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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-04-2000

PART #4/4 - From SUDAN to ZIMBABWE

* Sudan. Churches of the South concerned about food aid — The Christian communities of South Sudan are seriously concerned over the suspension of humanitarian services, caused by a disagreement between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and various international NGO‘s regarding new regulations imposed by the «Memorandum of Understanding» (MOU), drawn-up by the South Sudanese rebels. Serious preoccupation was in fact expressed in a joint statement released in Nairobi (Kenya) by the New Sudan Church Council (NSCC) and the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SCBC). The leaders of the Churches present in South Sudan referred to the fact that 12 international NGOs refused to sign the MOU and that the European Union humanitarian organisation suspended funds to all those that adhered. The Churches therefore urge the EU to renew its action in favour of the needy civil population and ask that the South Sudanese rebels and international NGOs reach a prompt accord. Among the conditions contained in the text of the MOU, there is also the «adhesion to the political principles» of the SPLA. (MISNA, Rome, 10 April 2000)

* Tanzania/Zanzibar. Article 19 calls for pressure on Zanzibar — The International community must adopt urgent steps to put concerted pressure on the ruling party in Zanzibar to accept the Commonwealth-brokered peace agreement, the press-freedom watchdog, Article 19, says in a report issued last week. Warning that Zanzibar’s democracy was now in crisis, Article 19’s 30-page reported entitled: «Democracy on Shaky Foundations» — which is being sent to western donors — says that «greater pressure» should also be put on the Union government to intervene. «Otherwise, there is the real possibility that the continuing donor boycott of Zanzibar will simply exacerbate the grave economic crisis on the island without achieving any political change — the worst of all worlds for ordinary Zanzibaris». (The East African, Kenya, 3-9 April 2000)

* Tanzania. Debt reduction package — Tanzania, one of the world’s poorest countries, is to receive two billion dollars under the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC), officials said on 6 April. «The IMF and the World Bank’s International Development Association agreed to support a comprehensive debt reduction package for Tanzania under the enhanced HIPC,» the World Bank said in a statement. They said Tanzania qualified for the HIPC initiative for its steady implementation of western-backed economic reforms. «Total relief from all of Tanzania’s creditors is worth more than $2 billion, which is equivalent to more than half of the net present value of total debt outstanding after the full use of the traditional debt mechanisms,» the statement added. Tanzania’s external debt stands at an estimated $7.23 billion of which 57.6 percent is owed to multilateral donors. The debt reduction operation will translate into debt service relief over time of $3 billion, or half Tanzania’s debt service obligations during the 2001-2003 fiscal years and about one third of the country’s debt service obligations thereafter. Funds that would have been used to service its external debt will now be freed up to fund poverty reduction programmes in critical sectors like health and education. Tanzania’s steady implementation of economic reforms has brought inflation down to its lowest level in at least 25 years to around 6.6 percent as of January. The government has been repaying domestic debt after many years of borrowing in excess of three percent of the gross domestic product annually. (Reuters, 6 April 2000)

* Tunisie. Les funérailles de Bourguiba — Le 6 avril vers 10 heures locales, la radio officielle tunisienne a interrompu ses programmes et diffusé des versets du Coran. Un communiqué de la présidence de la République a annoncé la mort, à 96 ans, de l’ancien président Habib Bourguiba, le “père de l’indépendance” de la Tunisie, sur laquelle il a régné trente ans. Le pouvoir, qui a décrété une semaine de deuil, a organisé des funérailles nationales qui se tiendront le 8 avril. Il sera inhumé à Monastir, sa ville natale. Plusieurs chefs d’Etat ont annoncé leur présence, dont les présidents français Chirac et algérien Bouteflika. - Le 8 avril, des dizaines de milliers de Tunisiens se sont massés dans les rues de Monastir pour un dernier adieu à leur ancien président. D’après les autorités, entre 100.000 et 200.000 personnes ont assisté aux funérailles. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 avril 2000)

* Tunisia. Human rights — 11 April: In a Press Release, Amnesty International says it has written to President Ben Ali to express its concern at recent arrests and intimidation of human rights defenders in Tunisia. The increasing harassment to which Tunisian human rights defenders have been subjected to on a daily basis, is a source of grave concern. The organisation calls on the Tunisian authorities to immediately put an end to such practices and to take the necessary measures to ensure that human rights defenders are allowed to carry out their activities, as required by international human rights standards to which Tunisia is a state party. (Amnesty International, 11 April 2000)

* Tunisie. Le journaliste Ben Brik délogé — Taoufik ben Brik, le journaliste tunisien en grève de la faim depuis neuf jours, a été délogé le 10 avril de la maison d’édition Aloès à Tunis, où il menait son action de protestation. Il a décidé de poursuivre sa grève de la faim, en vue d’obtenir un passeport qui lui est refusé, au siège du Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie. L’immeuble des éditions Aloès a été mis sous scellés sous prétexte de “trouble à l’ordre public”. Taoufik ben Brik a par ailleurs comparu le 10 avril devant un juge d’instruction pour deux de ses articles parus en Suisse et en France, une affaire pour laquelle il risque six ans de prison. Deux autres opposants, Fathi Chamkhi et Mohamed Habib, animateurs de la section tunisienne de l’organisation Attac, arrêtés le 8 avril, ont été déférés le 11 avril devant un juge d’instruction. (Libération, France, 12 avril 2000)

* Uganda. Doomsday religious cult — 6 April: The authorities in Uganda have issued warrants for the arrest of six leaders of the doomsday religious cult on charges of murder. The six are blamed for the death of almost 100 followers, but it is not known where they are or even if they are still alive. The six leaders targeted include Joseph Kibwetere, known as the prophet of the cult, Credonia Mwerinde, a former prostitute known as its programmer, and Dominic Kataribabo, a former Catholic priest. Each has initially been charged with 10 counts of murder, although more charges are expected to follow. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 7 April 2000)

* Ouganda. Secte: mandats d’arrêts — Le 6 avril, des mandats d’arrêts internationaux ont été émis à l’encontre de six dirigeants de la secte de la Restauration des dix commandements de Dieu, dont le fondateur du mouvement Joseph Kibwetere, sa prophétesse Credonia Mwerinde et quatre autres personnes. Les six dirigeants, responsables de la mort d’environ 1.000 personnes, ont été inculpés pour dix accusations de meurtres. Ces dirigeants n’ont plus été vus depuis l’incendie dramatique du 17 mars, mais “nous pensons qu’ils sont en vie”, a déclaré le directeur de la division d’enquête criminelle de Kampala. Mais la justice ougandaise reste circonspecte: carbonisés, beaucoup de cadavres n’étaient pas identifiables. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 avril 2000)

* Uganda. 100,000 displaced in Kitgum — About 100,000 people have been displaced by Karimojong warriors who have made several raids into Kitgum district over the last month. The displaced lack water, food, shelter, medicine and other essential facilities. There is fear of a disease outbreak as a result of poor sanitation in the camps. The insecurity has also led to the closure of 34 primary schools, affecting a lot of people living in the east and north-eastern parts of Kitgum town bordering the Karimpja region. (Sunday Vision, Uganda, 9 April 2000)

* Uganda. Police offer reward for cult leaders — 11 April: The police have offered a reward of about $1,300 for information leading to the arrests of six cult leaders whose followers were killed across southwest Uganda. A police spokesman says the reward is available to anyone — inside or outside Uganda — who helps track down the cult leaders. It remains how many of the six are alive. (CNN, 11 April 2000)

* Zambia. Political leaders to retire — On 2 April, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia, announced his retirement from active politics after 40 years at the helm on the United National Independence Party (UNIP). He said his decision to retire is neither as abrupt nor as sudden as it appears, as he has been having wide consultations both within and outside the country. His consultations have included opposition politicians including the National Citizens Coalition (NCC), on the possibility of forging a strong opposition alliance or a merger. In March, President Fredrick Chiluba stated that all is set for him to quit as head of state and leader of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) by December 2001. He has reiterated that he will not be in State House by the end of next year. The President will soon name his successor. (Gideon Thole, ANB-BIA, Zambia, 7 April 2000)

* Zambia. Refugee numbers increase — More than 2,000 refugees from Congo RDC, fleeing fighting in that country, have entered northern Zambia since the beginning of the year. A UNHCR official says there is an average of 50 RDC refugees a day entering Zambia through Kaputa and Sumbu. Many of them arriving in the transit camp are in bad shape, weak from the long distances they walked across the border. However, they are put under therapeutic feeding schemes on their arrival in the transit camps. (IRIN, Southern Africa, 12 April 2000)

* Zimbabwe. A country in disarray — 6 April: The US has suspended assistance to Zimbabwe’s land reform plan because of the government’s inaction against farm squatters. State department spokesman, James Rubin, says that both Zimbabwe’s future and reputation are being threatened by a display of political intolerance. The American move follows the passing of legislation allowing the Zimbabwean government to seize land without payment. The bill, passed by the bare minimum after only two-thirds of MPs turned up for the vote, seeks to make the UK, as the former colonial power, responsible for compensating landowners. But Britain has made it clear it won’t be bound by the bill. The wording of the bill, which now requires only the approval of President Mugabe to become law, is identical to a clause in the draft constitution which was recently rejected in a referendum. The army is deployed ahead of a rally tomorrow in Karoi, by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Morgan Tsvangirai. 7 April: Manhando Zindoga, acting general secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says: «We’re in a situation that is going through some turmoil and this is because we’re running towards the elections. The politicians in my country must all commit themselves openly to a non-violent political process». The same day, President Mugabe says that those whites who do not agree with the new constitutional reform permitting the seizure and redistribution of their farmland without compensation, should leave Zimbabwe. 10 April: The white farmers are due to take the police to court today over their refusal to evict the squatters. The CUF which represents those white-owned farms under siege, is asking the court to order the police to enforce the rule of law. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 April 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Catholic Bishops take a firm stand — 11 April: Zimbabwe’s Catholic Bishops have taken a firm stand over what is presently happening in their country. They say: «People of every social standing have been injured and even killed during the invasion of the farms (...) and President Robert Mugabe seems to have adopted an attitude of indifference with regard to the country’s future stability and the people he was elected to serve». (MISNA, Rome, 11 April 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Expropriations — Le 6 avril, le Parlement zimbabwéen a adopté une loi qui, après signature du président Mugabe, permettra d’exproprier les fermiers blancs sans les dédommager. Une décision qualifiée d’“historique” par les membres du parti au pouvoir, le ZANU-PF. Cependant, bon nombre de Zimbabwéens, surtout dans les villes, n’y voient qu’une manoeuvre du président Mugabe pour reconquérir les voix qu’il avait perdues lors de sa défaite au référendum sur une nouvelle constitution. La population ne croit pas que quelques riches fermiers et la Grande-Bretagne soient responsables du marasme économique actuel du Zimbabwe. D’ailleurs, des fermes déjà expropriées n’auraient pas été attribuées à des Noirs pauvres, mais à des proches de M. Mugabe. Par ailleurs, les Etats-Unis, qui se sont dits favorables à une réforme agraire “rationnelle, soutenable et équitable”, ont annoncé la suspension de leur aide au développement à Harare. - Le 10 avril, les ministres des Affaires étrangères de l’Union européenne ont adressé un avertissement au président Mugabe, lui demandant de rétablir l’ordre dans son pays. Pendant ce temps au Zimbabwe, la situation des fermiers blancs devient de plus en plus alarmante. Le 10 avril, le syndicat agricole est retourné devant les tribunaux pour forcer le police à expulser les squatters, mais cette démarche paraît aussi désespérée que symbolique. Les incidents se multiplient. Et ces derniers jours, plusieurs fermiers ont été contraints de signer des documents où ils cèdent une partie de leurs terrains, ou se sont réfugiés en ville. - Le 11 avril, le Parlement du Zimbabwe s’est réuni pour la dernière fois avant les élections législatives. Il a été dissous à minuit, à l’issue de 5 ans de législature. Des élections doivent avoir lieu dans les quatre mois au plus tard, et le président Mugabe a déclaré qu’elles se tiendraient en mai. La commission électorale, chargée du redécoupage des circonscriptions, estime toutefois avoir besoin d’au moins trois mois pour remplir sa mission. Le mandat du chef de l’Etat se termine en 2002. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 avril 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Into troubled waters — 10 April: Robin Cook, the British Foreign Secretary, steps up pressure on Zimbabwe, saying its multi-million pound aid package from the European Union will be at risk if elections do not go ahead next month as promised. The warning comes as Zimbabwe’s Attorney-General, Patrick Chinamasa, told a High Court judge that there will be a «bloody confrontation» if police attempted forcibly to remove the squatters from white-owned farms. He also said that the occupation of white-owned farms was part of the unfinished business of the armed struggle. «The liberation war did not bring what they (guerrilla war veterans) fought for. A political decision has been made to go back and fight again». Mr Cook is among several EU foreign ministers who raised the prospect of suspension of aid. Mr Mugabe has been given a last chance to show good faith by holding elections before Europe moves to impose sanctions. Racial intimidation is spreading beyond white-owned farms to the country’s Asian business community. A pamphlet has been circulating in Bulawayo, proclaiming «The Indians will be next». 11 April: Parliament is dissolved because it has come to the end of its five-year term. A senior Zimbabwean official has said it will take at least until July to draw up new constituency boundaries. The law allows Mr Mugabe to delay the elections by up to four months after the dissolution of parliament. The white commercial farmers are heading for a new showdown with President Mugabe over their refusal to bring the vital tobacco crop to auction. Its sale would ease the country’s desperate shortage of hard currency. The armed forces insist they will stay impartial. 12 April: The High Court is due to decide whether the police should step in to stop the continuing occupation of the farms. The police claim they do not have enough officers to tackle the squatters, saying 60,000 war veterans are involved. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 April 2000)

* Zimbabawe. A man in the middle — The idea, currently under discussion in Whitehall, of inviting a neutral figure to mediate the dispute between Britain and Zimbabwe, should be pursued as a matter of urgency. Robin Cook, the British Foreign Secretary, told the Commons on 11 April that the government was hoping «to find someone who can connect with President Mugabe and speak to him with respect and authority». One such person may be Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has established impressive democratic credentials since ending 15 years of military rule last year. Mr Obasanjo helped organise the foreign secretary’s meeting with Mr Mugabe at the recent EU-Africa summit in Cairo. Other regional figures are also being considered for the role. From the British perspective, third-party mediation could help achieve Mr Cook’s three, EU-backed demands: free, internationally monitored elections; an end to the farm occupations; and respect for the law, especially the rights of government opponents. Mr Mugabe promised Mr Cook in Cairo that elections would be held next month — but despite dissolving parliament, he has not so far set a date. The farm occupations are escalating amid increasing violence. And the Zanu-PF government has refused to enforce the law to protect farmers and demonstrators while taking arbitrary new powers to seize land without compensation. With the situation deteriorating, Mr Cook knows he has an obligation to do more. But with bilateral relations at an all-time low, he needs help. An independent mediator would, in theory, be able to offer Mr Mugabe a good deal in return for sticking to the democratic path. New British and US funding for a properly managed land reform programme is available. There is the prospect of renewed assistance from the IMF and World Bank, which broke with Zimbabwe last year. Emergency bilateral or multilateral loans might also be forthcoming, to alleviate the immediate fuel and power crisis and stave off a bank collapse which is likely if this year’s vital tobacco crop does not reach market. But all this would have to be contingent on Mr Mugabe first meeting Britain’s three demands. (The Guardian, UK, 13 April 2000)