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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 30-05-2002

PART #4/4 - From SENEGAL to  ZIMBABWE

* Nigeria. Adopting Biosafety Guidelines — The Nigerian Government has adopted a set of Biosafety Guidelines, joining Egypt, Kenya and South Africa, the only other African countries with such Guidelines. The Federal Ministry of Environment has acknowledged the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for the very active role it played as a member of the inter-ministerial committee which developed the Guidelines. The committee addressed a number of issues which will promote the rational application of biotechnology for development. The committee’s submission has been deliberated upon by the Federal Executive Council, and forwarded to the National Assembly to pass into Law. Biosafety is the assessment of the impact and safety of genetically improved organisms. The Biosafety Guidelines prescribe appropriate regulatory measures for the establishment and maintenance of institutional capacities, that are necessary for safety in biotechnology, as well as the development of expert human resources. (Taye Babaleye, ANB-BIA, Nigeria, 21 May 2002)

* Nigeria. Violences à Bauchi - Menace de grève — Le 25 mai, des incidents violents ont eu lieu entre étudiants chrétiens et musulmans à Bauchi (nord du Nigeria), faisant 3 morts et plusieurs blessés, selon la presse locale. Les bagarres ont commencé dans une école secondaire publique, avant de toucher d’autres parties de la ville. Un couvre-feu a été instauré. Les leaders religieux ont adressé un appel à la population pour faire revenir le calme. - D’autre part, le National Labour Congress (NLC), principal syndicat nigérian, a lancé un ultimatum de six semaines au gouvernement pour qu’il augmente de 25% les salaires des travailleurs du secteur public. Sinon, une grève générale sera déclenchée le 10 juillet, paralysant le pays. En janvier, le président du NLC avait été arrêté deux fois et deux mouvements de grève avaient été déclarés illégaux pour n’avoir pas respecté les 21 jours de préavis prévus par la loi. (Misna, Italie, 27 mai 2002)

* Nigeria. Obasanjo pledges rights action — 28 May: President Olusegun Obasanjo has made his first response to the findings of the Human Rights Commission, set up to investigate political crimes committed since the first military coup in Nigeria in 1966. Mr Obasanjo praised the members of the commission for the work. He said the report’s recommendations would be faithfully implemented, after the document had been studied in detail. The report itself calls for national reconciliation and for the financial compensation for victims where appropriate, which remains a key point of contention. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the official publication of the report, Mr Obasanjo said that the entire process of allowing those that had suffered under decades of military rule had brought not only remorse, but also reconciliation. The findings of the commission, he said, would be carefully studied and acted upon. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 May 2002)

* Senegal. Senegal fights to protect fishing industry — 21 May: Senegal has said it wants to charge the European Union (EU) for fishing in its waters. The minister responsible for the sector said the government was looking to charge the EU, 20m euros ($18m) each year. Since the beginning of this year the West African country has banned vessels from the EU from fishing in its waters after over-fishing led to a crisis for the local industry. Talks between Dakar and Brussels have yet to produce an agreement on how commercial fishing should continue. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 May 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Uphill task for diamond exports — David Momoh, a Sierra Leone government mining inspector, polices the Kono diamond fields armed with one weapon: a 100-foot-long tape measure. Mr Momoh, whose task is to ensure gem-diggers working by the roadside stay within their allocated plots, has just had his zone of responsibility doubled because of a shortage of personnel. «You see how we are seriously understaffed?» asks Francis Kabia, government mine superintendent». There is one warden only to cover this entire area.» The complaint is common among government officials charged with encouraging the legitimate production of diamonds, which all but shut down during the country’s decade-long civil war. The supervision problems raise concerns that smuggling could deprive the nation of much-needed revenues and undermine international pressure for higher ethical standards in diamond production and export. The government is trying to encourage Sierra Leoneans and foreign investors to return to diamond mining after peaceful elections this month and this year’s official declaration of the end of the civil war. The industry collapsed after the rebel Revolutionary United Front, which started the war in 1991, drove mining companies away from Kono and extracted and sold diamonds illegally to fund its activities. The government, which restarted its office in Kono in January, says it has issued 30 licences so far to  Sierra Leoneans for alluvial mining — the extraction of surface deposits by teams of men equipped with shovels. Some foreign companies that operated in Sierra Leone have returned for reconnaissance trips, although most will need to invest heavily to replace extraction machinery destroyed by the rebels. (Financial Times, UK, 24 May 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Companies urged to keep pre-civil war promises — The Sierra Leone government has told mining companies with interests in the country that it expects them to return to fulfil investment obligations suspended during the civil war. But the Ministry of Mineral Resources said it thought that a number were unlikely to come back because they would be reluctant to re-invest in operations that were damaged or destroyed before the official end of the conflict this year. Companies with interests in the gem-rich but politically unstable sub-region of west Africa, made up of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, face a difficult decision. Mano River Resources, a company publicly traded in Canada and Britain, had already begun prospecting in February under the terms of licences to explore for gold and diamonds. Mano, which includes the nephew of a former president of Liberia among its advisers, is typical of the small and specialised foreign mining companies that operate in Sierra Leone. One high-profile company with a licence to operate in Sierra Leone is DiamondWorks, which is listed in Canada and cropped up during the 1998 UK parliamentary investigation into contacts between the British government and the private military company Sandline International. Tim Spicer, Sandline’s former chief executive, told the investigation that Rupert Bowen, DiamondWorks’ then country manager, had left DiamondWorks to act as a consultant to Sandline, although he said there was no «corporate connection» between the two businesses. Another significant licence-holder is Rex Diamond Mining Corporation. Serge Muller, its president and chief executive, is a member of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse and a former marketing agent for Sierra Leone’s then government-owned National Diamond Mining Company. (Financial Times, UK, 24 May 2002)

* Somalia. Gunmen release UN captive — 25 May: A United Nations employee in the Somali capital Mogadishu has been freed after being kidnapped nearly four weeks ago. Mohamed Ali Abukar — a Somali working for the UN Development Programme — was said to be tired but unharmed. Mr Abukar was the second UN official to be abducted by gunmen in Mogadishu this year. After he was seized by armed men on 28 April, the UN suspended all its activities in the Somali capital. Since Somalia descended into clan warfare following the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, abductions have  been used by gunmen to extract ransom money. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 May 2002)

* Somalie. Combats à Mogadiscio — Le 28 mai à Mogadiscio, des combats entre les forces du gouvernement somalien de transition (GNT) et les miliciens du chef de guerre Musa Sudi Yalahow auraient fait au moins 62 morts, selon Hussein Mohamed Aïdid. Ce dernier préside le Conseil somalien de réconciliation et de restauration(CSRR), un groupement de chefs de guerre hostiles au GNT, qui ne contrôle que quelques quartiers de la capitale. (Libération, France, 29 mai 2002)

* Somalia. Heavy fighting in Mogadishu — 28 May:There has been heavy fighting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, between troops of the interim government and fighters loyal to two warlords, Musa Sudi Yalahow and Mohammed Dhereh. At least 62 people were killed, including civilians caught in the crossfire, and more than 100 wounded, Hussein Mohamed Aidid, chairman of the warlords’ grouping, said. The clashes were concentrated in the same northern area of the city where the interior minister’s house was attacked last week and eight people killed. Mr Aidid and Mr Yalahow are both members of the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council, a grouping of warlords opposed to the Transitional National Government (TNG) and backed by neighbouring Ethiopia. 29 May: Forces of the transitional national government are reported to have lost control of two key areas of Mogandishu. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 29 May 2002)

* South Africa. South Africa stresses trade for August summit — South Africa, the host nation of the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, is pushing for trade and development issues to top the agenda when world leaders meet in Johannesburg in August. Developing nations are also hoping to focus the summit on improved trade access for their agricultural produce to the European Union and the US. But it is a change of emphasis that opens the prospect of confrontation with the US over agricultural trade policy. Valli Moosa, South Africa’s environmental affairs and tourism minister, said on 28 May that issues of debt relief, attracting investment into poor countries and trade access for developing countries would be key themes at the summit. South Africa, with other developing countries, is keen to shift the emphasis of the debate from environmental concerns towards those of human development and poverty alleviation. African countries intend promoting the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), an initiative promoted by President Thabo Mbeki, at the summit. The framework promotes good governance and democracy in return for increased aid and private-sector investment commitments. (Financial Times, UK, 29 May 2002)

* Sudan. Sudanese rebels venture into money business — 21 May: The Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA) says it plans to launch a bank and its own currency in southern Sudan where it is in control. This is the demand of the civilian population in the liberated areas in order to enhance economic activities. But some financial analysts have been sceptical about the venture — saying that it cannot succeed in a region perceived as a war zone or until Sudan’s political crisis is sorted out. The SPLA‘s Banking and Finance Committee chairman, Dr Lualk Deng, said that the move would reduce the region’s dependence on Ugandan and Kenyan financial institutions. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 May 2002)

* Sudan. Bush says Sudan must make peace — 22 May: In a statement, President Bush said Khartoum should stop interfering with food deliveries and attacking civilians. Mr Bush also said that he had asked the former American senator, John Danforth, to continue serving as US envoy to Sudan. Mr Danforth issued a report earlier this month calling for a major push to end the civil war in Sudan, which pits the government in the mainly Muslim north against rebels in the mainly Christian and animist south. «We must see deeds, not just words,» Mr Bush said in a written statement released by the White House. «The government of Sudan cannot make empty promises while continuing to wage war against its own people.» (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 May 2002)

* Soudan. Rapport sur l’esclavage — Dans son rapport rendu public le 22 mai, la Commission internationale, animée par les Etats-Unis et chargée de mener une enquête sur les allégations de pratiques esclavagistes au Soudan, affirme avoir constaté des violations des droits humains, notamment des enlèvements de femmes et d’enfants, perpétrées par les deux parties de la guerre civile qui déchire le pays. Le rapport note “des pratiques telles que les déplacements forcés de populations, les attaques délibérées sur des civils, les enlèvements, le recrutement forcé d’enfants et autres civils utilisés comme soldats ou main-d’oeuvre agricole, le viol, les pillages...”. Un point particulièrement inquiétant, note le rapport, est “celui qui touche aux enlèvements et autres abus perpétrés par les milices gouvernementales, connues sous le nom de Murahaleen, à proximité de la frontière entre le Nord et le Sud Soudan. (...) Le gouvernement a pris la responsabilité d’armer les groupes de Murahaleen afin de les utiliser comme forces militaires auxiliaires, leur permettant de jouir de l’impunité à la suite des nombreux crimes très graves dont ils se sont rendus coupables”. La Commission conseille au gouvernement de démanteler ces groupes ou de les placer sous la supervision directe de l’armée. Elle a cependant révélé qu’elle n’était pas en mesure de déterminer le niveau des pratiques d’enlèvement et  d’esclavage, et s’est déclarée incapable de déterminer l’ampleur des pratiques de vente d’esclaves. Elle a noté l’existence d’une “large gamme de relations entre les gens du Nord et gens du Sud. Ces relations vont du servage pour dette au simple parrainage ou à l’adoption. S’il arrive que ces relations confinent à l’exploitation économique, elles sont rarement assimilables à de l’esclavage”. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 23 mai 2002)

* Sudan. Plane bombs southern village — 23 May: Fifteen people are reported to have been killed and many more injured when a plane dropped bombs on a village in southern Sudan. The rebels Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLA) has accused the government of responsibility. An Antonov bomber attacked in the dark without warning early on 22 May, according to foreign aid workers inside southern Sudan. The plane dropped 16 bombs on the village of Rier, in western Upper Nile Province, the aid workers say. The initial death toll was 11, but it has now reportedly risen to 15, with more than 90 people injured. NTA, a Norwegian aid organisation, says it has already flown dozens of wounded people to hospital. Speaking by satellite telephone, one NTA official called it «total carnage», with many children killed and others losing hands and legs to shrapnel. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 May 2002)

* Sudan. Catholic Bishops of Southern Sudan defend right of self-determination — Catholic bishops in rebel-controlled areas in Sudan have welcomed a report by a US special envoy on peace. In a press release signed by Bishop Paride Taban, president of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Regional Conference (SCBRC), the prelates say that US envoy John Danforth has made two visits to southern Sudan to see firsthand the suffering of the people in this war-torn country. The SCBRC hopes that the US envoy’s involvement will lead to improved human rights in the Nuba Mountains and that the United States will play a role in bringing the long war to an end. With the cessation of hostilities in the Nuba Mountains, the Khartoum government has deployed these forces to the Western Upper Nile around the oil fields. The government is now prohibiting flights to the Nuba Mountains. The SCBRC is happy that the Danforth report acknowledges the Declaration of Principles by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development on the right to self-determination for the southern Sudanese. The report also highlighted religion as a major factor in Sudan. The Catholic bishops point out that before the government declared Islamic law, Sudanese of diverse backgrounds had managed to live together without much problem. Islamic law has triggered friction between Muslims and non-Muslims, the bishops say. The Catholic Church has called for dialogue and tolerance, and organized conferences to achieve understanding between Islam and other faiths. In view of the enforcement of Islamic law, the rights of non-Muslims need  to be addressed as well as their right to self-determination, the bishops say. The bishops also voice strong support for the US government’s involvement in achieving a lasting peace in Sudan. (Zenit, Italy, 27 May 2002)

* Swaziland/Afr. du Sud. Réfugiés swazis — Le gouvernement sud-africain vient d’accorder le statut de réfugié à deux membres du principal parti d’opposition du Swaziland, Bongani Masuku et Boman Tsela, membres du Mouvement populaire démocratique uni (PUDEMO). Le Swaziland n’est plus un pays sûr sur le plan politique pour ses citoyens qui s’opposent au système de gouvernement traditionnel, a affirmé le secrétaire général du PUDEMO, qui a remercié le gouvernement sud-africain et indiqué que des demandes similaires ont été déposées pour environ 27 familles expulsées de force des terres ancestrales pour avoir refusé d’accepter le frère aîné du roi Mswati comme leur chef. Ces familles ont été transportées dans des camions de l’armée et abandonnées en brousse. Elles ont décidé de fuir en Afrique du Sud. (PANA, Sénégal, 23 mai 2002)

* Tchad/Cameroun. Une grève paralyse le pipeline — Les travaux de construction de l’oléoduc Tchad-Cameroun sont toujours paralysés par la grève qu’observent, depuis le 13 mai, les employés de l’entreprise américaine Doba Logistics, un des principaux maîtres de l’ouvrage. Les grévistes exigent l’application de toutes les clauses de l’accord d’établissement signé le 6 mars dernier (après une autre grève en décembre 2001), ainsi que l’arrêt de la violation de leurs droits fondamentaux, notamment leurs conditions de travail et de rémunération. Le chef du projet juge les accusations non fondées; de leur côté, les travailleurs affirment qu’ils ne sont pas prêts à céder. Le chantier est un oléoduc de 1.046 km (dont 90% en territoire camerounais) devant transporter du pétrole de Doba au Tchad à la cité balnéaire camerounaise de Kribi. (PANA, Sénégal, 28 mai 2002)

* Tchad. Affrontements dans le nord — Des affrontements entre l’armée régulière et les rebelles du MDJT (Mouvement pour la démocratie et la justice au Tchad) dans le nord-est du pays auraient fait au moins une soixantaine de victimes. Selon des sources gouvernementales, les rebelles ont attaqué un convoi militaire dans les environs d’Ounianga (région d’Ennedi, à plus de 1.000 km au nord de N’Djamena et à 150 km seulement de la frontière libyenne). Il s’agit du premier affrontement armé ouvert entre l’armée et les rebelles depuis la signature du cessez-le-feu en janvier dernier. Au début d’avril, le processus de paix avait connu un arrêt à cause des exigences des rebelles jugées excessives par N’Djamena. (Misna, Italie, 29 mai 2002)

* Togo. Le front anti-Eyadéma se lézarde — Annoncée le 8 mai, la nouvelle composition de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante, désormais constituée de sept magistrats et non plus des représentants des partis, débouchera-t-elle sur un boycottage des futures législatives par l’ensemble de l’opposition? Ce n’est pas sûr. Si Gilchrist Olympio a fait savoir qu’il ne se prêterait pas au jeu, le front des anti-Eyadéma semble se lézarder. Deux poids lourds de l’opposition ont été discrètement reçus, le 23 mai, par le chef de l’Etat afin de négocier leur participation au scrutin, qui pourrait avoir lieu en septembre prochain. Une victoire de la majorité présidentielle pourrait permettre au président Eyadéma de solliciter un nouveau mandat en 2003. (JA/L’Intelligent, France, 27 mai 2002)

* Tunisia. Huge win for Ben Ali — 27 May: First official results from a referendum in Tunisia show massive support for constitutional changes which would allow President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to stay in power. The Interior Ministry said more than 99% of people had voted to abolish the three-term limit for incumbent presidents and raise the age limit of a sitting president from 70 to 75. The president was due to retire in 2004 after 15 years in office but the proposed constitutional amendments would allow him to stand for a further two terms. Several opposition figures had called for a boycott of the referendum, fearing any change would reintroduce the system of a president for life. Mr Ben Ali has said the referendum is about democratic reform, including a second parliamentary chamber and better human rights protection. But human rights groups speak of a climate of fear in Tunisia, with dissent quickly squashed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 May 2002) — * Tunisie. Référendum constitutionnel — 26 mai. Près de 3,6 millions de Tunisiens étaient appelés à se prononcer sur un projet de réforme fondamentale de la Constitution, par le biais d’un référendum, le premier du genre en Tunisie. La réforme vise essentiellement à permettre au président Ben Ali de briguer un 4ème mandat de cinq ans lors des élections de 2004. Les amendements proposés prévoient le renouvellement sans limite des candidatures à la magistrature suprême et repoussent l’âge limite à 75 ans. Elles accordent aussi au président une immunité pénale pendant et après l’exercice de sa fonction. Touchant près de la moitié des 78 articles de la Constitution, la réforme prévoit en outre la création d’une deuxième chambre parlementaire et des élections présidentielles à deux tours. Selon le pouvoir, la réforme vise aussi à “conforter les droits de l’homme et les libertés” en apportant des garanties judiciaires à la garde à vue et la détention préventive. De nombreuses figures de l’opposition se sont déclarées hostiles à cette réforme et ont appelé au boycott. Le 24 avril, huit associations  actives dans la défense des droits de l’homme et des libertés avaient encore affirmé leur opposition à la réforme et dénoncé l’absence de libertés dans leur pays. -27 mai. Résultats: la réforme de la Constitution a été approuvée à 99,52%. Le taux de participation a atteint 95%, malgré l’appel au boycottage. Les opposants parlent de “simulacre”, voire de “mascarade”. On peut cependant difficilement nier l’adhésion quasiment unanime des Tunisiens au projet de leur président. (ANB-BIA, 28 mai 2002)

* Tunisia. Huge win for Ben Ali — 27 May: First official results from a referendum in Tunisia show massive support for constitutional changes which would allow President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to stay in power. The Interior Ministry said more than 99% of people had voted to abolish the three-term limit for incumbent presidents and raise the age limit of a sitting president from 70 to 75. The president was due to retire in 2004 after 15 years in office but the proposed constitutional amendments would allow him to stand for a further two terms. Several opposition figures had called for a boycott of the referendum, fearing any change would reintroduce the system of a president for life. Mr Ben Ali has said the referendum is about democratic reform, including a second parliamentary chamber and better human rights protection. But human rights groups speak of a climate of fear in Tunisia, with dissent quickly squashed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 May 2002)

* Tunisie. Hammami: état de santé inquiétant — La Fédération internationale des droits de l’homme (FIDH) exprime son extrême préoccupation concernant le sort de M. Hamma Hammami, porte-parole du Parti communiste des ouvriers de Tunisie (PCOT, parti non autorisé) et directeur du journal interdit Al Badil. M. Hammami a entamé depuis le 10 mai une grève de la faim pour protester contre ses conditions de détention à la prison civile de Tunis et contre les mauvais traitements subis. Depuis son incarcération le 2 février, il avait été enfermé dans une cellule sans fenêtres dans le pavillon des condamnés à mort. Ce n’est qu’après une première grève de la faim qu’il a été transféré dans une autre cellule. Actuellement, il passe 22 heures par jour enfermé dans sa cellule. Son état de santé s’est aggravé de façon alarmante ces derniers jours. De plus, la FIDH est vivement préoccupée par les intimidations et les agressions policières dont est victime l’entourage de Hammami, en particulier sa femme et sa fille de 13 ans. La FIDH dénonce la persistance de la torture et des mauvais traitements subis par les détenus dans les prisons tunisiennes. (News Press, France, 28 mai 2002)

* Uganda. Boot camp for boozing police — The Ugandan police force is trying to clear  drunkards out of its ranks. Hundreds of officers have been sent to the capital Kampala in an attempt to get them off the booze. It was immediately clear these policemen were in for a tough time. «Jump up and down like a rabbit,» an instructor from the riot police yelled at the officers. The 351 have been brought to Kibuli police training school in Kampala from all over the country. In order to make them more effective in their jobs, the officers are being put through a strict regime. After being woken up at 0400, they are sent on a road-run before returning for a variety of physical tasks. These include weight-lifting, crawling on the ground, wrestling and hours of drills. «Those who fall below the required standard will definitely have to go because you can’t perform when you are a drunkard,» warns senior superintendent Gabriel Amgbu. Clearing drunks out of the police force is one of the promises made by the Inspector General of Police, Major General Katumba Wamala. Many Ugandans are pleased that the problem is being admitted and tackled so publicly. (BBC News, UK, 27 May 2002)

* Ouganda. Campagne de désarmement — En décembre 2001, le président ougandais Yoweri Museveni promettait une amnistie aux populations pastorales du nord-est de l’Ouganda qui rendraient volontairement leurs armes. La période de grâce a expiré le 21 mai dernier, et l’armée ougandaise est entrée en action pour récupérer l’arsenal détenu illégalement par les populations karamajongs. A ce jour, sur les 40.000 armes attendues, seules 9.800 ont été récupérées, et l’armée rencontre des difficultés avec les Jies, un groupe de Karamajongs qui refuse de déposer fusils et munitions. Les Jies n’hésitent pas à ouvrir le feu sur les soldats. Quinze personnes ont déjà trouvé la mort lors de ces échauffourées, dont deux soldats. Les combats entre tribus pour le bétail sont devenues très meurtrières en raison du trafic d’armes légères en provenance du Sud-Soudan ou d’éléments corrompus de l’armée ougandaise. (JA/L’Intelligent, France, 27 mai 2002)

* Uganda. Uganda can absorb more aid — Paul O’Neill, the US Treasury secretary, intervened on 28 May in a dispute dividing the Ugandan government, rejecting an argument that the country could not absorb more overseas aid as «baloney». The Ugandan ministry of finance is at odds with other ministries over the issue, and the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Jeffrey Sachs, the Harvard economics professor, have also become embroiled. Mr O’Neill’s remarks were the latest in a series of interventions on aid issues during his tour of Africa with the rock star and development campaigner Bono. Mr O’Neill visited an Aids clinic on 28 May where a health ministry official complained that the finance ministry was setting limits that prevented a large increase in spending. The  health ministry wants to triple health spending from its current levels of around $120m a year and use anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to treat Aids, paid for by new aid from abroad. At a meeting of ministries, the IMF, World Bank, and non-governmental organisations last week, the finance ministry argued that the large influx of aid could push up the currency or increase inflation, hurting economic growth elsewhere. (Financial Times, UK, 29 May 2002)

* Western Sahara. Energy deal with Polisario — On 27 May, Fusion, the Anglo-Australian oil and gas company, signed a technical co-operation agreement with Polisario, the Western Saharan independence movement, covering territorial waters controlled by its neighbour Morocco. Over the next 12-16 months, it will provide Polisario’s putative Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic with an analysis of the oil potential of the Western Sahara’s 210,000sq km of territorial waters.The Atlantic coast of North Africa is drawing increasing interest from oil companies. (Financial Times, UK, 28 May 2002)

* Zambia. Zambia restarts bank privatisation — 23 May: Zambia is to privatise 51% of the troubled Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco), after an attempt to sell a smaller stake was ignored by investors. Zanaco has had its own problems. Last year, the government put up the «for sale» sign at Zanaco, but the offer of 35% stake attracted little interest, according to the privatisation agency. Mr Fundanga said he now expected more interest because the new offer gave management control. Zanaco’s privatisation is a key condition for Zambia to gain full debt relief under the World Bank’s Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) programme. For lenders to Zambia to write-off half of its $7.3bn debt, the government must show sustained economic restructuring for 12 months by the December 2003 deadline. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. «Political cleansing» worsen human rights violations — The Amani Trust, a NGO in Zimbabwe which helps survivors of organised violence, says human rights violations in Zimbabwe are continuing three months after the presidential poll. «Amani has continued to monitor the human rights situation in the post election period, issuing frequent reports on the human rights violations that continue. It is evident that there is no improvement in the human rights climate in Zimbabwe and indeed the evidence indicates a further deterioration,» the NGO said in its latest report. The organisation notes that a campaign of retribution against perceived members of the opposition Movement for the Democratic Change (MDC) is still taking place. This has been largely witnessed in areas that experienced pre-election violence. «The nature of this violence, as well as the partisan distribution of food relief, makes the current violence akin to political cleansing. Amani calls on the international community to carry out impartial and independent investigations into Zimbabwe’s human rights violations». Amani cites the youth brigades, the police, ZANU-PF supporters, the Cental Intelligence Organisations and the army, as those responsible for persisting violations. (Munyaradzi Makoni, Moto Magazine, Zimbabwe, 21 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Plume d’or 2002 — Le 27 mai, Geoffrey Nyarota, rédacteur en chef du Daily News au Zimbabwe, s’est vu décerner la Plume d’or 2002 de la Liberté de la presse, à l’occasion du 9e Forum mondial des rédacteurs en chef qui se tient à Bruges (Belgique). “Geoffrey Nyarota a résisté aux nombreuses tentatives menées pour le réduire au silence, lui et son journal. Il a été arrêté, emprisonné et menacé de mort; les rotatives de son journal ont été soufflées par une bombe et les locaux saccagés. Mais M. Nyarota a refusé de céder à cette campagne d’intimidation”, précise le conseil de l’Association mondiale des journaux, qui décerne ce prix annuel. (Le Soir, Belgique, 28 mai 2002)

* Zimbabwe. White farmers’ union warned — 28 May: The government of Zimbabwe says it is considering banning the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), which represents the interests of the country’s white farmers. Agriculture Minister Joseph Made told state television that the behaviour of some of the 4,500 members of the organisation was contrary to the land reform programme. The minister did not specify what the alleged wrongdoing was, but over the last two years the government has accused white farmers of funding the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, in part to try to stop the land redistribution programme. A CFU official said would meet today to consider its response to a possible ban. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. AIDS emergency — The Zimbabwean government has declared a six-month emergency period to deal with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infections in the world. In a notice published in the government’s weekly gazette made available on 27 May, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the emergency order would allow people with HIV or AIDS to use generic drugs. Health officials say an average 2,500 people die from AIDS every week in Zimbabwe, and that at least 20 percent of the state’s 14 million people have HIV, the virus that causes the killer disease. «In view of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among the population of Zimbabwe, the minister hereby declares an emergency for a period of six  months, with effect from the promulgation of this notice for the purpose of enabling the state or a person authorised...to make or use any patented drug,» Chinamasa said in the notice issued on 24 May. The minister said the declaration would also allow President Robert Mugabe’s government and other authorised people «to import any generic drug used in the treatment of persons suffering from HIV/AIDS or HIV/AIDS-related conditions.» Zimbabwe has permitted the use of anti-retrovivals, especially for pregnant mothers, since last year. Mugabe’s critics say the 78-year-old Zimbabwean leader — who is battling a severe economic and political crisis blamed on his controversial policies — is not paying adequate attention to the AIDS problem. But the government denies the charge, saying Mugabe is one of the few leaders in the region to have established an AIDS levy to deal with the epidemic. (CNN, USA, 29 May 2002)