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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 06-06-2002

PART #3/4 - From  MADAGASCAR to SOUTH AFRICA

* Madagascar. Comment sauver le pays? — 30 mai. Le ministre de la Défense du président Ravalomanana, le général Mamizara, a poursuivi son remaniement au sein des forces armées, nommant de nouveaux généraux et colonels, et qualifiant de “rebelles” les militaires qui soutiennent le président sortant Ratsiraka. Il a également affirmé que d’ici le 26 juin (fête de la nation) les barricades qui isolent la capitale seraient démantelées. Par ailleurs, la Banque mondiale a diffusé un rapport sur l’impact économique de la crise: les pertes sont estimées à 640 millions d’euros. -31 mai. Une attaque de l’aéroport de Mahajanga, ville portuaire tenue par des militaires pro-Ratsiraka, a été repoussée. Un des assaillants a été tué. - 1er juin. Le secrétaire général de l’OUA, Amara Essy, a lancé un appel aux protagonistes de la crise afin qu’il parviennet à un consensus pour sauver le pays de la ruine. “Personne ne sortira vainqueur d’une telle situation, a-t-il dit. C’est le pays tout entier qui y perd”. - 2-3 juin. Une offensive militaire de M. Ravalomanana contre les troupes de Ratsiraka s’est soldée dimanche et  lundi par la prise d’Antalaha et de Sambava, deux villes importantes du nord-est, et la mort d’au moins douze personnes. Il s’agit de la plus importante offensive militaire du camp Ravalomanana dans sa tentative de conquête de quatre provinces encore aux mains de l’administration de M. Ratsiraka, sur les six que compte le pays. Le lundi, l’OUA a entamé à Addis Abeba une nouvelle réunion sur le conflit à Madagascar. Elle s’est prononcée en faveur d’un sommet des chefs d’Etat sur la crise malgache; aucune date n’est encore fixée. - 4-5 juin. Les troupes de Ravalomanana ont renforcé leurs positions autour de la ville de Sambava (nord-est) et ont avancé en direction de Mahajanga (nord-ouest). D’autres ont rouvert la route reliant la capitale au port de Morondava, ce qui a permis à un premier convoi de camions-citernes de rallier Antananarivo. Mais le mercredi, leurs adversaires ont fait sauter de nouveaux ponts. Dans la soirée du mercredi, on apprenait toutefois que les deux présidents rivaux, après de longues hésitations, seraient disposés à se rencontrer à Dakar le week-end prochain. Cette nouvelle rencontre (“Dakar II”) aura lieu sous l’égide des présidents du Sénégal, du Gabon et de la Zambie. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 6 juin 2002)

* Malawi. Political violence — 2 June: There are reports of attacks against opposition supporters in Malawi by youths suspected of being sympathizers of the governing United Democratic Front. 50 opposition supporters of the National Democratic Alliance are said to have gone into hiding following skirmishes with a group of youths in the town of Zomba, some 70 kilometres east of the commercial capital Blantyre. A police officer in the town said there had been clashes between government and opposition supporters since 31 May. The latest violence follows opposition condemnation of the government’s attempts to amend Malawi’s constitution to allow President Bakili Muluzi to stand for a third term in office in 2004. 4 June: The High Court declares «unconstitutional», President Muluzi’s ban on demonstrations against the controversial presidential third-term debate. — The President tells his compatriots to «ignore the High Court ruling». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 4 June 2002)

* Malawi. La campagne du 3e mandat — 2 juin. La campagne du “3e mandat” du président Muluzi tourne à la violence. Au moins 50 membres de l’Alliance démocratique nationale (NDA, opposition) sont entrés dans la clandestinité dans la ville de Zomba, à l’est du pays, suite aux échauffourées avec un groupe de jeunes militants non identifiés du Front démocratique uni (UDF, au pouvoir). “Ces gens battent toute personne suspectée d’être opposée à l’idée d’un troisième mandat”, a déclaré le coordinateur de district du groupe de pression de Zomba. Il a affirmé que toute personne portant le ruban violet, symbole de la  campagne contre le 3e mandat du président, est une cible potentielle. Les problèmes ont commencé lorsqu’au marché des vendeurs affiliés à la NDA ont planté des drapeaux du groupe de pression sur leurs étals. Les jeunes militants de l’UDF ont alors envahi le marché, frappant les commerçants, détruisant leurs étals et saccageant les marchandises. La police aurait déclaré que l’affaire était “trop sensible pour qu’elle puisse intervenir”. - 3 juin. La Cour suprême de Blantyre a déclaré inconstitutionnel le décret du président Muluzi interdisant les manifestations contre le projet de son parti de supprimer la limitation du nombre de mandats du président de la République. Le juge Dunstain Mwaungulu a déclaré que cette interdiction privait la population du Malawi de ses droits constitutionnels. La réaction de Muluzi ne s’est pas fait attendre. Il a invité les citoyens à ignorer les décisions des juges, déclarant que l’interdiction des manifestations ne vise qu’à garantir la paix et la stabilité dans le pays. Il a souligné qu’ordre sera donné aux forces de police et au militaires de bloquer les cortèges de manifestants. Plusieurs manifestations sont déjà progrrmmées. Un affrontement est donc probable. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 5 juin 2002)

* Mali. Une armée au service de la société — L’armée malienne s’affirme aujourd’hui comme «une armée de paix, partie intégrante de la société malienne», selon l’expression du président sortant, Alpha Oumar Konaré. Son budget (2% du PIB) s’attache à promouvoir l’équité et à améliorer les conditions de vie au sein des troupes, L’objectif du gouvernement est, notamment, qu’aucun jeune engagé dans l’armée ne la quitte analphabète ou sans qualification professionnelle. Les interventions du génie militaire dans les travaux d’assainissement, d’infrastructures routières ou d’aménagement hydro-agricole de productions industrielles ne se comptent plus. Les militaires maliens sont unanimes à vouloir continuer à intervenir en faveur des populations, souvent dans des conditions difficiles. Leur participation active aux campagnes de vaccination et de lutte contre le sida, en collaboration étroite avec le personnel socio-sanitaire, a forcé l’admiration de tous les observateurs. (d’après C.Holzbauer, La Croix, France, 6 juin 2002)

* Maroc. Pèlerinage vers un ancien bagne — Trois ONG marocaines des droits de l’homme ont organisé, le 1er juin, un “pèlerinage” vers l’ancien bagne de Kelaât M’Gouna, dans le sud du Maroc, où des centaines de Marocains ont croupi pendant les “années de plomb”. Kelaât M’Gouna est l’un des centres de détention “extra-judiciaire” secret des années 1970-1990 où ont été emprisonnés des détenus politiques marocains, pour la plupart sans procès et dans des conditions effroyables. Sur place, le président de l’Association marocaine des droits  humains, Abdelhamid Amine, a rappelé les principales exigences des ONG présentes: établissement de la vérité complète sur les crimes et violations graves de droits de l’homme commis pendant les années noires, restitution des corps des disparus aux familles, indemnisation de toutes les victimes, présentation des excuses officielles de l’Etat. (La Libre Belgique, 3 juin 2002)

* Mauritanie. Appel d’aide alimentaire — Deux mois après que le PAM ait lancé un appel d’aide alimentaire pour 7,5 millions de dollars en faveur des victimes de la sécheresse et des inondations en Mauritanie, la mise en oeuvre de secours accuse du retard à cause d’un manque de financement. Quelque 250.000 Mauritaniens sont confrontés à de graves pénuries alimentaires à la suite d’une mauvaise saison agricole et de l’inclémence du temps au début de l’année en cours, qui a décimé les cultures et le bétail. La région du sud de la Mauritanie, bordant le nord du Sénégal, a de plus été affectée par des inondations et la sécheresse. Des habitants ont déjà pris l’exode vers les grandes villes ou les pays voisins. Certains ont commencé à cueillir des graines et des céréales sauvages. (IRIN, Abidjan, 4 juin 2002)

* Nigeria. Shoring up democracy — Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s president, is to introduce a bill to prevent political violence in the presidential elections next year. Mr Obasanjo said yesterday he was worried about ballot-rigging and intimidation in the run-up to the landmark poll. In a speech to mark the third anniversary of Nigeria’s return to civilian rule after 16 years of military dictatorship, the president said he was writing to all political parties asking them to support the new bill. Nigeria is experiencing political tensions as the country tries to hold two successive elections without suffering a military takeover — a feat not achieved since independence in 1960. «We stand at a major crossroads,» the president said. «This will be the most supreme test of our commitment to the survival of a credible democratic system.» Mr Obasanjo, a former military ruler who won elections in 1999, warned of the existence of «electoral experts» who had become adept in manipulating results by filing false returns and expanding voters’ registers to include non-existent individuals. He said he was worried by a «pervading pessimism» that fixing of the polls and physical intimidation made it impossible for the country to hold elections judged to be generally free and fair. «It is a sad commentary of our conduct in the past that Nigerians live more in fear of violence than excitement at the opportunity to exercise a choice in who governs them,» Mr Obasanjo said. «It is even sadder still that many Nigerians are losing faith that future elections will allow them to exercise genuine choices.» He said the proposed law on political violence would force those involved in violence to compensate their victims and would ensure those who held  elected office had no immunity from prosecution once they stood down. (Financial Times, UK, 30 May 2002)

* Nigeria. Woman reprieved — 3 June: An Islamic court rules that a woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery will be free to look after her child until January 2004, whatever the outcome of her appeal, an Islamic court rules. Her male relatives are then required to bring her back to court. The ruling is greeted by the lawyer defending Amina Lawal as a sign that the verdict, which will be delivered on 8 July, will lean towards acquitting his client. In March, Amina Lawal, 30, was sentenced to death for becoming pregnant after her divorce, which is considered as adultery under Nigeria’s interpretation of the Islamic law, or Sharia. The court in Funtua, in Nigeria’s northern state of Katsina, has entered a phase of «substantial deliberations» and will «probably take all the time it deems necessary before delivering its verdict in a case “as politicised” as this one», sources close to the defence say. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 3 June 2002)

* Nigeria. Sauvée de la lapidation — Le 3 juin, le tribunal islamique de Funtua (nord du pays) a ordonné la libération de Amina Lawal, 30 ans. Elle avait été condamnée à mort par lapidation pour adultère le 22 mars par le tribunal de Bakori, après avoir avoué avoir eu un enfant hors mariage. Depuis l’instauration de la charia dans le nord du pays, Amina était la deuxième Nigériane condamnée à mort pour adultère après Safiya Husaini (acquittée en mars), dont l’histoire avait fait le tour du monde. Amina avait été arrêtée le 4 mars 2002 après avoir été dénoncée par son beau-père au chef du village. Sa condamnation était intervenue trois jours avant l’acquittement de Safiya. L’introduction de la charia dans le Nord a enclenché une controverse dans l’Etat fédéral qu’est le Nigeria. Le gouvernement fédéral a déclaré la charia contraire à la Constitution et a appelé les Etats du Nord à faire preuve de modération. (Libération, France, 4 juin 2002)

* Nigeria. Lagos hit by disappearing waterfront — A row of dunes rises like camel humps above Ahmadu Bello Way, the thoroughfare that skirts the south side of Victoria Island in the Nigerian commercial capital Lagos. The route, named after a prominent northern Nigerian politician assassinated in 1966, is half-covered by sand brought onshore by the strong ocean currents that pummel the west African coast. «This was road before,» says Fatayi Durosinmi, the manager of a car hire firm, as he drives past. «Now it is beach.» The street’s gradual disappearance highlights a problem that is taxing the government and threatening the prestige of Victoria Island, the home of choice for many foreign embassies and leading businesses operating in Nigeria. The sea is eroding Bar Beach on the  south side of the island and threatening to encroach on a slew of waterfront offices, including those of a number of the governments of the country’s 36 states. The authorities say the problem is a side-effect of a 1923 initiative to create a deep-water channel into Lagos port by putting in place lines of boulders to stop sand building up. The Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research says the protective rocks add power to the flow of water against Bar Beach, causing sand to be eroded without being replaced by fresh material. The government has for many years tried to deal with the problem by hiring contractors to dump extra sand on the beach periodically, although the method is expensive and short-term. (Financial Times, UK, 4 June 2002)

* Nigeria. Electoral Commission asks for funds — The Nigerian National Electoral Commission (INEC), has asked the government for funds and has threatened to stop the revision of the voting registers for the general elections scheduled for next year. According to the local press, the Nigerian government has distributed up to now, only $63 million to the INEC, instead of the $86 million previously established for the completion of the revision of electoral lists. The president of the electoral commission, Abel Guobadia, has threatened to stop his representatives from carrying out the updating of the electoral lists, until the government guarantees the funds requested. Problems concerning the revision of the voters’ registers have been going on for some time causing the postponement of the municipal elections. According to the electoral commission, another 6 months are needed to complete the lists, with the risk that voting for the municipal councils could be further postponed. The government denies that reducing funding for the INEC has obstructed the work of the commission. (MISNA, Italy, 5 June 2002)

* Rwanda. Bizimungu en cassation — L’ex-président rwandais Pasteur Bizimungu et un de ses anciens ministres, écroués depuis le 23 avril pour “atteinte à la sûreté de l’Etat”, se sont pourvus en cassation devant la Cour suprême. La Cour d’appel de Kigali avait refusé leur libération le 22 mai. (Le Soir, Belgique, 31 mai 2002)

* Rwanda/France. Kagamé débouté — Le 3 juin, le tribunal de grande instance de Paris a rejeté “pour des raisons techniques” le procès en diffamation intenté par le président rwandais Paul Kagamé contre le journaliste camerounais Charles Onana. M. Kagamé a accusé le journaliste de l’avoir diffamé dans son livre “Les secrets du génocide rwandais - Enquête sur les mystères d’un président”, en le mettant notamment en cause dans l’accident d’avion qui, en 1994, avait coûté la vie au président Habyarimana. Le tribunal a jugé que le plaignant n’a pas respecté le délai, conformément à la loi française  qui donne au plaignant trois mois pour intenter une action légale contre une nouvelle publication. (PANA, Sénégal, 4 juin 2002)

* Sénégal/France. 1-0 — Le 31 mai, au match d’ouverture de la Coupe du monde de football, le Sénégal a battu la France, tenante du titre, par 1 but à zéro. Dès le coup de sifflet final, une foule monstre a envahi les rues de Dakar. A bord de voitures bondées ou juchés à plusieurs sur des motos et des mobylettes surmontées du drapeau sénégalais, les habitants de la capitale ont afflué vers le centre-ville pour fêter la victoire historique. Juste avant de se joindre aux festivités, le président Abdoulaye Wade a eu le temps de signer un dernier décret: la journée est fériée. (Libération, France, 1er juin 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Réfugiés libériens — Une centaine de Libériens fuyant les combats dans leur pays arrivent chaque jour en Sierra Leone voisine, ont annoncé le 1er juin les responsables de la mission de l’Onu en Sierra Leone (Minusil). Selon le général Opande, plus de 1.100 réfugiés sont ainsi arrivés dans un seul camp de transit depuis le 17 mai. La plupart se plaignent d’extorsion et de harcèlement de la part des forces gouvernementales libériennes. Le régime libérien fait face à la plus importante reprise des attaques de la rébellion en trois ans. Le général Opande s’est également plaint d’attaques transfrontalières et de raids de pillage des soldats libériens en Sierra Leone. La zone de l’Union du fleuve Mano (Liberia, Sierra Leone et Guinée) est l’une des plus conflictuelles d’Afrique. La Sierra Leone vient quant à elle de sortir de dix ans d’une violente guerre civile. (AP, 1er juin 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Sankoh rejects elections — 5 June: The former rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, made a dramatic appearance before the High Court, today, before his trial for murder is adjourned. Mr Sankoh, dressed in a flowing gown and wearing matted hair was quiet but his children wept and wailed as they attended the hearing, crying «Daddy, Daddy». Foday Sankoh is being tried for the killing of more than 20 anti-rebel demonstrators in May 2000. The High Court was packed for Mr Sankoh’s second hearing since his trial began in March. Many in the crowd were curious and wanted to get a glimpse of Mr Sankoh. However, the presence of three of Sankoh’s children, including his youngest, a teenager who wept openly and kissed Mr Sankoh as he was being taken away by guards, caused bitterness among the crowd who want to see the former leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) tried. Sankoh’s trial is adjourned until 10 July. He also faces a separate trial by the UN Special Tribunal, for war crimes. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 5 June 2002)

* South Africa. Bill to restrict foreign work permits — South Africa is poised to introduce  controversial immigration legislation that will restrict work permits for companies seeking to employ foreign expertise. The immigration bill, to be adopted next week, has sparked heated debate over how South Africa can attract the skills the economy needs. Poor education in the apartheid era and the emigration of skilled young people in the past 10 years have led to a severe skills shortage. Studies of the South African manufacturing and banking sectors show that local employers are struggling to find skilled workers. Businesses in South Africa have complained about delays in obtaining work permits for employees under the current legislation, the Aliens Control Act. It requires a company to prove that a suitable South African candidate could not be found, despite efforts by the company to find a skilled local employee. But the bureaucratic procedures proposed by the new immigration bill threaten to make the process worse. Although the government favours an open economy, measures are being implemented to reverse the disadvantage black people suffered under apartheid, when they were denied opportunities in the formal economy. The proposed quota system, which requires companies to conform to pre-set limits on the hiring of foreign nationals with particular skills, is an attempt to promote black economic empowerment. Work permit applications will have to pass through the department of labour as well as the department of home affairs. Applications will also have to be audited by a chartered accountant. The immigration bill has taken eight years to formulate. But the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the minister of home affairs, have recently cooled towards the quota system. They have expressed concern that the quotas will be difficult to administer. They also fear the imposition of fixed limits on different skill categories may be considered a measure to restrict the freedom of foreign investors. «In my opinion it is by far the worst possible option in terms of difficulty of implementation because of the procedures it requires,» said Mr Buthelezi. «It is going to be difficult.» (Financial Times, UK, 30 May 2002)

* South Africa. African brewer seals Miller takeover — 30 May: South African Breweries (SAB) has sealed the takeover of US beer giant Miller for $5.6bn to create a new force in world brewing. The takeover will create the world’s second biggest brewer — named SABMiller — producing 12 billion litres of beer a year. And the new group is poised to seize the number one spot from Anheuser-Busch, said Louis Camilleri, chief executive of tobacco giant Phillip Morris, which sold Miller. «The enlarged group will have the ambition... to become the world’s leading brewer,» Mr Camilleri said. The deal will bring within one firm, employing 38,000 people, SAB brands such as Castle, Lion and Pilsner Urquell, and a Miller US portfolio including Miller Lite,  Milwaukee’s best and Foster’s. The announcement follows considerable speculation about the deal, which will allow South African Breweries, founded in 1896, the year after Johannesburg was established, to further spread its base beyond troubled African markets. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 May 2002)

* South Africa. Fighting education apartheid — 30 May: The higher education system in South Africa is to be radically restructured in an effort to remove the racial imbalance introduced and fostered by institutionalised apartheid. The government has given the traditionally white universities five years to make progress towards re-integration — if they do not act, a quota system could be introduced. The black universities and colleges created under apartheid will also be restructured to improve education in poor communities and rural areas. Restructuring higher education in South Africa has been a priority for the government since it took over the legacy of apartheid in 1994. Education was strictly segregated and spending on whites was 10 times greater than for black students. Despite heavy investment in previously black schools and colleges and the ending of segregation, schools and universities remain one of the most obviously divided sectors of post-apartheid society. Official figures show that almost half all white students go on to university or college after school, whereas only 12% of black and coloured pupils carry on their education. Announcing the reforms, Education Minister Kader Asmal said the traditionally white universities had five years to visibly accelerate racial integration. «This marks an exciting turning point... away from our shameful apartheid past to a confident future,» he said. He said the country’s 36 universities and technical colleges will be merged into 21 higher education institutions in an effort to bring education closer to rural communities and poorer people. (BBC News, UK, 30 May 2002)

* South Africa. South African regional premier resigns — 1 June: The premier of South Africa’s Western Cape province, Peter Marais, has resigned in the face of allegations of sexual harassment. The national leader of his party Marthinus van Schalkwyk said the resignation would allow Mr Marais time to prepare himself for possible legal action. He has denied any wrongdoing. The African National Congress, which is in a provincial coalition with Mr Marais’ New National Party, welcomed what it said was a decisive move in a very messy political situation in the Western Cape. Mr Marais came to prominence last year, when his sacking as Mayor of Cape Town prompted a national re-alignment of South African politics, with his party moving towards a coalition with the ANC. (BBC News, UK, 1 June 2002)

* South Africa. Hansie Cronje killed — The bodies of former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje and two pilots have been taken to a mortuary after a helicopter crew picked them up off the mountain side in Western Cape province where they were killed in a plane crash. Their remains were extricated from the wreckage on 1 June, but the bad weather delayed the helicopter’s flight to the scene outside the city of George, about 500 kilometres east of Cape Town. Investigators have been collecting flight data recorders from the Hawker Siddeley 748 cargo plane which came down early on 1 June during bad weather, killing all three on board. Tributes have been pouring in for Cronje, with calls to forget the bribes scandal which led to his ban from professional cricket and to concentrate instead on his sporting achievements. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said it was hoped that post-mortems on the bodies could be conducted on 3 June. South African media reported that Cronje had caught a ride on the cargo plane early on 1 June in the morning after missing a scheduled flight. Relatives of the 32-year-old said the plane was unable to land due to poor weather conditions in George and crashed at about 0500GMT (0600BST). It appears the pilot tried to circle before landing but crashed in the rugged Outeniqua mountains. Cronje was banned for life from the game by the United Cricket Board of South Africa in 2000. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 3 June 2002)