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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-12-2000

PART #4/4 - From SENEGAL to ZIMBABWE

* Senegal. Children demand peace in Casamance — Reports from the southern Senegalese province of Casamance say thousands of schoolchildren have held a demonstration calling for peace. The French news agency reported that four thousand pupils marched through the streets of the province’s capital, Ziguinchor, and visited the separatist leader Father Augustin Diamacoune. The agency said several children had pleaded with Father Diamacoune for peace to enable them to study. Father Diamacoune heads the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces, which has led the fight for independence from the rest of Senegal for nearly two decades. He will be taking part in a new round of peace talks with the Dakar government which begins on 17 December. There’ve been several recent rebel attacks in Casamance which observers say could be the work of a faction opposed to peace talks. (BBC News, 13 December 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Koroma rend des armes — Le 8 décembre, l’ancien leader de la junte militaire, Johnny Paul Koroma, a rendu des armes et d’autres équipements militaires à la Minusil. Il a été rejoint par 90 anciens soldats de son Conseil des forces armées révolutionnaires (désormais dissout) qui avait dirigé le pays de mai 1997 à février 1998. M. Koroma a appelé d’autres groupes, tels que le RUF et les forces de défense civile pro-gouvernementales, à suivre son exemple. - D’autre part, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge a annoncé qu’il fournira à la Sierra Leone une aide humanitaire et pour le développement, dans les secteurs agricoles et sanitaires, d’une valeur de 20 millions de dollars en 2001. (IRIN, Abidjan, 11 décembre 2000)

* Somalie. Menace de déchets toxiques — Deux bateaux dérivent actuellement le long des côtes de la Somalie, chargés de ce qui seraient des déchets toxiques, selon des informations reprises le 10 décembre par un journal de Nairobi. Selon un quotidien de Mogadiscio, les deux navires dérivent et s’approchent du littoral. Le contenu des cargos est un mystère. Mais les habitants de la côte expliquent leur préoccupation par le fait que les navires ressemblent à ceux utilisés dans le passé par certaines firmes spécialisées dans l’élimination des déchets industriels et chimiques. La population a demandé une intervention rapide des autorités. Une semaine auparavant, un groupe de travail mis en place par le Parlement italien pour enquêter sur les déchets en Somalie, a publié un rapport qui rend des groupes mafieux responsables de l’entreposage non autorisé des déchets en Somalie. (PANA, 11 décembre 2000)

* South Africa. Opposition attacks ANC — South Africa’s main opposition party on 7 December accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of «desperate and immoral tactics» after a senior ANC official threatened to discriminate against people who voted against the government in this week’s local elections. S’bu Ndebele, ANC chairman in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, told cheering supporters in Durban that black South Africans who had voted for the Democratic Alliance (DA) had wasted their efforts because their councillors would still have to turn to the ANC for resources. Across the country, about 59 per cent of voters chose the ANC and 23 per cent the DA. «To all the Africans, coloureds [people of mixed race] and Indians who voted DA, be warned that there are going to be consequences for not voting for the ANC,» Mr Ndebele was quoted as saying in The Mercury, a Durban newspaper. «When it comes to service delivery, we will start with the people who voted for us and you will be last.» Mr Ndebele is notorious for his belligerent style of politics, but he is not the only ANC leader to regard vigorous opposition to the government as a form of treachery rather than an inevitable and desirable part of democratic politics. (Financial Times, UK, 7 December 2000)

* South Africa. Fighting AIDS with prayer and compassion — At a rare appearance together on 6 December, South Africa’s three Nobel peace prizewinners — Nelson Mandela, F.W De Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu launched a «prayer for HIV/AIDS» and called for an end to the silence and stigmatisation surrounding the disease. The prayer service at St Mary’s Anglican Cathedral in Johannesburg represented the strongest commitment yet by prominent personalities to address Aids in South Africa, where 4.2 million people (10 per cent of the population) are estimated to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Eighty-two-year-old Mandela, who was helped up the pulpit steps, said South Africa lagged behind other African countries in coming to terms with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). He called on South Africans to draw inspiration from the late Diana, Princess of Wales, urging them to follow her example, to «hold hands, embrace, give love because the spirit of life is sometimes more important than medicine». Wearing an AIDS pin in the centre of his trademark bright shirt, the former South African president called on South Africans to draw on the «human capacity our culture blessed us with» in the struggle against apartheid and use it to vanquish AIDS, «which is killing more people than the wars of the past and the famines put together». (Ecumenical News International, 8 December 2000)

* Afrique du Sud. Elections municipales — Le Congrès national africain (ANC, parti au pouvoir) a obtenu 59,38% des voix aux élections municipales du 5 décembre, selon les résultats finaux publiés dans la nuit du 9 au 10 décembre. Ces résultats confirment la percée de l’opposition. Le parti au pouvoir a remporté 170 (70%) des 237 municipalités ayant participé aux élections, le parti zoulou Inkatha (IFP) 36, l’Alliance démocratique (DA) 18 et le petit Mouvement démocratique uni, un. Le scrutin dans 47 autres conseils de districts doit se tenir la semaine prochaine. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 décembre 2000)

* South Africa. «Pops» banned — A landmark treaty to phase out and eliminate some of the world’s most dangerous chemicals was agreed by 122 countries on 10 December. After an all-night negotiating session in Johannesburg, 600 delegates agreed to ban 12 highly toxic, long-lasting chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants, or Pops. These include pesticides, industrial chemicals and by-products of combustion. DDT, the pollutant used in the fight against malaria, has been exempted until a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative can be found. It is the first time the world has acted to ban toxic chemicals. The conference’s success, which came after five negotiating rounds, was particularly welcome following the failure of climate change talks in The Hague late last month. «Not only do we have a treaty,» said John Buccini, chairman of the conference, «but we have a very good treaty». Delegates from rich and developing countries, environmental groups and non-governmental organisations all seemed to agree. «A very good balance was struck between contrasting interests and opinions,» said Brooks Yaeger, head of the US delegation. «Environmentalists like this treaty, industry can work with it and the people of the world need it.» Developed countries have pledged to provide financial and technical assistance to developing nations to assist in the elimination of toxic chemicals. The existing Global Environment Facility will be used to channel the funds, but it will be strengthened once the treaty is ratified. (Editor’s note: South Africa has been chosen to host the 2002 United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development). (Financial Times, 11 December 2000)

* Sudan. Opposition charged with sedition — The authorities in Sudan have arrested at least six opposition figures and accused them of plotting an armed uprising with an American diplomat. The diplomat, Glenn Warren, who was observing a meeting of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when police arrested the Alliance members, has been ordered to leave the country. The men have been accused of planning a popular uprising, backed by military action, and of trying to capture towns and sabotage installations with US help. The action comes just days before the country is due to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections. The NDA, an umbrella organisation for southern and northern opposition groups, has denounced the action, saying it was an ordinary meeting. Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, said the US diplomat was «caught in a meeting with leaders of non-registered political organisations and was discussing with them issues related to Sudanese security and stability.» There was no immediate comment from the US embassy in Khartoum. A BBC correspondent in the region says relations between Sudan and the US are at an extremely low point. (BBC News, 7 December 2000)

* Soudan. Diplomate américain expulsé — Le 7 décembre, les Etats-Unis ont annoncé que le Soudan avait ordonné l’expulsion d’un diplomate américain, Glenn Warren, chargé des affaires politiques à leur ambassade à Khartoum. Celui-ci avait rencontré huit responsables de l’opposition soudanaise, qui ont été interpellés. Washington envisageait une riposte à cette “mesure injustifiée”. Les tensions entre les deux pays s’étaient déjà accentuées après la visite, le mois dernier, dans le sud du Soudan en proie à la guerre civile, de la secrétaire d’Etat adjointe américaine Susan Rice, qui était dépouvue de visa soudanais. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 9 décembre 2000)

* Soudan. Mosquée attaquée — Le soir du 8 décembre, au moins 21 personnes ont été tuées et une quarantaine blessées lors de l’attaque d’une mosquée à Omdourman, dans la banlieue de Khartoum. L’un des trois assaillants a été tué par la police. Dans le passé, la mosquée avait déjà été la cible d’attaques par des fondamentalistes musulmans. Les victimes sont des fidèles du groupe musulman Ansar al-Sunna, qui n’a aucune affiliation politique; les assaillants seraient membres de l’organisation Al-Takfir wal Hijra (expiation et renoncement) qui estime que la loi islamique doit être imposée par la force au Soudan. (D’après Le Soir, Belgique, 11 décembre 2000)

* Sudan. Presidential and parliamentary elections — 10 December: The presidential and parliamentary elections have been postponed for two days to give candidates more time to campaign. The elections were supposed to start on 11 December and continue for ten days to elect a president and members of the 360-seat National Assembly. Elections will now be held between 13 December and 22 December. Five candidates are running for president. 11 December: Sudan is pressing ahead with controversial presidential and parliamentary elections that all the country’s main opposition groups are boycotting. One diplomat in Khartoum describes the elections as: «Re-selection, not an election». 13 December: Voting begins today despite a boycott by all the country’s main opposition groups. The EU has declined an invitation to monitor the vote. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 December 2000)

* Soudan. Elections — A partir du 13 décembre, près de 12 millions de Soudanais étaient appelés aux urnes pour élire le président de la République et renouveler l’Assemblée nationale, un scrutin boycotté par l’opposition et qui ne pourra se tenir dans plusieurs régions tenues par la rébellion sudiste. Les opérations de vote doivent se terminer le 22 décembre. Outre l’actuel président Omar El Béchir, quatre candidats sont en lice pour la présidentielle, dont l’ancien président Gaafar Nimeiri. Au Parlement, qui compte 360 élus, 270 sièges sont à pourvoir sur la base des circonscriptions géographiques. Un quota de 35 sièges est réservé aux femmes et 26 aux diplômés de l’université. 29 sièges, réservés aux agriculteurs, bergers, hommes d’affaires et syndicalistes, ont déjà été pourvus. (Le Monde, France, 14 décembre 2000)

* Uganda. Malaria prevention strategy — On 7 December, Uganda launched a malaria prevention programme which hinges on the provision of insecticide-treated nets to avert over 100,000 deaths caused by the anopheles mosquito-spread disease in the country annually. Health ministry officials confirmed that malaria is the leading cause of deaths and illnesses in Uganda today. Almost a quarter of deaths of children under five are caused by malaria. Many of these deaths can be prevented. «The overall objective of the Uganda national malaria control programme is to prevent mortality and reduce morbidity and to minimise the social and economic costs and losses due to malaria,» Dr. Dennis Lwamafa, head of the programme, said. Only six districts would initially get the nets under the strategy tagged «Smartnet,» which was co-launched in Kampala by the health ministry and the US Agency for International Development. The co-sponsors have asked the Commercial Marketing Strategies Project or CMS, which popularised «Protector» condoms and other reproductive health products, to create demand for Smartnet. USAID has provided CMS with US $250,000 for the marketing project. «Smartnet is a revolutionary malaria prevention net that does not need re-treatment for up to 22 washings and costs far less than what a typical family spends on malaria treatment each year,» Deus Mubangizi, the CMS marketing manager, said. (PANA, Dakar, 7 December 2000)

* Zambia. Debt relief deal — The World Bank and International Monetary Fund on 8 December overcame wrangling among their large shareholder countries to finalise a special debt relief deal for Zambia. The deal will front-load the relief granted to the country under the heavily-indebted poor countries’ (HIPC) debt relief initiative. The deal followed heated discussions among the fund’s shareholder countries. Germany and the US dug in their heels over the proposal, arguing that Zambia had not signed up to sufficiently strict conditions for the relief and insisting on closer monitoring of the country’s tax system. Following the 8 December agreement, the US continued to warn against an obsession with debt relief for its own sake. Tim Geithner, under-secretary at the US Treasury, said: «The success of the debt relief initiative depends not on the speed and depth of relief but on the credibility of the policies it produces in recipient countries.» But the UK, which along with Canada and the Netherlands argued strongly in favour of special treatment for Zambia, praised the deal. A joint statement from UK chancellor Gordon Brown and development secretary Clare Short said: «We welcome the commitment shown by Horst Kohler, managing director of the IMF, to finding a solution which ensures that next year more resources will be available for education and health.» Zambia will now pay about $150m in debt relief payments over the next three years, compared with $170m this year. Without the front-loading, its payments would have risen to about $180m. The problem arose because Zambia had a large number of repayments coming due to the IMF. Jubilee 2000, the international debt relief campaign, said the plan merely involved a reshuffling of Zambia’s debt towards the end of a five-year period. «Payments now rise after the first few years, rather than immediately,» said Lucy Matthew, spokesperson for Jubilee 2000. «It does not mean any further reduction in the overall debt burden in the long term. The creditors may think they have found a solution, but this is no answer to Zambia’s problems.» (Financial Times, UK, 9 December 2000)

* Zambia. Zambia wants Zimbabwe troops out — Zambia has asked Zimbabwe to take home 300 Zimbabwean soldiers who have fled into Zambian territory from fierce fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The soldiers were among a group of 1,000 troops fighting for the Congolese government, who crossed into Zambia on Tuesday after rebels captured the town of Pweto near the Zambian border. Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Keli Walubita, said he had contacted the Zimbabwe High Commissioner in Lusaka about the troops and had «requested their repatriation back to Harare». Over 50,000 Congolese have already flooded into Zambia since the weekend due to the fighting in the border area. The battle over Pweto town flared as defence chiefs from the six countries involved in the Congo war as well as rebel groups signed on Wednesday an agreement to begin withdrawing troops from front-line positions. The Zambian government has denied reports that an armed force of over 2,400 Congolese government soldiers is sheltering in northern Zambia. According to one report, the fleeing troops refused to give up their weapons to the Zambian authorities leading to suspicions that they are there to gain breathing space. (BBC News, 8 December 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Mugabe bans election challenge — Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has amended the country’s electoral law to prevent the opposition from pursuing legal challenges to the results of parliamentary elections held in June. The amendment, which was published in the official government gazette on 8 December, says that, even if corrupt or illegal practices were committed during the poll, the election of sitting members of parliament cannot be overturned. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was challenging the results in nearly a third of the constituencies contested in the June elections, largely on the grounds of violence and intimidation. The general elections in June were the bloodiest in Zimbabwe’s 20 years of independence. More than 30 people were killed and an estimated 13,000 fled their homes, the vast majority of them opposition supporters. The violence formed the basis of the legal challenge to the results in 38 constituencies by the MDC. Had it won just three of those under review, the opposition would have gained a majority of the elected seats in Parliament. Over the past six months it had gathered a large body of evidence which the High Court was due to begin considering in January. President Mugabe has brought all that to an abrupt halt. The latest legal change states that in the interests of democracy, peace, security and stability, the Court shall not invalidate the election results even if there have been corrupt or illegal practices. An opposition spokesman described the move as another clear example of the government’s refusal to accept the will of the Zimbabwean people. He said the ruling party knew it would lose many of the legal challenges. In the absence of achieving change through the courts, the opposition is now likely to reconsider its decision to postpone indefinitely its call for nationwide protests to remove President Mugabe from office. (BBC News, 10 December 2000)

* Zimbabwe. ZANU-PF holds an extraordinary general congress — 13 December: Zimbabwe’s ruling party opens an extraordinary general congress today with one issue on everyone’s lips officially off the agenda — Robert Mugabe’s future. Issues that are on the agenda, however — including land reform — potentially open the way for more daring critics to press for the President to stand down before the 2002 election. Mr Mugabe goes into the meeting amid open hostility from former allies in the party and the tepid backing of some of his own cabinet, including the finance minister who has cast doubts on the President’s leadership. (The Guardian, UK, 13 December 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Décès de Ndabaningi Sithole — Le 12 décembre, Ndabaningi Sithole, homme politique zimbabwéen, est décédé, à l’âge de 80 ans, aux Etats-Unis où il était soigné pour une hypertension artérielle. Il était le président-fondateur de l’Union nationale africaine du Zimbabwe (ZANU), une aile dissidente de l’Union populaire africaine du Zimbabwe (ZAPU) de feu Joshua Nkomo, père du nationalisme zimbabwéen. Sithole avait été évincé de la direction du parti au milieu des années 1970 par le président Robert Mugabe, qui l’accusait d’avoir trahi la lutte armée pour l’indépendance de la Rhodésie, en négociant un accord avec les dirigeants blancs. Malgré une santé fragile, M. Sithole était resté actif sur l’échiquier politique de son pays, présidant la ZANU-Ndonga. Il y a trois ans, il avait été condamné pour complot visant l’assassinat du chef de l’Etat, mais n’avait pas été emprisonné en raison de son état de santé. (PANA, 13 décembre 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Un fermier blanc assassiné — Un fermier blanc zimbabwéen a été tué et son fils grièvement blessé, le 12 décembre au soir, dans une embuscade montée, selon le fils, par d’anciens combattants qui occupent leur ferme à Kwekwe, à 200 km au sud-ouest de Harare. Ancien parlementaire, Henry Elsworth, 70 ans, est le cinquième fermier tué depuis le début, en février, des occupations de fermes. (Libération, France, 14 décembre 2000)