Feral Jundi

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Uganda: Uganda Enlists Former LRA To Hunt And Kill LRA

Filed under: Africa,Uganda — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:07 PM

   Another awesome article by Mr. Gettleman.  This is great news and I wonder if the Ugandan military is reading FJ?  Because if they are, then they more than likely got this idea about turning the enemy from all the stuff I have posted on pseudo operations and the Selous Scouts. Whomever gave them the idea, good job.

   With that said, I would highly recommend to the Ugandan military to also give these former rebels as much support and training as possible.  They have a unique knowledge base about the prey they are going after, and if they have the right tools and support, they could easily gain the edge on any LRA troopers they come across.

    Each of these hunter killer teams should also have Ugandan special forces attached with them.  That way, any kind of CAS that Uganda can bring to the fight, could be called up by trusted SF guys.  Or SF handlers could help to coordinate blocking forces, so they could actually entrap LRA groups. Even AFRICOM could provide assistance with a UAV or two. At the least, Uganda should be studying exactly how the Selous Scouts in Rhodesia conducted their programs. Very cool, and I hope they get that bastard Joseph Kony. –Matt

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Uganda Enlists Former Rebels to End a War

April 10, 2010

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

OBO, Central African Republic — The night is inky, the helicopters are late and Cmdr. Patrick Opiyo Makasi sits near a dying cooking fire on a remote army base, spinning his thoughts into the darkness.

“It was either them or me,” Commander Makasi said of the countless people he has killed. “Them or me.”

The Lord’s Resistance Army, a notoriously brutal rebel group, snatched him from a riverbank when he was 12 years old, more than 20 years ago, and trained him to burn, pillage and slaughter. His name, Makasi, means scissors in Kiswahili, and fellow soldiers said he earned it by shearing off ears and lips.

But now he has a new mission: hunting down his former boss.

In an unorthodox strategy that could help end this seemingly pointless war, the Ugandan Army is deploying special squads of experienced killers to track down the L.R.A.’s leader, Joseph Kony, one of the most wanted men in Africa, who has been on the run for two decades.

These soldiers, like Commander Makasi, are former L.R.A. fighters themselves, and just about all of them were abducted as children. They recently surrendered and are now wading through black rivers and head-high elephant grass across three of the most troubled countries in the world — the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan — where the last remnants of the L.R.A. are believed to be hiding. They say they know all of Mr. Kony’s tricks.

Some critics may not think this wise, putting so much trust in men whose moral compass had been turned upside down for so long.

(more…)

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Industry Talk: Triple Canopy and DoS In The Hot Seat Over Iraq Embassy Issues

   First off, I want to thank all the contractors who are sending tips to POGO and the IG and revealing what is really going on with this contract. POGO will gladly take whatever you got, if it is pertinent to the embassy contract. If the company or DoS does not want to do the right thing with this contract and take care of their people or manage the contract properly, then I say report it.

   I also want to bring up a tidbit that one of the media rags brought up, that I thought was telling.  Here is the quote:

 

      A footnote buried in the report suggests that Triple Canopy officials may have tried to impede State Department investigators from getting the full story. Prior to a site visit by IG investigators, according to the report, Triple Canopy’s Iraq program manager, deputy program manager, and guard force commander coached the company’s guards on how they should respond to questions about working conditions and other matters. They circulated a memo containing “Pre-Inspection Guidance” that warned the guards about saying too much and contained what appears to be a thinly veiled threat:

     “Answer to break question for guards is 15 minutes morning, 30 minutes lunch, and 15 minutes afternoon. DO NOT SAY: “I do not have a relief supervisor today.” Instead, and only if asked, I am sharing a relief supervisor with (name other venue). Do not elaborate on answers to inspectors questions. Answer only the questions. What you say can and will be used against you.”

 

   If there is any question at all about how ineffective ‘open inspections that are broadcasted’ are, this would be it.  Managers of companies will obviously prep their people to answer the inspector’s questions, so that it will make the company look good or hide issues.  If inspectors want to know what is really going on, they either need to do surprise inspections or use mystery employees.  Another way is to just have a toll free number or email that contractors can use anonymously.  I would also have that information accessible by multiple inspectors, so that one inspector can’t just sweep that information under the rug and not do anything about it. Another idea is for contractors to just CC emails, and put POGO on that list, as well as multiple inspectors–just so everyone knows ‘that everyone knows’.  I guess my point is, is if DoS really cares about what is going on with the contract, there are all sorts of ways of figuring out the real deal.

   I also want to talk about living quarters and english proficiency.  I totally agree that if the contract states that contractors must have a certain standard for living quarters, then that standard should be met.  TC and DoS are both at fault there for not caring about their contractors.

   With that said, it is a war zone and living in poor conditions kind of comes with the territory on some contracts.  I looked at the pictures that POGO put up, and that actually looks pretty standard for many contracts out there.  Hell, to some folks, I am sure those quarters looked pretty good.  There are contracts out there where guys are living in tents or whatever they can find, and that just comes with the job.

   But in light of the Adam Hermanson death, where he was electrocuted in a shower do to faulty wiring, you would think that TC and DoS would have insured that living quarters were up to contract standards.

   I will disagree with the live wire thing that POGO brought up in the pictures.  Those are power chords, and guys string up power chords all over the place in these barracks.  They have to if they want to get some juice for their computers and TVs.  So I think that comment about ‘live wires’ was kind of stupid.  Hell, they sell power strips and power chords in the PX of bases all over Iraq, and they are used by contractors and soldiers, and in all sorts of ways.

   For english standards, I agree that all guards must speak english–if it is mandated by the contract.  But let me yet again interject some reality into this conversation.  If most of our private security forces are local nationals in this war, and troops and contractors are working side by side with those local nationals, then it would stand to reason that you would have situations where folks do not know how to speak english or communicate with supervisors or NCO’s and Officers.  In a perfect world, everyone would speak english, but that just is not the case in this war.  That is why it is not a shock to me, that guys would not know how to speak english for a static security assignment like at the embassy(even if they are from Uganda or Peru or where ever).  I am sure many of the local nationals who work on the embassy compound do not speak english either. I agree that it would be nice that everyone spoke english, and especially if it is mandated by the contract, but this is not that big of a shocker.-Matt

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IG finds gaps in State oversight of embassy guard contracts

By Robert Brodsky

March 26, 2010

Private security guards responsible for protecting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad reside in unsafe living conditions, work as many as 39 days consecutively and are unable to speak required English, according to a leaked report from the State Department’s inspector general.

The Project on Government Oversight, a Washington watchdog group, obtained the report, which underscored many of same contract oversight problems discovered last year with ArmorGroup North America guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

While the Baghdad guard force run by Triple Canopy “has been effective in ensuring the safety of chief of mission personnel in Baghdad’s volatile security environment,” the new report found training and language deficiencies with the Herndon, Va.-based private security company.

The IG credited State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security for its management of the embassy contract, but also highlighted serious lapses in the bureau’s oversight. The department plans to officially release the report next week.

“The contracting officer’s representative in Baghdad does not verify either the guards’ attendance at their posts or the accuracy of personnel rosters (muster sheets) before they are submitted, to ensure contractor charges for labor are accurate,” the report stated.

Triple Canopy has roughly 1,800 employees on the embassy contract — more than 90 percent are third-party nationals from Peru and Uganda. The audit, conducted by the IG’s Middle East Regional Office, found that due to their low levels of English proficiency, some guard supervisors are unable to adequately communicate with their subordinates, which could lead to serious problems during an emergency.

(more…)

Friday, March 26, 2010

Aviation: DynCorp Flies AU Peacekeepers To Somalia

Filed under: Aviation,Somalia — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:35 AM

     “The military stalemate is less a reflection of opposition strength than of the weakness of the Transitional Federal Government. Despite infusions of foreign training and assistance, government security forces remain ineffective, disorganized and corrupt,” the report stated. “The government owes its survival to the small African Union peace support operation, AMISOM, rather than to its own troops.” 

*****

   Bravo to DynCorp for contributing to the survival of the TFG, and I am sure NATO is happy as well.  As you can see with the article, Uganda is very important to the AU mission and without these forces, Mogadishu would fall into the hands of extremists.

   On the other hand, we are yet again supporting a weak government in their fight against determined islamic extremists.  When are we going to pick a winner for once, or back a government that has a spine and the ability to make things happen out there?  Because now we are in a position where the AU will probably be doing all of the fighting to protect the TFG in Mogadishu, because the government military forces are so disorganized and pathetic. Nor is there any concerted effort to really protect or win over the people, and that is how the extremists win.

   Let’s look at this another way.  We are fighting the same kind of fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.  The West has the most modern military in the world, with all of these resources at it’s disposal, and we are still going at it after all of these years.  It is only the last couple years where we have really started to kick in the whole COIN emphasis on operations, and retool for that fight.

    Now look at Somalia, with it’s lack of a strong government or organized army. It is at a severe disadvantage when combating an islamic extremist enemy who is using the same tactics and strategy as it’s partner networks throughout the world. I know we have this aversion to ‘Americanizing’ the war in Somalia.  But if you look at all the pieces, you kind of wonder if Somalia even has a chance? And to a larger extent, are we ready for Somalia to be conquered by the enemy and deal with the propaganda value of such a victory? –Matt

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U.S. contractor flies AU peacekeepers to Somalia

State department says U.S. has no plans to increase military’s role

By John VandiverMarch 23, 2010

STUTTGART, Germany — U.S.-contracted flights, working under the NATO banner, ferried some 1,700 Ugandan troops into Mogadishu, Somalia, last week in response to an African Union request for transportation support, alliance officials said in a news release.

The troop movements were made as government officials in the Somali capital are preparing to launch a military offensive to reclaim parts of the city from al-Shabaab — an extremist group with al-Qaida links.

The airlift, which ran from March 5 through March 16, was conducted by the U.S.-contracted DynCorp International. In addition to shuttling troops into Somalia, the airlift also flew 850 Ugandan troops out of Mogadishu, NATO said.

Tensions have been on the rise in Mogadishu as the fragile Somali transitional government has been unable to turn the tide against Islamic extremist groups that seek to seize control of the country and impose a harsh form of Sharia law. And as AU forces dig in for the upcoming fight, a March 10 report by the U.N. Monitoring Group of Somalia raises questions about whether Somalia’s weak security forces and dysfunctional government are capable of achieving any significant gains.

(more…)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Africa: East Africa Oil, AFRICOM Is In Position, And 10,000 Ugandans With Iraq Experience Are Ready

   This is a quick one I wanted to put out.  I was talking with friends the other day about the Ugandans in Iraq, and how significant their work is to the economy of Uganda.  The money brought in from security work, surpasses what is made off their chief export called coffee, and that is pretty significant.  So the question is, what happens when the work dries up in Iraq?  All of these Ugandan guards are going to be looking for work, and most of the security work in Afghanistan is going to the local nationals.

   So this is what I am starting to piece together, and I am going to take a guess as to where all these guards are going to go next.  I think the plan all along was to professionalize Ugandans for a whole slew of tasks that AFRICOM and the west has in mind for East Africa.  From dealing with Jihadists in Somalia with the AU force, to providing recruits for the Ugandan Army so they can deal with the LRA and others, to protecting this new ‘hot oil zone’ in East Africa.  Ugandans are gonna be in high demand, and we have effectively trained them up with the work in Iraq. Intentional or not, I thought it was interesting to make the connection for the big picture.

   This is not to say that this was the official strategy of the US and AFRICOM all along.  But you have to look at these three stories below, and not think ‘how convenient’?  lol The coming resource war is all about securing our place at the oil trough and making sure there are competent forces to protect that stuff. Thanks to Iraq, we now have a ton of ready made guards or ‘soldiers’ to make that happen.  Let me know what you guys think. –Matt

Edit: 06/11/2010- This is an excellent run down of the current dynamics of oil in this East Africa region.  Good job to Jody.

Uganda’s recent oil discovery has the chance to reshape relations with its neighbors and the West as energy multinationals eye potential opportunities

By Jody Ray Bennett for ISN Security Watch

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East Africa is next hot oil zone

March. 10, 2010

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 10 (UPI) — East Africa is emerging as the next oil boom following a big strike in Uganda’s Lake Albert Basin. Other oil and natural gas reserves have been found in Tanzania and Mozambique and exploration is under way in Ethiopia and even war-torn Somalia.

The region, until recently largely ignored by the energy industry, is “the last real high-potential area in the world that hasn’t been fully explored,” says Richard Schmitt, chief executive officer of Dubai’s Black Marlin Energy, which is prospecting in East Africa.

The discovery at Lake Albert, in the center of Africa between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is estimated to contain the equivalent of several billion barrels of oil. It is likely to be the biggest onshore field found south of the Sahara Desert in two decades.

(more…)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

South Africa: SA Contractor and Former Police Officer Killed in Uganda Crash

   Rest in peace, and condolences to the friends and family of Duncan.  The website below didn’t have a press release yet, and is pretty thin on info.  –Matt

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SA ex-cop killed in Uganda crash

The Times 

Published:Mar 11, 2009

A former special operations policeman from Pretoria was among 11 people killed in a plane crash in Uganda this week, Beeld newspaper reported today.

South Africa’s foreign affairs department has not been able to confirm reports that a South African was among the dead.

Beeld identified the man as Duncan Rykaart, a former special services policeman who had been working for a US-based landmine research company, Bancroft Global Development.

Beeld’s source was Bancroft programme director Rocky van Blerk.

Rykaart, who was married with two children aged 16 and 24, had returned from Iraq two months ago where he had worked for four-and-a-half years.

A Soviet-era transport plane crashed into Lake Victoria on Monday shortly after take-off, killing 11 people, international news agencies reported.

An underwater search for the remains of those killed was still under way.

Story Here

Bancroft Global Development Website 

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