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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-09-2001

PART #3/4 - From MAURITANIA to SOUTH AFRICA

* Mauritanie/Maroc. Visite “historique” du roi

Le 10 septembre, le roi Mohammed VI entame une visite officielle en Mauritanie, un déplacement qualifié d’“historique” et de “stratégique” tant à Rabat qu’a Nouakchott. Il s’agit de la première visite officielle d’un souverain marocain depuis l’indépendance de la Mauritanie en 1960. Le voyage du roi intervient au moment où la diplomatie marocaine multiplie ses efforts pour renforcer la coopération sud-sud et favoriser l’émergence “d’un nouvel axe de développement allant de Rabat à Dakar en passant par Nouakchott”, selon l’analyse d’un diplomate marocain. Les deux chefs d’Etat devraient ainsi profiter de l’occasion pour réitérer leur volonté d’insuffler un nouvel élan à l’édification de l’Union du Maghreb arabe (UMA), créée en 1989 entre le Maroc, l’Algérie, la Tunisie, la Libye et la Mauritanie. Cet ensemble régional est resté grippé, principalement en raison de l’hostilité entre le Maroc et l’Algérie sur l’avenir du Sahara occidental. Autre grand chantier régional: la construction d’un axe routier transsaharien permettant de relier Tanger à Dakar en passant par la Mauritanie. 400 km restent à contruire. (Ndlr.: Le roi a écourté sa visite et a regagné son pays, le 12 septembre au matin, pour suivre de près le développement de la situation aux Etats-Unis après les attentats).

(AP, 9 septembre 2001)

* Mauritania/Morocco. King’s historic visit to Mauritania

King Mohammed of Morocco has arrived in Mauritania for a three-day official visit intended as a turning point in the two countries’ troubled relations. The king was met by Mauritanian President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya and senior members of his government at the airport in the capital Nouakchott. The two men met for private discussions before attending an initial meeting accompanied by delegations from their respective countries, Moroccan TV reported. The presidential palace in Nouakchott has been renovated in preparation for the king’s visit and new limousines have been flown in for the royal motorcade. Relations between the two countries have been strained in the past by the long-running dispute over Western Sahara, which was occupied by Morocco in 1975.

(BBC News, UK, 10 September 2001)

* Nigeria/Cameroon. Nigeria warns of volcanic disaster

The Nigerian Government says it has ordered the evacuation of villages along the border with Cameroon because of a volcanic eruption likely to take place by the end of this year. Information Minister Jerry Gana told reporters the threat, based on scientific reports, came from the 4,000 metre Mount Cameroon. Mr Gana said: «The eruption comes in the form of dangerous emission of gases, which kill any living thing within the area.» He named the states at risk as Benue, Taraba and Cross River. The Cameroon government has not commented on the reports. Mount Cameroon last erupted two years ago spewing lava for several weeks but no-one was injured. Further north-west along the same volcanic fault-line lies Lake Nyos. On 21 August 1986 deadly gases escaped from the lake and exploded, killing over 1,700 people and their livestock. Earlier this year a team of French and Japanese scientists completed the first part of a project designed to safely extract the gases. They installed a venting system in the lake to ease pressure within the volcanic crater which forms the lake bed.

(BBC News, UK, 6 September 2001)

* Nigeria. Obasanjo appears at human rights probe

Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo has appeared before the country’s human rights commission to explain his role in actions by the army during his tenure as military head of state in the late 1970s. A petition against Mr Obasanjo was brought by the family of the late afro music king Fela Ransome-Kuti. They claim that Mr Obasanjo was involved in the 1979 army raid that lead to the death of the musician’s mother. But Mr Obasanjo denied any wrong-doing, and said he had decided to give evidence «to set an example» over the rule of law. He told the panel: «If I believed that the king can never do wrong, I would not be here.» He said that as the then military head of state, the raid on Mrs Ransome-Kuti’s house would not have been sanctioned by him as it was a low-level security matter. This is not the first time Mr Obasanjo has appeared before the commission. Last year he petitioned the courts over his detention for three years on false charges. The commission, or Oputa panel as it is known, was set up by the president to investigate human rights violations in Nigeria since the first military coup in 1966.

(BBC News, UK, 11 September 2001)

* Nigeria. Bishops deplore the atmosphere of tension

The 2nd Plenary Session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria opened on 11 September in Lagos. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the president of the Conference, Archbishop John Onaiyekan lamented the current atmosphere of tension and violence clashes in some parts of Nigeria, which make it impossible for some of the bishops to be present at the Conference. He further lamented that Jos is not the only place where there is discord and conflict. «We have heard about recent happenings in Nassarawa and Bauchi States». he described these tensions and clashes as «symptoms of greater inner discord within our Nigeria nation...Whatever may be the cause of discord, real or imagined, the Church must constantly be there to be counted upon to be an agent of reconciliation and peace». The Archbishop reiterated that the issue of the Sharia still needs to be thoroughly addressed.

(Nigeria’s Bishops Conference, 12 September 2001)

* Nigeria. Nouvelles violences religieuses

Au moins 70 personnes ont péri les 7 et 8 septembre dans des affrontements sanglants entre chrétiens et musulmans à Jos, ville du centre du Nigeria. La paix a pu être restaurée le matin du dimanche 9 septembre, après le déploiement des troupes armées pour pallier le manque de policiers. Un couvre-feu de quatorze heures a également été décrété afin de faire cesser les pillages. Les émeutes auraient été déclenchées par un incident mineur: une dispute entre une femme chrétienne et un groupe de musulmans devant une mosquée, concernant un droit de passage. La discussion s’est envenimée et des jeunes des deux groupes religieux ont ensuite incendié diverses églises et mosquées. Le bilan officiel annonce 70 morts, mais les habitants parlent d’au moins 100 tués, dont deux soldats. Par ailleurs, plus de 6.000 personnes ont fui leurs maisons. Le 10 septembre, un nouveau bilan de la Croix-Rouge nigériane fait état de plus de 165 personnes tuées et 928 blessées à Jos. Entre-temps, les violences se sont étendues au Nord. Environ 5.000 jeunes musulmans ont mis le feu à une église et à des voitures à Kano. Ils ont pris d’assaut les rues de Kano, en jurant de venger les musulmans morts dans la ville de Jos. Par ailleurs, les gouverneurs des 17 Etats du sud du Nigeria ont condamné la nouvelle crise religieuse. - Le mercredi 12 septembre, de nouveaux affrontements ont eu lieu dans le centre du pays. Selon le journal d’Etat, le Daily Times, au moins 500 corps ont été enterrés le lundi soir dans la région de Jos.

(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 septembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Violence in Jos

7-8 September: Troops are enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the central Nigerian city of Jos, where at least 10 people have died in clashes between Christians and Muslims. Thousands of residents fled in terror as rival gangs of Christian and Muslim youths armed with guns, machetes and other weapons set up roadblocks and stopped cars. Many people sought refuge in local police stations. The army now appears to have restored some semblance of order in Jos. The city is under curfew for a second night. President Olusegun Obasanjo has appealed to religious and community leaders to calm their followers. «I wonder what sort of Muslims and Christians start burning churches and mosques — places where God is worshipped? True believers in God cannot start killing other human beings,» he said. The fighting erupted near a mosque before Friday night prayers and quickly spread through the town, witnesses said. There were reports of some victims having their eyes gouged out and of dead bodies left on the street. Jos has largely been spared the religious violence which has rocked neighbouring cities such as Kaduna, where hundreds of people were killed in fighting last year over the introduction of Sharia, or Islamic, law. 10 September: The Nigerian Red Cross say that now more than 165 people have been killed in Jos, with 928 injured. — Talks are taking place in an attempt to stem the fighting in Jos. 11 September: Jos is now reported to be calm. 12 September: Fighting between Muslims and Christians has once again broken out in Jos. The dead and wounded are beimng taken to hospitals suffering from gunshot and machete wounds.

(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 September 2001)

* Rwanda. Les droits des Batwa

Le peuple pygmée rwandais des Batwa a demandé qu’on respecte ses droits, indiquant que l’ignorance de ses problèmes était le “pire mal” à surmonter. Le président de la communauté batwa Zéphyrin Kalimba a déclaré, lors d’une conférence sur les peuples indigènes d’Afrique tenue à Kigali, que son peuple avait été privé de ses droits terriens et expulsé de ses habitations ancestrales. Il a reproché au gouvernement rwandais de négliger les Batwa. La ministre chargée de la propriété foncière, Drocella Mugorewera, a reconnu que par le passé le gouvernement n’avait pas fait assez pour aider les Batwa, mais elle a indiqué que le gouvernement avait actuellement entrepris d’améliorer leur statut.

(IRIN, Nairobi, 6 septembre 2001)

* Rwanda. Rebels’ «goodwill gesture»

Rwandan Hutu rebels have said recent moves to disarm about three-thousand of their men fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a goodwill gesture towards the government in Kigali to help end three years of war. At a news conference in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, the FDLR, said the disarmament of its troops was a peace token. But the FDLR leader, Ignace Murwanashyana, warned his troops would remain disarmed on condition their political demands were met. The rebels want Rwanda to organise a national dialogue on peace and withdraw its soldiers from the Congo. Rwanda invaded Congo because it said Kinshasa was being used as a base by Hutu rebels to attack their homeland.

(BBC News, UK, 11 September 2001)

* Sénégal. Les femmes marchent pour leurs droits

Le 5 septembre, les défenseurs des droits de la femme ont marché à Dakar pour protester contre la violence à l’égard des femmes et contre l’impunité dont jouissent ces actes, ont rapporté les organes de presse. Vivian Wade, épouse du président sénégalais, se trouvait parmi les manifestantes. Devant les portes du palais présidentiel, elles ont remis une lettre conjointe de protestation, où elles demandent la création d’un observatoire national des droits des femmes, des sanctions plus sévères pour ceux qui maltraitent les femmes et un amendement à la loi qui permettrait aux organisations des droits de l’homme de représenter la société civile dans les délibérations des tribunaux. Le président Wade s’est engagé à mettre sur pied un observatoire. Au début de cette semaine, 500 femmes avaient manifesté pour leurs droits dans la ville de Thiès.

(IRIN, Abidjan, 7 septembre 2001)

* Sierra Leone. International diamond certification system essential

On 7 September, Amnesty International said that an effective and transparent international diamond certification system is essential to help end killings, abduction and torture of civilians. All those involved in the diamond trade, have a legal and moral responsibility to sever permanently the link between the diamond trade and the killings, abduction and torture of civilians. A meeting to be held in London, UK, from 11-13 September, is the seventh meeting of the so-called «Kimberly Process», which aims to develop proposals for an international diamond certification system before the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly in December 2001.

(Amnesty International, 7 September 2001)

* Sierra Leone. Elections en mai 2002

Le mercredi 5 septembre, les autorités de la Sierra Leone ont annoncé que les élections présidentielles et législatives auront lieu le 14 mai 2002. Ces élections étaient prévues pour décembre prochain, mais furent reportées. Le Front révolutionnaire uni (RUF) avait demandé la formation d’un gouvernement intérimaire avant les élections, mais le gouvernement a refusé. En réaction, le RUF a boycotté, le 6 septembre, une réunion sur la paix à Makeni. Une délégation gouvernementale et des représentants du Minusil ont attendu pendant près de six heures, mais la délégation du RUF ne s’est pas présentée. - D’autre part, le 5 septembre, le ministre sierra-léonais de la Justice a confirmé la libération de 31 membres du RUF. Cette libération répond aux conditions de l’accord signé en novembre 2000 à Abuja entre le gouvernement de M. Kabbah et les dirigeants du RUF. Il s’agit du troisième groupe de membres du RUF ayant bénéficié d’une mesure d’élargissement. - 11 septembre. Le Parlement sierra-léonais a approuvé une nouvelle prolongation de six mois des mandats du président Kabbah et des députés. Ces mandats, qui s’achevaient en avril dernier, avaient déjà été prolongés une première fois jusqu’en octobre. Les députés affirment que la prolongation doit permettre au gouvernement de garantir la paix ainsi que des élections libres. D’autre part, le secrétaire général des Nations unies M. Annan a demandé une prolongation du mandat de la mission de l’Onu en Sierra Leone (Minusil).

(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 septembre 2001)

* Sierra Leone. Election dates named

7 September: The government of war-ravaged Sierra Leone has named 14 May 2002 as the day when presidential and parliamentary elections will be held, resisting calls from rebels for an interim government. Elections scheduled for this year were postponed due to insecurity caused by 10 years of civil war characterised by atrocities against civilians. Security is gradually being restored by the deployment of a United Nations peace-keeping force all over the country, including the rebel controlled diamond areas in the east. This is the largest peace mission currently being undertaken by the UN. President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah had said it was necessary to postpone the elections until the disarmament process that accompanies the current ceasefire is complete, because voters would not feel secure until this was done. First reactions by the RUF to this announcement are negative and in a sign of protest, the rebels boycott a meeting scheduled in Makeni with a government delegation and UNAMSIL representatives. 10 September: MISNA reports that Parliament in Sierra Leone has voted in favour of a six-month extension of the state of emergency.

(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 September 2001)

* Somalia. Bomb blast in Mogadishu

At least 14 people have been killed in Somalia after an abandoned Soviet anti-aircraft missile exploded near a market in the capital, Mogadishu. The missile, which was found at a military garrison, went off while a man was trying to extract some copper from the old weapon. Several people were injured in the blast and taken to hospital. The explosion was caused when at about 0500GMT, Saeed Malin Farah took his hammer and started hitting the missile in an attempt to extract the copper from inside the missile. He was also trying to peel off its aluminum cover. Mr Farah has been living in the camp ever since the Mohammed Said Barre regime was toppled more than ten years ago. Among the first victims of this explosion were Mr Farah’s wife and three of his children, an 18-year old boy and two girls.

(BBC News, UK, 11 September 2001)

* Somalia. Human Rights issues

6 September: The United Nations-appointed independent expert on human rights for Somalia, says he will write to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council urging them to appoint an independent committee of experts to investigate human rights abuses in Somalia. Dr Ghanim Alnajjar, who was appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, says that such a committee could be the prelude to the establishment of a tribunal, but that proper procedure would have to be followed. He says he hopes the international community would work on any recommendation. «I hope the international community understands that this is necessary — it will add to the reconciliation process». Alnajjar says that investigations should cover crimes committed by all sides, both before and after the civil war broke out in 1991, including alleged crimes committed by UN personnel during the UN‘s operations in Somalia early in 1990. He says most of the political leaders he had met in Baidoa and Mogadishu, southern Somalia, and Hargeysa in the self-declared state of Somaliland, northwestern Somalia, supported the idea of prosecuting war crimes. 10 September: The Transitional National Government (TNG) has instituted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting to death of two children by its forces. The children, aged eight and 10, were shot while swimming in an area near the former police training school in south Mogadishu. The man who fired the fatal shots was a former militiaman undergoing training to join the Somali armed forces, and not a policeman as had been reported by the local media. The culprit, who deserted his base after the incident, is being sought by the police. The incident — which was reported in the local media — had been denied by officials until the UN-appointed independent expert on human rights in Somalia, Dr Ghanim Alnajjar, held talks with interim President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, who promised to investigate the deaths.

(IRIN, Kenya, 12 Sep 2001)

* Somalia. Hijacked ship remains in hands of militia

10 September: A Kenyan-registered ship and its crew hijacked off the northeastern coast of Somalia over a month ago is still being held. The ship, MV Bahari, is being held in the coastal town of Eyl, 150 km southeast of Garowe, the capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia. The captors reportedly brought the crew before a «court» about week ago, charged them with illegal fishing, and fined them between US $850,000 and $900,000 said Adan Abdirahman Dolar of the Garowe-based Nugal Times. In these situations, negotiations usually follow the initial «court» judgment, and a compromise is usually arrived at, he explained. Dolar said there had been reports that the Kenyan government was sending two prominent local Somali businessmen to act as go-betweens. As in the past, «some money will probably change hands before these people are released», he added. Meanwhile, the Transitional National Government TNG) of Somalia has issued a warning to foreign vessels against illegal fishing in Somalia’s territorial waters. The warning was issued by the TNG Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Muhammad Qanyare Afrah, who said foreign vessels found illegally fishing in Somali waters risked severe punishment.

(IRIN, Kenya, 12 September 2001)

* South Africa. Some reflections on the Durban Conference

Durban on the east coast of South Africa is fast becoming one of the premier conference cities in the world. Over the last two weeks it has been host to the Third United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and the preceding NGO Forum. While there has been wide coverage of the controversial issues, a number of other important developments have not been reported. The newspapers and electronic media have been abuzz with the Palestinian question and reparations for slavery and colonialism. The inter-governmental conference witnessed the walk-out by Israeli and United States of America delegations over what they perceived as anti-Israel sentiments in the draft declaration. Similarly, the NGO Forum experienced the withdrawal of Israeli organisations from the process. Many argue that it was an achievement to get the United States to the conference in the first place. However, critics maintain that the US was not prepared to discuss the equally pressing matter of slavery and reparations, and used the Palestinian question as an excuse to avoid it. Be that as it may, the Conference did not break down, and it is the hope of the host country that significant strides will be made in combating racism in all its manifestations. One notable early success has been consensus that racism be declared a crime against humanity. The Conference is a story in itself, and would bear scrutiny at another time. What was new in South Africa was the expression of discontent by groups of civil society organisations outside the formal UN and related processes. A disparate group of NGOs, civic movements and solidarity organisations staged a protest march on the opening day of the inter-governmental conference on 31 August. This march happened under the banner of the Durban Social Forum, with the rallying slogan of «Another World Is Possible». The intention was to deepen the discussion on racism and to explore the economic basis for its existence. The argument was that racism cannot be seen as a purely psychological phenomenon, but has its roots in the unequal power and economic relations between peoples. (...) And to add international flavour, the Dalit community highlighted the inequity of the caste system in India, while the Palestinians sought greater pressure on Israel to cease its assault on Palestine. These issues must be understood in the context of South Africa’s entry into global economics and politics.(...)

(Mojalefa, ANB-BIA, South Africa, 6 September 2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Violences contre immigrés

Le 10 septembre, un centre islamique a été attaqué et au moins 25 boutiques appartenant à des immigrés somalis ont été pillées et incendiées, lors d’attaques à caractère xénophobe dans la township noire de Kwanobuhle, près de Port Elizabeth (sud). Les assaillants reprochent aux Somalis de prendre leur travail.

(La Croix, France, 12 septembre 2001)