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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-03-2002

PART #4/4 - From SUDAN  to  ZIMBABWE

* Sudan. Church groups urge action on three key issues — On 7 March, delegates at last week’s Sudan Ecumenical Forum in London, warned that any peace settlement in Sudan «must be just and lasting and not a quick-fix solution». Delegates called for pressure on the government of Sudan to put an end to bombings and other attacks on civilians, a suspension of oil production, and recognition of the right to self-determination of the southern Sudanese and other marginalised people in Sudan. «There are currently the conditions to achieve a peace deal in Sudan and no reason why we should not try,» Clare Short, British Secretary of State for International Development, told delegates. «It is fantastically important that we try to end this war». The conference, from 4 to 6 March, brought together religious leaders from Sudan and their worldwide church partners in an effort to promote dialogue and «find solutions to the problems that lie at the heart of Sudan’s conflict». (IRIN,  Kenya, 11 March 2002)

* Soudan. Ruptures et accords — Sadek el Mahdi, leader du parti Umma, un des principaux partis d’opposition, a annoncé la suspension des contacts avec le gouvernement de Khartoum. A peine rentré dans la capitale soudanaise d’un mois de voyage à l’étranger, l’ancien Premier ministre Mahdi a affirmé avoir constaté que le gouvernement n’était “pas prêt à poursuivre le processus démocratique”. Il a imposé comme condition à la reprise du dialogue “la ratification d’une Constitution démocratique et l’annulation des lois qui limitent les libertés”. - D’autre part, le 10 mars, grâce à une médiation américaine, le gouvernement soudanais et les combattants du SPLA (Armée populaire de libération du Soudan) ont signé un accord sur la protection des civils dans la guerre qui ensanglante le pays depuis 20 ans. Cet accord devrait notamment mettre fin aux bombardements de civils par les forces soudanaises. Certains observateurs doutent cependant du sérieux de ces engagements. (Misna, Italie, 11-12 mars 2002)

* Sudan. Protecting civilians — 10 March: The Sudanese government and the SPLA sign a US-brokered agreement to protect civilians from «all types of military operations». The accord follows the arrival last week of international monitors to Khartoum, and a US announcement that an agreement was emerging to end government bombings of civilians. 12 March: The United States has given details of plans to deploy the international monitors in Sudan, to ensure compliance with a ceasefire agreed by the government and the SPLA rebel movement in January. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says a team of 15 monitors, together with support staff, will be led by a Norwegian officer, and will be deployed in the Nuba mountains for an initial period of six months. Some two million people have died in the 19-year civil war between the government in Khartoum and southern rebels. The Nuba Mountains —one of the hardest hit areas - have been fought for by both the government and rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Mr Boucher says the SPLA leader, John Garang, will be meeting US officials in Washington this week. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 March 2002)

* Tanzania. Computer students «bridging digital divide» — A group of 38 students has just graduated from an information and communications technology (ICT) course in Dar es Salaam, the focus of which was to promote development by bridging the so-called «digital divide» in least-developed countries like Tanzania. The students earned Cisco Certified Network Associate certificates — the same as that awarded to students at many US universities and high schools — after graduating from the University of Dar es Salaam computing centre, according to the United Nations Development Programme which is supporting the programme. The programme, which it is proposed to expand throughout the country, is intended to help Tanzania increase the number of ICT professionals able to solve technical problems in the workplace and help make organisations more efficient. (IRIN, Kanya, 7 March 2002)

* Tanzania. Danish aid comes under scrutiny — Danish MPs have threatened to vote for aid cutbacks to Tanzania should the country forge ahead with plans to purchase a state-of-the-art air traffic control system worth 40 million US dollars from a UK-based aerospace firm. The Danish Association of International Cooperation said in a press release that MPs in that country have petitioned their government to slice Tanzanian aid should the deal, criticised by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) go ahead. However, the Danish embassy in Dar es Salaam said there was currently no change in its government support to Tanzania, which totalled 52.45 billion Tanzanian shillings (Tsh) last year. Tanzania is looking ahead to closing the  deal on the radar equipment designed to boost the country’s defence and provide modern air security for its sky. Transport minister Mark Mwandosya told Parliament last January when Tanzanian MPs passed a motion in support of the purchase, that the country’s present radar system was obsolete and poses «a great risk to national security.» Negotiations have been going on for three years without public notice until the British press disclosed the deal, triggering protests. (PANA, Senegal, 7 March 2002)

* Tanzania. World Bank to investigate miners’ deaths — The World Bank has promised to investigate allegations that more than 50 small-scale gold miners were buried alive because police wanted to evict them from land to make way for a foreign company, operating with an investment guarantee from the bank. The government has denied accusations that police were to blame for the deaths — which allegedly occurred when they were evicting the miners from land that had been sold to a foreign mining company. A prominent judge, Justice Mark Bomani, has called on the government to open an investigation into the murder allegations. In 1996 the northern Tanzanian gold mines of Bulyanhulu were sold to a foreign company. To start their mining operation, the company needed to move the small-scale miners who were working in the area. It was during this move that the police allegedly buried alive miners who had either refused to leave or were still in the pits. The government has always refuted the claims and Attorney General Andrew Chenge has asked Justice Bomani to produce proof of the alleged killings — which the government says did not occur. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002)

* Tunisie. Jugement en appel — La cour d’appel de Tunis a ajourné au 30 mars son jugement dans l’affaire des trois dirigeants du Parti communiste des travailleurs tunisiens, Hamma Hammani, Abdeljaber Madouri et Samir Tamallah, qui avaient été condamnés, en février, à des peines allant jusqu’à onze ans de prison. Par cette décision, annoncée le 9 mars, le tribunal satisfait à l’une des demandes présentées par plus de deux cents avocats de la défense, qui réclamaient plus de temps pour étudier le dossier; mais la Cour a ignoré l’appel répété des avocats en faveur de la libération des détenus. (Le Monde, France, 12 mars 2002)

* Uganda. Selling off sugar works — Uganda’s state-owned Kinyara sugar works is to be privatised by the end of the year, the government said on 11 March. Kinyara, the second largest sugar company in Uganda, is managed by UK firm Booker Tate on behalf of the Ugandan Government. It produces 50,000 tonnes of Uganda’s 120,000 tonnes per year of sugar. Sugar refining is one of the main industries in Uganda, where more than 80% of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Kinyara owns 7,800 hectares of farmland, as well as receiving cane from out-growers who own a further 3,000  hectares of sugar plantations. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 March 2002)

* Ouganda/UE. Aide aux déplacés — L’Union européenne a accordé une aide humanitaire d’une valeur de 420.000 euros en faveur des personnes déplacées en Ouganda, annonce un communiqué officiel remis à la presse le 11 mars. Plus de 110.000 personnes déplacées dans le district de Gulu à cause des activités de groupes rebelles recevront de l’aide grâce à ces crédits. Les programmes financés par l’UE dans le cadre de cette nouvelle intervention est de 18 mois. (PANA, Sénégal, 11 mars 2002)

* Ouganda. La lutte contre la LRA — Des soldats parlant avec un accent américain prononcé, se trouvent aux côtés des troupes ougandaises entrées au Soudan dans le cadre d’une vaste opération contre les rebelles de la LRA (Armée de résistance du Seigneur), rapporte l’agence Misna le 7 mars. Il s’agirait d’une trentaine de conseillers militaires américains qui doivent assister l’armée ougandaise pour éliminer le gros des forces rebelles guidées par Joseph Kony, dont les camps se trouvent dans quatre villages proches du fleuve Kit, l’un des affluents du Nil Blanc. L’opération ougandaise est menée en étroite collaboration avec le SPLA, le mouvement rebelle sud-soudanais. Le ministre ougandais de la Défense a reconnu que ses troupes ont pénétré à l’intérieur du Sud-Soudan à la poursuite des rebelles de la LRA. Le 11 mars, il a déclaré que l’armée ougandaise patrouillait à 40 km à l’intérieur du Soudan. - D’autre part, dans un rapport annuel rendu public le 12 mars, la Commission ougandaise des droits de l’homme (UHRC) lance un appel au président Museveni pour que soient rétablies de bonnes relations durables entre l’Ouganda et le Soudan, afin de mettre fin aux attaques de la LRA. “Le rétablissement de relations excellentes entre l’Ouganda et le Soudan donnerait plus de chance de priver la LRA du soutien si nécessaire du gouvernement du Soudan”, dit l’UHRC. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 mars 2002)

* Uganda. Suspected cult members arrested — child rescued — Police have arrested 16 members of a suspected religious cult that eschews medical treatment and rescued a dying child, a senior police official said on 12 March. Police raided the headquarters of Believers in God in Akworo, 380 kilometres northwest of Kampala, and rescued a 3-year-old sick child who had been denied medical treatment, district Police Commissioner Samson Onyai said. «This group has been in existence for some time, and we want to establish whether it is a real cult,» Onyai said by telephone from his office in Nebbi. «We are holding 16 people, the leader is on the run and the child is in critical condition in hospital.» The government New  Vision newspaper said on 12 March that at least 10 people had died in the Believers of God camp in Akworo. The private daily Monitor said the bodies of 30 members who died after failing to receive medical treatment had been secretly buried. Onyai said he did not have information on the reports, adding authorities were investigating. (CNN, USA, 13 March 2002

* Western Sahara. Polisario blasts Morocco’s Sahara claim — The Polisario Front, the independence movement for Western Sahara, has condemned the latest speech by the king of Morocco claiming sovereignty over the disputed territory. A statement broadcast on Polisario radio described the king’s words as «a declaration of war on international legality». In his address on 6 March, King Mohammed said Morocco would not give up an inch of the region. He was speaking during a visit to Western Sahara, his second in four months. The Polisario also accused Morocco of wanting to plunder Western Sahara’s resources, which include phosphorous, fish stocks and, perhaps, offshore oil. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002)

* Zambia. Chiluba accepts to step down as party leader — Former president Frederick Chiluba, who has been criticised by forces both inside and outside his ruling Movement for Multiparty democracy, has accepted to step down as party leader. Chiluba left the presidency two-and-a-half months ago, and suffered a severe setback last week when the Lusaka High Court ordered him to surrender state vehicles, bodyguards and domestic workers he had taken with him from State House. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 March 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Independent radio shows its mettle — When the Zimbabwe government refused to grant them a broadcasting licence, Radio Dialogue moved out of the studio and into the community in an innovative bid to reach the people. Each weekend Radio Dialogue «road shows» perform live at shopping centres in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, mixing music, drama and poetry with messages on human rights and community empowerment. The station also hands out tapes of its programmes to taxi drivers to play to their passengers. «We are taking the station to the people,» says Jethro Mpofu, head of Radio Dialogue. «We want to play a developmental and democratisation role. We want to be a platform for the community where ideas around democracy can circulate freely.» There is not one licensed independent radio station in Zimbabwe. After the Supreme Court ruled against the legal monopoly of the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in 2000, the government introduced new regulations that have effectively barred private and community radio. (IRIN, Kenya,  7 March 2002)

* Zimbabwe. «The people will vote» — 7 March: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s main rival in this weekend’s presidential elections  has said he believes rigging will not prevent his victory. Morgan Tsvangirai, addressing his final news conference, said that although the poll would be far from free and fair «the people will vote for change». Election authorities have still to announce the location of the 4,548 polling stations or publish voter lists, and Mr Tsvangirai accused the ruling party of using «every imaginable trick to assist its fortunes in this election». Two days before the vote begins, Mr Tsvangirai’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has filed a legal challenge to changes by President Robert Mugabe to the election law. It is not clear when the legal challenge will be heard by the Supreme Court, which last week declared similar measures unconstitutional. 8 March: On the last day of campaigning before Zimbabwe’s elections, President Robert Mugabe and his main opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, are making final attempts to rally their supporters. Both men say they are confident of victory in the most fiercely contested election since independence from Britain in 1980. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Zimbabweans to vote, but he has demanded that the poll be fair and that the results be respected. However, the opposition MDC says it has not been shown the electoral roll, and there is confusion about the location of polling stations. President Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai will visit their respective strongholds, today. The President is due to tour areas north of the capital, Harare, where he expects to do well. Mr Tsvangirai will be visiting Harare’s industrial zone, where he first rose to prominence as a trade union leader. Both men say they are confident of victory; neither seem in any mood to accept defeat. — There are also three other candidates for the election. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Voting days — 9 March: Polls have opened in Zimbabwe’s most fiercely contested presidential elections since independence from Britain in 1980. There were reports of fresh violence against supporters of Mr Tsvangirai, with a car belonging to MDC polling agents destroyed near the central town of Kwekwe. Long queues several hundred metres formed before voting began outside a number of polling stations. But there is widespread confusion about who is eligible to vote and where, and the opposition has accused the government of trying to rig the elections. And the Supreme Court has refused to rule on a last-minute appeal by Mr Tsvangirai, aimed at overturning new election rules decreed by Mr Mugabe this week. The new rules restrict the postal vote to the army, police and diplomats and disenfranchise thousands of Zimbabweans with dual citizenship. Thousands of urban voters spend long hours in queues. 10 March: The MDC has begun legal moves to try to extend voting. The MDC is asking the High Court to extend voting for two more days in Harare and in Chtungziwa. Long queues have formed for a second day. The MDC alleges the government is deliberately slowing  the pace of voting to boost Mugane’s chances of being re-elected. The High Court extends the voting period throughout Zimbabwe for one extra day. The Government says it is going to appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision. 11 March: Polling stations have opened for a third day in Harare. It is not clear whether polling stations outside the capital will open. The Justice Minister says the government will only extend the poll in Harare and Chitungwiza. —The Government orders polling stations to close at 7.p.m. despite continuing queues of voters. — The MDC says about 80 of its activists have been arrested including Welshman Ncube, its secretary-general. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 March 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Counting the votes — 12 March: The counting of votes in Zimbabwe’s presidential election is due to start this morning, after the High Court rejected a request from the opposition for polling to continue for a fourth day. The secretary-general of Zimbabwe’s governing Zanu-PF party, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has said the party would abide by the will of the people if the results showed President Robert Mugabe has lost to his main challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai. But a senior official from Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change said the election had not been free and fair, and said the party would challenge the result in court if Mr Tsvangirai lost. The MDC warned of «an expression of anger» in the capital Harare after so many were turned away from polling stations. The United States has expressed its concern over the conduct of elections. — Welshman Ncube is formally charged with treason in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Mugabe. 13 March — (Morning report): President Robert Mugabe has a clear lead over opposition challenger Morgan Tsvangirai. With some results still to come in, Registrar-general Tobaiwa says Mr Mugabe has already received 1,634,382 votes — more than the 50% he needed for victory. Mr Tsvangirai has so far received 1,185,890 votes. Mr Mugabe’s supporters in rural areas have turned out in larger numbers than opposition voters in towns and cities. But the international community is expressing new concerns that the poll was not free and fair. New Zealand said that it was ready to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe, if the Commonwealth did not suspend the country. Foreign Minister Phil Goff said that there had been «an absolutely chaotic end to the voting», adding that some observers from African countries had shown a bias towards Mr Mugabe. «You would think that people had been at two different elections,» said Mr Goff. Norwegian observers say the poll did not meet international standards and had been marred by violence, most of it from government supporters. The Zimbabwean Election Support Network, an umbrella organization of 38 Church and civic groups, said tens of thousands of people had been prevented from voting. Some of the first constituencies to declare were in Matebeleland, in the west  of the country, where President Mugabe does not traditionally enjoy much support. State television announces that the security forces are on a high state of alert, in case of any trouble when the final result is announced. (Evening report): International opinion is becoming increasingly divided over President Mugabe’s victory. The USA and the UK lead international condemnation of the result, while in contrast, some African countries appear to welcome it. Teams of observers from South Africa and Nigeria describe the ballot as «legitimate». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 March 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Election présidentielle —  Avant-Pendant-Après
AVANT — 7 mars. Le Mouvement pour un changement démocratique (MDC), le principal parti d’opposition, a annoncé qu’il n’excluait pas de former un gouvernement d’union nationale avec le parti ZANU-PF du président sortant Mugabe, en cas de victoire lors du scrutin présidentiel du week-end. Pour le MDC, cette formule serait nécessaire à un retour au calme. Son dirigeant Morgan Tsvangirai a par ailleurs précisé qu’il n’avait pas encore réfléchi à l’hypothèse d’un maintien au pouvoir de M. Mugabe et son parti. Le MDC redoute des fraudes électorales massives. On apprenait par ailleurs que le Marché commun pour l’Afrique orientale et australe (COMESA) a finalement envoyé des observateurs pour la supervision du scrutin. - 8 mars. A la veille de l’élection présidentielle, le gouvernement a encore distribué des notifications de saisie de terres à plus de 100 fermiers blancs. Par ailleurs, les violences à l’encontre de l’opposition se sont poursuivies. Ainsi, des représentants du MDC qui s’apprêtaient à se déployer dans les bureaux de vote, ont été arrêtés et conduits à un poste de police, après avoir été harcelés par des militants du ZANU-PF. Selon des observateurs, jamais le pays n’a été aussi divisé et jamais ces divisions n’ont été aussi explosives. A la fin de sa campagne, M. Mugabe a prédit à son camp une victoire écrasante et a encore lancé une virulente attaque contre la Grande-Bretagne. L’armée a été placée en état d’alerte avancé. - 
PENDANT — 9-10 mars. L’élection présidentielle, samedi et dimanche, a été marquée par une très forte participation, particulièrement à Harare et dans les grandes villes, et s’est dans l’ensemble déroulée dans le calme en dépit de la lenteur des opérations de vote. Cette lenteur et les énormes files à Harare et alentours étaient provoquées par la diminution des bureaux de vote, mais aussi par le fait qu’il fallait y voter également pour des municipales. Dans les campagnes et les petites villes, les gens ont pu voter rapidement. Dans la soirée du dimanche, la Haute Cour de justice, saisie par l’opposition, a ordonné une prolongation de 24 heures des opérations de vote sur l’ensemble du pays. Mais le gouvernement a décidé de prolonger le scrutin, le lundi, dans la seule ville de Harare et sa banlieue de Chitungwiza, où les difficultés rencontrées durant le week-end ont été les plus importantes. -11 mars. Les habitants de  Harare ont continué à se rendre aux urnes, mais les bureaux, au lieu d’ouvrir à 7 heures comme prévu, n’ont commencé à fonctionner qu’à partir de 11 heures ou midi, quand beaucoup de gens, découragés, étaient déjà rentrés chez eux. L’opposition a réclamé un 4ème jour de scrutin, mais cette fois-ci la Haute Cour a répondu par la négative. L’Union européenne pour sa part dit avoir reçu des rapports indiquant que les élections n’ont pas été honnêtes. D’autre part, le secrétaire général adjoint du MDC, Welshman Ncube, a été arrêté près de la frontière avec le Botswana. Pour rappel, M. Ncube avait été inculpé pour “trahison”, tout comme M. Tsvangirai, président du MDC. Deux autres responsables du MDC, Gift Chimanikire et Tendai Biti, ont également été arrêtés. Par ailleurs, quatre diplomates américains, qui se trouvaient dans le pays au titre d’observateurs, ont été arrêtés et retenus par la police pendant cinq heures, sans qu’aucune explication ne leur soit fournie. Washington a dit qu’il présentera une protestation formelle. - 
APRES — 12 mars. Le dépouillement des bulletins de vote est en cours. Tout démontre que le président Mugabe est en tête. Mais les réactions fusent de toute part. Les élections n’ont été “ni libres, ni justes”, a affirmé Reginald Machaba-Hove, président du réseau zimbabwéen de supervision électorale (ZESN, une coalition de 38 ONG), qui dénonce aussi l’arrestation de 150 personnes, la plupart des observateurs travaillant pour ces ONG. Amnesty International a exigé la libération immédiate de plus de 1.400 personnes arrêtées, essentiellement des agents électoraux et des observateurs de la société civile. Le International Crisis Group a accusé le pouvoir “d’intimidations et d’irrégularités importantes”. Le ministre britannique des Affaires étrangères, Jack Straw, a affirmé qu’il y avait des indications claires que Mugabe avait “volé” l’élection, ajoutant que, si cela se confirme, “cela aura des implications énormes sur la nature de nos relations avec le Zimbabwe”. Un porte-parole du département d’Etat américain a, quant à lui, estimé que le scrutin était “largement faussé” et a accusé le président Mugabe d’en être responsable. Par contre, la plupart des missions d’observation africaines, notamment celles du Nigeria et de l’Afrique du Sud, se sont déclarées satisfaites du déroulement du scrutin et considèrent les résultats comme “justes”. Le 13 mars, la Commission électorale du Zimbabwe a déclaré officiellement le président Mugabe vainqueur de l’élection avec 1.685.212 voix (56%) contre 1.258.401 voix (41,7%) pour Tsvangirai. La commission a comptabilisé plus de 800.000 bulletins nuls pour une participation qui dépasse à peine les 50%. M. Tsvangirai a rejeté ces résultats, mais la situation est restée calme, alors que la police et l’armée étaient placées en état d’alerte maximale. Cependant, cette réélection du président Mugabe pourrait mener le Zimbabwe vers “l’effondrement économique total”, estimaient des analystes. Tous les indicateurs économiques sont dans le rouge depuis deux ans:  80% de pauvreté, 60% de chômage, 120% d’inflation, 30% de baisse des exportations et un taux de change totalement fictif. Le 14 mars, le président G. Bush a déclaré que les Etats-Unis ne reconnaîtraient pas la victoire de R.Mugabe et qu’ils vont consulter les autres pays sur la façon de “réagir à cette élection viciée”. La mission d’observation du Commonwealth, de son côté, a affirmé ce jeudi que l’élection de Mugabe “n’a pas été libre et s’est déroulée dans un climat de peur”. Le chef de la mission, le Nigérian A. Abubakar, a en plus exprimé son inquiétude face aux “groupes de jeunes paramilitaires” liés au parti au pouvoir. Il a en outre dénoncé les restrictions imposées aux observateurs indépendants, un processus électoral “confus” qui a privé du droit de vote des “milliers” de citoyens et les abus de pouvoir des responsables de l’organisation des élections désignés par le gouvernement. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 14 mars 2002)