Will Putting a Price Tag on Kony’s Head Work?

US Congress Passes Reward Legislation to Capture LRA Leader - Sudan Tribune

Will putting a price tag on Kony’s head only further demonize and dehumanize Kony? Kony has committed inhumane atrocities, but continuing to objectify him fails to contextualize the conflict. Not only that, but it only continues to portray the conflict in black and white. Bad guys: LRA. Good guys: UPDF. However, sometimes we have to realize that things are not always black and white, but somewhere in between. 

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

UPDF Continues to Take From the Acholi People

UPDF Cited in Bitter Land Wrangle With the Residents of Pabbo - Acholi Times

If the UPDF is supposed to be for the people of Uganda, why does it keep taking from them? 

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

AFRICOM’s Getting Busy

AFRICOM has been getting busy recently, which can only mean they are preparing for something big. It seems to be working on its new “defense strategic guidance”, moving into the water, and holding meetings and conferences (NOTE: There is no talk of peace initiatives in the conference agenda).

Most of the coverage is mostly applauding AFRICOM’s growing efforts. However, we should make sure to hold the pause until we have read between the lines. What does AFRICOM’s growth really mean? Why is it growing? What is it actually trying to achieve? 

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

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“U.S. Africa Command is using the new defense strategic guidance to shape its engagement in the theater by prioritized efforts, focusing on the greatest threats to American interests.”

” ‘In my mind, African Partnership Station embodies everything that is good and unique about Africa Command,” Hooper said. “Why is it so successful? It’s a unique program that allows us to train, teach and mentor, not only the armed forces of those nations in the Gulf of Guinea, but also some of their law enforcement forces.’ ” (In other words, AFRICOM is now able to pervade into not only the military, but also the politics of African countries). 

“And what happens at sea matters, not just for Africa, but for the entire world that depends on access to the global commons, Hooper said. He noted the direct link between maritime security, development, prosperity, stability and peace.” (Hooper must have also forgotten the links to power, control, “the war or terror”, and military domination). 

SOURCES: Diplo News, American Forces Press Service, AllAfrica, PaxPartnership

Exposing AFRICOM’s Secrets

U.S. Expands Secret Intelligence Operations in Africa - Washington Post

It is time to make visible AFRICOM’s secrets and stop them by 2012.

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

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“The nature and extent of the missions, as well as many of the bases being used, have not been previously reported but are partially documented in public Defense Department contracts. The operations have intensified in recent months, part of a growing shadow war against al-Qaeda affiliates and other militant groups. The surveillance is overseen by U.S. Special Operations forces but relies heavily on private military contractors and support from African troops.

The surveillance underscores how Special Operations forces, which have played an outsize role in the Obama administration’s national security strategy, are working clandestinely all over the globe, not just in war zones. The lightly equipped commando units train foreign security forces and perform aid missions, but they also include teams dedicated to tracking and killing terrorism suspects.”

AFRICOM’s Steps Towards World Domination

Dagger Brigade to ‘Align’ with AFRICOM in 2013- U.S. Army

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

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“This is not the Army trying to go into some new area. This is fulfilling a geographic COCOM’s mission requirements” 

*Of course by mission they must mean world domination...

Another Danger to Uganda: ICC?

AFRICOM and the ICC: Enforcing international justice in Africa? - Pambazuka

Real Dangers to Uganda: AFRICOM, oil, militarization, and the ICC. It seems that in the list of real dangers to Uganda, the ICC has to be included. These four interdependent factors seem to work together to serve as the real dangers to Uganda. 

#AFRICOM2012, Stop the real threat to Uganda

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“Similarly, given the massive civilian devastation wreaked by recent US military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is likely that most Africans would say ‘no thank you’ to the offers of justice from the barrel of American guns. This is especially the case given that many of these law enforcement operations may be carried out not by uniformed US soldiers, but by US-contracted private security firms who anticipate a boom in business thanks to AFRICOM.[18] Given the near total lack of accountability that private contractors have enjoyed in Iraq and Afghanistan, this should also give human rights and peace advocates considerable pause for thought.

Finally, regardless of how the proposed cooperation works out in practice, there is the underlying issue that, for people in many areas of the world, the idea that US military force is the chosen instrument of global justice makes a mockery of the violence and devastation they have suffered at the hands of US military intervention. The ICC’s pandering to the US military is an insult to all those in the US and around the world struggling to hold the US military and its mercenaries accountable. The quest for global accountability will only become more difficult if the US military is appointed by the ICC as the chosen agent of global justice instead of being a force that itself needs to be held accountable.”