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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 21-12-2000

PART #2/4 - From CONGO RDC to KENYA

* Congo (RDC). Efforts to find a solution — 14 December: The UN security Council votes unanimously to more than double the number of military observers in Congo, in a gesture of support for the fragile peace process there. The resolution endorses a recommendation by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to increase the number of observers from about 200 to 500. In  the French-sponsored resolution, the Council extends the mandate of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) for another six months. 15 December: Congo’s foreign minister insists his government is serious about a long-delayed dialogue with its political foes and will invite foreign observers to witness a meeting in Gabon next week. President Kabila plans to meet exiled and Kinshasa-based political opponents in the capital of Gabon, Libreville, on 21 and 22 December to discuss the restoration of democracy in Congo. At the same time, the human rights group, the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO) says former Kabila ally, Masasu Nindanga, was executed on 24 November in the southern town of Pweto. He had been under arrest since 1 November, accused of plotting a coup against Kabila. Kin-Kiey Mulumba, spokesman for the Rwandan-backed Congolese Rally for Democracy says his troops will not move from current positions, until President Kabila opens political talks on a transitional government, disarms pro-government militias in eastern Congo and allows UN observers to monitor a ceasefire. 16 December: Rwandan officials react cooly to the proposed deployment of UN peacekeepers along Congo’s porous border with Rwanda, saying it fails to address the issue of Congo’s support for the exiled Hutu militia responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. 17 December: Rwandan-backed Congolese rebels are advancing on two Congo RDC government supply lines in a bid to take control of the frontier with Zambia. Zambian intelligence sources say the rebels are pushing steadily towards the Congo border town on Mulilo, the main government supply access on Lake Tanganyika, which is still heavily defended by Kabila’s forces. Further south, Congo government troops are massed on the shores of Lake Mweru near Kilwa island, another government supply line, from where they are trying to fend off a rebel offensive. 18 December: There are reports of continuing clashes between the rival Hema and Lendu peoples in the north-east. Officials in Katoto have appealed for help in feeding hundreds of people who they say have sought sanctuary in recent days after an attack by Lendu fighters. 21 December: Talks aimed at ending the fighting in Congo are due to begin, today, in Libreville, Gabon. No major decisions are expected because the three main rebel groups opposed to President Kabila’s government are not attending the talks. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 December 2000)

* Congo (RDC). Le sommet de Libreville — La tentative du président Kabila d’organiser à Libreville un sommet (prévu d’abord le 17 décembre, puis reporté au 21) avec l’opposition armée et non armée, présenté comme un “pré-dialogue intercongolais”, est boycotté par l’opposition armée et les principales formations politiques congolaises. Elles y voient une tentative du président Kabila de contourner le Dialogue intercongolais prescrit par l’accord de paix de Lusaka afin d’instaurer “un nouvel ordre politique au Congo”. Un  nouvel ordre se traduirait nécessairement par une diminution des pouvoirs de M. Kabila puisqu’il les concentre tous entre ses mains. Selon Lusaka, ce dialogue doit être organisé par un médiateur — récusé par Kinshasa. M. Kabila a néanmoins prévu d’envoyer 200 personnes à Libreville: une forte délégation gouvernementale, des membres de la société civile, des groupes d’opinion et des confessions religieuses, indique l’AFP. On y trouvera aussi un certain nombre de personnalités de l’ancien régime. (La Libre Belgique, 21 décembre 2000)

* Côte d’Ivoire. Opposition unhappy at election result — 14 December: Official results from 10 December’s parliamentary election in Côte d’Ivoire confirm President Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) as the biggest single party — though on a low turn-out of only 33%. But both main opposition parties have cast doubt on the validity of the results. The FPI obtained 96 seats — not enough to govern alone — with the former ruling party, the Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Party (PDCI), winning 77 seats. Independents, many close to the PDCI, won 16 seats while the Ivorian Labour Party (PIT), which stood on a joint list with Gbagbo’s party in some areas, has four seats. Three minor parties have one seat apiece. Another opposition party, Alassanne Ouattara’s Rally of the Republicans (RDR), boycotted the election after he was barred from standing because of doubts about his nationality, and there was no voting across much of its northern stronghold. Twenty-nine seats remain unallocated. The RDR was due to meet to discuss whether to stand in any fresh election. DCI spokesman Atsain Achi said he had evidence of substantial irregularities which would be presented to the country’s Electoral Commission. Mr Ouattara said the 10 December parliamentary election and the presidential election in October should both be re-run. «Purely and simply we are demanding the cancellation of the ballot which has no validity and needs to really reflect all shades of political opinion,» he said. Meanwhile, hundreds of people, mainly from the Muslim north, have been detained in police and paramilitary camps in Abidjan, after recent ethnic and political bloodshed, families and humanitarian groups have said. 15 December: President Gbagbo has ordered an inquiry into allegations that police raped at least ten women after political demonstrations last week. The PDCI affirms it will not go along with what it says is the plan of President Gbagbo’s party to open the National Assembly and choose its president before voting in northern opposition strongholds takes place. «There’s some 30 seats left, that can be decisive for the majority, the way things are now», says PDCI Member of Parliament Edjampan Thiemele, head of its election committee. 17 December: Polling takes place in a parliamentary runoff in Logouale where two independent candidates each won 1,849 votes in the parliamentary election on 10 December. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 December 2000)

* Côte d’Ivoire. Après le scrutin et les violences — 14 décembre. Amnesty International a dénoncé le “cycle incessant des violations des droits humains qui est allé en s’accélérant depuis un an” en Côte d’Ivoire, d’où revient une délégation de l’organisation. “Seul un signal clair des autorités indiquant que l’impunité des forces de sécurité ne sera plus tolérée et que les responsables de ces abus seront poursuivis peut mettre un terme aux violences”, indique Amnesty dans les conclusions préliminaires d’une enquête menée sur place du 25 novembre au 7 décembre. - 15 décembre. Le Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI, ex-parti unique), qui a perdu la majorité, a décidé de ne pas siéger dans la nouvelle assemblée tant que les députés du Nord n’auront pas été désignés. De nouvelles élections pourraint y être organisées le 7 janvier. Le PDCI veut par ailleurs déposer un recours en annulation auprès de la Cour suprême pour une trentaine de sièges, notamment ceux d’Abidjan, passés au parti du nouveau président Laurent Gbagbo. D’autre part, le président Gbagbo a ordonné de diligenter une enquête sur les sévices dont auraient été victimes les personnes arrêtées durant les émeutes au début du mois. Le 17 décembre, une quarantaine d’organisations féminines ont demandé une enquête nationale sur les cas de viols qui auraient eu pour cadre les écoles de police et de gendarmerie. - Le 18 décembre, l’Union européenne a annoncé avoir l’intention d’entamer les procédures prévues par les conventions UE-ACP pour suspendre sa coopération avec la Côte d’Ivoire. Elle a dénoncé les actes de violence, ainsi que le fait que les élections n’aient pas eu lieu sur l’ensemble du territoire et qu’une partie des électeurs n’ait pas eu la possibilité de s’exprimer. - Dans un rapport publié le 20 décembre, Human Rights Watch dénonce la responsabilité du gouvernement dans des actes de violence perpétrés à l’encontre de civils, et demande aux Nations unies d’ouvrir au plus tôt une enquête. (ANB-BIA de sources diverses, 20 décembre 2000)

* Egypte. Vol hebdomadaire sur Bagdad — La compagnie Egypt-Air va ouvrir bientôt un vol hebdomadaire sur Bagdad. Les relations entre l’Egypte et l’Irak, rompues depuis neuf ans, se sont nettement améliorées ces derniers mois. Le 7 novembre, les deux pays ont annoncé la reprise de leurs relations au niveau de chargés d’affaires ayant rang d’ambassadeur. (La Croix, France, 20 décembre 2000)

* Erythrée. L’opposition soutient l’accord de paix — L’opposition érythréenne a annoncé son soutien “total” à l’accord de paix signé le 12 décembre à Alger entre l’Ethiopie et l’Erythrée. L’Alliance des forces nationales érythréennes (AFNE), qui réunit depuis mars 1999 les mouvements d’opposition installés à Khartoum,  a ouvertement appelé, ces derniers mois, au “renversement du régime d’Asmara”. (La Libre Belgique, 21 décembre 2000)

* Ethiopia. World Bank to aid recovery — The World Bank has launched a multi-million dollar recovery programme for Ethiopia just days after Addis Ababa signed a formal peace agreement with Eritrea. The package, totalling four-hundred-and-sixty-million dollars, will focus on economic redevelopment and infrastructure projects. The World Bank representative in Addis Ababa Nigel Roberts said reintegrating military personnel and combatting the scourge of HIV and AIDS were key priorities. A BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa said the move signalled the government’s determination to put the conflict with Eritrea behind it. The 12 December peace accord ended two years of fighting in which tens of thousands of people were killed. (BBC News, 15 December 2000)

* Ethiopia-Eritrea. Agreement signed, but peace still a long way off — «The Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia and Eritrea are very happy about the signing of this peace agreement, but they realize that much remains to be done, particularly in two directions: conversion of hearts and resuming dialogue with Eritrea». The Nuncio to both countries, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, was speaking on behalf of the Bishops of Ethiopia, at present holding a meeting at Addis Ababa (12-14 December) without the Bishops of Eritrea (the Catholic Bishops of these two countries form one Episcopal Conference), since the governments will not allow either group of Bishops to cross the borders. On December 12, Eritrea’s President Isayas Afewerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi signed the accord and shook hands for the first time since May 1998. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika mediated and hosted the signing of the peace pact. Among the dignitaries present were UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The war between the two Horn of Africa countries, often plagued by famine and drought and among the world’s poorest countries, erupted in May 1998 when Eritrea invaded what Ethiopia considered its territory. The agreement includes the setting up of commissions to mark the 1,000 km borderline, to exchange prisoners, return displaced people and consider claims for war damage. The United Nations will send 4,200 peacekeepers before February, to help consolidate peace. «The agreement», the Nuncio told Fides, «is the result of commitment on the part of the International Community. It also shows that both countries desire to re-establish normal economic and political mutual relations. This is a first step towards re-establishing stability in the Horn of Africa, since it is a sign that negotiation is the only possible path to peace.» (Fides, Vatican City, 18 December 2000)

* Gabon. Rééchelonnement de la dette — Le 15 décembre, le Club de Paris, qui regroupe les  créanciers publics, a annoncé avoir accordé au Gabon un rééchelonnement de sa dette “d’environ 532 millions de dollars (625 millions d’euros) sur un total de 686 millions de dollars d’arriérés”. (Le Monde, France, 17 décembre 2000)

* Ghana. Towards the runoff in the presidential elections — 15 December: Opposition leader John Kufuor wins the endorsement of all the eliminated candidates for the second round runoff in the presidential election, to be held on 28 December. Kufuor polled 48.35% and Vice-President John Atta Mills, whom he faces in the runoff, got 44.85%. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 December 2000)

* Guinea. Bishops appeal for peace — «National unity is seriously threatened. The anguish of war and famine take a toll day by day on the lives of the people». This was the statement made by the Guinean Bishops Conference in a communicate released in Conakry and sent on 14 December to MISNA. «In solidarity with the population», continued the prelates, «the Pastors of the Guinean Catholic Church intend to share with the Head of State and his government, the sufferings of the people, particularly those along the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone. The villages are empty and the residents have abandoned their homes and land. Numerous families are internally displaced or have been deported across the border, and their belongings are destroyed and burned, while we still have no accurate estimates of the enormous loss of life among our soldiers and civilian population.» (MISNA, Italy, 14 December 2000)

* Guinée. L’Eglise dénonce les attaques — L’Eglise catholique a dénoncé les attaques rebelles dans le sud et l’est du pays. On dénombre plus de 1.000 morts en moins de trois mois. Dans un communiqué, les évêques du pays estiment que cette situation de troubles est liée à la présence, sur le territoire national, de combattants rebelles du Mouvement pour l’unité du Libéria (Ulimo). (La Croix, France, 15 décembre 2000)

* Guinée. Situation alarmante — Le 15 décembre, le HCR était sans nouvelles de milliers de réfugiés errant dans le sud-est de la Guinée, où se déroulent des combats entre forces gouvernementales et bandes armées. La Guinée, victime d’attaques d’éléments non identifiés le long de sa frontière avec la Sierra Leone et le Libéria, accueille 460.000 réfugiés de ces deux pays. “C’est réellement la situation la plus alarmante que nous connaissions en Afrique et l’une des plus dures depuis des années”, a dit le porte-parole du HCR. Conakry accuse le Libéria, les rebelles sierra-léonais du RUF, le Burkina Faso et d’anciens militaires guinéens mutins d’avoir entrepris de “déstabiliser” la Guinée en lançant des attaques dans les régions frontalières. - Le 16 décembre, un  sommet de la CEDEAO réuni à Bamako a décidé le déploiement d’une force d’interposition le long de la frontière entre la Guinée, le Libéria et la Sierra Leone. -Le 18 décembre, MSF a lancé un cri d’alarme au sujet d’une épidémie de fièvre jaune qui sévit actuellement en Guinée, où elle menace plusieurs millions de personnes. L’organisation fait état de 493 cas, avec un taux de mortalité d’environ 40%. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 19 décembre 2000)

* Guinea. «Most immediate emergency» — 14 December: Sadako Ogata, marking the 50th birthday of the UNHCR, says that violence in southern Guinea with its 420,000 refugees is the organization’s most immediate emergency. Ogata, who steps down at the end of this month after 10 years at the helm of the Geneva-based UNHCR, expresses special concern about Guinea as she launches a global campaign urging public respect for the world’s 22 million refugees. 20 December: The UN says it has re-established contact with 84,000 mainly Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea. The rediscovered refugees, were spotted in camps and along the route between the towns of Kissidougou and Gueckedou, and form part of the 420,000 who were declared missing without trace by the UNHCR. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 December 2000)

* Guinée-Bissau. Prisonniers de guerre — Le 13 décembre, le président de la Ligue bissau-guinéenne des droits de l’homme, M. Inacio Tavares, a demandé aux autorités de libérer les prisonniers de guerre qui seraient dans de très mauvaises conditions de détention. Selon M. Tavares, 114 prisonniers sont détenus à la prison de la “Segunda Esquadra” à Bissau depuis les événements des 22 et 23 novembre derniers, “sans eau potable, ni assistance médicale et alimentaire, et vivant dans des conditions d’hygiène déplorables”. Il a également exigé que cesse immédiatement la persécution des familles des suspects non encore retrouvés. Selon des sources dignes de foi, environ 400 militaires sont toujours en détention. (PANA, 14 décembre 2000)

* Kenya. Moi underlines telecoms sale — Kenya’s faltering reform process appeared to have suffered yet another setback on 14 December when Daniel arap Moi, the president, said the government was «not in a hurry» to sell the decrepit state-owned telecommunications company and that privatisation should not be allowed to go too far. The sale of 49 per cent of Telkom Kenya — slated for this year — is seen as crucial to Kenya’s reform programme, and its failure would add to growing discontent among donors, who agreed to reinstate International Monetary Fund lending in July after a three-year freeze. This year’s budget had factored in Telkom’s sale but the cabinet, which cancelled the expected announcement of a winner last week, was said not be not happy with the size of three bids on offer. The highest,  $240m, came from Mt Kenya Communications, a multinational consortium including Zimbabwe’s Econet. Insiders say the government had expected double that amount but that it is unlikely that offers would be raised. Despite the rejection and persistent disagreements over management control, there had been hopes until this week that a deal could still be salvaged. Donors, who only six months ago claimed to be optimistic about Kenyan reform, are profoundly gloomy. «This raises the question of whether this is a country where you can have a programme,» said one western diplomat. But Mr Moi’s comments have thrown doubt over the whole process — although Kitili Mbathi, who heads the privatisation unit, says negotiations are continuing. Scarcely a day passes without a new challenge to Kenyan reform, in a year when many expect the economy to shrink. A newly assertive parliament recently introduced controls on bank interest rates — thereby threatening the expected privatisation of Kenya Commercial Bank — and is pushing for controls on fuel and electricity prices. It has thrown back anti-corruption and ethics legislation, central to the IMF deal, and resisted civil service retrenchment. A much-touted civil service reform team, headed by Richard Leakey, is under constant attack. Political life is in turmoil. Competing constitutional review processes are at loggerheads, there is regular police harassment of opposition politicians, and the ruling party is riven as MPs jockey for position ahead of elections in 2002. (Financial Times, UK, 15 December 2000)

* Kenya. New hope to end constitutional review stalemate — After about two years of acrimony, confusion and mutual mistrust over Kenya’s constitutional reform exercise, there seems to be a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. The two parallel reform initiatives are drifting towards a common front, if only just. On the one hand, is the parliamentary reform committee fronted by the ruling KANU party and headed by Raila Odinga, the chairman of the opposition National Development Party, which is in operational co-operation with the government. This initiative would like the reform exercise carried out by Parliament. On the other is the Ufungamano initiative, which is fronted by the opposition and the religious organisations. This initiative is rooting for what they term a «people-driven process», which seeks to have recommendations collected and collated from the people at the grassroots before being presented to Parliament for ratification. For the past two or so years, the two diametrically opposed initiatives have refused to forge a common front, each holding the other in suspicion. Preliminary inter-party parliamentary group talks had decided for the people-driven process, but President Daniel arap Moi read too much into this and vetoed it. The Ufungamano, too, is reading too much into the parliament-driven initiative, arguing that the government has high-jacked the initiative for its own good, and not for  the common weal. In particular, the Ufungamano, under the aegis of the People Commission of Kenya (PCK), believes Moi wants to manipulate the initiative to reverse the gains so far made during the inter-party talks. The Ufungamano team includes the leader of the official opposition, former Vice-President Mwai Kibaki, and several key opposition figures and Church and Muslim leaders. One of the major constitutional changes made at the inter-party deliberations is the restriction of presidential tenure to two, five-year terms. (PANA, Dakar, 17 December 2000)