Former Mali president accused of treason

Published on 16 Jan 2014 | Amadou Toumani Toure, who resigned in April 2012 as part of a deal with coup leaders, now faces charges of high treason. His administration has also been accused of taking money from al-Qaeda-linked fighters who raise money by kidnapping westerners.According to Tuareg commanders, Toure's government also encouraged drug smuggling, which brought in even more money.The Tuareg claimed northern Mali's Azawad region in 2012 and declared themselves independent after rebel fighters forced Malian soldiers out of the region, but their rebellion was crushed when al-Qaeda fighters entered the country.Al Jazeera's Andy Gallacher reports.

Many guns & no peace in CAR South Sudan region : "no one follow the guns"

AFRICA NEWS | FRANCE 24 English

Catastrophic spiral in Mali. Opinion.

Published on 18 Feb 2013 : PressTV - talk to a member of Women of Africa, Alice Ukoko, about another military intervention by NATO countries in Africa.

French foreign policy contradicts itself: 'France fighting Mali Islamists while supporting extremists in Syria'

Published on Jan 12, 2013 : A French pilot has been killed in fighting in Mali, as the European nation continues to launch air strikes against Islamist militants. It comes after Mali's government troops chased rebels out of the key central town of Konna - aided by the French military. The UN Security Council called for a 'speedy deployment' of international forces to battle the rebels - who'd seized the north of the country last April, and since made significant advances.

President Hollande announced on Friday that the intervention in Mali 'would last as long as necessary'.

Mali Crisis: UN expected to approve military plan before 2013.

Published on Nov 12, 2012 by france24english : Mali Crisis: West African bloc pledges 3.300 troops to help recapture north; UN expected to approve military plan before 2013. West African troops will back 5.000 Mali military forces.

Somalia - the reality on the ground?

Somalia's  elusive peace?..

For example, in the north, the unrecognized separatist “Republic of Somaliland” in northwestern Somalia claims to be an independent nation, and Puntla

nd State of Somalia in northeastern Somalia claims to be the first established state in the new Federal Republic of Somalia. In the south-central regions, the situation is generally more fluid and volatile: Galmudug State of Somalia controls a number of districts in southern Mudug region, while Ahlu Sunna Sufi militia group controls most districts of Galgadud region, although Al Shabaab group maintains a heavy presence in El Bur district of Galgadud region.

wiki Somaliland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaliland

wiki Puntland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puntland

Key towns such as Beledweyne and Baidoa remain under the control of Ethiopian armed forces, while Mogadishu and Merka are dominated by African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) from Uganda and Burundi. In the deep south Jubba regions, Kenyan troops under AMISOM mandate are joined by Somali local fighters aiming to re-take the key port of Kismayo from the grip of Al Shabaab, a key source of revenue for the group's guerrilla and terrorist attacks against the country's internationally-backed government. In this land of complexities and intricate dynamics, any wrong move could shift things completely in an unintended direction, and if every step is not carefully planned and actions are undertaken in harmony between the center and the peripheral powers, the outcome could have devastating consequences for Somalia and the wider region.

Above are extracted from Garowe online (operating from Puntland?) http://goo.gl/z1fZ3

Maps on Youtube, (see below) showed 1Somalia = Somaliland + Puntland + the South of Somalia (3).

Al-Shabab rebels pull out of key Somali town 
  ..out of the southern port city of Kismayo, their last stronghold in the  country, after a military assault by Kenyan and Somali troops,  the rebels have said.

The Ogaden national Liberation Front (ONLF) fighting Ethiopia and their agenda is about joining Somalia is still very much kicking & alive - in the equation, see http://goo.gl/9K0G5

Libya Warned US Three Days Before Consulate Attack

Official Repeatedly Warned About Deteriorating Security

by Jason Ditz, September 16, 2012

Despite US officials angrily condemning reports last week that the Benghazi consulate attack, which killed the US ambassador, came with advanced warning, another Libyan security official came forward today to confirm that he gave the US a specific warning about security three days before the attack.

“The situation is frightening, it scares us,” the battalion commander reportedly told US envoys. He added that this was not the first time he had warned them and that he hadrepeatedly cautioned that security was deteriorating, advice which was apparently ignored.

The US has insisted that nothing could possibly have been done to prevent the attack and claims they had absolutely no “actionable” warnings beforehand. Libyan officials are now scrambling to arrest people, saying they havecaptured 50 people over the attack.

source here  >>

News revealed that For months Mali was pressured to make a request for military support .

Confusion in Mali after request for military intervention

BAMAKO, Mali — Days have passed since Mali’s interim government made a formal request to neighboring nations for military help to try to take back the country’s north, which fell to Islamist rebels after a coup five months ago.

But in a bizarre twist, the Malian government is refusing to confirm to its own people that it has made the regional appeal. Confusion in the capital, Bamako, is growing and heightening the perception that the soldiers who led the March coup — but were then pressured into handing power back to civilians — are still calling the shots.

There has been no mention on state TV of the formal request to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). And four days after the request for military help was confirmed by France, and after reporters from several news organizations were leaked copies of the official document, presidential spokesman Diarra Diakite said he had nothing to say on the matter, and that he had not seen the request.

“I myself have not seen this request, and if I had I would have sent it out for publication in the press,” Diarra told The Associated Press Friday. “Up to this moment, I haven’t seen it and so please don’t ask me, as I don’t know anything about it.”

A copy of the request dated Sept. 1, which was seen by AP, shows that Interim President Dioncounda Traore asked the West African regional bloc of 15 nations to provide five battalions to try to take back the north. Mali is also asking for air support to destroy rebel bases in their remote hideouts, as well as to gather intelligence.

Traore also asked for help in restructuring the Malian army, including training infantry and artillery units, and logistical support including de-mining equipment and water purification systems to be used in the field.

For months, the international community has been pressing Mali to make the formal request for military help so that regional leaders can ask the U.N. Security Council to send forces into the country. France and the United States have expressed deep concern about the north becoming a base for international terrorism. Two rebel groups control the immense territory, and both have ties to al-Qaida’s affiliate in North Africa.

More from source | Associated Press, Published: September 7 

Mali Islamist group seizes key town

AJE, US State Dept official voice, all words are written & read by AJE:

Published on Sep 2, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : An Algerian diplomat who was kidnapped several months ago has reportedly been killed in an area of Mali controlled by separatists. Much of the country remains outside government rule after increased attacks by rebel groups.

AJE lied this is not the first time 'peace came' to Somalia.

There was a brief period of peace before under ICU.

New Somali parliament sworn in:

Published on Aug 20, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : After years of turmoil, Somalia's first formal parliament in two decades has been sworn in.

It's hoped a new President can be chosen in the next few weeks.The transitional govt has been in power since 2004. It's been criticised for being corrupt and failing to improve security.

Libya's transitional council hands over power

Published on Aug 9, 2012 by NHKReloaded : Libya's transitional council has handed over power to a newly elected assembly, marking the first peaceful power transfer in the country's modern history.

The National Transitional Council, which has ruled Libya since last year's ouster of Muammar al-Qadhafi, was dissolved in a late-night ceremony in Tripoli on Wednesday.

Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil declared that the assembly is now the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

The assembly was elected in July in the country's first national poll held 60 years. Libya was without a constitution or legislature under the autocratic rule of Qadhafi, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1969.

The assembly will be tasked with advancing the country's democratization process towards the launch of a full government in one year's time. It will be naming a prime minister and drafting a new constitution.

However many things are still unclear. Political parties are scrambling to form alliances with independent candidates in a fight for leadership in the assembly. Also, it has yet to be decided how to choose members of the panel drafting a constitution.

Another challenge is the country's volatile security, especially in Benghazi and other eastern areas. Aug. 9, 2012

Ivory Coast Pushes for UN-Backed Military Action in Mali

Published on Aug 2, 2012 by aston79suara : Mali next? The controversial Ivory Coast President spoke in London, Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs - pushing UN to intervene in Mali. Is this a French request coming to London and the next step is the UNSC? Original video VoA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU3ZrqhqZRc

UN drone operations in Somalia

Jul 29, 2012 : The Washington Post in a report published on the 25th July says that drone operations over Somalia pose danger to air traffic citing a U.N Monitoring group report. The report said that the unmanned aircraft violate a long-standing arms embargo against the war-torn country. A former Somali military general however cautions that the UAV attacks pose a far greater risk.

France forgives Ivory Coast's debt worth $4bn

Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara says cancellation of the debt will help the West African country develop.

Ivory Coast's president says France's decision to forgive $4.67bn in debt will help his impoverished country develop. Alassane Ouattara was in Paris on Thursday, meeting Francois Hollande, France's president, two days after the agreement to cancel the debt by the former colonial master. That deal stems from an earlier decision by a group of Western creditor nations called the Paris Club. Ouattara took office after disputed November 2010 elections that left thousands dead in post-vote violence. His predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, is now facing international charges of crimes against humanity. France's decision prompted pro-Gbagbo supporters in Paris on Monday to protest against French backing of the ousting of the former president, who they see as the country's rightful leader. Around 100 demonstrators assembled in the square in front of the Saint Philippe-du-Roule church, but police began to arrest the Gbagbo supporters once they refused to leave the park. While playing Ivorian music and dancing, the protesters chanted anti-Ouattara and anti-imperialist slogans. Scores were loaded onto at least three police buses. National Police surrounded the triangular park from all sides, cordoning off demonstrators inside and outside of the area where people would be forcibly removed. Most of those arrested were of Ivorian origin, although a few non-African French activists were also taken away. Ivory Coast headed to the brink of civil war in early 2011 when Gbagbo refused to concede defeat after losing the presidential runoff vote to Ouattara. After months of violence, Ouattara was sworn in as president in May 2011, but tension between his supporters and Gbagbo's remain high. French and UN troops fought along side those of Ouattara during a months-long offensive that toppled Gbagbo.

AJE 26 July 2012

Somalia prepares for presidential elections

Published on Jul 19, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Somalia is in the process of electing its first government in 21 years. A vote must be held by August 20 when the mandate for the UN-backed transitional government ends. But there are doubts as to whether this deadline can be met.

Eritrea 'reduces support' for al-Shabab

UN report says the east African country decreases its help for the al-Qaeda-allied group amid international pressure.

Eritrea has reduced its support for the al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabab group in Somalia under international pressure but still violates UN Security Council resolutions and remains a destabilising influence, a UN report says.

The UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, which investigates violations of an arms embargo on both nations, said in a report to the Council, seen by the Reuters news agency, that it had found no evidence of direct Eritrean support for al-Shabab in the past year.

The Council imposed the embargo on the tiny east African state of Eritrea in 2009 over concerns its government was providing finance and weapons to al-Shabab - charges Asmara denied.

The Monitoring Group now says that support has evaporated.

This was "a symptom of growing friction between the authorities in Asmara and al-Shabab's leadership" as well as the "result of enhanced international scrutiny, which has made direct support, a much riskier undertaking than in the past", said the report, which is scheduled to be published this week.

"Although it is possible that the Eritrean authorities have continued to provide financial and other forms of assistance to [Somali] armed opposition groups, without their activities being detected, it is the Monitoring Group's assessment that any such assistance is negligible," the report said.

Ethiopian accusations

Instead, the panel presented evidence that Asmara deployed Ethiopian rebel groups via Somalia, sold weapons to smuggling rings in Sudan that do business with Palestinian arms dealers, and imported spare parts for its air force.

Eritrea, which declared independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a long war, is routinely accused by Addis Ababa of supporting Ethiopian separatists. Eritrea says the accusations are false and aim to tarnish its reputation.

Read more : AJE 17 July 2012

What's next after Aghanistan?

US to deploy more than 3,000 troops to Africa

Published: 12 June, 2012

(AFP Photo/Mohamed Abdiwahab)

TAGS: Military, Africa, USA

All of those troops leaving Afghanistan during the next two years will have to go somewhere, right? The US Army will deploy thousands of soldiers across the continent of Africa during 2013.

The Army Times confirms that the US military gave the go-ahead for the mass deployment last month and that roughly 3,000 soldiers will soon be sent overseas, with more troops expected to be dispatched during the duration of the program. Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, head of US Army Africa, says the initiative is part of a “regionally aligned force concept” that will allow American troops to forge relationships across Africa, where the US has not concentrated its soldiers among civilians to the same degree as other continents.

“As far as our mission goes, it’s uncharted territory,”  Hogg tells Army Times.

The program will put thousands of American troops in different African cities from anywhere for a few weeks to a few months, where they will learn about unfamiliar cultures and conduct training for threats and missions.

The US currently has a substantial military presence across the African continent, but nowhere to the degree that is has in other locales. More than 1,200 soldiers are currently stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, and last October US President Barack Obama personally authorized the deployment of 100 troops to Uganda to aid in attempt to oust Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony.

Around the time of that announcement, though, award-winning war correspondent Eric Margolis told RT that if Washington had humanitarian interests in mind while considering deployments to Uganda that it would not be going in alone.

“The US is also concerned about Chinese penetration in the region that they are going to gobble all the economical resources and earn influence on the regional governments. So the US maybe want to stop this Chinese advancement in central Africa,” said Marggolis. “It could be more legitimate, if the US did it in conjunction with disinterested nations – Russia, for example, or South Africa and Turkey. But the fact that they’re doing it on their own means they are doing it for the interests of their own policy.”

Hogg insists this time, though, that Americans won’t be sent overseas with a plan to prepare for war. “We are not trying to reproduce the United States Army in the 54 countries in Africa,” he says. The soldiers will, however, show foreign citizens some of the tactics used by American troops, as well as provide instruction on combating famine and disease.

“I’m not there to win their wars or settle their differences,” says Hogg.

Original news :

Will Hollande finally free Africa from French interests.

Published on May 30, 2012 by iraniam100 ; The head of the African Union, Boni Yayi, met with Francois Hollande as hundreds of millions hope that the new French president will honor his promise to end the neo-colonial empire known as Françafrique.

Nicolas Sarkozy made essentially the same pledge, only to produce the same scandals and military interventions which have defined France's Africa policy for the last 50 years.

A good place for Hollande to start would be to stop giving French recognition to leaders who win disputed elections, such as in Gabon or Ivory Coast. These beholden heads of state privilege French interests and corporations, which easily overwhelm local start-ups.

Fiscal transparency is another area of need, to answer long-standing questions on bribery, money laundering and to explain why many African leaders own millions in Parisian properties despite running poor countries. French soldiers are already stationed in Ivory Coast, Chad, Gabon, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic and Djibouti, but Hollande told Yayi that France will not intervene in Mali's civil war. For so many decades France's politicians have paved the way for the economic exploitation of Africa, but the question now is: Will Hollande be any different? Many say they are hopeful, but not naïve.

Pan-African parliament choses new president

Published on May 29, 2012 by presstvmobile



MORE NEWS : Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Elects New President and Vice Presidents

Chaos reign in Mali

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Apr 5, 2012 - In northern Mali different factions are claiming control over recently captured territory.The Movement for the Liberation of Azawad has declared a ceasefire and announced a campaign to chase radical groups out of the north.