United States Africa Command

Public Affairs Office

1 February 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

TOP NEWS RELATED TO U.S. AFRICA COMMAND AND AFRICA

Somali pirates could soon face US military action (The East African)
(Somalia) The United States may soon respond more aggressively to Somali piracy
following a warning to the United Nations Security Council that the pirates are
becoming “the masters” of the Indian Ocean.

Somali soldiers’ shooting spree leaves 17 dead, 81 injured in Mogadishu (All

Headline News)
(Somalia) At least 17 people were killed and more than 81 others injured after Somali
government soldiers fired anti-aircraft weapons at a major intersection in the Somali
capital Mogadishu, witnesses and medical personnel said Monday.

US Aid to Egypt Depends on Events (Voice of America)

(Egypt) U.S. officials say there are no plans to cut off aid to Egypt. But they caution
that aid will be reviewed as events unfold, indicating that the Egyptian government's
actions going forward might jeopardize U.S. assistance.

Mohamed ElBaradei rising as possible new Egypt president (USA Today)

(Egypt) ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate and proponent of democracy, has become the most
visible spokesman for a coalition of anti-Mubarak groups, including the Muslim
Brotherhood.

Morocco watches nervously as Egypt erupts (AFP)

(Morocco) Morocco is watching nervously as other North African countries erupt in
revolt, with warnings even from within the royal family that it will probably not be
spared.

Sudan demands end to U.S. sanctions after referendum (Reuters)

(Sudan) Sudan called on Monday on the United States to lift sanctions, a day after
provisional results showed south Sudan voted almost unanimously to secede in a
referendum.

Niger Votes After Coup (Associated Press)

(Niger) Niger took another stab at democracy Monday when it voted for a new
president and parliament that are expected to take over leadership from the military.

President Mills calls on Ethiopian President Girma in Addis Ababa (Ghana News
Agency)
(Ghana) President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday affirmed the commitment of
Ghana to strengthen her relations with sister African nations to propel the development
of the Continent.

AU assigns 6 presidents to mediate in Ivory Coast (Associated Press)

(Ivory Coast) The African Union has named a panel of six African presidents to
mediate Ivory Coast's political crisis.

AU summit stresses importance of peace, security in Africa (Xinhua)

(Pan Africa) The African Union (AU) on Monday emphasized the importance of peace
and security on the continent as the pan-African bloc ended its 16th summit in the
Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Website
 Refugees from Côte d’Ivoire crisis could top 100,000 by April, UN warns
 Ban urges calm in Southern Sudan as referendum process is finalized
 African anti-malaria initiative offers good model for tackling other ills, says
Ban
 UN chief underlines need to support Somali reconciliation efforts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 10:00 am; US Institute of Peace

WHAT: Perspectives on Sudan’s Referendum
WHO: Linda Bishai, Senior Program Officer, US Institute of Peace; Jok Madut Jok,
Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow, US Institute of Peace; Timothy Luccaro, Program
Specialist, US Institute of Peace; Jon Temin, Moderator, Director, Sudan Program
US Institute of Peace
Info: http://www.usip.org/events/perspectives-sudans-referendum

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 12:30; Johns Hopkins School of

Advanced International Studies
WHAT: Looking Beyond Gbagbo: Can the Ivory Coast Recover its Political and
Economic Status?
WHO: Dwayne Woods, Purdue University; Paul Melly, Associate Fellow Chatham
House
Info: http://www.sais-jhu.edu/academics/regional-studies/africa/events/10-
11events.htm
WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday and Wednesday, February 8-9, 2011; National Defense
Industrial Association, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC
WHAT: Defense, Diplomacy, and Development: Translating Policy into Operational
Capability
WHO: Keynote Speakers include ADM Michael Mullen, USN, Chairman, Joint Chiefs
of Staff; BG Simon Hutchinson, GBR, Deputy Commander, NATO Special Operations
Forces Headquarters; ADM Eric T. Olson, USN, Commander, U.S. Special Operations
Command; Gen Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force
Info: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/1880/Pages/default.aspx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FULL ARTICLE TEXT

Somali pirates could soon face US military action (The East African)

The United States may soon respond more aggressively to Somali piracy following a
warning to the United Nations Security Council that the pirates are becoming “the
masters” of the Indian Ocean.

The intensifying US and international focus on lawlessness off East Africa’s coast
coincides with the 20th anniversary of the overthrow of Somalia’s last functioning
government. Violent anarchy has prevailed in the country ever since the ouster of Siad
Barre in January 1991.

Vice Admiral Mark Fox, commander of US Navy forces in the Indian Ocean, suggested
last week that the world’s nations should act as vigorously toward pirates as they do
toward terrorists.

“I’m not advocating we suddenly come out with guns blazing and just change
everything,” Fox told reporters in Washington. “But I would advocate that we use the
same techniques that have been successful in our counter terror that we have not
heretofore used in our counter-piracy.”

Fox said the US and its allies should pressure pirates on-shore by disrupting their
supply lines and financing. Such a strategy may have already become operative.

According to a report in the January 20 Daily Nation of Kenya, five soldiers landed by
helicopter in a remote part of central Somalia, took away three local youths and
questioned them for three hours on a large ship offshore as to whether they were
pirates.

A spokesman for the US Africa Command responded to the report by saying no

American forces were involved in that “alleged event.”
Vice Admiral Fox’s comments followed by one day a UN special advisor’s pessimistic
assessment of current efforts to deter piracy.

“The situation is serious,” declared Jack Lang, the UN Secretary-General’s Special

Advisor on Piracy. “I would even say it’s worsening.

“There is this race between the pirates and the international community, and
progressively that race is being won by the pirates,” Mr Lang added in an oral report to
the Secury Council. He estimated that piracy in the Indian Ocean is costing shippers
and governments up to $7 billion a year.

Mr Lang said the Somali marauders have upgraded their technology and arsenal,
making use of GPS devices and heavy weaponry.

He also expressed concern that the pirates could develop ties with the Shabaab militants
fighting to overthrow the US- and UN-backed transitional government in Mogadishu.

Similar worries about a pirate-terrorist nexus in Somalia were cited by US ambassador

Susan Rice in her remarks to the same session of the Security Council. And Vice
Admiral Fox warned that pirates could threaten cruise ships.

Nine of every 10 captured pirates are being released because of inadequate capacity to
prosecute and incarcerate them, Mr Lang added.

He recommended that piracy-focused courts and prisons be established in the

breakaway regions of Puntland and Somaliland.

A Somali-administered court should also be set up in Arusha during a transitional

period prior to being transferred to Mogadishu, Mr Lang added.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete is “open” to this proposal, he said. It would cost
about $25 million to establish these courts and prisons, Mr Lang estimated, suggesting
that is a small price in comparison to the billions of dollars lost to piracy.

Ms Rice said the United States agreed that “targeted co-operation with Somaliland and
Puntland [should] be increased.” That comment is causing some analysts to speculate
that the Obama administration may be moving toward tacit recognition of the two
territories as sovereign entities.
--------------------
Somali soldiers’ shooting spree leaves 17 dead, 81 injured in Mogadishu (All
Headline News)
At least 17 people were killed and more than 81 others injured after Somali government
soldiers fired anti-aircraft weapons at a major intersection in the Somali capital
Mogadishu, witnesses and medical personnel said Monday.

The shooting spree began after Somali transitional federal government police shot and
killed another soldier who was holding a pistol but not dressed in the uniform of
government forces.

Shortly afterwards, a large number of Somali military troops accompanied by military

vehicles reached the scene at the Benadir junction just south of the city and immediately
started shooting at civilians in the junction.

Abdi Mohammed Isma’il alias Abdi Ud, a reporter in Mogadishu who witnessed the
shocking incident, confirmed to All Headline News that he has seen more than 12
people dead lying in the center of the junction.

“I became shocked and very frightened when I had seen blood gushing on the ground,
human flesh, amputated arms, hand and other human limbs scattered at the center and
around the junction,” Abdi Ud said, his body shivering because of what he witnessed.

Local residents and witnesses took the wounded to a hospital in the capital for
treatment. Late Monday afternoon, a number of Somali government ministers visited
the hospital.

Officials who visited the hospital included Abdixakim Hajji Fiqi, the minister of
defense; Abdishakur Sheikh Hassan Farah, the minister of interior and home security
and Dr. Adam Hajji Ibrahim. They also sent condolences to families of those who had
lost relatives in the incident and wished the wounded quick recoveries.

Abdixakim Hajji Fiqi, Somalia’s minister of defense, told the local press that they were
very sorry about the civilian casualties, vowing that all soldiers behind the shooting
spree would be brought to justice as soon as possible.
--------------------
US Aid to Egypt Depends on Events (Voice of America)

U.S. officials say there are no plans to cut off aid to Egypt. But they caution that aid will
be reviewed as events unfold, indicating that the Egyptian government's actions going
forward might jeopardize U.S. assistance. The bulk of USAID and State Department aid
to Egypt goes toward security spending. A State Department official said Monday that
the United States makes no apologies for helping to bolster Egypt's security.

As the crisis in Egypt continues, so, too, do questions about whether the United States
will use its financial leverage in the country.
According to U.S. government figures, the State Department and USAID provided $1.5
billion in assistance to Egypt last year. The budget request for 2011 is about the same.

State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters at the State Department that
the United States does not want to see a particular outcome in Cairo, but a process that
gives Egyptians the ability to determine their own government. He said there are no
plans to cut funding to Egypt.

"We continue to provide assistance to Egypt. Based on what we see today, we don't
envision taking any immediate action," said P.J. Crowley. "But as [White House Press
Secretary] Robert Gibbs said Friday, as events unfold, we, of course, will continue to
review our aid."

Washington has repeatedly called on the Egyptian government to allow for peaceful
protests. But more than 125 people have died during crackdowns on demonstrations in
the past week. Crowley indicated that such violence might jeopardize U.S. assistance
and said that American funding comes with stipulations.

"If aid is used in a way that is contrary to our laws, our policies and our values, you
know, we'll make adjustments as we need to," he said.

The bulk of U.S. assistance to Egypt is for security.

"We do provide assistance to Egypt, and some of that assistance is in the form of
security assistance, and we make no apologies for that," said the U.S. State Department
spokesman.

And Crowley said U.S. aid to Egypt has been beneficial to the region.
"Our relationship has been a stabilizing one," he said. "Certainly, the relationship
between Egypt and the United States and the support that we, together with others,
have provided have been a stabilizing force across the region. Egypt has been a strong
supporter of the pursuit of peace in the Middle East."

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 - Israel's first with an Arab nation - and
Egypt has played a role in mediating Mideast peace efforts.

But analyst Tawfik Hamid of the Washington-based Potomac Institute for Policy
Studies says the Egyptian attitudes in the future depend on the way the United States
deals with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Hamid says the Egyptian people would continue to support U.S. policies in the Middle
East on one condition.
"When they know that America is behind the people and behind the military against
Mubarak, this can make America the most beloved nation in the eyes of Egyptians,"
said Hamid. "But if America lets them down with Mubarak, I don't think the problem
will end and the country will be lost."

The Egyptian military has vowed not to use force against demonstrators. But analysts
say it is unclear whether the military will defy or even remove Mr. Mubarak from
office.

Meanwhile, State Department Spokesman Crowley said a former U.S. ambassador to

Egypt, Frank Wisner, is in Cairo, not as an official envoy but as a private citizen. But
Crowley added that Wisner has long-standing relationships with Egyptian leaders and
is in a position to reiterate U.S. policy and to report back to officials in Washington.
--------------------
Mohamed ElBaradei rising as possible new Egypt president (USA Today)

ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate and proponent of democracy, has become the most visible
spokesman for a coalition of anti-Mubarak groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
After arriving from his home in Austria last week, he quickly called for Mubarak's
resignation and offered to lead a transitional government.

"He's quite qualified," says Maher Hathout, a senior adviser with the Muslim Public
Affairs Council, a civil rights organization based in Los Angeles. "He's someone who's
not tainted by the current regime and politically shrewd."

ElBaradei is the former head of the International Atomic Energy Commission, the
United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, and won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for his
work against nuclear proliferation. Still, he drew the ire of the Bush White House for
not being tougher on Iran's emerging nuclear program. ElBaradei has said he does not
believe Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. He also disputed the U.S. contention
that Iraq had revived its nuclear program prior to the 2003 Iraq war.

That ability to stand up to outside interests — particularly in Egypt, where anti-U.S.

sentiment is strong — would serve ElBaradei well, Hathout says.

Former Egyptian presidential contender Ayman Nour is also a potential Mubarak

replacement. Nour, who ran against Mubarak as a reform candidate in 2005, won about
8% of the vote. He was later convicted of forging party documents and jailed. He was
released in 2009 after pressure from the Bush and Obama administrations. "He's a
respected face and his hands are clean," Hathout says.

Egypt's pool of presidential replacements is small, largely because Mubarak long

suppressed opposition, says Marc Thiessen, a fellow with the American Enterprise
Institute.
Even if the chaos in Egypt subsides, the country would best be served by a temporary
leader who can serve while the country enacts democratic changes, says Samer Shehata,
a professor of Arab politics at Georgetown University.

"The scenario is for some interim government of credible people no relation to the
ruling party to be put in charge for 60 days or longer so the constitution can be
amended," he says. "That would allow for free and fair elections and remove the
elements of a tainted regime."
--------------------
Morocco watches nervously as Egypt erupts (AFP)

RABAT – Morocco is watching nervously as other North African countries erupt in

revolt, with warnings even from within the royal family that it will probably not be
spared.

Morocco has not been touched, yet, by the violent protests that have ended the rule of
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, threaten Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and have shaken
Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

"But we mustn't be deceived, almost every authoritarian systems will be affected by this
wave of protest, Morocco will probably be no exception," a cousin of King Mohammed
VI warned in an interview published Monday.

"It remains to be seen whether the revolt is just social or also political, and if the political
parties act under the influence of the recent events," Prince Moulay Hicham told the
Spanish daily El Pais.

The 46-year-old, third in line to the throne, is nicknamed the "red prince" because of his
criticism of the monarchical system in Morocco.

He said the political liberalisation launched in the 1990s after Mohammed succeeded his
authoritarian father Hassan II had virtually come to an end, and reviving it while still
avoiding radical pressures would be "a major challenge."

The events in Egypt dominate the Moroccan press but the government has so far made
no comment. However it gave proof Monday that the regional situation has it worried
with its swift reply to a report that it had redeployed troops.

It summoned Spain's ambassador to protest reports in the Spanish media that the
troops had been brought from Western Sahara in case of protests.
"The government of the Kingdom of Morocco issued a categorical denial to these false
statements...," said Communications Minister and government spokesman Khalid
Naciri.

He underlined the government's "indignation" at the "unfounded allegations" -- which

actually first appeared on the Facebook page of Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet -- that
troops had been moved towards Casablanca and Rabat.

"The role of any government is to take precautions against anything that might
encourage instability."

In the wake of the unrest in Algeria and Tunisia, the authorities said last week they
would maintain subsidies on basic necessities like flour, sugar, cooking oil and butane
gas to stop costs rising in line with world prices.

However Naciri insisted that the decision was not influenced by events in Morocco's
neighbours, where the price of such goods helped to spark revolt.

Pro-government newspapers have also reacted strongly to suggestions that unrest

might spread across Morocco's borders, in particular to an interview with dissident
journalist Aboubakr Jamai carried by France's Nouvel Observateur.

Jamai predicted that "If Morocco goes up, the disparities in wealth are such that the
rebellion will be much bloodier than in Tunisia."

The weekly Le Temps led charges that Jamai and the foreign press did not know what
they were talking about.

Businessmen questioned by AFP tended to agree, saying that the hereditary monarchy
in Morocco had more respect than the authoritarian presidencies of Ben Ali and
Mubarak who had kept themselves in power through a firm grip on the electoral
process.
--------------------
Sudan demands end to U.S. sanctions after referendum (Reuters)

ADDIS ABABA – Sudan called on Monday on the United States to lift sanctions, a day
after provisional results showed south Sudan voted almost unanimously to secede in a
referendum.

The United States had declared the peaceful conduct of South Sudan's January
independence referendum a top priority and offered the Khartoum government a
'roadmap' to full ties if it allowed the vote to proceed and made progress on Darfur.
While Washington has praised Sudan for the January vote, officials have said they are
still concerned about the situation in Darfur, where violence continues to crackle.

"We have delivered what we promised. We now want all sanctions to be lifted," Foreign
Minister Ali Karti told Reuters on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Ethiopia.

"Darfur should not be attached on this. We are providing our full cooperation with
them to solve the issue," he said.

Karti hoped the peaceful conduct of the vote would provide an opening for economic
opportunities for his isolated country, which has long faced embargoes.

"We want more investment in our country. We want to strengthen our trade, and
enhance cooperation on all aspects," he told Reuters.

The United States has so far taken some small initial steps to lift export controls on
agricultural machinery to help Sudan's struggling food sector, but has stressed that
further progress is contingent on Khartoum's continued cooperation.

The United Nations estimates 300,000 people died in a humanitarian crisis following a
government counter-insurgency campaign in Darfur in 2003 that Washington branded
as genocide. Khartoum puts the figure at 10,000.

The referendum earlier this month was promised in a 2005 peace deal which ended
decades of north-south conflict, Africa's longest civil war, which cost an estimated 2
million lives.

According to the terms of the accord, south Sudan will be able to declare independence
on July 9, pending any legal challenges to the results.

UNRESOLVED ISSUES

Northern and southern leaders have still not reached a deal on their shared border, how
they will split oil revenues after secession and the ownership of the disputed Abyei
region.

Asked by Reuters on Sunday whether he supported an easing of sanctions due to the

peaceful conduct of the referendum, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon chose to
focus on unresolved issues in the country.

"What is important at this time is that the parties should engage immediately to address
all the post-referendum issues, the demarcation of borders, citizenship, security matters,
sharing of resources, and more importantly the status of Abyei," he said.
At the same time we are very much concerned by the security situation in Darfur," Ban
said.

At a mini-summit attended by senior officials from the U.N., EU, African Union,
Somalia and Sudan on Sunday, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and southern leader
Salva Kiir pledged to solve the issue over the disputed Abyei region by the end of
March, a senior official from the grouping told Reuters.

Lingering disputes over the eligibility and status of Abyei's two main tribes has forced
authorities to postpone the referendum in the disputed region, which remains one of
the most serious potential flashpoints between North and South Sudan since their 2005
peace deal.

"Presidents Bashir and Kiir have agreed in the presence of (mediator) Thabo Mbeki to
try to solve the issue of Abyei by the end of March," he said.
--------------------
Niger Votes After Coup (Associated Press)

NIAMEY, Niger—Niger took another stab at democracy Monday when it voted for a
new president and parliament that are expected to take over leadership from the
military.

The impoverished African country's military ruler, Gen. Salou Djibo, urged voters to
have their say. "This new start should allow the authorities, freely elected by the people,
to devote themselves to the development of Niger," he told reporters. Gen Djibo led the
February 2010 coup that toppled President Mamadou Tandja, who had stayed in office
beyond his legal mandate.

Long lines formed in Niamey, the capital, hours before polling stations opened. Some
opened late due to missing polling staff and voting materials, but voting appeared to be
calm.

"I have been here since 6:30 a.m," voter Mehaou Mounkaila said. "I want to exercise my
civic right because today is a very important day for us Nigeriens."

The country's 6.7 million registered voters are choosing between 10 presidential
candidates, including the first female presidential hopeful, and will vote in 116
legislative races nationwide.

Mr. Tandja gained power a decade ago through the ballot box and won elections again
five years later but then established a dictatorship, abolishing parliament and the
nation's highest court. In 2009 he forced through a new constitution, which critics
denounced as illegal, granting him three more years in power and the chance to run for
president as many times as he wanted.
When the military arrested Mr. Tandja almost a year ago after blowing a hole through
the front gate of the presidential palace, it vowed to restore civilian rule. Several coup
leaders engineered a similar move in 1999, and went on to oversee free elections that set
the stage for a decade of democratic peace. The junta recently transferred Mr. Tandja
from house arrest to prison after charging him with corruption during his decade in
power.

Many Nigeriens supported the military's action to topple Mr. Tandja last year but
there's skepticism the elections will fully break a long cycle of coups, counter-coups and
political maneuvering that have occurred in the landlocked country since it won
independence from France in 1960.

A new constitution approved by referendum in October—the country's seventh in 50

years—gives the military until April 6 to return government to civilian hands. Security
forces and observers from the European Union, the African Union and the regional
Economic Community of West African States were present at polling stations, which
were scheduled to close at 7 p.m. local time.

Due to the elections, Niger has closed its land borders until midnight Tuesday,
according to the Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Religious
Affairs.

Although rich in uranium, this nation of 15 million on the edge of the Sahara is among
the bottom of the United Nations' Human Development Index, which ranks countries in
order of general well-being. Its northern deserts and even the capital have been the
scene of kidnappings linked to al Qaeda.

EU election observers in Niger say they won't deploy to the country's northern Agadez
region for security reasons. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, has turned
broad swaths of desert from Niger to Mauritania into no-go zones for Westerners.
AQIM gunmen even grabbed two Frenchmen from a Niamey restaurant in January. The
men were found dead less than 24 hours later following a failed rescue attempt by
forces from France and Niger near the Malian border.

AQIM is believed to still hold five French nationals, along with hostages from
Madagascar and Togo, who were all kidnapped from a French uranium mine in Niger
in September.

Security analysts and Niger's interim government say AQIM poses little threat to the
elections and Niger's citizens.
"We held the local and regional elections without problems, and campaigning for this
round has gone without incident," said Interior Ministry secretary-general Ibrahima
Mory.

Niger's electoral commission said it could take up to a week to tally and announce
provisional results, which would need to confirmed by the constitutional court within
two weeks.

If there is no clear presidential victor, the top two candidates will participate in a run-
off election in March.
--------------------
President Mills calls on Ethiopian President Girma in Addis Ababa (Ghana News
Agency)

Addis Ababa - President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday affirmed the commitment
of Ghana to strengthen her relations with sister African nations to propel the
development of the Continent.

He reiterated that the things that united countries on the Continent were more than
those that divided them, and stressed more co-operation among African nations to fast-
track the continent's development to become a showpiece to the world.

President Mills made the call when he called on Ethiopian President Wolde Giorgis
Girma, on the sidelines of the 16th ordinary session of the African Union (AU)
underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"We want to strengthen our co-operation as African brothers and sisters, so that at the
end of the day, we'll be able to show to the world that our partnership has produced
some good results," President Mills said.

He said Ghana cherished her relations with Ethiopia, and traced

the bonds of friendship between Accra and Addis Ababa in the African liberation
struggle, remembering Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Emperor Haile Selassie and the other
founding fathers of the erstwhile Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor
of the present AU, for their initiatives for continental unity.

President Mills described Ethiopia as an appropriate place for the leaders to meet and
discuss the values to be shared to accelerate the
Continent's progress.

He expressed appreciation to the Government and People of Ethiopia for the hospitality
accorded him and the Ghanaian delegation.

President Mills also expressed gratitude for the facilities put at the disposal of the
delegation.
President Girma recalled the ideals of the founding fathers of the African Union, and
eulogised Kwame Nkrumah for the Pan Africanist cause which laid a strong foundation
for African unity.
--------------------
AU assigns 6 presidents to mediate in Ivory Coast (Associated Press)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The African Union has named a panel of six African
presidents to mediate Ivory Coast's political crisis.

The list announced Monday at the AU summit includes two leaders who came to power
through elections — the presidents of South Africa and Tanzania.

But the panel also includes three men who headed coups in their countries — the
leaders of Mauritania, Chad and Burkina Faso.

Nigeria's president and the current chairman of the African Union will both serve on
the panel, which is being given a month to try to resolve the crisis in Ivory Coast.

The country's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has refused to leave office two months
after the international community said he lost the election to Alassane Ouattara.
--------------------
AU summit stresses importance of peace, security in Africa (Xinhua)

ADDIS ABABA - The African Union (AU) on Monday emphasized the importance of
peace and security on the continent as the pan-African bloc ended its 16th summit in
the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

Major issues of concern for African leaders included the situation in Cote d'Ivoire,
Somalia and Tunisia, according to a document on Africa's peace and security situation
adopted by AU heads of state and government during the summit.

On the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, the African leaders expressed their deep concern for
the crisis, while encouraging the AU Commission and the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) to continue with their efforts to find solution to end the
impasse.

During the summit, AU's Peace and Security Council decided to set up a panel to deal
with the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. The team is composed of presidents of Mauritania,
South Africa, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Chad, as well as head of the AU Commission and
head of ECOWAS.

The panel will evaluate the situation in the West African country, and is mandated to
come up with binding solution within one month.
On Somalia, which is going through a crucial transitional period, the African leaders
strongly urges the country's stakeholders to broaden and consolidate the reconciliation
process, ensure greater cohesion within the Transitional Federal Institutions and
complete the outstanding transitional tasks, including the constitutional process.

The war-torn Horn of Africa country has not had a functional central government for
two decades. It is currently run by the internationally recognized Transitional Federal
Government (TFG), which is protected by AU peacekeepers while facing deadly attacks
by Islamist insurgent group of Al-Shabaab.

The country is expected to end its transitional period on Aug. 20 this year.

Meanwhile, African leaders "urgently appeal" to all the Tunisian parties to "work
together, in unity, peace, consensus and respect of legality, towards a peaceful and
democratic transition," according to the document.

The summit, which has been largely dominated by discussions on Cote d'Ivoire,
Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt, concluded late Monday after adopting a series of
decisions and declarations concerning Africa's development, peace and security.
--------------------
UN News Service Africa Briefs
Full Articles on UN Website

Refugees from Côte d’Ivoire crisis could top 100,000 by April, UN warns
31 January – As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon kept up his diplomatic push for a
speedy solution to the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, United Nations agencies
called for urgent funding today, warning that refugees fleeing to neighbouring Liberia
could top 100,000 by the end of April.

Ban urges calm in Southern Sudan as referendum process is finalized

31 January – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged both parties to the peace
agreement that ended Sudan’s North-South war to remain calm as the results of the
referendum on the future of the south are finalized, commending the two sides for the
peaceful conduct of the plebiscite.

African anti-malaria initiative offers good model for tackling other ills, says Ban
31 January – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the success achieved by
the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) in saving thousands of lives across the
continent, saying it offers a good model for tackling other social ills.

UN chief underlines need to support Somali reconciliation efforts

31 January – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the need to assist Somalia’s
transitional Government in its effort to initiate reconciliation with other political and
armed groups that renounce the use of violence in favour of the formation of local civil
administrations.