Africa Week in Review – February 28 Share This /

This week, the United States Congress held three hearings, which touched on security policy in Africa; while Nigeria and Somalia wrestled anew with terrorism. Below is our roundup of security news in Africa this week.

U.S. hearings on Africa

• The U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing, “U.S. Policy Toward Sudan and South Sudan,” focused on how the individual crises in the region interrelate with each other. Donald Booth, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan (PDF), testified on the government panel. He outlined U.S. engagement with regards to both countries. Booth assured Congress that security assistance to South Sudan ceased, while the U.S. is working towards a resolution of the crisis:

I would note that our security assistance to South Sudan is not going forward at this time, and that some of it is being re-programmed to support the regional verification mechanism.

On the nongovernmental panel, two panelist addressed U.S. policy: Mr. John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project (PDF), spoke of the need of a “diplomatic surge” to prevent civil and regional war within each country; Adotei Akwei, Managing Director for Government Relations, Amnesty International USA (PDF), highlighted the problem of arms trafficking in Sudan. Akwei called for U.S. support for the expansion of the United Nations arms embargo.

• The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing, “Prospects For Peace In The Democratic Republic Of Congo And Great Lakes Region.” On the government panel, Russell D. Feingold, U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo (PDF), outlined recent progress, remaining challenges and praised the historic UN peacekeeping mandate for the proactive use of force.\

On the nongovernmental panel, two speakers emphasized the importance of security sector reform. Former U.S. Ambassador Roger Meece (PDF) and Ben Affleck, founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative (PDF), spoke to the importance of judicial, police and military reform in building sustainable peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

• The U.S. House Armed Service Committee held a hearing on “The Posture of the U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Transportation Command.” Africa was mentioned in passing. Admiral William H. McRaven, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (PDF), spoke to the importance of the human intelligence provided by special operations troops on the ground, and the rising terrorism threat in Somalia and North Africa. He emphasized the critical importance of Section 1208 of the FY2005 NDAA, which authorizes support to “foreign forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals” that assist or facilitate U.S. special operations. William M. Fraser III, USAF Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (PDF), praised the air mobility command crisis response in South Sudan and their peacekeeping support in Central African Republic and Mali.

Other news from across the region:

• Politico Magazine ran a feature, America’s 25 Most Awkward Allies, in which it highlights how the Obama administration works with repressive regimes across the world in order to advance United States’ national interests. Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Djibouti made the list. Read our blog to find out more.
• Nigeria’s Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram launched an attack on a government-run boarding school, killing 59 students. This brings the civilian death toll in Nigeria to more than 300 people this month. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the attack, and stressed the need for continued U.S. counterterrorism assistance. In the meantime, the governor of the affected Yobe state and Nigerian human rights groups are asking how this attack could take place, despite Nigerian military claims of having soldiers protect the college.
• The United States and the UN condemned the most recent al-Shabab attack. Just a week after al-Shabab attacked a UN convoy, the Islamist insurgency successfully attacked the presidential palace, one of the most secure buildings in Mogadishu. The Somali national army responded by raiding homes across the capital.
• U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of State hosted an international conference on "Countering Violent Extremist Messaging in the Greater Horn of Africa." Leaders from countries in the Middle East and Horn of Africa came together to discuss the threat of terrorism in the region.
• The U.S. Peterson Air Force Base dedicated a C-130 plane to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti “to support a growing task force dealing with issues including violence in Sudan and Somali piracy.”
• Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, addressed the country’s military, expressing concern about human rights abuses in counterterrorism raids. He asserted that any member of the military failing to adhere to “applicable rules of engagement during internal security operations would be held accountable.”