Africa Week in Review – January 24, 2013 Share This /

Two of Africa’s violent conflicts made some tentative progress with a temporary ceasefire signed in South Sudan and an election of an Interim President in Central African Republic. Additionally, Nigeria will launch a special counterterrorism command. The U.S. is increasing its Africa-focused Marine force.  Below is a roundup of these stories and some of the other top articles and news highlights from around Africa over the last week:

• Nigeria launched an Army Special Operations Command (NASOC) to lead the fight against Boko Haram. According to Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, the U.S. embassy, U.S. Africa Command and Special Operations Command will provide training assistance and some training equipment for the new command. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle affirmed U.S. support for Nigeria: “We are committed to partnering with and supporting you in your ongoing efforts to restore peace and security to all of Nigeria.” For more information on NASOC, read Africa analyst Lesley Anne Warner’s blog.
• The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the U.S. requested to expand its Africa-focused rapid reaction Marine base in Morón, Spain during meetings with the Spanish Prime Minister last week. The airbase, which hosts the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, was designed to allay security concerns after the terror attack against the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. The air base should permit rapid deployment to crisis zones in Africa, though analysts write that its role has since expanded, becoming “a strategic tool for AFRICOM.” Under the current agreement, the U.S. could only increase the size of the force from 500 to 900 personnel.
• After another week with of civilians massacres reported in the South Sudan conflict, rebels and the government have signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on Thursday evening. The ceasefire is a temporary measure to allow humanitarian access and create the space for further negotiations. Both the White House and the State Department released statements praising the agreement as a critical first step, reinforcing USAID’s call for unfettered humanitarian access, and congratulating the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediation team for this progress. In a sign of just how tenuous the ceasefire is, by Friday the rebel leader Riek Machar accused the government of violating the ceasefire, though he called for restraint amongst his forces. The United Nations and human rights activists asserted that next steps must include a conversation around accountability for mass human rights violations.
• The Central African Republic’s Transitional Council elected Bangui’s mayor, Catherine Samba-Panza, as an interim president. Samba-Panza pledged to enter into a dialogue with warring factions, and urged them to put down their arms. The U.S. State Department praised the selection, affirming the United States’ intention to work with Samba-Panza in conflict resolution.
• The White House announced it would host the first U.S. Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC this coming fall. The agenda will be focused on trade and investment, but will also “highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security.” Nearly 50 government representatives will be invited to participate. Opposition leaders in Gambia called on the U.S. to use this opportunity to call for accountability for human rights concerns, political repression and corruption in Gambia and beyond.

Quick hits across Africa:

• Mass human rights abuses were reported in Central African Republic this week, including the conscription of child soldiers, the dumping of burned bodies, and the discovery of mass graves. UN experts continued to warn against the risk of genocide.
• Cameroonian civilians reported cross-border attacks from Seleka rebels from the Central African Republic, but to date, the Cameroonian government denied the attack.
• France is set to expand its military presence in Africa with specialized new outposts throughout the Sahel region, a large airbase in Chad, as well as a drone base in Niger. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian reportedly briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the plans this week.
• France renewed counter-terrorism operations in the North of Mali, where they suspect that the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s group Signatories in Blood may be regrouping.
• The African Union continued its engagement in the reconciliation process with armed groups in Northern Mali to work towards a lasting peace agreement. The AU also affirmed it is working with Mali in governance reform, with a particular focus on “reform in the security sector.”
• The European Union voted to provide political approval for a possible EU military operation to reinforce France and the African Union of the International Support Mission in the CAR (MISCA) peacekeeping force. Details of the mission are still being negotiated.
• A UN group of experts report that they have obtained credible evidence that the M23 rebels, thought to be recently defeated, are recruiting in Rwanda. The M23 rebels were a major force in the continued conflict in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda is protesting the report.
• Pirates off the Angolan coast are suspected to have hijacked a fuel tanker in what would be first pirate attack in Angola’s waters. The Angolan Navy is pursuing the ship.
• Uganda launched rapid response centers designed to prepare its soldiers to “be operational as soon as possible” for intervention in regional conflicts.
• Ethiopia sent 400 troops to join the UN-backed African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia this week.
• South Sudan’s forces tried to forcibly enter a UN peacekeeping base, where civilians took shelter. The UN refused entry to any armed personnel, resulting in a high-profile row between the President Salva Kiir and the UN.