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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 15-06-2000

PART #4/4 - From SIERRA LEONE to ZIMBABWE

* Sierra Leone. A continuing nightmare — A Sierra Leonean journalist gives this testimony from his shattered country: «Despite Sierra Leone’s continuing nightmare, ordinary people are struggling to maintain both their survival and their dignity, and are trying hard to achieve much in the face of calamity. The will to survive is still there. Nature has endowed Sierra Leone with numerous resources ranging from diamonds and gold to fertile land. However, considerable damage has been done to the country’s economy. Many Sierra Leoneans are living in abject poverty but they are strengthened by both courage and determination to «carry on». The way things are at present, it is difficult for parents to plan for their childrens’ future. They cannot say with any degree of certainty that «Fatu» will surely inherit the family estate, or «Abdul» will go to school or «John» will continue on into college. Many of today’s evils must be laid at the door of our country’s politicians who in the past, seemed unable to channel the nation’s resources for realistic purposes. Sierra Leoneans have witnessed an enormous amount of deprivation and misery. But could it be they’re as much to blame as anyone for what’s happening now? Ideals such as personal responsibility for the country’s well-being, and personal initiative were notions foreign to many of our people and their leaders. Nobody seemed to know what was happening «at the top»; inadequate food and housing, poor health services, low salaries and inappropriate education were the order of the day. Little wonder our country is suffering now!» (Ernest Mason, Sierra Leone, 7 June 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Fin de guerre pour des enfants-soldats — La guerre civile, qui a repris en Sierra Leone, a pris fin le 12 juin pour 215 enfants-soldats - dont certains n’ont que 4 ou 5 ans - remis par des forces pro-gouvernementales à des organisations humanitaires internationales, à Masiaka (50 km à l’est de Freetown). Dans le camp où ils ont été accueillis, Fatama, âgée de 11 ans, murmure: “oui”, quand on lui demande si elle a combattu, murmure plus bas: “oui”, quand on lui demande si elle a tué, et murmure: “morts”, quand on lui demande où sont ses parents. Des milliers d’enfants ont été enrôlés de force par les deux camps durant les huit ans de l’atroce guerre civile sierra-léonaise (1991-1999) qui a eu comme autre spécialité les amputations. Les enfants-soldats traumatisés accueillis à Masiaka ont combattu pour les forces gouvernementales mais aussi pour les rebelles du Front révolutionnaire uni (RUF). (D’après AFP, France, 12 juin 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Au fil des jours — 8 juin. Des milliers de civils, redoutant les combats, errent dans la brousse fuyant les trois principales villes du nord, tandis que l’Onu évacue la majorité de ses casques bleus de la zone. Un des principaux chefs du RUF, Sesay Issa, a promis de libérer 21 casques bleus indiens pris en otage le 6 juin à Kuiva, dans l’est du pays, et de mettre fin aux affrontements éclatés dans la région de Kabala (nord), où se trouvent les casques bleus kényans et où 10.000 civils ont fui les combats. Selon MSF, près d’un million de personnes ne bénéficient plus d’aucune infrastructure médicale dans le nord du pays, depuis que le seul hôpital encore en activité a fermé ses portes après la reprise des combats. A Freetown, où il est en visite, le secrétaire au Foreign Office, Robin Cook, a assuré que la Grande-Bretagne allait s’engager à long terme pour le retour de la paix dans le pays. - 11 juin. 200 soldats britanniques arrivent à Freetown pour assurer pendant 6 semaines l’entraînement des forces loyalistes sierra-léonaises. Deux cent quarante cinq autres soldats de l’ONU, en majorité indiens, sont encerclés par le RUF à Kailahun, non loin de Pendembu, mais ne sont pas encore considérés comme détenus. - 12 juin. Attaque d’une position tenue par des casques bleus jordaniens à Rokel Bridge, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres au nord-est de la capitale Freetown, par quelque 200 combattants du RUF - 13 juin. Affrontements entre rebelles et forces gouvernementales, près de Lunsar, ville dont se sont emparés la semaine dernière les fidèles du président Ahmad Tejan Kabbah qui se dirigent vers le bastion rebelle de Makeni. Un médecin militaire indien a pu examiner 21 casques bleus indiens retenus en otage par le RUF à Pendembu (près de la frontière libérienne). - 14 juin. Les derniers soldats de la force d’intervention britannique ont commencé à se retirer de Sierra Leone. L’opération intitulée Pallister devrait officiellement prendre fin à minuit. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 juin 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Foreign interest — 8 June: Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, says that two British warships and up to 135 military personnel will remain in Sierra Leone to protect 65 UK military advisers after the Marine forces leave next week. The UK military commitment to Sierra Leone is intended to dispel fears that the departure of the 600-strong Royal Marines force, which replaced a paratroop contingent sent to the country to evacuate foreigners a month ago, may lead to an escalation of attacks by rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The UN is reportedly putting the final touches on a resolution that lays out a «framework» for peace in Sierra Leone, without the involvement of rebel leader Foday Sankoh. Medecins Sans Frontières has accused UN troops of failing to protect civilians in Sierra Leone. 10 June: Britain is trying to block an European aid package to Liberia because it believes President Charles Taylor is actively supporting the rebel campaign in Sierra Leone. However, the USA refuses to agree to the extension of an embargo on diamond exports to Liberia from Sierra Leone. 13 June: Britain succeeds in blocking the aid package to Liberia. 15 June: The last British Royal Marines are leaving Sierra Leone, today. Re-training the Sierra Leonean army will be the responsibility of 200 soldiers from the 2nd Anglian Regiment who are remaining in Sierra Leone. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 June 2000)

* Somalia. Prices soar on news of banknote shipment — A shipment of Somali shillings with a market value of US $4 million is expected to arrive in the country within the coming week, causing prices of imported commodities to soar and the shilling to plummet even further against foreign currencies. The banknotes were printed by an Indonesian company and are being imported by a group of Somalia businessmen for a fee of $200,000, according to the Mogadishu newspaper Xog-Ogaal. Somalia has no central bank or financial institution to regulate the currency market since the collapse of the central government in 1991. Since then, several powerful warlords and businessmen have taken the opportunity to print large quantities of banknotes abroad and release them on the Somali market, earning themselves huge profits, but invariably causing great waves of inflation on each occasion. (IRIN, 12 June 2000)

* South Africa. Cute government deal? — How’s this for a cute government deal? South Africa sells 1.5 billion dollars worth of G-6 mobile guns, at a discount, to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia pays with surplus oil, at a discount, and a promise to build an oil refinery in South Africa. Which, incidentally, South Africa does not need now because it already has four. South Africa is confident of clinching an 8 billion rand arms deal with Saudi Arabia. The deal holds the prospects of cheaper oil, industrial participation packages worth millions, and jobs for thousands. The integrated artillery systems which the Saudis want to buy include 78 of the high-mobility, self propelled G-6 guns. The G-6 is one of the most sophisticated artillery systems in the world. It holds the greatest potential for South African sales. South Africa authorities are tight-lipped about the deal. Flip Botha, acting chief executive for state-owned arms manufacturer Denel, would say only that he was «extremely optimistic» about the deal. Denel has also confirmed that India has expressed interest in buying a large number of G-6 guns. In the next few months South Africa will also find out whether Kuwait is to take up an offer to buy 36 of the G-6 units. In 1997, deals with both countries were scuppered by what South Africa authorities considered to be premature disclosures in the media. The two countries had insisted on total confidentiality. (James Brew, ANB-BIA, South Africa, 9 June 2000)

* South Africa. Cronje ready to reveal all — Hansie Cronje is expected to reveal today (15 June) that he received thousands of rand and a leather jacket to ensure a positive result in the Centurion Park test match against England last year. After weeks of allegation and innuendo, Cronje will finally take the stand at the King inquiry where he will explain the extend of the extraordinary double life he has led since 1995. It is understood he will admit taking his first payment from a bookmaker that year to provide information. But interest will be focused more around the Centurion test that is a central element of the commission’s inquiry. It is believed that Cronje will admit that he was paid for «making a game» of the cricket match, which England won by two wickets after the South Africa captain’s surprise last-day declaration, to save bookmakers a fortune after huge bets on a draw following three days of rain. (The Guardian, UK, 15 June 2000)

* Sudan. Aid for Eritrean refugees — On 13 June, The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, pledged emergency aid to thousands of Eritrean refugees who have been forced by the fighting in their country to cross into eastern Sudan. She said: «We have decided to dispatch emergency aid to the refugees in the domains of shelter, clean water and environmental health. We will contact donors for the prompt delivery of aid so that we can overcome the crisis». (PANA, Dakar, 13 June 2000)

* Tanzania. Countdown to the elections — Contrary to earlier statements by President Benjamin Mkapa that the government will finance the coming elections, he has had to appeal for financial support from donor organisations. Figures quoted by the President regarding the amount needed, differ from those of the National Electoral Commission (NEC). The President says the elections are expected to cost about US $40 million, the NEC says US #52.5 million. Between now and the elections on 28 October, there will be a number of pre-election activities taking place. Seminars, Workshops, preparation of polling stations and registration of voters. The EU has already contributed US $5 million to support the presidential and local government elections on the mainland. The EU will also provide ballot papers for all three elections (municipal, parliamentary and presidential), posters and leaflets informing the public about the registration period and the actual elections. The NEC‘s pre-election timetable is as follows: Voter-registration — 8-28 August; official campaigns — 19 August-the day before the elections. At present, Tanzania has 13 registered political parties with two others in the pipeline for registration. (Titus Kaguo, Tanzania, 7 June 2000)

* Togo. Truth and justice demanded for victims — In a Press Release, Amnesty International says the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry by the UN and the OAU into hundreds of extrajudicial killings in Togo in 1998, is a step towards the establishment of truth and justice. After three decades in which Togolese civilians and soldiers have been arrested, tortured, killed or have been «disappeared» with complete impunity, the setting up of an international investigation is a crucial step to guarantee that — at least for the most recent killings — the truth is revealed and justice is done. (Amnesty International, 9 June 2000)

* Tunisie. 2 prisonniers d’opinion libéréslang1036 D — Le 10 juin, deux militants du Parti ouvrier communiste tunisien (interdit), dont Abdelmoumen Belanès en grève de la faim depuis le 8 mai, ont été libérés après avoir été graciés par le président Ben Ali, a-t-on appris de source officielle. Le code pénal tunisien prévoit l’annulation du reliquat de la peine pour les deux détenus. (Le Soir, Belgique, 13 juin 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Campaigning for the polls — 8 June: President Mugabe says he wants to solve the country’s intricate land reform issue once and for all, after the parliamentary elections in June. He tells his governing party’s parliamentary candidates for the 24-25 June elections, that Zimbabwe can no longer afford to waste time on land reform, an issue that has dominated campaigning for the polls. «Our revolution has not ended and the starting point must be land. You who are going to Parliament must carry that message with you», Mugabe tells 120 ZANU-PF candidates contesting the polls. The High Court rejects an effort by those opposed to President Mugabe, to delay the parliamentary elections. Amnesty International says «state-sponsored terrorism» against opponents of President Mugabe is threatening free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. Thousands of ordinary people have complained that their names are missing from the voters’ roll, and opposition parties accuse the government of leaving out the names of young voters and whites sympathetic to them. 10 June: The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference calls for free and fair elections and condemns a wave of violence that has been blamed mainly on the supporters of President Mugabe. 12 June: Zimbabwe is charging a fee of $100 to foreign observers and journalists covering the elections. The deadline for voter registration ends today, amid accusations that the registration process has been unfair. ZANU-PF arbitrarily cuts the number of EU observers who are to be allowed in. 13 June: Veterans’ leader Chenjerai Hunzvi says that international election observers are welcome on white-owned farms occupied by his men, but must not speak to farm workers. He says: «If you want to visit you are welcome, but just don’t speak to the workers because you will speak about land and that is a separate issue. It has nothing to do with this election. If you (observers) speak to the workers, that is politics. That is interfering and we cannot accept that». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 June 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Elections — but where are the women? — According to ZANU-PF‘s manifesto: «Women have always been and still remain the custodians of the land. This is why ZANU-PF and the government have always endeavoured to improve the status of women and their quality of life». Yet the fact is, women who constitute 52% of Zimbabwe’s population remain unrepresented in key policy-making positions in both the public and the private sectors of industry and commerce. Also, there are major disparities in educational opportunities for both boys and girls. Boys are always favoured when it comes to schooling. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says it will promote grassroots process towards gender equality in economic, social and domestic life, and will ensure that women are not prejudiced by their child-bearing and caring role, when it comes to employment or economic opportunities. The MDC will also amend the labour laws to provide for maternity leave with 100% pay, and will enhance the involvement of women in technical training and employment, promote equal employment opportunities between men and women. Yet, for the 24-25 June parliamentary elections, out of 120 seats to be contested, ZANU-PF will field only 18 women candidates, and the MDC only 13!. (Percy Makombe, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 14 June 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Les menaces de Mugabe — 8 juin. Le président Mugabe a encore fait monter la tension en avertissant les fermiers blancs qu’ils mourraient s’ils tentaient de résister aux anciens combattants qui occupent leurs fermes. D’autre part, les Etats-Unis ont vivement dénoncé la “campagne de violence et d’intimidation” menée par le parti au pouvoir, le ZANU-PF, affirmant qu’elle menaçait la légitimité des élections législatives prévues les 24 et 25 juin. - 9 juin. Les Nations unies ont décidé de se retirer du processus de coordination des élections, estimant insuffisantes les garanties données aux observateurs internationaux par le gouvernement zimbabwéen. - 12 juin: dernier jour d’enregistrement des électeurs dont les noms n’étaient pas apparus sur une première liste électorale. L’opposition a accusé les autorités d’avoir délibérément rayé les noms de nombreuses personnes susceptibles de la soutenir au scrutin. Amnesty International a émis de sérieux doutes sur le caractère libre et équitable des élections à venir en raison de la campagne de “terreur soutenue par l’Etat”, menée par des partisans du parti au pouvoir. L’organisation a même affirmé que les services secrets (CIO) avaient perpétré un attentat au cocktail Molotov en mai à Buhera (sud), qui avait tué deux partisans du MDC. - 13 juin. Densen Mafinyani, secrétaire général du Conseil des Eglises du Zimbabwe (ZCC), appelle à la fin de la violence, le recours au dialogue, la tolérance et l’engagement pour la paix, à l’approche des élections parlementaires: «La vie, qu’elle soit blanche ou noire, est sacrée et elle appartient à Dieu». En accord avec les représentants de l’Eglise catholique, le ZCC a élaboré un programme d’éducation au vote et la distribution d’un manuel. - 15 juin. Selon The Independent, le président Mugabe envisage de saisir des mines et d’autres sociétés appartenant à des étrangers dans le cadre de sa campagne pour “africaniser” les avoirs du pays. Dans un entretien accordé au journal, M. Mugabe affirme que les mines pourraient être saisies quand son gouvernement aura terminé la redistribution des terres détenues par des Blancs. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 juin 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Problems on all fronts — Diamonds: Further evidence has emerged of links between the Zimbabwean government and Oryx, a diamond mining company seeking a listing in London. (However, on 12 June, Oryx bows to pressure from UK regulators and the UK Foreign Office and halts its planned listing in London). Two ministers in President Mugabe’s cabinet, Emmerson Mnangagwa, minister of justice, and Sidney Sekeremayi, minister of state for national security, are directors of a company — controlled by ZANU-PF — that will take a stake in Oryx (Financial Times, 10 June). Gold Mines: With most of Zimbabwe’s gold mines operating at a loss because of rapid inflation and the government’s fixed exchange rate policy, a number of mines will be forced to close soon, according to the Chamber of Mines. James Maposa, chamber president, warned it was «highly likely» that the 45% output drop in April would be repeated over the rest of the year. Gold producers urgently need a higher domestic price and increased access to foreign exchange to import materials such as explosives and cyanide (Financial Times, 9 June). Also, President Mugabe has given notice that he will follow his campaign of land redistribution with a programme to take the country’s mines out of white ownership (BBC News, 15 June). Land: The decision to seize 804 farms without compensation has thrown Zimbabwe’s financial services sector into turmoil, as it emerges that banks are owed about 6 billion Zimbabwean dollars (about 60 million pounds sterling) by the affected farmers. Banking industry executives say the huge debt may have to be written off with serious consequences for Zimbabwe’s already beleaguered financial sector (The Independent, 9 June). Medicines: The heath minister warns of a looming shortage of drugs because the government no longer has the money to pay for imported medicines (IRIN, 8 June). Petrol: Scores of Zimbabweans have been seen crossing to buy petrol at Botswana’s border town of Ramokgwebana. Most of the Zimbabweans crossed the border post with their cars, while those on foot carried containers. A Botswanan official expressed fears that a fuel shortage is looming at the border town, which has only one dealer selling petrol (PanAfrican News Agency, 8 June). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 June 2000)