Rogue Planet

FY 2009 Security Assistance to Africa

U.S. Security Assistance Programs - The FY 2009 DoS and DoD Budget Request
African Security Research Project (Washington, DC)

ANALYSIS
13 March 2008
Posted to the web 13 March 2008

By Daniel Volman

For Fiscal Year 2009 (which begins on 1 October 2008), the Bush administration is asking Congress to approve the delivery of some $500 million worth of military equipment and training to Africa (including both sub-Saharan Africa and north Africa) in the budget request for the State Department for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.

The administration is also asking for up to $400 million for deliveries of equipment and training for Africa funded through the Defense Department budget and another $400 million to establish the headquarters for the Pentagon's new Africa Command (Africom).

The State Department budget request includes funding for major new arms deliveries and increased military training to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Uganda. It will be channeled through a variety of programs, including a number of new programs initiated by the Bush administration as part of the "Global War on Terrorism." These include the Trans-Saharan Counter-Terrorism Partnership, the East African Regional Security Initiative, and the Anti-Terrorism Assistance program. The U.S. government is also expected to license up to $100 million worth of private commercial sales of military and police equipment through the State Department's Direct Commercial Sales program in FY 2009.

The following description is based on information contained in the State Department Budget Justification for Foreign Operations for FY 2009 (released by the State Department in March 2008) and the Defense Department Summary Justification for the Budget Request for FY 2009 (released in February 2008).

Uganda, Sudan in Talks Over Arms Trafficking

The Monitor (Kampala)
15 January 2008
By David Mafabi

Security chiefs from the governments of Uganda and South Sudan have started discussions to end the long persistent arms trafficking in the region.

According to the UPDF, the strategy is aimed at reducing gun flow in to Karamoja region and to ensure that the UPDF disarmament exercise achieves the 100 per cent result for peace in Karamoja.

The UPDF and local leaders in Karamoja region have on several occasions hinted that the greatest undoing to the disarmament exercise in the area has been the free in flow of guns from Sudan through Kitgum to the area.

Sources in the UPDF said the move is to ensure that armed cattle rustling is stopped to create peace in Karamoja region, and also with her neighbours in Uganda and western parts of Kenya.

A meeting held last Tuesday at Kidepo in Kotido, sought among other things to boost co-operation with the government of South Sudan to end the arms trafficking.

The State Minister for Defence, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, said the commissioner in charge of rehabilitation and reconstruction, Dr Mayo Nailo and other commissioners in the Southern Sudan government met Chief of Defence Forces, Maj. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, and State Minister for Karamoja, Mr Aston Kajara and other security chiefs.

Ms Nankabirwa said the meeting resolved to, besides monitoring the major routes for arms trafficking, lay strategies to involve local leadership in the struggle to end arms trafficking in the East African cattle corridor.

"The meeting dealt greatly on bringing to an end arms trafficking in the region and we have resolved to co-operate in monitoring to ensure that illegal arms don't cross the boarders of another country," Ms Nankabirwa said.

She said the bringing of Sudan on board in the struggle to end arms trafficking in Karamoja region is the greatest achievement because Sudan has been the source of most arms in Karamoja region and neighbouring districts.

The two countries also agreed to construct three major roads from Karamoja through northern Uganda to provide good communication for monitoring arms trafficking.

The Monitor via [sudan.net]

Pentagon To Spend Millions Bolstering Militaries In Yemen, Africa

Inside The Pentagon
July 26, 2007

The Pentagon plans to spend millions to improve the mobility of Yemen's ground forces and the intelligence capabilities of African militaries to help them track and defeat violent extremists.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman informed Congress of the details last month in a letter, a copy of which was reviewed by Inside the Pentagon. The missive also includes plans to spend
millions on militaries in the Balkans and the Caucasus so they can contribute forces to coalition operations.

These efforts will be funded by the Defense Department's "global train and equip" account through DOD's relatively new authority to boost the capacity of foreign militaries, a task traditionally handled by the State department.

Being a Dick about arms sales to Sudan

Go, Dick, go!  Now all we need to do is to send similar letters to China, Iran, and every state that borders Sudan.

Dick Durbin: Durbin Pushes for Action on Russian Arms Sales to Sudan

June 26, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter
to the President late yesterday, urging him to confront Russian President, Vladimir Putin, about
Russian arms sales to the government of Sudan when Putin visits Bush in Maine on July 1st.
Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council is transferring arms to the Sudanese
government in violation of the UN arms embargo currently in place. Joining Durbin in sending
this bipartisan letter to the White House were Senators Brownback, Feingold and Smith.