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LIBYA: Haftar Appointed C‐in‐C

LIBYA: Haftar Appointed C‐in‐C The anti‐Islamist Operation Dignity leader is named head of the army. The Libyan Parliament has appointed retired General Khalifa Haftar to the post of Commander‐in‐Chief of the Libyan Army. Gen Haftar launched Operation Dignity in 2014, a self‐declared war on Islamists in Benghazi. Supported by officers and different units of the Libyan Army, Haftar is sponsored by the new parliament based in Tobruk, his home and support base. The former general is a divisive figure amongst Libyans; he has drawn praise for attempts to bring order to the chaos in the country but criticism for his aggressive use of force, including air strikes. His critics say he targeted both moderate and hardline Islamist groups in the east, which further radicalised some people, according to BBC Libya correspondent Rana Jawad. According to AFP , many compare him with Egypt 's President Abdel Fattah al‐Sisi , a former army chief who toppled his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 and has since unleashed a deadly crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Haftar returned to Libya to fight against Moammer Gaddafy in the 2011 revolution, but it was only in 2014 that he rose to prominence with a vow to rid Libya of violent Islamists. Initially the leader of a rogue militia, in recent months the government and Gen Haftar have sought to integrate their forces. As well Libya Dawn , which has formed a rival administration, the government also faces threats from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State ( ISIS ) group, which claims to have taken control of the city of Sirte (p. 20502) . Haftar is widely supported by former soldiers from the Gaddafy regime, and has spoken out on occasion to accuse the authorities of boosting the influence of ex‐rebel militias and marginalising officers who served under Gaddafy, even those who defected early on in the rebellion. (Sources as referenced in text) IN BRIEF Cameroon : Cameroon's determination to defeat Boko Haram and insecurity in general, has been boosted with the training of 1,677 elite BIR (Rapid Intervention Battalion) Commandos who ended their training on March 15th. (Cameroon Tribune 17/3) Egypt : New Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar has made major changes to his senior police command as security forces struggle with ongoing Islamist militant attacks. The Minister appointed 25 new commanders to head various top security posts. Changes included appointing aides for national security and security in the Sinai Peninsula, where a growing Islamist insurgency has killed scores of policemen and soldiers. Police commanders in several governorates and cities including Cairo were also changed. (agencies 7/3) Malawi: Some 850 Malawi Defence Force ( MDF ) soldiers completed a two month pre‐deployment training on March 14th in readiness for a Democratic Republic of Congo mission where they will join South African , Tanzanian , and DR Congolese troops dealing with rebel forces in the east of the country. (Malawi News Agency 16/3) Mali ‐EU : A partnership agreement signed at the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection within the framework of reforms in the sector of police, gendarmerie and national guard, will be implemented through the European Union Capacity Building Mission ( EUCAP ) Sahel Mali for Assistance and Advice. The three documents are aimed at reinforcing, modernising and upgrading the three forces. (ORTM TV, Bamako 28/2) Mozambique: The Defence Ministry announced that 220,428 young Mozambicans had registered for military service in January and February. Of this figure, 148,004 were men, and 72,424 were women. The target set by the Ministry was 170,000. Those who register will not be automatically recruited into the armed forces ( FADM ) as due to its small size only 2 or 3,000 people a year can be recruited. Those who do not enter the military will be considered for the civilian alternative, the Civic Service of Mozambique, but this too cannot recruit more than a couple of thousand a year. (Mozambique News Agency 16/3) Rwanda : Former army captain David Kabuye, who was recently released after serving six months in prison for illegal weapons possession , appeared in court in Kigali on March 16th to face new charges of sedition . Kabuye was accused of “inciting insurrection and insulting senior government officials” while he was in jail. He had allegedly accused Rwandan authorities of kidnapping and eliminating opponents. Kabuye denied the charges, and claimed he was being victimised for trying to expose prison corruption and racketeering by guards. Kabuye was first arrested in 2014 along with two other Rwandan military figures, some of them close to President Paul Kagame 's inner circle of power, prompting speculation of a major political crisis. (agencies 16/3) Somalia : Germany has agreed to extend the mandate of its soldiers in Somalia by one year until March 31st 2016. Germany has currently only eight soldiers there operating together with 146 officers from 11 different countries led by Italy , their mission being to train the Somali army. Germany is also expected to send 20 more officers. The Italian government meanwhile has donated 54 armoured vehicles to the Somali armed forces to help confront al‐Shabaab . (Radio Kulmiye, Mogadishu 5/3; Radio Daljir, Gaalkacyo 5/3) Tunisia : Tunisia will take delivery of eight Black Hawk attack helicopters from the United States in the second half of 2015 to help it in the fight against jihadists, an official said on February 26th. Defence Ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told private radio station Shems FM that the helicopters would be used to carry troops and launch attacks, and would represent a qualitative jump in the means for fighting terrorism. Dozens of police and military personnel have been killed or wounded in attacks blamed on Islamist militants around the Chaambi mountain range. ( © AFP 26/2) Uganda : The United States Defence Department is to donate two Cessna 208B aircraft to the Uganda People's Defence Forces ( UPDF ) Air Wing to help conduct the African Union Mission in Somalia ( AMISOM ) counter‐terrorism operations by enhancing mobility, reconnaissance, and evacuation support capacity. (The New Vision 17/3) The police will receive two helicopters and a fixed‐wing plane in May. The force has had no functioning helicopter since March 2010, when its helicopter crashed in Bugiri District while transporting former prime minister Apolo Nsibambi . Pilots for the new aircraft are among the 788 police cadets who passed out in March. According to the Polish manufacturer, PZL‐Swidnik , the W‐3A Sokol is an intermediate twin‐engine helicopter which is “highly effective, rugged and reliable, capable of operating in all types of climates and environmental conditions”. The chopper is capable of carrying up to 14 people, as well as cargo. (Daily Monitor 19/3) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

LIBYA: Haftar Appointed C‐in‐C

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2015.06228.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The anti‐Islamist Operation Dignity leader is named head of the army. The Libyan Parliament has appointed retired General Khalifa Haftar to the post of Commander‐in‐Chief of the Libyan Army. Gen Haftar launched Operation Dignity in 2014, a self‐declared war on Islamists in Benghazi. Supported by officers and different units of the Libyan Army, Haftar is sponsored by the new parliament based in Tobruk, his home and support base. The former general is a divisive figure amongst Libyans; he has drawn praise for attempts to bring order to the chaos in the country but criticism for his aggressive use of force, including air strikes. His critics say he targeted both moderate and hardline Islamist groups in the east, which further radicalised some people, according to BBC Libya correspondent Rana Jawad. According to AFP , many compare him with Egypt 's President Abdel Fattah al‐Sisi , a former army chief who toppled his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 and has since unleashed a deadly crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Haftar returned to Libya to fight against Moammer Gaddafy in the 2011 revolution, but it was only in 2014 that he rose to prominence with a vow to rid Libya of violent Islamists. Initially the leader of a rogue militia, in recent months the government and Gen Haftar have sought to integrate their forces. As well Libya Dawn , which has formed a rival administration, the government also faces threats from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State ( ISIS ) group, which claims to have taken control of the city of Sirte (p. 20502) . Haftar is widely supported by former soldiers from the Gaddafy regime, and has spoken out on occasion to accuse the authorities of boosting the influence of ex‐rebel militias and marginalising officers who served under Gaddafy, even those who defected early on in the rebellion. (Sources as referenced in text) IN BRIEF Cameroon : Cameroon's determination to defeat Boko Haram and insecurity in general, has been boosted with the training of 1,677 elite BIR (Rapid Intervention Battalion) Commandos who ended their training on March 15th. (Cameroon Tribune 17/3) Egypt : New Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar has made major changes to his senior police command as security forces struggle with ongoing Islamist militant attacks. The Minister appointed 25 new commanders to head various top security posts. Changes included appointing aides for national security and security in the Sinai Peninsula, where a growing Islamist insurgency has killed scores of policemen and soldiers. Police commanders in several governorates and cities including Cairo were also changed. (agencies 7/3) Malawi: Some 850 Malawi Defence Force ( MDF ) soldiers completed a two month pre‐deployment training on March 14th in readiness for a Democratic Republic of Congo mission where they will join South African , Tanzanian , and DR Congolese troops dealing with rebel forces in the east of the country. (Malawi News Agency 16/3) Mali ‐EU : A partnership agreement signed at the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection within the framework of reforms in the sector of police, gendarmerie and national guard, will be implemented through the European Union Capacity Building Mission ( EUCAP ) Sahel Mali for Assistance and Advice. The three documents are aimed at reinforcing, modernising and upgrading the three forces. (ORTM TV, Bamako 28/2) Mozambique: The Defence Ministry announced that 220,428 young Mozambicans had registered for military service in January and February. Of this figure, 148,004 were men, and 72,424 were women. The target set by the Ministry was 170,000. Those who register will not be automatically recruited into the armed forces ( FADM ) as due to its small size only 2 or 3,000 people a year can be recruited. Those who do not enter the military will be considered for the civilian alternative, the Civic Service of Mozambique, but this too cannot recruit more than a couple of thousand a year. (Mozambique News Agency 16/3) Rwanda : Former army captain David Kabuye, who was recently released after serving six months in prison for illegal weapons possession , appeared in court in Kigali on March 16th to face new charges of sedition . Kabuye was accused of “inciting insurrection and insulting senior government officials” while he was in jail. He had allegedly accused Rwandan authorities of kidnapping and eliminating opponents. Kabuye denied the charges, and claimed he was being victimised for trying to expose prison corruption and racketeering by guards. Kabuye was first arrested in 2014 along with two other Rwandan military figures, some of them close to President Paul Kagame 's inner circle of power, prompting speculation of a major political crisis. (agencies 16/3) Somalia : Germany has agreed to extend the mandate of its soldiers in Somalia by one year until March 31st 2016. Germany has currently only eight soldiers there operating together with 146 officers from 11 different countries led by Italy , their mission being to train the Somali army. Germany is also expected to send 20 more officers. The Italian government meanwhile has donated 54 armoured vehicles to the Somali armed forces to help confront al‐Shabaab . (Radio Kulmiye, Mogadishu 5/3; Radio Daljir, Gaalkacyo 5/3) Tunisia : Tunisia will take delivery of eight Black Hawk attack helicopters from the United States in the second half of 2015 to help it in the fight against jihadists, an official said on February 26th. Defence Ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told private radio station Shems FM that the helicopters would be used to carry troops and launch attacks, and would represent a qualitative jump in the means for fighting terrorism. Dozens of police and military personnel have been killed or wounded in attacks blamed on Islamist militants around the Chaambi mountain range. ( © AFP 26/2) Uganda : The United States Defence Department is to donate two Cessna 208B aircraft to the Uganda People's Defence Forces ( UPDF ) Air Wing to help conduct the African Union Mission in Somalia ( AMISOM ) counter‐terrorism operations by enhancing mobility, reconnaissance, and evacuation support capacity. (The New Vision 17/3) The police will receive two helicopters and a fixed‐wing plane in May. The force has had no functioning helicopter since March 2010, when its helicopter crashed in Bugiri District while transporting former prime minister Apolo Nsibambi . Pilots for the new aircraft are among the 788 police cadets who passed out in March. According to the Polish manufacturer, PZL‐Swidnik , the W‐3A Sokol is an intermediate twin‐engine helicopter which is “highly effective, rugged and reliable, capable of operating in all types of climates and environmental conditions”. The chopper is capable of carrying up to 14 people, as well as cargo. (Daily Monitor 19/3)

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Apr 1, 2015

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