Whose Tanks Were Those Taken By Somali Pirates?

Officials in Kenya and South Sudan are denying reports that a shipment of tanks and other military equipment was headed for Sudan when it was seized by Somali pirates last week. The reports have prompted questions about whether the Kenyan government is assisting South Sudan in its efforts to strengthen its army before a 2011 referendum on secession from the North. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has details from Nairobi.

In a telephone interview with VOA, the South Sudan army Chief of General Staff Oyay Deng Ajak said the former rebel group has nothing to do with the consignment of 33 refurbished Russian-built tanks and other arms that are aboard a hijacked Ukrainian freighter off the coast of Somalia.

"The content does not belong to us. All the documents - even the Kenyans themselves, they have publicly announced that the ship(ment) belongs to them," Ajak said.

Questions about the cargo and where it was headed arose after Somali pirates seized the ship last Thursday as it sailed toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa. The pirates are demanding $20 million for the release of the ship and its 20 crew members. On Monday, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said it believed the cargo's final destination was Sudan, not Kenya.

A maritime official based in Mombasa, Andrew Mwangura, told reporters earlier that pirates found documents that showed the T-72 tanks, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition were destined for South Sudan. Mwangura added that four other military shipments for South Sudan passed through Mombasa port in the past year.

In the Kenyan media, government spokesman Alfred Mutua and defense ministry spokesman Bogita Ongeri dismissed Mwangura's report as baseless, insisting that the seized cargo was being delivered to Kenya for use by its military.

Mwangura says what he disclosed must have been highly sensitive because he received a follow-up call from the police commissioner in Mombasa. "The commissioner called and said, 'Do not talk to the media about this issue.' I do not know why they want to kill this story," Mwangura said.

Nairobi's claim of ownership of the cargo raised eyebrows among arms experts in the region, who note that Kenya's military suppliers are Britain, China, and the United States and there is no record of any Kenyan military personnel being trained to operate Russian-built tanks. South Sudan, on the other hand, receives military assistance from both the United States and Russia and is said to be eager to equip its army in preparation for a possible renewed conflict with the government in Khartoum.

Although the delivery of the tanks and arms to South Sudan does not violate international arms control rules, it has the potential to unravel a peace deal the southern rebels signed with Khartoum in 2005 to end the country's two-decade-long civil war. The accord states that one side must consult the other before making any military purchases. It also gives the South autonomy until 2011, when a referendum will be held to determine secession from the North. But most of the country's oil reserves lie in the South, and there is fear that Khartoum, which has been purchasing aircraft and weapons from Russia and China to fill its own arsenal in recent years, may not allow southern Sudan to become independent.Kenyan government and military officials declined to speak to VOA about the controversy surrounding the seized arms shipment.

AFRICOM's Origins: Episodes Resume

Over at AFRICOMWatch this week are more details on the events and discussions at the Pentagon that lead to the standing up of AFRICOM. Be sure to check these reports out, including one later in the week which makes clear officials were talking from the outset of a "different kind" of command focused mainly on non-combat activities.

Iran and Africa: What’s Going On?

Much attention has been focused on China’s growing presence in Africa. But Iran too has been seeking expanded ties on the continent.

Just this month, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad expressed Tehran’s readiness to expand all-out relations with African countries.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran sees no limits for the expansion of ties with African countries,” and sharing its experiences with them, Ahmadinejad told his Kenyan counterpart in New York. “Iran has always sought to boost ties with African countries in all arenas,” Ahmadinejad added.

Expressing satisfaction with the establishment of Iran-Kenya joint commission, Ahmadinejad stressed the need for implementation of the previous decisions made by the two sides on developing bilateral ties in business and economy.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, for his part, briefed Ahmadinejad on Tehran-Nairobi economic ties and said, “Kenya has always had a close relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Kenya has always made efforts to take steps towards strengthening mutual ties, Kibaki said, emphasizing the necessity of expanding partnerships between the two sides in agricultural and industrial arenas. Kenyan president also invited President Ahmadinejad to pay an official visit to his country in the near future.

But that’s not all. It’s reported this month that Ghana’s government will be opening a new foreign mission in Iran to secure diplomatic ties and increase tourism.

According to the Iranian Ambassador to Ghana, Voliallah Mohammadi, over 300 Ghanaians visit Iran every year, and vice versa.

The Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Oboshie Sai-Cofie, asked the Iranian Ambassador for help with upgrading the Ghanaian tourism industry.

Iran's President Ahmadinejad also held talks with his Comoran counterpart Ahmed Abdallah Sambi on the fringes of the 63rd annual session of the UN General Assembly.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolute to help promote bilateral ties in line with agreements already reached between the two sides on energy and development fields," Ahmadinejad said.

Appreciating Iran's efforts to promote culture and industry in his country, President Sambi called for enhanced ties between the two countries.

All these developments follow the report early this month by Africa Confidential that Iran is supplying Khartoum with military equipment for its attacks in Darfur, in clear breach of the United Nations arms embargo.

On 28 August, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity Command shot down an Iranian-made Ababil-111 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which was probably controlled by Iranian technicians, say aviation and military sources. Khartoum admitted the 'accidental' loss of the drone, which it claimed was made in Sudan. It told diplomats it was crop spraying in Darfur.

However Sudan has military agreements with Tehran that include technology transfer and secondment of Iranian experts.

Early this year, Iran announced that an Iran-Africa summit would soon be held in Iran at the level of foreign ministers and their deputies. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki made the announcement in meetings with his counterparts from Tunisia, Malawi and Burkina Faso on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa. In his meeting with Mottaki, Tunisian foreign minister expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Tehran to hold the summit. Earlier, Mottaki called the year 2008 a turning point in the ties between Iran and African states.

But there were no further reports beyond that February story on Iran’s Press/TV about an actual summit.

In June, Press/TV reported African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping had said the Islamic Republic of Iran was the symbol of independence and self-confidence.

African countries are willing to boost cooperation with Iran and make use of its valuable experience in various fields, Ping said in a meeting in Egypt with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Mohammad-Reza Baqeri. He added that the groundwork has been laid for cooperation between Iran and the African Union.

Baqeri, who was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's special representative to the 13th meeting of the foreign ministers of African countries, said that Tehran has taken major strides toward the expansion of ties with African states.

Somali Pirates Hit The Jackpot: TANKS!

The Russian navy says it is sending a warship to Somalia's coast after pirates there seized a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying tanks and other military hardware, as well as crew.

According to the Voice of America, a Russian Navy spokesman says Russia will periodically send its ships to areas prone to maritime piracy in an effort to protect Russian citizens.

Ukraine's foreign ministry says three Russians are among the 21 member crew seized aboard the captured cargo ship.

The Russian news agency, Interfax, reports the ship was carrying military hardware, including 30 T-72 tanks and spare parts for armored vehicles.
Dygalo says the warship left a base in the Baltic Sea Wednesday, a day before the Ukrainian ship was seized.

On Thursday, the World Food Program reported Canada has decided to extend its naval mission protecting ships carrying humanitarian aid to Somalia for another month.

Canada was scheduled to end its naval escorts Saturday, but it extended its mission after no other country volunteered to do the job.

There have been more than 60 attacks on shipping vessels this year in the Gulf of Aden and along Somalia's east coast. None of the attacks have been against WFP vessels because they have naval escorts.

Somali Pirates Take On The Wrong Target

The U.S. Navy says a security team fired warning shots Wednesday at two small boats that tried to approach a naval supply ship off the coast of Somalia.

According to the Voice of America, the Navy's Fifth Fleet says the shots were fired after a number of "defensive measures" were taken to deter the boats from approaching the USNS John Lenthall.

A naval statement says the shots landed about 50 meters from the closest boat and resulted in both small boats ending their pursuit. There were no reported casualties.

Well-armed pirates, using powerful speedboats, have attacked more than 55 ships and private vessels through the Gulf of Aden and along Somalia's east coast this year.

The United States and other countries have increased patrols and security in the area in an effort to protect the shipping lanes.

The international combined task force (CTF) said this week it has helped thwart more than a dozen attacks since its inception in August. However, it warned that mariners must remain vigilant, adding that CTF patrols cannot guarantee safety in the region.

The Somali government is fighting an Islamist insurgency and lacks the power or resources to stop the hijackings.

Somali Pirates Threat

In a telephone interview with the Voice of America, a man identified as the spokesman of the pirate group based in the northern Puntland town of Eyl says the group wants the European Union to pressure France to release immediately six pirates captured in a recent raid.

VOA Nairobi correspondent Alisha Ryu has been following the pirates’ activity very closely. She reports the spokesman, who calls himself Bileh, says if European nations refuse to negotiate the release of his compatriots, his group will begin targeting all Europeans. He says every European hostage would be beheaded.

The captured Somali pirates were transferred to Paris after French commandos mounted a raid last week to free a French couple kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Somalia on September 2.

Last week, EU foreign ministers decided to set up a special unit to coordinate warship patrols off the coast of Somalia to protect ships from piracy.

In support of that mission, Spain deployed military aircraft to the Horn on Saturday to collect information on the movements of pirates.

This year, well-armed pirates, using powerful speedboats, have attacked more than 55 ships and private vessels sailing through the Gulf of Aden and along Somalia's east coast.

The group in Eyl, Puntland is believed to be the largest of the various pirate groups operating in Somalia. Pirates in Eyl and the factional leaders and businessmen who control them are said to have earned about $30 million this year in ransom payments. The group is currently holding about a dozen ships and their crew hostage.(See the rest of the story here)

One other note: on AFRICOMWatch today is another story on the origins of the new U.S. military command. The latest posting deals with how increasing US energy reliance on sub-Saharan African oil-exporting countries helped pave the way to expanded security cooperation between the Bush administration and select African governments.

Africa Is Important, But...

A newly-revised US global military organization plan unveiled in 2002 left one major world geographic area uncovered by its own unique and dedicated American military command. That area: Africa.

The highlight of the new US command plan is the creation of Northern Command, called NorthCom. It will, for the first time, coordinate military responsibilities in North America, including the defense of US territory. It joins the other existing so-called, unified military commands with geographic responsibilities - SouthCom, covering Central and South America; EuCom, or the European Command covering East and West Europe including Russia; PaCom, responsible for the Asia-Pacific region; and CentCom, or Central Command, covering the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

But there is no Africa Command. The responsibility for coordinating military-to-military matters with officials on the African continent is still split between the US EuropeanCommand, the Central Command and the Pacific Command.

It reflects what the Pentagon's top Africa official concedes is the continent's low-priority status at the Department of Defense.

(See the rest of this story on AFRICOMWatch.)

AFRICOM: Its Origins and Aims

With the new Africa Command scheduled to "stand up" at the end of the month, it struck me as worthwhile to recall some, hopefully most, of the steps that led to this major event. So let me begin here:

It was on February 6, 2007 that the White House issued the following news release:

President Bush Creates a Department of Defense Unified Combatant Command for Africa

Today, I am pleased to announce my decision to create a Department of Defense Unified Combatant Command for Africa. I have directed the Secretary of Defense to stand up U.S. Africa Command by the end of fiscal year 2008.

This new command will strengthen our security cooperation with Africa and create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa. Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth in Africa.

We will be consulting with African leaders to seek their thoughts on how Africa Command can respond to security challenges and opportunities in Africa. We will also work closely with our African partners to determine an appropriate location for the new command in Africa.

Next: Just five years earlier, on April 18, 2002, a newly-revised US global military organization plan excluded Africa.

Angola: Election Irregularities

Human Rights Watch has issued a statement on Angola’s Parliamentary elections earlier this month. It says the voting was “marred by numerous irregularities.”

The ruling MPLA won more than 80 percent of the vote, the first held in Angola since 1992. But key problems identified by Human Rights Watch include “obstruction by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of accreditation for national electoral observers, its failure to respond to media bias in favor of the ruling party, and severe delays by the Angolan government in providing funds to opposition parties.”

HRW says the evidence suggests the polls did not meet the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections in key areas.

“With presidential elections due in 2009, Angola needs to reform the electoral commission so it isn’t dominated by the ruling party and can respond effectively to election problems,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “If the electoral commission isn’t reformed, there’s a risk that Angolans and international partners could lose confidence in the country’s fledgling democratic process.”

You can read the entire statement here.

AFRICOM and Africa's Navies

New posting on AFRICOMWatch about the U.S. naval engagement with Africa through the Africa Partnership Station.

Urgent at AFRICOMWatch

AFRICOM has reacted to reports that its budget for the coming fiscal year will be slashed by 80 percent. Read the latest at AFRICOMWatch.

Zimbabwe Power-Sharing (And the Kenyan Experience with Political Deals)

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara shook hands over a landmark power-sharing agreement before half-a-dozen African heads of state and several thousand supporters in Harare. After three decades of undisputed rule, the accord calls for Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to share power with the opposition.

Under the accord, Mr. Mugabe is to continue as head-of-state and preside over cabinet meetings. Mr. Tsvangirai, who heads the largest faction of the Movement for Democratic Change, is to assume the newly created post of prime minister and chair the newly created Council of Ministers.

A smaller opposition (MDC) faction led by Arthur Mutambara, is to receive three ministries and Mutambara is to assume one of two newly created positions of deputy prime minister.

The president's party is to receive 15 ministerial portfolios, while Mr. Tsvangirai's group is to receive 13 ministries and the Mutambara faction is to receive three cabinet posts.

You can read more in a report by VOA’s Scott Bobb.

What interests me is whether Zimbabwe and those observing the situation there can learn anything from Kenya’s experience earlier this year in forging a power-sharing deal.

That deal, too, won international praise. President Mwai Kibaki appeared to have stolen an election, like Mugabe. But he OK’ed the creation of a Prime Minister position for opposition rival Raila Odinga.

Moreover, consider this. As the Washington Post reported:

“Kibaki and Odinga have rewarded supporters with high-salary positions as ministers and assistant ministers, resulting in a 94-member Cabinet that is the biggest and most expensive in Kenyan history. Parliament members, the highest paid on the continent, were sworn in and soon got down to the business of trying to resist an attempt to tax their pay of $120,000 a year.”

Question: was Kenya’s opposition “bought”? And has Zimbabwe’s opposition “sold out”?

What do you think?

Does AFRICOM Have A Future?

Maybe yes, maybe no.

Over at AFRICOMWatch:

“Despite past and present controversies regarding US Africa Command (AFRICOM), it is likely that the new command's transition to full operational status on 1 October 2008 will occur with relative ease. In addition, once AFRICOM is established as a stand-alone command it will likely continue to work to minimize misconceptions through its actions, further decreasing related dissent within both the US and Africa over the next year.”

That’s the view in the Intel Brief by Shannon Ferrucci for Mercyhurst College.

On the other hand, David Axe, writing on Wired, has this:

“Could the Pentagon's newest regional command be dead before it ever really got started? Maybe, if steep Congressional cuts to Africa Command, aka AFRICOM, hold -- and if the command can't make its purpose clearer to skeptical Congresscritters.”

Angola: Voting and Mass Graves

Two items on Voice of America involving Angola:

UNITA Concedes:

In Angola, the opposition UNITA party has accepted defeat in the country's legislative elections, after the electoral commission said that - with nearly 80 percent of the votes counted - the ruling MPLA party was leading with more than 80 percent and the opposition UNITA party was second with 10 percent. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Luanda.

Mass Graves Found:

A human rights group has released details on the discovery of mass graves along the Namibian-Angolan border. The National Society for Human Rights says they're located in the northern Ohangwena region. Read more here.

Sudan Gets Iranian Military Help?

Africa Confidential says that an unmanned drone shot down by a Darfur rebel group on August 28 was an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, which was operating in the Darfur region in violation of the U.N. arms embargo.

Africa Confidential Editor Patrick Smith tells VOA’s Alisha Ryu in Nairobi that rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement Unity faction recovered parts of the UAV and helped western military experts identify it. He says the drone, which is capable of carrying a 45-kilogram bomb, was probably controlled by Iranian technicians in Sudan.

"Sudanese rebel forces got hold of parts of it and they have spoken to several international governments about it because of the implications of Iran breaking sanctions. We are absolutely certain about this. It is an open secret that the Iranians have been training their [Sudan's] military operatives. That is beyond dispute," he said.

The government in Khartoum acknowledged last month that it had lost a drone in Darfur, but officials said the unmanned plane was made in Sudan and that it had been spraying pesticides on crops when it crashed.

Khartoum's Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mutruf Sadiq says he has no knowledge of Iranian-made UAVs operating in Darfur. But he denied that Tehran is providing military training and assistance to Sudanese forces.

"No, no, no, no, no. We do not have any Iranian military experts here in Sudan. It is absolute nonsense," he said. (See the whole story here)

Angola's MPLA Winning Big, UNITA Complaining Loud

Angola's ruling party appears headed for a landslide victory as election officials count the votes from parliamentary elections on Friday and Saturday. With nearly three-fourths of the ballots counted (74.9 percent), the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA, has received more than 81 percent of the vote while the opposition Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA, has about 10 percent. Correspondent Scott Bobb of the Voice of America reports from Luanda:

Voters in Angola have delivered a resounding endorsement to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the MPLA, which has governed since independence.

The opposition Union for the Total Liberation of Angola, called UNITA, ran a distant second. UNITA leader Isaias Samakuva said his party had filed a protest with the Electoral Commission over what he said were numerous flaws.

He says as a result, the election results might not accurately reflect the will of the Angolan people. But he urged his supporters to remain calm and said his party remained committed to peace, democracy and reconstruction.

A group of observers from the Pan-African Parliamentary Union Sunday, listed more than one-dozen flaws. But one of its delegates, Johnson Bartile Toskin of Uganda, said there was no sign of violence.

"We are very satisfied with the conduct of the elections in Angola," Toskin said. "We are very appreciative with the enthusiasm of the Angolan people and we can say that all in all the elections were free and fair."

The Plataforma network of Angolan observer groups fielded 1300 monitors across the country. It recorded six incidents of violence or intimidation and more than 400 other irregularities, mostly due to a lack of voting materials. But a spokesperson, Sizaltina Cutaia, said there was no evidence of coercion.

"There are issues which we are going to write specific recommendations for, but we definitely cannot say that there has been coercion," she said. "So what we are saying is that the environment was conducive for people to democratically and freely elect their representatives."

Observers from the southern African community, SADC, also expressed general satisfaction with the process despite the complaints.

These were the second multi-party elections in the nation's history and the first since a peace accord ended Angola's 27-year civil war.

Voters appeared to endorse the government's use of revenues from the booming petroleum industry to accelerate the reconstruction of roads, railways and education and health services.

UNITA and 12 other opposition parties campaigned on the need for change after three decades of MPLA rule.

More than 5,000 candidates competed for the 220 seats in the national assembly. Each party was given air-time on state-owned broadcasting media to present its platform.

But opposition parties and some human rights organizations accused the government of using patronage and its influence over the media to favor the ruling party.

The vote is seen as a forerunner of presidential elections due next year.

Angola's MPLA Appears En Route to Landslide Election Victory

Angola's ruling party appears headed for a landslide victory as election officials count the votes from parliamentary elections on Friday and Saturday. With more than two-thirds of the ballots counted (67 percent), the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA, has received more than 80 percent of the vote while the opposition Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA, has about 10 percent. Correspondent Scott Bobb of the Voice of America reports from Luanda.

Voters in Angola have delivered a resounding endorsement to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the MPLA, which has governed since independence.

The opposition Union for the Total Liberation of Angola, called UNITA, ran a distant second. UNITA leader Isaias Samakuva said his party had filed a protest with the Electoral Commission over what he said were numerous flaws.

He says as a result, the election results might not accurately reflect the will of the Angolan people. But he urged his supporters to remain calm and said his party remained committed to peace, democracy and reconstruction.

Voting was extended for a second day Saturday after many polling stations failed on Friday to open on time and others ran out of ballot papers.

A group of observers from the Pan-African Parliamentary Union listed more than one dozen flaws. But one of its delegates, Johnson Bartile Toskin of Uganda, said there was no sign of violence.

"We are very satisfied with the conduct of the elections in Angola," said Johnson Bartile Toskin. "We are very appreciative with the enthusiasm of the Angolan people and we can say that all in all the elections were free and fair."

The Plataforma network of Angolan observer groups fielded 1,300 monitors across the country. It recorded six incidents of violence or intimidation and more than 400 other irregularities, mostly due to a lack of voting materials. But a spokesperson, Sizaltina Cutaia, said there was no evidence of coercion.

"There are issues which we are going to write specific recommendations for, but we definitely cannot say that there has been coercion," said Sizaltina Cutaia. "So what we are saying is that the environment was conducive for people to democratically and freely elect their representatives."

Observers from the southern African community, SADC, also expressed general satisfaction with the process despite the complaints.

These were the second multi-party elections in the nation's history and the first since a peace accord ended Angola's 27-year civil war.

Voters appeared to endorse the government's use of revenues from the booming petroleum industry to accelerate the reconstruction of roads, railways and education and health services.

UNITA and 12 other opposition parties campaigned on the need for change after three decades of MPLA rule.

More than 5,000 candidates competed for the 220 seats in the national assembly. Each party was given air-time on state-owned broadcasting media to present its platform.

But opposition parties and some human rights organizations accused the government of using patronage and its influence over the media to favor the ruling party.

The vote is seen as a forerunner of presidential elections due next year.

Obama and McCain on Africa

Obama and Africa:

The following comes from the Obama campaign website:

Obama's Record: As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Barack Obama has fought to focus America's attention on the challenges facing Africa – stopping the genocide in Darfur, passing legislation to promote stability in the Congo and to bring a war criminal to justice in Liberia, mobilizing international pressure for a just government in Zimbabwe, fighting corruption in Kenya, demanding honesty on HIV/AIDS in South Africa, developing a coherent strategy for stabilizing Somalia, and travelling across the continent raising awareness for these critical issues. He has also increased America's focus on the long term challenges of education, poverty reduction, disease, strengthening democratic institutions and spurring sustainable economic development in Africa.

Stop the Genocide in Darfur: As president, Obama will take immediate steps to end the genocide in Darfur by increasing pressure on the Sudanese and pressure the government to halt the killing and stop impeding the deployment of a robust international force. He will hold the government in Khartoum accountable for abiding by its commitments under the Comprehensive Peace Accord that ended the 30 year conflict between the north and south. Obama worked with Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) to pass the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act in 2006.

Fight Poverty: Obama will double our annual investment in foreign assistance from $25 billion in 2008 to $50 billion by the end of his first term and make the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, America's goals. He will fully fund debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries in order to provide sustainable debt relief and invest at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including our fair share of the Global Fund.

Expand Prosperity: Obama will expand prosperity by establishing an Add Value to Agriculture Initiative, creating a fund that will extend seed capital and technical assistance to small and medium enterprises, and reforming the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He will launch the Global Energy and Environment Initiative to ensure African countries have access to low carbon energy technology and can profitably participate in the new global carbon market so as to ensure solid economic development even while the world dramatically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions. Obama will also strengthen the African Growth and Opportunity Act to ensure that African producers can access the U.S. market and will encourage more American companies to invest on the continent.


McCain and Africa

I could find no policy statement on the McCain campaign website. However the following come from an article McCain wrote in the November/December 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine:

AIDING AN AFRICAN RENAISSANCE

Africa's problems -- poverty, corruption, disease, and instability -- are well known. Less discussed is the promise offered by many countries on that continent. My administration will seek to engage on a political, economic, and security level with friendly governments across Africa. Many African nations will not reach their true potential without external assistance to combat the entrenched problems, such as HIV/AIDS, that afflict Africans disproportionately. I will establish the goal of eradicating malaria -- the number one killer of African children under the age of five -- on the continent. In addition to saving millions of lives in the world's poorest regions, such a campaign would do much to add luster to America's image in the world. These and other efforts, including enhancing trade and investment, would assist Africans in sparking a renaissance that would enable the continent's people to achieve their potential.

Africa continues to offer the most compelling case for humanitarian intervention. With respect to the Darfur region of Sudan, I fear that the United States is once again repeating the mistakes it made in Bosnia and Rwanda. In Bosnia, we acted late but eventually saved countless lives. In Rwanda, we stood by and watched the slaughter and later pledged that we would not do so again. The genocide in Darfur demands U.S. leadership. My administration will consider the use of all elements of American power to stop the outrageous acts of human destruction that have unfolded there.

In addition to the preceding Africa specific comments, McCain’s article included a number of other references to African countries:

We should go further by linking democratic nations in one common organization: a worldwide League of Democracies. This would be unlike Woodrow Wilson's doomed plan for the universal-membership League of Nations. Instead, it would be similar to what Theodore Roosevelt envisioned: like-minded nations working together for peace and liberty. The organization could act when the UN fails -- to relieve human suffering in places such as Darfur, combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, fashion better policies to confront environmental crises, provide unimpeded market access to those who endorse economic and political freedom, and take other measures unattainable by existing regional or universal-membership systems.

This League of Democracies would not supplant the UN or other international organizations but complement them by harnessing the political and moral advantages offered by united democratic action. By taking steps such as bringing concerted pressure to bear on tyrants in Burma (renamed Myanmar by its military government in 1989) or Zimbabwe, uniting to impose sanctions on Iran, and providing support to struggling democracies in Serbia and Ukraine, the League of Democracies would serve as a unique handmaiden of freedom. If I am elected president, during my first year in office I will call a summit of the world's democracies to seek the views of my counterparts and explore the steps necessary to realize this vision -- just as America led in creating NATO six decades ago.

Dealing with a rising China will be a central challenge for the next American president…. When China builds new submarines, adds hundreds of new jet fighters, modernizes its arsenal of strategic ballistic missiles, and tests antisatellite weapons, the United States legitimately must question the intent of such provocative acts. When China threatens democratic Taiwan with a massive arsenal of missiles and warlike rhetoric, the United States must take note. When China enjoys close economic and diplomatic relations with pariah states such as Burma, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, tension will result.

Angola Votes!

One of Africa’s top oil producers, Angola, is about to hold elections --- a rare and, hence, long-awaited event.

VOA Reporter Scott Bobb, a veteran Africa correspondent, is in Luanda to cover the vote and has been interviewed. One question put to him: will the vote be free and fair?

His reply: “It depends who you ask. The ruling party and the government believe that they are and will be. The opposition parties, in particular UNITA, have complained of a lack of access to the media, that, although they have five minutes every night, each party does, on national television, the media have devoted a very large amount of coverage to the achievements of the government.”

In how many other sub-Saharan countries have we heard that complaint before?

Check Out AFRICOMWatch

I've started up another blog, as some of you have detected. It is called AFRICOMWatch. I may post there from time to time, and when I do, I will note it here (and vice versa). Today there is a post on an article that discloses one of the chief problems facing the new military command.