By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-elfversson-800607">Emma Elfversson</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/uppsala-university-1826">Uppsala University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-d-williams-439129">Paul D. Williams</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/george-washington-university-1262">George Washington University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sara-lindberg-bromley-880383">Sara Lindberg Bromley</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/uppsala-university-1826">Uppsala University</a></em></span>

<p>In an ever more urbanising world, peacekeepers will <a href="https://cpr.unu.edu/peacekeeping-in-cities-is-the-un-prepared.html">increasingly operate in cities</a>. In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23802014.2019.1678399">recent article</a>, we analysed how attacks against the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) affected the peacekeepers’ ability to operate in Mogadishu.</p>

<p>Cities host key logistical and political assets and institutions. They are frequently the object of fierce contestation among warring parties. Cities may also <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030280901">remain divided and insecure</a> long after formal peace agreements are signed, posing significant challenges to peaceful transitions.</p>

<p>Securing strategically important cities and protecting key institutions are thus <a href="https://cic.nyu.edu/publications/UN-Peacekeeping-in-Urban-Environments-The-Legacy-of-UNMIL">crucial tasks</a> for peace operations. However, operating in densely populated urban areas brings significant challenges.</p>

<p>For one, the density of cities makes it more difficult for peacekeepers to distinguish armed fighters from the civilian population. Militants with intimate knowledge of the city’s infrastructure may also counteract <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-review-of-the-red-cross/article/future-war-in-cities-urbanizations-challenge-to-strategic-studies-in-the-21st-century/D1999E08103B58ECB46D25B9F42C049A">peacekeepers’ technological advantage</a>. The city’s symbolic and political importance often makes it a prime target for large-scale attacks which can be difficult for peacekeepers to anticipate and prevent.</p>

<h2>Attacks on urban peacekeepers</h2>

<p>Some peace operations deployed in cities have come under attack by forces opposed to their presence. Such attacks, in turn, affect peacekeepers’ ability to operate and sometimes have led to their withdrawal. In Kigali, Rwanda, the killing of ten Belgian peacekeepers posted to the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno15-8-01.htm">UN mission there</a> on 7 April 1994 led the country to withdraw its contingent. </p>

<p>The <a href="https://peacekeeping.un.org/mission/past/unsom1backgr1.html">United Nations Operation in Somalia</a> was also forced to leave after the United States pulled out its troops. This was after the infamous <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/legacy-black-hawk-down-180971000/">“Black Hawk Down”</a> battle in Mogadishu in October 1993. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13533312.2018.1512858">Recent research</a> has shown such responses may be the exception rather than the rule. But attacks on peacekeepers may have other important effects for operational effectiveness.</p>

<p>In our article, we focus on the African mission in Somalia between 2007 and 2009, the mission’s first three years of operations. The <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/fighting-for-peace-in-somalia-9780198724544?cc=se&amp;lang=en&amp;">mission</a> was deployed where there was little “peace to keep”. It quickly came under attack from al-Shabaab, the main armed group opposing Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG).</p>

<p>Using data from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343317735882">Peacemakers at Risk (PAR) dataset</a> we analysed patterns of violence involving the peacekeepers. An estimated 50 peacekeepers were killed in direct acts of violence in Mogadishu between 2007 and 2009. This affected AMISOM’s operations in several ways.</p>

<p>First, the insecure conditions in Mogadishu forced it to concentrate on its core military tasks – protecting the TFG and its own troops. Patrolling and civilian engagement were limited, which also reduced the mission’s access to intelligence.</p>

<p>Second, attacks on AMISOM significantly hampered its ability to deploy throughout the city. After securing a few key locations, the mission had to focus on protecting these sites. It was not able to spread out across the city for several years. The concentration to a few key locations was partly the result of delays in the deployment of troops and mission support. However, the fact that many states were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17531055.2018.1418159">unwilling to contribute</a> was partly due to the violence targeting the mission.</p>

<p>Third, attacks on peacekeepers at times led to heavy-handed responses. This  prolonged fighting where civilians were caught in the crossfire. In turn, such cases increased popular criticism of the mission and led to pressure on the mission to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13523260.2017.1291564">reduce the levels of civilian harm</a>. </p>

<p>Such instances also exemplify the challenges of peacekeeping in cities, as al-Shabaab often attacked from positions in civilian neighbourhoods.</p>

<h2>Lessons from AMISOM’s experiences</h2>

<p>These experiences illustrate the particular challenges that can result when peacekeepers face armed groups that know the urban terrain and rely on asymmetric tactics. These challenges appear to have hampered the implementation of some mandated tasks. These tasks included the wider stabilisation of the city of Mogadishu, promotion of dialogue, and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance. </p>

<p>Instead, the mission had to act defensively, focusing on protecting the contested transitional government and the mission’s supply lines.</p>

<p>These problems were amplified by another factor. For the first three years of its operation, the African mission was under-resourced. Later, it gained more troops and additional external support. It was eventually able to drive al-Shabaab’s main forces <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14430283">out of Mogadishu</a> in 2011.</p>

<p>In summary, our analysis indicates that al-Shabaab was able to exploit its knowledge of Mogadishu and the city’s density to attack mission positions. This restricted the mission’s ability to operate effectively. However, despite these challenges, troop contributing countries did not withdraw. Instead, these countries <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/fighting-for-peace-in-somalia-9780198724544?cc=se&amp;lang=en&amp;am">added more troops</a> to the mission. This enabled AMISOM to prevent the overthrow of the Somali TFG, its core mission.</p>

<p>AMISOM’s experiences suggest that urban peace operations must be given sufficient resources from the outset – that is, personnel, equipment and relevant training. They must also invest in gaining detailed knowledge of the urban environment by engaging local populations. And they must prepare for spoilers to hide among the city’s civilians.</p>

<p>Many of the peacekeeping objectives associated with effective operations – such as extensive patrolling and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022343316682063">civilian engagement</a> – seem difficult to accomplish in urban contexts where peacekeepers themselves become the target of attacks. As peacekeeping continues to become more urban, these issues warrant further attention.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126524/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-elfversson-800607">Emma Elfversson</a>, Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/uppsala-university-1826">Uppsala University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-d-williams-439129">Paul D. Williams</a>, Professor of International Affairs, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/george-washington-university-1262">George Washington University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sara-lindberg-bromley-880383">Sara Lindberg Bromley</a>, Post-doctoral researcher, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/uppsala-university-1826">Uppsala University</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-peacekeeping-what-weve-learnt-from-aus-mission-in-somalia-126524">original article</a>.</p>

What have we learnt from AU’s mission in Somalia on urban peacekeeping?

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<p>Sudan’s military and opposition coalition have signed a final power-sharing agreement that paves the way for a transitional government and elections. Meanwhile, deposed President Omar al-Bashir is facing trial over fraud charges. Activist, Rozan Ahmed joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Omar al-Bashir faces corruption charges, what impact will Sudan’s power-sharing agreement have on the revolution?


<p>By Pieter Scribante, Economist and Political Analyst at NKC African Economics</p>



<p>Government sources are reporting that President Omar Al Bashir has stepped down as president of Sudan, according to Reuters.</p>



<p>The
military has taken control of the country and is arresting government officials
– including former cabinet ministers and the leader of the ruling National
Congress Party (NCP) Ahmed Harun. </p>



<p>The
current whereabouts of Mr Bashir and Prime Minister Motazz Moussa are unknown,
but there are reports that they are in transition talks with the military. </p>



<p>The
First Vice President and Defence Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, an old ally of Mr
Bashir, has sided with the military and has been selected to head a transitional
government. </p>



<p>The
military was seen moving through the streets of Khartoum and raiding the
headquarters of the Islamic Movement which is headed by Bashir. Radio and
television stations were placed on alert this morning, and at 14:00 Mr Ibn Auf
addressed the nation with the highly anticipated “important announcement”. </p>



<p>The
defence minister stated that a two-year transition period has begun, with the
military leading the country and relieving the previous regime of their power.
He also issued a new state of emergency and suspended the constitution, with
more news expected as the situation develops. </p>



<p>The military coup d’état follows nearly four months of continuous anti-government demonstrations which started on December 18. These protests were initially sparked by deteriorating economic conditions such as rapid inflation, fuel shortages and a lack of liquidity. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Sudan-M.png" alt="" class="wp-image-334508" width="379" height="304"/></figure></div>



<p>On
Saturday, April 6, a coalition of opposition parties headed by the Sudanese
Professionals’ Association (SPA), the main protest organisers, organised the
biggest mass protest yet seen with an estimated 500,000 people. </p>



<p>This
marked the anniversary of the end of Sudan’s 1985 national uprising, which led
to the overthrow of President Ja’afar Nimeiri, in favour of a democratically
led government. </p>



<p>Clashes
on Saturday between the protesters and the security forces ensued, with the
security forces – meaning police and the National Intelligence and Security
Services (NISS) – using tear gas and live ammunition against the demonstrators.
This was a change in approach after uncommon restraint shown since protests
began late last year. </p>



<p>Government
sources estimate that 21 people have been killed, including five soldiers. </p>



<p>The
biggest twist in events happened when soldiers intervened to protect the
protesters against the security forces (on two separate occasions) with some of
them being killed. The protesters focused their attention of the army and
started protesting in front of their headquarters, calling for the military to
rise against the president and support their cause as they did in 1985. </p>



<p>The
role of the army has caused may to compare events in Sudan with those in
Algeria where a protest movement also led to the toppling of a regime. </p>



<p>Below we show data comparing protest escalation in the run-up to government transitions in North African states in recent years. Compared to the ‘Arab Spring’ events of 2011, which escalated very quickly as in Algeria this year, the Sudan revolt has been a sustained campaign of nearly four months and is more like events in Egypt in 2013. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Sudan-M-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-334509" width="381" height="306"/></figure></div>



<p>Thursday’s
events mark the end of Mr Bashir’s 30-year rule which was marred by conflict,
accusations of war crimes, corruption, and the underdevelopment of Sudan. It is
unknown what is going to happen to him as he is wanted by the International
Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in
Darfur in 2003. </p>



<p>While
they will be happy to see the back of the dictator, protesters have emphasised
that they want a civilian transitional government which contrasts with the
announcement by the military. They have said that they are willing to go back
to the streets if the army takes over with Mr Ibn Auf ruling the country as he
was the minister in charge of the protest crackdowns since the national
emergency declaration on February 22. </p>



<p>The
recent announcement fell short of the protester’s demands and is likely to
inspire further demonstrations across the country.</p>



<p><strong>Data:</strong> <a href="https://www.jonathanmpowell.com/coup-detat-dataset.html">Powell, Jonathan &amp; Clayton Thyne. 2011</a>. Global Instances of Coups from 1950-Present. Journal of Peace Research 48(2):249-259 and The Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project (Acled)<font color="#191e23"><span style="background-color: rgb(232, 234, 235);"><i>.</i></span></font></p>


Op-Ed: Sudan’s military takes control of the country

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<p>Zimbabwe marks one year after the removal of Robert Mugabe from power, for a discussion on the changes that have happened so far CNBC Africa is joined by Trust Ndlovu, Chairperson for MDC Alliance South Africa.</p>


Zimbabwe economy is worse off one year after Mugabe left office – MDC Alliance SA

<p>MOSCOW (Reuters) &#8211; Russia and the Central African Republic will sign an agreement on military cooperation on Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.</p>
<p>Russia this year delivered light arms to the Central African Republic’s security forces and said it deployed 175 military and civilian instructors to train them.</p>
<p>Three Russian reporters were killed last month in the Central African Republic while investigating Russian mercenaries reportedly active in the country.</p>
<p>Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by John Stonestreet</p>


What you need to know about Russia’s military agreement with Central African Republic

<p>By Nyshka Chandran, Reporter, CNBC Asia-Pacific</p>
<p>For decades, China&#8217;s presence in Africa has largely focused on economic, commercial and peacekeeping activities. Now, Beijing is building on that by establishing greater military links to protect its national assets on the continent and gain greater geopolitical influence.</p>
<p>The People&#8217;s Liberation Army conducts regular joint training exercises across the region and, in certain countries that are home to major Chinese infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road initiative, the communist state has been especially active.</p>
<p>In Djibouti, where Chinese companies have constructed strategic ports and Africa&#8217;s first electric transnational railway, Beijing last year formally launched its first overseas military base, which also operates as a logistics and intelligence facility. Many experts now anticipate more Chinese bases in the years to come, with Namibia rumored as a potential location.</p>
<p>Meanwhile in Tanzania, where the state-run conglomerate China Merchants Holdings International is hoping to invest in the Bagamoyo mega port, China built a complex designed to train local armed forces earlier this year. And, at the first-ever China-Africa Defense and Security Forum in Beijing on Tuesday, the communist state announced it will provide African countries with &#8220;comprehensive support&#8221; on matters such as piracy and counter-terrorism. That includes providing technologies, equipment, personnel and strategic advice, local media reported.</p>
<p>All that comes amid expectations for the U.S. to reduce troops in Africa under President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; policy, which is set to boost Chinese President Xi Jinping&#8217;s government as the dominant foreign power on the continent.</p>
<p>The strengthened defense ties compliment China&#8217;s existing ventures, particularly weapons sales, according to specialists.</p>
<p>&#8220;In recent years, Chinese arms sales to Africa have surpassed the United States,&#8221; said Luke Patey, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies: &#8220;In particular, Chinese small arms and light weapons have spread rapidly since China is less inhibited by selling arms to countries in the midst of conflict than Western providers.&#8221; That goes hand in hand with Beijing&#8217;s expanding military cooperation, he continued.</p>
<p>A desire to safeguard Chinese workers and Chinese-funded projects on the continent is likely behind the government&#8217;s efforts.</p>
<p>&#8220;China’s security concerns are actually aimed at its own nationals, and military diplomacy is skillfully used to protect them and their interests,&#8221; the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, or Clingendael, said in a recent report.</p>
<p>&#8220;The evacuation of hundreds of Chinese and foreign nationals from Yemen in 2015 — on a People’s Liberation Army frigate that sailed from the coasts of Somalia — proves just how crucial the presence of a military logistics base on the eastern coast of Africa is for China,&#8221; it continued.</p>
<p>The world&#8217;s second-largest economy has long described Sino-Africa cooperation as a &#8220;win-win&#8221; arrangement — one that provides China with natural resources and African economies with badly-needed infrastructure. But while the flood of Chinese resources may be welcomed by the region&#8217;s cash-strapped governments, the fear is that increased capital could translate into political leverage.</p>
<p>In fact, many speculate that it was Beijing&#8217;s concerns over its investments that resulted in the 2017 coup that ousted Zimbabwe&#8217;s Robert Mugabe — a charge that Xi&#8217;s administration has denied.</p>
<p>&#8220;The concern from a lot of partners is exactly what role China is going to be playing in the region and how it&#8217;s going to fit with existing military organizations and security forums,&#8221; said Duncan Innes-Ker, Asia regional director at The Economist Intelligence Unit. &#8220;It&#8217;s really an unsettling element of something new coming into the equation that&#8217;s got a lot of people concerned.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;African countries should be clear-eyed that the days of China’s strict adherence to its longstanding noninterference policy are over,&#8221; Patey added.</p>


Why China is increasing its military presence in Africa

<p>Just 24 hours after military chief General Constantino Chiwenga threatened to intervene to end a purge of his allies in Mugabe&#8217;s ZANU-PF, a Reuters reporter saw armoured personnel carriers on main roads around the capital.</p>
<p>Aggressive soldiers told passing cars to keep moving through the darkness. &#8220;Don&#8217;t try anything funny. Just go,&#8221; one barked at Reuters on Harare Drive.</p>
<p>Two hours later, soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC, Zimbabwe&#8217;s state broadcaster and a principal Mugabe mouthpiece, and ordered staff to leave. Several ZBC workers were<br />
manhandled, two members of staff and a human rights activist said.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Army statement live on Zimbabwe Broadcast Corporation. <a href="https://t.co/3XOYkVXIw9">pic.twitter.com/3XOYkVXIw9</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorNcube/status/930626421839597568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Live on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation the national army says Mugabe and family are secure. They urge caution and discourage citizens to avoid unnecessary movement. They say targeting criminals around Mugabe.</p>
<p>&mdash; Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorNcube/status/930628067776712704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today 15/11/17, we salute &amp; applaud the bravery of our ZDF who decisively rejected desperate last minute concessions by an Executive whose sole objective was to create a family dynasty.<br />An Army led transitional phase will now pave way for a peaceful, free&amp;fair democratic election</p>
<p>&mdash; ED Mnangagwa (@ED_Mnangagwa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ED_Mnangagwa/status/930619624122667008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Shortly afterwards, three explosions rocked the centre of the southern African nation&#8217;s capital, Reuters witnesses said.</p>
<p>Despite the troops stationed at locations across Harare, there was no word from the military as to the fate of Mugabe, Zimbabwe&#8217;s leader of the last 37 years and the self-styled &#8216;Grand Old Man&#8217; of African politics.</p>
<p>In contrast to his elevated status on the continent, Mugabe is reviled in the West as a despot whose disastrous handling of the economy and willingness to resort to violence to maintain power destroyed one of Africa&#8217;s most promising states.</p>
<p>In the only official word from the government, Isaac Moyo, Zimbabwe&#8217;s ambassador to neighbouring South Africa, earlier dismissed talk of a coup, saying the government was &#8220;intact&#8221; and blaming social media for spreading false information.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing really happening. They are just social media claims,&#8221; Moyo told Reuters.</p>
<p>The Southern African nation has been on edge since Monday when Chiwenga, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said he was prepared to &#8220;step in&#8221; to end a purge of supporters of sacked vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.</p>
<p>Only a few months ago, Mnangagwa, a former security chief nicknamed &#8220;The Crocodile&#8221;, was favourite to succeed his life-long political patron but was ousted a week ago to pave the way for Mugabe&#8217;s 52-year-old wife Grace to succeed him.</p>
<p>&#8216;Politics over the gun&#8217;</p>
<p>Chiwenga&#8217;s unprecedented statement represented a major escalation of the struggle to succeed Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.</p>
<p>Mugabe chaired a weekly cabinet meeting in the capital on Tuesday, officials said, and afterwards ZANU-PF said it stood by the &#8220;primacy of politics over the gun&#8221; and accused Chiwenga of &#8220;treasonable conduct &#8230; meant to incite insurrection.&#8221;</p>
<p>The previous day, Chiwenga had made clear the army&#8217;s refusal to accept the removal of Mnangagwa &#8211; like the generals a veteran of Zimbabwe&#8217;s anti-colonial liberation war &#8211; and the presumed accession of Grace, once a secretary in the government typing pool.</p>
<p>Local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, a leading figure in her relatively youthful &#8216;G40&#8217; faction, refused to answer Reuters questions about the situation in Harare. &#8220;I&#8217;m in a meeting,&#8221; he said, before hanging up shortly before midnight.</p>
<p>Army, police and government spokesmen refused to answer numerous phone calls asking for comment.</p>
<p>&#8216;Defending our revolution&#8217;</p>
<p>Neither Mugabe nor Grace have responded in public to Chiwenga&#8217;s remarks and state media did not publish his statement. The Herald newspaper posted some of the comments on its Twitter page but deleted them.</p>
<p>The head of ZANU-PF&#8217;s youth wing, which openly backs Grace, accused the army chief of subverting the constitution.</p>
<p>&#8220;Defending the revolution and our leader and president is an ideal we live for and if need be it is a principle we are prepared to die for,&#8221; Youth League leader Kudzai Chipanga said at the party&#8217;s headquarters in Harare.</p>
<p>Grace Mugabe&#8217;s rise has brought her into conflict with the independence-era war veterans, who enjoyed privileged status in Zimbabwe until the last two years when they spearheaded criticism of Mugabe&#8217;s handling of the economy.</p>
<p>In the last year, a chronic absence of dollars has led to long queues outside banks and an economic and financial collapse that many fear will rival the meltdown of 2007-2008, when inflation topped out at 500 billion percent.</p>
<p>Imported goods are running out and economists say that, by some measures, inflation is now at 50 percent a month.</p>
<p>According to a trove of intelligence documents reviewed by Reuters this year, Mnangagwa has been planning to revitalise the economy by bringing back thousands of white farmers kicked off<br />
their land nearly two decades ago and patching up relations with the likes of the World Bank and IMF.</p>
<p>Whatever the outcome, analysts said the military would want to present their move as something other than a full-blown coup to avoid criticism from an Africa keen to leave behind the Cold War continental stereotype of generals being the final arbiters of political power.</p>
<p>&#8220;A military coup is the nuclear option,&#8221; said Alex Magaisa, a UK-based Zimbabwean academic. &#8220;A coup would be a very hard sell at home and in the international community. They will want to avoid that.&#8221;</p>


Soldiers take over Zimbabwe state broadcaster, say not coup

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<p>According to Onyemachi Osahor the Director General of Nigeria&#8217;s Defence and Research Bureau, the security challenges that Nigeria faces in the North East are not conventional.</p>


Nigeria urged to improve its military effectiveness

<p>By Lanre Ola<span id="midArticle_byline"></span></p>
<p>Nigeria&#8217;s military on Monday released 593 people after clearing them of having ties with the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, a spokesman said.</p>
<p>The military has arrested thousands in its fight against the insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in the northeast, now in its eighth year, which has killed over 20,000 people and forced more than two million to flee their homes.</p>
<blockquote><p>The chief of army staff directed that those arrested be &#8220;released unconditionally if found not to have anything to do with insurgency or Boko Haram&#8221;, said Brigadier General Abdulraman Kuliya.</p></blockquote>
<p>He added that the 593 who were freed had been arrested in multiple locations, held for varying lengths of time up to three months and were comprised of elderly people, men, women and children.</p>
<p>The military said they were handed over to the state government in Borno &#8211; the birthplace of the insurgency.</p>
<p>Attacks or attempted attacks bearing the hallmarks of Boko Haram in crowded areas have escalated since the end of the rainy season late last year. However, most have either been foiled or the suicide bombers managed only to blow themselves up.</p>
<p>In the most recent attack, two female suicide bombers detonated explosives on the edge of the university in Borno state capital Maiduguri on Monday, blowing themselves up but causing no other casualties.</p>
<p>(Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Toby Chopra)</p>


Nigeria’s military frees 593 people cleared of Boko Haram ties

<p>A West African military operation that pressured Gambia&#8217;s long-time leader, Yahya Jammeh, to step down and flee into exile has had its mandate extended by three months, the office of new President Adama Barrow said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Barrow won a Dec. 1 election but Jammeh, who had ruled since seizing power in a coup in 1994, refused to step down, forcing his opponent to be sworn in at the Gambian Embassy in neighbouring Senegal last month.</p>
<p>Barrow immediately asked regional bloc ECOWAS for assistance and West African troops quickly crossed into Gambia from Senegal, giving mediators the necessary leverage to negotiate Jammeh&#8217;s departure.</p>
<p>&#8220;President Barrow is glad to inform the general public that the standby force ECOMIG has integrated itself into the security and military fabric of the country,&#8221; the president&#8217;s office said in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Standby Force has had its mandate extended by three months subject to renewal.&#8221;</p>
<p>A senior United Nations official said late last month that Barrow had requested that the 7,000-troop strong ECOWAS force&#8217;s mandate be extended by six months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Reporting by Pap Saine; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Sandra Maler)﻿</p>
<p> </p>


Regional force's mission in Gambia extended by three months

<p>South Africa&#8217;s President Jacob Zuma has authorised more than 400 soldiers to join the security team at his annual state of the nation speech this week, drawing outrage from opponents who called it &#8220;militarisation&#8221;.</p>
<p>Since the radical left wing Economic Freedom Fighters&#8217; (EFF) won seats in parliament at 2014 elections, Zuma&#8217;s speech to open parliament has been a chaotic affair with EFF lawmakers chanting and jeering at the president over corruption scandals.</p>
<p>At Zuma&#8217;s address in 2015, parliamentary security guards disguised as waiters physically removed EFF members from the chamber, but this is the first time soldiers will be deployed as security rather than a ceremonial role.</p>
<p>&#8220;President Jacob Zuma has authorised the employment of members of the South African National Defence Force for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service to maintain law and order,&#8221; a presidency statement said late on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said it condemned the decision and would be asking the Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete for an explanation.</p>
<p>&#8220;This announcement is deeply concerning,&#8221; the DA said in a statement on Wednesday.</p>
<p>&#8220;President Zuma’s deliberate use of the words &#8216;law and order&#8217; in his statement points to an excessive use of the army outside of their ceremonial role in the annual fanfare.&#8221;﻿</p>


South Africa's Zuma to deploy over 400 soldiers at state address

<p>Two military helicopters crashed in a strife-torn part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with at least four crew members on board, authorities said on Monday.</p>
<p>Government spokesman Lambert Mende told Reuters it was not clear what brought down the helicopters on Friday in North Kivu province near the borders with Rwanda and Uganda.﻿</p>
<p>Over the weekend, U.N.-sponsored Radio Okapi cited military sources as saying that the helicopters crashed while pursuing fighters from the former Congolese rebel group M23. An army spokesman declined to comment.</p>
<p>The M23 was the largest of dozens of armed groups in the country and controlled huge swaths of eastern Congo in 2012 and 2013 before it was defeated by Congolese and U.N. forces.</p>
<p>Reports of a possible M23 revival by former fighters held in camps in Uganda and Rwanda have surged in recent weeks. On Monday, Rwanda&#8217;s defence ministry said in a statement that a group of about 30 unarmed people claiming to be M23 and fleeing combat with Congo&#8217;s army crossed the border at the weekend.</p>
<p>Mende said he had not yet seen the statement.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Uganda&#8217;s government said it had detained more than 100 former M23 rebels trying to return to Congo from camps in Uganda where they have been awaiting amnesties. Congo said the fighters had encroached onto Congolese territory.</p>
<p>Radio Okapi also reported that five crew members &#8211; three Russians and two Congolese officers &#8211; were rescued and brought to hospital. Mende said he could not confirm that information.</p>
<p>Millions died in regional conflicts in eastern Congo between 1996-2003, most from hunger and disease, and dozens of armed groups continue to fight over natural resources and prey on the civilian population.﻿</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>


Military helicopters crash in eastern Congo

<p>Gambians celebrated in the streets on Sunday after a West African regional military force entered the capital city of Banjul and took control of the presidential palace, the symbolic seat of ex-ruler Yahya Jammeh&#8217;s 22-year authoritarian regime.</p>
<p>Jammeh, who refused to accept defeat to opposition challenger Adama Barrow in a December election, flew out of Banjul late on Saturday en route to Equatorial Guinea as the regional force was poised to remove him.</p>
<p>Hundreds of Banjul residents assembled outside State House as darkness fell after soldiers, who deployed on Sunday to secure the country, moved in to secure the compound.</p>
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<p>Cheering and singing, some revellers sought to capture the moment for posterity, posing for photos with the Senegalese troops.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are free,&#8221; said food seller Isatou Toure, 35. &#8220;Everyone is so happy that man is gone. We are happy to see (the soldiers). They protected us from Jammeh.&#8221;</p>
<p>Senegalese army officials said the force, which also includes troops from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali, met no resistance as they advanced on Sunday.</p>
<p>But even amid the celebrations, troubling details of Jammeh&#8217;s departure began to emerge.</p>
<p>Speaking to radio station RFM in Senegal, where he is waiting to return to Gambia, Barrow said that, upon initial inspection, it appeared Jammeh had looted state resources.</p>
<p>&#8220;According to information we received, there is no money in the coffers,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s what we have been told, but the day we actually take office, we will clarify all of it.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a news conference later in the day, Barrow advisor Mai Ahmad Fatty said 500 million dalasis ($11.45 million) had been withdrawn by Jammeh in the past two weeks.</p>
<p>The regional military operation was first launched late on Thursday after Barrow was sworn in as president at Gambia&#8217;s embassy in neighbouring Senegal, but it was halted hours later to give Jammeh one last chance to leave peacefully.</p>
<p>His departure followed two days of negotiations led by Guinea President Alpha Conde and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, prompting speculation over what, if any, terms were agreed upon to convince him to step down.</p>
<p>&#8220;He wanted to stay in Gambia,&#8221; Barrow said. &#8220;We said we couldn&#8217;t guarantee his security and said that he should leave.&#8221;</p>
<p>Barrow denied that Jammeh had been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for leaving the country.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>&#8220;EVERYONE IS FREE&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, the African Union and United Nations published a document on behalf of these two organisations and regional bloc ECOWAS.</p>
<p>In it, they pledged, among other things, to protect Jammeh&#8217;s rights &#8220;as a citizen, a party leader and a former Head of State,&#8221; to prevent the seizure of property belonging to him and his allies, and to ensure he can eventually return to Gambia.</p>
<p>Barrow said the document had not been signed and did not constitute a binding agreement. He also said he planned to return to Gambia soon but did not say when.</p>
<p>Jammeh&#8217;s loss in the Dec. 1 poll and his initial acceptance of the result were celebrated across the tiny nation by Gambians grown weary of his increasingly authoritarian rule. He reversed his position a week later.</p>
<p>In a video clip posted on social media that a United Nations official confirmed was filmed shortly before his departure from Gambia, Jammeh thanked Conde, seen standing beside him, as a &#8220;true friend.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Allah has decided that this is the end my time,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When you are inflicted by something that you are not happy with, don&#8217;t move away from Allah, but thank Allah because he is testing you.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rights groups accuse Jammeh of jailing, torturing and killing his political opponents while acquiring a vast fortune, including luxury cars and an estate in the United States, as most of his people remained impoverished.</p>
<p>Thousands of Gambians sought asylum abroad over the years. An additional 45,000 people fled to Senegal amid growing fears of unrest in the wake of last month&#8217;s election, according to the United Nations.</p>
<p>Hundreds of Gambians carrying sacks, suitcases and cooking pots began returning by ferry from Senegal&#8217;s Casamance region on Sunday.</p>
<p>Hawa Jagne, 22, a cloth trader, hugged her sister Fama as she stepped off the boat.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m so relieved to see her,&#8221; Jagne said. &#8220;Everyone is free. You can do whatever you want, because this is a democratic country. You can express yourself. No one can kill you.&#8221;</p>
<p>($1 = 43.6600 Gambian dalasis)﻿</p>
<p> </p>


Gambians celebrate in the streets as Jammeh flees

<p>Armed fighters led by the military commander of former Congolese rebel group M23 have crossed the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo from Uganda, Congolese officials said on Sunday.</p>
<p>The rebels had been in camps for demobilised fighters in Uganda following their defeat in 2013. Formerly, they were the largest of dozens of armed groups in the country and controlled huge swaths of the country&#8217;s mining heartland in the east.</p>
<p>Renewed violence would be a major challenge for President Joseph Kabila, who is trying to fend off mounting opposition over his decision to stay beyond his mandate which expired last month. Some observers fear tensions could spark a new civil war.</p>
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<p>&#8220;They made an incursion yesterday from Uganda at Ishasha in two columns and the Congolese armed forces have dealt with them for now,&#8221; said government spokesman Lambert Mende, referring to a border crossing near Virunga National Park.</p>
<p>He said rebel commander Sultani Makenga was among them, leading one of the two columns.</p>
<p>Julien Paluku, governor of the North Kivu province, also confirmed the encroachment and condemned Uganda for allowing them to leave on U.N.-funded Radio Okapi.</p>
<p>In a brief telephone conversation with Reuters, he denied that there had been fighting. Officials in Uganda were not available for comment.</p>
<p>It was not clear where the fighters had gone. A letter from the ministry of defence sent to Reuters by a Congolese security official on Sunday requested an urgent investigation into allegations that 180 ex-M23 fighters had entered the country.</p>
<p>At its peak, M23 controlled North Kivu&#8217;s capital Goma but was driven out by U.N. and Congolese forces. Since then, the fighters have been scattered in camps in neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda awaiting amnesties.</p>
<p>Many other armed groups remain active.</p>
<p>In the same province, armed fighters attempted to free prisoners from a facility in Beni overnight, according to a statement from local activist group The Centre of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (CEPADHO).</p>
<p>Reinforcements drove them away and one of the attackers was killed, the group said. It said the fighters were likely &#8220;Mai Mai&#8221; self-defence groups &#8211; militias originally created to resist Rwandan invasions.﻿</p>
<p> </p>


Congo govt says M23 rebel fighters cross over border from Uganda

<p>Uganda&#8217;s President Yoweri Museveni has appointed his son as his senior adviser, officials said on Tuesday, a move analysts said was part of a plan to groom him to take over the top job.</p>
<p>The president&#8217;s son, Major General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was moved from his position at the head of the army&#8217;s special forces, the military said, in what it called a normal change in command.</p>
<p>But political rivals have regularly accused the 72-year-old president of handing powerful positions to members of his family and adopting an increasingly autocratic style &#8211; charges his supporters dismiss.</p>
<p>His brother, Salim Saleh, is another presidential adviser and his wife, Janet Museveni, is minister of education.</p>
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<p>&#8220;Muhoozi &#8230; is going to play a significant role in a post-Museveni Uganda, there&#8217;s no doubt about it,&#8221; said political commentator and rights activist Nicholas Opiyo.</p>
<p>&#8220;He is just giving the boy a hand in experiencing how government works on the side of politics.&#8221;</p>
<p>Human rights lawyer and political commentator Andrew Karamagi described the appointment as a &#8220;real clear move to bring the man closer to succession&#8221;.</p>
<p>Kainerugaba has risen quickly through the ranks since he joined the army in 1998. He jumped two positions from 2nd Lieutenant to Major in 2001.</p>
<p>Military spokesman Paddy Ankunda said Kainerugaba had been appointed Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations. Asked whether it was a move to boost Kainerugaba&#8217;s political credentials, he told Reuters: &#8220;No, this is just a normal change in command.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Chief of Defence Forces, General Katumba Wamala, was named junior minister for works and transport and replaced by David Muhoozi in the change, Ankunda added.</p>
<p>Museveni, one of Africa&#8217;s longest-serving leaders, won a new five-year term in elections last year that the opposition said were rigged. He denies the charge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa and Andrew Heavens)﻿</p>
<p> </p>


Uganda's Museveni appoints son as adviser

<p>Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara dismissed the heads of the army, police and gendarmes on Monday after a two-day military mutiny that spread unrest across the West African nation, according to a presidency statement.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan also resigned and dissolved the government, a move that had been expected after elections last month but which was delayed two days by the weekend uprising.</p>
<p>Disgruntled soldiers demanding the payment of bonuses and wage increases began their revolt on Friday, seizing control of Bouake, the second largest city, before troops in military camps in cities and towns across the country joined the mutiny.</p>
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<p>Army chief General Soumaila Bakayoko &#8211; the former military head of a 2002-2011 rebellion, who has become increasingly unpopular with many troops &#8211; was replaced by his second in command, General Sekou Toure, the presidency statement said.</p>
<p>Gervais Kouakou Kouassi, superior commander of the National Gendarmerie, and Director General of the National Police Bredou M&#8217;Bia were also replaced by their deputies with immediate effect, according to the statement, read on national television.</p>
<p>The uprising of mainly former rebels now integrated into the army was the second such army mutiny in less than three years.</p>
<p>As happened in the first uprising, the government conceded to the low-ranking soldiers&#8217; demands and agreed to pay bonuses likely to cost state coffers tens of millions of dollars.</p>
<p>Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi was briefly trapped inside the house in Bouake where negotiations took place on Saturday after some mutineers opened fire outside, having initially rejected the timetable for bonus payments.</p>
<p>&#8220;I assure you that the president of the republic understands you. He is a man of his word,&#8221; Donwahi said on Monday in a televised address aimed at the disgruntled soldiers.</p>
<p>He said he planned to return to Bouake on Friday to meet again with the mutinous troops.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>UNSTABLE MILITARY PUTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY AT RISK</p>
<p>Years of conflict and a failure to reform the army, cobbled together from rival rebel groups and government soldiers, have left it hobbled by divisions.</p>
<p>Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa&#8217;s largest economy and world&#8217;s biggest cocoa producer, emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent&#8217;s rising economic stars. But Ouattara&#8217;s failure to rein in an ill-disciplined, factionalised army could threaten that recovery.</p>
<p>Duncan, the outgoing premier, had been expected to stand down on Saturday but held off after the army mutiny erupted.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have tendered my resignation and that of the government,&#8221; he said after a meeting with Ouattara.</p>
<p>The president retained his majority in the Dec. 18 parliamentary vote. However, Ivorian legislative elections are usually followed by a change of government as a matter of procedure.</p>
<p>Ouattara was expected to name a new prime minister in the coming days.</p>
<p>Earlier, Guillaume Soro was re-elected as president of the National Assembly with 95 percent of the votes cast by deputies.</p>
<p>Soro led a rebellion that controlled the northern half of the country for nearly a decade starting in 2002. He later served as prime minister between 2007 and 2012.</p>
<p>The government&#8217;s dissolution paves the way for the implementation of measures contained in a new constitution.</p>
<p>Ouattara signed the new charter, which had been approved by referendum, into law in November, casting it as the way to ensure peace is maintained in Ivory Coast. [nL8N1D975N]</p>
<p>It modifies clauses in the old constitution that lay behind the conflict, especially concerning nationality requirements for presidential candidates.﻿</p>
<p> </p>


Ivory Coast's president dismisses heads of army, police & gendarmes

<p>Five Nigerian soldiers and more than 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed when the jihadists attacked an army base in the remote northeast where the group has been fighting for an Islamic state, a military source said on Sunday.</p>
<p>Boko Haram attacked an army brigade in Buni Yadi in Yobe state late on Saturday, an army spokesman said by text message, without giving a casualty figure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Five soldiers lost their life in the attack though more than 15 Boko Haram were killed by troops,&#8221; the military source said.</p>
<p>Several explosions could be heard on Sunday in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state where Boko Haram started its seven-year insurgency that has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million.</p>
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<p>Officials or medics were not immediately available to give a casualty figure.</p>
<p>In early 2015, Boko Haram controlled an area about the size of Belgium. It has been pushed out of most of that territory over the past year by Nigeria&#8217;s army and troops from neighboring countries, moving to a base in the Sambisa forest.</p>
<p>Last month, the army said it had taken Boko Haram&#8217;s key camp in the forest, although the group has staged suicide bombings since then.</p>
<p>Security analysts say the group&#8217;s ability to carry out attacks in neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Chad suggests it has multiple bases.﻿</p>
<p> </p>


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Boko Haram attacks Nigerian army base

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