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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-04-2000
PART #2/4 - From CONGO-RDC to HORN of AFRICA
Part #1/4: from Africa to Congo-Brazza |
Part #3/4: from Kenya to South Africa |
Part #4/4: from Sudan to Zimbabwe |
To the Weekly News Menu |
* Congo (RDC). Ituri wracked by ethnic clashes The ethnic attacks which have brought catastrophe to the conflict-wracked Ituri region of Congo RDC, are continuing, humanitarian sources said on 5 April. The latest incidents were attacks on Dheru and Lutsi most probably against Lendu people in the early morning of 28 March. The independent sources claim Ugandan involvement in the attacks, for which casualty figures are unavailable. (IRIN, Central/Eastern Africa, 5 April 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Chiluba towards a «summit of disengagement» 6 April: Zambias President Chiluba says African heads of state and the continents mainly Western donors were concerned that vast resources put at the disposal of the Great Lakes region were financing the war effort in Congo RDC at the expense of poor citizens. He said he has consulted the Presidents of Congo RDC, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique in Cairo to seek fresh pledges on ending the conflict. On 5 April, Chiluba stopped in Rwanda on his way home for a meeting with military strongman Paul Kagame, a key player. «There have been violations reported and violations have become the rule rather than the exception. That is not good for us,» Chiluba told reporters. «Neither the Congo nor any of the countries involved have money enough to sustain the war effort. We dont want them spending the cash on war, we want that money for development.» Chiluba is trying to arrange «a summit of disengagement» for countries involved in the war. (Reuters, 6 April 2000)
* Congo (RDC). LUnicef dénonce Martin Mogwanka, représentant de lUnicef à Kinshasa, a dénoncé la situation sanitaire désastreuse du pays. Ainsi, le taux de mortalité des enfants de moins de 5 ans sélève à environ 205 pour mille; celui des femmes lors des grossesses et des accouchements est de 1.800 pour 100.000, un des taux les plus élevés du monde. Le niveau de fréquentation des écoles primaires a chuté à 35% (contre 65% il y a une trentaine dannées), parfois moins encore selon les régions. Par ailleurs, le nombre denfants livrés à la rue est croissant, ainsi que le travail denfants de moins de 14 ans. Parmi les 1,1 million de personnes déplacées, 40 à 50% sont des enfants. (Marchés Tropicaux, France, 7 avril 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Vers une assemblée constituante? Le 5 avril, un comité préparatoire de 15 membres pour la sélection des membres dune assemblée constituante et législative, que le président Kabila entend créer, a tenu sa première session, a rapporté la radio congolaise. Le comité a établi trois commissions, une politique, une administrative et une pour les questions juridiques, budgétaires et logistiques, pour organiser les élections des membres des deux assemblées. Les partis dopposition estiment quant à eux quil nest pas raisonnable de parler délections législatives dans un pays divisé et ont rejeté la proposition de mise en place dun parlement de transition comme étant une tentative de contourner laccord de paix de Lusaka. LUnion pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS) a lancé un appel à deux opérations ville morte à Kinshasa les 8 avril et 17 mai prochains, a annoncé lagence de presse indépendante congolaise APA le 6 avril. Ces actions visent à sensibiliser les belligérants à sengager dans larrêt des hostilités. LUDPS poursuivra cette série dactions tant que les obstacles placés sur la voie du dialogue intercongolais ne seraient pas levés par les belligérants, a indiqué le parti. Les Fonus de Joseph Olenghankoye avaient déjà programmé une journée ville morte pour la même date du 8 avril. En fait, la population de Kinshasa na pas répondu à cet appel. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 avril 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Plan to end hostilities approved 8 April: A plan to end hostilities between government troops and rebels is approved and will go into effect on 14 April. Meeting in Kampala, Uganda, for three days, the Joint Military Commission approves a disengagement plan that had previously been adopted in Lusaka, Zambia, last July. On that occasion. Congo and its allies of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia together with rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda had all signed the cease-fire agreement that set up a Joint Military Commission to monitor the situation. But President Kabilas government, the rebels and their backers all reported frequent cease-fire violations. 9 April: President Kabila meets with the leaders of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia in Kinshasa. The talks are held «in the context of the war and the latest meeting of the Joint Military Commission in Kampala». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 April 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Cessez-le-feu La Commission militaire mixte a obtenu un nouvel accord de cessez-le-feu. Le 8 avril à Kampala, à lissue dune réunion de trois jours, les parties en conflit en RDC ont convenu dune cessation totale des hostilités à la date du 14 avril. Elles se sont également mises daccord sur la création dune zone de désengagement par le redéploiement des forces vers des positions convenues préalablement. Le 9 avril, le nouvel accord a fait lobjet dun sommet à Kinshasa, où le président Kabila avait réuni ses alliés namibiens, zimbabwéens et angolais. Latmosphère y était à la prudence, le gouvernement congolais doutant de la sincérité de ses adversaires. Les présidents ont appelé les Nations unies à déployer rapidement une force de paix en RDC. Ils ont accepté le plan prévoyant la cessation des hostilités le 14 avril et le désengagement des forces belligérantes sur le terrain afin de faciliter le déploiement de la force de lOnu. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 avril 2000)
* Congo (RDC). New draft UNHCR resolution Following the oral presentation of Roberto Garreton, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Congo RDC, the statement of Pax Christi International representative Dennis Warner, and the statement of Leonard She Okitundo, Congo RDCs Minister for Human Rights, a new UNHCR-Congo RDC resolution is being drafted on behalf of the 56th session of the Commission in Geneva. It will be brought to the Commission within a couple of days. As for now, it is not yet a public document, and is still being actively edited.This resolution is predominantly recalling earlier resolutions and decisions of various UN and non-UN bodies. It also explicitly welcomes the recent Security Council resolution 1291/2000 on the expansion of MONUC. It naturally welcomes the third report of the Special Rapporteur and the Lusaka accords. According to the draft, the Commission on Human Rights decides on a) An extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur (no opposition to be expected), b) An investigation into the 1996 and 1997 massacres (following up last years resolutions), c) A request of support from the UN Secretary General for the Special Rapporteur, d) request to the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the appropriate technical expertise and e) A request to the international community to support the Human Rights Field office in Congo RDC. The draft resolution does not raise the issue of possible international sanctions, certification of diamonds etc. to break the chain between exports and weapon imports. It does not recommend a weapons embargo, an International Humanitarian Law Tribunal for Congo RDC or any other international initiative to the Security Council. (Heinz Werner Wessler, 10 April 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Tensions à Kisangani Des divergences persistantes entre forces rwandaises et ougandaises à Kisangani ont entraîné une militarisation croissante de la ville, les deux camps et les factions rebelles quils soutiennent renforçant leurs zones de contrôle en prévision daffrontements éventuels, a rapporté le 10 avril East African. Une rencontre la semaine dernière, entre les chefs des services de renseignement militaire des deux pays, a pu apaiser mais non résoudre les divergences. «Il sagit dune situation potentiellement explosive. Il semble que les hauts dirigeants des deux pays aient perdu contact et que ce soient les commandants qui sont en charge de la situation. Tant que Kagamé et Museveni ninterviendront pas, nous serons dans la même situation que la semaine dernière, avec des troupes qui se font face», a déclaré un diplomate occidental en poste à Kigali. Le fait que le Rwanda et lOuganda ont des vues divergentes sur la RDC a été confirmé par le président rwandais en exercice, Paul Kagamé, la semaine dernière. (IRIN, Nairobi, 10 avril 2000)
* Congo (RDC). Elections différées Le 10 avril, dans une communication au corps diplomatique, le ministre congolais des Affaires étrangères a annoncé que le président Kabila avait renoncé à lorganisation des élections pour lassemblée constituante et législative afin de privilégier le dialogue intercongolais. Il a pris cette décision sous la pression de ses alliés. Réunis le 9 avril en mini-sommet, les présidents angolais, zimbabwéen et namibien ont en effet insisté pour que soit organisé ce dialogue, destiné à trouver une solution pacifique à la guerre et que, selon de nombreux observateurs, le président Kabila voulait éviter. A lissue de cette réunion, le Congo et ses alliés ont aussi pressé les Nations unies dintervenir le plus tôt pour soutenir le nouvel accord de cessez-le-feu et éviter la reprise de la guerre. Un porte-parole de lOnu a dit être prêt à travailler étroitement avec les belligérants pour mettre en oeuvre cet accord, mais il a rappelé que la Monuc avait un besoin urgent dunités spécialisées que doivent fournir les Etats membres. Cependant, des combats continuent à être signalés. Larmée régulière et les rebelles ont tous deux signalé que des combats intenses se poursuivent dans la ville dIkela et ses environs, dans la province de lEquateur. Chaque camp accuse lautre davoir commencé les attaques. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 avril 2000)
* Congo (RDC). A «significant step» for peace 10 April: The military commanders of the warring sides have received orders from the Political Committee overseeing the Lusaka peace process, and «have agreed to a complete cessation of hostilities from 14 April», says the UN Secretary-Generals spokesman. This move follows the adoption by the Political Committee and the Joint Military Commission of a disengagement plan for the warring forces during a series of meetings in Kampala last week. Kofi Annan welcomes «this significant step forward» in the peace process. At the same time, leaders of the Southern African Development Community have called for the speedy deployment of the UN Observer Mission in Congo (MONUC). 12 April: The UN Security Council says it will send a delegation to Congo to discuss concrete ways to enforce the Lusaka peace accord. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 April 2000)
* Eritrea-Ethiopia. Told to end war 6 April: A top American aid official has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to put aside their border war and facilitate the speedy distribution of food aid to the millions of people threatened by famine. The official, Hugh Parmer, of the United States Agency for International Development, was speaking to reporters in Washington after a two-week visit to some of the famine-stricken areas of Ethiopia. «I would just hope that the two sides could figure out some way, in the midst of their conflict over other things, to consider the humanitarian needs that are so severe, particularly in the southern part of Ethiopia,» he said. Mr Parmer said that he had asked the authorities in both countries if the United Nations could transport food aid from the Eritrean port of Assab through war zones into Ethiopia. But he said the response from both countries had been less than enthusiastic. «I understand there are a lot of political, diplomatic issues involved that Im not competent to deal with ... but just from the point of view of logistics, it would make life a lot easier if we had that route,». he added. Many observers believe that the route from the Eritrean port of Assab through to southern Ethiopia is the most reliable and convenient compared to other alternatives. And earlier this week, Eritrea offered the services of the port for the distribution of food aid. But Ethiopia dismissed the offer as a public relations gimmick. They accused Eritrea of stealing hundreds of tonnes of food aid from Assab in the past. The government in Addis Ababa has, instead, decided to use the port in neighbouring Djibouti and another one in Somaliland. «The port capacity (in Djibouti) is theoretically sufficient to meet the needs for food coming in, but just barely,» Mr Parmer observed. The roads from the two ports are also not as good as the one from Assab. But the WFP Director in Ethiopia, Judith Lewis, has said they were doing their best to make good use of the two ports. «We have been working on a special operation in the port of Djibouti to increase its capacity t between 20 and 30%», she said. (BBC News, 6 April 2000)
* Ethiopia. Problems over dealing with a famine 6 April: A meagre 1% of the food promised by the international community for the famine-hit regions of Ethiopia has actually arrived, says the government of Ethiopia. Of the 800,000 tons which the Ethiopians requested from the international community in january, the donors of the industrialised world have pledged to give 450,000. Yet, so far, only 5,000 tons have arrived, says Ephrem Mehret-ab, a spokesman at the Ethiopian embassy in London. 7 April: Aid groups have become embroiled in an acrimonious and dangerous dispute over how to deal with the famine. The WFP, which is co-ordinating the international aid effort, has come under intense criticism from other bodies. «The WFP has consistently assured other aid organisations that their pipeline of food donations will last until June», one aid official says. «They have repeatedly told us that the pledges are coming through and the short-term situation is healthy. Right now not even 2% of the pledge promised for this year have turned up». Eritrea has agreed to allow emergency food aid through to Ethiopia, despite the continuing border war between the two countries. During a visit to Washington, Eritreas President Afwerki agreed in principle to the plan to set up a humanitarian aid corridor from its coastal ports to Ethiopia. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 April 2000)
* Ethiopia. The Falash Mura Jewish community Israels Interior Minister is visiting Ethiopia to investigate the claims of some 26,000 Ethiopians who say they are Jewish and want to move to Israel. They belong to the Falash Mura community Jews who converted to Christianity generations ago. Under Israeli law, Jews anywhere in the world have the right to citizenship. But Israel has expressed doubts that many of the claimants are eligible. Thousands of Ethiopians are living in compounds in Addis Ababa and Gondar hoping to be allowed to emigrate to Israel. (BBC News, 9 April 2000)
* Ethiopia. Water a priority Fresh water has become a priority in Ethiopia, even though food donations are pouring in to the famine-threatened country. tens of thousands of people are gathering in towns in the eastern Somali region but, after years of drought, water is either non-existent or contaminated. Aid agencies are trying to fill the gap with a handful of tankers but funds are limited, trucks scare and breakdowns frequent. While food is arriving through Western pledges an estimated 800,000 tons are needed to stave off a catastrophic famine the lack of water means some people are not benefiting. Without water they are unable to cook the cereals being distributed and children are eating high-energy biscuits without mixing them with water, losing most of the nutritional value. (The Independent, UK, 11 April 2000)
* Ethiopie. Aide humanitaire Plus de 8 millions dEthiopiens sont menacés par la famine en raison de la sécheresse. La situation est particulièrement inquiétante dans lOgaden, le sud-est éthiopien, où presque tous les puits sont taris. Dans certains villages, le cheptel a été décimé aux trois quarts. - LErythrée est prête à laisser passer par son territoire laide internationale destinée à lutter contre la famine qui menace le sud-est de lEthiopie, malgré le conflit entre les deux pays, a déclaré le 7 avril à Washington le président érythréen Isaias Afeworki. Les aspects techniques de cet acheminement, dans cette région où les transports sont difficiles en raison notamment du mauvais état des routes, sont du ressort de la communauté internationale, a-t-il ajouté. Cette catastrophe humanitaire constitue une raison de plus pour accélérer le règlement du conflit, selon lui. -Dautre part, le secrétaire général de lOnu, Kofi Annan, a rejeté les critiques adressées à la communauté internationale sur la lenteur de sa réaction pour venir en aide à la population de lEthiopie. Il a rendu le gouvernement éthiopien partiellement responsable des retards dans la distribution de laide alimentaire, et il a fait valoir que la poursuite de la guerre frontalière avec lErythrée avait exacerbé le problème, en limitant les voies daccès pour la fourniture de laide. - Par ailleurs, selon des sources humanitaires, plus de 12.000 Somaliens fuyant la sécheresse sont entrés ces dernières semaines en Ethiopie pour atteindre la seule source deau qui leur soit accessible, le fleuve Shabelle. Les réfugiés somaliens sont arrivés sans bétail, les vaches, moutons et chèvres ayant été les premiers à mourir de faim. - Le 11 avril, lenvoyée spéciale de lOnu Catherine Bertini a estimé que si la sécheresse empirait et si les arrivages de nourriture étaient insuffisants, la situation deviendrait très difficile sinon désespérée. Près de 16 millions de personnes sont en danger dans la Corne de lAfrique, a estimé Mme Bertini. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 avril 2000)
* Ethiopia. Aid chief in Gode The Government officials did not know what had hit them. They had laid on a formal ceremony to greet Catherine Bertini, executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), as she began her first field visit on an eight-day tour to assess the threat of famine in the Horn of Africa. They had expected she would respond in the same vein. She was in the south-east of Ethiopia where thousands of Nomads have migrated to makeshift camps in search of water and food. Officials in the regional capital, Gode, told her the number in need of help had now risen from 1.3 to 1.7 million. But, after saying how much aid they needed, and how pleased they were to see her, they were given a broadside by the quietly spoken American. A driver with Médecins sans Frontières had been shot dead in February she said. A WFP worker had been kidnapped. And three years ago, two WFP workers had been killed. Had anything been done, she asked, to bring those responsible to justice. the officials seemed dazed. Despite their hasty assurances of security, Ms Bertini continued: «These incidents are more than enough for us to be worried about sending international staff into this region». Ms Bertini was clearly uncomfortable with criticisms the international community had been slow in its responses. There was nothing much that could be done as the people involved are nomads. She said: «It is difficult to help people before they have gone to a place where food can be distributed. How do you reach people living in the desert? Those who have been sitting outside Gode for three months might disagree. (Paul Vallely, The Independent, UK, 13 April 2000)
* Gambie. Manifestations meurtrières Le 10 avril, dans la capitale Banjul et sa banlieue Serekunda, les élèves du secondaire qui manifestaient contre la mort dun de leurs camarades le mois dernier, se sont violemment heurtés à la police. Forces de lordre et lycéens se sont affrontés à coups de pierres et de grenades lacrymogènes. Les émeutiers ont saccagé les locaux de la télévision et de la société délectricité, et ont incendié un poste de police. Selon les constatations de journalistes, une dizaine délèves auraient été tués et de nombreux autres blessés. - Le 11 avril, la situation était redevenue calme, mais les forces de sécurité ont été maintenues en état dalerte maximum. Les parents ont été invités à garder leurs enfants chez eux jusquà nouvel ordre et les établissements scolaires dans les régions de Banjul et Brikama ont été fermés. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 avril 2000)
* The Gambia. Police fire on student demonstration 10 April: Police opened fire on a student demonstration killing at least nine people, including a journalist in Banjul. The Gambia Students Union was denied a permit for the march organised against the recent death of a high school student, who was allegedly tortured by security force members, and the reported rape of a 13-year-old girls by a police officer. When students gathered at the gate of the Gambia Technical Training Institute to march to the city centre, police ordered them to disperse, then opened fire with tear gas and rubber bullets. Later on, police apparently used live ammunition to restore order, killing at least eight students, morgue officials said. Omar Barrow, an ICRC volunteer and journalist with the private Sud FM radio station, was hit by a stray bullet while trying to help injured students at Red Cross Headquarters, witnesses said. 11 April: Protests have taken place in several parts of the Gambia against the deaths on 10 April. There have been a large number of arrests, and soldiers have been patrolling the streets of Banjul. Tourists have now been advised to remain in their hotels. The government has announced the closure of all schools and colleges. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 April 2000)
* Guinée. Tribunal dexception pour Condé Lopposant Alpha Condé, détenu depuis seize mois, a comparu ce 12 avril devant la Cour de sûreté de lEtat, un tribunal dexception mis en place en 1997 pour juger alors les auteurs dune sanglante mutinerie militaire. Candidat à la présidentielle de décembre 1998, A. Condé a été arrêté deux jours après le scrutin. Accusé dabord de tentative de franchissement illégal de la frontière, il a ensuite été inculpé datteinte à la sécurité intérieure de lEtat, emploi illégal de la force armée et complicité. Il aurait recruté des mercenaires pour des actes de sabotage visant à renverser le gouvernement. M. Condé bénéficie dun large soutien en Guinée et à létranger, mais son procès peut-il être équitable? Ses avocats nont eu communication du dossier que le 7 avril. Alpha Condé doit être jugé en même temps que 47 complices présumés, qui auront le choix entre la comparution comme coaccusés ou comme témoins à charge. Les débats de la journée ont été essentiellement des questions de procédure, portant sur le fait si lopposant pouvait être défendu par des avocats étrangers. Le tribunal a tranché en faveur de M. Condé qui sera donc défendu par pas moins de 22 avocats, notamment originaires de France, du Sénégal, du Niger, du Mali et du Bénin. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 avril 2000)
* Guinea. Opposition leader on trial 12 April: The trial of a leading opponent of the military government in Guinea, has opened in Conakry. The defendant, Professor Alpha Conde, is accused of plotting a coup detat. He denies the charges. Professor Conde was arrested over a year ago as he was challenging the head of state, General Lansana Conte, in presidential elections. (BBC News, 12 April 2000)
* Horn of Africa. Food shipments arriving 10 April: Food to help relieve the famine in Ethiopia arrived in the Horn of Africa during the weekend and a further shipment is on its way, a European Commission spokesman said on 10 April. «30,000 tonnes of bulk food aid, European food aid, arrived in Djibouti yesterday and were expecting another shipment of almost 17,000 tonnes to arrive before the end of the week,» said the spokesman. (CNN, 10 April 2000)