* Africa. Social concerns — Benin: UNICEF in partnership with Benin’s Health Ministry launches(25 February) a programme aimed at improving early childhood development by reducing the incidence of preventable diseases and ailments linked to poor nutrition. Botswana: On 22 February, Survival International said that the Botswanan government has now deliberately cut off water to Gani and Gwi Bushman villages in the desert. In the last couple of days, officials have removed parts from the Bushmen’s only pump, making it impossible for them to get any water. they have also deliberately emptied the tanks containing their remaining water supplies. Bushmen who tried to protest were abused. Ethiopia: This week, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned that millions of people in Ethiopia are still at risk from a meningitis epidemic which broke out last September.Kenya: The Kenya Human Rights Commission has issued a three-month ultimatum to flower producers to improve the working conditions of their employees, failing which they will «go international» in their campaign for better working conditions in the flower farms.(The East African 18-24 February.) On 20 February, The World Food Programme warned that almost 220,000 refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab refuge camps in Kenya, face malnutrition and a wider humanitarian crisis unless urgent contributions are received to bolster the programme that feeds them. Mauritania: On 22 February, the Food Early Warning System reported that Mauritania is likely to experience a nationwide deficit of more than 160,000 mt this year. Sudan: On 22 February, it was reported that humanitarian field workers have described Bieh State in Jonglei region, southeastern Sudan, as currently being «highly insecure as regards food needs». Zambia: The World Bank has drawn up a tentative plan to rescue Zambia’s troubled economy, as the country’s strategic copper mining industry totters towards what analysts fear could be inexorable collapse. (22 February). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 February 2002)

* Afrique. Dépistage de l’Ebola — Un projet de recherche européen auquel ont travaillé des chercheurs européens et africains a permis de mettre au point une nouvelle technique de dépistage plus rapide, plus simple et plus sûre de la fiève hémorragique provoquée par le virus Ebola, qui sévit particulièrement en Afrique, a annoncé la Commission européenne le 25 février. La nouvelle technique de dépistage est basée sur la détection des génomes viraux dans le sang du malade. L’annonce intervient alors qu’une recrudescence de l’épidémie a été constatée au Gabon, où 34 personnes ont déjà succombé à la maladie, sur 42 cas constatés cette année. (La Libre Belgique, 26 février 2002)

* Africa. Action against the Media — Algeria: In a 22 February letter to  Algeria’s Justice Minister, the World Association of Newspapers, expressed serious concern at the Algiers Appeals Court prosecutor’s seeking of a one-year prison sentence for newspaper editor, Omar Belhouchet, editor of El Watan. Ethiopia: In a 22 February letter to Prime Minister Zenawai, the World Press Freedom Committee expressed strong condemnation for the imposition of charges against Kifle Mulat, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Ethio-Times newspaper and the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association president. Liberia: In a 21 February letter to President Taylor, The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed deep concern over the recent arrest of three journalists and the suspension of their newspaper, The Analyst, which had recently criticised the current state of emergency in Liberia. Malawi: On 22 February, youths allegedly affiliated to the ruling party, abducted a reporter, Mallick Mnela, and assaulted the editor-in-chief, Robert Jamieson, and several other staffers of the independent The Chronicle. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 February 2002)

* Afrique/France. Greenpeace défend le bois — Le 25 février, depuis le début de la matinée, des militants de Greenpeace bloquaient un cargo libérien, l’Agia-Irène, dans le port de Sète (Hérault, France). Le navire qui transporte des bois tropicaux précieux, a été accosté et une dizaine d’activistes ont déployé une grande banderole portant l’inscription “La France détruit les forêts anciennes”. L’organisation écologiste estime que ces transports de bois servent à approvisionner en armes les rebelles de Sierra Leone. Avant le sommet international des forêts anciennes et la convention sur la diversité biologique qui se tiendra du 8 au 19 avril à La Haye (Pays-Bas), un rapport destiné au Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies confirme que les revenus de l’industrie du bois du Liberia sont utilisés pour des trafics d’armes, explique Greenpeace. Mais la France et la Chine ont refusé de voter un embargo sur les exportations litigieuses du Liberia. (AP, 25 février 2002)

* West Africa. Child refugee sex scandal — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has sent a team of investigators into refugee camps in West Africa following the revelation that large numbers of children have been sexually exploited by aid workers there. The scale of the problem - revealed in an overview of a report by the UNHCR in conjunction with the British-based charity Save the Children —has surprised relief personnel. The unpublished report — details of which have been obtained by the BBC — covers Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and is based on a study of more than 1,500 people interviewed over six weeks last October and November. An unspecified number of interviewees complained that they or their children had to have sex in order to get food and favours. Over 40 aid agencies — including the UNHCR itself — were implicated, and 67 individuals —  mostly local staff — named by the children. Some under-age girls said United Nations peacekeepers in the West African region were involved. Most of those who said they were abused were girls under the age of 18, but the mission said it had heard from some who were much younger. The report said that the practices were rife in locations with established programmes, including refugee camps in Guinea and Liberia. (BBC News, UK, 26 February 2002)

* Afrique de l’Ouest. Scandale humanitaire — Un rapport préliminaire publié le 26 février par le Haut commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) et une ONG britannique Save the Children, accusent des agents humanitaires et des casques bleus de soumettre des mineures affamées à un chantage sexuel. Le rapport concerne trois pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest: Guinée, Liberia et Sierra Leone. Selon l’enquête, pas moins de 40 ONG et agences des Nations unies seraient concernées par ces pratiques sordides, mais leurs noms n’ont pas été révélés. Selon les témoignages recueillis par les enquêteurs à l’automne dernier, quelque 67 personnes travaillant pour une quarantaine d’organisations humanitaires ont sollicité des faveurs sexuelles en échange de vivres, de médicaments ou d’autres produits de première nécessité. Le rapport met essentiellement en cause des personnels masculins locaux, mais aussi des casques bleus. (D’après La Croix, France, 28 février 2002)

* West Africa. Leaders pledge border peace — Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone have agreed to ensure security along their common borders. The West African leaders reached the deal at peace talks in Morocco on 27 February under the auspices of King Mohammed. Thousands of people have fled recent gun battles between rebels and government forces in north-west Liberia, which has accused Guinea of supporting the rebels. The summit declaration condemns the action of what it calls non-state actors in Liberia, which is taken to mean the rebels. Officials will meet next week to discuss implementation measures. «We have not talked about that [accusations]. We have turned the page and forgotten about the past,» Guinean Foreign Minister Mahawa Bangoura said. «Today’s agreement is a brand new beginning for us.» In a related move, Nigeria is said to have agreed to host security talks with the West African regional grouping, Ecowas. It is seeking to persuade both the Liberian Government and rebels to attend. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 February 2002)

* Algérie. Législatives le 30 mai — Les élections législatives en Algérie auront lieu le 30 mai prochain, a annoncé le président Bouteflika le 25 février à l’issue d’un conseil des ministres. Le chef de l’Etat s’est engagé à garantir l’honnêteté et la transparence de ces élections. Il a chargé le gouvernement d’entamer des consultations avec les partis politiques au sujet des préparatifs de ce scrutin. L’annonce de cette date intervient à la veille de la rencontre attendue entre M.  Bouteflika et les délégués des comités de villages de Kabylie sur les revendications de cette région. Une grande partie des Kabyles menacent de boycotter les législatives si aucune suite n’est donnée à leurs revendications. (PANA, Sénégal, 25 février 2002)

* Angola. Calls for ceasefire — Organisations representing non-political civic interests have called for an immediate ceasefire in the country’s 26 year civil war. They have also criticised the United Nations handling of the peace process, and asked that civil society groups be allowed to address the UN Security Council. The UN favours the revival of the Lusaka accord signed by the government and the rebels in 1994. The UN also acknowledges the continued role in the peace process of observers from Portugal, Russia and the United States. The team, code-named troika was established in the early 1990s to oversee the Angolan peace process. However, at the meeting in Angola’s capital, Luanda on 20 February, the civic group, which included priests, academics, humanitarian officials and traditional chiefs, expressed their scepticism about the troika as a group of foreign powers overseeing the Angolan peace process. Speakers at the conference argued that the Lusaka process was flawed, because it dealt only with the two warring parties, ignoring the rest of Angolan society. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 February 2002)

* Angola. Mort de Jonas Savimbi — Le leader rebelle angolais Jonas Savimbi a été tué le vendredi 22 février, lors d’un combat entre les forces armées angolaises et une colonne de l’Unita dans la province de Moxico (centre-est d’Angola). 21 combattants de l’Unita, dont deux généraux, ont également été tués. Le porte-parole de la présidence, Almiro da Canceiçao, a confirmé la mort du leader de l’Unita, et le lendemain son corps a été montré à la presse et à la télévision. Selon les autorités, Savimbi a été enterré le samedi soir dans la localité de Luvuei, dans la région de Lucusse, en présence de hauts officiers de l’armée angolaise. Après quinze ans de lutte anticoloniale, la guerre civile a éclaté en Angola dès le lendemain de l’indépendance, et depuis lors, l’Unita a été en guerre contre le gouvernement presque sans interruption. La guerre a fait un demi-million de morts et 100.000 mutilés, et elle a déplacé un tiers des 12 millions d’Angolais. La mort de Savimbi provoquera probablement la dislocation de l’Unita. Les Nations unies ont déjà exprimé leur espoir que la “nouvelle situation” fera progresser le processus de paix. Cependant, des analystes estiment qu’il est peu probable que la guerre civile prenne fin rapidement, mais que la mort de Savimbi pourrait provoquer une lutte pour le pouvoir au sein du mouvement rebelle, qui risque toutefois d’éclater. Le 25 février à Lisbonne, le président angolais Dos Santos a déclaré que son gouvernement était prêt à chercer les moyens de parvenir rapidement à un cessez-le-feu, mais qu’il ne prévoyait pas d’élections avant 2004. Le gouvernement de Luanda a lancé un appel aux  rebelles de l’Unita afin qu’ils déposent les armes, mais ceux-ci ont annoncé la poursuite des hostilités. Une première attaque d’un groupe de l’Unita a eu lieu à Catala (400 km au sud-est de la capitale); une embuscade a fait 9 morts et 15 blessés. Le 27 février, le bras droit de Jonas Savimbi, Antonio Dembo, a été désigné comme nouveau chef de l’Unita. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 février 2002)

* Angola. Savimbi killed — 22 February: There are unconfirmed report that the rebel UNITA‘s leader, Jonas Savimbi, has been killed today. The Angolan authorities say they will provide evidence that the veteran rebel leader Jonas Savimbi is dead. A government spokesman said pictures would be broadcast of the body of Mr Savimbi, who he said had been killed in fighting between Angolan army forces and his UNITA rebels on Friday. There has been no independent confirmation of the reported death of Mr Savimbi who has led UNITA for more than 30 years. A UNITA representative in Portugal dismissed the reports of Mr Savimbi’s death, saying they were simply propaganda. However the BBC‘s Justin Pearce in Luanda says that while in the past the Angolan army has exaggerated its reports of military victories, it would be unlikely to issue a false report on a matter of such importance. The Angolan Government said Mr Savimbi had been killed in the rural eastern province of Moxico — about 700 kilometres south-east of the capital, Luanda. A spokesman for President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said the army is holding Mr Savimbi’s body in Moxico. He says: «We’re going to broadcast television footage of the body». 23 February: Reporters in Lucusse, a remote town in Moxico province, eastern Angola, are shown Savimbi’s body. Television footage of the body ends any lingering doubts about his fate. Angola’s official news agency says he was buried in the afternoon in the presence of senior officers of the Angolan Armed Forces. 24 February: The Angolan Government says it is ready to take «decisive and rapid steps» to secure a ceasefire following Savimbi’s death. Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama says he had been given the assurance by Angola’s President Dos Santos. Gama says: «I was convinced that the Angolan authorities are aware of the need to act quickly to restore the peace process and achieve a ceasefire.» UNITA issues a statement warning that «anyone who thinks the ideals of UNITA died with its leader are mistaken». 26 February: Lisbon’s Diario de Noticias reports that international telephone calls by Savimbi and another UNITA member helped the Angolan government forces track him down. 27 February: MISNA reports that Armando Dembo is UNITA‘s new interim leader. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 February 2002)

* Angola. Peace talks in Washington — 25 February: The prospect of lasting  peace in Angola is expected to dominate a meeting in Washington between US President George W Bush and three African leaders. Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is due to hold talks with President Bush and the presidents of Mozambique and Botswana, Joachim Chissano and Festus Mogae. The talks were arranged before the political landscape of Angola changed with the death of Jonas Savimbi. Before leaving for the US, President dos Santos said he wanted to bring about the rapid normalisation of politics in Angola. He was restrained in his first statement on the death of his long-standing foe, avoiding any sense of triumphalism. He said Mr Savimbi had fought for his ideals right until the end, but had finally misjudged his situation and capabilities. Mr dos Santos said urgent steps were now needed, including a ceasefire with Unita. If this was achieved by the end of this year, elections could be held in Angola within two years. 26 February: President George W. Bush has called on Angola’s leaders to seize the opportunity presented by the death of Unita rebel leader Jonas Savimbi and bring an end to the country’s long-running civil war. The Angolan Government says it is still committed to negotiating a ceasefire despite the first attack by Unita rebels since the death of Mr Savimbi. The attack on 25 February killed nine people and injured another 15 near Malanje, a city 300 kilometres east of Angola’s capital Luanda. 27 February: The Angolan Government is to maintain its military pressure on UNITA. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 February 2002)

* Burkina Faso. Call for social integration of Africa’s blind persons — A five-day international seminar for blind women in leadership positions opened in Ouagadougou on 26 February under the auspices of the African Union for the Blind (UAFA). Speaking to journalists before the start of the seminar, UAFA president Paul Tezanou from Gabon asked African governments to promote the welfare of blind persons through their integration in public services. He also called on the media to contribute toward achievement of the same goal. He said blind persons need access to all services provided by the public and the private sectors as well as the fundamental human rights. «We are asking to exercise our right of decision-making in our countries», he stressed, noting that physically handicapped people were increasingly considered as normal people. Tezanou said his organisation had «fruitful cooperation» with the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) which provides grants to the 46 member countries of UAFA. (PANA, Senegal, 26 February 2002)

* Burundi. Levée de la suspension de NetPress — Le 21 février, le ministre de la Communication, M. Albert Mbonerane, a levé la mesure de suspension de l’agence d’information “NetPress”. Le ministre a consulté des professionnels des médias, qui ont confirmé que les écrits de NetPress étaient souvent contraires à l’éthique et à la  déontologie journalistique, mais ont demandé une mesure de clémence. Le directeur de NetPress s’est engagé au strict respect de l’éthique et de la loi qui régit la presse au Burundi. (Agence burundaise de presse, 22 février 2002)

* Burundi. 20 dissidents rejoin main party — Some 20 dissidents of the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), have rejoined the majority political party in the country, party sources said. The development comes four months after the return of the FRODEBU leader Jean Minani, from a five-year exile in Tanzania. Since his return, Minani has been reorganising the party through meetings. «It can be said today that the dialogue bore fruit,» Minani told the press on 26 February, adding that the reunited party «will recover all its support and conduct its fight for peace, national reconciliation, development, democracy and human rights». Former Communal Development Minister, Denis Nshimirimana, is among those who returned to the party after a stint with Augustin Nzojiwami’s faction. Nshimirimana has invited other deserters to the return to the fold. FRODEBU was founded by Melchior Ndadaye, who was elected Burundi President in 1993, but assassinated three months later in a military coup. Meanwhile, the FRODEBU renegade members have formed PADER, the Party for Democracy and Reconciliation, which has also pledged «to restore and perpetrate» Ndadaye’s ideals. (PANA, Senegal, 27 February 2002)

* Cape Verde. Children’s Parliament — Top officials of the National Assembly, the ministry of Education and the Cape Verde institute of minors, have signed a protocol aimed institutionalising a children’s parliament in the country, sources in Praia disclosed. Since June 1999, a Parliament composed of children and young persons representing the whole country holds meetings in the National Assembly to discuss problems confronting Cape Verde youth. The project includes study trips, research avenues and debates. The parliamentary year of children and the youth ends in June with a national parliamentary session in the capital, to be attended by pupils elected by their schools. (PANA, Senegal, 19 February 2002)

* Centrafrique/UE. Accord de coopération — Le 27 février à Bangui, l’Union européenne et la République centrafricaine ont signé un nouvel accord de coopération d’un montant de 106,5 millions d’euros pour la période 2002-2007. Selon un communiqué de l’UE, ces crédits serviront à financer des programmes dans le secteur routier et celui de la santé, et à appuyer le programme macro-économique du gouvernement de Bangui, ainsi qu’au renforcement de la bonne gouvernance. Le Premier ministre centrafricain, M. Ziguélé, avait indiqué en octobre que 70% des crédits octroyés serviront à des projets visant à désenclaver le pays, en bitumant des routes vers l’extérieur, et à l’entretien de près de 15.000 km de  pistes rurales à l’intérieur du pays. (PANA, Sénégal, 27 février 2002)

* Congo-Brazza. Campagne électorale — Le 23 février, l’Union panafricaine pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UPADS, opposition) de l’ancien président Lissouba, en exil à Londres, a appelé ses sympathisants à l’abstention lors de la présidentielle du 10 mars prochain. Ce parti, en proie à des dissenssions internes, n’a pas présenté de candidat officiel à la présidence. Cependant il appelle ses sympathisants à s’inscrire sur les listes électorales en vue des élections législatives. - Pendant ce temps, au quatrième jour de la campagne présidentielle, les habitants de la capitale Brazzaville dénoncent la partialité des médias publics dans le traitement de la propagande électorale et les gros moyens du camp présidentiel, indique l’agence PANA. - Le 25 février, on apprenait que l’Union européenne se propose d’envoyer 18 observateurs à Brazzaville d’où ils seront déployés dans toutes les régions du Congo pour suivre le déroulement de l’élection présidentielle. (PANA, Sénégal, 23-25 février 2002)

* Congo (RDC). Goma: réouverture des écoles — A Goma, les écoles rouvriront le lundi 25 février comme prévu, après une fermeture de cinq semaines suite à l’éruption volcanique du Nyiragongo. Environ un tiers des écoles de Goma a été détruit par les coulées de lave, mais les élèves seront accueillis dans les écoles épargnées. On veut accroître leur capacité d’admission en construisant de nouvelles salles de classe et en mettant en place un système de classes alternées. Un grand travail reste toutefois à faire, a indiqué le chef du bureau de l’Unicef. Il déplore notamment que la réouverture ne concernera que 55% des enfants de Goma, où une grande partie des habitants est trop pauvre pour payer les frais scolaires obligatoires. (D’après IRIN, Nairobi, 22 février 2002)

* Congo (RDC). Radio Okapi — Radio Okapi, la radio créée en RDC par la Monuc (Mission de l’Onu) et la Fondation Hirondelle, commence ses programmes le 25 février, symboliquement le matin même de l’ouverture du dialogue intercongolais en Afrique du Sud. Trois studios sont ouverts simultanément à Kinshasa, Kisangani et Goma. Pour le démarrage, le programme principal en semaine comporte des journaux d’information en français, lingala, swahili et tshiluba. La radio émet 24 heures sur 24, sept jours sur sept, avec de larges tranches musicales. Dans les prochains mois, le programme sera enrichi et de nouvelles stations régionales seront ouvertes à Kananga, Mbandaka, Kalemie, Gbadolite, Bukavu, Kindu et Bunia. Radio Okapi pourra être captée dans la plus grande partie du territoire de la RDC sur la fréquence 9550 Kh, dans la bande des 31 mètres, et en fréquence modulée à Kinshasa (103,5), Kisangani (94,8) et Goma (105,2). Radio Okapi est destinée à accompagner le processus de paix sur l’ensemble du territoire de la RDC. (Agence Hirondelle, Kinshasa, 24 février 2002)