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Egypt An Egyptian court adjourned the retrial of former  President Hosni Mubarak , charged with corruption and the killing of 850 protesters

during the 2011 uprising; proceedings will resume 06 July, reports  AP . Additionally, the court ordered the release of Mubarak’s two

sons, Alaa and Gamal, also on trial for corruption. However, both sons will remain incarcerated on other corruption-related charges.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr promised he would not give up “a single drop of water  from the Nile”, informs Reu

ters. On 09 June, Amr announced he will visit Ethiopia to discuss the Nile River project currently under construction in the country.

Cairo deems it a threat to national survival. The government requested that the project be halted; however, Ethiopia rejected the re-quest. The dam project is set to become Africa’s largest hydropower station. The Ethiopian government called on the Egyptian ambas

sador after Cairo politicians were televised suggesting military intervention or providing support to Ethiopian rebels in order to end

construction on 06 June. Although Ethiopia claims the project will not diminish water supplies, Amr remains concerned that the coun-

try cannot survive, saying, “No Nile-no Egypt”. Egypt believes it possesses “historic rights” to the river, guaranteed by  two treaties

from 1929 and 1959, giving the country 87 per cent of the Nile’s flow, as well as the power to veto upstream projects. However, in

2010, other Nile Basin countries signed a new deal, giving them permission to implement river projects without Cairo’s prior  consent.

On 10 June, the Tamarod campaign designed to “withdraw confidence” from President Mohammed Morsi announced the collection of

13 million signatures since petitions were first circulated on 01 May, reports  Al Arabiya. The campaign is planning mass protests on

30 June which is Morsi’s first anniversary in office. A spokeswoman for Tamarod said: “The Egyptian people are the ones who g ave

confidence (power) to President Morsi, and so we have the right to withdraw it, because he has breached a contract with the people

when he did not meet the demands of the revolution.” 

US Secretary of State John Kerry criticised the sentencing of  43 international non-governmental organisation (NGO) employees on 05

June, reports Al Jazeera. Kerry called the guilty verdicts “incompatible with the transition to democracy”. The court sentenced a group

of Americans, Europeans, and Egyptians, as well as other Arabs, in a case in which the government accused the NGOs of working

illegally in the country. Egypt also complained that the US government had diverted USD 150 million from aid earmarked for the

country to the NGOs. Twenty-seven defendants tried in-absentia, including fifteen US citizens, were given five-year sentences by the

court. Eleven Egyptians were also implicated in the case, each receiving one-year suspended sentences.

Libya On 08 June, deadly clashes erupted in Benghazi. A group of   protesters called for the militias to submit to the central authority outside

the headquarters of Libya Shield brigade. The brigade helped to oust former leader Moammar Gaddafi, reports  AP . An elite military

unit took control of the brigade’s base. The clashes resulted in 31 dead and at least 120 wounded, reports Bloomberg . Army Chief of

Staff Youssef al-Mangoush resigned following the incidents, citing the high death toll. Military officers protested against al-

Mangoush’s inability to address corruption and for failing to control the militias. The UN Support Mission in Libya called for restrain

 by both parties and highlighted the “necessity of resolving disagreements peacefully through dialogue”. 

Clashes between members of  two tribes of Arab and African origins, in the southern Fezzan region of Libya, left five dead on 03 June,

reports AP . Fighters from Al Shourafa Arab tribe and Tabu, using light weapons as well as rocket propelled grenades, damaged nearby

houses and cars. Since the fall of Gaddafi, governments are unable to impose order in the southern region of Libya due to the absence

of a unified army and police force. Moreover, there are concerns that, aside from the local tensions, southern parts of the country may

 be the scene of broader regional security problems involving al Qaeda. There are concerns that Islamists militants, drawn out of Mal

 by French troops, may try to regroup in southern Libya.

 NATO is sending a team to assess how the Alliance can provide  security assistance to Libya, especially in military training, reports

The New York Times. According to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the team will leave “as soon as possible” and

report back by the end of June. Rasmussen also said such security assistance “would be a fitting way to continue our cooperat ion with

Libya after we successfully took action to protect the Libyan people two years ago”. He stated that Libya made a formal request for

assistance last week, adding that this is not a troop deployment in that country and any such military training “could take p lace outside

Libya”.

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Mali 

President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso met with a delegation from Bamako before hosting a three-day series of talks between

Mali’s central government and leaders of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), a separatist Tuareg group

reports  Deutsche Welle ( DW ). Although details were not immediately announced, Voice of America reported that the two sides

reached an agreement “in principle” that will permit elections to take place in July. The Malian army, which marched to Kidal last

week, threatened to occupy the city by force on 10 June if an agreement is not reached, notes  DW . The situation throughout the Kida

region has remained tense since late May. Malian and international troops encamped around the city but Tuareg leaders, who collected

taxes and formed a de facto government in Kidal, refused to disarm and cede control to the Malian army. The central government

needs Kidal, a key city in the northeast with a history steeped in Tuareg culture, to  participate in elections on 28 July. According to Reuters, “The immediate goal of the talks is to agree to a ceasefire and establish conditions for Mali’s government and armed forces to

return to Kidal before the presidential vote”. On 05 June, the Malian army recaptured Anefis, a small town 100 km south of Kidal held

 by MNLA forces.  France 24 reported that ten Tuaregs were killed during clashes. The negotiations with Burkina Faso came as UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that al Qaeda-linked militants continue to pose a  threat to West African countries. The UN plans

to deploy peacekeepers to Mali on 01 July under the UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Finally, Amnesty Internationa

released a report in preparation for the MINUSMA operation that found security forces throughout Mali perpetrated grave human

rights violations  between January and June 2013. “The Malian security forces’ human rights record since January is simply appalling

They continue to violate human rights with apparently no fear of being held accountable,” said Gaetan Mootoo, a member of the re

search team. The most serious allegations include incidents of torture, forced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. 

Morocco 

About 200 protesters from the February 20 Movement, joined by hundreds of unemployed graduates, demonstrated outside the Minis-try of Justice on 05 June, demanding the release of political prisoners, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). One of the protesters told

 AFP , “The February 20 movement is peaceful, it has never called for violence. We will continue to protest unti l our comrades are

freed.” Charges levied on the political prisoners include “taking part in non -authorised protests, violence against the security forces

and drug trafficking”.

During a lower house session on 03 June, an opposition parliamentarian posed a question to Minister of Health Hossein El Ouardi in

Amazigh language, which is used by the Berber minority in Morocco, reports  Middle East Online. El Ouardi responded in a differen

Amazigh dialect to the question regarding inadequate health infrastructure in the Berber region of al Hoceima, saying “I will visit Al

Hoceima soon and I will call you to go and see what’s going on there and to resolve the problem”. Berber activists hailed the minis

ters’ dialogue as the first time in the country’s history that Amazigh was used in parliament. Reforms introduced in 2011 by King Mo-

hammed VI included the elevation of Amazigh to one of Morocco’s official languages. Morocco and the European Union (EU) signed

a cooperation agreement on migration and mobility on 07 June, reports  Magharebia. The two parties will join efforts to fight illegalimmigration. In addition, the EU will ease visa procedures for certain groups such as students, researchers and business people. The

European Commission said, “one objective of the partnership is to improve the information available to qualified Moroccan citizens

on employment, education and training opportunities available in the EU and also to make mutual recognition of professional and uni-

versity qualifications easier”. 

Tunisia 

A roadside bomb struck a military vehicle in Jebel Chaambi mountain region on the Tunisia-Algeria border on 06 June, killing two

Tunisian soldiers and wounding two others, reports  AP . This is the first incident with fatalities in a region that has seen twenty soldiers

injured since operations began in late April. Tunisia is not impacted to the same extent as Algeria; however, many militants took ref-

uge in Tunisia after a French-led military intervention defeated al Qaeda-linked groups in Mali. Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said that

the search for militants in the region will continue until their groups are dismantled and their aides are caught. During another opera-

tion in the same region on 03 June, a soldier was killed by friendly fire, reports  AFP . Ministry of Interior spokesman Mokhtar Ben

 Nasr said “[t]he army set a trap for the terrorist elements but a soldier left his position and his comrades told him to stop , believing tha

he was a terrorist, before opening fire”. 

A branch of the League for the Protection of the Revolution (LPR) held a  rally in the capital Tunis on 01 June, despite a ban imposed

 by the Ministry of Interior, reports  AFP . The controversial group, linked to the ruling Islamist Ennahda party, demanded to swiftly

adopt a bill on the “immunization” of the revolution. The leader of the LPR, Imed Dghij, vowed to orchestrate weekly protests unti

demands are met. According to reports, the police on-site at the event did not intervene. Many civil society groups perceive LPR as a

 brutal Islamist militia. However, Ennahda and President Moncef Marzouki’s centre-left Congress for the Republic deny such allega

tions and openly support the group.

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Northeast Africa Trista Guertin► trista.guertin@cimicweb.org  

South Sudan – Sudan Cross Border Issues According to South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Barnaba Marial Benjamin,

Sudanese troops advanced ten kilometres into the South Sudanese state of  Upper 

 Nile on 10 June, according to  BBC . Benjamin stated that Juba would submit for-

mal protests to both the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) con-

cerning Sudan’s actions. Meanwhile, on 08 June, Sudan accused Juba of support-ing rebels trying to overthrow the government of Sudanese President Omar al

Bashir. Sudan suggested a future blockage of South Sudanese oil exports, effec-

tive in sixty days. South Sudan is reliant on Sudan to export its oil through pipe-

lines to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. An earlier dispute in 2012 over oil transport

fees halted production for fifteen months. Sudan’s intelligence chief, Mohammed

Atta al-Moula, claims that the rebels in Darfur and two other Sudanese states

received weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and spare vehicle parts from South

Sudan. According to  Bloomberg , South Sudanese President Salva Kiir called Su-

dan’s threat a “declaration of war ” and denied supporting rebels in Sudan.

Fighting between the SPLM-N rebels and the Sudanese government began in

early 2012 in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states resulting in the displace-

ment of over one million people, according to the UN. Since then, the SPLM-N created an alliance with three other rebel groups in

Darfur to establish a “viable democratic alternative” to Bashir’s government, according to a 2012 report  by the Small Arms Survey.

Sudan On 09 June, Sudan’s Minister of Information Ahmed Bilal Osman announced that Khartoum supports Ethiopia’s construction of the

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River, reports Sudan Tribune. Osman further stated that Addis Ababa includes Sudan

in all dam construction operations, and he expects the country to benefit from the dam once it is completed in about three years. Sudan

is reportedly prepared to send experts and technicians to Ethiopia to assist with construction. Furthermore, Sudan dismissed fears of

the dam collapsing and flooding surrounding cities and towns located on the Blue Nile River, forty kilometres from the Ethiopia-

Sudan border.

The US government, in partnership with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), will provide assistance to nearly  4 million vulnera

 ble people across Sudan, reports Sudan Tribune. A further 1.4 million people will benefit vis-à-vis food rations including lentils, sor-

ghum and oil fortified with vitamin A. The contribution comes ahead of the “lean season”, enabling a WFP response to those recently

displaced by increased fighting in Darfur. Furthermore, the US has earmarked another USD 43 million on top of the contributions to

 provide food assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in conflict -affected Blue Nile and South Kordofan states to which WFP

has access.

South Sudan Approximately 60,000 people are using their bare hands to  mine for gold  in South Sudan reports  Integrated Regional Information

 Networks (IRIN). The miners, facing growing food shortages, and inability to feed their families, are leaving home in search of gold

While substantial discoveries were common in the past, it is now more difficult to find gold. WFP reports “poor climatic conditions

inaccessibility, poverty and underdevelopment, and occasional insecurity” are taking a heavy toll on the area, increasing foo d insecuri

ty. Local authorities requested aid earlier in the year following reports of numerous hunger-related deaths. WFP provides food assis-

tance in the region and implements a food-for-assets programme to alleviate the impact of continued climatic and conflict-related

shocks, such as cattle-rustling. Minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau also indicated it would “help South Sudan… It

will diversify the economy, moving away from just relying on oil”, which represent s 98 per cent of the country’s annual budget.

According to Thomson Reuters Foundation, the UN will deliver  emergency medical care to tens of thousands of IDPs in Jonglei statePibor and Boma remain deserted a month after civilians fled the towns looking for safety. The two towns were the scene of intense

fighting as government forces and rebels, led by David Yau Yau, battled for control over both. As a result, both towns suffered heavy

damage amid fighting and looting. Aid officials report that civilians are too afraid to return to the towns to look for food or medicine

On 05 June, the UN reported receipt of USD 5.4 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF); the monies will be used

to purchase helicopters and medical equipment to treat or evacuate civilians in the state. It is estimated that over 1,600 people have

 been killed by violence in Jonglei state since 2011.

Source:  Britannica 

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www.cimicweb.org Med.basin@cimicweb.org facebook.com/cimicweb.org ENGAGE WITH US 

Horn of Africa Foard Copeland ► foard.copeland@cimicweb.org  

Eritrea Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, Sheila Keetharuth, presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on 04 June. Keetharuthurged  the international community to scrutinise Eritrea for forced conscription, extremely limited  political freedoms, and “countrywide arming and military training of the civilian population”. Speaking to the HRC, she summarised, “I am extremely concernedabout the human rights situation in Eritrea. The prevailing situation in the country is characterised by extrajudicial killings and forceddisappearance and incommunicado detention, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and inhumane prison conditions”. Eritrea respon ded to the remarks, expressing “surprise” and thanking delegations for their “constructive comments”. 

Ethiopia The Foreign Ministry summoned Mohamed Idris, the Egyptian ambassador to Ethiopia, on 06 June. According to  Associated Press(AP), the ministry sought an explanation about “hostile remarks” made by Egyptian politicians over the Renaissance Dam. During ameeting with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, the politician  – unaware their comments were televised –  suggested aiding rebegroups in an effort to destroy the dam. On 10 June, Morsi said that Egypt did not intend to go to war with Ethiopia but that he willkeep “all options open”. Reuters described the comments as “bellicose rhetoric” that could lead to a water war . Morsi also insisted onfurther study of the construction’s impact. The Renaissance project escalated tensions between the two countries in May amid concerns that it might disrupt the flow of the Nile River. However, Idris announced the construction was not a surprise and had been planned since November 2012. Ethiopia began diverting water  from the Blue Nile on 28 May in accordance with pre-existing con-struction plans, reports All Africa. The government  points to a report prepared by an international panel as evidence the dam will notdiminish Egypt’s water supply. The panel included experts from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. In a rare sign of domestic politica l opposition, 4,000 to 10,000  protesters marched through Addis Ababa on 02 June. Led by the Semayawi (Blue) party, the group called for

the release of political prisoners. The Economist  noted the demonstration, which concluded without incident, was the largest since2005 when 200 unarmed participants were killed and thousands arrested after protesting a flawed election process.

Kenya Journalists were ordered to vacate the media centre in Kenya’s Parliament Building on 05 June, reports Capital FM . The decision an-gered civil society leaders. The National Assembly Clerk, Justin Bundi, said the space was needed for committee rooms. The KenyaParliamentary Journalist Association (KPJA) countered that journalists can only hold parliament accountable by rendering their worktransparent. “Let’s not roll that back,” said KPJA chairperson Alphonce Shiundu. The decision to shut out journalists from Pa rliamencomes as retribution for their coverage of a recent  salary standoff , according to  RFI . The monthly pay rate of parliament members,EUR 7,600 (USD 10,027), has been harshly criticised as exorbitant and led to  bloody protests in May, according to BBC . However, iseems unlikely that current members will settle on the reduced salary of EUR 4,800 (USD 6,330) proposed by the federal salariescommission. In international developments, the UK  agreed to pay Kenyan survivors of the Mau Mau revolt USD 31 million, according to BBC . Thousands of people were killed during the rebellion in the 1950s as Kenya struggled for independence from Britain. For-eign Secretary William Hague identified 5,228 victims who will receive compensation. The UK also plans to construct a memorial tothe Mau Mau uprising in Nairobi.

Somalia Intense fighting broke out between the followers of two rival warlords in the strategic port city of Kismayo, Jubaland, on 08 June, re ports  Al Jazeera. Armed members of Ras Kamboni, a group led by Ahmed Madobe, attempted to arrest Iftin Hassan Basto when agunfight erupted between militias loyal to the two men. Madobe was elected  president of Jubaland by an assembly on 15 May but theresult was contested by Basto. The Somalia Federal Government (SFG) also called his election unconstitutional. At least eighteen people were killed in the attacks and hundreds of residents fled Kismayo. Troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia(AMISOM) have skirmished with al Shabaab militants over control of the Kismayo airport in recent weeks, although Kenyan com-manders report the group is “relatively finished”. As of 08 June, AMISOM, led by Kenyan troops, held the airport while various militias maintained tenuous order in the city.  Al Jazeera reported that the presence of militant groups unnerved local residents. In a sepa-rate security development, NATO and EU maritime counter piracy operations freed fourteen Indian sailors on 07 June after pirateshijacked their ship, reports India Times. Somali pirates have been thwarted from hijacking ships on four occasions in 2013, a dramatic

decline in the number of attacks from previous years.  AP also broke the news that al Shabaab militants carried out summary execu-tions of two men in the southern town of Bararwe on 06 June. The men were accused of spying for AMISOM peacekeepers.

Finally, AP reports that al Shabaab is discouraging Somalis from inoculating children against polio. Militants are misleading parents by accusing foreign health workers of sterilising children and infecting them with AIDS rather than administering the vaccine . Four polio cases  were discovered in Somalia and Kenya in April, prompting an urgent response from the World Health Organization(WHO) and government officials on 27 May. One million people are expected to receive vaccinations  in Kenya and Somal