Nigerian elections: what if Buhari wins?
With only two weeks to go until the most closely contested presidential election in Nigeria’s history, the biggest issue on the agenda is security. From Boko Haram to the instability of the oil-producing Niger Delta, the political fight between incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and the lead opposition candidate, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, revolves around who will ensure peace and stability. Buhari is relying on his credentials as a retired general and former military ruler to convince the electorate that he is the man to end the violent Boko Haram insurgency that has killed more than 10,000 Nigerians and displaced 1.5 million others. The Guardian
Is the APC really the face of ‘change’ in Nigeria?
The APC has made rapid political gains and has welcomed swathes of defectors from the ruling party. It now governs 14 states and has edged a majority in the House of Representatives. Recent public polls put Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan in a dead heat for the top job, each commanding about 42% support. Buhari, who was in power for 20 months from 1983, is seen as being strong on corruption and security. Much of his party’s campaign has focused on those issues, couching his appeal in the vague language of “change”. Is there any proof that his party delivers? Daily Maverick
Niger’s police says military kills more than 500 militants
Military operations in Niger’s east have killed at least 500 of Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamic extremists whose war has spilled over into neighboring countries, Niger’s police spokesman said Wednesday. The provisional count of 513 since Feb. 8 does not take into account land and air operations launched Sunday jointly by Niger and Chad’s army in Nigeria, Capt. Adili Toro said. Niger has also lost 24 soldiers in operations that have also killed at least one civilian and wounded 38 soldiers, Toro said. “These results were achieved, not only because of the decision by authorities to proclaim a state of emergency, but also by the dedication of the population who did not hesitate to denounce accomplices,” he said. The state of emergency would be extended by three months, he said. Ap on Stars and Stripes
Nigerian Officials: Military Expects to Win Back All Boko Haram Territory This Month
Nigerian officials visiting Washington for an event at the Atlantic Council said Wednesday they expect the entire area controlled by Boko Haram estimated to be about the size of Belgium will be back under Nigerian control in just three weeks. That would be a jaw-droppingly quick military victory in a conflict that has killed an estimated 20,000 and displaced 1.5 million more since 2009. Just three weeks ago, the two representatives said, the militants controlled 14 local governments in Nigeria’s north. Today, they control only four.”Before March 28, no territory of Nigeria will be under control of Boko Haram,” Ambassador Ayodele Oke, the director general of Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency, said. The Nigerian government requested to postpone the elections in part to ensure that those displaced by violence in the north would still have the opportunity to vote. But when Foreign Policy asked if the offensive Nigeria launched since the election’s postponement indicates the delay was a political move by incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, who has faced criticism for failing to control the insurgency, Oke defended the delay. “It is above partisan politics when we are discussing national security, ” he said. Foreign Policy
U.S. backs U.N. resolution on Boko Haram regional force
The United States supports the creation of a West African force of up to 10,000 troops to fight Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, a U.S. defense official said on Wednesday. The 54-nation African Union has approved the force and has asked the United Nations to endorse it urgently, after attacks by the group in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon as it seeks to carve out an Islamic state. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Amanda J. Dory said on a visit to Cameroon that Washington, one of five veto-holding members of the U.N. Security Council, would back a U.N. resolution. Reuters
Nigeria’s President: Boko Haram Trained with Islamic State
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says fighters from insurgent group Boko Haram have traveled to the Middle East for training with Islamic State militants. Jonathan declined to name the countries where the fighters were allegedly trained. But in an interview with VOA Wednesday, he said he’s long suspected Boko Haram of having alliances with international extremist groups. “So we know the links are there. But even now, we may not know the degree of linkages as to how much funds are coming in from them, the kind of volume of weapons coming in from them, the nationalities coming from them,” Jonathan said. “But the training, because some of the Boko Haram members go to have their training in the ISIS camp and come back.” VOA
Nigeria: Jonathan Removes Sure-P Chair Agwai
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday sacked the chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) retired General Martin Luther Agwai. He was replaced by Mr. Ishaya Dare Akau whose appointment, according to the presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, took immediate effect. The sack came barely five days after Agwai made a remark about inevitability of change and the need for the leadership in Nigeria to accept it and move with it when the time comes. Agwai, who was speaking last Thursday at the 78th birthday anniversary celebration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, also cautioned the military to stay out of politics if they should win the war against Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges. Daily Trust on allAfrica
Morocco-Nigeria spat over royal phone call
Morocco has recalled its ambassador from Nigeria, accusing the authorities there of using King Mohammed VI in an election campaign. Its foreign ministry issued a statement, denying the king had spoken by phone to Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, as had been stated by Nigeria. The North Africa kingdom denounced such “unethical practices”, it said. Nigeria has denied that the king was being used to win over Muslim voters. Mr Jonathan, a Christian from southern Nigeria, is facing a strong challenge in the 28 March elections from opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari, who is popular in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north. BBC
Somalia’s Shebab militants attack in central town of Baidoa
Suspected members of Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab militants Thursday attacked a fortified area in the central town of Baidoa containing regional government headquarters, a United Nations compound and airport, security officials said. Officials said around four gunmen shot and wounded or killed several people at the gate of the high-security zone before entering it, and that two of the attackers are thought to have detonated bombs strapped onto them. “They are Shebab disguised in Somali military uniforms. That’s how they managed to enter,” a Somali police official in Baidoa, Mohamed Dahir, told AFP by telephone. A United Nations source confirmed the attack, but said the compound where aid agencies are located did not appear to be the target of the militants. AFP on Yahoo News
Training in Uganda: Coping with floods, epidemic and terror threats
Pvt. Cody Mitchell saw the Army as his ticket out of Georgia. On Tuesday, less than a year after he enlisted, he was in a tent in Uganda exchanging pleasantries with the commander of U.S. Army Africa and posing for photos with a Ugandan army general. “I know it’s not always like this,” Mitchell said later that day, as he drank a soda on a hotel patio overlooking a blue swimming pool and the green River Nile, still buoyant from his brush with military celebrity. “Every day, people are telling me I’m lucky just to be here.” Mitchell’s presence in this verdant, breezy Ugandan town is for an annual training exercise the U.S. Army conducts with east African armies. Called Eastern Accord, the exercise is designed to foster regional cooperation to deal with security threats and humanitarian crises, train U.S. troops to work in austere environments with their African counterparts, and provide U.S. and east African military officials the opportunity to develop friendly relationships. Stars and Stripes
France to boost Sahel troops to help Boko Haram fight
France will boost its military presence in the troubled Sahel region of Africa where jihadist groups operate to support the fight against Boko Haram, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, he said France would “slightly increase” the number of soldiers operating under its Barkhane anti-jihadist operation in the Sahel and reduce armed forces in the Central African Republic “to give us the means to support” the fight against Boko Haram. Under Barkhane, France already has some 3,000 troops in the region but Paris has insisted it will limit itself to “indirect support” of the widening African effort to combat the growing Boko Haram insurgency. AFP on Yahoo News
Why we’re still waiting on an Ebola vaccine
Since Ebola hit this coastal city last summer, nurses at Connaught Hospital have put their lives on the line by working with patients at risk of the deadly disease. Now researchers aim to recruit them as well as ambulance drivers and other hospital staff as subjects in one of the largest Ebola vaccine trials to date. But just a few weeks before the trial begins enrollment, many health care workers are voicing discomfort about the shot. “It would be really good to have a vaccine, but we’re scared because it’s new,” said Kadiatu Nubieu, a nurse at Connaught. Researchers say the vaccines are safe, on the basis of small studies last year in which recipients did not suffer major side effects. Now researchers are planning for the final phase of trials designed to determine the efficacy of the vaccines. Health workers such as Nubieu are ideal study participants for these trials because their chances of infection are higher than for members of the general public. If a vaccine keeps them healthier than unvaccinated hospital staff, scientists will have confidence in their product. Al Jazeera
France patrolling the southern Indian Ocean
Cape Town has seen a profusion of visiting foreign naval ships these past few weeks and now it is the turn of the French surveillance frigate Floréal to delight in what the Cape has to offer. Floréal (F730), based in Port-des-Galets, Reunion Island, is visiting Cape Town as its first port of call since departing on a patrol of French overseas territories approximately 30 days ago. Floréal’s main action areas are the Indian Ocean (Eastern Africa and Southern Asia) and the French Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) north of the Antarctic. Thus, she is a regular visitor to Cape Town. Having arrived on 6 March, she will be using her short stay to refuel, perform routine maintenance and allow the crew a few days R&R (Rest and Recuperation). DefenceWeb
To solve rising crime and radicalisation, start with the youth
There has never been a better time to talk about Africa’s youth than now. Worldwide, the number of people aged between 12 and 24 has reached 1.3 billion – the largest in history. At the same time, terrorism, radicalisation and insecurity are also on the increase. A recent report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation concluded that in the next three generations, 41% of the world’s youth will be African. The continued exclusion of young people in key decision-making structures, however, spells a bleak future for the continent. In Africa, youth participation in social, cultural, political and economic spheres is sorely lacking. Development policies are not adequately informed by the youth, as there are often no proper channels to reach this growing segment of the population. ISS
He’s 14. He Was A Child Soldier. He’s Suicidal. How Can He Be Saved?
The boy was abducted by the Lord’s Liberation Army to serve as a child soldier when he was 7. He had been forced to kill his uncle with a machete. At 14, he escaped and made his way back to his parents. But he wasn’t himself. He couldn’t sleep at night, and during the day, he’d run around the village screaming. He was fighting back thoughts of suicide. “No one knew what to do with him,” says Peter Oketayot, a mental health counselor with the nonprofit Vivo in Northern Uganda, who eventually treated the teenager. “They were calling him names. They thought he was mad, or crazy,” Oketayot says. In fact, the teenager was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as well as depression. NPR
ICC combines trials of Ivory Coast ex-president and ally
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday decided to combine the trials of former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo and his close ally Charles Ble Goude because their cases alleging post-election violence are nearly identical. The court “granted the prosecutor’s request to join the cases… in order to ensure the efficacy and expeditiousness of the proceedings,” the Hague-based court said in a statement. Gbagbo’s refusal to concede defeat after presidential polls in late 2010 sparked a bloody five-month stand-off in the restive West African country in which some 3,000 people died, according to the United Nations. France 24
Ivorians divided over Simone Gbagbo conviction
Simone Gbagbo was tried alongside 82 other allies of her husband, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, in a case that has revived deep divisions in Ivory Coast, which is still recovering from turmoil and conflict. The country was pitched into violence and chaos after Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Alassane Ouattara – the current president – after elections in late 2010. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the ensuing unrest which was halted by the intervention of international forces under a UN mandate and led by former colonial power France. While Laurent Gbabgo is still awaiting trail at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in orchestrating the post-election violence in 2011, his wife went on trial in Abidjan in December 2014 in connection with her suspected involvement in the unrest. France 24
IGAD unveils new process to end South Sudan crisis
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)n plans to resume the peace talks between the South Sudanese warring parties next April; the Ethiopian foreign ministry said on Wednesday . Also the two parties said there will be a new mechanism to revive the 14-month old peace process which collapsed on 6 March. The new spokesperson of the Ethiopian foreign ministry Tewolde Mulugeta told a press conference held in Addis Ababa that the South Sudanese peace process will resume peace talks in the coming month of April but he didn’t determine a date. Sudan Tribune
Hundreds Continue Protest Against Mali Peace Plan
Hundreds of protesters rallied for a second day Wednesday in the northern Malian town of Kidal against a preliminary, U.N.-brokered peace proposal, as Tuareg separatist leaders gathered to discuss the agreement with their supporters, residents said. People in the crowd said the proposal, so far signed only by Mali’s government, answered none of their demands, most importantly autonomy for the northern region they call Azawad. But the government and U.N. mediators say the deal – which proposes more devolved powers for the north, a regional security force and a development plan – is the best hope yet to end decades of Tuareg-led uprisings. VOA
Tanzania bus collision kills at least 41, toll could rise
At least 41 people were killed and dozens injured when a bus and a truck collided on a busy road in south-west Tanzania on Wednesday, police said, warning that the death toll could rise. Officers said many died when a container that was being ferried on the truck fell on the bus after impact, crushing the victims on a highway in Iringa, about 460 km (276 miles) south-west of the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. “The accident occurred when a passenger bus carrying more than 60 passengers crashed head-on with a container truck,” Iringa police chief, Ramadhani Mungi, told Reuters by telephone from the scene of the accident. Reuters
Hundreds of Witchdoctors Rounded up in Tanzania Crackdown
Over 200 people have been arrested in Tanzania as part of a nationwide crackdown on witchdoctors linked to a wave of albino attacks and murders, police said Thursday. Police arrested 225 unlicensed traditional healers and soothsayers during a special operation carried out in several parts of the east African country and due to be extended to all 30 regions. “Some of those arrested were found in possession of items like lizard skin, warthog teeth, ostrich eggs, monkey tails, bird claws, mule tails and lion skin,” said police spokesperson, Advera Bulimba. Bulimba said the police campaign would target the entire network of gangsters, traders and witchdoctors. The mass arrest comes a few days after President Jakaya Kikwete described as “disgusting and a big embarrassment for the nation” the ongoing attacks against people with albinism whose body parts are used for witchcraft. Naharnet
Darfur peacekeeping force to be cut back amid accusations of incompetence
One of the world’s largest peacekeeping forces is being cut back and revamped as it has been failing to protect civilians in the vast Sudanese region of Darfur. Last week, the UN security council received a report on a strategic review of the mission conducted by the UN peacekeeping department. Reuters obtained a copy. It said the mission is slimming down its ranks, sending home incompetent units, cutting unnecessary jobs, redeploying troops stationed at dozens of outposts around Darfur and working to improve its capacity to protect civilians. The exact number of peacekeepers to be reduced will be decided in the coming months. Diplomats and UN officials feel a smaller version of the joint United Nations-African Union (Unamid) force could be more effective, but question marks over its future terrify some of the millions of people caught up in nearly 12 years of bloodshed. The Guardian\
U.S. Export Agency Doubles Africa Offices to Help Boost Trade
The U.S. Commercial Service, the export promotion arm of the Department of Commerce, doubled its presence in Africa over the past year to boost trade with some of the world’s fastest growing economies. The agency opened offices in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania in the past 12 months and is planning its biggest-ever trade mission to sub-Saharan Africa in September, Donald Nay, a regional senior commercial officer, said in an e-mailed response to questions. U.S. companies have faced increasing competition from China in Africa over the past decade as the Asian nation targeted the continent for oil and other mineral resources. Chinese trade with Africa amounted to $174 billion in 2013, more than double that of the U.S., which was Africa’s biggest trading partner five years earlier. Bloomberg