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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-12-2000

PART #1/4 - From AFRIQUE to COMORES

* Africa. Action against the Media — Angola: On 11 December, the Provincial and Supreme Court in Luanda ordered the National Emigration Police to lift the travel restrictions imposed on journalists Rafael Marques, Aguiar dos Santos and Antonio Freitas. However, less than day after the court’s ruling, on 12 December, the border police refused to allow Marques to leave the country, and confiscated his passport. Kenya: On 8 December, the Communications Commission of Kenya ordered the immediate closure of a recently-launched Kenya Internet Exchange Point and ordered the disconnection of all Internet Service Providers linked to the new exchange. On 9 December, at least four journalists working for different media houses were injured after police violently dispersed a meeting in Busia town. Zimbabwe: On 9 December, the government announced it was planning to sue the independent newspaper, the Daily News for criminal defamation. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 December 2000)

* Africa. In Africa, martyrdom isn’t easy to distinguish — No one disputes that millions of Africans have died violently in recent decades. Less clear is how many of them were martyrs for the faith. This was a question taken up at an international congress on «The Martyrs of Asia and Africa,» held earlier this week at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. The congress was the last in a series of meetings organized by this university centre on «Martyrs of the 20th Century.» Martyrdom in Africa poses a difficult question, given that many people died as victims of ethnic or political wars. «The victims of the violence that has bloodied Africa, especially in the last decades, are about 12 million,» the director of the Kinshasa, Congo-based magazine Afriquespoir, Father Nazareno Coltran, told the congress. «Grave conflicts have been experienced in Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sudan, Uganda. However, who can say how many of these people lost their lives in such circumstances that they merit the title martyr? He added: «These are people who have preferred to give up their lives, rather than do evil.... [They died] without a machete in their hand, without a spear or a Kalashnikov.» Father Coltran favours a broad interpretation of the concept of martyrdom. Martyrs are people whose deaths point up the need for justice and less violence in the world, he indicated. «Their sacrifice helps us to understand better how the world should be, [with] tolerance, respect for the rights of every person,» the Congolese priest added. This is a viewpoint shared by Armand Veilleux, abbot of the Scourmont monastery in Belgium, who emphasized the importance of the witness of contemplatives. He referred to the seven Trappist monks who were executed in Tibhirine, Algeria, in May 1996 by a Muslim fundamentalist group. The religious lived in that country only to give Christian witness and serve as a link in the dialogue with Islamic believers. «A proper process of canonization might be very difficult in the present circumstances,» Father Veilleux explained, «as no judicial investigation has determined the identity of the killers and their superiors with certainty, nor demonstrated to what degree the motives for the killing were explicitly religious. However, there is no doubt that their death was caused by their evangelical attitude. Although a purely political reading of their life and death would be a patent error, a strictly spiritual interpretation, which ignores the courage and clarity with which they remained involved in the Algerian situation, not only would be naive but would also empty their very message of meaning. Did not the same thing happen with Christ’s death?» Father Paul Buetubela Balembo, rector of the Kinshasa Catholic Faculties, contended, «The causes of martyrdom in Africa are different, but can be summarized in the novelty of life brought by the proclamation of the Gospel. The preaching of the Good News always creates a contrast between what was before, and what is after: adherence to Christianity. This contrast, this clash, is not acceptable to nonbelievers, or to totalitarian and dictatorial powers. The Word of God cannot be proclaimed without taking risks. Thus, the martyr often lives his faith in contexts of hostility and opposition.» (Zenit, Italy, 7 December 2000)

* Africa. Leaders reiterate commitment to fight AIDS — On 7 December, African leaders reiterated their commitment to fight HIV/AIDS as they related the experiences of their respective countries to check the spread of the pandemic. Addressing the last day of the 2nd African Development Forum, which opened on 3 December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss the challenges of HIV/AIDS to the development of the continent, the leaders emphasised the crucial role of national moralisation, involving cross-section of society, with the government spearheading the campaign. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stated such a campaign required «the largest and loudest alarm possible to the dangers of the syndrome.» OAU secretary-general Salim Ahmed Salim, who chaired the plenary’s «Heads of State and Government Forum» at which each leader delivered a statement, stated that the AIDS pandemic had indeed constituted a great leadership challenge as indicated by the theme of the gathering. Presidents Museveni, Festus Mogae of Botswana, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, vice -president Justin Malewezi of Malawi and Prime Ministers Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, Nyagoum Yamassoum of Chad and Moustapha Niasse of Senegal took turns to express their country’s commitment to stop AIDS in its tracks. (PANA, Dakar, 7 December 2000)

* Africa. UNICEF calls for child investment — On 12 December, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called on world leaders to stop the massive squandering of human potential by neglecting the needs of very young children. In its annual report on the state of the world’s children, Unicef says investment in the first three years of life reaps huge personal and development dividends. «For every one dollar invested in the physical and cognitive development of babies and toddlers, there is a 7 dollars return, mainly from cost savings in the future,» the report says, citing studies of successful pre-school programmes in countries as varied as the US and the Philippines. An additional investment of dollars 80bn a year, less than 0.2 per cent of global income, would ensure every baby a good start in life, UNICEF argues. This would pay for essential services such as clean water and sanitation, primary healthcare and basic education. Instead, nearly 11m children die each year from mostly preventable diseases, 170m are malnourished, over 100m do not go to school and one in 10 is disabled, the report notes. Many poor countries are paying far more in debt servicing than on basic social services, while others are mired in conflict or devastated by the Aids pandemic. War-torn Sierra Leone and Angola head UNICEF‘s 187-country rankings for under-five mortality rates. At the other end are Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, Norway and Japan. The US, the world’s richest country, ranks 32nd alongside Cuba and Cyprus, well behind other western nations. (Financial Times, UK, 13 December 2000)

* Algérie. Un journaliste échappe au meurtre — Un journaliste du quotidien El Watan a échappé à une tentative d’assassinat imputée à la mafia. Abdelbaki Djabali, directeur du bureau d’El Watan à Annaba, a failli être tué dans un accident provoqué par un conducteur de camion qui voulait le renverser du haut d’un pont. Ce journaliste est connu pour ses enquêtes sur la corruption dans la métropole industrielle. (La Libre Belgique, 11 décembre 2000)

* Algeria. String of attacks — A dozen members of Algeria’s security forces, a civilian and an insurgent were killed in a two-day period in ongoing violence in Algeria. An armed group ambushed an army unit on 9 December in the mountainous region near Tissemsilt, 250 km west of Algiers. Five soldiers were killed, and four others wounded in the attack. In another attack the same day, insurgents shot to death three community guards in Boghar, 80 km south of Algiers, the daily Le Matin reported. The newspaper also reported that an armed group of about 10 people burst into a shop the same day in Bechloul, 150 km east of Algiers, killing two people, including a policeman. A third person was seriously wounded. On 10 December, a member of a civilian security force was killed when an armed group tried to attack a crowded cafe after Ramadan fasting broke for the day, Le Matin said. In two other attacks the same day, assailants killed a community guard and a policeman. (CNN, 11 December 2000)

* Algérie. Nombreux morts — Les 9 et 10 décembre, 5 soldats, 2 policiers, 3 gardes communaux, 2 membres des groupes de légitime défense, un islamiste armé et un civil, soit 14 personnes ont été tuées, rapporte la presse algérienne le lundi 11 décembre. Le samedi 9, dans une embuscade tendue par un groupe armé à une unité de l’armée dans les monts de l’Ouarsenis, près de Tissemsilt (250 km à l’ouest d’Alger), 5 soldats ont été tués et 4 autres blessés. Le même jour, dans une autre embuscade dans la commune de Boghar (80 km au sud d’Alger) trois gardes communaux ont également été tués. Dans la soirée, un groupe armé a attaqué un magasin à Bechloul (150 km à l’est d’Alger) tuant froidement deux personnes, dont un policier. Et le dimanche, après la rupture du jeûne, une attaque a visé une caserne de la garde communale dans la commune de Souk El-Tenine (130 km à l’est d’Alger). - Le 12 décembre, 9 gardes communaux et 5 militaires ont encore été tués dans des embuscades de groupes armés islamistes dans les régions de Jijel et de Mascara, respectivement à l’est et à l’ouest de l’Algérie, indiquaient les journaux. Dans la région de Mascara, une dizaine de militaires ont également été blessés. Au total, plus de 50 membres des forces de sécurité ont été assassinés depuis le 27 novembre, le début du ramadan, alors que le nombre de victimes civiles paraît diminuer. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 14 décembre 2000)

* Angola. Diamonds and oil to settle $4 billion debt — Angola is set to use diamonds and oil to repay to Russia its outstanding Soviet-era military debt, estimated by Russian officials at about $4bn. The agreement follows a visit to Angola earlier this week by Ilya Klebanov, Russia’s deputy prime minister. The two sides are working out a scheme which would see the debt paid back and increase Russia’s presence in developing Angola’s new diamond deposits. Alrosa, the Russian diamond monopoly, will continue working in Angola, developing new deposits and reconstructing a power station for the mines. Marketing of Angolan diamonds is currently controlled by the Lev Leviev, a Russian-born Israeli businessman. Mr Leviev last February formed a joint venture with the Angolan government, the Angola Selling Corporation, easing out De Beers, the international diamond group. Ascorp is the sole buyer of Angolan rough diamonds, which represent an annual volume of $1bn. Lev Leviev Diamonds, Mr Leviev’s company, owns polishing companies which analysts estimate have an annual turnover of $1bn-$1.5bn. Mr Leviev appears to be a likely candidate to replace De Beers should Russia decide not to renew its long-term agreement with the group at the end of 2001. (Financial Times, UK, 8 December 2000)

* Burkina Faso. Un anniversaire contesté — Le 12 décembre, la police burkinabé a empêché l’accès au lieu où le journaliste Norbert Zongo, qui était connu pour ses critiques du régime, fut assassiné en 1998. Une centaine de journalistes et militants des droits de l’homme voulaient ériger une stèle près de Sapouy, à 100 km à l’est de Ouagadougou. L’organisation Reporters sans frontières lance une “campagne publicitaire” qui montre un gâteau sur lequel sont posées deux bougies avec comme message: “Le 13 décembre, les assassins de Norbert Zongo fêtent leurs deux années d’impunité”. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 décembre 2000)

* Burkina Faso. 2nd anniversary of Zongo’s death — 13 December: A series of mass protests are expected to start today in Burkina Faso to coincide with the second anniversary of the death of the prominent journalist, Norbert Zongo. The protests, which include a three day general strike and march in Ouagadougou, have been organised by a coalition of political parties and human rights groups. An independent commission which investigated the death of Mr Zongo concluded that he was killed for political reasons. There have since been calls for the government to carry out a judicial inquiry into the murder. Later on, it is reported that clashes have broken out between the security forces and protestors. Police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathering at the cemetery in Ouagadougou, where Mr Zono is buried. (BBC News, 13 December 2000)

* Burundi. Fighting resumes — 7 December: Fighting resumed on the night of 6-7 December in Tenga, stronghold of the Burundian rebels situated around 12km from the capital, Bujumbura. The airforce is also using heavy artillery in the clashes. In a radio speech on 7 December, President Pierre Buyoya declared that the battle is decisive and that the government troops will «dislodge» the anti-government forces from the town. According to our MISNA sources, residents of Tenga are once again fleeing the area and the people of Bujumbura are in a state of panic. 12 December: Around 70,000 civilians of Tenga are reported to be without food or shelter due to the continued fighting. The population is in desperate need of assistance and it is impossible for human rights workers to enter the area. (MISNA, Italy, 7&12 December 2000)

* Burundi. Conférence des bailleurs de fonds — Le 11 décembre, les bailleurs de fonds du Burundi se sont retrouvés à Paris pour une conférence internationale de deux jours visant à aider ce pays à sortir de sa guerre civile et d’une situation économique qualifiée d’“intenable” par la Banque mondiale. La conférence, sous le patronage du médiateur Nelson Mandela, est coprésidée par la Banque mondiale et le PNUD. A l’ouverture du sommet, un appel pressant a été lancé aux groupes armés restés en marge du processus de paix pour qu’ils acceptent de conclure un cessez-le-feu. Au premier jour, le secrétaire d’Etat belge à la Coopération a annoncé l’octroi d’une aide d’environ un milliard de FB (25 millions d’euros) pour soutenir des initiatives humanitaires et de réinsertion des populations déplacées. Finalement, les bailleurs de fonds ont accepté de fournir 440 millions de dollars d’aide au Burundi. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 décembre 2000)

* Burundi. International donor’s conference — 9 December: International donors have announced an aid package for Burundi. The package will be officially unveiled at an international donors’ conference in Paris on 11 December.The EU‘s Development Commissioner, Paul Nielson, said the package was a tangible sign of the EU‘s solidarity with Burundi, which he said had made important progress towards peace in recent months. More than two hundred thousand people have been killed since 1993, when soldiers from the Tutsi minority murdered the country’s first democratically elected president, Melchior Ndadaye, who was from the Hutu majority. 10 December: Nelson Mandela is due to meet President Buyoya later today. Both are now in Paris. 11 December: Amnesty International says the international donor conference needs to focus on human rights in Burundi. Nelson Mandela criticises rebel groups who have not signed the peace accord. He says rebels could not be allowed to hold the peace process to ransom and condemns their «cowardly attacks on civilians». 12 December: International donors pledge $440 million in aid to Burundi in a resounding response to a cash-for-peace appeal by Nelson Mandela. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 December 2000)

* Cameroun. Torture — A l’occasion de la célébration du 52ème anniversaire de la déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme, dimanche 10 décembre, l’Acat-Cameroun (Action chrétienne pour l’abolition de la torture) a dénoncé la torture comme “pratique habituelle” au Cameroun. Après avoir constaté l’échec d’actions policières ayant entraîné la mort arbitraire de nombreux citoyens — menées à Douala par le commandement opérationnel des forces de l’ordre chargé de combattre la criminalité organisée et le banditisme — l’Acat parle d’exécutions sommaires de masse. Les victimes ont été, pour la plupart, enterrées dans des fosses communes. L’association cite les cas de personnes contraintes à payer de leur poche la location d’excavatrices pour enterrer des dizaines de cadavres en état de décomposition et de nombreuses familles qui, informées de la mort de leurs proches, se sont heurtées à l’interdiction de célébrer les obsèques. L’Acat a demandé la dissolution du commandement opérationnel de Douala si celui-ci s’obstine à ne pas garantir l’ordre public conformément au pouvoir judiciaire et aux lois en vigueur. – Par ailleurs, dans une récente lettre pastorale, les évêques du Cameroun se sont attaqués au problème de la corruption: «Ce qui était pratiqué jadis en cachette, se fait maintenant ouvertement. La corruption est devenue notre mode de vie. On a parfois l’impression qu’elle est institutionnalisée et qu’elle fait désormais partie de notre système de gouvernance», stigmatisent-ils. (D’après Acat-Cameroun, 12 décembre 2000)

* Centrafrique. Opération pays mort — Organisée par les syndicats de fonctionnaires pour paralyser la vie économique du pays, l’opération “pays mort” a commencé le 11 décembre à Bangui, sous haute surveillance policière et militaire. La fonction publique réclame le “paiement immédiat de douze mois d’arriérés de salaire”. Certains agents ont accumulé depuis huit ans trente mois de salaires impayés. (La Croix, France, 12 décembre 2000)

* Comores. Nouveau gouvernement — Le 10 décembre, le nouveau Premier ministre, Ahamada Madi “Bolero”, 35 ans, a formé un gouvernement composé uniquement de partisans de la junte militaire au pouvoir, selon la liste publiée par décret présidentiel. Deux semaines de négociations entre le régime issu du coup d’Etat du 30 avril 1999 et un regroupement de petits partis d’opposition n’a pas abouti à l’ouverture souhaitée par certains partisans du colonel Azali. (Le Monde, France, 13 décembre 2000)