Africa Week in Review 7/18/2014 Share This /

The United States Africa Command gave the Mauritanian military two aircrafts with advanced surveillance equipment worth $21 million each and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking approval from legislators to borrow $1 billion from foreign governments to fight terrorism. Read more about these stories and other news highlights from the African region below. 

• The Pentagon awarded Kellog Brown and Root (KBR) a $56.56 million contract for base operation support services at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the only official American military base in Africa. Since September 11, 2001, Camp Lemonnier has become the main hub for U.S. Special Forces and military aircraft in the region, and will be undergoing a series of additional upgrades including training facilities, air operations, facility support and housing.

• In an effort to strengthen Mauritania’s counterterrorism capabilities, United States Africa Command provided the Mauritanian military with two military aircrafts with advanced surveillance equipment worth $21 million each. The U.S. and Mauritania have deepened their relationship in recent years due to ongoing threats from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Marion Wohlers, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania stated,  “ Mauritania remains an important partner in the Sahel in terms of establishing regional security." 

• The Somali and Eritrean Monitoring group, an 8-person United Nations committee, released a confidential report to the U.N. Security Council accusing Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, former foreign minister Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam and the U.S.-based law firm Shulman Rogers of conspiring to divert the recovery of overseas Somali assets.

• The U.N. Monitoring Group said that their findings “reflects exploitation of public authority for private interests and indicates at the minimum a conspiracy to divert the recovery of overseas assets in an irregular manner.” These accusations, if accurate, could scare off foreign donors who had pledged billions towards reconstructing Somalia after decades of war, the report suggested. 

• Former South Sudan vice president and leader of the armed opposition faction released a proposal to restructure South Sudan by creating new state systems based on a democratic federal constitution. The opposition leader’s spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, mentioned that the “creation of new states will promote development as it will take towns to the people.”
• Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking approval from legislators to borrow $1 billion from foreign governments to fund equipment and counterterrorism training that will enable them to confront threats from Boko Haram. President Jonathan’s letter stated,  “the loan could include arrangements with other governments and would not exceed $1 billion,” however, did not specify which countries he will be approaching for the loan.
• The South Sudanese army received a delivery of arms from the Chinese arms manufacturer China North Industries Group Corp (Norinco). According to Bloomerang, this $38 million arms shipment includes “100 HJ-73D anti-tank missile launchers, nine simulators, 200 batteries, 1,200 missiles,” in addition to a number of small arms. South Sudanese defense minister General Kuol Manyang Juuk stated that these arms “were ordered well before the outbreak of the ongoing civil war in December last year” and will serve the purpose of equipping his army to defend the nation.