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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 12-12-2001

PART #3/4 - From  KENYA to  RWANDA

* Kenya. Female Genital Mutilation banned — Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), traditionally known as circumcision, has been outlawed among young girls in Kenya. In a speech marking independence day, President Daniel arap Moi said the circumcising of girls under the age of 17 was now a crime punishable by at least a year in jail. The practice remains widespread in much of rural Kenya, and President Moi has promised police protection for those at risk. «Anyone found circumcising a girl of 16 will go straight to jail,» he told the crowd. He said the prohibition of FGM on young girls was one of the measures contained in the 2001 Children’s Bill passed by parliament recently. «But for girls above the age of 16 years, it is their choice to be circumcised or not. Should they not want to be circumcised, they shall also be protected by the new law,» he said. According to a 1998 survey in Kenya, 38% of women aged between 15 and 49 years old were estimated to have undergone FGM. (BBC News, UK, 12 December 2001)

* Kenya. Riot over mistaken identity — Demonstrators in Kenya protesting over the arrest of a man whom they say has been wrongly labelled a terrorist suspect have destroyed a Catholic church and a polytechnic  in the north-eastern town of Mandera. Police spokesman Dola Indidis announced on Tuesday they were holding Sheilk Ahmed Salim Swedan for his alleged involvement in the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 200 people and injured 5,000. But Muslim leaders insist the man being questioned is Ahmed Hassan Mursal, otherwise known as «Ahmed Sudan», and that the authorities have got the wrong man. The FBI, soon after the 11 September terror attacks on American targets, issued a list of 22 suspected terrorists, including Mr Swedan, wanted in connection with crimes committed since 1985. His supporters have described him as a respected preacher and someone who has been in charge of an orphanage in Mandera for the past decade. Newspapers in Kenya on 12 December said that police had been asked to either produce the man, who has been taken to the capital Nairobi, in court by 14 December or give suitable reasons for his continued detention. An opposition politician Faalim Farah has accused the government of victimising and harassing Muslims in return for development aid from Washington. (BBC News, UK, 12 December 2001)

* Kenya. Eglise détruite - Excision interdite — Le 11 décembre, une église catholique et une école ont été détruites à Mandera (nord du Kenya) par des manifestants qui protestaient contre l’arrestation d’un imam musulman injustement confondu, selon eux, avec un terroriste recherché par le FBI. - D’autre part, le 12 décembre, le gouvernement kényan a annoncé l’interdiction de la pratique de l’excision des jeunes filles de moins de 17 ans. Le nouveau texte de loi prévoit une peine minimale d’un an de prison et/ou une amende de 50.000 shillings ($633) pour les contrevenants. (Le Figaro, France, 13 décembre 2001)

* Liberia. Les rebelles du LURD — Un autre membre du gouvernement libérien a été tué par des présumés dissidents dans la région de Lofa, au nord du pays, ont annoncé le 7 décembre des sources dignes de foi. Emmet Ross, ministre adjoint chargé des opérations au ministère de la Sécurité nationale, aurait été tué il y a trois jours, alors qu’il était en mission officielle à Lofa. Mais le gouvernement, dans un communiqué prudent, a déclaré que Ross et des officiers de rang inférieur était “portés disparus” et qu’une enquête était ouverte. Ils seraient tombés dans une embuscade. Mais le groupe rebelle “Libériens unis pour la réconciliation et la démocratie” (LURD) n’a pas revendiqué cette embuscade. Le premier officiel de haut rang tué dans la région de Lofa était le ministre de la Jeunesse et des Sports, François Massaquoi, qui a été tué il y a six mois. Rien n’a filtré d’une enquête concernant cet incident. -D’autre part, le gouvernement libérien a annoncé avoir tué, dans le nord du pays, un haut commandant et 27 autres dissidents du LURD. Randall Mulbah, chef d’état-major adjoint du LURD et ses hommes ont été tués au cours de combats violents pour le contrôle de la ville de Foya,  indique un communiqué. - Selon un communiqué gouvernemental du 9 décembre, les combattants du LURD seraient en train de se diriger vers la localité de Kungbor, dans une région frontalière avec la Sierra Leone, dans le but de se regrouper. Les combattants seraient en “désarroi”, coupés de leur base d’approvisionnement près de Kolahun, à la frontière avec la Guinée. Selon le communiqué, des troupes gouvernementales sont déployées à Kungbor pour couper les rebelles de la frontière sierra-léonaise. D’autre part, d’intenses combats continuent à Kolahun (nord) et à Belle Fassama et Geingba (nord-ouest). Selon un communiqué du 11 décembre d’Amnesty International, les civils sont devenus les cibles principales dans le conflit. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 décembre 2001)

* Liberia. Rebels are heading for the border — 10 December: Rebels fighting Liberian troops in northern and north-western Liberia are heading for the Sierra Leonean border in an apparent move to attack that country, the Liberian Government has said. «Well-armed units of the Lurd dissident group were spotted heading for the Sierra Leonean border,» a Ministry of Information release said on 9 December. The dissidents have been heading to the town of Kungbor, situated on the border with Sierra Leone and some 165 kilometres north-west of Monrovia, said the government. President Charles Taylor reacted by calling in the Sierra Leonean ambassador here, Kemoh Salia-Bao, for consultation. «The intent of the rebels is to launch a bogus attack on Sierra Leone from Liberia so that it will appear like Liberia has attacked Sierra Leone. This is worrisome because Liberia enjoys relations with Sierra Leone,» said Defence Minister, Daniel Chea. 11 December: More than 15,000 people displaced by fresh fighting between Liberian troops and rebels in the northwest of the country in the last week have arrived in Sawmill Town. Sawmill, situated some 100 kilometres northwest of the capital Monrovia, has begun swelling with displaced people who intermittently arrive in large groups. The vast majority of them fled camps in towns such as Bopolu, the provincial capital of northwestern Gbarpolu county which has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in recent days. The displaced people complained that they were being prevented from moving further on to much more safer areas like the main provincial town, Tubmanburg, some 60km outside of Monrovia. Zubazi Aquoi, a spokesman for the displaced, said Bopolu itself has not been attacked, «but echoes of artillery bombardments were so heavy from embattled places, that the 3,600 people at the camp all came with me». The fleeing people arrived in the town carrying bundles of personal effects mainly cooking utensils and foam mattresses on their heads. Liberia’s Defence Minister Daniel Chea, visiting the region on 10 December, said the displaced people were safe where they are «and we will do everything to see them go home very soon». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 December 2001)

* Libya. Vast railway project — Libya looks set to become the final link in a vast railway network connecting the whole of North Africa. Speaking in the capital Tripoli, an unnamed Libyan official has told the local press that the country is proposing to build two tracks, running east to west and north to south. The first line will run along the Mediterranean coast, linking Libya’s western border with Tunisia with its eastern border with Egypt. The second will run southwards through the Sahara desert, linking Libya with Chad and Niger. It is an ambitious scheme, but Libya has already proved its ability to take on such vast projects. At the cost of billions of dollars, its so-called Great Manmade River project has piped underground water from deep beneath the Sahara up to the coastal plain. The official did not reveal the cost or time frame of the railway project. (BBC News, UK, 9 December 2001)

* Madagascar. Election plan behind schedule — Reports from Madagascar indicate that preparations for presidential elections on 15 December are seriously behind schedule. Many voting stations have only just received copies of the electoral lists, even though 11 December was officially the last day for voters to confirm their names on these. The head of the independent electoral body had indicated that the number of registered voters in Madagascar has fallen by two million in the past five years. he says he doesn’t understand how this had happened. The incumbent president, Didier Ratsiraka, has promised free and fair elections. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 December 2001)

* Malawi. Police shoot protesters — Police in Malawi have opened fire on Rastafarians and student demonstrators in the university town of Zomba, east of the commercial city of Blantyre, seriously injuring at least two people and arresting three others. Witnesses say a riot erupted when officers tried to break up a protest against the death in police custody of the outspoken reggae musician Evison Matafale. The shooting began after police fired tear gas into university buildings, causing chaos. Protests also took place in Blantyre and in the south of the country over the musician’s death. Matafale died three days after he was arrested for allegedly writing a seditious letter to President Bakili Muluzi. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 December 2001)

* Mali. Bamako lit up by dam start — The enormous Manantali dam in southwestern Mali has finally produced its very first megawatt of hydro-electricity, 13 years after it was completed. So far, only one of the five turbines has been installed, and when that is turning, it lights up the capital, Bamako, some 300 kilometres to the east. But there is still a good way to go if long-awaited promises of serving Senegal, Mali and Mauritania are to be fulfilled. Babacar Gueye, director of Sogem, a consortium created by the three countries that share the Senegal River, says that perhaps by the end of  2002, the dam would be providing 60% of the energy needs of urban consumers in the capitals. He says 52% of production would go to Mali, 15% to Mauritania and 33% to Senegal. Mr Gueye points out that Sogem will be selling the inexpensive electricity from Manantali to utilities in the three countries, which in turn would set the prices at which they sell to consumers. According to Mountaga Diallo, technical director of Sogem, there is a long-term plan to link Mali up to a West African grid that would permit even Togo, Benin and Ghana to receive energy from or send hydro power to Mali. He also speaks of a proposed scheme to twin the power installations with fibre optic lines to improve telecommunications. «It’s a big, big, big project,» says Diallo. «It will be a revolution electrically and for telecommunications too.» Those who manage the dam, view it as one of the most important economic developments in West Africa. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 December 2001)

* Maroc. Liberté de presse en panne — Seul pays du Maghreb à avoir pris le chemin d’une libéralisation, le Maroc n’entend pas pour autant ouvrir le débat sur les “années de plomb”. Le 8 décembre, la police a saisi l’hebdomadaire Demain Magazine, qui avait publié la liste de 45 personnes présumées responsables d’atteintes graves aux droits de l’homme. Diffusée la veille par l’Association marocaine des droits humains (AMDH, indépendante), cette liste comprend les noms de responsables de l’armée et de la police toujours en fonction. Ali Lambaret, directeur de Demain, avait déjà été condamné le 21 novembre à quatre mois de prison et une forte amende pour “diffusion de fausses informations”. L’AMDH a dénoncé dans une lettre au Premier ministre M. Youssoufi “les atteintes à la liberté de presse et de réunion” et réclamé une “enquête indépendante” sur la disparition d’opposants dans les années 1960-1970. (Libération, France, 10 décembre 2001)

* Morocco. Human rights ombudsman — King Mohammad of Morocco has announced the creation of a human rights ombudsman. The announcement was delivered in a message read by his brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, to mark international human rights day. The prince said the new post was part of efforts to offer support to other bodies working to redress injustice and protect liberties. On 8 December, the Moroccan Human Rights Association published the names of more than 40 senior officials and officers whom it accused of responsibility for the disappearance of political activists during the 1960’s and 1970’s. It said it had proof of the involvement of those on the list in crimes of kidnapping, murder, arbitrary arrest and torture. The group called on the justice ministry to take action against those named. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 December 2001)

* Maroc. Un médiateur contre les abus — Les abus de l’administration sont l’une des plaies du régime marocain. Soucieux de montrer sa volonté de  changement en la matière et de répondre aux critiques sur les lenteurs du processus de démocratisation, le roi Mohammed VI a profité de la journée mondiale des droits de l’homme pour annoncer, le 9 décembre, la création d’un poste de “médiateur”, rattaché au cabinet royal; celui-ci constituera un “recours” pour les citoyens qui s’estiment lésés par l’administration. Son bureau devrait compter des délégués régionaux. Approuvant l’initiative, Driss Benzekri, le président du Forum vérité et justice, a toutefois souligné la nécessité de nommer à ce poste une “personnalité forte” susceptible de résister à des pressions. (Libération, France, 11 décembre 2001)

* Morocco. Eye disease eradication progress — Trachoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, has now been virtually eliminated from Morocco, says the group leading the project. This represents one of the first major advances in the fight against the disease in Africa. The anti-trachoma programme is now going to be expanded to target the disease in nine countries at a cost of $200m. Trachoma is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachtomatis, which is commonly carried by flies. If it gets rubbed into the eyes, it can cause damage. Repeated infections can cause the eyelid to turn inwards. This in turn can cause damage to the cornea — and eventually blindness. The strategy to fight it is a simple one, including surgery to help those already badly affected by infections. In addition, antibiotics are used to tackle active trachoma infections. To stop the infections starting in the first place, children and adults are encouraged to wash their faces regularly in clean water. (BBC News, UK, 12 December 2001)

* Maroc. Boukhari condamné — Le 12 décembre, l’ancien agent secret marocain Ahmed Boukhari, auteur de révélations sur l’affaire Ben Barka, a été condamné à 3 mois de prison ferme et une amende de 100.000 dirhams (10.000 euros) pour diffamation. Le verdict a été prononcé en l’absence de M. Boukhari et de son avocat qui ont refusé d’assister à ce qu’ils appellent un “procès mascarade”. M. Boukhari est convoqué en France le 20 décembre pour être entendu dans le cadre de l’enquête sur l’assassinat de Ben Barka en 1965. Il avait déjà été empêché de se rendre à deux précédentes convocations à Paris le 19 juillet et le 7 septembre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 décembre 2001)

* Mozambique. No third term for Chissano — President Joaquim Chissano has announced that he will not run for a third term as head of state in elections due in 2004. There had been speculation that he may be tempted to follow some of his southern African counterparts — Namibia’s Sam Nujoma, Zambia’s Frederick Chiluba and Malawi’s Bakili Muluzi —and attempt to stay in power. The ruling Frelimo party last night accepted his decision, according to a statement issued by the Central Committee. The statement called Mr Chissano’s decision a gesture of  great dignity and political wisdom, the gesture of a statesman with a vision of the future for his people and for the country. President Chissano said he had never planned to stay in power for long. «People have the right to retire at the age of 65.» (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 December 2001)

* Nigeria. Obasanjo approves controversial electoral law — Nigeria’s President, Olosegun Obasanjo, has approved a controversial bill which changes the order in which the country elects its politicians. The law allows new parties to register and take part in local elections scheduled for 2003 — doubling the current term for local councillors. Correspondents say a number of state governors are opposed to the move and have threatened to hold local elections next year. The new law also means that only established parties — the ruling PDP and the two opposition APP and AD parties — can put forward candidates for presidential, state governorship, and parliamentary elections before 2007. Analysts say the move could be an attempt by established parties to hold on to power. (BBC News, UK, 6 December 2001)

* Nigeria. Choléra: plus de 700 morts? — A Kano, avec près de 2 millions d’habitants, le choléra rôde depuis trois semaines. D’abord réticentes à admettre l’étendue du désastre, les autorités viennent d’avancer un bilan de 700 morts, dont quelque 250 enfants, indique un article paru dans Le Monde le 7 décembre. Mégapole insalubre, Kano n’a plus de distribution d’eau potable digne de ce nom. La catastrophe a été aggravée par le refus d’aide extérieure et la loi du silence. En janvier, les ONG étrangères ont été expulsées de l’Etat de Kano qui, depuis un an, applique dans toute sa rigueur la charia; le conseil des oulémas avait en effet jugé que les organisations humanitaires concouraient à la dépravation des moeurs. Il a donc fallu attendre le retour des ONG, notamment de Médecins sans frontières. Jusqu’à la semaine dernière, les autorités locales s’en étaient tenues à un bilan d’une vingtaine de morts et avaient estimé ne pas avoir besoin d’aide extérieure. - Toutefois, selon une dépêche de l’agence IRIN du 10 décembre, le gouvernement a informé que la maladie avait tué jusqu’à ce jour 90 victimes dans les hôpitaux de l’Etat, tout en reconnaissant que bien plus de personnes pouvaient être mortes en dehors des hôpitaux. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 décembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Conference on Niger Delta — 10 December: A UN-backed conference on the troubled Niger Delta region of Nigeria begins today in the southern city of Port Harcourt. The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has pledged to raise living standards in the Delta, which is the heart of the country’s multi-billion-dollar oil industry but also home to  some of its poorest people. The conference organisers Emmanuel Nyong said the gathering, due to be attended by government officials, community leaders and development experts, aims to produce a joint strategy to make development work. (BBC News, UK, 10 December 2001)

* Nigeria. Trials start on cheaper AIDS drugs — 10 December: Nigeria is to become the first African country to launch trials using cheap imported generic drugs to treat Aids and HIV infection. health officials say the treatment programme is to begin today in selected hospitals throughout the country. Recent figures published by the Ministry of Health indicate that almost 3.5 million Nigerians are believed to be infected with the HIV virus. But there is considerable doubt whether such a generic drugs programme is the most appropriate way to tackle HIV infection in Nigeria. The Nigerian experiment in tackling the Aids pandemic will be closely observed across Africa. Over the coming months, 10,000 patients are due to be treated with anti-retro viral drugs imported from India. Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly endorsed the trials. However, critics of the programme have questioned the ability of the country’s poorly managed health system to cope with the close monitoring of patients required during the administering of the anti-HIV drugs. Moreover, critics argue that whatever resources are available should be put into HIV prevention. But those in favour of the trials point to the widespread use of similar but much more costly drugs in Europe and the United States and ask why Africans should be deprived of the chance to live a longer, healthier life despite HIV infection. (BBC News UK, 10 December 2001)

* Nigeria. Abuja market destroyed by fire — The main market in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, has been almost completely destroyed by fire. Eyewitnesses said the fire at the New Market began mid-morning on 10 December and raged for over 12 hours. Fire-fighters were still standing-by late into the evening. A fault in a back-up electricity generator is believed to have caused the fire. Foul play is not suspected. Hundreds of market vendors have lost their livelihoods, and the fire gutted homes belonging to several hundred people for whom the market also doubled as a residence. In some places, the fire was still smouldering on the morning of 11 December, as traders attempted to salvage what they could. The loss of the market is expected to have a major impact on local people, who will now have to travel to satellite towns to get food supplies. (BBC News, UK, 11 December 2001)

* Nigeria. Communicating the Faith — The Catholic bishops from the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Ibadan and Lagos (EPIL) have commended their Directors of Communications and Media for their initiative in coming together as a body for the propagation  of the Catholic faith more effectively in the new millennium, through their various media means. The bishops said that such cooperation on a professional level will bring blessings to the Church and provide the Church with opportunities for living up to present-day challenges. The bishops said this on 5 December 2001, at Ss Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan, Oyo State, during the formal inauguration of the Ibadan/Lagos regional body, and the launching of its magazine called: «EPIL FOCUS». At the same time, awards were presented to 30 outstanding Catholics from the region which comprises Lagos, Ibadan. Oyo, Abeokuta, Ekiti. Ondo, Osogbo and Ijebu Ode Dioceses, for their services to the Church. (Peter Ajayi Dada, Cath. Secret., Nigeria, 12 December 2001)

* Rwanda. Les tribunaux “gacaca” — Après les élections des juges des tribunaux “gacaca” en octobre dernier, la suite du programme établi par le Cour suprême a été révélée le 10 décembre à Murambi. Du 4 février au 15 mars 2002, sera organisée la formation des formateurs, au nombre de 780. Les premières sessions de formation des juges élus commenceront le 18 mars. Ensuite, les procès seront lancés offiellement en mai 2002. Les premiers procès seront organisés en même temps dans douze secteurs différents, comme test. Puis le processus sera étendu progressivement. (Agence Hirondelle, Arusha, 10 décembre 2001)

* Rwanda. Rwanda accused of troop build-up — 6 December: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ileka Atoki, has alleged that Rwanda is reinforcing its military presence in the east of the country. Mr Atoki said the military build-up around the cities of Goma and Kalemie was a concerted effort to intensify the war in the central African country. He said he had handed in a letter of protest to the UN Security Council on 4 December. Mr Atoki said 3,000 Rwandan soldiers were moved across the border into the town of Bukavu on the night of 29 and 30 November this year. UN officials in New York could not immediately confirm the Congolese claims. The envoy linked the alleged cross-border movements to the stalled peace conference saying that Rwanda’s aim is to «undermine» dialogue which his government has entered with rebels. The Inter-Congolese Dialogue, part of the 1999 Lusaka agreement, is expected to resume in South Africa in January with backing from the international community. 7 December: Rwanda rejects Congo RDC‘s claims. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 December 2001)

* Rwanda. Bilan du génocide — Selon une commission mise en place par Kigali, le génocide de 1994 aurait fait “1,07 million de morts”. D’après le communiqué, on a compté 934.000 victimes dont la population connaît le lieu de leur exécution. Les précédentes évaluations variaient entre 500.000 et 800.000 victimes, issues de la minorité tutsi ou des modérés hutu,  massacrés par des extrémistes hutu. - D’autre part, le 9 décembre, six personnes condamnées pour génocide par le Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda, dont l’ancien Premier ministre Jean Kambanda, ont été transférées au Mali, où elles purgeront leur peine. Le Mali, le Bénin et le Swaziland ont signé des accords avec le TPIR pour héberger des condamnés du tribunal dans celles de leurs prisons qui rencontrent les normes internationales. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 décembre 2001)