United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 15 May 2012 USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please see below news review for May 15, 2012. Of interest in today's clips: ---US Welcomes Arrest of Senior LRA Member -- Could LRA commander's capture help net Joseph Kony? -- African Initiative Keeps Lord's Resistance Army on the Run (Video) -- Puntland Gov't Says Draft Constitution 'Unrealistic and Unsuitable' U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: publicaffairs@usafricom.mil DSN (314) 421-2687 or commercial +49-(0)711-729-2687 Headline Date Outlet

US Welcomes Arrest of 05/15/2012 AFP Senior LRA Member

WASHINGTON -- The White House Monday welcomed the capture by Ugandan forces of a top member of the Lord's Resistance Army which raised hopes the net could be tightening around the group's leader Joseph Kony.

Could LRA Commander's The Capture Help Christian 05/15/2012 Net Joseph Science Kony? Monitor (+video)
As the Ugandan Army told it, the end of the hunt for at least one senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander was as it often is: ignominious and unexpected.

African Initiative Keeps Lord's 05/15/2012 U.N. News Resistance Army on the Run (Video)
The United Nations-backed military initiative launched recently by the African Union against the terror group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has kept its members constantly on the move and unable to settle down in any one place for long, accordi...

Somalia: Puntland Gov't Says

05/15/2012

Radio Garowe

Draft Constitution 'Unrealistic and Unsuitable'

GAROWE, Somalia -- After reviewing the Somalia draft constitution, the Puntland government says the proposed constitution violates the principles of federalism, Radio Garowe reports.

Mogadishu Shabelle Blasts Kill 05/15/2012 Media Three People Network

At least three people were killed and two others injured in hand grenade attacks at a base controlling by Somalia government forces in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Sunday.

Egypt's Brotherhood Sees Years of 05/15/2012 Reuters Friction Ahead

CAIRO - Egypt is destined for up to eight years of friction between reformists and the powerful military seeking to safeguard its interests after handing power to a civilian president, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood said on Sunday.

NATO Must Probe Deaths Daily of 72 05/15/2012 Nation Civilians in Libya

NATO must account for the killing of dozens of civilians during its 2011 air campaign which helped topple Muammar Gaddafi, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

Fighting Threatens Gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo

05/15/2012 CNN

Fighting between the national army and rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening mountain gorillas, a critically endangered species, the Virunga National Park said Sunday.

U.S. Naval Phoenix Forces Express 2012 05/15/2012 EuropeConducts Africa/U.S. MIO Training 6th Fleet
SOUDA BAY, Crete, May 14, 2012 -- Maritime forces participated in a multinational maritime interdiction operation (MIO) training exercise at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Center in Souda Bay, Greece, as part of exercise Phoenix Express 2012 (PE1...

African Military Officers Visit U.S. U.S. Africa AFRICOM as 05/15/2012 Command Part of Marshall Center Program

STUTTGART, Germany, May 14, 2012 -- Eight African military officers who are students at the George C. Marshall Center visited U.S. Africa Command May 11, 2012, to learn more about AFRICOM's mission and objectives.

U.S. Army Africa Chaplain U.S. Africa Team 05/15/2012 Command Engages with Burundi Counterparts
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, May 14, 2012 -- A two-man traveling contact team visited the Defense Institute for Superior Army Training in Bujumbura, Burundi in May 2012 to work with 16 Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF) chaplains and psychologists with a focus o...

United United Nations News Nations 05/15/2012 Center News Africa Briefs Center
-- Ban praises Algerian elections and greater representation of women -- Security Council strongly condemns attack on UN peacekeepers in DR Congo -- UN humanitarian official praises Ethiopia's efforts on food security amid drought

News Headline: US Welcomes Arrest of Senior LRA Member | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: AFP News Text: WASHINGTON The White House Monday welcomed the capture by Ugandan forces of a top member of the Lord's Resistance Army which raised hopes the net could be tightening around the group's leader Joseph Kony. Caesar Acellam, considered the LRA's fourth-highest ranking member, was arrested by Ugandan forces in Central African Republic and was flown Sunday to the South Sudanese headquarters of the regional armies hunting the LRA. "The United States congratulates the government of Uganda on the capture of one of the senior commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) by the Ugandan military," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "The capture... (of Acellam) is a testament to the resolve of Uganda and its military forces to work with regional forces to end the threat posed by the LRA." The Ugandan army is leading a US-backed African Union force tasked with capturing the LRA's leaders, several of whom are wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Kony started his rebellion in northern Uganda more than two decades ago, but has since been chased to the jungles of neighboring central African states. The LRA has since been wrecking havoc in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kony is wanted by the ICC for rape, mutilation and murder of civilians, as well

as forcibly recruiting children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves. US President Barack Obama last month prolonged the mission of 100 US special forces helping Ugandan troops scour thick African jungles for Kony. Obama authorized the deployment last year. Statement by the Press Secretary on Uganda's Capture of a Senior Commander in the Lord's Resistance Army The United States congratulates the Government of Uganda on the capture of one of the senior commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) by the Ugandan military. The capture of Maj. Gen. Ceasar Acellam is a testament to the resolve of Uganda and its military forces to work with regional forces to end the threat posed by the LRA. Ugandan and other regional forces continue to pursue the LRA and keep its leadership on the run. The United States joins regional governments and the African Union in calling on abductees and remaining members of the LRA to depart the ranks of the LRA and peacefully surrender. Support is available to help those who defect and peacefully surrender to return to their home communities and build a new life. While the capture of Acellam is an important step forward, the LRA continues to pose a deadly threat to civilians. The United States is committed to supporting the people and governments of the region in their collective efforts, in coordination with the African Union and United Nations, to protect civilians and end this threat. A small number of U.S. military advisors continue to assist Uganda and other regional forces pursuing the LRA and seeking to protect local populations. As President Obama has said, it is part of our regional strategy to end the scourge that is the LRA, and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier.
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News Headline: Could LRA Commander's Capture Help Net Joseph Kony? (+video) | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: The Christian Science Monitor News Text: By Max Delany As the Ugandan Army told it, the end of the hunt for at least one senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander was as it often is: ignominious and unexpected. Kony hunt: Ugandan army captures senior LRA commander Kony 2012: Campaign against African warlord goes viral, now who is he? How US special forces help in the hunt for Joseph Kony (+video) .Ceasar Acellam, the highest-ranking Lord's Resistance Army commander captured, talks about war. For three weeks Ugandan troops had been camped out waiting in ambush for a suspected group of fighters from the brutal LRA that had been monitored somewhere on the other side of the river

that marks the border between Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo. Our boys were just advancing a bit, searching the area, when they came across a small path in the forest, Jackson Kayanja, one of the commanders in charge of the operation, said. They followed it and then suddenly, surprisingly, they found him right in front of them. One group of soldiers was circling in from the side and fired, Mr. Kayanja said. No one was hit. Then he just did this, Kayanja said, throwing his hands up in the sign of surrender. RELATED: 7 excellent books about Kony and the LRA The gangly man standing with his hands in the air next to a woman clutching a baby and a teenage girl was Maj. Gen. Ceasar Acellam, and for the Ugandan Army this was a major coup. Up until that point on Saturday morning, Acellam was the third-highest ranking commander in vicious warlord Joseph Kony's rebel outfit. Now he had become the highest-ranking officer in the LRA's 25-year insurgency ever to be captured alive. Yesterday I did meet a group that was there on a mission, a laconic Acellam told a small group of journalists who had been flown by the Ugandan Army to its forward base at Djema on Sunday. I knew I was in the hands of the [Ugandan Army]. Who is Acellam? Recruited in 1988, just one year after Kony launched his armed insurgency to overthrow the Ugandan government and impose the biblical Ten Commandments, Acellam rose to become the LRA's intelligence chief and one of Mr. Kony's key deputies. An erudite man he referenced The Art of War in response to one journalist's question Acellam claimed he had left his group of 30, including 14 fighters, in Congo several days earlier and was, anyway, on his way to hand himself over to the Ugandan Army. As the Ugandan commanders sitting around him talked up his significance, he tried to play down his importance. He'd ceased being a key figure after being shot in 2002, he said. He was only a sector commander, he claimed. But even if his influence has waned, he had to admit that his capture would send shock waves through the LRA. My coming out will have a big impact for the people in the bush to come out and end the war soon, Acellam said. Acellam's capture could see the LRA suffer more than just a hit to its morale, analysts say, and could help the Ugandan Army locate Kony.

I think his capture will help the anti-LRA operations because he'll have the most up-to-date analysis of where specific LRA groups and commanders are, what their future plans and strategies are, and exactly how the LRA command structure has evolved in the past year, Paul Ronan, cofounder of US-based advocacy group Resolve says. Acellam is also an Arabic speaker and has acted as a key liaison between the LRA and its former backer the Sudanese government, Mr. Ronan says. Now he could also help answer the thorny question of whether Khartoum has restarted its support for Kony. Will he talk? And the Ugandan Army might be hopeful of getting their wily former adversary to talk. Acellam reportedly fell out with Kony during a bout of infighting around 2007 that saw Kony execute his then-deputy Vincent Otti, and it was rumored repeatedly that Acellam was ready to defect. But he did not. The Ugandan government will have to offer something most likely guaranteeing Acellam amnesty under a blanket law covering formerrebels, says Angelo Izama, an independent Ugandan analyst. They'll have to give him some kind of deal in return for cooperation, Mr. Izama says. Unlike Kony, and his two most influential commanders, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen, Acellam is not wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Remaining questions In the confusion and contradictions of the immediate aftermath of Acellam's capture, however, questions remain. Did Acellam defect or was he captured? Where are his fighters? How much does he know? But top of the list for those in the United States is: What role did US Special Forces play in Acellam's capture? Late last year President Obama deployed around 100 US Special Forces to the area to bolster the regional efforts to capture the LRA. Now they're flying high-tech surveillance planes over the vast jungles and trying to improve the Ugandans' intelligence coordination and logistics. Both US officials and Ugandan commanders refuse to talk about whether the US forces had a part in Acellam's capture. But the fact that Acellam and his group had been monitored for weeks prior in the Democratic Republic of Congo where Ugandan forces do not have access suggests some sort of outside help. Now with the combination of US help, Ugandan footwork, and Acellam's

intelligence, observers agree that there have been few better opportunities to end the LRA threat. But after 25 years in the bush, in the vast jungles of central Africa, Kony remains a master of evasion.
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News Headline: African Initiative Keeps Lord's Resistance Army on the Run (Video) | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: U.N. News News Text: The United Nations-backed military initiative launched recently by the African Union against the terror group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has kept its members constantly on the move and unable to settle down in any one place for long, according to a UN envoy. In March, the African Union launched the UN-supported Regional Cooperation Initiative against the LRA (RCI-LRA) and its military component, the Regional Task Force (RTF), to hunt down the LRA and its leader, Joseph Kony - with troops drawn from the four countries affected by the group's depredations - Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan and the Central African Republic. "I think because of the renewed commitment of the four countries, the LRA group don't have any time to settle down any more," the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Abou Moussa, said in an interview. "They move a lot, but I am sure they will have to abandon [that] in the end." Formed in the 1980s in Uganda, the LRA mainly directed its attacks against Ugandan civilians and security forces for over 15 years. By 2004, it had largely been driven of the area through a sustained military effort. It then exported its activities to Uganda's neighbouring countries, with practices that include the recruitment of children, rapes, killing and maiming, and sexual slavery. Mr. Moussa said that LRA raiders "are roaming between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic because of the density of the forest and because of the vast areas where there is no government." "Even though the 5,000 troops have not yet been [fully] mobilized there are preliminary actions that are taking place in the field which we have been able to observe that is keeping the LRA and their people very uneasy," he added. He said that the RTF is receiving training and intelligence assistance from a group of United States military advisers deployed in the region. Although current estimates suggest that the LRA comprises less than 500 combatants operating under Mr. Kony's leadership, the group's capacity to attack and terrorise and harm local communities, according to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. After a lull in LRA raids in the second half of last year, which resulted in improved security in the DRC's north-east, new attacks on civilians were

reported early this year in the DRC territories of Dungu, Faradje, Watsa, Niangara, Bondo and Ango.
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News Headline: Somalia: Puntland Gov't Says Draft Constitution 'Unrealistic and Unsuitable' | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: Radio Garowe News Text: GAROWE, Somalia After reviewing the Somalia draft constitution, the Puntland government says the proposed constitution violates the principles of federalism, Radio Garowe reports. A six member review committee was established after the Puntland government received the Somalia draft constitution late last month. The committee concluded that the draft constitution is both, "unrealistic and unsuitable" for Somalia. According to a press release from the Puntland government the draft constitution was designed for a highly centralized government. The Puntland government requested in the press release that the Somalia constitution adoption process, be delayed until major changes are made to the draft and are agreed upon by Somali stakeholders. The Somalia constitution which was under review by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)'s executive branch since September of last year were blamed for failing to present a "reliable draft Federal Constitution to Somali stakeholders." According to officials there are many unclear and undefined articles regarding power and revenue sharing among federal states. There are also contradictory articles in the draft constitution and according to a TFG source, in the Somali draft constitution there is an article that denies someone with dual citizenship the right to run for presidency. The Puntland government were also denied representation in the Committee of Experts (CoE) who along with Independent Federal Constitution Commission (IFCC) assisted in the Somalia draft constitution. In the press release it says that the Puntland sent letters to top TFG officials to but failed to receive a response. Puntland is the first state of Somalia to write a response about the Somalia draft constitution.
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News Headline: Mogadishu Blasts Kill Three People | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: Shabelle Media Network News Text: At least three people were killed and two others injured in hand grenade attacks at a base controlling by Somalia government forces in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Sunday.

The first attack took place on Saturday night around 8:00 pm local time at a military base in Bar-Ubah junction, killing three local civilians with some reports soldiers were among the dead, according to the witnesses. The second blast was reported went off at 30 venues in Mogadishu, causing unconfirmed casualties. Somali soldiers in the explosion site reportedly opened fire following the double attacks, but no fatalities were reported so far. The motive for the bomb attacks in Mogadishu on Saturday night is not yet known. Since august 2011, when Somali government soldiers backed by AU forces took over Mogadishu from Al shabab, explosions and coordinated attacks become common in the capital that claimed the lives of innocent people and troops.
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News Headline: Egypt's Brotherhood Sees Years of Friction Ahead | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: Reuters News Text: By Tom Perry and Ayman Samir CAIRO - Egypt is destined for up to eight years of friction between reformists and the powerful military seeking to safeguard its interests after handing power to a civilian president, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood said on Sunday. In an interview with Reuters, deputy Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat forecast victory for the group's candidate Mohamed Mursi in the vote that gets underway this month. The generals are due to hand power to an elected leader on July 1 or sooner. The election is the climax of a messy transition from military to civilian rule which Egyptians hope will usher in a new democratic era after 60 years of autocracy led by men with military backgrounds. Ezzat, one of the most influential figures in the movement, predicted a political tug of war with the military establishment that has developed deep political and economic influence since army officers overthrew the monarchy in 1952. "The military council has taken a definitive decision not to confront the people. But, at the same time, it has adopted an approach of clinging to power," he said. "I expect this back and forth will go on for two presidential terms," Ezzat said, adding the drafting of a new constitution would be one area where the generals would seek to guard their interests. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has been governing Egypt since Mubarak stepped down at the height of a popular uprising against his rule.

Outlawed under Mubarak, the Brotherhood has since moved to the heart of public life. It won more than 43 percent of the seats in parliament in elections that stretched from November to February. "Even if the president comes from the Brotherhood, the military council will continue to cling to power, but its chances will be lower," Ezzat said. "We will cooperate with everyone, regardless of the identity of the coming president." PRESIDENTIAL RACE The first round of the election gets underway on May 23 and 24, with a runoff expected in June. The Brotherhood's Mursi is part of a field including independent Islamists, politicians associated with the Mubarak era and leftists and liberals. Mursi has been written off by some analysts who say he lacks support outside the Brotherhood's dedicated voter base. But Ezzat dismissed the chances of Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, a former Brotherhood leader who is leading the polls together with former Arab League chief Amr Moussa. Abol Fotouh is the Brotherhood's main Islamist rival. Abol Fotouh, Ezzat said, had lost credibility in his efforts to build support among both liberals and Islamists. "You cannot join competing views, especially when you have a population whose level of awareness has become very high," he said. The Brotherhood suffered a setback when its first choice candidate, Khairat al-Shater, was disqualified, forcing back-up choice Mursi into the race. Ezzat, in his mid-60s, carries the same rank within the Brotherhood as Shater, though he has spent less time in the spotlight in the last year. He joined the Brotherhood as a teenager and was first jailed aged 21, in the era of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who outlawed the group and drove it underground in 1954. The Brotherhood has also been struggling with an image problem rooted in perceptions that it wants to squeeze others out of public life - something the group describes as a lie spread by opponents who control the media. Ezzat said most of the electorate had yet to make up their mind on how they would vote. He said that voting trends since Mubarak was deposed indicated an Islamist should win. "What concerns the general population is that the vision is Islamic and moderate. That means you are talking to a large section of the people - the general rural population in the villages - and at the same time the educated," he said. "Despite the heavy media campaign - not giving Dr. Mursi the same space - I see that the spread of the party among the people will compensate for this."

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News Headline: NATO Must Probe Deaths of 72 Civilians in Libya | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: Daily Nation News Text: NATO must account for the killing of dozens of civilians during its 2011 air campaign which helped topple Muammar Gaddafi, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. In a report, the New York-based watchdog said NATO air strikes had killed 72 civilians, including 20 women and 24 children, in what may constitute unlawful attacks on non-military targets. "Investigations are needed to explain why 72 civilians died," said Fred Abrahams, special adviser at Human Rights Watch. "Attacks are allowed only on military targets, and serious questions remain in some incidents about what exactly NATO forces were striking," added Abrahams, the main author of the report. The findings are based on visits to eight bombing sites during and after the 2011 conflict. There was "no clear military target" in seven of those sites, according to the report. HRW urged NATO to promptly investigate these incidents and present its findings to the UN Security Council. NATO attacks, which played a key role in helping rebels to bring down Gaddafi, left a deep rift in the Security Council. Russia, China, South Africa and India all say NATO's tactics breached UN resolutions, while the United States, Britain, France and Germany insist their actions were legal and life-saving. The rights watchdog acknowledged that the coalition took important steps to minimise collateral damage and that the number of casualties was "low given the extent of the bombing" in the seven-month campaign. Another rights group, Amnesty International, said in March that it had documented 55 cases of named civilians, including 16 children and 14 women, killed by NATO strikes in Libya.
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News Headline: Fighting Threatens Gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: CNN News Text: Fighting between the national army and rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening mountain gorillas, a critically endangered species, the Virunga National Park said Sunday.

Just two of the park's five gorilla patrol posts remain open after the fighting intensified and rebels reportedly moved into the area. Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest national park, is home to roughly 25% of the world's mountain gorillas. "We are deeply concerned with the safety of the mountain gorillas who are exposed to the dangers of artillery fire, but we must also take care of our staff who have to be evacuated from the combat zone. As soon as there is a lull in the fighting, we will return to check on the gorillas," Emmanuel de Merode, chief warden for Virunga National Park, said in a statement. Getting close to Rwanda's gorillas Tourist attractions will remain closed until the security situation improves, the park said. Protecting Rwanda's gorillas Mountain gorillas are critically endangered with fewer than 800 left in the wild in the mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Some 200 are thought to live in the Virunga National Park. Finding Rwanda's mountain gorillas Despite its rich resources, Congo battles violence and poverty. A decade of conflict between government forces and armed militias left millions dead as a result of the fighting and as a result of hunger and diseases. See also: Up close with Rwanda's mountain gorillas The east remains the epicenter of attacks by anti-government militias. The international community has spent massive amounts of money in an effort to stabilize the vast nation. The world's largest mountain gorilla population, thought to number fewer than 500 animals, is found in a mountainous region known as the Virungas, incorporating Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Virunga National Park. A second, smaller population can be found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in another region of Uganda. Mountain gorillas are not frequently hunted for their meat, but can be maimed or killed by poachers leaving traps or snares for other animals. They have also been killed for their body parts to be sold to collectors.
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News Headline: Phoenix Express 2012 Conducts MIO Training | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet News Text: By Petty Officer 3rd Class Caitlin Conroy SOUDA BAY, Crete, May 14, 2012 Maritime forces participated in a multinational maritime interdiction operation (MIO) training exercise at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Center in Souda Bay, Greece, as part of exercise Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12), May 10.

Service members from Moroccan naval vessel Mohamed V (F 611) and guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) received training from Hellenic and U.S. Navy instructors who focused on boarding procedures. Chief Master-at-Arms Ruben Villanueva stressed the importance of maintaining control of crew and suspects when conducting MIO procedures, as well as knowing how to work alongside partnering nations. "It's important for everyone here to train together and learn to cooperate with one another, because you never know who is assisting you out at sea while performing MIO operations," said Villanueva, assigned to NCIS Security Training Assistance Team. Course participants were broken up into teams to practice tactics and techniques they learned including how to handle personnel with weapons. For many participants, this was the first time that they had been given this type of training. "This was my first time on a MIO boarding team, as well as my first time participating in Phoenix Express," said Moroccan navy Petty Officer Mohamed Lantamri. "I am really enjoying what I'm learning. The training is very structured and I feel I am learning a lot from the other country's [participants] as well as the instructors." This training evolution is one of many to take place during PE12, which also includes boarding procedures, container inspections, and intelligence and evidence collection. PE12, a multi-national maritime exercise between Southern European, North African and U.S. Naval forces, is designed to improve cooperation among participating nations and help increase safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea. Participants and observers in PE12 include Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and United States.
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News Headline: African Military Officers Visit U.S. AFRICOM as Part of Marshall Center Program | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: U.S. Africa Command News Text: By By Jan Wesner Childs STUTTGART, Germany, May 14, 2012 Eight African military officers who are students at the George C. Marshall Center visited U.S. Africa Command May 11, 2012, to learn more about AFRICOM's mission and objectives. The seven men and one woman are taking part in the Marshall Center's Program in Advanced Security Studies (PASS), a 10-week graduate-level course that focuses on security policy, defense affairs and international relations.

The class is targeted at international military officers and civilian government officials and takes place at the center in Garmisch, Germany. The visitors were impressed with AFRICOM's wide-ranging mission, and the fact that so many agencies play a role in the command. "The interoperability is really wide," said Colonel Leonidas Bandenzamaso, an armor brigade commander from Burundi. Bandenzamaso said it was interesting to see the importance of interagency cooperation, whether the mission is humanitarian or operational. Eric Young, the group's leader and a professor at the Marshall Center, said the students who visited AFRICOM are enrolled in an elective course on African security. It was the first time any of them had visited the command. "The main purpose is for them to see AFRICOM and meet people here," said Young. Senegalese Navy Commander Papa Toure said that will help him better explain AFRICOM's role and intentions to his fellow military leaders back home, and to his country as a whole. "It's very fruitful," Toure said of the relationship with AFRICOM. He said a briefing Friday from General Carter Ham helped him see the broader security implications of threats like piracy and drug smuggling. Toure cited programs as the African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership as effective and useful ways for AFRICOM to engage its partner nations and counter those threats. "I better understand that these operations are part of a much greater global view," Toure said. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Nahabwe of the Uganda's People Defense Force agreed. "That relationship is for the good of Africans," Nahabwe said. "That should be explained by us." In addition to his regular class work at the Marshall Center, Toure is also writing a thesis on women in the armed forces. Senegal decided five years ago to allow women to serve, and Toure has been charged with assessing the integration process. His time in Garmisch has allowed him to create a presentation that he will take back to his ministry of defense. Several of the visitors added that their time at the Marshall Center has also brought them closer together with their counterparts. Dania Woodstock, a second lieutenant in the Seychelles People Defense Force, is the most junior participant. She is one of only of three female military officers in her country, and was interviewed by Toure for his paper. Yet she found it easy to relate to her fellow PASS students, all male and more senior to her. "We are all the same. We all have the same etiquette," Woodstock said. "We

think alike."
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News Headline: U.S. Army Africa Chaplain Team Engages with Burundi Counterparts | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: U.S. Africa Command News Text: By Rich Bartell BUJUMBURA, Burundi, May 14, 2012 A two-man traveling contact team visited the Defense Institute for Superior Army Training in Bujumbura, Burundi in May 2012 to work with 16 Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF) chaplains and psychologists with a focus on family counseling. "After more than two decades of civil strife and now peacekeeping missions in Somalia, the Burundi National Defense Force is developing the skills of its chaplains' corps to deal with some of the resulting emotional and family challenges," said Chaplain (Colonel) Jonathan McGraw, command chaplain, U.S. Army Africa. The other half of the TCT, Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Jason Duckworth, is an expert in military Family counseling and is incoming clinical director, U.S. Army Family Life Chaplain Training Center, Fort Hood, Texas. He and McGraw worked with BNDF chaplains and psychologists to address family and soldier counseling priorities identified by their Burundi counterparts. "We're particularly fortunate to have Chaplain Duckworth as a subject matter expert on this contact team," McGraw said. "He's been instrumental in mentoring many U.S. Army Family Life Chaplains. His expertise will help expand the BNDF chaplains' capabilities." Duckworth said soldiers share many of the same stresses, no matter what country they live in, so he and McGraw focused the engagement on concrete family counseling skills used during pre-deployment and reintegration as peacekeepers return from Somalia. "I find that soldiers of all nations have a lot in common. There are many threads that connect soldiers, whether they are from the U.S., Germany, Africa or anywhere else. We've shared many of the same journeys, so we have a great opportunity to share some of the tools and techniques we've learned with our partner nation counterparts," he said. Duckworth shared counseling techniques adapted for Burundi use. "During the TCT, one of the most useful tools we shared was SolutionFocused Therapy. It's designed to be completed in four-to-six sessions and we've seen very good results with this model. It's a brief model, meant to get positive results in a short amount of time. The Burundi chaplains and psychologists picked-up this counseling skill quickly through role playing and counseling one another," Duckworth said. McGraw explained Burundi forces are also involved in an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia known as African Union Mission to Somalia

(AMISOM). Somali peacekeeping mission tours are a year long, similar to those of their U.S. counterparts in Afghanistan and formerly in Iraq. "BNDF AMISOM mission is unique as they are in an expeditionary status that is somewhat new to them. The U.S. Army has learned a lot during the last 10 years with respect to the deployment process and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan," McGraw said. "By the end of the year, every soldier in the BNDF will have had a tour during AMISOM, so we have experiences we can share with them in regards to expeditionary tours," McGraw said. BNDF Chaplain General (Brigadier General) Adelin Gacukuzi agreed saying the pre- and post-deployment counseling sessions were especially well received, and both chaplains and psychologists benefited very much from the experience. "The chaplains and psychologists have gained a lot of knowledge in pastoral counseling skills during the week," Gacukuzi said. "Our military [organizations] and challenges are similar, so the cases studied are relevant to us in the BNDF because our military members are now returning from Somalia." Duckworth said Burundi chaplains and psychologists walked away with a skill set they could use almost immediately, and the next step in partnering is already being formulated. In fact, there is a possibility for future post traumatic stress classes. "This is very rewarding work and the Family Life Chaplain Training Center would be open to returning to help USARAF anywhere they may need my skill set," Duckworth said. "I enjoy coaching and sharing skills that have been proven to help soldiers and their families, and am excited to create an ongoing relationship with the Burundi chaplains and psychologists." This type of program is a great chance to continue professional relationships. "We are working on a follow-on training using email so we can help them as they use these counseling models in the future. We'll modify some of the models by continuing the dialog and increasing their counseling skills," Duckworth said. Gacukuzi said he would like to have further engagements with the USARAF chaplains to build upon the information they provided. "We would especially appreciate any assistance to further develop the chaplains corps and its [African Union] mission in Somalia," Gacukuzi said. Source: U.S. Army Africa
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News Headline: United Nations News Center - Africa Briefs | News Date: 05/15/2012 Outlet Full Name: United Nations News Center News Text: Ban praises Algerian elections and greater representation of women 14 May Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated the people

and the Government of Algeria for the peaceful conduct of legislative elections last week, and welcomed the increased representation of women in the new parliament, according to his spokesperson. Security Council strongly condemns attack on UN peacekeepers in DR Congo 14 May Seven United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sustained bullet wounds today during an incident at their base in the eastern part of the vast African nation. UN humanitarian official praises Ethiopia's efforts on food security amid drought 14 May A United Nations humanitarian official today praised the Ethiopian Government for its innovative and effective efforts to build resilience and food self-sufficiency amid increasingly challenging climatic conditions. UN envoy on children in conflict urges Uganda to prosecute captured LRA officer 14 May The United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict today urged the Ugandan Government bring to justice a senior commander of the brutal Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), who was captured over the weekend, saying he is responsible for some of the most egregious abuses against children. ICC prosecutor pushes for arrest of rebel leaders wanted for DR Congo crimes 14 May The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said today he is seeking new charges against Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, as well as an arrest warrant for the head of a Rwandan rebel group, both of whom are allegedly responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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