INTL Africa: Politics, Economics, Military- August 2022

[Plain Jane]

July's rhread:

INTL - Africa : Politics, Economics, Military- July 2022

June's rhread: https://www.timebomb2000.com/xf/index.php?threads/africa-politics-economics-military-june-2022.620069/#post-9217636 Regional Conflict in Mediterranean beginning page 82...

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Conflict in Mediterranean beginning 384

WAR - Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1547833862268469250?cxt=HHwWhICqvc2sgfsqAAAA

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Main Coronavirus thread beginning page 1615:

CORONA - Main Coronavirus thread

Is this not a real heads up? We’re all this young healthy doctors all murdered together in a drive by? Man, this not something I’ve seen before…. :whistle: I have recently seen commercials for the Shingles Shot that I never saw before -and BTW, I’ve been of that age for a few years, so I have...

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Consolidated Monkeypox thread beginning page 101:

MNKYPOX - Monkeypox - Consolidated Thread.

Monkeypox specifically affects homosexual men and not framing it explicitly as an Acronym-du-Jour public health emergency is negligent/discriminatory Monkeypox is not an A-du-J-specific disease and framing it as such is homophobic/discriminatory The important thing, of course, is that...

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Senegal opposition rejects ruling party's victory claim – DW – 08/01/2022

President Macky Sall's ruling coalition has tentatively claimed victory as the opposition fears he will use a parliamentary majority to run for a third term, beyond the current term limit.

www.dw.com

Senegal election: Opposition disputes ruling party's victory claim
President Macky Sall's ruling coalition has tentatively claimed victory as the opposition fears he will use a parliamentary majority to run for a third term, beyond the current term limit.




President Macky Sall's coalition was claiming victory on Monday morning, but the opposition questioned incomplete figures

Senegal's opposition parties are challenging victory claims by the ruling coalition of President Macky Sall, as preliminary results roll in from legislative elections held on Sunday.

Aminata Toure, head of the presidential coalition, said early Monday morning that the coalition had a "unquestionable majority," claiming it had won 30 of Senegal's 46 administrative departments.
However, Toure did not say how many of the 165 parliamentary seats the coalition had won.

Opposition leader Barthelemy Dias quickly responded, disputing the accuracy of Toure's claims, and warning that the ruling coalition did not have the right to announce election results.

"The people will respond, and the people will come out into the streets tomorrow, and you will tell us where you got your majority," Dias said.

"You lost this election at the national level. We will not accept it. This abuse will not pass," said Dias, who is also the mayor of Dakar.

The vote will decide the composition of 165 seats in the single-chamber parliament for the next five years. The president's supporters currently enjoy a majority.

Provisional official results are expected no later than Friday, according to AFP news agency.


Watch video01:15
Voters wait for results in Senegal parliamentary elections
What is at stake in the election?
The opposition had hoped the election would result in a divided government, which could quash a possible bid by President Sall for a third term.

Sall, whose second and final term in power expires in 2024, has refused to rule out whether he intends to try to alter rules on term limits and run for the presidency a third time.

Maintaining a parliamentary majority could pave the way for Sall to change the rules.
Senegal is considered one of West Africa's more stable nations.

However, fears for its democracy have been exacerbated by Sall refusing to rule out whether he intends to run for a third term.

The president and the ruling majority have also been struggling to keep domestic discontent at bay, amid the global rise in fuel and food prices, which came about amid the COVID pandemic and have been sustained by the war in Ukraine.

The opposition have accused the president of abusing his power to clear the race of opponents.
Last year, Sall's main opponent, Ousmane Sonko, was arrested on rape charges he denied as politically motivated. Sonko's also arrest led to mass protests among opposition supporters.

Protests broke out again last month after the opposition's list of top candidates for parliament, which had included Sonko, was thrown out on "technical grounds," leaving the coalition with a backup list of relatively obscure candidates.



Watch video03:03
Critics accuse Macky Sall of wanting to run for a third term: journalist Maria Gerth-Niculescu
wmr/msh (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

DR Congo: 2 dead as UN peacekeepers open fire – DW – 07/31/2022

The UN said two people died after peacekeepers opened fire during an incident in the east of the country. It comes after heightened tensions following the death of several people in anti-UN protests.

www.dw.com

Democratic Republic of Congo: 2 dead as UN peacekeepers open fire
The UN said two people died after peacekeepers opened fire during an incident in the east of the country. It comes after heightened tensions following the death of several people in anti-UN protests.




Two UN peacekeepers returning from leave were said to have opened fire Sunday in the town of Kasundi in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The UN said two were dead in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on the border with Uganda after UN peacekeepers opened fire Sunday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "outraged" by the news and "saddened and dismayed" by the deaths. He demanded "accountability," according to a UN statement.
Videos shared on social media of the incident showed at least one man in a police uniform and another in an army uniform moving toward an unmoving UN convoy behind a closed barrier in the town of Kasindi.

After an exchange of words, the UN peacekeepers appeared to open fire before the gate opened, driving on while continuing to shoot. Onlookers scattered or hid in response.
The representative for North Kivu's governor in Kasindi, Barthelemy Kambale Siva, said that eight people, including two policemen, were seriously injured.

"The government, together with MONUSCO (the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo), have launched an investigation to know the reasons for such crime and obtain severe punishments," government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, said in the statement.

What did the UN mission say?
In a statement, the UN mission said that "soldiers from the intervention brigade of the MONUSCO force... returning from leave opened fire at the border post for unexplained reasons and forced their way through."

The mission added, "This serious incident caused loss of life and serious injuries."
Bintou Keita, special representative of the secretary-general of the UN in Congo, said the suspected perpetrators were arrested, adding that contact had been made with the countries of origin of the soldiers to start the legal proceedings. She did not name the countries.

MONUSCO under pressure
More than 120 different armed groups and factions operate in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN's observer mission first deployed in 1999.

In 2010, the mission became the peacekeeping UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or MONUSCO, with a mandate permitting offensive operations.

Last week, demonstrations against the mission in the eastern cities of Goma and Butembo turned violent as angry locals were protesting the UN peacekeepers' failure to keep the locals safe.

More than 19 people were killed, including three from the UN's mission, during the demonstration, with reports that some of the deaths were due to MONUSCO personnel opening fire on protesters.




Play Video
2:52 min
At least 15 dead in DRC violence
ar/fb (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Somalia appoints former al-Shabab militant as minister – DW – 08/02/2022

Somalia has appointed former al-Shabab spokesman Muktar Robow as its new religious affairs minister. The group has been waging an insurgency against Mogadishu for 15 years.

www.dw.com

Somalia appoints former al-Shabab militant as minister
Somalia has appointed former al-Shabab spokesman Muktar Robow as its new religious affairs minister. The group has been waging an insurgency against Mogadishu for 15 years.




Muktar Robow has been appointed religious affairs minister

Somalia has appointed a former spokesman and deputy leader of the al-Shabab Islamist group as religious affairs minister, Prime Minister Hamya Abdi Barre said on Tuesday.
The appointment comes months after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected Somalia's president by lawmakers in May. Recently, Mohamud signaled willingness to negotiate with al-Shabab, saying that more than a military approach will be required to end the insurgency.

Who is Somalia's new religious affairs minister?
Muktar Robow served as al-Shabab's spokesman and deputy leader until he defected in August 2017.

"I disagreed with their creed, which does not serve Islamic religion," Robow said after defecting.

The United States had at one point offered a $5 million (€4.9 million) bounty for Robow's capture, a bounty which was removed at the Somali government's request. He was arrested in late 2018, shortly before he was scheduled to run for president of Somalia's southwestern Bay region.

The former al-Shabab militant had spent the last four years under house arrest after he fell out with ex-president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as "Farmaajo."

Farmaajo's government accused Robow of organizing a militia in the southwestern Somali city of Baidoa. He was also accused of attempting to "undermine stability" in the country.
Prime Minister Hamya Abdi Barre was expected to name a cabinet within 30 days of his appointment on June 25. Barre said delays were due to the protracted election process that ended in May.

Al-Shabab, suspected of having links to Al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency against Somalia's government for 15 years

A 15-year-long insurrection
Al-Shabab has waged an insurrection against Somalia's central government for 15 years.
The group was ousted from Somali capital Mogadishu in 2011.

Last week, scores of al-Shabab fighters and Ethiopian security forces were killed in clashes along the Ethiopian-Somali border.

Insurgents hold substantial amounts of territory in Robow's native Bakool region, which is located immediately north of Bay.

Al-Shabab is suspected of having links to Islamist organization Al-Qaeda. The United States announced yesterday that it had killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
sdi/aw (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Hunger In Africa: The Situation Is Serious

BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, AUG 04, 2022 - 05:45 AM
278 million people in Africa suffer from chronic hunger.
As Statista's Martin Armstrong details below, this corresponds to 20 percent of the continent's population. By comparison, ten percent are affected when looked at globally.





You will find more infographics at Statista
According to Welthungerhilfe, the main drivers of hunger include wars, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most recently, the Russian attack on Ukraine further exacerbated food supply problems. Even before that though, the situation in many African countries was serious, as this map based on the 2021 World Hunger Index illustrates.

The index "annually measures and compares the severity of hunger and malnutrition in the world, different regions and individual countries."

The situation is particularly dire in Somalia, with seven other countries rated as "very serious" - Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Burundi, the Central African Republic the Comoros and Madagascar.

Only a handful of countries can be classified as "low" or "moderate" on the severity scale.

 

[Plain Jane]

Blinken in Africa: Bringing back old allies – DW – 08/04/2022

On his second trip to Africa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will likely push South Africa towards a more critical stance on Russia and address clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

www.dw.com

Blinken in Africa: Bringing back old allies
On his second trip to Africa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will likely push South Africa towards a more critical stance on Russia and address clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).




The US Secretary of State is visiting allied African nations for the second time
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins a tour of Africa and the list of countries on his itinerary appears to have been carefully selected.
It's South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Rwanda that will receive Blinken during his second official trip to the continent since taking office last year.

One important goal during the August 7–12 visit will be to bring old allies closer to the US in times of heightened geopolitical tension, says Daniel Silke, a political analyst in South Africa.
Silke sees Blinken's visit as another example of the ongoing diplomatic war between Russia, the United States and China.

Demonstrations against the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO have led to riots in the provincial capital of Goma
"The three big superpowers are all vying for Africa's attention, both from a political-diplomatic point of view and in terms of raw material exports," Silke told DW.
Influence in Africa
Blinken's visit comes on the heels of several other countries having made similar efforts to wield more influence in Africa.
Both Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron visited several African nations just a few days ago, shortly after Samantha Power, director of the US Agency for International Development, returned from the continent.

• 

US President Joe Biden's decision to send his secretary of state to these regions could point to US concerns that Washington's Africa policy might be off track.

South Africa, the DRC and Rwanda are all allies of the United States, emphasizes Africa expert Silke.

But, "South Africa's vote in the United Nations on the war in Ukraine and the very mixed messages from the government led by the African National Congress (ANC) make South Africa look like a weak ally of the US and even the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda," Silke told DW.

Russia's war and global food security
South Africa in March abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution condemning the war against Ukraine— as did 35 other countries.

The vast majority of the international community voted in favor and Silke believes that a different tone will be struck in Pretoria when Blinken arrives.

Against the backdrop of changing geopolitics and rising tensions between the United States, China and Russia, the visit is an opportunity for the top US diplomat to encourage South Africa to take a more critical stance — especially when it comes to Russia's war on Ukraine and China's increasing saber-rattling over Taiwan, she thinks.


Blinken aims to convince South Africa to take a more critical stance on the war in Ukraine
Tied to this is a new US government policy strategy that has been in the works for a year and will be unveiled during the South Africa visit, according to Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at London-based think tank Chatham House.

"The strategy aims to better focus US government efforts around Africa, including how to contain China and Russia on the continent," Vines told DW.

Before Blinken's departure, the State Department in Washington said the focus should be on pressing issues: A dialogue on stronger cooperation on health, law enforcement, trade, investment and energy — but also food security.

The shortfall in grain supplies from Ukraine has been felt around the world and the United Nations is warning of Africa's worst hunger crisis in decades.

US Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is currently traveling in Ghana, Uganda and Cape Verde to assess the impact of the food crisis.

• 

Hotel Rwanda' hero on the agenda
In Rwanda, Blinken would also raise the "wrongful detention" of US permanent resident Paul Rusesabagina, the US State Department said in a statement.

A Rwandan court last year said Paul Rusesabagina was guilty of terrorism-related charges and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

Rusesabagina, a prominent opponent of the Rwandan government, was accused by authorities of lending his support from abroad to a rebel group in the African country.

During the 1994 genocide, the 67-year-old who is now a Belgian citizen, was credited with saving hundreds of lives. His story inspired Hollywood's "Hotel Rwanda" in 2004.


Blue helmets are fighting M23 rebels in eastern Congo yet the UN's presence is controversial
Concern over Congo fighting
Security issues in Congo are central to Blinken's trip, as the violence in eastern DRC threatens to escalate.

"The main objective of the visit to Kinshasa and Kigali is to address the recent armed clashes in eastern DRC and the resurgent M23 armed group," Vines told DW.

He said the administration in Washington was concerned about the spread of violence and how allies are squaring off against each other.

Recent fighting in eastern Congo has escalated tensions between the governments in Kinshasa and Kigali after the security situation in eastern Congo had already deteriorated in 2021. The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 militia in North Kivu province.

In late July, demonstrations against the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO led to riots in the provincial capital of Goma.

At least five people were killed and blue helmets were accused of firing on demonstrators and shooting several civilians, which sparked fresh protests.

Civilians: No more blue helmets
"We don't want MONUSCO in Congo because countrymen are being killed. Still, there are armed groups here, including from abroad. Then MONUSCO comes in and kills us. We say no to that!" demonstrator Rebecca Kabuo, a member of the Lucha social movement, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.



AP reports that as a result of the protests, the government in Kinshasa was considering whether to allow the presence of UN peacekeepers in the country to continue.

Since the United States is among the MONUSCO troop contributors, the issue is likely to be a topic during Blinken's visit. Reports from his ministry suggest that the diplomat will not only meet with politicians in Kinshasa, but also with representatives of civil society.

Blinken wants to pave the way for a peaceful and fair presidential election next year in the DR Congo, according to the ministry. In view of the continuing violence in the Central African country, this goal still seems a long way off.

This article was originally written in German

 

[Plain Jane]

In a first, Somalia-based al-Shabab is attacking in Ethiopia

The al-Shabab extremist group has exploited Ethiopia’s internal turmoil to cross the border from neighboring Somalia in unprecedented attacks in recent weeks that a top U.S. military commander has warned could continue.

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/africa-ethiopia-somalia-al-shabab-26a2426642f9eebc0b4280a4d749acd7#

In a first, Somalia-based al-Shabab is attacking in Ethiopia
By OMAR FARUKyesterday



1 of 5
FILE - Armed al-Shabab fighters ride on pickup trucks as they prepare to travel into the city, just outside the capital Mogadishu, Somalia, Dec. 8, 2008. The al-Shabab extremist group has exploited Ethiopia's internal turmoil to cross the border from neighboring Somalia in unprecedented attacks in July 2022 that a top U.S. military commander has warned could continue. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The al-Shabab extremist group has exploited Ethiopia’s internal turmoil to cross the border from neighboring Somalia in unprecedented attacks in recent weeks that a top U.S. military commander has warned could continue.

The deadly incursions into Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country and long seen as an anchor of security in the Horn of Africa, are the latest sign of how deeply the recent war in the northern Tigray region and other ethnic fighting have made the country more vulnerable.

Ethiopia has long resisted such cross-border attacks by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, in part by deploying troops inside Somalia, where the extremist group controls large rural parts of the country’s southern and central regions. But the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and its security forces have struggled with unrest at home especially since the Tigray conflict began in late 2020.

Experts say al-Shabab, also emboldened by instability under Somalia’s previous administration, is seizing the chance to expand its footprint and claim the killing of scores of Ethiopian security forces. But the group is also feeling the pressure of a renewed push by Somalia’s new government and the return of U.S. forces to the country after their withdrawal by former President Donald Trump.

The turn to Ethiopia is a significant strategic shift by al-Shabab, Matt Bryden, a security analyst with the Sahan Foundation think tank, told The Associated Press. The extremist group had never been able to conduct major operations inside Ethiopia.

“The reports of clashes along the Ethiopia-Somalia border are just a fraction of the overall picture,” Bryden said. “We understand that planning for this offensive began more than one year ago, when the Ethiopian government appeared to be on the verge of collapse” as rival Tigray forces pushed toward the capital, Addis Ababa. Those forces later retreated, and both sides are edging toward peace talks.

Al-Shabab has trained several thousand fighters for its Ethiopian “command,” mainly ethnic Somalis and Oromos inside Ethiopia, Bryden asserted. Ethiopia’s federal government has said it fears al-Shabab will link up with the Oromo Liberation Army, which it has designated a terror organization, though other security experts have called that unlikely.

Hundreds of al-Shabab fighters were able to slip into Ethiopia last week alone and their presence has been detected near multiple communities such as El Kari, Jaraati, and Imey, Bryden said. The incursions began in late July.

“There are also credible reports of al-Shabab units deploying in the direction of Moyale,” the main border post between Ethiopia and Kenya, he said.

Somalia’s previous president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, avoided any major confrontation with al-Shabab. But new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said his government will take the offensive against the group’s thousands of fighters, with the backing of returning U.S. forces.

“Al-Shabab therefore faces a much greater military challenge in Somalia than before and has therefore embarked on this Ethiopian campaign in order to preserve some of its forces and establish strategic depth,” Bryden said.


He warned that if al-Shabab establishes a stronghold in southeastern Ethiopia, “the consequences for peace and security in the region could be very serious indeed.” The fighters would be well-positioned to strike deeper into Ethiopia, into Kenya and even as far as Uganda to the west. Al-Shabab has carried out several high-profile deadly attacks inside Kenya over the years.

The outgoing head of the U.S. Africa Command, Gen. Stephen Townsend, last month warned that al-Shabab’s activities inside Ethiopia were not a “one-off” and said the fighters made it as far as 150 kilometers into the country.

Al-Shabab has long regarded Ethiopia an enemy for its long military presence inside Somalia countering the fighters. Via its Radio Andalus media arm, the extremist group has claimed killing at least 187 Ethiopian regional forces and seizing military equipment in its attacks.
Ethiopian officials have expressed alarm. On Tuesday, the country’s Somali regional president, Mustefa Omer, told a regional assembly that more than 600 al-Shabab fighters have been killed.


The region is in a lengthy war with the extremists, not just a one-time clash, he said, and “the Ethiopian federal army is currently involved in the fight against the terrorists ... and we will also work with Somalia.”

He said the goal is to create a security buffer inside Somalia to guard against further incursions. “We should not wait for the enemy to invade,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, the Somali region announced that Ethiopian military officials had arrived in Somalia’s town of Beledweyne to discuss strategies to counter al-Shabab’s incursion. The statement said Ethiopia’s soldiers in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia will be deployed against the extremists.

Residents of the Somali town of Yeed near the Ethiopian border told the AP they witnessed losses suffered by al-Shabab fighters in an Ethiopian attack last week. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.

And a resident of Somalia’s Bakool region, Isak Yarow, said Ethiopian military planes have carried out airstrikes in Garasweyne village in an area where Ethiopian and al-Shabab fighters have clashed.

Ethiopia’s military has claimed the killing of three prominent al-Shabab figures including its propaganda chief, but the extremist group has denied it.


While Al-Shabab’s ultimate aims inside Ethiopia are yet to be determined, its new actions signal its “growing ambition, regional capabilities, and opportunism to exploit regional geopolitics, especially as the Abiy Ahmed government struggles to contain the various insurgencies inside Ethiopia,” security analysts Caleb Weiss and Ryan O’Farrell wrote late last month.

Security analyst Ismail Osman, a former deputy of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, told the AP that “President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s immediate priority is to eradicate al-Shabab” and warned that regional tensions could worsen amid this new instability.
___
An Associated Press writer reported from Nairobi, Kenya.

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan accuses Chad of cross-border attack it says killed 18

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan has accused neighboring Chad of a cross-border attack earlier this week that a top commander says killed at least 18 nomads in Sudan's western Darfur region.

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-sudan-chad-9d9bd7cbb1f0c2e2cfabb225153aa039#

Sudan accuses Chad of cross-border attack it says killed 18
yesterday


CAIRO (AP) — Sudan has accused neighboring Chad of a cross-border attack earlier this week that a top commander says killed at least 18 nomads in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
According to Sudan’s ruling sovereign council, armed Chadian assailants crossed into West Darfur province and attacked a group of nomads staying in an open area near the border towns of Beir Saliba and Ardeiba last Thursday.

Apart from those killed, several nomads were also wounded in the attack and their livestock was looted and taken to Chad, the council said Friday.

There was no immediate comment from Chad on the accusations

A Sudanese outlet, Darfur 24 news, reported a minor clash Friday between Chadian and Sudanese forces in the area, saying three Sudanese troops were wounded.

Senior Sudanese Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the sovereign
council, had travelled to Chad before the attack for a previously scheduled meeting Thursday with Chad’s acting president and head of the country’s ruling transitional military council, Mahamat Idriss Deby.


He then returned to Darfur where he has resided for weeks to help defuse tribal tensions and violence that has rocked the troubled region in recent months.

Dagalo attended the funerals of the slain nomads on Friday and urged tribal leaders and residents in West Darfur for restraint. On Saturday, he met with a Sudanese-Chadian joint committee and held talks with local officials and tribal leaders to prevent a further escalation.

Sudan has called on Chad to find the attackers and return the looted livestock.

 

[Plain Jane]

Blinken lands in S. Africa at start of Africa tour – DW – 08/07/2022

The visit of the top US diplomat is seen as an attempt to counter Moscow's influence on the African continent. It comes on the heels of an Africa tour by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

www.dw.com

Blinken lands in South Africa at start of Africa tour
The visit of the top US diplomat is seen as an attempt to counter Moscow's influence on the African continent. It comes on the heels of an Africa tour by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.




Blinken visited a memorial for a protester who was gunned down by police under the brutal apartheid regime in 1976

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Africa on Sunday, kicking off a three-nation tour of Africa.

His visit comes as the West and Russia vie for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.

South Africa has maintained a neutral stance on the war and has refrained from joining Western countries in publicly condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

What is on Blinken's agenda?
On Sunday, Blinken visited the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto township, which commemorates the 170 school students killed during an anti-apartheid uprising in 1976.

The secretary of state is expected to hold talks with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, on Monday, before outlining the United States' strategies for sub-Saharan Africa in a major policy speech at the University of Pretoria.

Blinken and Pandor will "discuss ongoing and recent developments relating to the global geopolitical situation," a South African government statement said.

Africa has been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic as well as rising food and fuel prices triggered by Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Blinken is also scheduled to visit Congo and Rwanda later in the week. It is his second trip to the continent since his appointment early last year and follows recent Africa tours by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.
nm/fb (AP, AFP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Battered economy in focus as Kenya votes – DW – 08/08/2022

Kenyan voters head to the polls on Tuesday, with the high cost of living a pressing issue for the electorate. The global economic downturn is having a negative impact on the country and the wider African continent.

www.dw.com

Battered economy takes center stage as Kenya votes
Kenyan voters head to the polls on Tuesday, with the high cost of living a pressing issue for the electorate. The global economic downturn is having a negative impact on the country and the wider African continent.




The cost of living has nearly doubled for Kenyans like Josephine Oguta, a kiosk owner in Nairobi

Josephine Oguta is preparing traditional greens for one of her customers inside her kiosk in Kibera slum, Kenya's largest informal settlement. She says the cost of basic commodities has doubled, even tripled. But the price of Kenya's staple food, maize, is worrying her the most.

"You can take tea without sugar and still survive, you can make greens without cooking oil, but there is no substitute for Ugali," Oguta said, referring to Kenya's popular maize meal.

"The cost of maize flour has risen drastically. That's hurting everyone the most," Oguta told DW. She said fewer people have been coming to buy from her and admitted that, like many others, harsh economic times had forced her to forego some meals.

"You are supposed to eat three meals a day. But people can't afford to. The cost of living is simply too high. So you're forced to skip one meal to have the other."

More than 80% of Kenyans, such as these motorbike taxi riders, work in the informal sector

X.N. Iraki, an economist and associate professor at the University of Nairobi, said several factors have contributed to the rise.

"Supply constraints, underinvestment in agriculture, the war in Ukraine, they have all participated in making inflation go up," Iraki told DW.

With the inflation rate currently at 8.3%, he noted that it's ordinary Kenyans who are suffering the most.

"They cannot get enough food. They cannot travel where they want, they cannot pay fees, so the people affected by inflation are mostly the people in the lower echelons of the society."
The World Bank reports that while Kenya's economic prognosis is largely optimistic, there is a high level of uncertainty because of its exposure to fuel, wheat and fertilizer imports.

How Kenya's presidential candidates hope to fix the economy
The four presidential contenders in Kenya's election have offered different approaches to improving the living standards of the country's 56 million citizens.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, running for the fifth time, has pledged to support poor households with a monthly supplement of 6,000 Kenyan shilling ($50/€49) if elected.
The 77-year old has also vowed to deliver double-digit economic growth.

For his part, Vice President William Ruto, Odinga's main rival, has promised to bring down the cost of living standards in his first 100 days, should Kenyans choose him as the country's next leader.

Ruto said he would prioritize agricultural spending to boost domestic food production and wean the nation off costly food imports.

Presidential contender George Wajackoyah (right) wants to legalize cannabis for export

But it's the economic recovery plan of presidential candidate George Wajackoyah that has caused a stir in the East African nation. He has suggested legalizing cannabis cultivation for export, claiming it would generate enough revenues to pay off Kenya's ballooning debt.

Meanwhile, David Mwaure Waihiga, a presidential candidate for the Agano Party, has said he would lower the pay as you earn tax by half, should he become president. According to Waihiga, Kenya has lost 240 trillion Kenyan shilling (€1.96 trillion/$2 trillion) since independence due to corruption.

Minimum wage increase offers little relief
In May, outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta raised the minimum wage to 12%. However, the great majority of Kenya's 17 million working people won't immediately profit from the most recent pay increase, despite the country having some of the highest minimum earnings in the East African region.

That is because only those who work in the formal sector, which accounts for 17% of workers, are covered by minimum wage legislation.

Over 80% of Kenyans, like Josephine Oguta, work in the informal sector. Those with formal employment have been forced to tap into their savings to meet their daily needs.

Oguta is pessimistic about the promises by the presidential candidates to improve her living standards.

"Those are empty promises. They [politicians] are just looking to be elected, and when they get to the office, they will not change anything," Oguta said, adding that as soon as they are elected, they forget the plight of ordinary Kenyans.

Other African countries not spared
The economic predicament is not limited to Kenya; food prices across the continent have skyrocketed due to inflation. For example, in July, the annual inflation rate hit 256% in Zimbabwe.

Elsewhere, Ghana's economic data is not rosy. Growth has slowed this year while inflation broke two-decade highs at nearly 30% in June, driven by transport and food costs.


Ghanaians have occasionally protested about the nation's deteriorating living standards

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who once promised to move "Ghana beyond aid," is facing criticism for his economic management as his country struggles with the high cost of living.

His government recently turned to the International Monetary Fund to inject much-needed cash into the country.

Privilege Musvanhiri (Zimbabwe) and Isaac Kaledzi (Ghana) contributed to this article.

Edited by: Rob Mudge

 

[Plain Jane]

Instead of EU, Tunisian migrants head south – DW – 08/10/2022

With Europe increasingly reluctant to take in job-seeking migrants, many Tunisians are moving to sub-Saharan countries for work.

www.dw.com

Instead of migrating to EU, Tunisians build new lives in southern Africa
With Europe increasingly reluctant to take in job-seeking migrants, many Tunisians are moving to sub-Saharan countries for work.




Insaf Boughdiri (left) is one of many Tunisians who have decided to move to Rwanda for work

Insaf Boughdiri is happy to participate in Rwanda's monthly Umuganda national holiday, which brings together ordinary citizens to clean streets and tend to public spaces. Boughdiri, who recently moved from Tunis to the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for work, is impressed by the communal effort.

"The campaign stems from a tradition of Rwandan citizens keeping their country clean and forging a sense of togetherness through voluntary work," said Boughdiri. "It promotes discipline, an appreciation for cleanliness and work, and a collective will to build up and support the country."

Boughdiri, who holds a master's degree in law, spent two decades working in Tunisia for French-language media and for television. In Kigali, she joined the press department of the Pan-African Farmers' Organization. After completing a three-month trial period, Boughdiri was given a two-year contract.

Insaf Boughdiri has found great social cohesion in Rwanda

Seeking employment in Rwanda
Boughdiri said she was looking for a new challenge when she decided to relocate to sub-Saharan Africa. She is one of thousands of Tunisians who are deciding to leave the country in light of its economic and political instability to build a better life elsewhere in Africa — rather than in Europe or the Gulf states. Many are just starting their professional careers. Tunisia's job market is unable to absorb many university graduates, of whom some 226,000 are currently unemployed.

In a recent study, a Tunisian pro-business research institute found that some 70% of university graduates who took part are considering moving away. The study found that participants were highly selective about where to relocate.

Europe reluctant to take in economic migrants
Boughdiri said she never thought about heading to Europe for work. "That would require a legally watertight arrangement, like an employment contract," she told DW. "Without such paperwork, you will face a lot of difficulties."

She knew only the bare minimum about Rwanda before she settled there. Since moving, however, she has learned a lot about the country. "I have experienced a country showing considerable solidarity," she said. "The people of Rwanda have endured civil war and genocide; now, they're rebuilding their country. It is clean and well-organized, and the country has good digital infrastructure — life here is good."

The Rwandan capital of Kigali is one of Africa's cleanest and safest cities

Africa's developing economies hold promise
About 1.7 million Tunisians have left their home country to find work abroad. Most of them, more than 80%, live in Europe. Tunisian expat communities have also sprung up further afield, for example, in China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and India.

So far, there are no reliable statistics documenting how many Tunisians have moved to sub-Saharan Africa in search of employment. While the exact numbers are unknown, however, southern Africa is becoming increasingly attractive to Tunisian job seekers — thanks in part to EU-funded support and investment schemes.

Young Tunisians who are looking for work are no longer fixated on heading north and have not been for some time, said Ramadan Ben Omar of the Tunisian

ForumforSocialandEconomic Rights. And, he told DW, "there is a growing demand for workers across southern Africa, both for university graduates and laborers. So two trends are converging."

A good life in Gabon
One example is Anis Belidi, a young Tunisian man who has found gainful employment in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, working for a retail company with Lebanese financial backing.
Belidi opted to immigrate to Gabon in 2018, leaving his wife and two daughters behind. "It was a difficult decision that took my family by surprise," he recalled. "I was going to move to France but that proved difficult."

While he says life in Gabon was hard at first, things improved with time. "Now, I'm better off than I was in Tunisia, including financially," he said.

Gabon's Ivindo National Park is one of the country's main attractions

Dynamic growth expected
Several western African countries are showing particularly strong economic growth at the moment, said Ben Omar. He expects these economies to continue developing further over the next decade, as China's New Silk Road network is completed there, connecting key cities in northern and southern Africa.

Sonya Mounir, another Tunisian national who has built a career outside her home country, agrees. A psychotherapist, she has worked for Doctors Without Borders for over 11 years in a range of western African countries. She has been living in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, since 2019, acting as the organization's regional director for reproductive health in western and central Africa.

Sonya Mounir now works and lives in western Africa

Mounir's qualifications and experience could have secured her a job in Europe, she said, though she consciously opted against this. "I decided to live in Senegal; I like working here a lot," she told DW. "Life here is pleasant; one can study, work and there are many great ways to spend your free time."

Numerous Tunisian companies are setting up regional offices and branches across southern Africa, encouraging yet more Tunisian nationals to relocate there. The market is booming, and Tunisian businesspeople don't want to miss their chance. And in turn, their subsidiaries offer many of their compatriots good opportunities.

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

US Threatens African Nations With Sanctions If They Buy Russian Products Other Than Grain

BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, AUG 11, 2022 - 05:00 AM
Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned African countries last week not to purchase anything from Russia besides grain and fertilizer, or else they could face sanctions

Thomas-Greenfield said during a visit to Uganda that countries could buy "Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat" but added that "if a country decides to engage with Russia, where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions."





US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in Accra, Ghana, on Friday. vi AP
"We caution countries not to break those sanctions because then… they stand the chance of having actions taken against them," she added. Thomas-Greenfield said that purchasing Russian oil risks sanctions, even though many of the United States' European allies are still buying Russian crude before a ban takes effect at the end of the year.

Many African nations, including Uganda, have not joined the US in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and have rightly blamed Western sanctions, as well as the war, for raising
food prices and exacerbating shortages.

Western sanctions technically have exemptions for agricultural products, but many shipping companies and banks have stopped doing business with Russia altogether out of caution.
History has shown that sanctions cause shortages of humanitarian goods despite exemptions, but the Biden administration has acted surprised by the issue and has quietly encouraged more Russian fertilizer deals in a bid to ease food prices.

Meanwhile, journalists from major African publications say they've been stonewalled by the White House despite major US moves on the continent both economically and militarily...


Thomas-Greenfield’s comments to Africa came ahead of a visit to the continent by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The US has been vying for more influence in Africa as China and Russia are expanding ties with African nations.

Thomas-Greenfield’s warning demonstrates the US approach of using force to get the results that it wants, which has been backfiring on Washington, and drawing countries closer to China and Russia.

 

[Plain Jane]

African countries seek to revive Sahara gas pipeline – DW – 08/12/2022

Nigeria, Algeria and Niger — keen to benefit from EU efforts to wean itself off Russian gas — are renewing efforts to implement a decades-old plan. But is there enough political will and funding for the project?

www.dw.com

African countries seek to revive Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline dream
Nigeria, Algeria and Niger are renewing efforts to implement a decades-old plan, as they look to benefit from EU efforts to wean itself off Russian gas. But is there enough political will and funding for the project?




Africa has enough natural gas to cover ther needs of Europe for a long time

The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) as the trilateral project with a decadeslong history is officially called recently saw a fresh attempt at a revival when representatives from Algeria, Niger and Nigeria met in Niamey, Niger, in June. In July, the energy ministers of the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreed to set up a task force for the project with the aim of updating an existing feasibility study.

The idea to pipe gas across the Sahara to Europe was first mooted more than 40 years ago. In 2009, an agreement was signed by the three gas-rich countries, but progress has stalled since then.

TSGP, which is also called the NIGAL pipeline, may now move closer to becoming reality as Europe is attempting to cut its strong dependency on Russian gas in the wake of economic sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war.

"It [the pipeline] should allow Europe to diversify its sources of natural gas supply but also allow several African states to access this high-value energy source," said a joint statement issued in June.

After the energy ministers signed an MoU, political statements must now be followed up with concrete steps

Enough political will?
Once the $13 billion (€12.8 billion) pipeline is complete, it could transport up to 30 billion cubic meters (1 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually from Nigeria, in West Africa, north through Niger and on to Algeria. From there, TSGP gas is planned to be pumped through the undersea Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline to Europe or loaded onto liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers for export.

Energy experts, however, doubt that African gas will flow into Europe any time soon, with some saying the pipeline won't be built in the next 10 years. Isaac Botti, a Nigerian public finance specialist from Abuja, believes a lack of political will could be the biggest challenge for the project.

"I feel this is just a paper commitment. Every real commitment should be backed by actions. So far, we are not seeing commensurate efforts on the part of the Nigerian government," he told DW. Botti also noted that Nigeria and Algeria will be the major suppliers of the gas, but everything would "boil down to the political will of the Nigerian government to ensure that the project kick-starts."

Nigeria — wealth for a few
TSGP will have a total length of about 4,128 kilometers (2,565 miles) of which 1,037 kilometers will pass through Nigeria, 841 kilometers through Niger and roughly 2,310 kilometers through Algeria. According to plans, the pipeline will also serve regional and local energy markets along the route.

Most of the 30 billion cubic meters of gas will come from the Niger Delta — a coastal region on the Atlantic Ocean belonging to Nigeria and boasting Africa's biggest oil reserves. Apart from its crude wealth, the delta is rich in natural-gas deposits that have already made Nigeria the continent's second-largest gas exporter after Algeria.

"Nigeria has one of the largest gas deposits in the world … about 200 trillion cubic feet, with a capacity of producing 3 trillion cubic feet a year. Looking at the monetary value of this deposit we are talking about $800 billion that could be earned from this project," said Botti.
Despite its huge resource wealth, the Nigerian population is suffering from poverty and political instability. In the Muslim-dominated north of the country, Islamic fundamentalists from the Boko Haram terrorist group are waging a civil war against central government authorities. Experts already say the worsening Nigerian security situation could ensure the pipeline remains a pipe dream.

Another uncertainty that could thwart international funding for the project is climate change and plans in wealthy Western economies to cut their consumption of fossil fuels. The EU, for example, is planning to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 55% until 2030, beginning with phasing out coal and oil, but also cutting natural-gas use. The fossil fuel is to be replaced with green hydrogen generated from renewable forms of energy.

Nigeria sits on huge deposits of natural gas that might become stranded assets if Europe changes its energy policy

Gas profits for development
Under a revised budget plan for 2022, the Nigerian government projects to spend a total of 17.32 trillion naira (€40 billion, $41 billion), about 18% more than in the previous year. The budget deficit is expected to increase to 7.35 trillion naira representing 3.99% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Despite higher oil prices, Nigeria's oil sector underperformed in the first quarter due to "significant production shortfalls," and the government said it needed to borrow from financial markets to cover its funding targets, especially in infrastructure development. In the quarter, Nigeria's public debt rose to 41.6 trillion naira from 39.56 trillion naira at the end of December 2021, putting enormous pressure on debt servicing.

Botti said Nigeria's budget shortfall is "serious," and he criticized that investment expenditure was still "concentrated on the oil sector rather than the gas sector."

Moreover, political differences continue to hamper the gas pipeline project and prevent Nigeria from benefiting from the global shift to renewable energies, he said. A new government after the next presidential election in 2023 would hopefully improve the situation, he added.

Algeria's growing importance
While Botti remains skeptical about TSGP, former Algerian diplomat and Middle East expert Brahim Kas sees "serious" political efforts in all of the three African countries to push ahead with the project.

"It's definitely stronger than in the early 2000s because the geopolitical gas crisis is much more acute and will last for a longer period of time," he told DW.

Especially Algeria would now have both the technical and financial ability to build the pipeline as rising oil and gas prices have given the country "enormous power to act," Kas said.

He cited the TransMed Pipeline between Algeria, Tunisia and Italy as an example of the North African country's growing energy importance. "Italy and Algeria have just signed an agreement for boosting gas supplies this year and next year. This ought to bring the TransMed close to maximum capacity," he said.

Emerging capacity constraints in North Africa could even bring the shelved GALSI pipeline back into play, he believes. Also known as the Gasdotto Algeria–Sardegna Italia (GALSI), the pipeline would link Algeria with Italy via Sardinia and is presumed canceled due to halted construction activities.

Kas said Algeria would be able to complete the pipeline on its own if it were to get assurances from European countries for long-term supplies. Without that, Algeria wouldn't build GALSI, he said, because the Europeans could say one day "we no longer need Africa's gas."

This article was originally written in German.

 

[Plain Jane]

Protests 'premeditated' plot: Sierra Leone leader – DW – 08/13/2022

President Julius Maada Bio has dismissed cost-of-living claims and said protesters this week were part of a "premeditated" plot to take down the government.

www.dw.com

Sierra Leone president accuses protesters of insurrection
President Julius Maada Bio dismissed cost-of-living claims and said protesters this week were part of a "premeditated" plot to take down the government.




Deadly anti-government protests erupted in Freetown on Wednesday

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio on Friday accused protesters who demonstrated earlier this week of attempting to overthrow the government.

On Wednesday, police dispersed large crowds in the capital, Freetown, using teargas and firing guns. The incident led to the deaths of 21 civilians and 6 police officers.

The protesters, who burned tires and threw rocks, said they were demonstrating against high cost of living and called for the president to resign.

"This was not a protest against the high cost of living occasioned by the ongoing global economic crisis," Maada Bio said in an address to the nation. "The chant of the insurrectionists was for a violent overthrow of the democratically elected government."

He also said that the government would investigate all the deaths.

President Julius Maada Bio blamed his political rivals for the violence
Political tensions rising
Bio blamed the "premeditated" unrest on rival political party, the All Peoples Congress. The party quickly released a statement urging supporters to adhere to rule-of-law, but it did not directly address the president's allegations.

"We urge all stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and avoid inflammatory rhetoric (or) unfounded pronouncements," the opposition party said on Friday.

"As a party, we continue reaffirming and reinforcing our commitment to sustainable peace and national cohesion."

Economy on the brink
Sierra Leone is a relatively stable country, but like much of the world, it is experiencing rising food and energy prices due to pandemic-related disruption in global supply chains and the knock-on effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In July, the country slashed three zeros off its currency hoping to restore confidence in the economy. Inflation nevertheless rose to nearly 28% in June.

"Look at the way the price of fuel goes up, the price of rice is always going up," Solomon Forna, a 42-year-old driver in east Freetown, told Reuters news agency. "We can't live the way we did only a few years ago

 

[Plain Jane]

Congo crisis highlights UN's shortcomings – DW – 08/13/2022

The Democratic Republic of Congo's resentment of UN peacekeepers is a wake-up call and offers an opportunity for introspection. The UN must change its approach to missions in Africa's hot spots, writes DW's George Okach.

www.dw.com

Opinion: Congo crisis highlights UN's shortcomings
The Democratic Republic of Congo's resentment of UN peacekeepers is a wake-up call and offers an opportunity for introspection. The UN must change its approach to missions in Africa's hot spots, writes DW's George Okach.




The UN's MONUSCO mission has largely failed to get a grip on the crisis in Congo

After weeks of deadly protests against the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, Mathias Gillmann, the mission's spokesman, has been declared persona non grata in Congolese territory.

However, even that wasn't enough to appease the furious Congolese. They are demanding that the entire MONUSCO mission immediately leave their country.

The protesters have accused the blue helmets of failing to protect them from the armed rebel violence that has ravaged the eastern parts of Congo for nearly two decades.

Time for a system reboot
It's not the first time the people of Congo have fiercely expressed their disapproval of the United Nations.

DW editor George Okach
MONUSCO has been active in several parts of Congo for more than a decade. But peacekeeping in the country's troubled east has proven to be a daunting task.

A friend of mine once joked that MONUSCO is either a slow learner or the Congo conflict is just too complex a puzzle for them to unravel.

According to its mandate granted by the UN Security Council, MONUSCO will leave Congo in 2024. But Kinshasa could even expedite their departure after hinting that it wants to reexamine the withdrawal plan.

The ongoing dissatisfaction with MONUSCO serves as an incredible indictment but also offers an opportunity for a moment of reflection. Why is such a mission — one of the UN's largest deployments in the world with 14,000 troops — failing so miserably?

Is M23 better equipped than MONUSCO?
The failures are systemic, and range from poor military support to a lack of local acceptance.
The head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, is on record as admitting that "M23 is conducting itself increasingly as a conventional army, rather than an armed group."

In this context, her main concern is that the March 23 Movement, also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, possesses increasingly sophisticated firepower and equipment and poses a formidable threat to civilians.

This admission speaks volumes. In other words, MONUSCO is saying they have been outgunned by M23 and that's why they cannot contain the rebel's violence. MONUSCO's mission is not only one of the largest, it is also one of the costliest, with an annual budget of $1 billion (€972 million). But this is not reflected in the military support received by the mission.

Lack of local ownership
Apart from the constraints on military resources, the mission sadly lacks a convincing approach on how to get in sync and deal with the situation on the ground.

There is no local ownership of the mission. To date, some Congolese view MONUSCO as a foreign entity that has no interest of the locals at heart. The UN Security Council should therefore explore ways how such missions can win the affection of locals. Understanding their pain and working together with them to find solutions is one lesson that MONUSCO has so far refused to learn.

In the past, MONUSCO has been accused of a litany of human rights violations. Sexual exploitation tops the list. The mission has also allegedly aligned itself with foreign multinational mining companies in Congo.

In fact, some locals argue that watching over foreign interests has earned MONUSCO its prolonged lifeline in the country. These accusations justify the climate of mistrust in Congo against the mission. Troops deployed for peacekeeping missions should display integrity beyond reproach, and this can be achieved through careful and meticulous selection.

Peacekeeping troops from failed democracies
In reviewing the selection process, the UN should also consider the perception the locals of troubled regions have toward some of the countries that are contributing troops. "Go fix your country before you meddle in our issues," is a mantra hurled at MONUSCO troops by many Congolese.

There is an overwhelming desire among locals for a complete and expeditious withdrawal, but the short-term consequences could be disastrous, analysts have warned.

While MONUSCO has been able to mitigate some of the violent incidences against civilians, the mission's lethargic response to large-scale hostilities has compounded the country's woes.

In the wake of renewed hostilities by the M23 rebel group, the UN Security Council should urgently rethink how MONUSCO can save face in its remaining days in Congo.

 

[jward]

Al-Shabab resurfaces in Africa and invades Ethiopia
Frumentarius

4-5 minutes


While the attention of the United States has recently been consumed elsewhere, the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab has been on the offensive. The group, which is based in Somalia, launched a brazen cross-border attack into eastern Ethiopia in late July. The force of at least 500 al-Shabab fighters was only repulsed after several days by the Ethiopian military.
According to Voice of America news, General Stephen Townsend, the outgoing commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), does not believe the incursion was a fluke or a one-off. Townsend stated to VOA that al-Shabab has been emboldened lately by political turmoil in Somalia and by the decision of the previous U.S. administration to pull its forces out of Somalia back in December 2020. In a reversal of that decision, in May 2022, the current administration approved the new deployment of a small presence of U.S. forces to the country to target al-Shabab and its leaders.
Furthermore, in another sign of al-Shabab’s growing influence, the head of the terrorist group, Ahmed Diriye, is reportedly fourth in line to succeed deceased al-Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri, according to UN reports cited by VOA.
Related: This is America’s Hellfire missile full of swords that took out al-Qaeda’s leader
Containing the threat of terrorism in Africa
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph Carpio, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 1312, coaches a Uganda People’s Defense Force soldier on fundamental marksmanship practices March 7, 2013, at Singo military training school, north of Kampala, Uganda. The soldiers attending the training were preparing for a possible deployment to Somalia where other UPDF soldiers were battling terrorist groups seeking to gain strategic ground in the Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kelly White)
Al-Shabab remains a threat to the region. A 2021 report by the Council on Foreign Relations stated that al-Shabab remains capable of carrying out attacks across East Africa, despite efforts by the African Union and the US to counter the group and weaken its capabilities to operate in the Horn of Africa. Further, according to a UN report cited by VOA, al-Shabab is providing funds to al-Qaeda.
Al-Shabab started as an insurgent force in Somalia in the early 2000s. It has since grown to include some 5,000-10,000 fighters. The U.S. State Department designated the group a foreign terrorist organization in 2008, and al-Shabab leaders pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012.
Africa News reported that Ethiopia has long resisted al-Shabab’s incursions, but that recent turmoil in the country’s Tigray region has drawn its focus away from the terrorist group. Meanwhile, al-Shabab sees Ethiopia as an existential threat and legitimate target because of Ethiopia’s deployment of forces into Somalia to degrade the group. Those efforts will no doubt now increase, with the support of the small U.S. contingent in the region.
While the recent decapitation of al-Qaeda leadership has no doubt dealt a blow to the group, the resurgence of affiliates like al-Shabab shows that the fight against like-minded Islamic terrorist groups will continue into the foreseeable future.
Feature Image: Ethiopian National Defense Force Cpl. Melaku Shebabaw, right, stands perimeter watch during Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa’s training course in Hurso, Ethiopia, Dec. 27, 2006. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric A. Clement)

Al-Shabab resurfaces in Africa and invades Ethiopia - Sandboxx

Al-Shabab's resurgence shows that the fight against terrorist groups will continue despite the recent death of al-Qaeda's leader.

www.sandboxx.us

 

[Zagdid]

https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/opinion/algerias-bid-to-join-economic-powerhouse-5f781800-41fb-4ba9-a6f4-f349bbb91883

Algeria’s bid to join economic powerhouse​

Published 12h ago

Africa is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. If its mineral resources are managed effectively, Africa has the answers to not only its electricity crisis, but also continental food security and rising fuel costs.

Africa’s largest natural gas exporter, Algeria, has recorded the largest natural gas production as at 2020, reaching an output of about 85 billion standard cubic metres. The Global Times reports that positive signals from this global energy powerhouse, Algeria wanting to join BRICS, is not only a game changer for the continent.

On a side note, we’re seeing more co-operation between African countries, for example, Botswana offering to sell South Africa its excess electricity. Algeria’s interest in joining BRICS demonstrates that more countries have faith in the group and its ability to offset the negative influence of certain countries’ rising unilateralism and protectionism, according to experts.

In addition to Iran and Argentina, which have officially applied to join BRICS, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt are also signalling an interest. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s comment comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin called on BRICS leaders in June to move towards “formation of a truly multi-polar system of intergovernment relations”.

Russia is being hit by some of the harshest Western sanctions over its Ukraine invasion, which has seen international markets buckle thanks to skyrocketing petrol and gas prices. Intra-regional trade has remained low in Africa relative to its trade with Asia and Europe, accounting for less than 17% of total trade volumes compared to 59% for intra-Asian trade and 68% for intra-European trade, according to Nabil Frik, managing director for Africa and the Middle East at British Arab Commercial Bank.

Following the biggest policy shift in the region fostering integration – the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) – African economies are turning their attention inwards and seeking to build resilience through intra-continental trade ties, says Frik.

The AfCFTA agreement will be the biggest trade deal in the world, in terms of the number of participating countries, since the establishment of the World Trade Organisation in 1994.

According to the African Centre for Economic Transformation, the AfCFTA agreement is made up of 54 African countries merging into a single market of 1.3 billion people. This resource could create an economic bloc with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, according to analysts.

Intra-African trade is expected to grow by 33%, and Africa’s total trade deficit is expected to be cut in half. In addition, the AfCFTA could generate combined consumer and business spending of $6.7 trillion by 2030, according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

BRICS also includes the major emerging economies of Brazil, India and South Africa. What we are seeing is a new play for Africa. Everyone wants a piece of what the continent has to offer. In April, Putin had a conversation with the Algerian president in which the two leaders “reaffirmed their intention to continue bilateral co-ordination within the Opec+ format and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in the interests of ensuring stability on global energy markets”, said the Russian presidency.

In conclusion, Africa is set to benefit immensely from the investment that it is receiving now and in the coming months from major role players who are aligning their Africa strategy to become a mutually beneficial partnership between Africa and bigger economies.

 

[Plain Jane]

Kenya awaits results in tight election race | DW | 15.08.2022

Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto appeared to have a lead over longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga as an announcement on the winner was highly anticipated.

www.dw.com

Kenya awaits results in tight election race​

Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto appeared to have a lead over longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga as an announcement on the winner was highly anticipated.




Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is under pressure to finish the vote count
Kenyan election authorities on Monday neared a constitutional deadline to announce the results of a close presidential race.
The August 9 election saw two candidates run almost neck-and-neck — Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

A tally published by the mass-circulation Daily Nation newspaper showed, based on results from more than 80% of constituencies, that Ruto was edging ahead.
The incumbent deputy president was leading with slightly more than 51% of the vote, while Odinga had 48%.

How do elections work in Kenya?​

All eyes were on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Monday as it came under pressure to declare the results from 290 constituencies.

Under Kenya's constitution, the IEBC has up to seven days to announce the results, meaning that they must be out by Tuesday at the latest.

For a candidate to win the presidential race, they need to receive 50%+1 of the votes.

Besides electing the president, Kenyans last week cast their votes for some 1,882 legislators and local officials.

The election saw a low turnout, with about 65% of the 22.1 million registered voters casting their ballots, according to the IEBC. The turnout in the 2017 election was nearly 80%.

Who are the front runners?​

Ruto has served as deputy president since 2013. His boss, outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, endorsed Odniga in this presidential election.

Kenyatta's support for Odinga, a longtime opposition figure, effectively made Ruto run as the challenger. His lead is seen as a symbol of discontent with Kenyatta's legacy.

Ruto has pledged to implement a new bottom-up economic model, with a focus on Kenya's informal workers' sector.

The 55-year-old previously served as minister of home affairs, minister of agriculture, and minister of higher education.

Odinga, 77, is making his fifth bid for the top job, after losing in 1997, 2007, 2013, and 2017.

The veteran opposition leader has also pledged to reform the economy in the East African nation.

• 

fb/rt (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Zimbabwe Hails Success Of Gold Coin Issuance - Lower Denominations Coming | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Zimbabwe Hails Success Of Gold Coin Issuance - Lower Denominations Coming​

BY TYLER DURDEN
MONDAY, AUG 15, 2022 - 01:30 PM
Declaring its July launch of one-ounce gold coins a success, Zimbabwe's central bank says it will begin issuing and selling coins in smaller gold denominations this fall.
“Following the successful launch of the gold coins on 25 July 2022 and in response to public demand, the bank shall introduce and release into the market gold coins in units of a tenth ounce, quarter ounce and half an ounce

for sale with effect from mid-November 2022,” Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya said this week.

The coins, which can be purchased from approved banks, were introduced to combat rampant inflation driven by locals exchanging Zimbabwean dollars for US dollars. In July, Zimbabwe's price inflation rate was over 250%.

The coins have "liquid asset status," according to the Zimbabwe central bank. That is, they're "capable of being easily converted to cash and [are] tradable locally and internationally...[and] may also be used for transactional purposes."

However, with one-ounce coins currently worth about $1,800, they're out of reach for typical citizens. The average civil servant in the country makes just $2,600 a year, according to the BBC.

The one-ounce coins are called "Mosi-oa-Tunya." That's the Tonga-language name for Victoria Falls, and translates to "The Smoke Which Thunders." When sold by banks, they're priced at the world price of gold plus a 5% minting and distribution fee.

A Zimbabwean Mosi-oa-Tunya gold coin (Columbus Mayhunga/VOA)
When the coins were unveiled, Mangudya said:

“We are now providing that store of value to ensure that people do not run to the parallel market in search for foreign currency to store value. And there is no other better product that can be used to store value other than gold. We know what you have been going through in terms of the fear factor of losing value and therefore we are providing this gold coin."

Banks have sold 4,475 of the one-ounce coins so far, the state-affiliated Herald newspaper reports, with 90% having been purchased with local currency. Foreigners can only buy the coins with foreign money.


The proprietor of a Harare clothing shop told The Herald that black-market exchange rates have leveled out since the introduction of the coins. "For the past one or so weeks, the rates are stable and if it continues like this, we will be able to accept local currency and invest the profits in gold coins," Sharon Sangarwe said.

The black market for currency exists in part because Zimbabwe limits foreign exchange transactions. Effective this week, those restrictions are being liberalized, with the cap on individuals, micro, small and medium businesses changing from $500 a week to $5,000 a month.

Zimbabwe's current sky-high inflation rate seems almost tame compared to earlier days. In 2009, the country's legendary hyperinflation prompted the central bank to issue astronomical denominations, such as this Z$50 billion bill -- which was only enough to buy two loaves of bread:



Zimbabwe has substantial gold deposits. "All gold mined in Zimbabwe is supposed to be sold to the central bank, but many producers prefer to smuggle it out of the country in order to get payment in US dollars," reports Al Jazeera.

 

[Plain Jane]

Mali: Jihadist group claims to have killed four Russian Wagner group mercenaries | DW | 16.08.2022

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Mali claimed it has killed four mercenaries from Russia's private military Wagner group in clashes over the weekend.

www.dw.com

Mali: Jihadist group claims to have killed four Russian Wagner group mercenaries​

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Mali claimed it has killed four mercenaries from Russia's private military Wagner group in clashes over the weekend.




The deployment of Russian mercenaries (right) in Mali strained relations between the local military junta there and Western countries

An affiliate of Al Qaeda in Mali claimed on Monday to have killed four mercenaries from Russia's private military firm Wagner Group in an ambush around Bandiagara in central Mali.

The media wing of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), said in a statement its fighters clashed with the mercenaries on Saturday in Mopti region, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist statements.

Two local officials confirmed to the AFP news agency that four Russians were killed by jihadists in the Bandiagara region over the weekend. A hospital source in the region also confirmed the "death in combat of four Russians."

Russian mercenaries in Mali​

Mali is battling an Islamist insurgency that took root after a 2012 uprising and has since spread to neighbouring countries, killing thousands and displacing millions across West Africa's Sahel region.

The Wagner Group began supplying hundreds of fighters last year to support the Malian military and has since been accused by human rights groups and local residents of taking part in massacres of civilians — allegations it has not responded to.

Their deployment was a key factor in prompting France, Mali's former colonial power and traditional ally, to pull its military forces out of the country.

The Russian government has acknowledged Wagner personnel are in Mali but the Malian government has described them as instructors from the Russian military rather then private security contractors.

dh/kb (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Zagdid]

French Forces Complete Departure From Mali

The French army initially intervened in Mali in 2013, in Operation Serval, after northern Mali was taken over by Islamist militant groups in 2012

www.voanews.com

French Forces Complete Departure From Mali​

August 15, 2022 12:46 PM Annie Risemberg

The last French armed forces in Mali have relocated to Niger, after a falling out with Mali's military government and its alleged use of Russian mercenaries.

French forces have officially left Malian territory, according to a French armed forces ministry press release.

“The last military unit of the Barkhane Force present on Malian territory crossed the border between Mali and Niger,” at 11:00 A.M. local time Monday, the release says.

The French army initially intervened in Mali in 2013, in Operation Serval, after northern Mali was taken over by Islamist militant groups in 2012.

Operation Serval was replaced by the anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane in 2014. Operation Barkhane will now be based in Niger.

Though then-French President François Hollande received a warm welcome in newly-liberated Timbuktu on arrival in 2013, the Malian public has turned sour toward French forces in recent years, with several protests held in cities across Mali calling for the forces’ departure.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced in February that French forces would withdraw over a period of 4-6 months, amid increasing tensions between France and Mali’s military government and France’s accusations that Mali is working with mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary company with links to the Kremlin.

Human Rights Watch and several international media outlets have reported on alleged extrajudicial killings and abuses committed by Russian mercenaries in Mali.

Mali's military government has continually denied the accusations and says it only works with official Russian instructors.

Meanwhile, 2022 has been one of the deadliest so far in Mali’s decade-long conflict, with both civilians and soldiers targeted by Islamists.

Forty-two Malian soldiers were killed this month during an attack in Tessit, and Mali’s main military base in Kati, just 15 kilometers from Bamako, was attacked in July.

In June, 132 civilians were murdered by suspected Islamists in an attack in central Mali.

Mali also experienced tensions with its West African neighbors this year, with regional bloc ECOWAS imposing sanctions after military rulers proposed a -year delay in elections. The sanctions were lifted in July after elections were scheduled for 2024.

Senegalese President Macky Sall met with Malian interim President Assimi Goita Monday morning in Bamako for the first time since the military government took power in a 2020 coup.

 

[Plain Jane]

ht
Tablet not working. WI'll get back when I can.

 

[jward]

Miss you already, Jane; hurry back!
..also totally missed posting, though I did remember to find, your fourth o' july pickings:
: )

 

[jward]

Project Owl
@projectowlosint
1h

A terrorist attack is underway in Mogadishu. Security forces are engaged in a battle with the attackers at the Hayat Hotel.


Newsistaan
@newsistaan
3h

In the capital of #Somalia, #Mogadishu, a major terrorist attack. Several powerful explosions allegedly are reported near the Hayat Hotel. In addition, locals say that the hotel is being stormed by Al-Shabaab militants

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1560691986687877120

View: https://twitter.com/newsistaan/status/1560691986687877120?s=20&t=z6gtXMSmC5x6G35uxXV_HA

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Analysis: Thirty hour long hotel siege emblematic of Somalia’s remaining security challenges | FDD's Long War Journal

Shabaab's recent hotel siege in Mogadishu, beginning on Friday and ending early Sunday, signals the severe challenges that remain in combating the al Qaeda branch.

www.longwarjournal.org

Analysis: Thirty hour long hotel siege emblematic of Somalia’s remaining security challenges​

BY CALEB WEISS | August 21, 2022 | caleb.weiss07@gmail.com | @Caleb_Weiss7

On Friday, Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, launched a coordinated suicide assault on the Hayat Hotel in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. Almost 30 hours later it was ended by Somali security forces, constituting the longest hotel siege in the jihadist group’s history. More worrying, however, is that the assault acts a deadly symbol for Mogadishu’s continued lack of security.

Somali outlets have reported that at least 21 people were killed in the siege, though this number is expected to rise. It is also unclear if this number includes security personnel or just civilians. At least 117 other people were wounded in the long assault.

Local sources and Shabaab itself reported on Friday that the group began the assault on the Hayat Hotel, a popular hotel with Somalia’s security establishment, with two suicide car bombs before an assault team breached the perimeter and entered the hotel. This modus operandi of a suicide assault is a common tactic used by Shabaab, as well as other jihadist groups around the globe.

The gunmen then laid siege to the building, where the militants holed up for over 30 hours, exchanging gunfire with security services between floors. As security and emergency personnel arrived on the scene, a third suicide bomber then struck at the emergency services.

Somali troops, including US and Turkish-trained special forces units, quickly started a rescue operation, saving several civilians from the jihadists’ onslought. Video reportedly from the hotel documents almost two dozen civilians fleeing the perimeter after being freed by Somali forces.

Additional explosions, identified as grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or additional possible suicide bombings were recorded throughout the long gunfight as security forces slowly advanced throughout the hotel.

Shabaab was quick to claim credit for the siege, additionally contending earlier yesterday, Aug. 20, that its rampage has “eliminated dozens of officials, officers, and security personnel” and that “bodies of the dead are strewn through the rooms and courtyard of the three story hotel.”

For his part, Shabaab’s military spokesman, Abdulaziz Abu Musab, claimed the militants killed at least 40 “apostates.”

At least two prominent Somali security officials, including the chief of Mogadishu’s intelligence apparatus and one of Mogadishu’s top police officers, were wounded in the assault. It is unclear if the intelligence chief was the specific target or if his presence was a coincidence. The owner of the Hayat Hotel was also reportedly among the killed victims.

Further Shabaab statements also allege that the militants inside the hotel remained in contact with the group’s senior leadership and media apparatus throughout the siege.

For instance, a statement released on Saturday around the 24 hour mark of the siege stated that “Jaabir, one of the inghamasi’s [commandos] inside the Hayat Hotel, informed through an audio recording that he and his brethren are well and the attack continues.” Gunshots can additionally be heard in the short audio recording released by the group.

The fact that the militants involved in the attack remained in contact with Shabaab’s leadership during the siege is not surprising. This was also the case in the group’s infamous 2013 attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall. Other terrorist groups, such at the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba, have used the same tactic. It allows a group’s leadership to remain in the know regarding the progress of the assault, while also allowing for the relaying of tactical knowledge to the attackers.

Before Somali troops officially ended the siege, Shabaab claimed that some of the fighters involved in the assault were able to escape the hotel perimeter and reach the group’s safehouses in Mogadishu. This reporting, however, is unconfirmed and likely propaganda. Somali officials reported that all gunmen were killed inside the hotel.

Hotel siege as a deadly symbol of Somalia’s hefty security challenges
Shabaab routinely conducts attacks, both large and small-scale, inside Mogadishu. However, this is the group’s first hotel assault in the capital since Jan. 2021. That attack, which involved a similar modus operandi of suicide car bombs followed by gunmen, left at least nine people dead at the Afrik Hotel, a hotel also near the Hayat in Mogadishu’s K-4 junction.

Moreover, the siege on the Hayat Hotel, lasting for over 30 hours, is the group’s longest hotel siege in its history of attacks inside the Somali capital. That the jihadist group was able to not only penetrate a highly-secured area of Mogadishu, but remain fighting in the hotel for that long demonstrates Shabaab’s strength and capabilities.

Over the past several years, Shabaab has also raided Mogadishu’s SYL Hotel on multiple occasions, Elite Hotel, Maka al Mukarama Hotel, Dayah Hotel, Beach View Hotel, Ambassador’s Hotel, Central Hotel, Al Sahafi Hotel, and Jazeera Hotel.
Elsewhere, Shabaab has also struck hotels in Kismayo and in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.

Friday’s three bombings brings the total number of suicide bombings conducted by Shabaab this year to 27, according to data compiled by FDD’s Long War Journal. The group has carried out at least 82 suicide bombings inside Somalia since 2020.

This number could rise if additional suicide bombings are confirmed to have taken place inside the Hayat Hotel.

Newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is serving a second non-consecutive term, faces a severe challenge from Shabaab and to a relatively lesser extent Islamic State.

Regarding the former, President Mohamud recently stated he intended to combat Shabaab through both military and non-military means, while opening the door for any potential talks with the group. These comments, that the door for negotiations and President Mohamud’s desire to wage “economic and ideological war” against the group, were reiterated during the siege.

However, Shabaab itself appears to have shot the idea of negotiations down. The group’s aforementioned spokesman, Abdulaziz Abu Musab, stated that the siege on the Hayat Hotel was a direct response to President Mohamud’s statements about his administration’s plan for Shabaab. The jihadi spokesman stated in a message posted to Shabaab’s Radio al Andalus website:

“This operation came while the apostates, especially the leader of the group Hassan Gurguurte [a derogatory name for Hassan Sheikh], shouted to his Crusader allies saying that he will destroy and end the Mujahideen. Today, it has changed that the members of the government and government employees will be killed and mourned there [at the Hayat Hotel]. We know that Gurguurte is a stupid fool, who declared war against us and is not ready for it.”

The hotel siege also further showcases the severe challenges that remain in the United States’ effort to curtail the al Qaeda branch. The hotel assault comes as the United States has increased its tempo of airstrikes against the al Qaeda branch. The US military has conducted at least 6 strikes against the group since June 3.

At least two of those airstrikes are related to ongoing operations conducted by the Somali National Army in Somalia’s central Hiraan Region. Those operations are in-turn a response to Shabaab’s recent major incursions into Ethiopian territory mounted from Hiraan and nearby Bakool.

And while the US has launched hundreds of airstrikes against Shabaab since 2007, the group continues to effectively wage its jihad throughout most of Somalia, including the heavily fortified capital.

The Biden Administration returned US troops to Somalia earlier this year, reversing the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw US forces in late 2020. The Biden Administration argued it was necessary to return US troops to combat Shabaab as it was growing in strength following the initial US withdrawal.

Some 500 US special operations forces have since returned to Somalia, though their mission remains limited to training and advising the Somali National Army. US-trained units, including the Alpha Group, one of Somalia’s top counter-terrorism units, were involved in ending the recent hotel siege. It is unclear, however, if any US personnel played any direct advisory role during the counter-assault.

Despite some setbacks in recent years, Shabaab continues to be one of al Qaeda’s most effective branches. Though its fortunes have ebbed and flowed over the past decade, it has shown the capacity to weather numerous offensives from an array of local, regional, and international actors, including the United States.

Shabaab’s hotel siege, and the slow progress made by Somali security forces to end it, thus acts as a microcosm for the conflict against the group writ large. Mogadishu, and by extension Washington, continue to struggle in efforts to effectively contain al Qaeda’s largest branch while progressing with the status quo.

Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.

 

[Plain Jane]

Al-Shabab: Somalia's Islamist militant group | DW | 23.08.2022

The recent hotel siege by al-Shabab, during which more than 20 people were killed, has spotlighted one of Africa's deadliest insurgencies. But who is the group? And what does it seek to achieve?

www.dw.com

Al-Shabab: Somalia's Islamist militant group​

The recent hotel siege by al-Shabab, during which more than 20 people were killed, has spotlighted one of Africa's deadliest insurgencies. But who is the group? And what does it seek to achieve?


According to analysts, al-Ittihad al-Islami (AIAI, or "Unity of Islam"), a militant Salafi group, was the forerunner of al-Shabab and gave birth to many of its leaders back in the 1990s.

Al-Shabab, which means "the Youth," aims to establish a strict interpretation of Shariah law across Somalia. It has previously carried out public stoning and amputations of suspected adulterers and thieves. In addition, the group prohibits shaving of beards for men and has banned entertainment through music and movies.

A split within AIAI saw al-Shabab initially affiliate itself with the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) — a federation of regional and clan-based Islamic courts founded in southern Somalia in 2004 to bring order and stability after the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's government in 1991.

In June 2006, Al-Shabab and the ICU seized control of the capital, Mogadishu, fueling fears of a spillover into neighboring Ethiopia.

In December 2006, Ethiopia — a predominantly Christian Orthodox country — sent troops to Somalia and ousted the ICU to thwart the terror threat.

Al-Shabab's radicalization​

Many analysts believe that Ethiopia's military intervention radicalized al-Shabab. However, Ethiopia's government claimed the operation was necessary and that the US and the African Union supported the mission.

Pushed south, al-Shabab took a more extreme ideological stance than the ICU, endorsing a fundamentalist version of Islam.

Between 2006-2008, al-Shabab recruited thousands of fighters to destabilize Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

During this time, the insurgent group established ties with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Deadly ambushes​

It began a bombing and attack campaign against Somalia's TFG and Ethiopian forces.

The group's indiscriminate attacks targeted civilians, journalists and international aid workers.

It also staged deadly ambushes on the African Union peacekeeping forces (AMISOM), which the UN Security Council authorized in February 2007.

The US killed two of al-Shabab's former leaders — Ahmed Abdi Godane in 2014 and Aden Hashi Farah Ayro in 2008— but their deaths have had little effect on the insurgency.

Al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Robow, also known as Abu Mansur, later defected from the group citing ideological differences. However, in 2022, Somalia appointed Robow as religion minister.

Designated a terrorist group​

In February 2008, the US State Department labeled al-Shabab a foreign terrorist organization.

The leadership of al-Shabab officially pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012.

Al-Shabab launched its first attack outside of Somalia in 2010, killing 74 people in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

In 2013, the militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that killed 67 people. In 2015, al-Shabab attacked students at a university in Garissa, killing 148 people.

Al Shabab regularly carries out attacks in Somalia despite being weakened by the counterterrorism efforts of the AU-led peacekeeping mission.

In October 2017, Mogadishu suffered one of its worst terrorist attacks when truck bombings killed more than 500 people. Authorities blamed al-Shabab though the group never claimed responsibility.

Sources of revenue​

Experts say al-Shabab has profited from various revenue sources, including by extorting businesses, farmers and aid organizations.

Despite a UN ban on Somali charcoal exports since 2012, al-Shabab has built up a large racketeering operation, with checkpoint taxation on illicitly traded charcoal bringing in millions of dollars annually.

The group also makes money by smuggling contraband sugar across the Kenyan border.

According to the UN, al-Shabab spent more than $21 million (€21 million) in 2019 on fighters, weapons and intelligence, and the group enjoyed significant budgetary surpluses.

Edited by: Keith Walker

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia: Tigray rebels accuse government forces of new, large offensive | DW | 24.08.2022

Rebels in Tigray said the government in Addis Ababa has launched a "large-scale offensive." The claims could not be independently verified as the Tigray region is under a communications blackout.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia: Tigray rebels accuse government forces of new, large offensive​

Rebels in Tigray said the government in Addis Ababa has launched a "large-scale offensive." The claims could not be independently verified as the Tigray region is under a communications blackout.


The war between Ethiopian government forces and Tigrayan rebels pushed parts of Tigray towards famine conditions

Rebels in the Tigray region of Ethiopiaaccused the central government in Addis Ababa and militias aligned with them of launching what it termed a "large-scale offensive" Wednesday.
The government in Addis Ababa did not immediately respond to the claims by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). It was not possible to independently verify the claims made by the TPLF due to the information blackout in that part of the country.

The "large-scale offensive" would put an end to a months-old cease-fire that had held a fragile peace in the country.

What is known about the 'large-scale offensive'?​

Getachew Reda, a TPLF spokesman, told the AFP news agency, "They launched the offensive early this morning around 5:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT). We are defending our positions."
On Twitter, Reda said the "large-scale offensive" had been launched "against our positions in the southern front," and accused Ethiopia's army, special forces and Amharic militias from the neighboring region of being responsible for the incursion.

Residents and Reda said the fighting broke out near the town of Kobo.
A farmer in the region told Reuters news agency, "I am hearing sound of heavy weapons starting from this morning.

Tigrai Television, a state-run regional station, reported, "Ethiopian forces along with Amhara special forces and Amhara militias started a large-scale attack around 5:00 a.m."

What does this mean for the conflict between Ethiopia and the TPLF?​

The claim of a fresh offensive comes five months after the TPLF and the Ethiopian government reached a truce after more than a year of a brutal war that began in November 2020.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force had accused the TPLF on Tuesday of trying to "defame" the army with claims that Ethiopian government forces were moving against their positions or using heavy weapons to shell them.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the TPLF have traded barbs while simultaneously raising the prospects for peace talks to bring the war to an end. The two sides are unable to come to an agreement on who should lead the negotiations.

The TPLF is also demanding the restoration of basic services to the region's 6 million people prior to the start of any peace talks. Tigray has been without communications or banking services and imports of fuel are restricted which limits the amount of aid that can be brought into the region.

The war was responsible for displacing millions, creating famine conditions in parts of Tigray and the deaths of thousands of civilians.

ar/sms (AFP, Reuters)

 

[jward]

Air strike on kindergarten in Ethiopia’s Tigray kills 4​

• Unicef condemned the attack in Mekele that also killed two children and injured nine others
• It added the 21-month war in Ethiopia’s north had ‘caused children to pay the heaviest price’

Agence France-Presse
+ FOLLOW

Published: 3:35pm, 27 Aug, 2022

Updated: 3:35pm, 27 Aug, 2022



People inspect a damaged playground following an air strike in Mekele, Ethiopia’s Tigray. Photo: Tigrai TV/Reuters

The UN children’s agency Unicef on Saturday condemned an air strike that “hit a kindergarten” in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, killing at least four people including two children.
Friday’s strike in the Tigray capital Mekele came days after fighting erupted on the region’s southern border between government forces and rebels, ending a five-month truce.
“Unicef strongly condemns the air strike … [that] hit a kindergarten, killing several children, and injuring others,” Unicef’s executive director Catherine Russell said on Twitter.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that controls the northern region said the air raid demolished a kindergarten and hit a civilian residential area, claims the government denied.




Addis Ababa said it only targeted military sites, and accused the TPLF of staging civilian deaths.

‘Large-scale’ fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray shatters 5-month lull

25 Aug 2022

​

Kibrom Gebreselassie, chief clinical director at Mekele’s Ayder Referral Hospital, said that four people were killed in the strike, including two children.

Nine others were receiving treatment for injuries, he said.
Tigrai TV, a local network, said the death toll had reached seven and broadcast footage of mangled playground equipment at the apparent scene of the strike.
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Russell said the 21-month war in Ethiopia’s north had “caused children to pay the heaviest price”.

“For almost two years, children and their families in the region have endured the agony of this conflict. It must end,” she said.

What is behind the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region?​

In January, the UN said at least 108 civilians had been killed since the year began in a series of air strikes in Tigray, including on a refugee camp and a flour mill.

The UN human rights office warned at the time that disproportionate attacks against non-military targets could amount to war crimes.
A truce in March paused the worst of the bloodshed and allowed aid convoys to return slowly to Tigray, where the UN says millions are severely hungry, and fuel and medicine are in short supply.

But on Wednesday, the warring sides announced a return to the battlefield, with each accusing the other of firing first as fresh offensives erupted along Tigray’s southern border.
Details remain unclear, but it appears the fighting has not spread outside an area bordering Tigray, Amhara and Afar.


Members of the Afar militia stand at a checkpoint in the town of Abala, Ethiopia’s Semera. File photo: AFP
The return to combat has alarmed the international community, which has been pushing both sides to peacefully resolve the brutal 21-month war in Africa’s second most populous nation.

Since the end of June, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and the rebels have repeatedly stated their willingness to enter peace negotiations, but disagreed on the terms of such talks.
In recent weeks, too, they have accused each other of preparing for a return to battle.
Addis Ababa wants talks without preconditions under the auspices of the African Union, which is headquartered in the Ethiopian capital.

The rebels are demanding that electricity, telecommunications and banking services be restored to Tigray before talks begin, and reject the AU’s envoy Olusegun Obasanjo as mediator, accusing him of a pro-government bias.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3190403/air-strike-kindergarten-ethiopias-tigray-kills-4?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3190403

 

[jward]

Hmm. I guess I really am a biotch, coz I've got concerns here. . .

Secret American Special Operations Mission Rescued A Hostage In Africa This Week​

Joseph Trevithick

4-5 minutes

---

Details remain limited, but the U.S. military has disclosed that American special operations forces recently recovered of hostage from somewhere on or near the African continent. Although any connection is unconfirmed at this time, representatives of the Catholic Church did announce today that Suellen Tennyson, an 83-year-old nun who was abducted in the northwest African country of Burkina Faso earlier this year, is now safe.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley first revealed the operation during a speech at a ceremony yesterday to mark the turnover of command of SOCOM from Army Gen. Richard Clarke to Army Gen. Bryan Fenton. In the course of those remarks, Milley ran through a list of notable U.S. special operations forces accomplishments under Clarke's tenure.
"Under Rich's command, SOCOM teams rescued a U.S. citizen in Nigeria just 96 hours after capture. They eliminated [Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem] Soleimani, [and ISIS head Abu Bakr Al] Baghdadi," the Chairman said. "And most recently, in the last 48 hours, they recovered another hostage."

The operation in Nigeria that Milley mentioned was the rescue of Philip Walton, the son of a Christian missionary who had been captured in neighboring Niger in 2020. You can read more about how U.S. special operations forces successfully retrieved Walton, a mission that involved CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors supported by various tankers flying long-distance from a base in Spain, here.
In response to queries regarding this newly revealed operation, SOCOM directed The War Zone to contact U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). We have not yet received a response from AFRICOM, which is headquartered in Germany.
A spokesperson for the Joint Staff told The War Zone they had nothing to add to Milley's remarks when contacted.
The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and Bishop Theophile Nare of the Kaya Diocese in Burkina Faso both subsequently issued statements about the release of Sister Tennyson. The nun is a member of the order of the Marianites of the Holy Cross who had been serving in a parish in Burkina Faso since 2014. She was abducted by unknown gunmen in April.
The FBI's official notice regarding the kidnapping of Sister Suellen Tennyson in April.
Sister Tennyson is not the only foreign hostage in captivity across Africa. As of 2020, there were at least six were being held by various groups just in the Sahel region of Africa, which separates the Sahara Desert from true Sub-Saharan Africa. The most well-known of these individuals is Jeffery Woodke, a Christian missionary aid worker, who was kidnapped in Niger in 2016. Woodke is currently understood to be in the custody of elements of Jama'at Nasr Al Islam Wal Muslimin, or JNIM, an Al Qaeda franchise based in Mali that was formed from the merger of a number of regional terrorist groups in 2017.
In 2017, then-AFRICOM commander Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, who has since retired, said that a botched counter-terrorism operation in Niger that left four American service members and many more Nigerien troops dead – which you can read more about here – was related to the efforts to rescue Woodke. A subsequent exhaustive investigation that ABC News conducted, which resulted in a documentary called 3212 Un-Redacted, found no evidence to substantiate that, and many questions still remain about that incident.

In November 2021, Woodke's wife, Els Woodke, publicly lambasted U.S. government efforts to secure her husband's release and said that American authorities were impeding her efforts to raise money to pay a multi-million dollar ransom. A U.S. official told the AP in response to her remarks that the U.S. government's policy of taking all steps to deny hostage takers concessions, such as ransoms, "does not preclude the United States government from helping hostage families with private efforts to communicate with hostage takers."
No matter what, it is certainly good to hear that there is at least one less hostage out there.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Secret American Special Operations Mission Rescued A Hostage In Africa This Week

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley revealed the hostage rescue mission in Africa during a speech.

www.thedrive.com

 

[jward]

Al-Shabab Kills 21 in Somalia’s Hiran Province​

Mohamed Olad Hassan

7-8 minutes

---

Somali officials and residents say al-Shabab militants shot and killed at least 21 travelers in the country's central region of Hiran on Friday night.
Speaking to VOA, Mahas District Commissioner Mumin Mohamed Halane said the killings occurred in the outskirts of Beledweyne, a town around 300 km north of Mogadishu.
“The militants ambushed the travelers in nine vehicles, indiscriminately opened fire on them and killed 18 civilians,” Halane told VOA Somali over the phone.
“Three more civilians died when improvised explosive device apparently planted by the militants targeted their vehicle in the same area,” he added.
He said the victims were drivers and local civilians heading to his town, Mahas, around 90 km from Beledweyne, Hiran's capital.

"Al-Shabab is targeting civilians because they are in a desperate situation and want to make the locals surrender. That will never happen. We will fight with them to our last drop,” Halane said.
Local elders who saw the bodies of civilians told VOA on condition of anonymity that most of the victims had gunshot wounds to the head.
One elder said the militants first indiscriminately fired a volley of shots at the travelers' vehicles, forced the surviving passengers out and shot them dead, leaving their bodies on the roadside.
The elders said during the attack the militants burned trucks laden with relief food.
A government statement posted on the website of the state news agency, Sonna, confirmed that al-Shabab fighters had burned trucks carrying relief food to Mahas and "killed most of the people on board the vehicles."
In the statement, the government has condemned the al-Shabab attacks on civilians. “We condemn the heinous and cowardly attacks in which the al-Shabab militants are targeting civilians, while they wouldn’t dare to face our brave soldiers and the locals who organized themselves to defend from the aggression of al-Shabab,” the statement said.
The “Somali National Army will retaliate with its own punitive military measures,” the statement concluded.
Al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters targeted self-organized, pro-government local militias known as Ma'awisley.

Al-Shabab faces tougher military operations
In July of this year, the Somali government sent troops, heavy weaponry, and ammunition to the region to fight al-Shabab alongside local Ma'awisley — anti-al-Shabab self-defense militias raised by local communities and pastoralists to protect themselves from what has been called “al-Shabab predation and extortion.”
The fighting in the region then escalated, as al-Shabab fighters trying to cross into neighboring Ethiopia were pushed back from the Ethiopian border to central Somalia, prompting more Somali government forces and local militia operations against the militants.
The head of the Somalia National Army (SNA), Brigadier General Odowa Yusuf Rage, who is leading the military operations in the region, said the operation was “a new beginning to eliminate al-Shabab.”
“We need to continue to put pressure on al-Shabab with the support of the local people who have been suffering from the remorseless actions of the militants. Now, they are on the run and desperately trying to hide,” Rage said.
“Residents and civilians in this region were angered by militants’ extortion demand and their other inhumane actions. We are here to support them in their self-defense fight,” he noted.

He was referring to what al-Shabab calls zakat, or Islamic tax, which the group imposes on people’s property and livestock to generate funds for the terrorist group’s operations and recruitment.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who visited the region, pledged continued support of government troops and the local militia fighting al-Shabab in the region.
“We encourage you to continue your offensive against al-Shabab. And we pledge a continued support to stand with you in this fight for your liberation,” the prime minster said.
In August, the U.S. African Command [AFRICOM] said in a press release it struck al-Shabab terrorists who were "actively attacking Somali National Army forces" in a remote location near Teedaan, in the Hiran region, killing 13 al-Shabab terrorists.

Al-Shabab retaliation
In retaliation, al-Shabab militants have launched numerous deadly attacks on civilians, in the Hiran and Galgudud regions of central Somalia.
This week, the militants destroyed local water sources and telecommunications towers in the Galgadud region, according to officials and residents.
During the attack, which happened just before midnight on Wednesday in the Adado district's Adakibir area, the militants bombed water wells, local water reservoirs and mobile phone masts, local officials told VOA Somali.
“The terrorist group al-Shabab has attacked villages and people living in the rural areas, destroyed drinking wells and telecommunication towers, to starve communities already facing severe drought,” said Mohamed Abdullahi Muse, the chairman of nearby Bahdo town.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to VOA, a villager who witnessed the incident said the militants hurled hand grenades into the wells, and they used mines to take down telephone towers.
Muse said the militants often target water sources and other vital civilian infrastructures whenever they face military pressure from local militias and Somalia’s federal government troops.

“Galgudud is one of the drought-affected areas in the country, where accessibility of water has already been difficult. This al-Shabab damage to water sources would inevitably aggravate the living conditions,” Muse said.
Three weeks ago, the militants destroyed similar water wells and telecommunication towers in villages and localities in the Hiraan region's Matabaan and Mahaas districts.
According to government officials and local leaders, al-Shabab fighters abducted civilians, stole livestock, and committed arson in attacks that caused residents of entire villages to flee their homes.
During the attacks, the extremist group burned homes in raids on villages.
Al-Shabab’s latest attacks on civilians in central Somalia come as nearly half of Somalia’s estimated population – 7.8 million people – are affected by the worst drought in four decades and are now bracing for a fifth consecutive failed rainy season over the coming months.

The United Nations estimates 1 million Somalis have been displaced by the drought, and more than 213,000 people face life-threatening, catastrophic food insecurity.
According to The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a top United Nations relief official, Martin Griffiths, is now visiting Mogadishu to shore up humanitarian operations.

Al-Shabab Kills 21 in Somalia’s Hiran Province

Militant group has launched numerous deadly attacks on civilians in the Hiran and Galgudud regions of central Somalia

www.voanews.com

 

[jward]

35 civilians killed in IED blast in Burkina Faso​

• The landlocked African state is in the grip of a seven-year-old insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives
• Some 2,000 people in insurgency-related violence, which has forced some 1.9 million people to leave their homes

OUAGADOUGOU: At least 35 civilians were killed and 37 wounded Monday when an IED blast struck a convoy carrying supplies in Burkina Faso’s jihadist-hit north, the governor of the Sahel region said.
The landlocked African state is in the grip of a seven-year-old insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives and forced some 1.9 million people to leave their homes.
Monday’s incident took place as the military-led convoy was supplying towns in the restive north on a road between Bourzanga to Djibo, according to a statement by Sahel region governor Rodolphe Sorgo.
“One of the vehicles carrying civilians hit an improvised explosive device. The provisional toll is 35 dead and 37 injured, all civilians,” it said.

“The escorts quickly secured the perimeter and took measures to help the victims,” the statement said, adding that the convoy had left the north for Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.
A security source told AFP the supply convoy was “composed of civilians, drivers and traders.”
According to a resident of Djibo, “several dozen vehicles, including trucks and public transport buses” were hit.
“The victims are mainly traders who were going to buy supplies in Ouagadougou and students who were returning to the capital for the next school year,” the resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.
Jihadist groups have recently staged similar attacks on arterial roads leading to the main cities in the north — Dori and Djibo.

At the start of August, 15 soldiers died in the same area in a double IED blast.
Much of the fighting has been concentrated in the north and east, led by jihadists suspected to have links with Al-Qaeda or the Daesh group.
With more than 40 percent of the country outside government control, Burkina’s ruling junta, which seized power in January, has declared the fight against the insurgency a top priority.
On Sunday evening, in a speech to the nation from the town of Dori, junta chief Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba welcomed a “relative calm” in several localities.
The government said it had intensified the army’s “offensive actions” and also initiated a process of dialogue with certain armed groups, through religious and local leaders.

According to Damiba, this process has enabled “several dozen young people” to lay down their arms.
However, there have been numerous attacks since the beginning of the year, such as last June’s massacre in the northwestern department of Seytenga, when 86 civilians were killed — one of the bloodiest of the long-running insurgency.
Since last year, Burkina has become the epicenter of violence, with more deadly attacks than in neighboring Mali or Niger in 2021, according to the NGO Acled.

35 civilians killed in IED blast in Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU: At least 35 civilians were killed and 37 wounded Monday when an IED blast struck a convoy carrying supplies in Burkina Faso’s jihadist-hit north, the governor of the Sahel region said. The landlocked African state is in the grip of a seven-year-old insurgency that has claimed more...

www.arabnews.com

 

[jward]

Burkina Faso army captain announces overthrow of military government
Text by:
3-4 minutes

A Burkina Faso army captain on Friday announced the ouster of military leader Paul-Henri Damiba and the suspension of the country's constitution and transitional charter in a statement read on national television.

Army Captain Ibrahim Traoré said a group of officers had decided to remove Damiba due to his inability to deal with a worsening Islamist insurgency.

He announced that Burkina Faso's borders were closed indefinitely and that all political and civil society activities were suspended.

Around 15 soldiers in fatigues appeared on the Radio-Television broadcaster shortly before 8pm local time and read out the statement.

"We have decided to take our responsibilities, driven by a single ideal – the restoration of security and integrity of our territory," they said.

Reporting from the capital Ouagadougou shortly after the takeover announcement, FRANCE 24’s Sophie Lamotte said a curfew has been imposed from 9pm to 5am local time.

“The streets are very calm and there’s a very strong military presence in the capital, especially surrounding the presidential palace and the telecommunication headquarters,” she said.

Earlier Friday, gunfire rang out in Ouagadougou and the state broadcaster went off air amid fears of a coup. Soldiers were seen at the city's main crossroads, especially in the Ouaga 2000 neighbourhood, but also outside the state television centre.
Rein in jihadists

Violence has long wracked the landlocked West African country where Damiba took power in a January coup, ousting elected leader Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

Damiba has pledged to restore civilian rule within two years and to defeat the armed factions.

As in bordering countries, insurgents affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group have stoked the unrest.

Thousands have died and about two million have been displaced by the fighting since 2015 when the insurgency spread into Burkina Faso, which has since become the epicentre of the violence across the Sahel.

Damiba earlier this month sacked his defence minister and assumed the role himself.

The mini-shuffle, the first since the appointment of a transitional government in March, saw only one new minister introduced – Colonel-Major Silas Keita was named minister delegate in charge of national defence and promoted to brigadier general.

More than 40 percent of Burkina Faso, a former French colony, is outside government control.

Attacks have increased since mid-March, despite the junta's vow to make security its top priority.https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220930-%F0%9F%94%B4-burkina-faso-army-captain-on-state-tv-announces-overthrow-of-military-government?ref=tw_i