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.
Kenya bans travelers from Ebola-hit West Africa
Struggling Liberia creates “plague villages” in Ebola epicentre
Ebola-infected patients driven from treatment centre in Liberia
With Aid Doctors Gone, Ebola Fight Grows Harder
Handmaiden to Africa’s Generals
Burkina Faso: A Thousand Sankaras Come of Age
Critique of US-Zambia relations highlight’s country’s unsettling slide
Maghreb al-Qaeda torn apart by ISIS
Libya disbands militias
Libya’s pleas for international help go unanswered
In the Chibok girls search, Boko Haram is winning the media war
Attacks curb aid work in north Cameroon
Chadian troops rescue 85 Nigerian hostages from Boko Haram
Analysis: Reports of Mugabe’s decline have been greatly exaggerated
Zimbabwe’s Grace Mugabe enters Zanu-PF politics
Two years after Marikana massacre, a challenge to South Africa’s ruling ANC
South Africa: Army seeking to renew equipment
7 Dead as Battle Erupts in Somali Capital
DR Congo opposition figure Tshisekedi medevaced to Belgium
DRC launches new national airline
‘At least 34′ massacred in Central Africa
Kenya signs deals with US to fix security problem as spy chief quits
Tanzania: How Chinese firms win lucrative deals
Two UN peacekeepers killed in attack in northern Mali
Child labour in Morocco: A work in progress
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Kenya bans travelers from Ebola-hit West Africa
Kenyan Health Minister James Macharia said Kenya was closing its borders to any travelers coming from the three worst-hit countries, as well as those who had passed through them. “In the interest of public health the government has decided to temporarily suspend entry into Kenya passengers travelling from or through the three West African countries affected… namely Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia,” Macharia said. The decision has been presented as purely precautionary, because Nairobi airport is a crucial hub for air travel across the continent. Deutsche Welle
Struggling Liberia creates “plague villages” in Ebola epicentre
To try to control the Ebola epidemic spreading through West Africa, Liberia has quarantined remote villages at the epicentre of the virus, evoking the “plague villages” of medieval Europe that were shut off from the outside world. With few food and medical supplies getting in, many abandoned villagers face a stark choice: stay where they are and risk death or skip quarantine, spreading the infection further in a country ill-equipped to cope. In Boya, in northern Liberia’s Lofa County, Joseph Gbembo, who caught Ebola and survived, says he is struggling to raise 10 children under five years old and support five widows after nine members of his family were killed by the virus. Reuters
Ebola-infected patients driven from treatment centre in Liberia
Armed men claiming that “there’s no Ebola” in Liberia raided a quarantine centre for the deadly disease in Monrovia overnight, prompting at least 20 patients infected with the deadly virus to flee, a witness said on Sunday. “They broke down the door and looted the place. The patients have all gone,” said Rebecca Wesseh, who witnessed the attack and whose report was confirmed by residents and the head of the Health Workers Association of Liberia, George Williams. Williams said the unit housed 29 patients who were receiving preliminary treatment before being taken to hospital. It was unclear how many are now at large. “They had all tested positive for Ebola,” he said, adding that nine had died, without elaborating. The Guardian
With Aid Doctors Gone, Ebola Fight Grows Harder
The departure of many Western development workers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the West African countries hit hardest by Ebola, has further weakened the region’s understaffed health systems at the very moment they are facing one of the most volatile public health crises ever. Liberia, population four million, has fewer than 250 doctors left in the entire country, according to the Liberia Medical and Dental Council. Seven doctors there have contracted Ebola, and two of them have died. The New York Times
Handmaiden to Africa’s Generals
Security is a core concern of the American government’s Africa policy. This was made clear in May when President Obama proposed a $5 billion Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund to supplement programs the Pentagon already has in 35 countries. And it was made clear again at the recent U.S.-Africa summit in Washington, when Mr. Obama announced $110 million a year for an African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership, a program to train and equip six African armies for peacekeeping operations. Because Mr. Obama is committed to scaling back the deployment of United States troops to combat terrorism, America’s security strategy in Africa translates largely into training and equipping African armies. Although this approach rightly gives African governments the lead in tackling their own security problems, it is misguided nonetheless. It is, in effect, providing foreign tutelage to the militarization of Africa’s politics, which undermines peace and democracy throughout the continent. America’s diplomacy is becoming a handmaiden to Africa’s generals. The New York Times
Burkina Faso: A Thousand Sankaras Come of Age
30 years ago, on 4 August, 1984, the former French colony of the Upper Volta was re-baptised as ‘Burkina Faso’ amidst a revolutionary process that proved to be one of the most inspiring, yet ultimately tragic, episodes of modern African history. In 1983, the young Captain Thomas Sankara had come to power in a popularly-supported coup d’état and − with broad support from leftist political parties, students, women, and peasants − initiated a range of ambitious projects, including the country’s name-change, that aimed to make the country more self-reliant and free of corruption. Sankara also sought to decentralise and democratise power in order to facilitate more participatory forms of governance, though elections for national offices were never attempted. Think Africa Press
Critique of US-Zambia relations highlight’s country’s unsettling slide
The feistiest criticism of the current state of Zambia-US relations came in a statement by the Zambia-based NGO, Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) just as the recent Africa-US Summit in Washington got underway. It went largely unanswered but accurately reflected the source of latent unease with the stewardship of President Michael Sata. The statement of August 5 said: “The U.S. administration must wake up to the worsening situation in Zambia and curb its blind support of the Patriotic Front (PF) government which is responsible for growing political violence, repression and failure of governance that threatens Zambia’s stability.” It also pointed out that prospects for democracy in the country had been downgraded by the 2014 annual report of the American NGO, Freedom House because of “the ruling party’s ongoing repression and harassment of the political opposition, including through the increased use of the Public Order Act, hindering its ability to operate in general and to campaign in by-elections.” African Argumens
Maghreb al-Qaeda torn apart by ISIS
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s call for all jihadists to swear allegiance to his so-called caliphate is dividing al-Qaeda’s Maghreb branch. Sahel security may now hinge on whether regional terror groups shift their loyalty from al-Qaeda to the self-declared “Islamic State” (ISIS). Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is split between those who see al-Baghdadi as their new leader and those who remain under the banner of the parent al-Qaeda organisation led by Ayman al-Zawahiri. Magharebia
Libya disbands militias
Libya’s new House of Representatives voted in Tobruk on Wednesday (August 13th) to disband all militias formed after the 2011 revolution. Earlier, the parliament voted in favour of requesting international help to restore security. “After the deterioration of the security situation, which affected civilians and residential neighbourhoods and caused thousands of families to flee to Tunisia for fear, it became necessary to demand foreign intervention to protect civilians and state institutions,” MP Salem Al-Tikbali said. Magharebia
Libya’s pleas for international help go unanswered
The appeal came from Libya’s far northeast in the coastal city of Tobruk, near the border with Egypt and around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. That’s how far the newly appointed parliament has fled to escape the attacks and shootings in the capital. Libyan politicians urged the United Nations to take steps to protect civilians and institutions in the north African conflict zone. They did not specify what the international assistance should look like in Wednesday’s appeal, issued amid continued unrest around the country. The majority of international embassies and the UN aid mission for Libya, UNSMIL, pulled out their staff long ago. Deutsche Welle
In the Chibok girls search, Boko Haram is winning the media war
Yesterday, 14 August, marked four months since the kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, Borno state. Very little concrete information is available about their whereabouts, and in the propaganda war over who is in control in northern Nigeria, terror group Boko Haram seems to be one step ahead of Nigerian security forces. Reports last week that the girls were sighted by United States (US) drones in a remote open field have still not been verified, and analysts have been questioning both the veracity of the information and the motive for releasing such information to the public. Is Boko Haram indeed winning against an ineffective Nigerian government, or is the correct information just not filtering through? ISS
Attacks curb aid work in north Cameroon
An escalation of attacks by Nigerian radical Islamist Boko Haram militia is restricting aid operations in the Far North Region of Cameroon where thousands of Nigerian refugees have sought safety, say aid workers. Local authorities in the Far North Region of Cameroon estimate that as many as 25,000 Nigerians have fled into the region. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it has registered some 11,000 refugees. Recently, some 2,800 refugees were moved to Minawao camp 130km from the border, bringing the total camp population to around 6,000. Many refugees have opted to stay in border villages in Mayo-Tsanaga and the Logon and Chari areas, hoping to return home quickly if the violence subsides. IRIN
Chadian troops rescue 85 Nigerian hostages from Boko Haram
Chadian troops have rescued 85 Nigerians kidnapped last week by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram, security and human rights sources in Nigeria said Saturday. Dozens of Boko Haram insurgents stormed the Doron Baga fishing and farming village on the shores of Lake Chad late Sunday through Monday and took away 97 young men and boys plus several women, residents said. The raiders killed 28 residents and burned scores of homes, according to residents. The hostages were loaded onto motorboats and ferried into neighboring Chad, with residents saying they feared the hostages would be forcefully conscripted as foot soldiers. CNN
Analysis: Reports of Mugabe’s decline have been greatly exaggerated
Who will succeed Robert Mugabe? With the nomination of Grace Mugabe to a senior Zanu-PF position, the great succession debate is dominating headlines once again. But is it still too soon to contemplate the future? By all accounts, there’s life in the old dog yet – and maybe even a new trick or two. Daily Maverick
Zimbabwe’s Grace Mugabe enters Zanu-PF politics
The wife of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has entered politics after being endorsed to become head of the ruling Zanu-PF party’s women’s league. Grace Mugabe, 49, will take over the role in December at the party’s annual congress. The BBC’s Brian Hungwe in Zimbabwe says the post will allow Mrs Mugabe to sit on Zanu-PF’s powerful politburo. There has been tension in Zanu-PF over who should succeed Mr Mugabe, who was re-elected president last year. BBC
Two years after Marikana massacre, a challenge to South Africa’s ruling ANC
Two years ago, thousands of striking mine workers gathered on a rocky hill outside this impoverished town in the heart of South Africa’s platinum belt, demanding wage increases from their employer, Lonmin plc. Wrapped in blankets to break the winter chill, they chanted and sang, waving clubs and spears as they marched toward a waiting knot of police. Suddenly a shot rang out, then another. Minutes later, 34 miners had been killed by police, and 78 more injured — the most deadly confrontation between South African police and protestors since the high days of apartheid. CS Monitor
South Africa: Army seeking to renew equipment
The South African Army will soon start receiving its new Badger infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) but it is also seeking to replace its trucks and armoured vehicles while modernising some of its equipment, such as assault rifles. “We have made efforts to acquire new equipment form our defence industries and revamp old ones in order to keep our force fit for purpose. The badger Infantry Fighting Vehicle will add new life to our infantry, with manufacturing starting in the 2015/16 financial year,” South African Army Chief Lieutenant General Vusi Masondo told journalists at the annual Army breakfast on Thursday. “The SA Army has streamlined projects aimed at addressing the issue of ageing hardware. The SA Army Air Defence Artillery’s very short-range air defence (VSHORAD) Starstreak missile is one of the many pieces of equipment that our projects are yielding and is currently being used by the ADA [Air Defence Artillery] corps as we speak.” DefenceWeb
7 Dead as Battle Erupts in Somali Capital
Combat shook Mogadishu early Friday as government troops launched a dawn attack on a house belonging to a former warlord as part of a disarmament campaign. Seven people died in the violence. Explosions and gunfire were heard as troops battled militiamen loyal to the former warlord. The African Union military force in Somalia, AMISOM, said the raid was carried out near the home of a former district commissioner, Ahmed Daci. The AU said that Daci’s militia fired at AMISOM, precipitating a firefight. Times
DR Congo opposition figure Tshisekedi medevaced to Belgium
Etienne Tshisekedi, an 81-year-old prominent opposition politician in the Democratic Republic of Congo, left Kinshasa for Brussels early Saturday on a specially-arranged medical flight, an AFP journalist witnessed. Tshisekedi, who had not been seen in public for months, his wife Marthe, one of his children and a doctor boarded the plane, which took off at 0425 GMT. He was too weak to walk and was helped into the Air Alliance jet, which was to make several stopovers on its way to the Belgian capital. AFP on Yahoo News
DRC launches new national airline
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has created a new national airline as part of a push to clean up its poor air safety record, a government source said on Friday. Shareholders, including the Congolese state and several state companies, hope to launch Congo Airways by the end of the year, the official from the Ministry of Transport told AFP. The Congolese government also signed an agreement on Friday with Air France Consulting to develop a business plan for the carrier, he added. Kinshasa announced in September that it aimed to launch a new national airline to replace Lignes Aeriennes Congolaises (LAC), which went bankrupt in 2003. News 24
‘At least 34′ massacred in Central Africa
Suspected ex-rebels from the Central African Republic’s Seleka movement have massacred at least 34 people in several northern villages over the past several days, officials said. The former rebels killed at least 34 people over the last week in a series of attacks on remote villages, Bienvenu Sarapata, mayor of the M’bres commune in north of the capital Bangui told the AP news agency on Saturday Al Jazeera
Kenya signs deals with US to fix security problem as spy chief quits
As the frontline state in the global war against terrorism in East Africa, Kenya received a fair share of military and economic incentives at the recent US-Africa Summit to strengthen its capacity to fight international crimes. President Uhuru Kenyatta signed agreements on security co-operation with the US government, and secured investment pledges from major American corporations running into billions of dollars. A critical partner in the Djibouti-based US Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa, Kenya inked a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with the USA on security and trade facilitation between the two countries. The agreement is expected to facilitate information sharing between the two countries and boost efforts to combat illicit cross-border activities. East African
Tanzania: How Chinese firms win lucrative deals
[...] Over the past decade, numerous major construction projects have been grabbed by Chinese firms, thanks to their offensive charm mixed with low cost. From skyscrapers in Dar es Salaam to trunk roads upcountry, the Chinese have overtaken local contractors as well as Western competitors. While some analysts believe Chinese firms win only in those projects financed by Beijing through soft loans, grants and aid, the reality on the grounds is something else. During the past decade, Chinese firms have won 60 per cent of the total road construction tenders. The Citizen
Two UN peacekeepers killed in attack in northern Mali
Two UN peacekeepers have been killed and seven others were injured in a suicide attack on a UN patrol base in northern Mali. A pick-up truck laden with explosives drove into the UN camp in Ber, 50km (30 miles) east of Timbuktu, on Saturday. A suicide attacker was among the dead, which included two soldiers from Burkina Faso serving with the UN. It is not yet clear who was behind the attack, which has been condemned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. France intervened militarily in Mali last year in a bid to drive out Islamists who had taken advantage of an uprising by Tuareg rebels in the north of the country. BBC
Child labour in Morocco: A work in progress
MOROCCO’S children have had a better lot since King Mohammed VI succeeded his father as ruler 15 years ago. More that 88% finish primary school, up from 62% at the end of King Hassan’s reign in 1999. Children’s rights organisations have proliferated and the government often funds their projects. Rural children have benefited in particular. Better transport and boarding facilities for those from far-flung villages have made schools easier to reach. Since 2008 the education ministry has given satchels with pens and exercise books to millions starting primary school. Modest cash allowances for parents of pupils have helped win over families. The Economist