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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-09-2001

PART #4/4 - From SENEGAL to  ZIMBABWE

* Senegal. Call for African pact against terrorism — The President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, has called for an African pact against terrorism. He has urged African leaders to come together to ensure terrorist groups are deprived of any kind of support in Africa. He suggests that the Organisation of African Unity should establish a seven-member committee of African heads of state to ensure that no country on the continent offers sanctuary to terrorist groups, much less money or aid. «Beyond verbal declarations, African countries should engage in direct actions in the global fight», says Mr Wade. He was speaking in Paris. Mr Wade had been part of a delegation of six African heads of state which held talks in UK with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 September 2001)

* Sénégal. L’enseignement religieux à l’école — Dans un entretien au quotidien Le Soleil publié le 24 septembre, le président sénégalais Abdoulaye Wade se dit favorable à l’éducation religieuse à l’école, ainsi qu’à la “formalisation” de l’enseignement dans les écoles coraniques. “Voir, à l’école primaire, le marabout dispenser des cours d’arabe et d’éducation coranique aux enfants musulmans, ne me dérange pas. Les chrétiens peuvent eux aussi assister à des cours de catéchisme. Je suis pour la liberté”, a dit M. Wade. Il a annoncé également avoir “décidé de formaliser le secteur informel de l’enseignement coranique. Nous pouvons utliser les structures existantes pour y assurer d’autres enseignements que le Coran”, ajoutant que les talibés doivent aussi apprendre un métier et d’autres disciplines, dont le français et l’anglais. (AFP, France, 24 septembre 2001)

* Sénégal. Liberté de presse — Le 24 septembre, le Comité de protection des journalistes (CPJ ) a exprimé sa “profonde inquiétude” envers ce qu’il a décrit comme l’accroissement du harcèlement des journalistes sénégalais par les autorités depuis que le président Wade a pris ses fonctions en avril 2000. “Nous sommes particulièrement perturbés par la persécution d’Aliouine Fall, rédacteur en chef du quotidien indépendant ‘le Matin’, accusé en particulier de publier des fausses informations”, a indiqué le CPJ dans une lettre adressée à M. Wade. Il a précisé que le Sénégal a été longtemps un modèle pour la liberté de presse en Afrique de l’Ouest et pour le respect que les autorités sénégalaises ont généralement montré aux médias. Or, à au moins cinq occasions depuis avril 2000, les autorités ont utilisé divers règlements pour arrêter et interroger des journalistes dont le seul “délit” semble consister à couvrir des sujets sensibles, parmi lesquels le conflit en Casamance, a précisé le CPJ. Il a demandé à M. Wade de s’assurer que les accusations contre M. Fall étaient annulées et de faire tout ce qu’il pouvait pour annuler la loi de diffamation criminelle et d’autres lois qui criminalisent les journalistes. (IRIN, Abidjan, 25 septembre 2001)

* Sierra Leone. Call for justice — On 24 September, Amnesty International said that renewed commitment is needed to end impunity. The international community must honour its commitments to the people of Sierra Leone to bring to justice the perpetrators of the worst crimes under  international law. The following day, 25 September, the RUF rebels threatened to bring disarmament to a virtual standstill, charging that pro-government militiamen are being allowed to keep some of their weapons. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 September 2001)

* Somalie. L’Onu quitte le pays — Les Nations unies ont déclaré, le 24 septembre, qu’elles retiraient leurs quelque 45 employés étrangers de Somalie, après que des assurances ont refusé de couvrir les vols pour s’y rendre, dans le sillage des attentats qui ont frappé les Etats-Unis. (Reuters, 24 septembre 2001)

* Somalia. UN pulls out of Somalia — The United Nations has pulled its international staff out of Somalia after being told flights to and from Mogadishu can no longer be insured after the suicide attacks on the United States. The European Union withdrew its expatriate staff last week because of «general tension and uncertainty there» following the attacks on the US. This comes a day after a massive demonstration in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in support of Osama Bin Laden and against the United States. Last week, Somalia’s Transitional Government denied having any links with Bin Laden and said that it was ready to co-operate with the US in its fight against international terrorism in the wake of the attacks on New York and Washington. US intelligence sources have suggested that the man held responsible for the attacks could be heading for Somalia. Diplomats in east Africa have said that some radical Islamic groups in Somalia may be linked to his al-Qaeda network. 45 UN staff have been flown to neighbouring Kenya until new insurance cover can be found but the UN says Somalia has not become any less safe than before. «I would like to stress that this decision has nothing to do with the security situation in Somalia, which remains stable and unchanged,» said UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator Randolph Kent in Nairobi. (BBC News, UK, 24 September 2001)

* South Africa. The «cappuccino effect» — In South Africa they call it the «cappuccino effect». It is the mixing of black and white, the coming together of previously separate entities to create something new that is better than just the sum of its parts. South Africa has made huge strides in racial reconciliation and harmonisation since the transition to democracy in 1994. But the business world has lagged behind. Big, rich business remains white-dominated, while black business is still by definition small and underfunded. Access to markets and to capital remains far easier for a white business. Things have obviously changed: big white companies have developed a conscience and contribute millions of rands to social development projects; small black businesses get lucrative contracts from both the public and the private sector; there are more and more blacks sitting in boardrooms all over the country. Yet organised business has remained divided along racial lines. Even language is a dividing factor, reflecting and perpetuating the apartheid legacy. The South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) is English-speaking and represents mainly white business. The Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut represents Afrikaans speaking chambers. The National Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) represents black business. On 20 September, however, with a formal signing ceremony in Johannesburg, a unified body to represent black and white business was being created. Sacob is merging with Nafcoc to create a single colour-blind entity called the South African Federated Chamber of Commerce (Safcoc). It is a marriage between giants: Sacob is by far the biggest white business organisation and Nafcoc, launched in Soweto in 1964, is the country’s main black business movement. (Financial Times, UK, 21 September 2001)

* South Africa. South Africans call for AIDS emergency — President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has been challenged to declare the AIDS epidemic a national emergency. The call came from a coalition of South African church, labour and civic groups after a meeting in Cape Town. The groups said Mr Mbeki and his government must recognise the scale of the problem because no-one in South Africa could afford to deny the terrible extent of the epidemic. They called for immediate publication of a report by South Africa’s Medical Research Council which — according to leaked details —apparently confirms AIDS as South Africa’s biggest killer. Mr Mbeki has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS and the level of fatalities attributed to the epidemic. (BBC News, UK, 20 September 2001)

* Sudan. Rebels’ battle claim — Sudanese rebels claim to have killed more than 150 soldiers and destroyed two warship steamers in a three-day battle with government troops along the River Nile in the south of the country. The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) said on 20 September it had attacked a large enemy convoy of government forces and independent militias between Tonga and Barboy in southeast Sudan on 10 September. «Two warship steamers were destroyed and sunk with all their contents and more than 150 soldiers killed», the SPLA said in a statement released in Nairobi. There was no independent confirmation of the report. (CNN, USA, 20 September 2001)

* Soudan/Ouganda. Réconciliation — La réouverture, le 18 septembre, de l’ambassade ougandaise à Khartoum a mis un terme à un différend diplomatique et sécuritaire vieux de six ans. Initiée par le colonel Kadhafi, la réconciliation entre les présidents Museveni et El-Béchir a cependant mis du temps à se concrétiser. Il a fallu deux ans pour que l’accord de paix, signé en 1999, puisse enfin aboutir au rétablissement des liens diplomatiques et la nomination d’ambassadeurs. Les deux voisins se sont engagés à stopper leur soutien respectif aux rebelles ougandais (LRA) et soudanais (SPLA). Ils ont en outre commencé à libérer leurs “otages”: prisonniers et réfugiés des deux côtés de leur frontière. (J.A./L’Intelligent, France, 25 septembre 2001)

* Sudan. USA backs away from helping rebels — The US has backed away from plans to step up aid to rebels in war-torn Sudan as a result of the Khartoum regime’s co-operation in the US campaign against terrorism. Under pressure from the Bush administration, House Republican leaders late last week quietly pulled from the floor the Sudan Peace Act, a bill that would have bolstered assistance to the southern rebels in Sudan and potentially punished foreign companies doing business in the country. The move is the latest indication that the administration is prepared to mend relations with a host of what were once seen as hostile countries, if their governments are willing to aid in the fight against terrorism. «The administration and the State department believe that Sudan is playing ball right now and State is happy with what they’re getting,» said one congressional aide. In its latest report on terrorist-sponsoring countries, the US said that Sudan continues to be used as a safe haven by several different groups, including Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda organisation, the prime suspect in the September 11 attacks. But a State Department official said that US talks with Sudan over the past year have produced concrete progress in addressing US counter-terrorism concerns. The US, however, will be looking for further measures from Khartoum, including an expansion of efforts to identify and remove all remaining terrorists, a willingness to ship terrorists abroad to face justice, and closer co-operation with international intelligence and law enforcement efforts. (Financial Times, UK, 27 September 2001)

* Tanzanie. L’opposition réclame une nouvelle Constitution — Les leaders des douze partis d’opposition envisagent d’adopter une démarche commune pour amener le gouvernement à réviser l’actuelle loi fondamentale en vigueur dans le pays depuis 1977. Les leaders ont déclaré qu’une conférence nationale constitutionnelle sera organisée dans les jours à venir pour “faire progresser les choses”. Les consultations de novembre verront la participation du corps diplomatique, des ONG, des intellectuels, du chargé de la législation des partis politiques et d’autres  personnalités. L’opposition a également prévu de renouveler sa demande pour la création d’une commission électorale indépendante. (PANA, Sénégal, 23 septembre 2001)

* Tchad. Développement rural — La Banque africaine du développement (BAD) a approuvé un prêt d’environ $11,6 millions en faveur d’un projet de réduction de la pauvreté dans le département de Biltine, à l’est du Tchad. Le projet tend à améliorer les revenus des cultivateurs, à augmenter de 20% l’accès à la santé et de 10% l’accès à l’enseignement dans les six années à venir, a indiqué la banque dans un communiqué le 19 septembre. Les autres domaines visés par le projet comprennent la protection des eaux, le développement de plans d’irrigation, l’amélioration des pâturages et l’établissement de plantations agroforestières. (IRIN, Abidjan, 21 septembre 2001)

* Togo. Arms ring busted — Security forces in Togo say they have arrested 16 people in connection with an illegal arms network in West Africa. Officials say the group — 14 Nigerians and two Ghanaians — was arrested on the border with Ghana. The officials say members of the group were carrying American-made weapons capable of firing missiles as well as assault rifles, hidden in their vehicles. It is believed they were taking the weapons to Nigeria. Officials say they are investigating the source of supply. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 September 2001)

* Tunisie. 4ème mandat pour Ben Ali? — Le 25 septembre, le président Ben Ali a été “exhorté” par son parti, le Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD, au pouvoir) à briguer un nouveau mandat présidentiel aux élections prévues en octobre 2004, a indiqué l’agence Tunis-Afrique Presse (TAP). M. Ben Ali achève en 2004 son troisième mandat, qui devrait être le dernier, selon la Constitution tunisienne qui limite à trois les mandats présidentiels d’une durée de cinq ans chacun. Les observateurs s’attendent donc à une nouvelle modification du texte de la Constitution pour permettre au chef de l’Etat de se représenter. Une grande majorité du Parlement tunisien est composée de députés RCD. Les quotidiens de ces derniers jours ont consacré des pages entières à des appels de soutien à la candidature de M. Ben Ali. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 27 septembre 2001)

* Zambia. International observers to monitor elections — Lusaka residents have welcomed a decision by the government to invite international organisations to come and monitor elections due later this year in Zambia. Citing a survey it conducted in Lusaka, the Zambian News Agency  (ZANA) affirmed on 20 September that most Zambians were impressed with the government’s move. ZANA said most people were of the opinion that across-the-board confidence on the transparency of elections in the country can only be possible where these are monitored by international organisations. Earlier on 20 September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the government had extended invitations to international organisations asking them to come and monitor council, parliamentary and presidential elections expected to hold before the year runs out. (PANA, Senegal, 20 September 2001)

* Zambie. Observateurs aux élections — Les habitants de Lusaka ont accueilli avec satisfaction la décision du gouvernement d’inviter les organisations internationales à venir superviser les élections municipales, législatives et présidentielles prévues à la fin de cette année en Zambie, comme l’a annoncé le 19 septembre le ministre des Affaires étrangères. Selon une enquête effectuée par l’Agence zambienne de presse (ZANA), la plupart des gens estiment qu’une confiance à tous les niveaux sur la transparence des élections n’est possible que si elles sont supervisées par des organisations internationales. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 21 septembre 2001)

* Zambia. More splits in ruling party — An influential figure in the Zambian ruling party and a close aide of President Frederick Chiluba has resigned as the party’s national secretary, claiming the choice of Mr Chiluba’s successor was fraudulent. In what has been described as a dramatic turn of political events, Michael Sata wrote to the Zambian leader, accusing him of ignoring party rules when he named outsider Levy Mwanawasa as his choice for presidential elections due later this year. Mr Sata said the constitution of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy does not give the party president powers to prescribe electoral rules or to supervise party elections. His resignation, which has taken a lot of people by surprise, comes four days after he resigned as minister without portfolio. He has not said whether he will leave the party for a new one but it is widely expected that he will do so. In April over 80 senior members of the MMD, including the vice-president, formed the break-away Forum for Democracy and Development party which is being seen as a serious challenge to the MMD. Mr Sata added that as a committed Roman Catholic, he «would rather lose» what he called «artificial honour and prestige than accept illegal proposals.» A spokesman for the government, Vernon Mwaanga, described his decision to leave the party as honourable as Mr Sata has never accepted Mr Mwanawasa as the party’s presidential candidate. (BBC News, UK, 25 September 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Mugabe’s silence — Zimbabwe’s presidential elections must be held in  2002 as stipulated by the constitution. However, Mugabe’s silence over the election dates is raising questions, as political violence is continuing unabated, the police and judiciary are being «doctored» and «diluted» to meet Mugabe’s objectives. People are now asking: «Is Mugabe intentionally causing chaos so as to create an environment conducive for him to declare a state of emergency?» If Mugabe should declare a state of emergency so as to perpetuate his hold on power, this will only extend the life of parliament by six-monthly-periods up to a maximum of one year, as stipulated by the Constitution. Also, there is no provision in the Constitution which allows for an extension of the President’s office. People are also wondering: Taking into consideration the plummeting economy and mounting pressure Mugabe is facing from the European Union and Southern African Development Committee states, will Mugabe be driven to call for early elections before January 2002. The Constitution, however, calls for elections to be held within 90 days, only if the President is dead, resigns or is moved from office by Constitutional means. Mugabe’s current term of office started on 1 April 1996 and expires at midnight on March 2002. The earliest permissible date for the presidential election, will be 6 February and not beyond March 2002. (A. Deke, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 21 September 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Elections partielles — Le parti au pouvoir au Zimbabwe, le ZANU-PF est sorti vainqueur des élections partielles qui se sont déroulées au cours du week-end, remportant ainsi une importante victoire psychologique avant les cruciales élections présidentielles de l’année prochaine. Le candidat de la ZANU-PF a obtenu 15.500 voix, soit plus du triple des voix recueillies par le candidat du MDC, principal parti d’opposition. Les analystes considèrent ces élections partielles dans la circonscription de Chikomba comme une épreuve décisive pour tester la popularité des partis avant le scrutin présidentiel. (PANA, Sénégal, 24 septembre 2001)

* Zimbabwe. By-election — 23 September: Large numbers turn out to vote in a by-election for the seat left vacant by the late war veterans leader, Chenjerai Hunzvu. The election is in the rural constituency of Chikomba. However, human rights groups have said that the run-up to the vote was marred by murder and intimidation. 24 September: Mugabe’s ZANU-PF win the seat. They have 15,570 votes against 5,207 for the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MMD). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 September 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Le FMI suspend son aide — Le 25 septembre, le Fonds monétaire international (FMI) a annoncé qu’il suspendait son aide au Zimbabwe au titre de la facilité pour la réduction de la pauvreté et la croissance, en raison des arriérés accumulés par Harare  (53 millions de dollars à la fin août). Le conseil d’administration du FMI a appelé les autorités du Zimbabwe à les régler au plus vite et “reconnaît que l’engagement pris de procéder à des remboursements trimestriels est un premier pas vers le rétablissement de la coopération avec le FMI”. (Le Monde, France, 27 septembre 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Pressure mounts on Zimbabwe — 20 September: As pressure mounts on Zimbabwe to restore the rule of law on white farms, the government is seeking a Supreme Court ruling to endorse the controversial land reform programme. Last December, the court ruled that the government should restore order on the farms. It also told the authorities to come up with a clearly defined programme for land distribution before acquiring land. That order was however ignored and hundreds of farms have been occupied while farmers and farm workers continue to be beaten and harassed. Still, the government argues, it has restored the rule of law on the farms and there are merely isolated cases of violence. But If it wins this case, then it could claim that all previous land occupations were in accordance with the law. However, the white-dominated Commercial Farmers’ Union claims that 20 farms have been invaded and scores of farm workers and farmers attacked since the Commonwealth Abuja agreement was signed two weeks ago. 25 September: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has barred Zimbabwe from receiving any further assistance because the country has fallen behind with its debt repayments to the fund. The IMF halted its main lending in October 1999, but the latest decision means Zimbabwe is also ineligible for any further borrowing at low interest rates under a programme intended to reduce poverty. The Fund said Zimbabwe was more than $50m in arrears with its loan repayments, and urged the government in Harare to address this issue promptly. The IMF said it would review the situation in three months’ time. — President Mugabe has left for state visits to Singapore and Vietnam and will attend the Commonwealth Summit in Australia next month. 26 September: Negotiations between the government and the white farmers are reported to have collapsed. «There is a divide that cannot be bridged», says Bharat Patel, the state attorney. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 September 2001)