COntinental News by John Rees

Continental News October 31, 2012

PLUS:

Egypt vs. Somalia How the confrontation is affecting both countries

MTV Comes to Africa How a young Nigerian man ended up bringing MTV to Africa when he moved to America at the age of twelve.

Egyptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New President

What President Morsi decides to do for his country

President Morsi Debuts at United Nations UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Egypt’s new President

Mohammed Morsi is making his debut on the global stage at the United Nations, saying he will not rest until the civil war in Syria is brought to an end. He called the fighting there, which opposition groups say has killed at least 30,000 people, the “tragedy of the age” and one that “we all must end.” And he invited all nations Wednesday to join the effort being led by Cairo in a bid to stop the bloodshed that began about 18 months ago when opposition figures rose up against President Bashar Assad’s regime. He and his father before him have run the country as a dictatorship for 40 years. Morsi opened his remarks by celebrating himself as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader. An Islamist and key figure in the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi was sworn in June 30. He is one of a pair of Arab leaders who made his first appearance at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting after being swept into power in the

Arab Spring revolutions. Also taking the podium is Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who took office in February after more than a year of political turmoil and is now trying to steer the country’s transition to democracy. The Egyptian leader previewed his General Assembly remarks in a speech delivered Tuesday at former President Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative. Addressing the violence that raged across the Muslim world in response to a video produced in the U.S. that denigrated Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, Morsi said freedom of expression must come with “responsibility.” He appeared to have been responding to President Barack Obama’s General Assembly speech earlier Tuesday in which the U.S. leader again condemned the video but sternly defended the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of free speech. At least 51 people were killed in violence that erupted last week in Muslim countries, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans targeted in an attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.

President Morsi [Online Image] http://www.google.com/imgres, Sept 26, 2012 Morsi did not explain what limitations he felt should be placed on free speech but said the video and the violent reaction to it demanded “reflection.” He said freedom of expression must be linked with responsibility, “especially when it comes with serious implications for international peace and stability.” Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for past fiery denunciations of the United States and Israel, will be making his last speech at the world body as he finishes a second and last term as president. Ahmadinejad took aim at both the United States and Israel while addressing a high-level U.N. meeting promoting the rule of law Monday, accusing Washington of shielding what he called a nuclear-armed “fake regime.” His remarks prompted a walkout by Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor. And in an Associated Press interview Tuesday, the Iranian leader pressed his argument against the United States.

law, democracy, pluralism,” the fight against corruption and promoting economic opportunity, Wittig said. Also Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the African Union and France have called a ministerial meeting on unrest in Africa’s Sahel region. It will spotlight the worsening security and humanitarian situation in northern Mali, which fell to al-Qaeda-linked Islamists after a March coup. Mali and a West African bloc are seeking U.N. support for an intervention force that would consist of aerial support and five battalions, or about 3,000 troops, to help recover the northern territory. But the Security Council wants the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS, to consult more widely, present more detailed proposals, and exhaust all prospects for negotiations. Wittig has said the Mali request will be discussed at a later date.

President Morsi

“God willing, a new order will come together and we’ll do away with everything that distances us,” Ahmadinejad said. “Now even elementary school kids throughout the world have understood that the United States government is following an international policy of bullying.” He said, “Bullying must come to an end. Occupation must come to an end.” Also Wednesday members of the U.N. Security Council will be called to order at an open ministerial meeting by Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, whose country holds the council’s rotating presidency, to discuss “change in the Arab world.” With no sign of an end to the Security Council’s paralysis over intervening to end the raging Syrian civil war, Germany’s U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig said his country chose to focus the council’s ministerial session on something new and positive in the Mideast -- “the emergence of the Arab League as a regional actor that has proved to be essential for conflict resolution.” The 21-member Arab League has shaken off decades of near total submission to the will of the region’s leaders and is seeking to transform itself after the seismic changes brought about by the Arab Spring. The league has supported the rebels who ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and suspended Syria in response to President BasharAssad’s brutal crackdown against his opponents. “This organization is promoting the values that the United Nations is standing for -- human rights, rule of

“The only option for our brothers in Syria is to agree on an initiative ... for peaceful change and transfer of power through ballot boxes,”

Vs.

som

ali

Kenyan troops in Somalia closed in on the rebel-held town of Afmadow Saturday where they may fight their first ground battle against al-Qaedalinked militants since launching an offensive last weekend, a military spokesman said. Hundreds of residents were fleeing Afmadow in anticipation of fighting as Kenyan and Somali troops moved closer.

Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said Kenya’s army was flanking Somali troops and pro-government militia. Afmadow is now controlled by alShabaab, Somalia’s most dangerous militant group waging a war against

the country’s weak UN-backed government. “We believe this movement will create the first ground offensive,” Chirchir said. Kenya had been bombing militants from the air but the charge at Afmedow will be first “man-to-man fighting situation,” he said. Al-Shabaab militants are regrouping in the town of Bula Haji to reinforce their fighters in Afmadow, Chirchir said. Osman Ahmed, a resident in Afmadow, said there is a lot of ten-

sion with militants preparing to do battle with Kenyan and Somali government troops. “We sleep and wake up with fears, only gunmen and sporadic civilians are crossing the streets. It’s a frightening situation,” he said. Terrorist attack in Kenya possible Kenya last weekend sent its troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabaab militants blamed for a string of kidnappings on Kenyan soil. Somali gunmen have kidnapped four Europeans in the last six weeks — two from the Lamu coastal region and two from the Dadaab refugee camp. One of the hostages, a quadriplegic French woman, died on Wednesday. Kenya’s government says the kidnappings threaten the country’s tourism industry — a key driver of the economy — that had bounced back after near collapse following postelection violence three-years-ago in which more than 1,000 people died.

Chirchir said the overall strategy of Kenya’s military incursion is to reduce al-Shabaab’s effectiveness and restore authority to Somalia’s government in order to achieve enduring peace. African Union troops and government soldiers pushed the al-Shabaab militia from their last bases in the capital on Thursday, AU spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda said. Al-Shabaab has retreated before the Kenyan forces so far, but the militants have struck back in the Somali capital with a series of bombings — including a truck bomb that killed over 100 people. On Thursday, they put up a bloody fight when AU forces arrived in Deynile, alShabaab’s last base in Mogadishu. Otherwise, the Kenyan army has so far met little or no resistance during their push into the rebel-controlled areas of Somalia, as it marches toward its ultimate target; the al-Shabaab stronghold of Kismayo.

Also Saturday the U.S. Embassy warned that an imminent terrorist attack in Kenya is possible. It said likely targets include places that foreigners congregate, including shopping malls and night clubs. In response to the Kenyan military incursion, al-Shabaab on Monday threatened to carry out suicide attacks in Kenya similar to those in July that killed 76 people watching the World Cup final in Uganda. Al-Shabaab said that attack was a response to Uganda sending troops to support Somalia’s government. AU, al-Shabaab troops clashed last week Somalia has been a failed state for more than 20 years. The lawless country is a haven for pirates and international terrorists and the conflict is causing a major famine which is believed to have cost tens of thousands of lives already.

Kenyan troops in Afmado, Somalia

Kenyan Troops [Online Image] http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ story/2011/10/22/somalia-kenya-troops.html, Oct 1, 2012.

Goes (CNN) -- Alex Okosi left Nigeria as a young boy in the late 1980s to seek a better future in the United States. By the early 2000s, the music executive was carving a successful career with broadcasting giant MTV, holding strategic positions within the influential medial company both in the United States and Europe. Yet, Okosi never forgot where he came from. His dream had always been to promote his continent’s diverse music scene and vibrant youth culture. In the mid-2000s, at a time when not many were convinced about his continent’s economic potential, Okosi helped persuade his bosses to launch a dedicated MTV channel for Africa. Quality vs. quantity in Africa Building from the

ground up Today, as the senior vice president and managing director of MTV Networks Africa, Okosi runs MTV Base, the company’s first localized television service targeted exclusively at sub-Saharan Africa. “We’ve ... been quite lucky in being able to create a brand that we have taken from our international stable and bring into the continent to be able to create content and experiences that people enjoy, localizing them to make sure that they cater to the attitudes and tastes of African audiences,” says Okosi, now based in South Africa. Read related: Malian kora legend breaks music barriers Born in the West African country of Nigeria, Okosi moved to the United States at the age of 12. He excelled throughout school, graduated with high honors in 1994 and won a scholarship to St.

Alex Okosi [Online Image] Available http://www.google.com/ imgres?imgurl =http://4.bp.blogspot.com/, Oct 1, 2012. Michael’s college in Vermont. He credits his mentor Midge Monte for shaping his character and showing him the value of working hard to achieve your goals.

Alex Okosi

“Midge was such an important an influential part of my life as she served as my guardian the last two years of my high school career and has since remained a huge part of my life,” says Okosi. “Midge also instilled in me the importance of hard work and commitment as one strives to be successful.” Okosi’s determination and academic excellence helped him land a job with MTV straight after university. His talents soon started to shine -- Okosi worked both in MTV’s New York and West Coast offices before moving to London to be part of the company’s international strategy team. He first planted the seed of bringing MTV to Africa during a business lunch with the head of the broadcasting giant. Okosi was convinced about the power and value of the African market, but putting together aviable business plan was far from easy -a lack of data on the size of the advertising market, coupled with infrastructure challenges, hampered Okosi’s ambitions. We have a young vibrant, incredible youth culture that also is able to create great entertainment, great music. Alex Okosi, MTV Base Yet, despite all the challenges, Okosi was determined to succeed.

“The excitement and the passion to do what we’ve been able to do completely overshadowed everything that was there to consider.”

Sources Mabule, Nkepile. “The man who brought MTV to Africa.” 28 Sept. 2012. CNN. Web. 28 Sept. 2012 <http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/28/showbiz/akex-okosi-mtv-africa/index.html> Unknown author. “Egypt’s new President Morsi debuts at U.N.” 26 Sept. 2012. USA Today. Web. 27 Sept. 2012 <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012/09/26/egypts-new-president-morsi-debuts-at- un/57844668/1> Unknown author. “Kenyan troops near al-Shabaab town in Somalia.” 22 Oct. 2011. CBC. Web. 28 Sept. 2012 <http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/10/22/somalia-kenya-troops.html>