United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 16 June 2011

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TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA U.S. shows interest in Africa: Office got off to rocky start, ambassador says (The Herald - Monterey County) (Pan-Africa) By creating a United States Africa Command, the U.S. signaled a greater interest in a vast continent that has been "an afterthought" in foreign policy. President Obama's Letter to Congress on the War Powers Resolution and the U.S. Mission in Libya (Fox) (Libya) Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) I am providing this supplemental consolidated report, prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about deployments of U.S. Armed Forces equipped for combat. Obama sued over war in Libya (ABC) (Libya) Ten members of the US Congress are suing president Barack Obama for exceeding his authority by involving America in the Libyan conflict. World leaders look for way out of Libya (LA Times) (Libya) With questions growing about NATO's air war and international arrest warrants threatening to close off a diplomatic solution, new players are joining the search for a way out of the Libya conflict. But the efforts have stumbled so far on Moammar Kadafi's insistence that he remain in the country. African Leaders Demand Halt to NATO Bombing Campaign in Libya (Bloomberg) (Libya) African leaders today demanded an immediate end to the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations bombing campaign in Libya and called for the African Union and United Nations to take the lead in reaching a political solution. WRAPUP 1 Libyan rebels take new villages in Western Mountains (Reuters)

(Libya) Libyan rebels have pushed deeper into government-held territory from their base in the Western Mountains, taking two villages from which forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi had been shelling rebel-held towns. Government Believes Arms Haul Comes from Libya (RFI) (Libya) Niger's military is hunting for two vehicles involved in a clash with security forces last Sunday after a third, which was captured, was found to contain 640 kgs of explosives, 435 detonators, and 90,000 dollars in cash. The Borderlands Between North and South Sudan Get Bloodier (TIME) (Sudan) Tensions in Sudan - which many observers hoped had turned a corner following this January's Southern Sudanese independence referendum have boiled over in yet another round of ethnic bloodletting in this battered and impoverished nation. Sudan leader al-Bashir to skip Malaysia forum amid calls to arrest him on war crime charges (Washington Post) (Sudan) Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on war crime charges, will skip an economic forum in Malaysia next week due to other engagements, officials said. Michelle Obama heads to Africa next week (Washington Post) (Pan-Africa) First lady Michelle Obamas official visit to South Africa and Botswana next week will focus on engaging African youth and paying tribute to the cultural heritage and political struggles of both countries. Experts warn S.African corruption helps terrorists (CBS) (South Africa) When an alleged mastermind of al-Qaida attacks on U.S. embassies was killed in East Africa, officials said he was carrying a fake South African passport. Eritrea volcano: Ash disrupts air travel in East Africa (BBC) (Eritrea) Flights to East Africa have been severely disrupted as ash from an Eritrean volcano spreads across the region and heads towards Saudi Arabia. Several airlines said they had stopped flying to Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia. Water Filter Project in Africa Gets Technology Boost (VOA) (Kenya) Technology plays an increasingly prominent role in African development projects. One example is a Swiss company's water filter project in western Kenya that makes use of a sophisticated network of cell phones and satellites.

UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website y Ban urges immediate end to hostilities in Sudans Southern Kordofan state y More must be done to overcome obstacles in providing aid UN official y UN envoy hails Chads action plan to end use of child soldiers y Sudan: UN reports intense air bombardment of Southern Kordofan state y Ongoing insecurity preventing return of displaced civilians in Cte dIvoire UN ------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST: WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 9:00am to 10:00am; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace WHAT: Senator Lindsey Graham on the War on Terror will discuss Libya and Afghanistan WHO: Senator Lindsey Graham, Senate Armed Services Committee; Jessica Tuchman Matthews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Info: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=eventDetail&id=3296 WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 10:30am to 12:00pm; Live Webcast from Brookings Institution WHAT: A Global Compact on Learning: Taking Action on Education in Developing Countries WHO: Rebecca Winthrop, Director, Center for Universal Education; Jenny Perlman Robinson, Special Guest, Center for Universal Education, The Brookings Institution; Carol Bellamy, Chair, Education for All-Fast Track Initiative Board of Directors; Oley Dibba-Wadda, Executive Director, Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE); Deepali Khanna, Director, Youth Learning, The MasterCard Foundation Info: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/0615_education_compact.aspx WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 11:00am; SD 192, Senate Committee on Appropriations; Live Webcast WHAT: Hearing on FY 2012 DOD Budget (Defense Subcommittee) WHO: The Honorable Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense; Admiral Mike Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Info: http://appropriations.senate.gov/events.cfm?date=6/15/2011 WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 4:30pm to 6:00pm; Woodrow Wilson Center WHAT: Africa: 53 Countries, One Union The New Challenges

WHO: Steve McDonald, Director of the Africa Program and Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity, Woodrow Wilson Center; Jessica Einhorn, Dean of SAIS, Johns Hopkins University; Romano Prodi, President, Foundation for World Wide Cooperation Info:http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summar y&event_id=701440 WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, June 15th at 5:00pm to 6:30pm; B1 Conference Center, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC 20006, Center for Strategic and International Studies WHAT: The Road to Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo WHO: Etienne Tshisekedi, President and Co-founder, Union pour la Dmocratie et le Progrs Social, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mvemba Dizolele, Writer and Journalist, Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Jennifer Cooke, Director, CSIS Africa Program Info: http://csis.org/event/road-presidential-elections-democratic-republiccongo-0 WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 11:00am to 12:30pm; Lehrman Auditorium, The Heritage Foundation; Live Webcast WHAT: U.S. Engagement in Libya: The Way Forward WHO: Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom; Todd Gaziano, Director, Center for Legal and Judicial Studies; Brett Schaefer, Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom; Michael Franc, Vice President, Government Studies Info: http://www.heritage.org/Events/2011/06/Libya WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 1:00pm to 2:30pm; Live Webcast from Brookings Institution WHAT: Libya and the Responsibility to Protect WHO: Peter Rundlet, Vice President, Humanity United; Mike Abramowitz, Director, Committee on Conscience, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Manal Omar, Director, Iraq and Iran Program, USIP; Sarah Sewall, Lecturer in Public Policy and Faculty Director, Mass Atrocity Response Operations Project, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Richard Williamson, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Info: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/0616_libya_responsibility.aspx WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, June 16th at 2:00pm; Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, House Committee on Foreign Affairs WHAT: Africas Newest Nation: The Republic of South Sudan

WHO: The Honorable Princeton Lyman, Special Envoy for Sudan, Department of State; Ms. Rajakumari Jandhyala, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, USAID; Mr. Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, Bishop, Diocese of TamburaYambio; Mr. John Eibner, CEO, Christian Solidarity International USA; Ms. Dana Lyons Wilkin, Campaigner, Global Witness; The Honorable Roger Winter, Former Special Representative on Sudan, Department of State Info: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1311 WHEN/WHERE: Friday, June 17th at 10:00am to 12:00pm; Room B241, US Institute of Peace WHAT: From Crisis to Community: Mapping as a Peacebuilding Tool WHO: Patrick Meier, Director of Crisis Mapping, Ushahidi; Sheldon Himelfarb, Director, Center of Innovation: Science, Technology & Peacebuilding, USIP; Peter Mandaville , Policy Planning Staff, Office of the Secretary of State, USIP; Nigel Snoad (remotely from Sudan), Communications and Information Services Branch, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA); Crisis Mappers from Conflict Zones Info: http://www.usip.org/events/crisis-community-mapping-peacebuildingtool WHEN/WHERE: Monday, June 20th at 10:30am to 12:00pm; Woodrow Wilson Center WHAT: Certification: The Path to Conflict-Free Minerals from Congo WHO: H.E. Ambassador Faida Mitifu, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Jane Harman, Director, President, and CEO, Woodrow Wilson Center; Steve McDonald, Director of the Africa Program and the Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity, Wilson Center; Robert D. Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, US Department of State; John Bradshaw, Executive Director, Enough Project; Tim Mohin, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Advanced Micro Devices; Sasha Lezhnev, Policy Consultant on Conflict Minerals, Enough Project; Joanne Lebert, Director of the Great Lakes Policy Program, Partnership Africa Canada Info:http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summar y&event_id=701620 WHEN/WHERE: From 8:30am on July 29th to 4:00pm on July 31st; Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Clavert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 WHAT: 2011 World Congress of the Society for International Development (SID) WHO: Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank; Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kenya; President Joaquim Chissano, the former President of Mozambique

TOPICS: Economic Progress, Human Development, Global Health, Governance and Citizenship, Science and Technology, and Gender Equality Info: http://www.interaction.org/event/2011-world-congress-societyinternational-development-sid ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT U.S. shows interest in Africa: Office got off to rocky start, ambassador says (Monterey County The Herald) By Kevin Howe June 15. 2011 By creating a United States Africa Command, the U.S. signaled a greater interest in a vast continent that has been "an afterthought" in foreign policy. But the bombing of Libya last month shortly after the appointment of Gen. Carter F. Ham to head Africa Command sent an alarming signal to African leaders at a time when the U.S. wants to assure them the command doesn't portend an aggressive American military role on the continent, according to Ambassador Anthony Holmes, the command's deputy to the commander for civil-military relations. Holmes covered that topic in the opening address Tuesday at a two-day conference at the Hyatt Regency Monterey developed by the Naval Postgraduate School and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. It was the first of a series of forums on culture and organizational awareness titled "Cooperative Engagement for Partnership Capacity: Africa as a Model for Whole of Government." The conference drew participants from Europe, Africa and the United States and continues through today. Africa Command got off to a rocky start in other ways, Holmes said, including its headquarters location Stuttgart, Germany a parsimonious budget and few troops or other resources. It has made it difficult to carry out its mission to foster respect for law and human rights and professionalism in the ranks of and civilian control over African military organizations, increase their ability to act in a continental peace-keeping role, combat terrorism and generally promote peace and security. "Our resources are shockingly modest," Holmes said. The command received $389million in funding this year, less than 5 percent of the $8 billion total in U.S. aid to Africa, and has 2,273 people assigned to it, half of them civilians.

The end of the Cold War saw the U.S. Agency for International Development offices in Africa cut from 36 to 22 and not much has been replaced since, he said. The command also competes for qualified troops with higher priority demands from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. "We're about protecting American national security interests," he said, and the best way to do that is "by sustained engagement and stability in Africa" through economic, social and political development. Its most successful program, Holmes said, has been training peacekeepers, noting that 169,985 African troops have been trained for 25 peacekeeping missions. Africa Command, he added, is limited by law to dealing only with African military organizations. Holmes described Africa as "a laboratory for a lot of issues the United States will be struggling with in its withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan," and the military will face "shocking" budget reductions. Afghanistan, he said, has proven to be "a failed model" for nation building. The country "is less secure than when we began" and its government "cannot be sustained after withdrawal. We have absolutely no political will nor the resources for another nation-building program. We've got to come up with something else." -----------------------------------------------------President Obama's Letter to Congress on the War Powers Resolution and the U.S. Mission in Libya (Fox) White House June 15, 2011 The following is a letter from President Obama to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel Inouye (D-HI). Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) I am providing this supplemental consolidated report, prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about deployments of U.S. Armed Forces equipped for combat. MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST AL-QA'IDA, THE TALIBAN, AND ASSOCIATED FORCES AND IN SUPPORT OF RELATED U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM OBJECTIVES Since October 7, 2001, the United States has conducted combat operations in Afghanistan against al-Qa'ida terrorists and their Taliban supporters. In support

of these and other overseas operations, the United States has deployed combatequipped forces to a number of locations in the U.S. Central, Pacific, European, Southern, and Africa Command areas of operation. Previously such operations and deployments have been reported, consistent with Public Law 107-40 and the War Powers Resolution, and operations and deployments remain ongoing. These operations, which the United States has carried out with the assistance of numerous international partners, have been successful in seriously degrading alQa'ida's capabilities and brought an end to the Taliban's leadership of Afghanistan. United States Armed Forces are also actively pursuing and engaging remaining al-Qa'ida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The total number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan is approximately 99,000, of which more than 83,000 are assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The U.N. Security Council most recently reaffirmed its authorization of ISAF for a 12-month period from October 13, 2010, in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1943 (October 13, 2010). The mission of ISAF, under NATO command and in partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is to conduct population-centric counterinsurgency operations, enable expanded and effective capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces, support improved governance and development in order to protect the Afghan people, and promote sustainable security. Including the United States, 48 partner nations, including all 28 NATO Allies, contribute troops to ISAF. These combat operations are gradually pushing insurgents to the edges of secured population areas in a number of important regions, largely resulting from the increase in U.S. forces over the past 2 years. United States and other coalition forces will continue to execute the strategy of clear-hold-build, and transition, until full responsibility for security rests with the Afghan National Security Forces. The United States continues to detain approximately 1,000 al-Qa'ida, Taliban, and associated force fighters who are believed to pose a continuing threat to the United States and its interests. The combat-equipped forces, deployed since January 2002 to Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, continue to conduct secure detention operations for the approximately 170 detainees at Guantanamo Bay under Public Law 107-40 and consistent with principles of the law of war. In furtherance of U.S. efforts against members of al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, and associated forces, the United States continues to work with partners around the globe, with a particular focus on the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility. In this context, the United States has deployed U.S. combat-

equipped forces to assist in enhancing the counterterrorism capabilities of our friends and allies, including special operations and other forces for sensitive operations in various locations around the world. The United States is committed to thwarting the efforts of al-Qa'ida and its associated forces to carry out future acts of international terrorism, and we have continued to work with our counterterrorism partners to disrupt and degrade the capabilities of al-Qa'ida and its associated forces. As necessary, in response to the terrorist threat, I will direct additional measures against al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, and associated forces to protect U.S. citizens and interests. It is not possible to know at this time the precise scope or the duration of the deployments of U.S. Armed Forces necessary to counter this terrorist threat to the United States. A classified annex to this report provides further information. MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ Since the expiration of the authorization and mandate for the Multinational Force in Iraq in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1790 on December 31, 2008, U.S. forces have continued operations to support Iraq in its efforts to maintain security and stability in Iraq, pursuant to the bilateral Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq on the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq (Security Agreement), which entered into force on January 1, 2009. These contributions have included, but have not been limited to, assisting in building the capability of the Iraqi security forces, supporting the development of Iraq's political institutions, enhancing the capacity of the ministries of Defense and Interior, providing critical humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the Iraqis, and supporting the U.S. diplomatic mission. The United States continues its responsible drawdown, in accordance with commitments in the Security Agreement, to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq by December 31, 2011. The number of U.S. forces in Iraq at this time is approximately 45,000. MILITARY OPERATIONS IN LIBYA As I reported on March 21, and at my direction, consistent with a request from the Arab League, and as authorized by the United Nations Security Council under the provisions of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, U.S. military forces commenced operations on March 19, 2011, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and address the threat posed to international peace and security by the crisis in Libya and to protect the people of Libya from the Qadhafi regime. The initial phase of U.S. military involvement in Libya was conducted under the command of the U.S. Africa Command. By April 4, however, the United States had transferred responsibility for the military operations in Libya to NATO and the U.S. involvement has assumed a supporting role in the coalition's efforts. Since April 4, U.S. participation has

consisted of: (1) non-kinetic support to the NATO-led operation, including intelligence, logistical support, and search and rescue assistance; (2) aircraft that have assisted in the suppression and destruction of air defenses in support of the no-fly zone; and (3) since April 23, precision strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles against a limited set of clearly defined targets in support of the NATO-led coalition's efforts. Although we are no longer in the lead, U.S. support for the NATO-based coalition remains crucial to assuring the success of international efforts to protect civilians and civilian populated areas from the actions of the Qadhafi regime, and to address the threat to international peace and security posed by the crisis in Libya. With the exception of operations to rescue the crew of a U.S. aircraft on March 21, 2011, the United States has deployed no ground forces to Libya. MILITARY OPERATIONS IN EGYPT On January 31, a security force of approximately 40 U.S. military personnel from the U.S. Central Command deployed to Cairo. Although this security force was equipped for combat, this movement was undertaken solely for the purpose of protecting American citizens and property. A security force remains deployed to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and will remain through July 4, or until the security situation becomes such that it is no longer needed, if earlier. This security force is separate from, and in addition to, the approximately 693 military personnel that constitute the U.S. contingent of the Multinational Force Observers present in Egypt since 1981. MARITIME INTERCEPTION OPERATIONS As noted in previous reports, the United States continues to conduct maritime interception operations on the high seas in the areas of responsibility of each of the geographic combatant commands. These maritime operations are aimed at stopping the movement, arming, and financing of certain international terrorist groups. A classified annex to this report provides further information. U.S./NATO OPERATIONS IN KOSOVO The U.N. Security Council authorized Member States to establish a NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Resolution 1244 on June 10, 1999. The original mission of KFOR was to monitor, verify, and, when necessary, enforce compliance with the Military Technical Agreement between NATO and the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia), while maintaining a safe and secure environment. Today, KFOR deters renewed hostilities and, with local authorities and international institutions, contributes to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment. Currently, 22 NATO Allies contribute to KFOR. Eight non-NATO countries also participate. The United States contribution to KFOR is approximately 800 U.S.

military personnel out of the total strength of approximately 6,000 personnel. The principal military task of KFOR forces is to help maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement. I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in all of these operations pursuant to my constitutional and statutory authority as Commander in Chief (including the authority to carry out Public Law 107-40 and other statutes) and as Chief Executive, as well as my statutory and constitutional authority, to conduct the foreign relations of the United States. Officials of my Administration and I communicate regularly with the leadership and other Members of Congress with regard to these deployments, and we will continue to do so. Sincerely, BARACK OBAMA ---------------------------------------Obama sued over war in Libya (ABC) By Craig McMurtrie June 15, 2011 Ten members of the US Congress are suing president Barack Obama for exceeding his authority by involving America in the Libyan conflict. With support for the Libyan engagement fraying, a bipartisan group of congressman says Mr Obama has violated the US constitution by pursuing military action without congressional approval. In a lawsuit filed in Federal Court the politicians argue the president has exceeded his authority. With the Libyan mission about to reach its 90th day, Republican speaker John Boehner is warning the White House the administration could be in violation of the War Powers Resolution. The White House is sending a 40-page report to Capitol Hill explaining the limitations of the US role in Libya. Administration officials argue there are no American troops on the ground and the US support role is legal. ---------------------------------------African Leaders Demand Halt to NATO Bombing Campaign in Libya (Bloomberg) By Bill Varner June 15, 2011

African leaders today demanded an immediate end to the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations bombing campaign in Libya and called for the African Union and United Nations to take the lead in reaching a political solution. We have not voted for a substitute for bombing of one group by the other, South Africas Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane told reporters in New York, referring to the UN resolution authorizing military action against Libya leader Muammar Qaddafis regime, which her government supported. All forms of military intervention and bombing must stop now. Nkoana-Mashabane and ministers of Mali, Mauritania, Uganda and Republic of Congo, which formed the AUs Ad Hoc Committee on Libya, expressed their concern about the NATO bombing campaign to the UN Security Council. Adoption of a draft statement demanding a complete end to violence and all attacks against and abuses of civilians was blocked by the U.S. and other Western nations. Western and Arab leaders have demanded an end to Qaddafis four-decade rule, and NATO aircraft have targeted his forces in a military campaign about to enter its fourth month. This was a meeting for expressions of frustration, said Ambassador Nestor Osorio of Colombia, a Security Council member. Ambassador Jose Moraes Cabral of Portugal, also a council member, said Ugandas Foreign Minister Ruhakana Rugunda suggested the NATO intervention amounted to going back to colonialism in Africa. Call from Russia, China The meeting in New York followed a statement today by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security alliance led by China and Russia and including the former Soviet states of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, urging an end to the NATO campaign. Domestic conflicts and crises have to be regulated exclusively by peaceful means, through political dialogue, the group said in Astana, Kazakhstan, where it is holding a summit. The African ministers stopped short of directly criticizing the NATO campaign, saying only that it has contributed to a humanitarian crisis rather than a political solution. The situation also underscores the moral and also political imperative to seek a rapid solution, to spare the suffering of the civilian population, create conditions for the return of sustainable peace in Libya and to spare the region from new

tribulations that stand the risk of plunging it back into instability, Mauritanias Foreign Minister Hamady Ould Hamady said. South Africas President Jacob Zuma was more direct yesterday in Cape Town, saying the UN resolution authorizing military action was being abused for regime change, political assassinations and foreign military occupation. Hamady called for an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting and expressed the AUs surprise and disappointment at the attempts to marginalize the continent in the management of the Libyan conflict. Britains Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said a precondition of a halt to the NATO bombing was a cessation of attacks on civilians by the Qaddafi regime. The ball is in Qaddafis court, Lyall Grant said. ---------------------------------------World leaders look for way out of Libya (LA Times) By Patrick J. McDonnell and Paul Richter June 15, 2011 Tripoli, Libya, and Washington With questions growing about NATO's air war and international arrest warrants threatening to close off a diplomatic solution, new players are joining the search for a way out of the Libya conflict. But the efforts have stumbled so far on Moammar Kadafi's insistence that he remain in the country. Russia and Turkey have recently added their voices to Western demands that Kadafi leave. Libyan officials long have declared that a nonstarter, and diplomats say it is unlikely they can change Kadafi's mind. However, they hope to convince enough of the leader's children and closest associates that leaving Libya becomes the only realistic option. Adding urgency to the diplomatic push are concerns about how long NATO can sustain its military campaign and a pending ruling by the International Criminal Court on prosecutors' request for arrest warrants for Kadafi, his son and brotherin-law. Issuance of arrest warrants could forestall a solution in which Kadafi goes into exile. Once warrants are issued, other countries that have agreed to ICC jurisdiction would be required to arrest him. "To insist that he both leave the country and face trial in the International Criminal Court is virtually to ensure that he will stay in Libya to the bitter end

and go down fighting," the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit organization that seeks to resolve global conflicts, said in a recent report on Libya. Britain's top naval commander, Adm. Mark Stanhope, said Monday that it could be difficult to continue the campaign in Libya past September. "Beyond that, we might have to request the government to make some challenging decisions about priorities," he said. The overall head of the British military, Gen. David Richards, contradicted him. But the admiral's remarks reinforced criticism last week by outgoing Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates of NATO allies' faltering commitment to the Libya campaign. Fewer than half of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 28 member nations are engaged in the conflict, Gates said, and after only 11 weeks some are beginning to run short of munitions. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday cited "numerous and continuous discussions" but acknowledged that there was not yet a clear path to forcing Kadafi to give up power. Leading the latest effort to persuade Kadafi to go is longtime ally Russia. Russia's Africa envoy, Mikhail Margelov, has suggested that the ICC case against Kadafi, his son Seif Islam and the regime intelligence chief could be deferred if the Libyan leader agreed to leave soon. Margelov, who visited the rebel stronghold Benghazi last week, told Russian media that he planned to visit Tripoli on Thursday and stress to Libya's leader that time was running out. "The main international guarantee for Mr. Kadafi is his own common sense and his understanding of the calendar," Margelov said. When ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed his request in mid-May, he said it would take at least three weeks for judges to make a decision. Margelov suggested that there were only a couple of weeks left. "The clock is ticking, and there is time to do something in two weeks," he said Saturday in a television interview. Turkey, a growing regional power, also has had cordial relations with Kadafi. But last week, it also publicly offered to facilitate his departure.

"We said we would help you leave for wherever you would like," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government informed the Libyan leader. "Kadafi has no way out but to leave Libya." In Tripoli, the government publicly continues to reject any peace blueprint that sets Kadafi's exit as a precondition. "No one can come here with a plan that includes the departure of the leader," Musa Ibrahim, chief government spokesman, said Sunday. "This tells us that people are not interested in peace and democracy in Libya. They are interested in implementing a foreign agenda in Libya." Nonetheless, diplomats and others say avoiding an international tribunal could be an incentive for Kadafi and his extended family to leave. They cite the cumulative pressure of being in the cross hairs of NATO's aircraft. Although the government denies it, reports circulate that Kadafi's wife and daughter have left the country. Kadafi's youngest son and three grandchildren were reportedly killed in a NATO airstrike in April. Several people who have seen Kadafi in recent weeks said he remains visibly distressed by their deaths. One Western diplomat said some of Kadafi's aides have started exploring what options might be open to the leader if he is willing to give up power. Aides have asked whether Kadafi could stay in Libya, perhaps with his tribe. Although the main rebel group has steadfastly rejected such suggestions, discussions continue, the diplomat said. "Kadafi may be beginning to understand that he's in a complicated spot," the diplomat said. A second Western diplomat said Kadafi is losing ground with a steady stream of defections. "We think we're getting closer to what we're looking for," the diplomat said. "But we're not there yet." ---------------------------------------WRAPUP 1 Libyan rebels take new villages in Western Mountains (Reuters) By Nick Carey June 15, 2011 GHARYAN, Libya - Libyan rebels have pushed deeper into government-held territory from their base in the Western Mountains, taking two villages from which forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi had been shelling rebel-held towns. But the rebels are still a considerable way from Gaddafi's main stronghold in Tripoli, while their fellow fighters on the other two fronts -- in Misrata and in

eastern Libya -- have made only halting progress against better-armed government troops. The rebel advance some 150 km (90 miles) southwest of Tripoli on Wednesday, came as the White House insisted that President Barack Obama had the legal authority to press on with U.S. military involvement in Libya. Strains have begun to show in the Western alliance trying to topple Gaddafi. The U.S. defense secretary rounded on European allies last week for failing to back the mission the alliance took over in late March. The White House urged sceptical lawmakers not to send "mixed messages" about their commitment to the NATO-led air war that has helped the rebels push on from their bastion in the east. "The revolutionaries (rebels) now control Zawiyat al-Babour and al-Awiniyah after pro-Gaddafi forces retreated this morning from the two villages," Abdulrahman, a rebel spokesman in the nearby town of Zintan, told Reuters. In Gharyan, a Gaddafi-held town that forms the gateway from Tripoli to the mountains, there was an undercurrent of tension as the frontline moves closer to the capital. Libyan government minders took a group of reporters to the town, which lies about 120 km southwest of Tripoli and about 20 km east of Kikla, which rebels seized from loyalists on Tuesday. Despite an outward appearance of normality, walls around town on Wednesday had recently painted over graffiti. The windows of one government building were smashed, the sign for another was riddled with holes. While many traders and people on the streets were reluctant to talk to reporters, one shop owner said the calm in the area during the day was replaced by fighting every night. "Two thirds of the people here are for the rebels," he told Reuters, giving his name as Mohammed. Those willing to talk in front of the minders were strongly pro-Gaddafi. "Sarkozy is stupid, he is fighting this war for petrol," a man called Yunis said in French, referring to the French president, vilified by Gaddafi supporters as the driving force behind NATO bombing. "This is colonialism all over again." TIME ON OUR SIDE

The NATO military alliance, which has been pounding Gaddafi's military and command-and-control structures for nearly three months, has failed to dislodge him. Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said the alliance was "sliding down and being dragged more into the eventuality of a land-based operation in Libya". Ties are becoming strained in the alliance, with some NATO members complaining that others have been reluctant to commit additional resources. Tension in Washington itself over the conflict reflects unease over U.S. entanglement in a third conflict in the Muslim world in addition to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and pressure for Obama to clarify U.S. goals in the North African country. The cost of U.S. military operations and humanitarian assistance in Libya was $716 million as of June 3 and was projected to reach $1.1 billion by Sept. 30, 2001, according to a White House a report to Congress released on Wednesday. "We believe that it's important for Congress not to send mixed messages about a goal that we think most members of Congress share," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Speaking in London after meeting NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated that time was running out for Gaddafi and that the alliance was as determined as ever. "I think there is a very clear pattern emerging which is time is on our side, because we have the support of NATO, the United Nations, the Arab League, a huge number of countries in our coalition and in our contact group," he said. Rasmussen echoed those comments despite senior NATO commander General Stephane Abrial on Tuesday raising questions about the alliance's ability to handle a long-term intervention. "Allies and partners are committed to provide the necessary resources and assets to continue this operation and see it through to a successful conclusion," Rasmussen said. GADDAFI DEFIANCE In a theatrical show of defiance, Gaddafi was shown at the weekend playing a game of chess with a Russian official, but after weeks of ambivalence, Moscow has joined Western countries this month in calling for Gaddafi to step down.

Saad Djebbar, a former legal adviser to the Libyan government, told Reuters Gaddafi would continue to play for time and seek to demoralise and split the coalition. "Gaddafi's mentality is that as long as my enemies haven't triumphed, I haven't lost," he said. Gaddafi has said he has no intention of leaving the country -- an outcome which, with the military intervention so far failing to produce results, many Western policymakers see as the most realistic way out of the conflict. At the United Nations, Britain's ambassador urged the African Union to send a strong message that he should go, adding there could be no ceasefire as long as he remained in power. Gaddafi's government approved a $31.4 billion budget for the rest of 2011, the official news agency said, in an apparent move to show it was functioning despite air strikes and sanctions. The Libyan leader has described the rebels as criminals and al Qaeda militants, and called the NATO intervention an act of colonial aggression aimed at grabbing Libya's oil. Though under attack from NATO warplanes and rebel fighters, Gaddafi's troops have showed they are still a potent force. A rebel spokesman in Nalut, at the other end of the Western Mountains range from Zintan, said Gaddafi's forces had been shelling Nalut and the nearby border crossing into Tunisia. The rebels depend on that crossing to bring in supplies. ---------------------------------------Government Believes Arms Haul Comes from Libya (RFI) By Unattributed Author June 15, 2011 Niger's military is hunting for two vehicles involved in a clash with security forces last Sunday after a third, which was captured, was found to contain 640 kgs of explosives, 435 detonators, and 90,000 dollars in cash. Officials believe the arms came from Libya. The skirmish between the army and what appears to have been bandits happened north of the town of Arlit and left two people dead, one on each side.

One four-wheel drive vehicle containing, explosives, arms and money, was recovered. But two other vehicles managed to flee. And Niger authorities believe the captured arms came from insurrection-hit Libya and were intended for Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim). The captured explosive, known as Semtex, is manufactured in the Czech Republic and was being transported in containers with Libyan markings. For security services there is no doubt that these explosives were being smuggled out of Libya for Al Qaida, which operates in the Sahara and Sahel region. Semtex, which is hard to detect, was used to blow up a Pan Am flight over the Socttish town of Lockerbie in 1988. And in the past, its main importer has been Libya, which is believed to have bought about 700 tons of it in the 1970s. Since the uprising in Libya, Niger, Mali and Mauritania have voiced concern that large stocks of arms have fallen into the hands of the insurgents and are being sold to Al-Qaida. ---------------------------------------The Borderlands Between North and South Sudan Get Bloodier (TIME) Posted by Everett Rosenfeld June 15, 2011 Tensions in Sudan - which many observers hoped had turned a corner following this January's Southern Sudanese independence referendum have boiled over in yet another round of ethnic bloodletting in this battered and impoverished nation. This time, forces serving President Omar al-Bashir's Arabdominated government are reportedly implicated in dozens of deaths in the mountainous Nuba area of Northern Sudan's South Kordofan region. According to the U.N. the majority of a 60,000 person population has fled the region in the wake of government-led aerial bombings and an offensive launched by Arab militias, targeting the religiously-heterodox African tribesmen collectively known as the Nuba people. They are killing the black people, a Sudanese aid worker who just escaped from a bombed village on Wednesday told the New York Times. The northern army is slaughtering people who supported [southern independence]. Religious organizations are also confirming the accounts of targeted violence. "The reports being received from various quarters point to a deliberate process of ethnic cleansing," said a statement from the All Africa Conference of Churches.

This would not be the first attempt by North Sudanese paramilitaries to eradicate the Nuba people: in the 1990s, nearly 500,000 people were killed in what has been described as forgotten genocide. Bashir's government and loosely organized paramilitary groups have begun to repeat the horrors of those years: fleeing Nuba "are being hunted down like animals," according to the Sudanese Council of Churches. The roots of the conflict in the Nuba Mountain range are not difficult to comprehend: many Nuba fought with the southern Sudanese during the protracted civil war, yet when borders are officially drawn in July, their land is set to belong to Northern Sudan. Outnumbered ethnically, abandoned by former allies, and finding themselves living in a formerly antagonistic nation, the Nuba refused to disarm when the northern army came calling on June 5. Now, as ethnic violence once again ravages Sudan, the United Nations is looking into the situation. We will take the necessary measures to immediately investigate, Hua Jiang, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Mission in Sudan, told the Times, requesting that anyone who possesses any evidence to bring them to our attention. Meanwhile, Southern Sudan and its president Salva Kiir Mayardit are set to officially declare independence on July 9. The violence in South Kordofan right along the border could, however, complicate the situation. ---------------------------------------Sudan leader al-Bashir to skip Malaysia forum amid calls to arrest him on war crime charges (WP) By Unattributed Author June 15, 2011 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on war crime charges, will skip an economic forum in Malaysia next week due to other engagements, officials said. The announcement came amid pressure from rights group Amnesty International for Malaysia to arrest al-Bashir if he enters the country. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for al-Bashir for allegedly orchestrating atrocities in Sudans Darfur region. Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told state-owned Bernama TV late Wednesday that al-Bashir canceled his trip because he had other pressing

engagements and would instead send his foreign minister to the three-day forum that begins Sunday. An aide to Anifah confirmed his comments Thursday and said the cancellation of al-Bashirs visit had nothing to do with the ICC arrest warrants. The aide, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media, couldnt give further details. The Sudanese leader remains in power, rejecting the charges and the Netherlands-based court, which has no police force and relies on member states to execute its orders and warrants. Malaysia is not an ICC member, but in March it announced its intention to join. London-based Amnesty International said earlier this week that Malaysias invitation to al-Bashir flies in the face of its decision to join the ICC and called for al-Bashir to be arrested if he turns up. Darfur was plunged into turmoil in 2003, when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government, which they accuse of discrimination. Al-Bashirs regime is accused of retaliating by unleashing Arab militias on civilians a charge the government denies. The U.N. estimates 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been displaced in the conflict. ---------------------------------------Michelle Obama heads to Africa next week (WP) By Krissah Thompson June 15, 2011 First lady Michelle Obamas official visit to South Africa and Botswana next week will focus on engaging African youth and paying tribute to the cultural heritage and political struggles of both countries. Obamas schedule which includes a hearty mix of public events, visits with local consulate officials and tourism was released by White House officials Wednesday afternoon. She will be accompanied by her daughters, Malia and Sasha, her mother, Marian Robinson, and her niece and nephew, Leslie and Avery Robinson, on the five-day goodwill tour. Their trip will begin June 20 in Pretoria, where Obama will meet with South African President Jacob Zumas wife Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma at Zumas official residence. The meeting will highlight one significant cultural difference: Zuma is a Zulu traditionalist and polygamist. Reports conflict on how many wives he has.

In Johannesburg, Obama and her entourage will visit the Nelson Mandela Foundation, where the anti-apartheid movements archives are housed. A visit with Mandela, who is 92 and battled a difficult respiratory infection earlier this year, is not on her schedule, but his wife, Graca Machel, the former first lady of Mozambique, will lead the familys tour of the archives. As in past trips, Obama will spend much of her time with children and young leaders, focusing her talks on education and wellness. Last year, in her first solo official visit overseas, Obama held a roundtable discussion with young adults in Mexico, hugged schoolchildren and visited earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Obamas itinerary in South Africa similarly includes a visit to Soweto, the most populous black urban residential area in the country, where she will give a keynote address to 75 young women selected by U.S. officials for their leadership skills and lead them in a community service project. During the latter part of the trip, Obama will visit Cape Town. She will meet with students at the University of Cape Town, visit an HIV/AIDS project that educates children about the virus, and travel to Robben Island, where Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists were held during the countrys years of racial oppression. The familys trip ends with a visit to Gabarone in Botswana and a safari in that country. Both countries, which are democracies and have made progress on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, are well placed to be showcased with a visit by the first lady, said John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, who has also served in South Africa. If you want to showcase countries that are moving in a democratic direction with a track record of credible elections and with governments that are actively wrestling with real issues that impact on their citizens, Botswana and South Africa are the right ones, Campbell said. ---------------------------------------Experts warn S.African corruption helps terrorists (CBS) By Unattributed Author June 15, 2011 PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) When an alleged mastermind of al-Qaida attacks on U.S. embassies was killed in East Africa, officials said he was carrying a fake South African passport.

Security experts have been warning for years that corruption in South Africa is allowing terrorists to get documents to hide their identities and make it easier to travel. An official responsible for issuing South African passports says there have been improvements, but acknowledges more needs to be done. Mkuseli Apleni says the passport found with terror suspect Fazul Abdullah Mohammed is a copy of the easily forged passport South Africa no longer produces. Mohammed was killed last week in Somalia. Counterterrorism specialist Scott Stewart says it's possible in South Africa to "give the right guy several hundred dollars" for a passport. ---------------------------------------Eritrea volcano: Ash disrupts air travel in East Africa (BBC) By Unattributed Author June 15, 2011 Flights to East Africa have been severely disrupted as ash from an Eritrean volcano spreads across the region and heads towards Saudi Arabia. Several airlines said they had stopped flying to Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia. The ash cloud was now changing direction, from north-west to south-west and had reached Sudan and Egypt, an Ethiopian academic said. The cloud followed a volcanic eruption in Eritrea at the weekend. It forced US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to cut short a three-nation tour of Africa on Monday. 'Size decreasing' Initially only the German airline Lufthansa cancelled flights to Eritrea and neighbouring Ethiopia. Now Ethiopian Airways has said it has cancelled flights to Sudan and Djibouti. Kenya Airways said it was no longer flying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti route and Dubai's Emirates airline said it had cancelled flights to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Satellite images obtained by the France-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre showed the cloud was moving towards Saudi Arabia, Reuters news agency reports.

But Atalay Ayele of the Geophysical Observatory Centre of Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University said the size of the ash cloud was decreasing. "The ash's direction and its intensity were very high on Sunday, but... the Modis [Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer] satellite shows a weakening," he said. According to the US space agency Nasa, the satellite images confirm the eruption was at the Nabro volcano, which is not known to have erupted before. Earlier reports had said it was the Dubbi volcano that had sent the plumes of ash 13km (eight miles) into the air. Peggy Hellweg, a seismologist at the University of California, told the BBC the volcano could go on rumbling and spewing ash for some time. ---------------------------------------Water Filter Project in Africa Gets Technology Boost (VOA) By Cathy Majtenyi June 15, 2011 NAIROBI, Kenya Technology plays an increasingly prominent role in African development projects. One example is a Swiss company's water filter project in western Kenya that makes use of a sophisticated network of cell phones and satellites. It's evening at command central in the western Kenyan town of Kakamega. Here, staff of the Swiss company Vestergaard Frandsen pores over results of the day's distribution. Hours earlier, 3,800 workers visited homes across the area to demonstrate and hand out the company's LifeStraw water filter. They also took photos and gathered basic information about the households on Android smart phones. "I have been using [the phone] to record the information - it is easy," said Khaemba. "If you have recorded using this phone, the data is safe, unlike writing. This is the time of rain - maybe I can lose the record or the record can be spoiled by rain. So I am using this phone [and] it is safe." Information that Khaemba and other workers gather is uploaded to a server at a rate of 100 files every 80 seconds. It includes the map coordinates of each household visited.

Max Gold is chief technology officer with Manna Energy Ltd., a company working on Vestergaard Frandsen's carbon credit project designed to reduce greenhouse emissions. He says the map ensures the smooth distribution of the LifeStraw, and notes areas that still need to be reached. "We may deploy extra people there to help out, or we might call up the local supervisor and ask them what's going on, see if we can identify any problems," she said. "It also helps us see if there are network outages and other issues that may come up in such a large deployment." The technology, and the information it gathers, is needed to monitor the project's success in cutting down on the amount of firewood used to boil water so that it can be safe to drink. This will enable Vestergaard Frandsen to claim carbon credits on the global carbon market, a new form of revenue for companies operating in Africa and worldwide. Vestergaard Frandsen turns the information it gathers over to the Kenyan government, says company CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. "This data platform will be shared with the government here, specifically in the Ministry of Health, so that they have a very strong platform to go out and do other things - hand washing campaigns, delivery of bed nets, etc., so that is hugely important," said Frandsen. Company officials say the technology also ensures that some 900,000 homesteads in western Kenya receive a consistent supply of safe drinking water. Access to safe drinking water and respiratory problems caused by indoor smoke are big problems in Kenya, particularly among children. The World Health Organization says 20 percent of deaths in children under the age of five are due to diarrhea, while 16 percent of these children die from pneumonia. Worldwide, the United Nations says diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five, with around one in five children dying from the disease, largely because of dirty water. --------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website Ban urges immediate end to hostilities in Sudans Southern Kordofan state 15 June Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged an immediate end to the fighting in Sudans Southern Kordofan state, which has caused the death of

many civilians and the displacement of tens of thousands, and put United Nations staff directly at risk. More must be done to overcome obstacles in providing aid UN official 15 June Aid workers and peacekeepers face a range of security and logistical challenges as they assist the most vulnerable, but there are steps they can take to improve the plight of those in need, a senior United Nations relief official stressed today. UN envoy hails Chads action plan to end use of child soldiers 14 June A senior United Nations official today hailed the action plan signed by the Government of Chad to end the use of children by the countrys security forces, while highlighting important next steps on the path to eradicating the scourge of child soldiers. Sudan: UN reports intense air bombardment of Southern Kordofan state 14 June The United Nations has reported heavy bombardment by Sudanese warplanes during the past week in areas surrounding the towns of Kadugli and Kauda in the troubled state of Southern Kordofan, with planes early today dropping at least 11 bombs on an airfield close to a UN camp. Ongoing insecurity preventing return of displaced civilians in Cte dIvoire UN 14 June At least 300,000 civilians are still displaced in Cte dIvoire two months after the end of the post-election crisis, the United Nations refugee agency reported today, adding that ongoing insecurity in some areas is preventing their return.