africom related news clips 4 april, 2011

8/7/2019 AFRICOM Related News Clips 4 April, 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/africom-related-news-clips-4-april-2011 1/24

United States Africa CommandPublic Affairs Office4 April 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

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

French seize airport in Côte d·Ivoire (Business Day) (Côte d·Ivoire) The French army took over Côte d·Ivoire ·s main airport yesterday as thebattle for Abidjan dragged into a fourth day and recognised leader Alassane Ouattaracame under fire for a massacre in the west of the country.

Foreigners evacuated as battles rage in I.Coast (AFP)(Côte d·Ivoire) A first group of foreigners fleeing chaos in Ivory Coast was evacuated asthe French army took over the airport in Abidjan, wracked by fighting and looting astwo presidents tussle for power.

2 Qaddafi Sons Are Said to Offer Plan to Push Father Out (NYT)(Libya) At least two sons of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi are proposing a resolution to theLibyan conflict that would entail pushing their father aside to make way for a transitionto a constitutional democracy under the direction of his son Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, adiplomat and a Libyan official briefed on the plan said Sunday.

NATO to U.S.: We need More Strikes in Libya (ABC)(Libya)NATO has asked the United States to continue participating in airstrikes overLibya through late Monday, ABC News has learned.

Gaddafi envoy in Greece 'seeking solution' (Al Jazeera)(Libya) Libya's acting foreign minister arrives in Greece on an apparent mission tonegotiate an end to fighting in the country.

RAF planning for six months in Libya, says chief (BBC)

The RAF is planning on the basis that operations over Libya will last at least six months,its chief has said.

Misrata wounded speak of fighting, resolve (CNN)(Libya) Hundreds of people hurt in the fighting in the Libyan city of Misrata werepicked up by a Turkish hospital ship Sunday and spoke of the violence they left behind.



Libya: Turkish ship rescues injured from Misrata (BBC)A Turkish humanitarian ship carrying more than 250 injured people from the Libyancity of Misrata has arrived in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

Thousands of police gather in Algerian capital (AFP)

About 2,500 Algerian auxiliary policemen gathered on Sunday to await PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika's response to their demands for better pay and conditions issuedat a huge rally a month ago.

Jega Postpones All Elections (Vanguard)(Nigeria) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led by ProfessorAttahiru Jega, has rescheduled the voting dates for the 2011 general elections.

Nigeria Electoral Body Apologizes Following Vote Postponement (VOA)(Nigeria) An official of Nigeria·s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

says the electoral body has apologized to Nigerians following the postponement of thegeneral elections.

UN News Service Africa Briefs

Full Articles on UN Websitey UN officials voice concern over poor camp conditions for Somali refugees in

Kenya

y Cote d'Ivoire: Ban calls for civilian protection in phone conversation withOuattara

y UN humanitarian chief urges world to help Liberia bear Ivorian refugee crisis

y UN chief lauds Kenya's efforts to generate clean energy

y UN appeals for more funds to help millions of drought-hit people in Horn of Africa

-------------------------------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST:

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, April 7, 2011; 9:30am; Dirksen Senate Office BuildingRoom SD-106WHAT: Armed Services: Testimony on AFRICOMWHO: Full Committee; General Carter F. Ham to testifyInfo: http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5073

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL ARTICLE TEXT

French seize airport in Côte d·Ivoire (Business Day)By Christophe ParayreApril 4, 2011



The French army took over Côte d·Ivoire ·s main airport yesterday as the battle forAbidjan dragged into a fourth day and recognised leader Alassane Ouattara cameunder fire for a massacre in the west of the country.

In a telephone conversation with Mr Ouattara, United Nations (UN) chief Ban Ki-moon

demanded he take action against followers who took part in a massacre of about 800people, a UN spokesman said yesterday .

Mr Ouattara told Mr Ban that his followers were not involved in events in the town ofDuekoue, spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The Red Cross and UN say about 800 people were killed in an operation by pro-Ouattara forces in the town last Tuesday as they took territory from strongman LaurentGbagbo.

Mr Ouattara also told Mr Ban he had ordered an investigation.

Mr Gbagbo, meanwhile, resisting global calls to step down, mobilised supportersaround his strongholds in the seaside city.

The French force Licorne took control of the airport in Abidjan and Paris reinforced thetroops with 300 men as more than 1500 foreigners sought refuge at the French militarycamp amid violence and looting in the city.

Early yesterday, residents and AFP journalists said Mr Ouattara·s fighters held firm to

their positions as sporadic heavy arms fire broke out near the presidential palace. Thewhereabouts of Mr Gbagbo were unknown.

As tension in the city, awaiting a final showdown, reached fever pitch, Mr Gbagbo·sstate television broadcast virulently anti- French messages.

"A Rwandan genocide is being prepared in Côte d·Ivoire by Sarkozy·s men," read aticker running across the screen, referring to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the1994 massacre of 800000 in Rwanda in just three months. "The French army hasoccupied the Felix Houphouet- Boigny airport, we are in danger," read another.

The RTI television station, a vital means of communication for Mr Gbagbo to hisloyalists, was briefly captured by pro-Ouattara fighters on Thursday night before MrGbagbo·s troops regained control and restored the signal.

A message was played yesterday in which Damana Pickas, a leader of the "YoungPatriots", Mr Gbagbo·s most fervent backers, called for mobilisation. "It is the people·s



army. The army has become pure, the Republic has become pure," he said, afterdefections to the rival camp.

"We need all the patriots, the resistance, to take to the streets. There are times whendeath is better than dishonour. But do not doubt our victory," he said.

Weary with failed diplomatic efforts to resolve a post-election crisis, Mr Ouattara·sarmy last Monday launched a lightning offensive across the country before arriving inAbidjan on Thursday. Attacks on Gbagbo strongholds have shaken the city withartillery explosions and machine- gun fire, but the strongman, globally isolated andcornered in Abidjan, is fighting to the last.

On Saturday, RTI broadcast calls for mobilisation, urging civilians to form a "humanshield" around Mr Gbagbo·s residence.

That evening hundreds of people were shown gathered in front of his home. ReportersWithout Borders said RTI was likely being transmitted from a mobile truck, which MrOuattara·s camp has promised "will be destroyed as soon as possible."----------------------------Foreigners evacuated as battles rage in I.Coast (AFP)ABIDJAN - A first group of foreigners fleeing chaos in Ivory Coast was evacuated as theFrench army took over the airport in Abidjan, wracked by fighting and looting as twopresidents tussle for power.

Internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara's camp announced the time was

ripe for a rapid offensive in the capital, where it has effectively cornered strongmanLaurent Gbagbo, leading to four days of fierce fighting.

As the rival leaders, caught in a stand off since disputed November elections, blameeach other for chilling massacres in the west, UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Sundaydemanded Ouattara take action against followers who may have taken part.

In a telephone conversation with Ouattara, Ban expressed "concern and alarm" overreports of the killings in the town of Duekoue, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.Ouattara denied his followers were involved in the killings but said he had ordered aninvestigation,Nesirky said.

Gbagbo's spokesman in Paris, Toussaint Alain, also denied his troops had played anyrole in the massacres.

"This entire area is 90 percent controlled by the rebellion which bears the responsibilityfor this massacre," he said.



With a final showdown awaited between the rival armies, the French Licorne (Unicorn)force took control of the airport in the main city Abidjan and Paris sent 300 more men tothe city as more than 1,500 foreigners sought refuge at a French military camp.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday spoke three times with Ouattara, the

presidency said, adding he had ordered "bringing together without delay all Frenchcitizens in Abidjan... to ensure their protection".

The French military meanwhile said 167 foreigners, including French and Lebanesenationals, left Abidjan Sunday for the Senegalese capital Dakar on a special flight.While Sunday was quieter than the three preceding days of the Ouattara offensive,sporadic heavy arms fire continued near Gbagbo strongholds such as the presidentialpalace while the strongman's whereabouts were unknown.

"The strategy was to surround the city of Abidjan, which we have succeeded in doing.

We have sent soldiers to the centre of town to harass Gbagbo's troops, militia andmercenaries," said Ouattara's prime minister Guillaume Soro on Ouattara's televisionstation TCI.

"We have noticed that following this harassment there is a generalised panic amongGbagbo's troops. The situation is now ripe for a rapid offensive. Don't worry," he said.Gbagbo meanwhile showed no signs of wavering, scoring a coup as his army chief ofstaff General Philippe Mangou seemed set to rejoin his side after seeking refuge in theSouth African ambassador's residence earlier this week.

A diplomatic source confirmed Mangou left the residence, and Gbagbo's spokesmanAhoua Don Mello said Mangou had met with the strongman, and it was not sure if hewould take up his old position.

"I saw him today at the residence of President Gbagbo with his colleagues. He willspeak himself, maybe tomorrow (Monday)."

Ouattara-controlled television ran a ticker across the screen saying Mangou's returnwas due to his family being threatened by Gbagbo's camp.

Gbagbo-controlled state television broadcast virulently anti-French messages.

"A Rwandan genocide is being prepared in Ivory Coast by Sarkozy's men," read a tickerrunning across the screen, referring to the 1994 massacre of 800,000 in Rwanda in justthree months.

"The French army has occupied the Felix Houphouet-Boigny airport, we are in danger,"read another.



The RTI television station, a vital means of communication between Gbagbo and hisloyalists, was briefly captured by pro-Ouattara fighters on Thursday night beforeGbagbo troops regained control and restored the signal.

Messages on the station have urged civilians to form a "human shield" around Gbagbo'sresidence.

Weary of failed diplomatic efforts to resolve the post-election crisis, Ouattara's army hasseized much of the country, and reports have emerged of massacres in the west fromaid groups and the United Nations.

The International Red Cross has said 800 died in Duekoue in one day in an incident"particularly shocking by its size and brutality".

The Catholic mission Caritas reported 1,000 were "killed or disappeared" while the UN mission gave an initial death toll of 330, saying that while both camps were involved inthe mass killings, the majority of deaths were caused by pro-Ouattara fighters.

Sidiki Konate, the spokesman for Ouattara's prime minister Soro, said his army counted152 bodies, and not the massive toll alleged.----------------------------2 Qaddafi Sons Are Said to Offer Plan to Push Father Out (NYT)By David D. KirkpatrickApril 3, 2011

At least two sons of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi are proposing a resolution to the Libyanconflict that would entail pushing their father aside to make way for a transition to aconstitutional democracy under the direction of his son Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, adiplomat and a Libyan official briefed on the plan said Sunday.

The rebels challenging Colonel Qaddafi as well as the American and European powerssupporting them with air strikes have so far insisted on a more radical break with his 40years of rule. And it is not clear whether Colonel Qaddafi, 68, has signed on to thereported proposal backed by his sons, Seif and Saadi el-Qaddafi, although one personclose to the sons said the father appeared willing to go along.

But the proposal offers a new window into the dynamics of the Qaddafi family at a timewhen the colonel, who has seven sons, is relying heavily on them. Stripped of one of hisclosest confidantes by the defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa and isolated bydecades of attempted coups and internal purges, he is leaning on his sons as trustedaides and military commanders.



The idea also touches on longstanding differences among his sons. While Seif and Saadihave leaned toward Western-style economic and political openings, Colonel Qaddafi·ssons Khamis and Mutuassim are considered hard-liners. Khamis leads a fearsomemilitia focused on repressing internal unrest.

And Mutuassim, a national security adviser who also commands his own militia, hasbeen considered a rival to Seif in the competition to succeed their father. But Saadi, whohas drifted through careers as a professional soccer player, a military officer and abusinessman, firmly backs the plan, an associate said.

The two sons ´want to move toward change for the countryµ without their father, oneperson close to the Seif and Saadi camp said Sunday, speaking on condition ofanonymity for fear of retribution. ´They have hit so many brick walls with the oldguard, and if they have the go-ahead, they will bring the country up quickly.µ One son,this person said, has said many times that ´the wishes of the rebellion were his own.µ

The proposals are the latest turn in a drama between Seif and his father that has playedout for years on the stage of Libyan public life as the son has alternately pushedforward with calls for political reforms and then pulled back. During the recent revolt,he appeared to march in lockstep with his father in vowing to stamp out the rebels. ´Weare coming,µ he declared to a crowd of supporters who chanted, ´Seif al-Islam, step onthe rats.µ

The proposals are also the latest sign that the Qaddafi government may be feeling thepressure from two weeks of allied airstrikes that have severely diminished the

advantage in equipment of the Qaddafi militias. A senior Libyan official arrived inAthens for talks about a potential resolution to the conflict, the Reuters news servicereported. And Mohamed Ismail, a top aide to Seif, is returning from a trip to London,where, a Libyan official said, he presented the proposal for Seif to take over from hisfather.

Mutuassim may be particularly resistant because of his longstanding rivalry with Seif.

After Seif made a high-profile trip to Washington to meet with Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice in 2008, a WikiLeaks cable reported, the attention paid ´exacerbatedtension with his siblings.µ

When Mutuassim visited Washington the next year, the American ambassador to Libyawrote, ´Mutuassim·s desire to visit Washington this spring and his seeminglyoverweening focus on having meetings with senior U.S. government officials andsigning a number of agreements are driven at least in part by a strong sense ofcompetition with Saif al-Islam.µ



In a recent interview with the pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya, Saadi suggested thatbefore the revolt Seif was already ´the person who used to run the show every day inLibya.µ The defection last week of Mr. Koussa, the former top aide to Colonel Qaddafi,removes a figure who had been considered a leader of the old guard distrustful of Seifand opposed to reform.

A diplomat familiar with the proposal, however, said discussions remained in the initialstages. Despite the evidence of deep internal discontent, Colonel Qaddafi appears tobelieve that rebellion against him is a foreign conspiracy of Islamist radicals and oil-hungry Western powers attempting to take over Libya, the diplomat said. And therebels, who have set up their own provisional government, continue to insist on the exitfrom power of Colonel Qaddafi and his sons.

´This is the beginning position of the opposition, and this is the beginning position ofthe Libyan government,µ this diplomat said. ´But the bargaining has yet to commence.µ

Militarily, the rebellion remained locked in a stalemate on Sunday. On the eastern front,near the oil town of Brega, the two sides fired rockets, mortars and artillery against eachother in a contest for the northern entrance of town. But the battle lines changed onlyslightly, and neither side appeared to have a clear upper hand.

The fighting intensified in the late afternoon and evening during a three-hour exchangein which rebels launched salvo after salvo of rockets toward the town, and loyalistartillery or mortars replied. The shells landed and exploded across an expanse of desertnorth of the town.

At least two rebels were killed and others wounded. The fight for Brega continued atthe university, where the rebels, who have at times since Friday managed to gain atoehold, withdrew under fire. But the main body of rebels crept closer to the town, andseized two ridges that provided a vantage point for firing on the loyalists holding thetown.

At the hospital in Ajdabiya, where casualties are first taken, a team of doctors rushed tohelp a wounded government soldier who had been shot through the left calf, the rightarm, and twice through his right chest and out his back. The soldier, whose documentslisted him as Akhmed Awad Omar, from Surt, died on the table, his blood pooled onthe floor.

The attendants covered him with a cloth. ´He is a Libyan, and we are sorry for him,µsaid Dr. Habib Mohammed el-Obeidy, before the body was wheeled to the morgue.´Qaddafi is using Libyans against Libyans.µ



In Tripoli, armed checkpoints throughout the streets have kept the capital in an anxiouslockdown with no signs of any renewed uprising since the revolt that shook the city sixweeks ago. Noting that the United Nations resolution authorizing the air strikes alsoprecludes the deployment of ground troops, the diplomat familiar with the proposalbacked by the two sons said he wondered how the fighting could end without a

negotiated solution.

´They will continue until the ammunition is finished, this stupid fighting along thehighway,µ the diplomat said.

Proposals and counterproposals for a cease-fire exchanged between the Qaddafi forcesand the rebels appeared deadlocked as well, the diplomat noted. ´For Qaddafi a cease-fire means everyone should cease firing but the Qaddafi forces should stay where theyare,µ the diplomat said. ´But for the rebels it means that the Qaddafi forces shouldwithdraw.µ

Rebels said Sunday that the Western airstrikes had begun hitting the heavy weapons ofthe Qaddafi forces even within cities. A spokesman for the rebels controlling thebesieged city of Misurata said that on Friday night the airstrikes had hit two tanks andthree armored vehicles of the Qaddafi forces that had entered the city.

But on Sunday morning Qaddafi forces outside the city continued shelling an area nearthe port, while Qaddafi gunmen occupied rooftops along the central Tripoli Street, saidthe spokesman, Mohamed, whose last name was withheld for the protection of hisfamily.

In an interview in Tripoli, Levent Sahinkaya, the Turkish ambassador, said a Turkishhospital ship had left the Misurata port loaded with 250 patients seriously injured in thefighting. The Qaddafi government had sought to direct the ship first to Tripoli or topostpone its trip, Mr. Sahinkaya said, but instead the Turkish government sent itdirectly to Misurata with the escort of 10 F-16 fighters and a warship.

´The humanitarian side is so important to us,µ the ambassador said.

´We are the only country able to speak with both sides,µ he said, referring to both therebels and the Qaddafi government.

´We think a cease-fire should be reached, and after a cease-fire a political solution canbe discussed,µ Mr. Sahinkaya said. ´This is the Turkish position.µ He declined toaddress the details of any cease-fire talks.

About 50 foreign embassies remain open in Tripoli, including those of Turkey, Russia,Bulgaria, Ukraine and China as well as sub-Saharan African countries.



----------------------------NATO to U.S.: We need More Strikes in Libya (ABC)By Luis MartinezApril 3, 2011NATO has asked the United States to continue participating in airstrikes over Libya

through late Monday, ABC News has learned.

This was done to make up for the bad weather earlier in the week that had hamperedtargeting of Gadhafi forces and allowed them to push the rebels back to Ajdabiyah.

The United States was supposed to have significantly begun dropping its participationin airstrikes over Libya.

"Due to poor weather conditions over the last few days in Libya, the United States hasapproved a request by NATO to extend the use of some U.S. strike aircraft," NATO

spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told ABC News. "These aircraft will continue to conductand support Alliance air-to-ground missions throughout this weekend."

A U.S. Defense Department official said the aircraft Lungescu was referring to are theA-10 Thunderbolt jets, Marine AV-8 Harrier jets and AC-130 gunships, which are thebest suited for striking ground force targets.

During testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and JointChiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said that beginning Saturday these aircraftwould be on stand-by mode if NATO commanders requested them. That appears to

have happened.

Several senators at Thursday's hearing were upset to hear the news, saying U.S. timingto scale back participation was unfortunate given the ongoing rout of the rebels.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sarcastically called the timing "exquisite."

Another Defense official said the NATO request was specifically tied to making up forthe bad weather that "prohibited strikes from being as effective as they might have beenand allowed Gadhafi's forces to take advantage and regain territory."

This official said there was no drop off in U.S. strike participation as had beenanticipated.New numbers show there was not a dropoff in U.S. flights Saturday.

Through 6 a.m. ET, there were 81 U.S. flights, including 40 strike flights and 40 supportmissions.

Three Harrier jets were involved in missions Saturday, a Defense official said.



A number of U.S. combat forces had been scheduled cease operations today, includingU.S. Navy destroyers and submarines that have been launching Tomahawk cruisemissiles from the Mediterranean.

Military experts said that America's reduced role in enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone

could cripple efforts to keep Gadhafi's forces from battering the rag-tag army trying totopple him.

They said they fear that without U.S. willingness to go after Gadhafi's troops andequipment from the air, and without U.S. ground controllers pinpointing targets, theeffort to shield the rebels will fail.

"The idea that the AC-130s and the A-10s and American air power is grounded unlessthe place goes to hell is just so unnerving that I can't express it adequately," said Sen.Lindsay Graham, R-S.C. "The only thing I would ask is, please reconsider that."

----------------------------Gaddafi envoy in Greece 'seeking solution' (Al Jazeera)April 4, 2011(Libya) Libya's acting foreign minister arrives in Greece on an apparent mission tonegotiate an end to fighting in the country.

Abdel Ati al-Obeidi, Libya's acting foreign minister, has told the Greek prime ministerin Athens that embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is seeking an end to fightingin the country.

"It seems that the Libyan authorities are seeking a solution," Dimitris Droutsas, theGreek foreign minister, said. He added that Obeidi planned to travel on to Malta andTurkey.

Obeidi crossed into neighbouring Tunisia and travelled from Djerba airport to theGreek capital on Sunday and met George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, laterin the day.

"They [Libyan government] requested to send an envoy with a message for primeminister George Papandreou and that is why he is in Athens," a senior Greekgovernment official said.

In a statement, the Greek foreign ministry said it was committed to seeking a "political,diplomatic solution" to the crisis in Libya, where government forces are battling rebelsseeking to end Gaddafi's decades-old rule.



"We reiterated the clear message from the international community: respect for and fullimplementation of UN resolutions, an immediate ceasefire to stop the violence,particularly against the civilian population of Libya."

In Tripoli, the Libyan capital, government officials were not immediately available to

comment on Obeidi's movements.

Papandreou's office said Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, the Libyan prime minister, requestedObeidi's visit during a phone conversation on Saturday. Papandreou also discussed theLibyan crisis with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, on Sunday.

Papandreou has been talking by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Turkey and Britainover the last two days.

Libya-Greece ties

Speaking from Athens, John Psaropoulous, editor of the Greek magazine Odyssey, toldAl Jazeera that close ties between the two governments date back to the 1980s.

"It stands to reason that Libya would reach out to the Greeks, if they would reach out toanyone in Europe, because Greece is a country that's always been Arab-friendly in itsforeign policy," he said.

Given the poor state of the Greek economy, he added, its government is currentlyparticularly susceptible to incentives from Libya, such as cheap oil.

While it has not participated in the air strikes, Greece has provided access to itsterritorial waters to French aircraft carriers southwest of Crete, along with permanentterritorial access to NATO and US forces.

"So it is a strategic ally in the region and it is worth the Libyans making an attempt atleast to see whether the Greeks are interested in showing some of their friendship," hesaid.

Anita McNaught, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tripoli, said there is much speculationabout what might be discussed during the reported negotiations.

They could involve some of transitional arrangement to help Gaddafi "take a gracefulexit from the Libyan political scene," she said.

Greece is likely to be viewed by Tripoli as one of few potential negotiating partners inEurope, McNaught said.



"Would Libya think that Greece would be a more sympathetic ear in Europe, than oldfriends like Italy, which Libya feels betrayed by, and all the other implacable voices inthe rest of the EU?"

Libyan defections

Obeidi served as prime minister under Gaddafi in the late 1970s. Later, he was head ofthe General People's Congress, or parliament. His current post is minister of state forEuropean affairs and he has served as an envoy for Gaddafi during the present crisis.

The news follows speculation about his whereabouts since the departure last week ofLibya's foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, who defected to the United Kingdom viaTunisia.

Obeidi accompanied Koussa to Tunisia, but did not travel with his former colleague to

his destination.

"Mysteriously, as it was expected he would follow his boss, he returned and came backto Libya," McNaught reported.

An official from the Tunisian foreign ministry told Al Jazeera that Obeidi has notdefected.

On a separate diplomatic front, British officials announced on Sunday that a Britishdiplomatic team had been sent to Libya the day before.

The small team arrived in Benghazi on Saturday, where it is set to speak to key figures,including members of the opposition Transitional National Council.

The diplomats will "seek to establish further information about the INC, its aims andmore broadly what is happening in Libya," the British foreign office said.----------------------------RAF planning for six months in Libya, says chief (BBC)April 4, 2011The RAF is planning on the basis that operations over Libya will last at least six months,its chief has said.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton warned the service would need "genuineincreases" in its budget to run the range of operations ministers demand.

He told the Guardian that without more investment, the RAF would struggle tomaintain levels of capabilities.



The Army and Royal Navy will set out details later of the first wave of job losses fromOctober's defence review.

Ministers have denied the review is simply a "cost-saving exercise".

Libyan mission

ACM Dalton said his assumption was that the RAF's warplanes and surveillanceaircraft would be needed over Libya for a number of months, rather than weeks.

"In general terms [we] are now planning on the basis of at least six months, and we'llsee where we go from there," he said.

A poll for BBC News on Sunday suggested that two-thirds of people believed Britain'smilitary involvement in Libya would go on for some time.

Of 2,000 people asked, 65% said the UK's involvement in Libya "will last for some time",while just 14% chose the option "will be over pretty quickly", and 20% did not know.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday that the military intervention in Libyawould not lead to a stalemate between pro-Gaddafi forces and rebels.

He said Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime had no future because it was isolated andcould not sell any oil.

Meanwhile, Scottish police and prosecutors are due to meet Foreign Office officials onMonday to try to gain access to former Libyan foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, whoarrived in the UK last week.

They want to talk to Mr Koussa about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing in which 270 peopledied.

'National security'

ACM Dalton issued a warning that the RAF would need an increase in spending fromthe next Comprehensive Spending Review in 2014.

Without "genuine increases", he said the RAF would find it "very difficult" to maintainits current levels of capability - with operations in Afghanistan, the Falklands andLibya.

"The key factor is that if we are to meet the requirements laid upon us, there is noquestion that more investment will be needed to achieve that.



"What I am seeking to do is maintain core competencies and bricks on which we canthen build the future."

The financial difficulties being faced by all three armed services will be underlined

when the Army and Royal Navy set out their redundancy programmes later.

Soldiers and sailors in the groups targeted for job losses will be seen by theircommanding officers on Tuesday.

It is expected that just under 600 personnel in the Army and 1,600 from the Royal Navywill be made redundant in September. The RAF spelled out its plans for 2,700 lay-offslast month.

In total, the RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of

Defence 25,000 civilian staff.

Unveiling the strategic defence and security review in October, Prime Minister DavidCameron said it was a "step change in the way we protect this country's securityinterests".

He said the UK would still meet Nato's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence andwould continue to have the fourth largest military in the world and "punch above itsweight in the world".

But he said the country had to be "more thoughtful, more strategic and more co-ordinated in the way we advance our interests and protect our national security".----------------------------Misrata wounded speak of fighting, resolve (CNN)By Reza SayahApril 3, 2011Benghazi, Libya - Hundreds of people hurt in the fighting in the Libyan city of Misratawere picked up by a Turkish hospital ship Sunday and spoke of the violence they leftbehind.

Despite the fierce fighting that left many of them severely wounded or mourning familymembers, those aboard said they would return to the besieged city in a heartbeat.

"By God, I would go back to Misrata the first chance I get," said Muhammad el Suker,28. A salesman-turned-rebel fighter, el Suker was hit in the stomach by shrapnel,forcing him to leave behind his father, mother, seven brothers and three sisters.



He said he is worried about his family and painted a disturbing picture of a war-torncity.

"There are so many killed," he said. "They're killing, violating our honor, robbing ourhomes. Anything that is wrong, they are doing. You can't imagine what's going on

there."

The ship, named the Ankara, is actually a cruise ship that went to Libya to pick uppatients. It took on more than 300 people in Misrata, then went to the naval port inBenghazi on Sunday to pick up medical supplies and about 60 more patients.

The Ankara is expected to leave for the Turkish port of Cesme, where the patients willreceive medical attention, opposition officials said.

"We need a lot of help in Misrata. There's so much death there," said Mustafa Abdul

Hamali, a 46-year-old taxi driver who lost half of a leg.

"I was driving in my car with my wife, and my car just blew up. I don't know whathappened," he said. His wife suffered burns, he said, but he hasn't seen her in weeksbecause he sent her away to stay with family.

Khalid Moteridi, a 32-year-old businessman, said he was shot twice in the legs by asniper. Three of his brothers are missing, he said.

"We were fighting with light weapons, but they had so much more," he said of the pro-

government forces. "Artillery, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank rockets.That's how they were fighting back."

Moteridi said there is no electricity, food or water back home.

"We're trapped from all sides by the Gadhafi forces," he said. "I don't like the feeling ofleaving my family and people behind, (but) I'll go back to Misrata when I get better,God willing, and ... Gadhafi and his gangs will be defeated."

Fierce fighting between the opposition and forces loyal to Libyan leader MoammarGadhafi has raged for weeks in Misrata, the country's third-largest city, which lies onthe coast in the western part of the country.

Pro-government forces in Misrata shelled a medical clinic Sunday, killing one personand wounding 15 others, according to a doctor who was not identified for securityreasons.



The clinic had evacuated patients because of recent attacks, said another doctor at aMisrata hospital that received the patients. The victims were opposition "fighters andyoung people" who were guarding the clinic, the doctor said.

One Misrata resident said Sunday he heard the sound of heavy shelling coming from

the port area. Misrata's port is under rebel control and is considered the main site of aidfor people in the embattled city.

Troops supporting Gadhafi surrounded the city, with snipers perched on rooftops ofbuildings, he said.

"When you look at the patients, you get sad," said Jami Sokuci, a Turkish doctor onboard the ship. "You know, a lot of older patients. Child patients ... when you see them,you get sad."

Twenty-year-old student Ibrahim el Sheikh said he was shot by a sniper. In his hospitalbed, he held a stone he took from Misrata, his way of staying close to home while he'saway.

Mohamad Hamdi Sheikh, 64, sat by his semiconscious 12-year-old son Muhammad,who broke his right leg, lost an eye and suffered cuts to his face and arms when anexplosive device hit their house.

"I feel complete pride and true honor for what happened, because what happened tomy kids is for the sake of the country," he said.

----------------------------Libya: Turkish ship rescues injured from Misrata (BBC)April 4, 2011A Turkish humanitarian ship carrying more than 250 injured people from the Libyancity of Misrata has arrived in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

Misrata, the only city in the west still controlled by the rebels, has been under siege byforces loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi for several weeks.

Doctors on board the ship said many people had extremely serious injuries.

Meanwhile, the eastern oil town of Brega has seen continued fighting between rebelsand pro-Gaddafi forces.

A BBC correspondent says an uneasy stalemate is developing.

Government troops are reported to be holding ground near its university, but arereluctant to engage rebels because of the risk of Nato air strikes.



The poorly armed and disorganised rebel forces are unable or unwilling to push ontowards Brega and are calling for more help from the West.

Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, has told the Greek prime

minister that Col Gaddafi wants the fighting to end.

"From the Libyan envoy's comments it appears that the regime is seeking a solution,"Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas told reporters.

Mr Droutsas said Athens had stressed the international community's call for Libya tocomply with UN Security Council resolution 1973, which authorised militaryintervention to protect civilians.

The Libyan envoy would be going on to Turkey on Monday and then Malta to continue

his diplomatic contacts, he added.

Amputations

Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, ordered the Ankara, a car ferry that hadbeen turned into a makeshift hospital, into Misrata on Sunday after it had spend fourdays waiting for permission to dock.

The ship, which was also carrying medical supplies for doctors in Misrata, arrivedunder cover from 10 Turkish F-16 fighter jets and two navy frigates, Turkish consular

official Ali Akin told the Reuters news agency.

With heavily armed Turkish police special forces standing by, the injured people weretaken aboard and laid on mattresses on one of the car decks, above which saline dripswere hung. Some were accompanied by their relatives.

Mr Akin said the ship had to leave early after a large crowd - including hundreds ofEgyptians - pressed forward on the quayside hoping to escape.

The BBC's Jon Leyne, who went on board the Ankara, says many of the patients haveextremely serious injuries, including some amputations.

One man lost part of his leg in an explosion as he was taking his wife into hospital fortreatment. A 13-year-old boy described how he was shot by a sniper. A 12 year old waspeppered with shrapnel when a rocket exploded near him when he and his brotherwere on their way to the market.



Mohammed Muftah, who had shrapnel wounds on his legs, back and neck, said ColGaddafi's troops had "killed entire families".

"I have a neighbour who lost his wife and his three children," he told the AFP newsagency. "They did it just to terrorise people."

Our correspondent says everyone had stories of the ever worsening conditions inMisrata. They told him that much of the city had no water or electricity and no-one wassafe from shelling or sniper-fire.

"It is very, very bad. In my street, Gaddafi bombed us," Ibrahim al-Aradi, who hadwounds in his groin, told Reuters. "We have no water, no electricity. We don't havemedicine. There are snipers everywhere."

Doctors on board say medical care conditions Misrata were inadequate, and that more

than 200 people had been killed and hundreds more wounded. One unconfirmed reportsaid 160 may have died this week.

At least one person was killed and several wounded early on Sunday when governmentforces shelled a building in Misrata, a resident told Reuters.

As the ship arrived in Benghazi several hundred rebel supporters waiting on thequayside chanted: "The blood of martyrs is spilled for freedom."

The Ankara would pick up about 100 more wounded before setting sail for the Turkish

port of Cesme, where the casualties would be treated in a well-equipped, well-supplied,modern hospital, officials said.

Stalemate

To the east of Benghazi, government troops continued to hold ground near theuniversity in Brega, trading rocket and artillery fire with the rebels.

The rebel TransitionalNational Council has appealed for new Nato air strikes, as wellas weapons and military training to be provided by foreign governments.

They have acknowledged that rebel fighters firing in the air through lack of disciplinecould have provoked the Nato air strike on a rebel convoy on Friday, which left at least13 people dead.

The rebel military commanders say they are trying to bring a new professionalism to itsmilitary campaign. Road blocks have been set up close to the frontline and only soldierswith at least some training are allowed through.



Iman Bugaighis, a spokeswoman for the rebel council, told the BBC: "We havereorganised our troops. Now the army is in the front and then followed by ourvolunteers who are fighting with the army."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa meanwhile called for a swift end to theconflict, even if it meant offering Col Gaddafi safe haven in another country.----------------------------Thousands of police gather in Algerian capital (AFP)April 3, 2011ALGIERS - About 2,500 Algerian auxiliary policemen gathered on Sunday to awaitPresident Abdelaziz Bouteflika's response to their demands for better pay andconditions issued at a huge rally a month ago.

The president's office had said it would announce its reply later on Sunday, a

representative told the men in central Algiers, some of whom had arrived late Saturday.

About 3,000 security forces with armoured vehicles surrounded the crowd, an AFPreporter at the scene said, estimating the number of demonstrators to be 2,500.

"We should have the response to our demands today," representative Hakim Chaibshouted in a megaphone as demonstrators chanted "Bouteflika is the solution".

"If the response is positive, we will go home. If it is not, we will camp here," Chaib toldAFP.

Algeria's auxiliary police force of about 94,000 men was set up in 1994 to provide extrasecurity while the government battled Islamist rebel groups.

On March 7 around 10,000 demonstrated in the capital to demand better retirement andsocial security benefits, higher wages and eventual integration into the general policeforce.

They also want the reinstatement of about 38,000 of their colleagues who wereapparently dismissed for absenteeism or were put on sick leave, one of the men said.

Social and political demonstrations have increased in recent weeks in Algeria, as theyhave in the rest of the Arab world since protests that overthrew the long-standing rulersof Tunisia and Egypt early this year.

Five people were killed and about 800 wounded in rioting in Algiers after protests inearly January against rises in the costs of living.----------------------------



Jega Postpones All Elections (Vanguard)By Jide AjaniApril 3, 2011The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led by Professor Attahiru Jega,has rescheduled the voting dates for the 2011 general elections.

Professor Jega made the announcement Sunday at the INEC headquarters after ameeting with the Chairmen of all the (63) political parties in the country, reschedulingthe election dates as follows:

The three elections were earlier scheduled to hold as follows: National AssemblyElections, Saturday, April 2; Presidential Elections, Saturday, April 9; and House ofAssembly/Governorship Elections, Saturday, April 16.

Addressing journalists after the meeting with the political party chairmen, Jega said:

´Yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced therescheduling of the 2011 National Assembly, Senate and the House of Representativeselections from April 2, to April 4, 2011, due to late arrival of sensitive election materials.

´Since that announcement, several representations have been made to the Commission,urging it to consult more widely and to ensure that the two-day postponement isenough to address all the logistical issues that will militate against a successful conductof the rescheduled election.

´We have just finished a meeting with the Chairmen of all the political parties in thecountry which is part of this wide consultations and representations which we havereceived.

´Following these representations and the subsequent consultations we had with stakeholders, the Commission has found that the overwhelming sentiment is to furtherreschedule the rescheduled elections.

Requests to reschedule the National Assembly elections have come from a cross sectionof stake holders including political parties and civil society organizations.

´However, rescheduling the National Assembly elections would have implications forthe schedule of all the other elections.

´Consequently, the Commission weighed all the options and considered the wideranging counsel of Nigerians and decided to reschedule all the elections as follows:

´Saturday, April 9, Senate and House of Representatives Elections;



´Saturday, April 16, Presidential Elections;´Tuesday, April 26, State House of Assembly and Governorship Electionsµ.----------------------------Nigeria Electoral Body Apologizes Following Vote Postponement (VOA)April 3, 2011

An official of Nigeria·s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says theelectoral body has apologized to Nigerians following the postponement of the generalelections.

This came after the parliamentary election scheduled for Monday was re-scheduled foranother week.

Nick Dazan, INEC assistant director of public affairs, says participating political partiesagreed with officials of the electoral body for the postponement of the general electionsto ensure transparency and a level playing field.

´We held a very lengthy [discussion] with the 63 political parties and, even though wewanted to hold the election Monday, they now complained that they were not readylogistically. As you are aware, they had sent their own agents to be present at all thepolling 402,000 units across the country to represent them in the first set of elections,µsaid Dazan.

´Their position was that they are not going to be financially ready by [Monday] to sendback these same polling agents to the polling stations because the banks would havebeen closed, and they will not have access to money that they will pay to the agents.

This is a process that the commission wants to be transparent«if they [party agents] arenot there, it is going to affect the integrity of the election,µ he added.

Under a new schedule, announced Sunday, Nigeria will cast ballots for the legislatureon April 9th, then vote for president on April 16th and state governor positions on April26th.

Nigerians were in the process of voting for parliament Saturday when the country'selection commission abruptly announced the polls would be delayed until Monday. Thecommission blamed the delay on problems in the distribution of voting materials.

Dazan says the electoral body regrets the inconvenience that the postponement hascaused ́ patrioticµ Nigerians.

´We appreciate that a lot of Nigerians, millions of them of course, who registered in thecountryside during the voter registration exercise now have to travel to the countrysideagain. Unfortunately, when we looked at all these challenges holistically, we saw that



the right thing to do was, [even though] we, on our own, wanted the elections for today,that is Monday,µ Dazan said.

´But, when the political parties raised these challenges, it became very clear that if weinsisted on holding the elections on Monday, the election will not be successful because

the parties themselves will not be in a position to take part actively. And, if they don·t,it means that the election will not work,µ he added.

In a statement Sunday, election commission chairman Attahiru Jega said politicalstakeholders wanted a further delay.

The postponement has sparked anger and disappointment across Nigeria and theelection commission has come under sharp criticism.

Before Saturday, Jega had given no hint of any problems, instead saying the April

elections would give Nigeria the chance to "get it right" after 2007 polls marred byviolence, fraud and disorganization.---------------------------- UN News Service Africa Briefs Full Articles on UN Website

UN officials voice concern over poor camp conditions for Somali refugees in Kenya3 April ² The heads of three United Nations agencies today expressed deep concernover the living conditions for more than 314,000 Somali refugees during a visit to threecamps in Dadaab in eastern Kenya.

Cote d'Ivoire: Ban calls for civilian protection in phone conversation with Ouattara3 April ² Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has telephoned Alassane Ouattara, thePresident of Cote d''Ivoire, to discuss the rapidly developing situation there, and toreaffirm the importance of the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in thecountry to protect civilians.

UN humanitarian chief urges world to help Liberia bear Ivorian refugee crisis2 April ² The United Nations humanitarian chief warned today that years of investmentin Liberia's peace and security could be jeopardized if the international community doesnot provide sufficient resources to help the country bear the burden of caring for

refugees from neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire.

UN chief lauds Kenya's efforts to generate clean energy2 April ² Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said he was fascinated by how Kenya istapping the volcanic heat of the Great Rift Valley to generate electricity, saying the EastAfrican country may be on the way to becoming sufficient in low-carbon and resource-efficient energy to power a ´green economyµ.



UN appeals for more funds to help millions of drought-hit people in Horn of Africa2 April - The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today theagency is facing a huge deficit in the funds required to continue to assist more than fivemillion people in five countries in the Horn of Africa who are experiencing severe food

shortages as a result of a prolonged drought.

africom related news clips 4 april, 2011

Documents