countries to heap pressure on the extrem-ist rebels, officials said on January 7th.

Al Shabaab fighters control large partsof the centre and south but are facinggrowing encirclement from governmentforces and regional armies (seep.19135). ‘‘We will keep hitting themuntil their spine is completely broken ...and we will relish that moment,’’ Ken-yan army spokesman Col. Cyrus Ogunatold reporters, adding that Kenya’s offi-cial combat losses so far are six soldierskilled by enemy fire and 22 wounded.

Kenyan fighter jets attacked two Al Sha-baab bases in southern Somalia on Janu-ary 15th as the military operationentered its fourth month. The bases tar-geted are in Jilib town, the militants’ lastdefensive position before the port city ofKismaayo, reports Daily Nation (17 ⁄ 1).The Kenyan military has denied reportsthat the attacks targeted civilians. TheStandard, Nairobi (17 ⁄ 1) said seven Sha-baab fighters were killed. TV stationKTN said on the 21st that the KDF hadtaken out Al Shabaab’s command andlogistical centres, significantly weaken-ing the militia and airstrikes at Bibi andHayo had left KDF’s target, Kismaayo,vulnerable. Col. Oguna described theadvance as ‘‘the beginning of the end’’of Al Shabaab.

At a media briefing at Department ofDefence headquarters Oguna said theKDF were now keen on destroying AlShabaab’s command and logistics cen-tres. ‘‘As we are speaking now, Al Sha-baab is halfway in the pit,’’ he claimed.(sources as referenced in text) Air raid denials

p.19079

Ethiopian Troops to Leave Soon: Ethio-pian Prime Minster Meles Zenawi saidon January 27th he would pull troopsout of Somalia ‘‘as soon as feasible,’’admitting for the first time that forceshad crossed into the war-torn neigh-bouring country. (Capital FM, Nairobi28 ⁄ 1) Ethiopian troops capture strategic town

Vol.48 p.19079

REFUGEESDR Congo – Republic of Congo

Returns will start in April.

Up to 120,000 refugees from the Demo-cratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will behelped to return home from the north ofneighbouring Republic of Congo aftermore than two years. An agreement onthe voluntary repatriation beginning inApril was reached during a recent meet-ing between officials from the two coun-tries and the UN Refugee Agency(UNHCR), in Brazzaville. A statementexplained that by April the level of theUbangui river, which separates the two

Congos, will be high enough to allownavigation by the large vessels neededfor the operation.

The voluntary repatriation had beenscheduled to start in April 2011 but waspostponed for logistical and securityreasons. During the Brazzaville meet-ing, officials from DRC said peace andsecurity had improved in Equateur pro-vince, a prerequisite for returnexpressed by 80% of the refugees. Some11,000 of those who had fled Equateurhave already returned there from Congoand the Central African Republic, theagency said, adding that some 100,000people displaced internally in DRC hadalso returned home. (IRIN 24 ⁄ 1)

Meanwhile a huge influx of refugees,fleeing instability in the DR Congoarrived in Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) inearly January in transit to their finaldestination, South Africa.

There has been heightened tension inthe DR Congo since November’s elec-tions, which were so marred by irregu-larities that international observersdescribed them as not credible. (SWRadio Africa 6 ⁄ 1)

Kenya

There are plans to relocate Daadabrefugee camp to Somalia.

Kenya plans to start moving some ofthe refugees at the Dadaab camp(north east) to safe havens in Somalia.Internal Security Permanent SecretaryFrancis Kimemia said on January22nd the relocation would be done inliaison with the UNHCR and theinternational community to areas thathave been secured by Kenyan troopsbattling Al Shabaab militants (see p.19114).

There have been increasing cases inwhich some of the more than 400,000refugees at the camp are colluding withAl Shabaab militants to attack securityagents. They are also involved in gunrunning syndicates. Kimemia said secu-rity agencies had been profiling the ref-ugees and those found not to beabiding by the rules would be prose-cuted, have their refugee status revokedand face repatriation.

Security officers have been targeted inexplosions at the main camps in Dadaabsince KDF troops ventured into Soma-lia. At least 10 officers have died andseveral others wounded. Kenya says therefugees are to blame for the prolifera-tion of illegal arms in the country. (TheStandard website, Nairobi 23 ⁄ 1)

Several community leaders among the463,000 mostly Somali residents of theworld’s largest refugee complex haveleft the facility in eastern Kenya, fear-

ing for their safety after the killing oftwo of their colleagues. These deaths,and threats to other refugees, cameafter an agreement by refugee leadersto step up vigilance with patrols in Da-daab after roadside bombings. Policeblamed the attacks on Al Shabaab.

Insecurity in Dadaab has resulted inthe humanitarian presence and responsebeing limited to essential services only.General food distributions were brieflyinterrupted in late 2011, but resumedshortly before the New Year.

All these factors, coupled with highfood prices and good rains back home,have prompted some refugees to returnto Somalia, according to MohamudJama, a community leader in Ifo camp.(IRIN 9 ⁄ 1) Security operation Vol. 48,

p. 19080

SOUTH SUDAN –SUDANNeighbours’ Bitter Dispute

Khartoum releases oil shipments in abid to resolve the stand-off.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir andhis South Sudanese counterpart, SalvaKiir, have been holding talks in AddisAbaba, brokered by the leaders of Dji-bouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Observers say the oil row has createdthe greatest crisis between the twostates since South Sudan became inde-pendent, and has stoked fears of areturn to war.

Landlocked South Sudan currently usesfacilities owned by Khartoum to get itsoil to market. Following South Sudan’sthreat to halt production, as talks on therow over oil transit fees broke down,Sudan said it would release detainedcrude oil shipments belonging to SouthSudan to help end the bitter row,according to BBC News Online (28 ⁄ 1).

‘‘President Bashir is ready to make thisgesture. Sudan is going to release thevessels detained in Port Sudan,’’ Sayedel Khatib told a news conference in theEthiopian capital, where talks havebeen taking place.

Sudan duly released four tankers, butsouthern officials said the move wasnot enough to reverse South Sudan’sdecision to shut off crude supplies.

The US on the 30th called for a swiftagreement between the two neighbours.US Ambassador to the United Nations(UN) Susan Rice told reporters after aclosed-door meeting of the UN SecurityCouncil on South Sudan: ‘‘We hopethat conditions can quickly be createdso that the parties can sit at the table

January 1st–31st 2012 Africa Research Bulletin – 19115

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2012.