Borders in the Limelight - African Union

Borders in the Limelight
February
2015
This monthly memo provides a snapshot of recent news articles related to border issues
in Africa. Apart from capturing the latest delimitation and demarcation activities on the
continent, additional emphasis is placed on cross-border cooperation, security, conflicts,
migration, economic activity and experiences of everyday life in African borderlands.
***
Ce memo mensuel offre un aperçu de plus récents articles tirés par la presse au niveau
des questions transfrontalières en Afrique. D'ailleurs, à part expliquer les derniers
développements au niveau des activités de délimitation et démarcation frontalière, une
importance supplémentaire a été attachée à toutes questions liées à la coopération
transfrontalière, la sécurité, la migration, l’activité économique et la vie quotidienne des
régions frontalières africaines.
EAST AFRICA
Two Sudans discuss demarcation of disputed border
StarAfrica, February 3, 2015
The Joint Technical Committee assigned to demarcate the border between South Sudan and Sudan has started
meeting in Juba, the South Sudanese capital, on Tuesday.
In a press statement seen by APA, the head of the border committee from Sudan, Abdullah El Sadig
Abdullah said the Juba meeting is a follow-up on the previous meetings held in Khartoum. He said the
meeting will last for five days.
Abdullah added that the next meeting is expected to discuss many functions provided for in the Joint
Cooperation Agreement signed by the two Sudans in September 2012.
Abdullah also disclosed that the Joint Border Commission will hold a meeting from 8 to 9 February in order
to discuss the outcomes of the meetings of the technical committee.
In December 2014, the Joint Border Demarcation Committee held a meeting in Khartoum under the auspices
of the African Union but failed to resolve the border disputes.
The two countries dispute over five areas on the border since the independence of South Sudan in July 2011.
Other remaining issues are the Sudan foreign debts, the sharing of the assets and the demarcation of the
dematerialized buffer zone on the border.
Djibouti and Ethiopia agree joint defense to protect their
borders from Eritrea assaults
Diplomat, February 7, 2015
Djibouti ( Anadolu Agency + DIPLOMAT.SO) – Djibouti and Ethiopia on Saturday accused Eritrea of
undermining regional stability.
“Eritrea is destabilizing peace and security in the countries of the region, including Djibouti,” Djiboutian
President Ismail Omar Guelleh told a joint press conference with visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister
Hailemariam Desalegn.
“We agreed that the sanction will remain in effect on Eritrea,” he said.
For his part, Desalegn, who arrived in Djibouti earlier Saturday on a visit for the Horn of African nation, said
the two countries will stand together to defend their borders.
“Ethiopia is ready to defend and safeguard Ethio-Djibouti common borders,” he said. “Our security officials
will discuss on this issue and map out common stand.”
Tension has been high between Eritrea and both Djibouti and Ethiopia over their border conflicts.
Djibouti and Eritrea have engaged in two border conflicts in recent years.
Ethiopia and Eritrea, meanwhile, fought a two-year war over a border triangle in 1998.
“The International community is losing hope that there is no behavioral change on part of Eritrea, we ask the
international community to take proportional measures against Eritrea,” Desalegn said.
Asked by The Anadolu Agency where the truth lies with accusations between the two countries, the
Ethiopian Premier said that “this is documented by the UN Security Council Team of Investigations, which
has proved the destructive role of the Eritrean government and imposed sanctions on Eritrea.” (…)
Eritrea asks African Union border demarcation, Ethiopia
appeals to negotiations
Diplomat News Network, February 9, 2015
Addis Ababa ( Agencies + DIPLOMAT.SO) – An Eritrean delegation called upon the African Union (AU) to
push for the delimitation of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia at the 24th summit of the organization
held in Addis Ababa from the 23rd through 31st of January.
The delegation, which was led by Eritrea’s permanent AU representative in Addis Ababa – Ambassador
Araya Desta appeals for a full implementation of the decisions passed by the Eritrean and Ethiopian Boarder
Commission and that the organization has to pressure Ethiopia to pull its troops from what has been declared
as Eritrea’s sovereign territory.
The issue was raised and discussed during the consideration of the Report of the Peace and Security Council
on its activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa.
According to the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter, Ethiopia responded to the call through its representative
– the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs – Ambassador Berhane Gebrekristos saying that his country and
Eritrea have to go back to the negotiating table for talks before the delimitation process.
Ambassador Gebrekristos also affirmed that his Prime Minister – Halemariam Desalegn is willing to travel to
Asmara and talk with his Eritrean counterpart regarding the issue.
It is, however, proper and correct for dialogue to take place before an arbitration decision but Eritrea’s
argument was, the call for ‘dialogue and bilateral talks’ by the party that is dissatisfied with the ‘final and
binding’ arbitration decision must not be accepted and entertained.
Ambassador Gebrekristos, on the other hand, cited AU’s reluctant stance on Eritrea and the two sanctions
imposed by the United Nations Security Council as indications of Eritrea’s noncompliance.
AU’s current revolving chairman – Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old President, Robert Mugabe heard the
deliberations by the two countries and pleaded with them to avoid foreign intervention in dealing with their
conflict.
Sudan, South Sudan end talks without tangible progress
Xinhua, February 10, 2015
KHARTOUM, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The newest round of negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan on
demarcation of the joint border has failed to achieve any tangible progress, a Sudanese official said on
Monday.
"It has been stressed on the points agreed upon during the previous meetings. There is nothing new," Abdalla
Al-Sadiq, Sudan's head of the joint border demarcation committee, told reporters in Khartoum on Monday.
The two sides have concluded five days of talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa without positive
outcomes, but agreed to form a technical team to resolve the difference relating to the demarcation of the two
countries' joint border.
The border issue constitutes one of the biggest barriers hampering the settlement of differences between
Sudan and South Sudan, which involves disputes over five border areas, including the oil-rich Abyei,
Dabatal-Fakhar, Jabel Al-Migainis, Samaha and Kafia Kanji.
"These disputed areas gain great importance as they enjoy high population density besides that they are
considered strategic reserve for many types of minerals," Abdalla Adam, a Sudanese strategic analyst, said,
adding that resolving the issue is not an easy task and needs "significant concessions."
Adam believed that the dispute over the oil-rich Abyei area is the thorny issue which complicates the entire
matter.
Another political analyst, Dr. Mohamed Hassan Saeed, said the border issue is complicated as the two
countries failed to resolve it when they were still one.
"It was easier to resolve the issue before the separation (of South Sudan) as it is not logical to recognize
establishment of a country before determining its borders," Saeed told Xinhua.
"Failure to agree on determined borders harms the interests of both countries, prevents the communication
between the two peoples and hampers the trade movement along the borderline," he added.
In September 2012, Sudan and South Sudan signed a cooperation agreement in Addis Ababa under the
patronage of the African Union. The agreement included a package of understandings over security, citizens'
status, border and economy, and other oil- and trade-related issues. However, the signed deal did not tackle
the issues of Abyei and border demarcation.
Kenya bans Tanzanian tour vans from airport
CNBCAFRICA.COM, February 12, 2015
Kenya resorted to this move after the two countries failed to reach an amicable solution over the cross-border
tourism dispute.
Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Phyllis Kandie said that this will
guarantee a level playing field, “Since Kenya has kept its part of the deal, but has been denied the same
opportunity to operate in Tanzania”.
(READ MORE: Kenya & Tanzania's tourism tiff )
In January, Tanzania’s government formed a task force to probe the factors behind Kenya’s move. However,
after requesting for a ban imposed by Kenya in December barring Tanzanian tour vehicles from picking or
dropping tourists at Kenyan airports to be lifted for three weeks, no talks were established.
“It is very unfortunate and I am deeply surprised by the turn of events. The meeting was called on request of
Tanzania and they [Tanzania] cancelled on the eleventh hour and this is after Kenyan representatives were
already there,” Waturi Matu, coordinator at the East African tourism platform told CNBCafrica.com.
“The representatives from Kenya were ready to seat and discuss the issue. They were ready to review the
MOU [Memorandum of Understanding].”
At a meeting in February last year, both Tanzanian and Kenyan officials tried to negotiate new terms but
failed to reach a common ground. (…)
Le Soudan reprendra ses négociations avec les rebelles
sudistes dans un délai de deux semaines
French CRI online, 17 février 2015
Le Soudan reprendra dans les deux semaines suivantes ses négociations avec les rebelles du sud du pays au
sujet du conflit dans les régions frontalières australes du Nil bleu et du Kordofan méridional, a indiqué lundi
un responsable.
Le gouvernement soudanais a accepté une proposition avancée par Thabo Mbeki, le chef du panel d'experts
de haut niveau de l'Union africaine (UA), sur la reprise des négociations de paix avec le Mouvement
populaire de libération du Soudan (MPLS/secteur nord) dans la capitale éthiopienne, Addis Abeba, dans un
délai de deux semaines, a déclaré le ministre de l'Information Ahmed Bilal Osman.
Il a réitéré la volonté du gouvernement soudanais d'entreprendre des négociations sérieuses en vue de
parvenir à un accord de paix afin de mettre un terme au conflit au Nil bleu et au Kordofan méridional,
régions frontalières avec le Soudan du Sud.
L'Union africaine parraine les négociations entre le gouvernement soudanais et le MPLS/secteur nord pour
tenter de parvenir à un règlement du conflit dans les deux régions, mais les deux parties n'ont réalisé aucun
progrès lors du dernier cycle de négociations.
WEST AFRICA
Regional forces clash with Boko Haram on Cameroon border
France24, 04 février 2015
Heavy fighting erupted Wednesday across the Nigeria-Cameroon border, where Chadian and Cameroonian
troops clashed with Boko Haram militants as the fight against the Islamist group took an increasingly
regional dimension.
Chadian troops fighting Islamist militants in the Cameroonian border town of Fotokol pursued the fleeing
militants into Nigerian territory, where clashes in the town of Gamboru killed nine Chadian soldiers and
“over 200” Boko Haram fighters, according to a Chadian military statement.
While the operation in Gamboru continued, on the other side of the border, Fotokol came under fresh attack
from the jihadists leaving dozens dead, most of them civilians, a Cameroonian security source told AFP.
"There are many (dead) civilians, nearly 70. The toll for the soldiers stands at six," said the source in Fotokol,
adding that there were also Boko Haram bodies "everywhere".
The Cameroonian troops had managed to repel the attack by mid-morning.
The operations come as African Union officials finalize a mandate for a 7,500-strong multinational force to
confront the extremists who in recent months seized more than 130 towns and villages.
Meanwhile, witnesses said Nigerian jets were bombing the Sambisa Forest, where the extremists have camps
and first took nearly 300 kidnapped schoolgirls last April, according to AP.
Around 2,000 Chadian troops backed by armoured vehicles poured across the border into Gamboru on
Tuesday after the African Union last week backed a regional force to take on the extremists.
The sound of automatic gunfire could be heard Wednesday in the town, which has been abandoned by
residents after a barrage of air strikes by Chad in the run-up to its offensive. (…)
Délimitation de la frontière sénégalo-malienne : Les députés
donnent feu vert à Macky
leQuotidie, 04 février 2015
Les frontières sont souvent objet de litiges et de guerres fratricides entre des pays voisins. Le cas le plus
marquant pour le Sénégal reste le contentieux historique avec la République islamique de la Mauritanie.
Pour prévenir ces conflits, l’Union africaine préconise la délimitation des frontières. D’ailleurs, dans le cadre
de la mise en œuvre des directives du Programme Frontières de l’Union africaine (Ua), adopté le 7 juin 2007
à Addis Abeba et invitant l’ensemble des pays du continent à procéder au plus tard en 2017 à la délimitation,
à la démarcation et au bornage de leurs frontières. Le gouvernement du Sénégal et celui du Mali avaient
signé le 22 mai 2014 à Bamako ce traité.
Ce traité, explique Mankeur Ndiaye, ministre des Affaires étrangères et des Sénégalais de l’extérieur,
s’inspire du principe de l’intangibilité des frontières héritées de la colonisation. «Il précise les coordonnées
de la frontière entre les deux pays (délimitation), prévoit l’implantation de bornes frontière en béton armé
(bornage) et promeut la coopération transfrontalière entre les Peuples maliens et sénégalais», détaille le
rapport de l’intercommission constituée par la Commission des affaires étrangères de l’Union africaine et des
Sénégalais de l’extérieur et la Commission de défense et de la sécurité. La même source indique que des
cartes officielles, mutuellement, convenues, ont permis le tracé de la frontière entre les deux pays d’une
longueur de 480 km et que le coût des travaux d’abornement et de l’entretien des bornes sera supporté de
manière équitable par les deux parties. Soumis à leur appréciation, les députés ont donné le feu vert au
président de la République qui peut en toute liberté, ratifier le traité sur la délimitation, la démarcation et le
bornage de la frontière entre la République du Sénégal et celle du Mali.
Le projet de loi n0 25/2015 autorisant Macky Sall à agréer ce traité a été validé hier à l’unanimité par les
députés qui ont magnifié cet acte qui, estiment-ils, va favoriser la coopération transfrontalière entre les deux
pays. Outre le Mali, le Sénégal a engagé un début de démarcation et de densification des bornes de tracé
entre son territoire et celui de la Gambie. Ce protocole a été signé en février 2011 entre les deux parties pour
la création d’une commission sénégalo-gambienne à cet effet.
Le même processus est engagé avec les deux Guinées, la Mauritanie et le Cap-Vert. «Nous sommes engagés
dans ce processus et nous pensons qu’avec le rythme des travaux de la commission, nous arriverons avant le
deadline de 2017, à avancer dans la délimitation entre le Sénégal et les pays voisins», a dit Mankeur Ndiaye.
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères a insisté sur l’importance de la coopération transfrontalière qui, à ses
yeux, est extrêmement importante dans le contexte actuel où nos pays font face à des menaces
transfrontalières diverses, la criminalité transfrontalière, la criminalité transnationale organisée et des trafics
de tout genre. «Il est absolument important que les frontières entre le Sénégal et ses pays voisins soient
délimitées de manière claire, précise pour pouvoir développer la coopération transfrontalière», martèle M.
Ndiaye.
Coopération renforcée entre le Cameroun et le Nigeria sur la
Sécurité transfrontalière
Cameroon tribune, 05 Février 2015
Le Minatd, René Emmanuel Sadi, revient de l’Etat d’Akwa-Ibom, où se tenait un atelier sur la question.
« Insurrections et les défis de la gestion transfrontière » : c’est le thème de l’atelier qui vient de réunir des
responsables camerounais et nigérians, dans l’Etat fédéré du sud-est du Nigeria, Akwa-Ibom. Dans un
contexte où les questions transfrontalières (tracé, démarcation, sécurité et commerce) entre les deux pays sont
au cœur des enjeux de la lutte contre le mouvement terroriste Boko Haram, « pareille assise ne pouvait que
mieux tomber », a d’ailleurs reconnu Abba Moro, le ministre nigérian de l’Intérieur.
Du communiqué final des deux jours de travaux (16 et 17 janvier derniers), les deux parties ont décidé de
créer des comités bilatéraux au niveau des administrations locales, qui se rencontreront fréquemment. La fête
nationale camerounaise (le 20 mai) verra la participation de hauts responsables des Etats fédérés du Nigeria
(Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Cross River et Akwa-Ibom) dans les cinq régions frontalières
camerounaises (Extrême-Nord, Nord, Adamaoua, Nord-Ouest et Sud-Ouest). Autre élément majeur, les deux
parties s’engagent à renforcer la compréhension et la coopération entre les communautés frontalières, pour
une utilisation harmonieuse des ressources communes.
C’est dans cette optique qu’il faut comprendre l’implication aux assises d’Akwa-Ibom de cinq chefs
traditionnels des cinq régions camerounaises qui ont accompagné le ministre René Emmanuel Sadi. En plus
de trois gouverneurs Abakar Ahamat (Adamaoua), Adolphe Lele Lafrique (Nord-Ouest) et Bernard Okalia
Bilaï (Sud-Ouest) et d’une vingtaine d’experts de différents ministères. Dans deux semaines, Yaoundé va
accueillir une rencontre similaire, consacrée beaucoup plus aux aspects sécuritaires de cette coopération
transfrontalière entre le Cameroun et le Nigeria.
Niger: State of Emergency for Border Region After Boko
Haram Attacks
Nigeria Daily News, February 11, 2015
Niger has declared a 15-day state of emergency in the region around Diffa which borders Nigeria. The move
comes in response to attacks by the Boko Haram terror group.
The move follows the decision by Niger's parliament on Monday night to send troops across the border to
fight the Boko Haram Islamist militant group which has carried out four attacks in Niger in less than a week.
"The state of emergency is proclaimed in the Diffa region for a period of 15 days," according to a statement
read on Niger state radio on Tuesday. It will grant increased powers to security forces.
National Assembly speaker, Amadou Salifou, said that there had been a "collective recognition of the gravity
of the situation," according to the state news service.
The Red Cross in Diffa city said that eight people had died in attacks on a vegetable market, and on a prison
holding Boko Haram militants and sympathizers.
Neighbors Chad, Cameroon and Benin have also agreed to send soldiers as part of a 8,700 troop force to fight
Boko Haram.
The United States and France have unarmed surveillance drones based in Niger. Drones have been launched
from Niger to fly over Mali in support of French and United Nations troops.
Niger's northern desert territory has been attacked in the past by al Qaeda's African affiliate and the US
Pentagon is spending nearly $15 million (13.2 million euros) on the country's new counterterrorism unit.
Dakar hosts meeting on security in Africa
Shanghai Daily, February 12, 2015
DAKAR, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A series of meetings to discuss peace and security issues in Africa have been
held since Monday in Dakar, the Senegalese capital.
The Dakar meeting is the third summit of army chiefs from 40 African countries, under the initiative of the
U.S. and the Action Plan Against Terrorism (PACT) funded by France.
This third summit of African army chiefs is meant to contribute to peace and stability on the African
continent, the organizers said.
Senegal's Armed Forces Minister Augustin Tine said the initiative is being held at a time when the African
continent continues to fight against all manner of cross-border threats that pose real challenges to the survival
of the state and inhibit development.
Tine said it was necessary to reinforce cooperation among African armies to effectively deal with insecurity
which slows down development efforts.
"This summit demonstrates the willingness to seek for internal solutions that will prepare our forces to handle
more complex situations. The urgency and hope placed on our armies does not leave us with any other choice
other than to cooperate," the Senegalese minister said.
U.S. ambassador to Senegal James Peter Zumwalt noted that "it was difficult to attract investments, complete
infrastructure projects and grow business in a conflict environment."
"I hope that our military cooperation will reinforce your capacities to manage security challenges in Africa so
that we can all enjoy the benefits of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, " the U.S. diplomat concluded.
The French ambassador to Senegal Jean Felix-Pagano equally pointed out the need to jointly fight against
insecurity, especially terrorism.
"We have been condemned to work together and reinforce the tradition of friendship among our countries,"
he said.
Security analysts have observed that there has been rising levels of insecurity in Africa due to porous
borders, illegal movement of weapons and increased cases of drug trafficking.
Liberia to end Ebola curfew, open land border crossings
The National, February 21, 2015
MONROVIA // Liberia will lift an overnight curfew on Sunday six months after it was imposed to fight the
Ebola epidemic, and reopen the country’s land border crossings.
The new orders from president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf offer another sign that normal life is resuming in the
West African nation as officials work toward eradicating the disease entirely.
Once the centre of the worst Ebola outbreak in history, Liberia has recorded more than 9,000 confirmed,
suspected and probable cases and 3,900 deaths. However, the most recent update from the World Health
Organization reported only two cases in the previous week, and schools began reopening last week.
The curfew was imposed last August when the epidemic was raging. It originally lasted from 9pm to 6am,
though officials later pushed the start time back to midnight.
Ms Sirleaf had ordered that “the country’s main borders” be opened – that includes the borders with Sierra
Leone and Guinea, but it was not immediately clear if the border with Ivory Coast would be reopened,
because Ivory Coast closed its borders in August.
Sierra Leone recorded 74 new cases in the latest WHO update and transmission remains widespread there,
while Guinea recorded 52 cases.
Ms Sirleaf’s announcement on Friday comes as she prepares to visit the White House next week.
The White House said president Barack Obama and Ms Sirleaf would discuss the current Ebola response and
the region’s economic recovery plans during their February 27 meeting.
The US is preparing to withdraw most of the nearly 3,000 troops dispatched to West Africa last year to help
combat the outbreak.
* Associated Press
CENTRAL AFRICA
Central Africa launches regional war against Boko Haram
The Telegraph, February 14, 2015
New regional war unfolding in central Africa as Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad unite against
Boko Haram – with help from France, America and Britain
An MI-24 helicopter gunship, bristling with rockets, clattered over the swirling brown current of the Chari
river before landing in Chad's capital, N'Djamena.
Moments later, two state-of-the-art Rafale jets – the pride of the French air force – swept overhead, bound for
the same airport.
This constant procession of military aircraft through the skies above Chad bears witness to a new regional
war now unfolding in central Africa – and to the arms-length involvement of the leading Western powers.
On the face of it, the new conflict pits the armies of four African countries against the Islamist gunmen of
Boko Haram. Behind the scenes, however, France, America and Britain are all playing a supporting role.
Starting on Monday, Chad will host a military exercise with special forces from 15 Western countries,
including Britain.
While this annual round of war-games predates Boko Haram's insurgency, the growing threat posed by the
gunmen now overshadows everything else.
Once, the jihadist killing ground was restricted to the arid plains of north-eastern Nigeria, where the gunmen
pillaged towns and murdered civilians.
But since last year, Boko Haram fighters have also struck across Nigeria's borders into Cameroon and Niger.
Last Friday, they managed to raid a village inside Chad for the first time, killing at least five people.
With these blows, Boko Haram transformed itself from a national into a regional threat. The gunmen who
previously menaced northern Nigeria are now waging a cross-border war against three other countries.
Chad joined the conflict last month when President Idriss Deby sent thousands of troops, backed by
helicopter gunships, to fight Boko Haram in both Cameroon and Nigeria.
The thinking behind this move was straightforward, said Dimouya Souapebe, the Prefect of Baga Sola, a
Chadian district on the border with Nigeria that now finds itself on the front line of the struggle. "When you
see you neighbour's house is on fire, you want to put it out before the flames spread to burn down your own
house," he said. "That is why Chad declared war against Boko Haram."
Mr Souapebe added: "It's better to fight them away from our borders and not inside the country itself.” (…)
CAMEROUN : Yaoundé et Abuja se concertent sur la
Sécurité transfrontalière
Cameroon Tribune, 19 février 2015
Les travaux de la troisième session du Comité de sécurité transfrontalière Cameroun-Nigeria se
tiennent depuis mercredi à Yaoundé.
Identifier et proposer les mesures susceptibles de prévenir les conflits ou de rétablir la paix et la sécurité dans
les zones adjacentes à la frontière commune. Tel est l’objectif des travaux de la troisième session du Comité
de sécurité transfrontalière Cameroun-Nigeria, qui se tiennent depuis hier à l’hôtel Mont Fébé de Yaoundé.
La délégation nigériane qui participe aux travaux est conduite par le général de division John B. Samuel, et
celle du Cameroun, par le ministre de l’Administration territoriale et de la Décentralisation, René Emmanuel
Sadi.
Pendant trois jours, les deux parties vont examiner et formuler des recommandations en vue de la résolution
des problèmes auxquels sont confrontées les populations installées de part et d’autre de la frontière terrestre
et maritime commune. En bonne place, les activités criminelles de la secte islamiste Boko Haram, le grand
banditisme, la fraude douanière et la contrebande, la circulation des armes légères et de petit calibre, la
piraterie maritime, le trafic de stupéfiants, les mouvements incontrôlés du bétail à l’origine de conflits
agropastoraux ou intercommunautaires.
Evoquant le contexte à l’ouverture des assises, René Emmanuel Sadi a relevé pour le déplorer la
multiplication d’actes inqualifiables perpétrés par les éléments de Boko Haram sur les territoires des deux
pays. Il a salué la qualité et la portée des résolutions prises à l’issue de la récente session extraordinaire du
Conseil de paix et de sécurité de l’Afrique centrale, parce qu’elles sont porteuses de grands espoirs dans le
cadre de la lutte contre l’insécurité dans l’espace commun aux deux pays.
Après avoir rappelé les rencontres et ateliers qui ont précédé les assises actuelles, le chef de la délégation
camerounaise a indiqué que la rencontre devra permettre de faire le point de la situation sécuritaire à la
frontière commune depuis les travaux de la deuxième session tenue à Abuja du 8 au 11 juillet 2014 ; évaluer
les mesures bilatérales d’ores et déjà préconisées ainsi que les initiatives sous-régionales et internationales
visant à mettre un terme aux menées de Boko Haram ; identifier et proposer les mesures susceptibles de
renforcer la confiance entre les principaux acteurs de la coopération transfrontalière en matière de sécurité.
Avant le ministre René Emmanuel Sadi, le général de division John B. Samuel a déclaré que le président du
Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, a demandé qu’il souligne l’importance qu’il attache à la coopération entre le
Cameroun et le Nigeria. Il a invité les experts des deux parties à délibérer comme des frères sur les
meilleures voies de coopération en vue de sécuriser la frontière commune.
NORTHERN AFRICA
Commissions régionales algéro-tunisiennes
développement des régions frontalières
Panapress, 09 février 2015
pour
le
Tunis Tunisie (PANA) - La Tunisie et l'Algérie ont décidé dimanche la mise en place de Commissions
régionales pour une stratégie commune destinée à renforcer le développement des régions frontalières entre
les deux pays, selon un communiqué publié par les ministres tunisien et algérien de l'Intérieur, Nejem
Gharsalli, et Tayeb Belaiz, à l'occasion de la célébration du 57éme anniversaire des événements de ''Sakia
Sidi Youssef''.
Ces Commissions sont chargées de traduire sur le terrain les projets susceptibles d'être réalisés dans ces
régions pour renforcer la stabilité sécuritaire des deux pays et contribuer au développement de la ligne
frontalière, tout en relevant les conditions de vie des populations autochtones.
Le ministre tunisien de l'Intérieur a affirmé la nécessité d'un travail commun pour se débarrasser du
terrorisme en Tunisie, une priorité, selon lui, de la prochaine période, notamment sur fond d'une coordination
globale entre les deux pays dans ce domaine et dans d’autres.
Tunisia faces fresh unrest on border
IOL News, February 10, 2015
Tunis, Tunisia - Residents of Tunisia's two main border crossings with Libya staged a general strike Tuesday
to protest what they say is excessive force by police during clashes over the weekend that left one person
dead.
The unrest in Ben Guerdane, near the northern Mediterranean crossing, and Tatouine, near the southern
desert Duheiba crossing, is influenced in part by the ongoing civil war in Libya.
The disturbances are the first major challenge of Tunisia's new government, and underline the economic and
political obstacles to stability and prosperity.
Demonstrations began Sunday in the two towns to protest a new border tax on foreigners that disrupted trade,
especially the smuggling and informal economy that makes up more than 50 percent of the business in these
impoverished regions.
Police dispersed the demonstrators and in Duheiba opened fire when protesters attacked a police station,
killing one resident and wounding another.
Demonstrations have continued, this time over the police response and hundreds marched near the two
crossings calling for “freedom, jobs and dignity” - the same slogans used by Tunisians four years earlier
when they overthrew their president and kicked off pro-democracy uprisings around the region.
Since the revolution, Tunisia's democratic transition has remained on track, but the economy has suffered and
life in traditionally poor areas like the border region has only become harder.
Residents closed schools, businesses and hospitals Tuesday and in Ben Guerdane, police resorted to tear gas
to once more scatter protesters.
Libya is torn by competing militias and the periodic violence on the Tunisian side of the border, and flare-ups
are believed to be a direct result of these struggles.
“Every development in Libya has a direct impact on Tunisia,” said Abdelkrim Harouni, a parliamentarian
with the Islamist Ennahda party to local radio.
Cross-Cutting Border Issues
Union Africaine : l’Ambassadeur Cheikh Tidiane THIAM
réélu à la Commission de l’Union Africaine pour le Droit
International (CUADI).
Dakaractu, 30 Janvier 2015
L’ambassadeur Cheikh Tidiane Thiam a été réélu pour un second mandat de cinq (5) ans, à la Commission
de l’Union Africaine pour le Droit International (CUADI). L’Ambassadeur THIAM selon un communiqué
du service de communication du ministère des affaires étrangères siégera parmi un collège de onze (11)
éminents juristes africains chargés de la codification et du développement progressif du droit international
sur le Continent. Il fait office de Rapporteur spécial de la Commission sur la délimitation et la
démarcation des frontières africaines.
L’Ambassadeur Cheikh Tidiane THIAM était Professeur à l’Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de Dakar,
formateur à l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), et a également dirigé pendant longtemps la Direction
des Affaires juridiques et Consulaires au Ministère des Affaires étrangères. A ce titre, il a été agent de la
République du Sénégal dans le différend opposant celle-ci à au Royaume de Belgique dans l’affaire relative à
l’obligation
de
juger
ou
d’extrader
sur
le
dossier
Hissène
Habré.
Il occupe actuellement les fonctions de Conseiller technique du Ministre des Affaires étrangères et des
Sénégalais de l’Extérieur, chargé des questions juridiques.
AU calls for regional force to fight Boko Haram
Aljazeera, January 30, 2015
African Union proposes 7,500-strong force to counter Nigeria-based armed group amid rising cross
border attacks.
The African Union has called for a regional five-nation force of 7,500 troops to defeat the "horrendous" rise
of the Nigerian armed group Boko Haram, AU Commission Chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has said.
The statement on Friday came after Boko Haram increased cross border raids in recent weeks, in
neighbouring countries such as Cameroon and Chad, as it continued to take over more territory in Nigeria.
"Boko Haram's horrendous abuses, unspeakable cruelty, total disregard for human lives, and wanton
destruction of property are unmatched," Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement after the bloc's Peace and Security
Council met late Thursday, ahead of a full AU summit meeting on Friday.
The Boko Haram uprising has become a regional crisis, with the four directly affected countries - Cameroon,
Chad, Niger and Nigeria - agreeing along with Benin to boost cooperation to contain the threat and to form
a Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
"I am deeply concerned by the prevailing situation as a result of Boko Haram terrorist activities, including
the recent escalation of violence witnessed on the ground," Dlamini-Zuma said after the meeting at AU
headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, where the two-day annual summit of the 54-nation bloc is slated to be
held.
"The continued attacks in northeastern Nigeria and the increasing attacks in the Lake Chad Basin, along the
border with Chad and Cameroon, and in the northern provinces of that country, have the potential of
destabilising the entire region, with far-reaching security and humanitarian consequences."
More than 13,000 people have been killed and about one million made homeless by Boko Haram violence
since 2009.
Regional nations pledged earlier this month to commit a battalion each to the force, a total of some 3,000
troops, but Dlamini-Zuma said after meetings
'Continental problem'
Chad's President Idriss Deby, who earlier this month sent a convoy of troops and 400 military vehicles into
neighbouring Cameroon to fight Boko Haram, said action had to be taken.
"We have seen too many meetings and no concrete action," Deby said.
"Today, there are four countries affected by Boko Haram, but tomorrow it may be a continental problem."
Nigeria has the largest army in west Africa but has come under criticism at home and abroad for failing to
stop the advance of Boko Haram.
Earlier this month Nigerian security officials ruled out the need for a United Nations or African Unionbacked force to fight Boko Haram, saying the country and its partners could handle the threat.
But international pressure has ramped up, with a top US military commander General David Rodriguez, head
of US Africa Command, warning this week that tackling Boko Haram will need a "huge" international effort.
Sahel – Développement – Séminaire de lancement du projet
« Appui à la coopération transfrontalière au Sahel »
StarAfrica, 12 février 2015
PARIS, France, 12 février 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Quai d’Orsay – Déclarations du
porte-parole – 12 février 2015
Mme Annick Girardin, secrétaire d’État chargée du développement et de la Francophonie, participera le 13
février à Paris au séminaire de lancement du projet « Appui à la coopération transfrontalière au Sahel »,
organisé par le ministère des affaires étrangères et du développement international. Il se tient en présence
notamment de MM. Auguste Barry, ministre burkinabè de l’administration territoriale et de la sécurité,
Massoudou Hassoumi, ministre nigérien de l’intérieur et de la sécurité, et Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga, ministre
malien de l’administration territoriale et de la décentralisation.
Ce projet du fonds de solidarité prioritaire financé par la France vise à mettre en place une stratégie de
gestion intégrée des espaces frontaliers entre Burkina Faso, Mali et Niger, grâce à des instruments
coordonnés dans les domaines de la sécurité et de l’aide au développement.
La France souhaite associer étroitement à ce projet nos partenaires africains, l’Union européenne et les
Nations unies, ainsi que des États tiers déjà actifs dans la région, dont les États-Unis, le Canada et le Japon.
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