Please note: The following news items are presented here for informational purposes. The views expressed within them are those of the authors and/or individuals quoted, not those of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the National Defense University, or the Department of Defense.
$213bn illegal wildlife and charcoal trade ‘funding global terror groups’
AU Summit Held Amid Growing Insecurity
Sudan Said to Revive Notorious Militias
Sudan war-zone bombing may be ’starvation’ policy, says Amnesty
Boko Haram’s kidnapped girls: Nigeria’s side of the story (+video)
Kenyan killings deepen divide between government and opposition
Kenya’s dilemma in Somalia: to withdraw or not to withdraw?
Malawi president sacks army chief
Nigeria Officially Ended Its Kidnapping Investigation, And More Than 200 Girls Are Still Missing
Burundi Rebels Claim Attack on Army Soldiers in Congo Kills Nine
Gorillas, Guns, and Oil: A Journey Inside Virunga National Park
Tensions between CAR Refugees and Cameroonians Escalate over Depleting Resources
Libya holds elections to end post-Gaddafi instability
Drug bust sparks Benghazi port battle
Hundreds of Turks leave Libya after threats
After Benghazi, US sends its diplomatic agents through more intensive training
El-Sissi donates half his wealth to Egypt
Egypt’s Sisi to visit Algiers Wednesday on first state visit
Africa: How Can Africa Fund Its Own Development Initiatives?
White House raps Republicans over ambassadorial logjam
South Africa’s World Cup Illusions
Congo switches off to watch the World Cup
Today’s News
$213bn illegal wildlife and charcoal trade ‘funding global terror groups’
Illegal wildlife trade worth up to $213 billion dollars a year is funding organised crime, including global terror groups and militias, according to a report by the United Nations and Interpol. Aside from the well-documented ivory trade of up to around $400m a year that trickles to some militias in East, Central and West Africa, the annual trade of up to $100bn in illegal logging is helping line the pockets of mafia, Islamist extremists and rebel movements, including Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked terror group al-Shabaab that now rely on charcoal as its primary finance. Christian Hellemann, who led the UN Environment Programme assessment, said the scale of the illegal timber trade “has been totally underestimated and is now being regarded as very significant”, beyond concerns over deforestation, destruction of animal habitats and the threats to precious woods such as rosewood, sandalwood and mahogany. The Guardian
AU Summit Held Amid Growing Insecurity
A major annual summit of the African Union (AU) will be held this week in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. A number of key issues will be discussed by the continental organization composed of heads-of-state. This summit will be followed later by one convened at the White House on August 5-6 that will bring together African leaders with President Barack Obama. The U.S. is late in following numerous other conferences over the last several years involving African presidents along with the leaders of China, South American states, Iran and Japan. SpyGhana
Sudan Said to Revive Notorious Militias
The Sudanese government has reconstituted the janjaweed, notorious militias that terrorized the restive Darfur region for years, making them an official, uniformed force that has recently burned down huts and attacked civilians, according to a new report prepared by the Enough Project, an activist group that aims to prevent genocide. The report, which will be released publicly this week, includes satellite imagery of hundreds of burned down huts , describing the growing crisis as a replay of the conflict in Darfur that exploded in 2003, when militias laid waste to villages of certain ethnic groups. But what is different this time, the report’s authors say, is that the government’s role in fomenting the violence is hardly secret, with the culprits wearing state-issued uniforms, complete with little Sudanese flags, and even bragging about their exploits on Facebook. “The Sudanese government has abandoned the fig leaf that the janjaweed don’t operate under their command and control,” said the Enough Project, a nonprofit group based in Washington. “After spending years trying to distance themselves from these forces of terror, the regime is not even bothering to deny their association with these war criminals anymore.” The New York Times
Sudan war-zone bombing may be ’starvation’ policy, says Amnesty
Intensified bombing in Sudan’s war-torn South Kordofan may be part of an attempt to starve the population, Amnesty International said on Wednesday. The air raids in recent weeks are “unprecedented in their scale and impact,” the London-based watchdog said, citing human rights monitors. In the last week of May, 59 bombs fell in and around Kauda, a stronghold of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Amnesty said in a briefing paper. Between May 15 and 22, Sudan’s air force dropped around 200 bombs over the agricultural area of Tangal in Umm Durain district, severely disrupting the planting season, it said. AFP on Yahoo News
Boko Haram’s kidnapped girls: Nigeria’s side of the story (+video)
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan and his administration have been subject to withering criticism at home and abroad over the government’s response to the Boko Haram kidnapping of some three hundred schoolgirls from Chibok. There are ongoing demonstrations in Nigeria by women, united across ethnic and religious boundaries, calling for greater government engagement in finding and liberating them. Abroad, the episode has highlighted Nigeria’s governance challenges, including corruption and the apparent near-collapse of its military. CS Monitor
Kenyan killings deepen divide between government and opposition
Raila Odinga, who was President Uhuru Kenyatta’s challenger in last year’s election, has called for nationwide rallies next month over what he said were public worries that include security failings, corruption and rising living costs. He set a July 7 deadline for the start of a national dialogue, but he did not spell out the consequences if his demand was not met. Odinga’s comments in an interview with Reuters have set him on a collision course with the government, which has dismissed the deadline as a bid by the 69-year-old former prime minister to create a crisis that will haul him back to the center of politics in the east African nation. Deutsche Welle
Kenya’s dilemma in Somalia: to withdraw or not to withdraw?
It has been almost three years since Kenyan troops were deployed neighbouring Somalia to create a security buffer zone on the Somali side of the border. The main aim at the time was to reduce growing insecurity in Kenya, which affected the country’s economy and the tourism industry especially. Since the deployment and the subsequent integration of Kenyan troops into the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), however, the goal of reducing insecurity is yet to be realised. Instead, insecurity that is attributed to the very presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia has continued to rise. The recent attacks on 16 June in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, in which more than 60 people died is yet another reminder of the increasing number of terrorist incidents that have taken place since Kenya’s deployment in Somalia. Despite the ongoing debate between government and opposition groups about the cause and perpetrators of the Mpeketoni attacks, Kenya’s presence in Somalia remains an important variable. ISS
Malawi president sacks army chief
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has fired the country’s army chief, General Henry Odillo, his office said on Wednesday. Odillo had in 2012 reportedly refused to take over government after the sudden death of then-president Bingu wa Mutharika, the current president’s brother. The coup plan was allegedly hatched by Peter Mutharika to prevent the then-vice president, Joyce Banda, from automatically becoming president as provided for in the constitution. Banda did become president, however, and Mutharika was charged with treason. That charge is now expected to fall away as Mutharika ousted Banda in elections last month and a sitting president is immune from prosecution. News 24
Nigeria Officially Ended Its Kidnapping Investigation, And More Than 200 Girls Are Still Missing
Nigeria wrapped up its inquiry into the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by militants on Friday with little progress to show, reporting almost none had been freed after the initial kidnapping some girls escaped from. Submitting the final report, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sabo said 219 girls remained at large, a total virtually unchanged since Boko Haram militants stormed their secondary school in northeast Borno state on April 14 to kidnap them. A total of 57 girls, almost all of whom escaped shortly after the abduction, have been reunited with their families, he added. The kidnapping of the teenage girls taking exams in Chibok village sparked global outrage for its sheer barbarity. Reuters
Burundi Rebels Claim Attack on Army Soldiers in Congo Kills Nine
Burundi’s rebel National Forces of Liberation said its fighters killed nine Burundian army soldiers in an attack in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The insurgents shot dead the soldiers at Kiliba Ondes in Congo’s South Kivu province, near the border between the two countries, Eraste Dondogori, a spokesman for the armed group, said in a phone interview yesterday. Burundi army spokesman Colonel Gaspard Baratuza denied the attack took place and repeated the government’s denial that it has any troops in Congo. Bloomberg
Gorillas, Guns, and Oil: A Journey Inside Virunga National Park
Virunga, Orlando von Einsiedel’s new documentary on the Congolese national park by the same name, begins on a dark note, with footage of a funeral for one of the park’s rangers. It’s an intimate, mournful moment that sets the tone for the film, but it’s only midway through the documentary that the true weight of the scene takes hold, when the threats the rangers face are depicted in vivid detail. Von Einsiedel’s film is both a beautiful, close-up look at Africa’s oldest national park—a tract of land the size of Yellowstone that is home to endangered mountain gorillas—and a sweeping survey of the political and corporate pressures overwhelming the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21st century. Von Einsiedel, a British pro-snowboarder turned documentary filmmaker, arrived in the park in 2012, just before it became a battleground in the M23 rebellion. Soldiers in North Kivu province, where the park is located, mutinied against the Congolese government over its failure to implement a peace deal. The Atlantic
Tensions between CAR Refugees and Cameroonians Escalate over Depleting Resources
Central African Republic refugees living in Cameroon’s East Region are increasingly becoming frustrated about their deteriorating living conditions and their inability to support themselves as conflict between them and and local villagers has escalated over depleting resources. They say they have been denied access to farm tools as aid agencies fear they may use them as arms against the local population. Clay-Man Youkoute, head of refugees in Guiwa camp, told IPS that aid agencies showed the refugees pieces of land that they could cultivate. “Before starting work on the land, aid agencies refused to give us the right farm tools. They say if they give us machetes we will use as weapons against local population. This is very insulting. IPS
Libya holds elections to end post-Gaddafi instability
Libyans go to the polls on Wednesday in the hope of ending the anarchy that has gripped the country since the 2011 overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. A new 200-seat parliament will be elected in the second poll since the former regime’s overthrow. The UN has described the poll as “an important step in Libya’s transition towards stable democratic governance”. The election was called a month ago amid government claims that a renegade general was plotting a coup. General Khalifa Haftar denied the allegation, but launched a military offensive against Islamist militias whom he accused of holding Libya to ransom. BBC
Drug bust sparks Benghazi port battle
Seven people were killed Saturday (June 21st) in an attack on the Benghazi port following a major drug bust. Eighteen others were injured. Libyan authorities were destroying a major hashish cache seized from a cargo ship when they came under attack. Saiqa Special Forces responded to the assault and pursued the assailants. The troops are now in full control of the port. Seven tonnes of hashish were seized in the operation, according to a security source. Magharebia
Hundreds of Turks leave Libya after threats
More than 400 Turks were evacuated from Libya on Tuesday following threats by a rogue former rebel commander who accuses Ankara of backing his Islamist opponents, an airport official said. The Turkish embassy chartered two aircraft to fly the 420 Turks home from Libya’s third city Misrata, airport spokesman Mohamed Ismail told state news agency LANA. Most of those evacuated had been working at a power station in the city of Sirte further east, hometown of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Ismail added. Globalpost
After Benghazi, US sends its diplomatic agents through more intensive training
The terrorists threw everything they had at the U.S. consulate: a truck bomb, grenades, rockets, mortars and 15 black-clad attackers armed with AK-47s, including one fighter strapped with a suicide vest trying to blow out the back door. It could have turned out badly — another Benghazi — but it wasn’t scripted that way. This time, all 20 personnel inside the five-story consulate would survive. None of the attackers did, mowed down by agents from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, who responded crisply with automatic weapons spewing fiery, loud bursts in the early morning haze. The terrorists were, in fact, excited young Marines fresh out of infantry school, role-players in a rapid-fire training exercise in a mock town built for war games on a Virginia military base. Replete with Hollywood-style explosions and actors chanting anti-American slogans in Arabic, it was the culmination of an intensive training program that owes its existence to the deadly 2012 attacks by Islamic militants on U.S. installations in Benghazi, Libya. Stars and Stripes
El-Sissi donates half his wealth to Egypt
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on Tuesday he will donate half of his personal wealth and half of his salary to help the country’s crippling economy, the improvement of which he said requires sacrifices from all Egyptians. El-Sissi also said he asked the government to amend a newly drafted budget – the largest in Egypt’s history at $115bn – because it had a deficit he said was unacceptable. The draft budget kept Egypt’s budget deficit hovering around 12%. The budget had large sums dedicated to state subsidies on food and energy, as well as spending on pensions and social spending. El-Sissi said he asked his government to amend it, but didn’t specify what will be changed. News 24
Egypt’s Sisi to visit Algiers Wednesday on first state visit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will travel to Algiers on Wednesday for his first trip abroad since being elected in May, the office of his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced. Algeria called for a “peaceful transition” in Egypt after Islamist president Mohammad Mursi was ousted by the then army chief in July last year. Sisi won a crushing majority in May’s presidential poll, a month after Bouteflika was overwhelmingly re-elected for a fourth term in office, despite his age and poor health. During Sisi’s brief visit, the North African leaders will discuss “issues linked to the situation in the Arab world and Africa,” Bouteflika’s office said. Al Arabiya
Africa: How Can Africa Fund Its Own Development Initiatives?
Africa has the potential to fund up to 70% of its own development agendas through several untapped resources. However, there are still many obstacles in the way. The Agenda 2063, a development initiative set up by African Union Commission, aims to “use African resources for the benefit of all Africans.” The question remain, how can Africa turn potential financial sources into accessible ones? This week as African leaders meet in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for the African Union Summit, it presents an opportunity to answer this question and strengthen advocacy to finance a self-driven development agenda. allAfrica
White House raps Republicans over ambassadorial logjam
The White House blamed Senate Republicans Tuesday for putting US national security at risk by thwarting the swift confirmation of a long list of President Barack Obama’s ambassador picks — some to hot-spot nations. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said that 48 of Obama’s nominations for ambassador overseas were pending and 26 were already on the Senate’s executive calendar and eligible for full confirmation by the chamber. Rice also said that 16 of the 26 were foreign service officers — in a preemptive strike at administration critics who have complained some ambassadorial picks are Obama cronies and fundraisers who have proven themselves a political liability in several botched confirmation hearings. [...] Rice said that a quarter of US ambassadors in Africa were awaiting Senate confirmation, even as extremist threats like the Boko Haram Islamist group pose rising national security risks. AFP on Yahoo News
South Africa’s World Cup Illusions
[...] South Africa’s experience four years after hosting a successful World Cup is a cautionary tale for Brazil, which has also spent heavily on building brand-new stadiums, often in remote areas, that may rarely be used again. Before 2010, many people, including some government officials, wanted to upgrade a stadium in Athlone, a working-class neighborhood of mostly “colored,” or mixed-race, residents. They believed the investments in transport, security and economic infrastructure that would come from hosting World Cup matches in Athlone would reduce inequality. But international soccer’s governing body was appalled that the South African government might consider subjecting World Cup revelers to Athlone’s low-cost housing and other signs of poverty. Under FIFA’s strict instructions, local authorities capitulated and a new stadium was built in Green Point. That stadium stands today, a hollow nod to the South African government’s hope that hosting the World Cup would create public spaces where people would gather to transgress the apartheid-era boundaries that still divide them. The New York Times
Congo switches off to watch the World Cup
World Cup fever has forced the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national power firm to tell customers to switch off everything but the TV, so that there is enough electricity for everyone to watch the games. Even though The Leopards – Congo’s national side – did not qualify for the tournament, football fans across the nation crowd around TV sets for each match, putting the country’s creaking power grid under strain. The national electricity company, SNEL, asked customers on Tuesday to turn off as many things as they could – including fridges, cookers and lights – so the country did not suffer blackouts during match times. SNEL representatives also appear on state television before matches to ask viewers to turn off all unnecessary devices. The DRC has a very limited power supply, and just nine percent of Congolese has access to electricity. The country’s main hydroelectric power station, at the Inga dam, is in disrepair and power cuts are common across the country. Al Jazeera