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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 31-08-2000

PART #3/4 - From LIBYA to SOMALIA

* Libya. Man-made river springs a leak — One of the world’s largest construction projects, Libya’s great man-made river, is facing difficulties, 10 years after it came on tap. the project was designed to drill ground water from beneath the Sahara Desert and pipe it to Libyan towns, but project directors say the artificial river is now showing worrying signs of leakage. After spending more than $10 billion on the project, work has begun on only two of the five branches and of those, one is running only 20% capacity and the other has begun to leak. The project’s general manager, Hakim Shwehdi, says the pipes on the eastern stretch of the river are so badly corroded that in recent months engineers have been forced to shut down the river three times. Mr Shwehdi is not clear who is to blame — the Libyan commissioners, the British designers or the South Korean constructors. (BBC News, 24 August 2000)

* Libye. Victoire diplomatique de Kadhafi — Le dénouement partiel de la crise de Jolo a offert mardi à Mouammar Kadhafi une victoire diplomatique, consacrée par plusieurs ministres étrangers venus à Tripoli chercher leurs otages et exprimer leur gratitude au dirigeant libyen, estime l’agence AFP. Le retour des otages dans une capitale pavoisée de drapeaux et de slogans coïncide avec le 31ème anniversaire de la révolution libyenne, qui sera fêté le 1er septembre. Les responsables occidentaux n’ont pu que rendre hommage à la médiation libyenne, par le truchement d’une fondation dirigée par le fils du colonel Kadhafi, Seif al Islam. Et ils ont reconnu que le temps était venu de normaliser les relations avec Tripoli. En dépit des sanctions, les Européens ont toujours été soucieux de ne pas couper totalement les ponts avec la Libye, de plus en plus active et influente en Afrique, ont indiqué des diplomates. La Libye est aussi un des rares pays solvables de la région et un marché potentiel sans concurrence américaine. (D’après AFP, France, 29 août 2000)

* Libya. Freeing hostages in the Philippines — 29 August: The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi was last night preparing to stage a welcoming festival for the six foreign hostages freed by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines following the payment of millions of dollars. the sixth hostage was only freed yesterday morning. A Libyan plane flew the French, German and South African nationals from Cebu to Tripoli to thank the Libyan leader for the $1 million that negotiators insist his country pay for each captive. (The Guardian, UK, 29 August 2000)

* Malawi. AIDS loan rejected — The government of Malawi has turned down a loan of $40 million from the World Bank intended to make up for a shortfall in funds that Malawi needs to combat AIDS. Deputy Health Minister Philip Bwanali said it would be immoral to accept the loan because Malawi is already heavily indebted and could not repay it. he said his country takes the fight against AIDS seriously, and it would be better if the World Bank offered a grant instead of a loan. (BBC News, 25 August 2000)

* Malawi. Sena New Testament published — In an effort to make available the word of God to as many people as possible, the Bible Society of Malawi (BSM) has published a Sena New Testament Bible. According to a press release from the BSM, «Translation work for the New Testament was carried out by a South African-based organisation, Word for the World, in collaboration with local Sena translators». An initial edition of 6,000 copies has been printed. The press release also says that the New Testament manuscript had been received at the Inter-Regional Translation Services office in Nairobi in June 1998. By November 1999, a camera-ready copy of the New Testament was sent to Korea for Printing. There are about 1.5 million Sena Speakers in Malawi. (Malawi’s population is about 10 million people). In the mid 1970s, some Sena translation work was done by the Bible Society catering for both Malawi and Mozambique. But Sena speakers rejected it as a poor translation. The press release described how «a revision was then planned to cater for both countries under the auspices of the Summer Institute of Linguistics. However, in 1992, the Bible Society of Malawi and Word for the World, decided to launch the project in Malawi as it was felt that the Sena language forms for Mozambique and Malawi were different enough to warrant separate translation». To ensure that the current translation is not only accurate but also acceptable to the people, the translators have done some field testing in the Lower Shire and the results show wide acceptability. (Patrick Mawaya, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 24 August 2000)

* Malawi. MCP on verge of collapse — The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is on the verge of collapse. This is the result of rifts between the party’s president, Gwanda Chakuamba, and his first vice-president, John Tembo. The MCP internal wrangle started in 1999 before the June 1999 general elections. Before these elections, Chakuamba failed to select his vice-president John Tembo as running rate for the country’s presidential race. Instead, he chose Chakufwa Chihana, leader of the northern-based Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). This was the final straw following John Tembo’s declaration that only someone from the Central Region was capable of leading the MCP. Tembo feels he is the right person to be the MCP leader. He comes from the Central Region! In an interview in The Lamp (July-August 2000), he said: «My intention is to make the party very strong among the grassroots in the three regions». Indeed, Tembo has been holding most of his rallies in the Central Region and there have been rumours that he has been having secret meetings with President Bakili Muluzi. as proof that there are two MCP factions, the party held two conventions on 6 August, one led by Gwanda Chakuamba and the other led by John Tembo. To make matters even more uncertain, there are a lot of parties interested in the conflict, some wanting the MCP to totally collapse so that they have peace of mind. (Editor’s update on 29 August: The Malawi Congress Party and the Alliance for Democracy have called on potential voters not to register for the forthcoming local government elections. They give as reason — because the ruling United Democratic Front is suspected as conniving with the Electoral Commission to rig the polls). (Patrick Mawaya, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 25 August 2000)

* Morocco. Oil and gas finds — Morocco received a rare boost of confidence this week with the announcement that oil and gas deposits have been discovered in the south-east of the country. The kingdom’s first oil and gas find in a field in the Talsint region near the Algerian border, has raised hopes that Morocco could become self-sufficient in energy consumption. (Financial Times, UK, 25 August 2000)

* Morocco-Spain. Tide of refugees — At one time they were like ghosts, disembarking at night and hidden in the mountains by the time dawn revealed their footprints on the beach. They were Moroccans who had crossed the Gibraltar strait to southern Spain. This summer something has changed. Thousands of sub-Saharan Africans have started following the Moroccans into overloaded dinghies for the two-hour moonlit ride. Staggering ashore are asylum seekers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Unlike the Moroccans they do not run. They sit, or collapse, on the beach or motorway and wait to be picked up. Police around the town of Tarifa, Spain’s southernmost tip, have intercepted more than 600 people in the past 10 days alone — an unprecedented rate of entry which shows no sign of slowing. (The Guardian, UK, 28 August 2000)

* Mozambique. Rencontre entre évêques et religieux américains et africains — Du 22 au 28 août se tient à Maputo une rencontre internationale réunissant des évêques et des responsables religieux sur le thème “Réconciliation, solution des conflits et pacification civile. Une rencontre entre Eglises d’Afrique et d’Amérique pour l’année du Jubilé”. Plus de 70 dirigeants, dont 30 évêques, participent à la rencontre, venant d’Afrique et d’Amérique latine, notamment de pays particulièrement touchés par la violence (Congo, Rwanda, Angola) ou par des conflits internes (Tchad, Colombie, Mexique). La rencontre est le fruit de la conscience que l’un des principaux défis que rencontre l’Eglise est de chercher comment arrêter les guerres et travailler pour la paix entre les peuples. (D’après Fides, Rome, 25 août 2000)

* Namibia. Deteriorating security situation — 18 August: A landmine blast kills a farm worker and injures 47 others in northeastern Namibia, in the latest security incident in the troubled region bordering Angola. The explosion occurred in Omega, in Western Caprivi, when a truck carrying farm workers detonated an anti-tank mine planted by suspected Angolan UNITA rebels. 24 August: Under local pressure for action, Namibia’s northern regional council has ordered the withdrawal of Angolan armed forces (FAA) from Kavango in a bid to end attacks on villagers by armed groups. (IRIN, Southern Africa, 21&24 August 2000)

* Niger. Truck strike continues — Leaders of striking lorry drivers in Niger have threatened to blockade roads over a bid to extend their two-week stoppage over pay. Talks between the lorry owners and drivers broke down on 28 August without agreement. The transport companies bring goods for sale in Niger from neighbouring countries — reports say most markets are now empty because of the strike. (BBC News, 29 August 2000)

* Nigeria. Visite du président Clinton — Le président américain, Bill Clinton, a effectué une visite de deux jours, les 26 et 27 août, au Nigeria, “une démonstration de notre ferme soutien pour la plus importante transition démocratique menée en Afrique depuis la chute de l’apartheid”, selon son conseiller pour la sécurité nationale. S’adressant au Parlement nigérian, M. Clinton a appelé les responsables du pays à dépasser les querelles ethniques et religieuses. Il a également promis le soutien de Washington au soulagement de la dette extérieure du Nigeria, qui atteint les 28 milliards de dollars, mais sans fournir d’assurance. Durant sa visite, les Etats-Unis ont cependant accordé des garanties de crédits sur 1,2 milliard de dollars de prêts privés et plusieurs accords d’assistance technique représentant $20 millions ont été conclus. Clinton a aussi demandé au président Obasanjo d’intervenir auprès de l’Opep afin qu’elle augmente sa production pétrolière. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 août 2000)

* Nigeria. Debt relief hopes pinned on Clinton — 26 August: President Clinton’s arrival in Nigeria, today, is being celebrated as a turning point in relations between Nigeria and the USA. The Nigerian government expects Mr Clinton to cement Washington’s support for relief on an external debt of $28 billion-$34 billion. 27 August: US and Nigerian business leaders welcome a host of trade and development initiatives. An agreement has been signed with the US-Export-Import bank, opening up financial backing for US exports to Nigeria, and an open-skies agreement, permitting unrestricted air travel between the two countries was concluded. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 August 2000)

* Nigeria. Désertification — La désertification au nord du Nigeria affecte la production alimentaire, indiquait le quotidien de Lagos Vanguard le 25 août. Le ministre de l’environnement, M. Daura, a déclaré, selon le journal, que le désert avançait à un rythme de 0,6 km par an, entraînant un mauvais rendement agricole et des pénuries alimentaires. M. Daura a dit que le Nigeria luttait contre la désertification depuis la sécheresse historique des zones sahéliennes dans les années 1970. (IRIN, Abidjan, 28 août 2000)

* Sénégal. Mgr Sarr prend fonction — Le 19 août, Mgr Théodore Adrien Sarr, ancien évêque de Kaolack, a pris officiellement fonction en qualité d’archevêque de Dakar en remplacement du cardinal Thiandoum. Lors de la messe solennelle, à laquelle assistaient le Premier ministre, les évêques du pays et des représentants de toutes les communautés musulmanes, on a magnifié l’héritage légué par Mgr Thiandoum, notamment en matière de dialogue interreligieux, que son successeur a promis de poursuivre. (A. Agboton, Sénégal, 25 août 2000)

* Sénégal. Nouvel Abbé bénédictin — Le père Ange Marie Niouki vient d’être élu Abbé du monastère bénédictin de Keur Moussa, situé à 50 km à l’est de Dakar. Il succède au père Philippe Champetier de Ribes, qui était à la tête du monastère depuis 1984. Le monastère de Keur Moussa a été fondé en 1963 et dépendait de l’Abbaye de Solesmes jusqu’en 1984. Le nouvel Abbé est de deuxième depuis la fondation. Le monastère, abrite aujourd’hui 38 moines français et sénégalais, qui entendent témoigner de l’Evangile à travers la vie monastique dans un pays à majorité musulmane. (D’après Zenit, Rome, 25 août 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Offensive contre les rebelles — Les combattants de la milice pro-gouvernementale de chasseurs traditionnels (les Kamajors), ainsi qu’une milice locale, ont progressé dans la région diamantifère de Kono (est) et repoussé une avancée rebelle dans le nord du pays, selon des témoins. En début de semaine, des témoins avaient fait état de violents affrontements internes entre combattants du RUF dans la zone. Par ailleurs, une avancée rebelle sur le ville de Kenema (nord) a été repoussée par l’armée sierra-léonaise et une milice locale, selon un député de la région. (Marchés Tropicaux, France, 25 août 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Minusil renforcée — Le 25 août, dans un rapport transmis au Conseil de sécurité, le secrétaire général de l’ONU, Kofi Annan, a recommandé d’augmenter d’environ 7.500 hommes les effectifs de la Mission des Nations unies en Sierra Leone (Minusil), force qui comprendrait dès lors 20.500 casques bleus. La Minusil est la plus importante force de soldats de la paix déployée dans le monde. (Le Monde, France, 27 août 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Problems facing UN mission — 24 August: Top defence officials of troop contributors to the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone have held a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, where Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed the need to address problems that have faced the mission. Annan, who convened the meeting to discuss how to make the mission more effective, identified command and control, equipment shortfalls and the mission’s mandate and rules of engagement as its problems. He pointed out that the mission had faced questions about its command and control since its inception about a year ago. When command and control in the field is divided, he said, the risk of casualties increases. 27 August: The renegade West Side Boys militia have demanded the release from prison of one of their leaders as the price for freeing 11 British soldiers and one Sierra Leonean being held hostage. The militia set out their conditions in face-to-face talks with a team from the British army and the Sierra Leonean government at a secret location near Freetown. The soldiers were captured on 25 August. The West Side Boys were under the control of Johnny Paul Koroma,a member of the Sierra Leonean coalition government, but it is an unstructured group, whose members are often high on drugs. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 August 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Hostage situation — 28 August: The British force in Sierra Leone has «opened dialogue» with a leader of the renegade faction holding 11 of its soldiers. British officials are communicating with a fighter called Brigadier Kalla, a leader of the group known as the West Side Boys. The British Ministry of Defence has sent a special team, believed to include SAS special soldiers and police hostage negotiators, to help secure the soldiers release. 29 August: The commander of the UN peacekeeping force, General Mohammed Garba, challenges the British account of how the 11 British soldiers were abducted. He says the British had been travelling to a dangerous rebel area without telling the UN what they were doing. 30 August: 5 of the 11 soldiers are released. Negotiations for the release of the others are continuing. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 31 August 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Soldats anglais pris en otages — Selon l’agence Misna, le 25 août, les West Side Boys, mouvement rebelle proche de l’ex-junte, ont exécuté une quarantaine de leurs propres compagnons d’armes dans la zone d’Occra Hills, à 60 km au nord-ouest de Freetown. Il semble que le massacre ait été perpétré parce que les victimes avaient décidé de déposer les armes et de se rendre aux autorités. - D’autre part, ces West Side Boys retiennent depuis le 25 août onze soldats britanniques. Ils ont demandé de rencontrer des représentants du gouvernement de Freetown. Londres avait dépêché en mai 800 soldats d’élite pour protéger la capitale Freetown et appuyer la force de l’ONU en pleine déconfiture. Ils ont quitté la Sierra Leone à la mi-juin, mais 220 instructeurs britanniques sont restés sur place. Le 28 août, les négociations se poursuivaient pour la libération des soldats britanniques; le secrétaire général de l’ONU Kofi Annan a dit s’attendre à leur libération “dans un avenir proche”. Le 30 août, 5 des 11 soldats ont été libérés. Le porte-parole de l’armée britannique décrivait les négociations comme “encourageantes”; il s’est refusé à évoquer les éventuelles exigences que les ravisseurs auraient formulées pour libérer leurs captifs. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 août 2000)

* Somalia. New President — 26 August: Somalia’s transitional parliament has elected a new President — the first since the collapse of the central government nearly 10 years ago. Abdulkasim Salad Hass, 58, beat his closest rival, Abdullah Ahmed Addow by 145 votes to 92. The winner needed a simple majority of 123 votes in the 245-seat assembly. Mr Hassan is a veteran politician who served as cabinet minister in several Somali governments before the collapse of President Siad Barre’s regime on 1991. 27 August: The new President is sworn in at a ceremony in Djibouti. Several regional leaders who helped Djibouti negotiate ta deal that led to the election of a new administration for Somalia, were in Arta for the occasion. Mr Hassan took the Oath of Office in front of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenaawi, Sudan’s President al-Bashir and Eritrea’s President Afewerki. Members of the Somali transitional assembly and several thousand people also gathered in front of the white tent where the ceremony took place. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 August 2000)

* Somalie. Nouveau président — Dans la nuit du 25 au 26 août, Abdoulkassim Salat Hassan a été élu nouveau président de la Somalie par le Parlement de transition réuni à Arta (Djibouti). Le dimanche 27, il a prêté serment en présence des présidents du Yémen, du Soudan et de l’Erythrée et du Premier ministre éthiopien. Agé de 58 ans, appartenant au sous-clan Habr Gedir (Hawiye), il est le premier président depuis la chute de Siad Barre en 1991. Il aura la lourde tâche de tenter de mettre fin à l’anarchie qui règne en Somalie. Le processus de paix d’Arta s’appuie sur les chefs traditionnels. Mais ses adversaires, les chefs de guerre somaliens, affirment qu’il ne servira qu’à créer un gouvernement en exil et que les institutions qui y seront désignées ne pourront entrer en Somalie. — Par ailleurs, le 27 août, au moins 18 personnes ont trouvé la mort dans des combats ayant opposé, au moment de la cérémonie d’investiture du nouveau président, des milices somaliennes rivales dans la ville de Jowhar, à 90 kilomètres au nord de Mogadiscio. Les combattants appartenaient à deux sous-clans rivaux, Hawadle et Galjal, du clan Hawiye. - Le 30 août, le nouveau président est entré triomphalement dans Mogadiscio, depuis près de dix ans la capitale déchirée des “seigneurs de la guerre”. Des milliers de personnes ont acclamé son cortège. M. Salat a promis la “résurrection” de la Somalie. Toutefois, son coup d’éclat a réussi en l’absence des deux principaux seigneurs de guerre, appelés “en consultation” au Yémen, un pays qui apporte son soutien au nouveau président. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 août 2000)

* Somalia-Djibouti. Peace delegates preparing to return home — 29 August: Delegates attending the Somali reconciliation conference in neighbouring Djibouti are preparing to return home, after a ceremony last night formally ended the four months of talks. About 2,000 Somalis had gathered at the peace conference by the time it elected a transitional parliament earlier this month. At the weekend, the parliament elected an interim president for Somalia — Abdulkassim Salat Hassan of the powerful Hawiye clan. But several faction leaders, as well as the leaders of the northern regions of Puntland and Somaliland, have said they do not recognise him. 30 August: President Hassan arrives in Mogadishu, escorted by dozens of armoured vehicles. His visit is seen as a crucial test as he attempts to stamp his authority on the country. On arrival, he received a huge welcome from tens of thousands of people who gathered at a football stadium (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 August 2000)