Africa Week in Review - July 11, 2014
The U.S. held military exercises with several African countries this week, while the U.S. and the European Union issued new sanctions against the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Read these top stories and other news highlights from Africa below.
·U.S. Army Africa conducted several joint military exercises and trainings as part of Western Accord 14 with Senegal and 16 other member countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Defence Web reported, “Training focused on developing the ability to plan, deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy a rapid deployment force in response to a regional crisis.” This year’s exercises marked the first time Western Accord 14 has included non-governmental organizations, civilians, and police in an effort to replicate peacekeeping operations in Africa as a way of strengthening security cooperation between civilian and military actors in West Africa.
U.S. marines and soldiers also completed a partnership exercise with Gabon to train their Gabonese counterparts in combatting illicit trade activities like narcotics trafficking.
·The U.S. government donated two Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft to Mauritania to enhance the country’s counterterrorism capabilities. The U.S. also donated a Defender patrol boat to Togo to strengthen the country’s navy forces to fight maritime piracy.
·ECOWAS issued a statement expressing its intention to strengthen counterterrorism coordination between member state security forces. This statement comes in the midst of recent security deterioration in Mali and Nigeria.
· The House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing on human rights vetting and U.S. security assistance in Nigeria and beyond. You can read more on the role of human rights restrictions and U.S. security assistance here.
·In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Gen. David Rodriguez, Commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), stated that instability in Libya and Somalia represented the greatest regional security threats in Africa. You canread the entire interview here.
·At the African Union summit, African leaders voted to grant themselves immunity from prosecution for human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in a proposed African human rights court to the dismay of human rights organizations.
· The U.S. broadened sanctions against militia groups obstructing peacekeeping efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an effort to continue the momentum in reducing violence in the country.
·Paul Shinkman, of U.S. News & World Report, argued that the U.S. military does not have the ability to assist the Nigerian military in rescuing the 200 girls held captive by Boko Haram since April. He sites the need for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions needed in other parts of Africa and the U.S. lack of knowledge of West Africa as reasons it is unable to assist Nigeria.
·South Sudan marked its third year of independence, but seven months of internal conflict have not left South Sudanese citizens without much to celebrate. Meanwhile, the European Union imposed sanctions on two South Sudanese military leaders accused of obstructing the peace process and committing grave human rights violations.
·Gordon Lubold of Foreign Policy discussed criticisms of the White House’s upcoming Africa Summit. “African leaders won't be getting any one-on-one meetings with President Barack Obama, which could leave them feeling snubbed by a leader they've long seen as unusually invested in the continent's future,” Lubold wrote.