRA (see Fides 10/15/2010). We hope that
these meetings with the government multiply. As religious leaders, we have a dynamic
that has already been developed, because after the meeting in Kisangani we held
another conference in July in Dungu (DRC) and a third in September in Yambio, in
southern Sudan (see Fides 14/09/2010). In February 2011, we will hold a fourth
conference, probably in Central Africa. A preparatory meeting was held in Entebbe
(Uganda), where they discussed ways to do lobbying and advocacy work. In our
resolutions, we have decided to create a regional committee with the task of bringing
the message of the religious leaders to the governments of our 4 countries. But we will
not stop here, because we want to involve the European Union and the African Union
to make them aware of this problem. We are ready to take up the pilgrim's stick as
defender and herald of peace.”
--------------------
Obama Hails the Commencement of Voter Registration (Sudan Tribune)

Washington — The United States on Monday lauded the kickoff of the voter
registration process for citizens of South Sudan who will decide next January whether
they want to establish their own state separate from the North.
The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the North and South
stipulates that two simultaneous self-determination referendum should be held in
South Sudan and Abyei so that its residents should decide their fate. While Southern
Sudan will have the option to establish their own state, the people of Abyei are to vote
on whether they want to stay with the North or join an independent South.

The Abyei referendum will most certainly be delayed as a commission to organize the
vote has not been formed because of disagreements between the ruling National
Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) on who is
eligible to take part in the polls.

The turnout for the registration was mostly in the South for fear that that the NCP
would seek to intimidate Southern voters residing in the North.

U.S. President Barack Obama described the voter registration as a "critical milestone."

"The president is extremely pleased that voter registration has begun in Southern Sudan
in preparation for the January 9th, 2011 referendum on self-determination," a White
House statement said.

"Voter registration is a critical milestone in that process, and we hope that it will
continue unabated We call on northern and southern leaders to finish the work started
with the voter registration process to ensure the referendum is peaceful and occurs on
time, and that the will of the people of South Sudan is respected regardless of the
outcome"

Obama also urged both sides to look for a quick settlement on the issue of Abyei.

"Both parties also must urgently work to find an agreed-upon way forward for Abyei in
the interest of lasting peace, and we call on the government of Sudan to fully fund the
Southern Sudan referendum commission."

Yesterday the head of the African Union (AU) high-level panel on Sudan Thabo Mbeki
said that the Abyei deadlock will be referred to the presidency for consideration and
that he will meet with president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir after the latter returns from
Saudi Arabia after performing pilgrimage.
--------------------
US Issues Travel Ban on Senior Kenyan Government Officials (Voice of America)

The United States has issued travel bans on four senior members of the Kenyan
government and one prominent businessman for alleged involvement in narcotics
trafficking.
Speaking in Mombasa, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger declared war
on narcotics trafficking in Kenya. The U.S. envoy called for Kenya's citizens and
politicians to help fight the illicit trade that has been booming in recent years.

Mombasa is Kenya's largest port city and a notorious center of drug trafficking in the
region, particularly heroin and cocaine. Ranneberger said the trade was a dangerous
and growing problem for Mombasa and all Kenya.

"Kenya has a very serious problem with narcotics trafficking," he said. "It has been a
problem that has been growing for years. When you go down to the coast, in particular,
all the communities talk about that. They all talk about the impact on families, on rising
crime. It has been a problem for quite some time. I think it has been a steadily - as I call
it - a serious growing threat."

As part of U.S. efforts to curb crime in the region, Ranneberger said the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration would set up a regional office in Kenya within the next
few months. According to Ranneberger, Kenya's drug problem has been on the U.S.
radar for a while, and opening a DEA office is the result of years of planning.

While Kenya is involved in significant drug flows to the rest of Africa and Europe.
Relatively little of the country's drugs make it to the United States. But Ranneberger,
who frequently rails against corruption in Kenya, says the fight against drugs is part of
the fight against corruption.

"This is part and parcel of the culture of impunity," he said. "This sort of thing cannot
go on without corruption and money being paid to people. So it is all part of an effort
to fight the culture of impunity."

The ambassador announced in Mombasa that the United States had issued travel bans
on "four senior government officials and one prominent businessman" who are
allegedly involved in the illicit trade. While Ranneberger would not confirm any of
those included, he said the identities of drug kingpins in Kenya were among the "coast's
worst kept secrets."

The 2010 World Drugs Report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
lists Kenya, along with Egypt and Mauritius, as having the highest percentage of opiate
users in Africa. The report also found that in 2008 two percent of those arrested for
trafficking in Afghanistan were Kenyan nationals.
--------------------
Angola and 16 Other African Missions Facing U.S. Bank Account Closures
(AllAfrica.com)
Washington, DC — The Angolan Embassy here canceled tonight's celebration planned
to mark the country's 35th independence anniversary, following a decision by Bank of
America to close the embassy's checking accounts.

At least 16 other African missions in the United States and a similar number from other
regions are said to be facing service restrictions imposed by several large U.S. banks,
according to U.S. government officials and private sector sources, who declined to be
identified due to diplomatic complications the actions are causing.

"The Department of State seriously regrets the inconveniences - in some cases, very
serious inconveniences - that African embassies and others have been subjected to as a
result of actions by a number of American commercial banks," Assistant Secretary of
State Johnnie Carson said when asked about the problem in an interview Monday.

Senior officials have reached out to banking institutions to help find a solution, he said.
At the same time, officials are stressing that the U.S. government "does not control the
banks in this country and cannot dictate to them who they shall have as their
customers."

But African diplomats are looking to the administration of President Barack Obama for
forceful intervention. The Angolan ambassador, Josefina Pitra Diakité, who has served
in Washington since 2001, has appealed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for
assistance. American businesses with interests in Angola have voiced concern to
officials in government and the banks.

The Angolan Embassy in Washington, DC, is among missions who have been subjected
to restrictions on their bank accounts.
Ambassador Roble Olhaye from Djibouti, who - as the longest serving envoy in
Washington - is dean of the diplomatic corps, said in an interview that he has asked
senior State Department officials "to find an interim solution so these countries can
carry on their diplomatic activities in this country." While some of the affected
embassies have not yet had their accounts closed, Angola and several others are now
unable to access any of the funds they have on deposit in the United States.

Angola, which has twice the land area of Texas, last year overtook Nigeria as Africa's
largest crude oil producer and has become the sixth largest supplier of imported oil to
the United States. Bilateral relations with the United States, which have been generally
cordial in the post-Cold War era, moved a step higher following Clinton's visit to
Luanda last year. Since that time, U.S. government efforts aimed at combating
HIV/Aids and improving health have increased and working groups to promote
cooperation on energy and security cooperation have been established.

As the country's oil output has risen, so have been allegations of widespread corruption
involving both the Angolan government and the rapidly expanding oil and banking
sectors. A U.S. Senate investigation subcommittee, chaired by Michigan Democrat Carl
Levin, in a February report cited Angola "for an ongoing corruption problem, weak
anti-money laundering (AML) controls, and a cash-intensive banking system."

The Angolan embassy began doing business with Bank of America three months ago
after HSBC Bank USA closed all embassy accounts, apparently as part of a broader
move to reduce or cut ties with the oil-rich African nation.

In a letter dated October 25, 2010, Bank of America advised the embassy to stop writing
checks and stated that all embassy accounts would be closed by November 9. But the
letter gave no reason for the action, and no additional information has been provided.
Embassy funds on deposit with the bank remain frozen, leaving mission staff in
Washington without operating funds, according to sources familiar with the situation.

A statement from the bank issued in response to an inquiry from AllAfrica said: "Due to
confidentiality, we can't comment on specific client relationships. In general, Bank of
America Merrill Lynch is actively committed to providing banking services for the
diplomatic community. This includes countries in Africa, where we have a number of
clients and are pursuing other opportunities."

In June, Reuters reported that Senate pressure may have prompted HSBC to halt all
business dealings with an unspecified number of private Angolan banks. HSBC
declined comment, according to the news agency, which cited "a source with direct
knowledge of the matter" for its report. The Senate investigation criticized HSBC for
close ties to Banco Africano Investimentos, a U.S.$7 billion private Angolan bank,
"despite troubling information about its ownership and failure to provide a copy of its
anti-money laundering policies and procedures." In August, the Federal Reserve System
censored HSBC for shortcomings in enforcing anti-money laundering requirements.

On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that the consulting firm Deloite is carrying out
an "independent examination" of anti-money laundering procedures at HSBC, which is
facing investigations by several federal government agencies.

Banks are facing increasing scrutiny from anti-corruption groups for their activities in
many countries. A March 2009 report on international banking, issued by Global
Witness, charges that "dozens of British, European and Chinese banks have provided
Angola's opaque national oil company, Sonangol, with billions of dollars of oil backed
loans, though there is no transparency or democratic oversight about how these
advances on the country's oil revenues are used."

The 328-page Senate investigation report issued in February included four detailed case
studies to illustrate how politically connected foreign officials "have used U.S. lawyers,
real estate and escrow agents, lobbyists, bankers, and even university officials, to
circumvent U.S. anti-money laundering and anticorruption safeguards." Along with
Angola, the case studies focused on Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Nigeria.

Heightened attention to bank involvement in questionable practices is believed to be at

least the partial impetus for increased restrictions that a number of African embassies
and diplomatic missions in the United States are now facing in their dealings with
American banking institutions. Increased scrutiny from many governments, led by the
United States, designed to stop money laundering and combat financing of terrorism,
has raised the cost for banks of doing business with smaller countries and reduced
incentives for handling the once-lucrative accounts.

While no comprehensive list of countries affected by newly imposed limits from U.S.
banks seems to exist, African nations feeling the effects are said to include Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Swaziland. As many as 20
countries outside Africa are believed to be facing similar difficulties.

With so many governments involved, diplomatic efforts to find a resolution have

intensified. Ohaye, whose small nation has not had its banking services curtailed, said a
crisis comparable to what is happening in Washington is now brewing in New York,
where he also serves as his country's representative. United Nations missions from
many countries have been notified by a bank, which he would not name, that their
accounts will be closed in March, he said. According to one knowledgeable source, the
bank involved is JP Morgan Chase.

The bank crisis is threatening to strain U.S. Angola relations. Late Monday, 24 hours
before Ambassador Diakité had been expecting to host Angola's independence
celebration, she departed Washington to return to Luanda for consultations with her
government on how to handle the situation. Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who heads the
ruling MPLA, has been president since 1979, and a revised constitution abolishing
direct elections for the presidency assures him of remaining in office until 2012. The
country's economy has been one of the fastest growing in Africa since the civil war that
began at independence in 1975 ended in 2002.

Christopher J. McMullen, who was confirmed last month by the Senate as the new U.S.
ambassador to Luanda, may not be able to take up his post if the government there
grows increasingly unhappy with the actions affecting its embassy in Washington.
Assistant Secretary Carson said that, in a telephone call last week, he assured Angolan
Foreign Minister Assunção dos Anjos that the administration wants to see a solution.
Top officials, including Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats and Under Secretary
of Treasury Stuart Levey, have gotten involved as well.
"Concern about this problem has percolated to the highest levels around here," one
official said Monday, speaking on background. "But nobody can figure out what we in
government can really do - and the Africans find that hard to believe."
--------------------
California woman charged with terrorist aid (Associated Press)

SAN DIEGO – A California woman has been charged with conspiring to provide
money and people to a Somali terrorist group to help carry out killings in the African
nation, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday.

Nima Ali Yusuf, a 24-year-old permanent resident of the U.S., conspired in Southern
California and elsewhere to aid al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militia trying to create an
Islamic state in Somalia, the indictment states.

Federal prosecutors did not provide further details on the allegations.

Since 2007, roughly 20 men have left Minnesota to fight with al-Shabab. Authorities said
one became the first known U.S. citizen to do a suicide bombing when he launched an
attack in Somalia.

The FBI said he might have been "radicalized" in Minneapolis.

It wasn't immediately clear from the indictment whether Yusuf was connected to those
men.

Yusuf was the fourth person charged in the past month in San Diego with helping al-
Shabab. The others were accused of helping raise money and route funds to the radical
Islamist group.

The indictments come as the U.S. government cracks down on those suspected of
helping al-Shabab.

Earlier this month, the U.S. banned all cargo from Somalia in response to a plot by
terrorists in Yemen who hid two powerful bombs inside printers shipped to Chicago.

A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was

not authorized to speak publicly, said there was no intelligence linking Somalia to a
similar plot, but he said al-Shabab has said it intends to attack the U.S., just as al-Qaida
in the Arabian Peninsula has stated and tried to do.

Yusuf was arrested Friday in San Diego and appeared in federal court Monday, federal
prosecutor Sabrina Feve said.
Yusuf was charged in the indictment with conspiracy to provide material support to
terrorists; conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and
making a false statement to an FBI agent and Customs and Border Protection officer
when she allegedly denied sending money to anyone in Somalia in the past year.

Yusuf was being held without bail pending a Nov. 18 hearing. The federal defenders
office said they did not have an attorney listed for her yet.

Bashir Hassan of HARO, a San Diego-based African relief organization, said Yusuf used
to volunteer in the office, answering phones and making calls. The group collects
mostly clothes to send to the poor in Somalia.

He said he was not aware of her involvement in helping al-Shabab.

"I don't know what to say," he said. "When the government makes allegations, I think
it's the government's job to bring evidence. But I didn't see anything, as far as that
happening."

During the past two years, Minneapolis has been the center of a federal investigation
into al-Shabab recruitment.

E.K. Wilson, a counterterrorism supervisor with the FBI in Minneapolis, said his office
is coordinating closely with colleagues in San Diego, but added he could not comment
on whether Yusuf is directly connected to the Minnesota men who went overseas to
fight.

He referred questions to the FBI or U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego, where officials
declined to comment further.

A total of 19 people have been charged in the case in Minnesota with a variety of counts
ranging from providing material support to terrorists to perjury. Three men who went
to Somalia and returned to the U.S. after spending time in al-Shabab training camps
have pleaded guilty to material support charges in federal court in Minnesota and are
awaiting sentencing.

Most of the other men who went to fight in Somalia are still at large. Some are dead or
feared dead.

The defendants include two women accused of being part of a pipeline that routed
money and fighters from the U.S. to al-Shabab by going door to door in Rochester,
Minn., Minneapolis and other cities in the U.S. and Canada to fraudulently raise money
for al-Shabab's operations in Somalia.
They falsely claimed the donations would go to the needy and allegedly held
teleconferences to make direct appeals for support for al-Shabab, according to the
indictment.

The men who left Minnesota initially appeared to have been motivated not by anger at
America but instead at turmoil in their Somali homeland. The country has not had a
functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a socialist dictator then
turned on each other, plunging the African nation of 7 million into chaos.
--------------------
South African Mines Minister Postpones U.S. Roadshow (Bloomberg)

South African Mines Minister Susan Shabangu, who yesterday said her department
uncovered “many irregularities” in awarding mining rights, delayed an investor
roadshow to New York and Boston days before she was due to fly.

A spokesman for the minister, who has also opposed calls by the youth wing of the
ruling African National Congress for mines to be nationalized, said today the
government would postpone the visit to avoid a clash with Thanksgiving holidays in
the U.S.

“It makes more sense” for the roadshow to coincide with the Prospectors and
Developers Association of Canada conference around March, Musa Zondi, the
spokesman, said in an interview by telephone, adding a new date hasn’t been decided
for the trip.

Investors were set to question Shabangu on mining policy in her country, which has the
world’s largest mineral wealth. While she says mines will be nationalized “over my
dead body,” the ANC yesterday appointed researchers to study the matter. A probe
into rights awards, especially to black investors, also found rules to promote black
people in the economy were being misused.

The roadshow was scheduled for Nov. 18 through Nov. 22.

Shabangu ordered the investigation and imposed a six-month moratorium on

prospecting-license awards in September after she found maladministration in her
department. Anglo American Plc’s Kumba Iron Ore Ltd., Lonmin Plc and Impala
Platinum Holdings Ltd. have challenged the award of licenses to other parties for areas
in which the companies say they already hold rights.

Forced to Sell

Mine operators have to sell 26 percent of their operations in South Africa, which has the
largest reserves of platinum, manganese and chrome, to black investors by 2014.
Anglo, in control of the world’s largest platinum producer, may be wise to split off its
businesses outside of South Africa to prevent their value being hurt by local issues,
BofA Merrill Lynch said in July. “Large South African exposure could hamper relative
performance given the country’s challenging business environment,” Ambrian Partners
Ltd. said in a note in November.

South Africa, estimated by Citibank NA in April to hold about $2.5 trillion of mineral
reserves, has raised targets for participation by black people in the mining industry.

More black people, disadvantaged under apartheid, should join management of mining
companies, which should also buy more goods from black-controlled suppliers,
Shabangu said in August.

Black empowerment policy “has impaired South Africa as a mining investment

destination,” Leon Esterhuizen, an analyst at RBC Capital, said on Oct. 29. “Its longer-
term lingering impact on the industry of effectively blocking corporate activity serves as
a massive drag on getting the job done.”
--------------------
Chinese vice president arrives in South Africa for visit (Xinhua)

CAPE TOWN - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived here on Tuesday, kicking off
his official visit to South Africa.

In a speech upon his arrival at the airport, Xi said he was glad to come to the beautiful
rainbow nation. He said though far from each other, China and South Africa boast
profound friendship.

The vice president hailed the comprehensive development of the bilateral ties of the
two countries, saying that the two sides have been steadily promoting the bilateral
cooperation and exchanges since they established diplomatic ties 12 years ago.

During South African President Jacob Zuma's first state visit to China in August, the
two countries announced the establishment of the "comprehensive strategic
partnership."

"I believe the visit will push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership between
China and South Africa," Xi said.

He said that he expected to exchange views with South African leaders on bilateral links
and major regional and international issues of common concern, and to co-chair the
fourth meeting of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

Xi made the visit as a guest of South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
During his stay in South Africa, Xi will meet Zuma and leaders of the country's
parliament. He will also deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of a seminar on the
10th anniversary of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, to fully introduce China's
African policy.

Xi flew from Singapore after an official visit to South Africa, the second leg of his four-
nation trip to Asia and Africa. He will also visit Angola and Botswana.

China and South Africa established the diplomatic ties in 1998. From 1998 to 2009, the
bilateral trade volume has expanded from 1. 5 billion U.S. dollars to 16 billion U.S.
dollars in 2009. China became South Africa's biggest trade partner and South Africa is
China's second biggest trade partner in Africa.
--------------------
UN wants extra peacekeepers for conflict risk in Sudan (AFP)

UNITED NATIONS – UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday raised fears of "wider

conflict" in Sudan and said the United Nations wants to send in more peacekeepers
ahead of a key self-determination vote.

Amid statements by the rival north and south governments that they did not want war,
the UN Security Council demanded new efforts by both sides to ensure the January 9
referendum is held on time in South Sudan and oil-rich Abyei.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered Sudan "dramatically" better relations with
Washington if Khartoum sticks to its side of the 2005 peace accord with the south that
ended a civil war in which two million people died.

Tensions between the north and south have risen again as troubled preparations for the
vote move slowly ahead.

Ban highlighted "hostile public statements and accusations of ceasefire violations which
risk heightening anxiety and provoking isolated security incidents that can escalate in a
wider conflict."

He said the United Nations was talking with the north and south "on options for a
possible augmentation of additional UN troops to increase referendum and post-
referendum security."

The UN force, UNAMID, currently has about 10,000 troops in Sudan.

"However, the presence of UN troops will not be enough to prevent the return to war
should widespread hostilities erupt," Ban stressed.

"The potential for unintentional conflict is especially high" in oil-rich Abyei, where there
are the strongest fears that the referendum will not be held on time, the UN leader said.
The UN leader said aid agencies have contingency plans to provide assistance in case of
"referendum-related violence."

He appealed for donations for the 63 million dollars needed "to pre-position
humanitarian assistance near potential hotspots."

Many governments now doubt whether the January 9 vote will be on time, even though
they have seen some positive events in Sudan.

Voter registration started on schedule on Monday and the north and south have agreed
to make a new push to agree on borders, the sharing of oil revenues and other
deadlocked issues.

International envoy Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, said talks
involving Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudan's leader Salva Kiir would
start November 22.

Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Karti said many "positive developments" had emerged
and said the two sides would "cooperate on solving issues and will not go back to war."

Pagan Amum, secretary general of the south's Sudan People's Liberation Movement
(SPLM), highlighted that the south is likely to choose secession but told the council: "We
shall always remain neighbors and we have no choice but to remain good neighbors."

Clinton said the January 9 vote "is critical to peace and stability not just for Sudan but
also for the neighbors."

She pressed the two sides to speed up their negotiations and said they "must avoid
inflammatory rhetoric, quell rumors and dampen animosities."

But she said if Khartoum holds the referendum on time, recognizes the result and
settles the future of Abyei then the US government would move to take Sudan off the
US list of terrorist backers.

If Sudan "commits to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur and takes other steps
toward peace and accountability" the US administration is ready to offer an end to US
sanctions, help with international debt relief, increased trade and "forging a mutually
beneficial relationship."

A Security Council statement on Sudan read by British Foreign Secretary William

Hague expressed "deep concern" about the growing violence in Darfur and deadlocked
peace talks between rebel groups and the Khartoum government.
The United Nations estimates that at least 300,000 people have died in Darfur since
2003.

It called on the Sudan government to give greater cooperation to the UN mission in

Darfur and "to give full, unhindered access and freedom of movement" to UN
peacekeepers and aid workers.
--------------------
U.N. asked to investigate violence in Western Sahara (Washington Post)

UNITED NATIONS - Western Sahara's national liberation movement demanded

Monday that the U.N. Security Council launch a probe into clashes last week between
Moroccan authorities and Western Saharan protesters, arguing that it is essential to
"establish an authoritative account" of the most violent episode in years in the disputed
territory.

The move comes one week after Moroccan authorities bulldozed a temporary
encampment that housed 12,000 to 20,000 Saharawi protesters on the outskirts of
Laayoune. The authorities blasted the compound with water canons and severely beat
protesters, triggering anti-Moroccan riots and reprisal attacks by Moroccan security
officials against civilians.

The bloody incident outside the Moroccan-controlled city of Laayoune in Western

Sahara drew international attention to a remote conflict that generates scant press
coverage in the United States. U.N. special envoy Christopher Ross, who is overseeing
political talks between the two sides in New York this week, is scheduled to brief the
Security Council Tuesday in a special session on the latest spasm of violence. He is to be
joined by a senior U.N. peacekeeping official.

Shortly after Spain ended its colonial rule of Western Sahara in 1975, Morocco annexed
the territory, thwarting the locals' aspiration to join scores of other African countries
declaring independence. The Frente Polisario, which is backed by Algeria, has led the
territory's struggle for self-rule. But Morocco - with backing from France - has
effectively fended off efforts for the group's recognition on the world stage.

Determining what happened in and around Laayoune has been thwarted by Morocco's
refusal to provide access to the area to most U.N. peacekeepers, journalists, diplomats
and human rights experts, said U.N.-based officials and diplomats.

Ahmed Boukari, the Frente Polisario's U.N. representative, characterized the crackdown
as a "massacre," citing reports from locals that at least 36 civilians have been killed in
the melee. Morocco maintains that 12 died, including 10 security officials killed by
protesters and rioters.
Peter Bouckaert, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, largely supported the
government's estimates on the death toll, suggesting that Polisario's numbers might be
inflated.

"As far as we know, there is one confirmed death of a civilian, and possibly a second
who died in a hospital," Bouckaert said in a telephone interview from Laayoune.

Boukaert said there were rumors that dozens of bodies were being held in military
morgues but that interviews with local residents did not support such allegations. "Our
evidence gathered suggest a much lower civilian death toll, but it is precisely for this
reason that journalists and investigators should have unimpeded access to Laayoune."

He also said confusion over the events highlights the need for the U.N. peacekeeping
mission to establish a unit to monitor human rights violations in Western Sahara.
Several countries, including Austria and Mexico, pressed the council last year to set up
a human rights monitoring unit in the peacekeeping mission to track such abuses. The
measure was blocked by France, Morocco's closest ally in the council.

The Saharawis set up the tent city in Gdemi Izik outside Laayoune several months ago
to protest the dire social conditions in Western Sahara, including high unemployment,
lack of subsidies for the elderly or access to jobs for college graduates. Talks between
Moroccan authorities and the protesters broke down.

On Nov. 8, several hundred Moroccan security forces surrounded the camp and
advanced in armored cars to dismantle it. Rioting quickly spread from the camp, where
one police officer and a fireman were killed, along the road to Laayoune, where two
more police were stabbed to death at police station, according to Bouckaert.

The violence escalated in Laayoune amid rumors, apparently untrue, that Moroccan
forces had opened fire on civilians in the camps, killing scores. Inside Laayoune,
another six Moroccan security forces were killed, including one who had his throat cut,
as angry protesters and their supporters rampaged, burning government buildings, he
said.

By late Monday afternoon, Moroccan police and military sought revenge, ransacking
homes in Saharawi neighborhoods, beating residents and detaining more than 100,
many of whom were severely beaten, Bouckaert said.

Bouckaert expressed concern about the treatment of the detained, including six who
were charged with crimes by a military court in Rabat, Morocco.

"We saw the bruises of some of the men and women who have been released," he said.
"Many people were injured in the camp and in the city, but most of them were too
afraid to go to the hospital to seek treatment. On Monday, the police blocked the
entrance to the main hospital and beat up Saharawi wounded who arrived, and even
the taxi drivers who brought them."
--------------------
Guinea election rivals both declare victory, setting stage for tense showdown
(Christian Science Monitor)

Euphoria over the announcement that Alpha Conde is Guinea’s first democratically
elected president melted into apprehension as rival candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo also
proclaimed himself winner – setting the stage for a tense showdown in the days ahead.

Mr. Conde won the Nov. 7 runoff election with 52.52 percent of the vote to Mr. Diallo's
47.48 percent, according to final results released late Monday night by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (CENI). Pre-election violence saw numerous car and
store windows smashed with rocks, resulting in clashes with the military that claimed
the lives of at least three residents, in addition to another civilian reportedly killed
Monday night.

Immediately following the announcement, the massive conference hall Palais du Peuple
erupted into applause. People of all ages took to the capital's streets singing and
dancing in celebration for Conde’s party, the Rally of Guinean People (RPG). Speaking
from his private residence in Conakry, Conde vowed to be “the president for all” and
extended his hand toward “his brother” Diallo for the reconciliation of the country.

But hours before the announcement was even made, former Prime Minister Diallo had
already proclaimed himself winner. On Sunday, he suspended his participation in the
CENI verification process and promised to “not accept any results” until complaints of
voter fraud had been “fully examined and addressed.”

Fraud allegations
Diallo's party, the ethnic-Peul-led Union for the Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG),
have alleged voter fraud at several polling stations where voting totals were greater
than registered voters. Diallo specifically vowed to contest “the inclusion of any results
from Siguiri,” where hundreds of ethnic Peuls were chased from their homes in the
lead-up to elections.

Although the displaced Peuls eventually were granted the right to vote in a protocol
agreed upon by both parties, Diallo claims his party observers were denied access
during voting and could not therefore certify its transparency.

His refusal to recognize the region of Siguiri is of critical importance: either party’s
victory hinges on it.

The United Nations on Monday urged all parties to accept the election results. CENI
President Siaka Toumani Sangare expressed disbelief that UFDG complaints have not
been taken seriously. “We have worked hard to verify these sources,” he responded. “I
don’t understand how [Diallo] can say we have refused to treat them.” The matter is
now headed for the Supreme Court sometime next week, when the final decision
election outcome will be confirmed.

Monday's results came five days later than expected, with apprehensions rising and
accusations swirling as each deadline passed.

Tumultuous two years

Storefronts have been closed across the country since last week, with the capital’s main
shopping center resembling a ghost town. Some UFDG supporters have already
congregated across the capital to protest what they view as a stolen election. Several
buildings were set ablaze in the neighborhood of Amadac on Monday, and nearly all
circulation has been cut off in the district of Bambeto, where the unrest is most palpable.

Despite the sporadic outbreaks of violence, Guineans appear optimistic and eager to
start building a stable government after more than 50 years of little to no tangible
economic development.

The election follows a tumultuous two years in which President Lansana Conte, who
held power for 24 years, died in December 2008, Army Captain Moussa Dadis Camara
seized power and was then shot in December 2009, and General Sekouba Konate
became interim president and began plans for a democratic election with a first round
vote in June.

“The violence Guinea has suffered, even up to this point, is not stronger than the
courage of the people," said local journalist Kouyate Abdoulaye. "It took unity of
purpose to get to this point – with many giving their very lives. It will take the same
attitude to make this important transition to a stronger, democratic Guinea.“
--------------------
Oil Attacks In Nigeria Show New Militancy (Wall Street Journal)

An armed attack and kidnapping on a Nigerian oil facility owned by Exxon Mobil
Corp. disrupted production Monday, providing the latest sign of how a fraying
government amnesty deal with militants has posed fresh risks for energy companies
operating in the oil-rich nation.

Gunmen in five skiffs with powerful motors attacked Exxon Mobil's Oso platform late
Sunday, according to a security executive who works in the same area and had seen an
internal report on the incident. They boarded the platform and "conducted a room-to-
room search. Crew and staff were beaten and robbed, the power supply was cut and
communications were damaged," according to the security executive.
Eight Nigerian crew members were kidnapped from the platform, according to a senior
industry executive familiar with the situation. It wasn't clear if there were other crew
members who weren't kidnapped.

Exxon declined to say how the attack would affect output at one of Nigeria's biggest oil
fields. It suspended Oso's production as a "precautionary measure," the company said
in a statement Monday. The field can produce the equivalent of 100,000 barrels of oil a
day—as much as 5% of the country's daily output.

Sunday's attacks occurred in the Niger Delta, an area in Nigeria's south that is dogged
by poverty and instability—and also accounts for most of the oil output that makes the
country Africa's biggest oil producer and a major supplier to the U.S. For years in the
region, militants claiming to seek a larger share of revenue for locals have sabotaged
pipelines and kidnapped oil workers. But violence appeared to diminish after many
accepted a presidential amnesty last year.

Recent events, however, show some gunmen on the attack again, in a turn of events
observers say marks the unraveling of a program that provided housing and money to
former militant commanders who laid down arms and renounced violence. New
attacks suggest a growing divide between ex-leaders, many of whom are seen to be
reaping the rewards of the Nigerian government's largess, and mid- to lower-level
militants who have felt slighted in the deal, according to the military, militants and
rights groups.

Sunday's incident was the fourth major attack on foreign installations in the Niger Delta
in the past three months. In September, three crew members of the French oil-service
company Bourbon SA were kidnapped while working on an oil field operated by
Addax Petroleum, which is owned by China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec.
Last month, two pipelines belonging to Italian oil company Eni SpA were attacked. Last
week, an offshore rig owned by London-listed Afren PLC was boarded, seven crew
members were kidnapped and one was shot in the leg.

"There has been a big spike in offshore attacks recently, and some of it is not actually
recorded or disseminated," said another security executive tracking militant activity in
Nigeria's oil industry. "So this is just the tip of the iceberg."

.In the past, militants often claimed to seek increased access to oil revenue and better
living standards for people in the region, even though military and watchdog groups
say they were little more than loosely organized criminal gangs. But there have been no
such claims in any of the recent attacks.

The Nigerian military has pledged a crackdown. A spokesman for the military's Joint
Task Force, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, said the force had already raided a suspected
militant camp in Bayelsa State this month but it wasn't part of a planned offensive. A
routine military patrol came across a group of gunmen and chased them to their camp
where they found light weapons and equipment meant for sabotaging or tapping oil
from pipelines, the military spokesman said.

The group is part of the new wave of previously unknown gunmen who ex-militants
and the army say have no political agenda. The army spokesman said what they found
at the camp showed "pure criminality, no indication of politics."

Kennedy West, a mediator who negotiated peace with some of the armed groups last
year, said it wouldn't be possible for top militant commanders to fight the new gunmen
because they have pledged to lay down their weapons.

Many of these militant commanders were paid with cash or incentives like free housing
by government officials to accept last year's amnesty, according to militants, the
military and senior government officials. Two ex-militants who publicly accepted the
deal—Ebikabowei Victor Ben, who goes by the name Boyloaf, and another leader
known as General Africa— were until recently residing in government housing in
Bayelsa state, according to a housing document viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Neither Boyloaf nor General Africa responded to requests for comment.

--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Africa’s youth can do great things for the continent, says Ban
16 November – Africa’s young population can drive the continent’s future
development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told an international symposium taking
place in Benin.

Sudan: Security Council calls for ‘urgent action’ for peaceful, credible referenda
16 November – The Security Council today urged parties to the 2005 peace pact that
ended the country’s long-running civil war to take urgent action to ensure the holding
of peaceful and credible referenda on self-determination in less than two months’ time.

UN moves Sudanese refugees away from volatile Central African Republic border
16 November – Insecurity and logistical difficulties have prompted the United Nations
refugee agency to relocate some 3,500 Sudanese refugees from a camp in north-eastern
Central African Republic (CAR) to safer areas in the south-central part of the country.