September 8, 2012: Strategy Page

As the Libyan rebels took control of government over the last year (since they overthrew the decades old Kaddafi dictatorship) they have found that the previous government has some pretty neat tools for monitoring how Libyans used the Internet. Kaddafi's intelligence agencies bought special Internet monitoring software from a French firm and were able to search all Internet traffic in the country, especially stuff going into and out of Libya.

At the time of the revolution Libya had only about 100,000 Internet users and the government monitoring system was able to filter all traffic (that was readable) for certain words or phrases. If something was not in plaintext, the French monitoring software could identify what kind of data it was (encrypted, compressed, music or video or whatever). The system also kept a record of which users were on the Internet, when and with what type of data.

The monitoring effort was no secret, and rebels using the Internet were warned to be careful what they said and how they said it. But the monitoring effort did provide a real-time report on what most upscale Libyans were talking about and what their attitudes were. Occasionally there would be some useful military information from a sloppy rebel. It's not known for sure if the new government is still using the Bull system, or one from several other vendors who sell such stuff to governments and large corporations. Users tend to be quiet about what they are doing in this department. Depending on the secrecy and counter-intelligence laws in a country, it is usually not illegal to use this kind of Internet monitoring software. Many, if not most, nations in the Middle East use an Internet monitoring system similar to the one Kaddafi had.

07 September 2012 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Guinea has blocked a shipment of heavy weapons to Mali fearing they could end up in the wrong hands, a Guinean official and regional diplomats said, in a further sign of distrust between regional powers and Mali's former junta.

The weeks-long weapons stand-off underscores a deep regional crisis as Mali's neighbours and Western nations fear a new global security threat but are struggling to respond to it.

Rebels dominated by Islamists - including al Qaeda - have taken over the north, and Mali's military coup leaders, despite handing power to civilians in April, are widely suspected of pulling levers of power behind the scenes, Reuters reports.

Mali's military leadership this week said it opposed direct foreign intervention to regain control of the desert north, clashing publicly with the interim government which had hours earlier made a formal request for a regional force.

"(West African regional bloc) ECOWAS wanted the constitutional crisis ended and a strong civilian government in place before they released the weapons," a regional diplomat told Reuters. "They didn't want to reinforce the junta."

Abdoul Kabele Camara, Guinea's deputy defence minister, confirmed a weapons shipment to land-locked Mali had been blocked as the government did not know who in Mali should receive them but said there were talks over their release.

A source monitoring international arms shipments said that about 20 BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), ordered by ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure, were being blocked onboard a ship that had sailed from Bulgaria.

Bakary Mariko, a spokesman for Mali's CNRDRE former junta, blamed ECOWAS and the African Union for Guinea's freezing of the shipment, which he said included about a dozen APCs. He said a shipment of 1,000 light arms had been blocked also at the Senegalese port of Dakar.

ECOWAS has not made an official statement, but a foreign ministry official from a member state said the group had been waiting for a proper authority to receive the weapons.

"The army elements of the junta did not represent the state," he said, adding that Malian and ECOWAS officials were now in the country working to release the weapons.

After months of uncertainty, Mali's interim leader this week officially requested military assistance from West Africa's ECOWAS bloc to tackle its crises.

But the ex-junta, led by Captain Amadou Sanogo, still appears against the intervention of foreign soldiers.

"NO WEST AFRICAN TROOPS"

Mali's military cited the poor handling of the insurgency as the cause of its coup but has made little effort to retake the north, and has been regularly accused of meddling in politics.

Distrust is reciprocated, with Mariko saying the ex-junta would welcome logistical, financial and intelligence help from ECOWAS to retake control of the Islamist-controlled north, but foreign boots on the ground were not welcome.

"Mali has more than 26,000 men. We don't need men from outside," he said.

Defence analysts have little confidence in Mali's military, which abandoned three northern regions to rebels in as many days after the coup, and ECOWAS has said for months it wants to deploy a force to contain what it sees as a regional threat.

Pending an official request from Bamako, regional armies have been preparing a plan based on intervention involving some 3,000 soldiers to stabilise the capital, retrain Mali's army and then help it defeat the Islamist insurgents if talks fail.

The mission still lacks the sought-after United Nations backing and will need time and money before it is operational.

But a sterner challenge may yet be to forge a working relationship between Mali's weak civilian administration, the ex-junta, which is discredited internationally, and divided regional leaders.

"The interim government realised that only ECOWAS is really behind them," the diplomat said. "The (former) junta's refusal of ECOWAS is not about patriotism. They didn't want ECOWAS to come and hijack the international (military) support for Mali."

Mali’s leader Amadou Toumani Toure was ousted from power in a coup on March 22 by soldiers angry at his inability to respond to a Tuareg rebellion that broke out in January and that overwhelmed the government’s ill-equipped army, which suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Tuareg rebels.

The Tuareg rebellion has since been hijacked by Islamist militants who have began imposing sharia law in the three northern regions of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu now under their control.

Under international pressure, the military junta later handed back power to a civilian authority headed by President Traore. However, its leaders have remained influential and command some popular support, particularly in the riverside capital, Bamako.

07 September 2012 by Dean Wingrin/defenceWeb

The French offshore patrol vessel FNS L’Adroit has arrived in Cape Town, where it will be showcased to the South African Navy, which is seeking new offshore patrol vessels under Project Biro.

The DCNS built and funded Gowind class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) was made available to the French Navy as part of DCNS's ambition to win a larger share of the markets for small- and medium-displacement surface ships. L’Adroit arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday.

L’Adroit was handed over to the French Navy in October 2011 for a three-year trial period. Commissioned on March 19 this year, she is carrying out a wide variety of naval missions such as anti-piracy patrols, fisheries inspection and protection, anti-drugs operations, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance and search and rescue at sea.

By demonstrating L’Adroit’s qualities, DCNS said the French Navy would help it win the coveted ‘sea proven’ seal of approval that international customers seek when reviewing a new design’s innovations and efficiency.

The importance to DCNS of the visit to Cape Town is highlighted by the South African Navy’s ambition to acquire several offshore and inshore patrol vessels under Project Biro. These are to be built locally to replace the remaining strike craft and mine hunters.

DCNS said its presence in South Africa is part of an ongoing partnership with local shipbuilder Nautic Africa (formerly KND) covering promotion, construction and sales of the Gowind class. “This type of arrangement is key to DCNS’s ability to compete in export markets, and an operational presence in South Africa helps the Group understand the needs of the South African Navy and meet its local shipbuilding requirements,” DCNS said. The company earlier signed a memorandum of understanding cementing the cooperation with Nautic Africa. The two companies are promoting the vessel in South Africa and seven other African countries.

“The Gowind is the most technologically advanced of all the vessels proposed for the South African OPV programme,” said James Fisher, CEO of Nautic Africa. “We’re convinced that DCNS is the Navy’s ideal partner in this highly competitive marketplace and that the DCNS OPV is the best platform for naval missions in Africa.”

Having completed a general and anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea, L’Adroit arrived in Cape Town after completing a 19 day, 4 500 nautical mile patrol from Dakar, Senegal, down the west coast of Africa to the Cape.

The oceans around the southern tip of Africa are renowned for their rough conditions and high seas. Any vessel purchased under Project Biro will have to take routinely operate in such conditions and the French saw the opportunity to test the ship during the Cape winter.

“We have been at sea for three weeks,” Captain Loïc Guyot, commander of FNS L’Adroit, told defenceWeb, “We had calm seas at first, then very rough ones for two days.”

These rough seas included a Sea State of 7 that included waves over six meters in height.

“The ship handled very well,” was how Guyot described the conditions. Other members of the crew agreed that the ship fared much better in the conditions to what they expected.

Innovations of the new patrol ship include a panoramic bridge offering 360° visibility, a single enclosed mast offering 360° sensor visibility, covert deployment of fast commando boats in less than five minutes, a hangar capable of accommodating a helicopter up to the size of a South African Oryx and full provision for unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAVs and USVs).

The modular construction of the vessel allows for the adaptation of the ship to various missions, from patrol and anti-piracy to mine warfare and the transportation of freight. The ship can carry two 20 ft containers and still accommodate a helicopter such as the Super Lynx. Should no helicopter capability be required for a particular mission, a maximum of 20 containers can be carried on the aft deck.

Apart from showcasing the ship to the South African Navy and strengthening the partnership between DCNS and Nautic Africa, the visit will also maintain the South African Navy’s international contact with the French Navy and provide the opportunity for France and South Africa to share lessons learnt about piracy operations and related Offshore Patrol Vessel missions on a Navy to Navy basis.

“During previous stopovers, navies around the world have been impressed by L’Adroit and recognised the operational benefits of the Gowind range,” said Marc Maynard, head of Gowind program department. “We’re looking forward to working with South Africa to meet its requirements for offshore patrol vessels.”

With a crew of only 32 officers and ratings, the ship is highly automated. The L’Adroit has been at sea for 80% of the time since October last year and this has required two French Navy crews to be rotated every four months. Thus, the crew are looking forward to some rest and relaxation whilst enhance contact between the French Navy and the local South African community.

L’Adroit will be in Cape Town’s Table Bay Harbour from September 5 to 9 before docking at Simon’s Town from September 9 to 11.

When she departs Simon’s Town for her return to the Gulf of Guinea, the L’Adroit will undertake exercises with members of the SA Navy onboard.

The ship will be open to the public on Saturday morning, 8 September 2012 (09:30 to 11:30) in Cape Town harbour where the public will be afforded the opportunity to go onboard and interact with the crew of FNS L’Adroit.

DCNS will also exhibit at Africa Aerospace & Defence from 19 to 23 September at Air Force Base Waterkloof outside Pretoria. The DCNS exhibit will feature the L’Adroit, Gowind Combat, Mistral 140, Polaris mission system and F21 torpedo.

07/09/2012 Opérations

Du 14 au 31 août 2012, la force Licorne et les Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) ont mené conjointement une mission de dépollution et de destruction de matière explosive sur le site de Lomo Nord (sud-est de Yamoussoukro).

La section génie de la force Licorne, armée par le 6e régiment du génie d’Angers et l’équipe de neutralisation d’explosifs (NEDEX) ont apporté leur soutien logistique et leur expertise technique à une trentaine de sapeurs ivoiriens de la base de Bouaké.

Au cours de cette mission, les militaires ont transporté plusieurs dizaines de tonnes de munitions à détruire vers un lieu de stockage sécurisé, à plus de 300 kilomètres d’Abidjan.

Les militaires français et ivoiriens ont construit 46 fourneaux à munitions afin de procéder à la destruction de la matière explosive : 45 tonnes de munitions, dont 19,5 de matière active. Parmi les munitions détruites, les sapeurs ont neutralisé des mines anti-personnel, en application de la Convention d’Ottawa, traité international sur les mines anti-personnel, interdisant leur production, leur stockage et leur utilisation, et engageant les Etats à veiller à leur destruction.

La force Licorne, déployée en Côte d’Ivoire depuis 2002, compte 450 hommes depuis novembre 2011. Chargée d’accompagner la réforme de l’armée ivoirienne, elle la soutient régulièrement pour des missions de dépollution, de neutralisation et de destruction de munitions.

Depuis le début de l’année 2012, trois campagnes de dépollution et de destruction de munitions ont été conduites conjointement par les FRCI et la force Licorne, illustrant la qualité des relations qui unissent la force française et les forces ivoiriennes.

7 septembre 2012 Par Rédacteur en chef. PORTAIL DES SOUS-MARINS

Les statistiques de l’Union européenne (UE) pour le premier semestre 2012 font état de 33 incidents et d’au moins 7 bâtiments aux mains des pirates en fin de semestre (environ 177 otages). La piraterie continue de menacer le trafic maritime au large de la corne de l’Afrique bien que l’on observe une réduction du pourcentage de réussite des attaques depuis 2011. Face à la persistance de ce phénomène et en application de sa Stratégie pour la corne de l’Afrique, le Conseil de l’UE a décidé, tout en continuant en mer à protéger les navires et lutter contre les pirates, de traiter aussi à terre les causes de la piraterie. Pour mener à bien ce projet, les marines européennes sont appelées à partager leur savoir-faire pour renforcer les capacités des marines de la corne de l’Afrique.

Cette “Brève-Marine” est disponible à cette adresse.

Élaborées par le Centre d’études supérieures de la Marine (CESM), les Brèves Marines vous fournissent régulièrement de l’information privilégiée sur l’actualité et les enjeux de la Marine nationale.

CONAKRY, 5 sept 2012 Marine et Océans (AFP) -

Des "armes de guerre" pour le Mali, achetées par le régime du président malien renversé Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT), sont bloquées depuis fin juillet en Guinée, en accord avec la Communauté économique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Cédéao), a affirmé mercredi à l'AFP un ministre guinéen.

"Je ne connais pas encore la nature des armes, mais retenez que ce sont des armes de guerre en provenance de Bulgarie, achetées du temps du régime de ATT. (Elles sont) arrivées à Conakry le 27 juillet 2012 à bord d'un bateau battant pavillon turc", a déclaré le ministre délégué en charge de la Défense, Abdoul Kabélé Camara, dans un entretien avec l'AFP.

"Dès que nous avons été informés de l'arrivé de ce bateau, le président guinéen (Alpha Condé) a pris contact avec ses pairs de la Cédéao, et c'est à partir de ce moment que la décision d'accueillir le navire a été prise. Il y avait vraiment beaucoup de containers dans le bateau et les frais de transport et autres sont supportés par la Cédéao", a-t-il expliqué, sans fournir de montant.

"Nous les avons gardées ici (les armes, NDLR) parce que, entre-temps, le régime avait changé de mains et on ne savait plus" qui allaient les recevoir si elles étaient envoyées au Mali, a ajouté M. Camara.

Amadou Toumani Touré, officier retiré de l'armée qui dirigeait le Mali depuis dix ans, a été renversé par un coup d'Etat militaire le 22 mars, au lendemain d'une mutinerie de soldats et à moins de six semaines d'une élection présidentielle à laquelle il ne se représentait pas.

Les putschistes ont accusé ATT d'"incompétence" dans la lutte contre la rébellion touareg et des groupes islamistes qui menaient depuis mi-janvier des attaques contre l'armée dans le Nord, et protesté notamment contre le manque de moyens pour la guerre contre les assaillants.

Les groupes armés ont profité du putsch pour réaliser une progression-éclair et s'installer dans tout le Nord entre fin mars et début avril. Aujourd'hui, les islamistes ont évincé leurs ex-alliés rebelles touareg et contrôlent totalement le Nord, ainsi que la ville stratégique de Douentza, dans la région de Mopti (centre), qu'ils ont prise le 1er septembre sans combats.

Selon le ministre Abdoul Kabélé Camara, la Guinée a décidé de garder les armes pour le Mali "dans l'intérêt exclusif de la République du Mali et du peuple malien, mais aussi dans l'intérêt des pays voisins du Mali dont la Guinée".

"Nous n'avons pas saisi ces armes au sens juridique du mot", a-t-il précisé.

Selon lui, la question de ces armes pour le Mali est à l'ordre du jour de rencontres à Conakry avec des délégués de la Cédéao. "Des émissaires de la Cédéao sont (...) dans nos murs à ce sujet, nous allons faire ensemble une expertise en déballant les containers" d'armes, a-t-il dit, sans indiquer de dates.

Le 23 août, un front de partis maliens pro-putsch, le Mouvement populaire du 22 mars (MP22), avait accusé la Cédéao de bloquer des armes pour le Mali dans des ports en Côte d'Ivoire, au Togo et en Guinée.

"La Cédéao maintient l'embargo dans les ports d'Abidjan, Lomé et Conakry et prive notre armée des acquisitions d'armement susceptibles de préparer la contre-attaque au Nord", avait déclaré le MP22 dans un communiqué, sans plus de détails.

September 5, 2012 defpro.com

The Gowind OPV L'Adroit visits Cape Town from 5 to 9 September 2012 during a long deployment off Africa, providing an opportunity for DCNS to promote the Gowind range and demonstrate the operational value of the vessels and their cutting-edge technologies. DCNS will also exhibit at Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2012 in South Africa from 19 to 23 September.

DCNS's presence in South Africa is part of an ongoing partnership with local shipbuilder Nautic Africa (formerly KND) covering promotion, construction and sales of the Gowind ocean patrol vessel (OPV). This type of arrangement is key to DCNS's ability to compete in export markets, and an operational presence in South Africa helps the Group understand the needs of the South African Navy and meet its local shipbuilding requirements.

"The Gowind is the most technologically advanced of all the vessels proposed for the South African OPV programme," said James Fisher, CEO of Nautic Africa. "We're convinced that DCNS is the Navy's ideal partner in this highly competitive marketplace and that the DCNS OPV is the best platform for naval missions in Africa."

The L'Adroit put in to Cape Town from 5 to 9 September in order to meet local South African delegations. The visit includes demonstrations at sea to showcase the vessel's impressive capabilities under real operational conditions. "During previous stopovers, navies around the world have been impressed by L'Adroit and recognised the operational benefits of the Gowind range," said Marc Maynard, head of Gowind program department. "We're looking forward to working with South Africa to meet its requirements for offshore patrol vessels."

The flagship of DCNS's ambition to win a larger share of the markets for small- and medium-displacement surface ships, the Gowind® OPV L'Adroit is a major industrial and technological achievement. Designed and built in less than 24 months, it is packed with state-of-the-art technologies – commando boat launch ramps, a panoramic bridge and enclosed mast for 360° visibility, and the Polaris® mission system — for emerging maritime safety and security missions, including fisheries surveillance, interdiction of trafficking, environmental protection, humanitarian support and search & rescue.

DCNS will also be at Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2012 in Tshwane, South Africa, from 19 to 23 September. AAD 2012 is a chance for DCNS to showcase its expertise in this key export market and to meet key players in the sector. The DCNS exhibit will feature the Gowind OPV L'Adroit, Gowind Combat, Mistral 140, Polaris mission system and F21 torpedo.

L’ADROIT, A CONCENTRATE OF INNOVATION

With a length overall of 87 metres, OPV L'Adroit offers three weeks' blue-water endurance, a range of 8,000 nautical miles and a top speed of 21 knots. The design includes full provision for an organic helicopter and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), crewing by a complement of 30 and accommodation for 30 passengers.

Innovations and capabilities of special interest to ship-based naval, commando and coast guard forces include a panoramic bridge offering 360° visibility, a single enclosed mast offering 360° sensor visibility, covert deployment of fast commando boats in less than five minutes and full provision for unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAVs and USVs). The Gowind range also benefits from DCNS's vast experience in IT and command information systems. These vessels can be readily tailored for extended area surveillance and, when working in conjunction with shore-based control centres and other networked ships, for the automatic detection of suspicious behaviour by ships and other craft.

More information on the OPV Gowind L'Adroit can be found at: http://en.dcnsgroup.com/naval/programme/opv-gowind/carnet-de-bord

04-09-2012 challenges.fr

CONAKRY, Guinée (Sipa) — Le ministre délégué à la Défense nationale de Guinée a affirmé mardi que le gouvernement avait intercepté un bateau contenant des armes destinées au Mali voisin, où des islamistes armés ont pris le contrôle du nord du pays.

Abdoul Kabèlè Camara a précisé à la radio Nostalgie FM qu'il avait informé la Communauté économique des Etats d'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO) de cette découverte et que l'organisation avait demandé à la Guinée de bloquer la cargaison.

M. Camara a refusé de fournir davantage de détails, comme la provenance du bateau, sa destination exacte ou la date de la saisie.

Des islamistes armés se sont emparés du Nord du pays à la faveur de la déstabilisation provoquée par le renversement militaire du président démocratiquement élu en mars dernier.

Aug. 31, 2012 - by MARCUS WEISGERBER Defense news

MILLVILLE, N.J. — The Libyan government is interested in acquiring used U.S. Army Chinook helicopters, according to Boeing officials.

Boeing — the maker of the Chinook — is in discussions with the State Department about “opportunities to provide” used Army CH-47E helicopters to Tripoli, Raymond Haddad, Boeing’s head of Chinook sustainment, said Aug. 28 during a briefing at a company helicopter facility here.

The State Department and U.S. Congress must sign off on foreign weapons sales.

Libya has legacy CH-47C helicopters that were acquired in the 1970s; however, it is unclear how many remain in the inventory and are flyable, especially following the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi’s government by opposition forces in 2011.

The United Arab Emirates purchased 12 CH-47C Chinooks from Libya in 2003, according to a report in the state-run newspaper The National.

“Libya is anxious for some additional capability,” Haddad said.

01 sept 2012 directinfo

Le ministère de la défense nationale a démenti samedi l’information selon laquelle l’armée tunisienne a reçu du matériel militaire dont des avions F16 , des hélicoptères ‘Black Hawk’ ou ‘H 60′ ainsi que des quantités de fusils et des munitions. Dans un communiqué, le ministère dément avoir reçu ce type de matériel ou même l’intention de l’acquérir, réfutant ainsi des informations, relayées par certains médias et sites électroniques.

 »ces informations sont dénuées de tout fondement » selon les termes du communiqué qui appelle les médias à vérifier l’authenticité de l’information auprès des instances concernées avant de la diffuser.

August 16, 2012: Strategy Page

In northern Malu, the Islamic radical Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith) have used their larger supplies of cash (from al Qaeda controlled drug smuggling and ransoms) to recruit men and teenagers from an increasingly desperate (for food and other goods) population. There are several Islamic radical groups in the north, with the local Ansari Dine nominally in charge. Al Qaeda wants to establish a terrorist haven in the area, but first the Islamic radicals have to gain a greater measure of control. That is proving difficult because the locals are resisting. In the last month there have been more demonstrations against Ansar Dine, which has been met by Islamic radicals using clubs and whips. Now the angry locals are trying to form armed militias to drive out the Islamic radicals. But the locals don't have weapons or the cash to buy them. The Islamic radicals don't have the manpower to occupy all the neighborhoods and villages where their increasingly angry local enemies might be. The thinly populated and largely desert north is becoming chaotic.

Then there are the Tuareg rebels. Two months ago the more numerous Tuareg tribal rebels (MNLA, Liberation Army of Azawad) were driven out of the major cities there by the Islamic radicals. Ansar Dine and MNLA used to be allies and drove the Mali army and police out of the thinly populated, largely desert northern two-thirds of the country four months ago. The Islamic radicals have more money and fanaticism, but the MNLA gunmen are still out there. The north is a patchwork of areas controlled by Islamic radicals, MNLA or local militias. The MNLA are disliked because of looting and general unruliness. While the Islamic radicals impose law and order, their strict lifestyle rules quickly dissipate any good will.

The northern city of Gao, one of the three major population centers, near the Niger border is one of the most unruly places for Ansari Dine. The Islamic radicals are faced with a growing armed opposition. If the fighting gets started here, it could turn very bloody.

In the last eight months a coup and a tribal rebellion in Mali have caused over 300,000 people to flee their homes. About two-thirds of the refugees are still in Mali. Most of the refugees are from the thinly populated northern two-thirds of the country. While the African state of Mali has a population of 15 million, less than two million live in the dry north. The region was very poor in the best of times, and the recent violence there has halted tourism (a major source of income, especially in Timbuktu) and the movement of many goods. Foreign aid, especially food is not arriving in sufficient quantities. Donor nations have been burned too often by local corruption (that sees most of the food aid stolen and then showing up in local markets). This part of the world is very corrupt and the food is not coming without assurances that the most needy will receive it. That is being negotiated, along with unofficial limits on how much can be stolen by armed locals.

The success of the Islamic radicals and Tuareg rebels in chasing the largely black African Mali army out of the north encouraged Ansar Dine to call for more Islamic radicals throughout the region to come join them. At this point, about a third of Ansar Dine fighters are foreigners. Ansar Dine also insisted on imposing Islamic law in the north and MNLA opposed that. This caused a split between the two groups two months ago, which devolved into fighting between the two groups.

The impact of the drug gangs (smuggling South American cocaine and local drugs north to Europe) cannot be underestimated. Local officials are easy to bribe and are not keen on wiping out the source of all their new-found wealth. This has led to resistance to Western (or any outside) intervention in northern Mali. Many local leaders blame the United States and the West for this mess. The reasoning is twisted, but it involves Western counter-terrorism efforts in Africa and the usual Western imperialism. No mention of corruption among African politicians. This is one of the causes of a military coup in Mali last March. The troops wanted their political leaders spend less time stealing and more time dealing with the growing unrest in the north.

The transitional government in Mali (another place where drug gangs bribed a lot of politicians) is having a difficult time arranging new elections. The corrupt politicians and unhappy population cannot agree on what the new government should be like. There is great popular anger at the corrupt and inept politicians, and the politicians are shifting blame as quickly as they can. Everyone says they want to reclaim the north, but there's no enthusiasm for letting foreigners (including the UN) do it, or getting organized so the more numerous southern Malians can do it. The West is leaning towards taking unilateral action, as the al Qaeda controlled north turns into another terrorist sanctuary.

In the south, several armed militias have formed for the purpose of regaining control of the north. So far it's all talk and bluster. More armed groups in the south is not a good thing, no matter what their intentions.

August 15, 2012: Army leaders (who are still in opposition, if not rebellion, to the government) threaten to fight any foreign troops entering southern (government controlled) Mali on their way to defeat the rebels in the north. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the AU (African Union) have offered to organize a force of 3,300 peacekeepers (from Nigeria, Niger and Senegal) got that purpose, but the UN has been slow to sign off on this. The Mali army had 7,000 troops at the beginning of the year, but as many as half have deserted or been put out of action by northern rebels since then. The remainder are occupied guarding their bases and towns north of the Niger river that mark the boundary between government and rebel controlled Mali. Despite a host of political and logistical difficulties, ECOWAS and the UN are working out the details for sending in a peacekeeper (and peacemaking) force that will end Islamic control of the north. That force won't arrive until next month, at the earliest.

In southern Mali the government has recruited over a thousand young men and is training them for combat in the north. If the new Mali government can stabilize itself, then the UN is more inclined to authorize some international military aid to deal with the mess in the north.

August 11, 2012: The UN has called on the Mali military to stop interfering in politics. The leaders of the military refuse. The military coup of last March has still not been resolved, even though the coup leaders were forced to back off and allow new elections. ECOWAS and the UN do not want to fight the remaining Mali army mutineers as well as the rebels up north. But that may happen anyway.

August 8, 2012: The UN has called for sanctions against northern Mali rebel leaders. ECOWAS has been talking to Islamic radical leaders in the north, but has been unable to get assurances that the north would not turn into an Islamic terrorist sanctuary. Ansar Dine and other radical groups up north are willing to talk, but apparently only for the purpose of getting foreign aid for the hungry population they now preside over. By controlling the foreign aid, the restive population can be more easily controlled.

17 August 2012 by defenceWeb

An unnamed West African customer has ordered two 95 metre long offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) from India’s Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Company.

The contract is worth 11.92 billion rupees (US$213 million) and includes options for another two vessels, which can be exercised within 24 months. In this case the contract value may go up to 25.04 billion rupees (US$448 million).

Both vessels will be delivered in 32 months including option vessels, if exercised, Pipavav announced on August 6. Nigeria may be the source of the order as Strategic Defence Intelligence in February this year reported that Nigeria was undertaking an offshore patrol vessels contract for two vessels, to be finalised in the third quarter of this year. It is assumed that the two OPVs are in addition to the two 1 800 ton OPVs ordered by the Nigerian Navy from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Limited on April 18 this year.

The patrol vessels will apparently be very similar to the five OPVs ordered by the Indian Navy last year. These are 110 metres long and will have a maximum speed of 24 knots. They will be armed with a 76 mm Oto-Melara guns.

The West African order is Pipavav’s first international order and the company said it is also negotiating for the construction of four corvettes with another foreign navy.

“One of the thrust areas of the company is to focus on foreign military sales to…friendly countries,” the company said.

Countries in the West African region are re-equipping their navies in an effort to deal with numerous threats, including piracy, illegal fishing, oil theft, illegal bunkering, arms smuggling and drug trafficking.

Piracy in particular is a growing problem in the Gulf of Guinea as the area, spanning a dozen countries, is a growing source of oil, cocoa and metals being shipped to the world's markets. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is not on the scale of that off Somalia, but analysts say an increase in scope and number of attacks in a region ill-equipped to counter the threat could affect shipping and investment. The International Maritime Bureau said attacks off Nigeria reached 10 in the first quarter of this year, which is the same number reported for the whole of 2011.

In February Ghana’s Navy commissioned four new Chinese-built patrol ships and received two ex-German Navy fast attack craft last month. Cameroon in January took delivery of three Boston Whaler patrol boats for anti-piracy operations and on January 7 the Cape Verde Coast Guard commissioned a new 51 metre long Damen Stan Patrol 5009 patrol vessel. Elsewhere in the region, on February 22, 2011, Equatorial Guinea officially took delivery of two new 62 metre offshore patrol vessels from Israel Shipyards.

14 August 2012 by defenceWeb

The SA Navy says the diesel-electric attack submarine SAS Queen Modjadji I did not suffer damage to its pressure hull when it hit the ocean floor on July 17 while conducting training exercises between Port Elizabeth and Durban.

In a statement the navy says the boat “suffered a minor collision to her forward section whilst on routine patrol along the East Coast. Whilst undergoing safety exercises, the HP Oil supply was briefly interrupted, resulting in a temporary loss of control. The boat collided with the ocean bottom but immediately surfaced again.”

The statement adds a hull survey was conducted by a team of navy divers once the submarine had returned to Durban “and the preliminary determination is that no mechanical failure lead to the collision. No further damage could be traced on pressure hull structure.”

The navy says the incident can be compared to a “fender bender” with damage to the exterior hull only. “The boat is technically sound and is able to continue with operational obligations.” After sailing to Simon’s Town under her own power, the boat was taken out of the water “to conduct further testing in order to determine the likely causes of the incident after which a formal report will be drafted.”

A “Board of Inquiry has already been instituted and the Navy authorities are waiting for its report before it could be disseminated to the public.”

The Sunday Times this weekend reported that all three submarines - meant to police the oceans - are presently undergoing repairs and maintenance. The SAS Manthatisi, the first of the country's submarines acquired in a controversial multibillion-rand arms deal, has been in the dry dock since 2007 after a series of mishaps, including crashing into a quay and damaging her steering mechanism. Then a power cable was incorrectly plugged into her shore power-supply system, causing damage. The vessel's propulsion batteries, which cost R35-million, are being replaced.

The SAS Charlotte Maxeke is also undergoing "routine maintenance", according to navy chief director maritime strategy Rear Admiral Bernhard Teuteberg.

Naval sources and SA defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman have observed that accidents and incidents involving submarines are not uncommon. The Canadian submarine HMCS Corner Brook was extensively damaged last year June off Vancouver in a similar grounding. Other recent accidents involving submarines include a fire aboard a Russian nuclear submarine in port at Murmansk in December and the HMS Astute, lead-ship of a new class of British nuclear attack submarines running aground off the Isle of Skye in October. She was undergoing sea trials at the time.