Transatlantic Front

Police Mission

By sending police officers to Africa, Berlin is supplementing its Bundeswehr activities in Sudan with a non-military, but still a repressive component. The mission is in support of the United Nations/African Union intervention (United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID) meant to bring the combat in western Sudan under control. According to the German foreign ministry, ten police officers will be participating. There are also training measures being carried out at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC) in Accra (Ghana). At the center Berlin is being represented by "advisors" and a "supervision team".[1] In the meantime the interior ministry has delegated police instructors, whose main task is to train African policemen for missions in Darfur. Alongside these police instructors, the German government has also earmarked one million Euros for this mission. Ten courses are planned until the end of the year, two have already been completed.

Military Intervention

German military presence in Sudan will also remain intact. This refers not only to the UNAMID, whose formation is progressing sluggishly. Even though the Bundeswehr has so far only sent one officer - for logistical support - the mandate granted by the Bundestag (German parliament) last fall foresees a mission of up to 250 German soldiers.[2] The Bundeswehr's presence in southern Sudan was nevertheless assured when the UN Security Council recently decided to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for another year. At present, 39 German soldiers are participating in UNMIS. This mission is very important, because in 2011, at the latest, a referendum on the secession of southern Sudan will be held. Currently there is no doubt that the population will vote in favor of secession. A census was initiated in the region a couple of days ago, whose results will lay the basis for parliamentary elections in 2009 as well as the subsequent secession referendum. Even this census is being accompanied by unrest.[3]

Proxy

The German military intervention in Sudan will be closer coordinated with Rwanda in the future.[4] This was reported in the press in Kigali, following President Kagame's state visit to Berlin. They report that during his visit two weeks ago, the Darfur mission was also discussed. Rwanda has currently more than 3,000 soldiers stationed there. Soon representatives of both governments will meet to discuss German support for Kigali. Kagame and German Defense Minister Jung already discussed the conditions for receiving German military support in Berlin.[5] The German government is thereby supplementing parallel US activities. Washington has already contributed more than US $400 million to finance the Darfur mission of the African Union (AU).[6] President Bush recently announced that he was budgeting another US $100 million for training and equipment of the African contingents in Darfur. Bush chose to make this announcement during his visit to Kigali.[7] The United States has already trained up to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers and assumed the responsibility for airlifting the first Rwandan contingent to Darfur.

By-Product

The German-US cooperation in the deployment of Rwandan troops in Darfur is confirming the analysis made by Helmut Strizek an expert on Africa. According to Strizek, the current activities derive from decisions taken in 1993 that have reoriented the west's policy toward Africa, to focus on the containment of Islamic forces in African regions rich in natural resources, particularly in Khartoum.[8] Rwandan rebels, close to Paul Kagame at the time, were among those available as cooperation partners and have been supported by Washington and Berlin since. Kagame is Rwanda’s current president and is - as requested - assisting in the containment of Khartoum. A by-product of this cooperation: Germany and the USA are ignoring war crimes allegedly committed by Kagame and his militia during the Rwandan civil war and subsequently during the conquering expeditions in Eastern Congo that, according to critics, resulted in the deaths of several hundred thousands.[9] Courts in France and Spain have issued indictments for those responsible of these crimes, including 40 high-ranking Rwandan officers. (For Interviews with Helmut Strizek click here and here.)

War Crimes

The Transatlantic front for the containment of Khartoum is now being supplemented with Ethiopian troops. Last week, the commander in charge of UNAMID announced that Addis Abeba is deploying a battalion for reinforcement to Darfur. Ethiopian military are already cooperating with US-troops in Somalia to install a “transitional government” suitable to the West [10] and seeking to isolate Islamic forces and neutralize possible resistance at the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa is of particular importance to the West, for insuring its maritime supply in raw materials.[11] Like Rwanda, Ethiopia is being accused of serious war crimes and persistent human rights violations.[12] Both countries are among Berlin's closest cooperation partners in Africa.

Loser

France is the main loser in this global power struggle waged through wars that have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Paris had attempted to stave off a rise in German-US influence in the area, through an EU mission in Chad - where France is in a very strong position. This effort is doomed to failure. The EU military contingent has yet to reach its full strength and a prolongation of the one year mandate is practically out of the question. Numerous nations who have contributed troops - Germany refused to participate - are currently "not willing to accept an extension of the mandate" [13] reported Henri Bentegeat, Chairman of the EU Military Committee (EUMC). Bentegeat believes it would be "reasonable to see things as they are: the EUMC mandate will actually end in March 2009."

Unsuccessful

Another aspect of the power struggle between France, on the one hand, and Germany and the United States, on the other, was obviously the planned kidnapping of Chadian children by the French "aid organization" Arche de Zoé. Last year, Arche de Zoé attempted to illegally bring more than 100 alleged war orphans to France but was thwarted by the Chadian authorities. As the leader of the organization, Eric Breteau, insists, he had received the "discrete support" for the action from the foreign ministry in Paris. Presidential advisors encouraged him to give detailed information of the plans to Sarkozy's former wife.[14] The "objective" was "to provoke an international crisis" to force a European intervention, says Breteau - an intervention under French leadership, which at the time was having to deal with the sluggish preparations for the Chadian mission.[15]

Please read also Military Aid for Africa (I) and Militär für Afrika (II).

[1] see also Big Push
[2] see also Hegemonic Rivalry
[3] Sudan census monitors anger south; BBC 29.04.2008
[4] Rwanda: Germany Consults Country On Darfur; The New Times (Kigali) 01.05.2008
[5] see also State Visit
[6] The African Union; Washington Post 01.05.2008
[7] Bush invokes Rwanda in call to stop Darfur; The Guardian 19.02.2008
[8] see also Sudan: The Anti-Khartoum Front, Sudan: The Left Disguise, Geteilte Menschenrechte and Mit Rebellen gegen Khartum
[9] see also They Are Ready, Haftbefehle and State Visit
[10] see also Sehr gut and Adequate Persistence
[11] see also Gesamtstrategie, Sonderbericht and Interests of the Superpowers
[12] see also Key positions, Regionale Hegemonialmacht, Indispensable Rights and Stabilizing Factor
[13] EU Chad mission should not last over 1 year-general; Reuters 25.04.2008
[14] Eric Breteau: "La gestion des autorités françaises a été calamiteuse"; Libération 30.04.2008
[15] Arche de Zoé: Éric Breteau contre-attaque; Le Figaro 07.04.2008