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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 12-09-2002

PART #3/4 - From  KENYA to SOMALIA 

* Kenya. Food prices level out — The latest figures on inflation in Kenya have shown that prices are falling. Kenya’s headline inflation rate fell to 1.8% in the year to August, compared to 2.1% in  the year to July, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The news bolstered the government’s belief that prices of most commodities in the shops are now fairly stable. Evidence of lower inflation will come as good news to businesses, as they will find it easier to forecast their future costs. The CBS says that prices of most commodities remained relatively stable compared with the previous month. The food index decreased, compared with the previous month, thanks mainly to a slight drop in the prices of tomatoes, onions and Irish potatoes. The CBS also said that a drop in the value of paraffin led to a fall in the indices used to track the price of fuel and power. This also led to lower costs for transport and communications. Meanwhile, Kenya’s underlying inflation rate — which excludes food prices — fell to 1.5% during the year to August, compared with 2% in the 12 months to July. (BBC News, UK, 5 September 2002)

* Kenya. Mount Kenya dries up — «The mighty Mount Kenya is finally giving way as an inexhaustible water fountain,» the Daily Nation newspaper reported on 5 September. Communities on the slopes of Kenya’s most important water source have no water to drink and people further downstream on the rivers which flow from it are having to move upstream in search of water. Mount Kenya is one of Kenya’s five main «water towers» — mountains which are the sources of rivers supplying most of Kenya’s water. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), more than seven million people are directly dependent on the mountain’s water catchment area. But in recent years a range of problems has affected the water resources, including over-extraction of water from rivers on the mountain slopes, the destruction of forests, marijuana (bhang) cultivation, illegal grazing and the reduction in the size of Mount Kenya’s 12 glaciers. The growing water problems are leading to conflicts between small and large-scale farmers, cultivators and pastoralists and «between everybody else and wildlife», according to the Daily Nation. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 5 September 2002)

* Kenya. Nominations’ campaign — 29 August: Kenya’s Daily Nation reports that Keny’s Catholic bishops have warned President Moi that he should «uphold democracy and fair play in the nominations’ campaign. 9 September: President Moi has sacked a junior minister and told those KANU party members who oppose his choice of successor to quit the party. On 9 September, the official presidential press service announced that deputy Foreign Minister Peter Odoyo had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 9 September 2002)

* Liberia. Court ruling in human rights defender’s case is a huge disappointment — In a Press release, Amnesty International expresses dismay at the recent court decision stating that  human rights defender Sheikh K.M. Sackor should be tried under military jurisdiction. Sheikh Sackor is Executive Director of Humanist Watch, a Liberian human rights organisation. He has been held incommunicado since his arrest on 25 July 2002. Although he has not been charged, government lawyers have accused him of belonging to the armed opposition Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and argued that the case should be handed over to a military tribunal. (Amnesty International, 5 September 2002)

* Libye/Zimbabwe. Discussions bilatérales — Le 7 septembre, le président zimbabwéen Mugabe, accompagné de son épouse et d’une délégation, est arrivé en Libye pour une visite dont la durée n’a pas été précisée. Il s’est entretenu avec le colonel Khadafi de questions africaines et des relations bilatérales, selon des sources officielles. Ils devraient discuter essentiellement d’un contrat pétrolier. Les deux pays ont signé, l’an dernier, un contrat annuel de 360 millions de dollars payables en monnaie locale, mais ce contrat semble être remis en question. Selon des informations de la presse, la Libye aurait menacé de l’annuler, Harare étant revenu sur ses engagements de céder des actions dans les principales sociétés zimbabwéennes. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 8 septembre 2002)

* Libya. Fresh appeal launched — A new appeal process is to be started on behalf of the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. Lawyers for Abdelbaset al-Megrahi will lodge papers, today, at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. They are expected to cite alleged breaches of Megrahi’s human rights during his trial and subsequent appeal at the special Scottish court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. Megrahi was jailed for life for the 1988 bombing of Pan-Am flight 103 over the Scottish town, in which 270 people died. He was moved to Glasgow Barlinnie prison in March when he lost an appeal against his murder conviction. The lawyers who represented him during his appeal have since been replaced. His new legal team will lodge papers with the registrar of the ECHR in Strasbourg seeking leave to appeal. The grounds are expected to cite an article of the ECHR dealing with an accused person’s rights to a fair trial and provisions for people being tried in a foreign court and language. (BBC News, UK, 12 September 2002)

* Madagascar. Aide, sécurité et transparence — L’aide de l’Union européenne à Madagascar, paralysée pendant le premier semestre de l’année par une grave crise politique, sera de 577 millions d’euros sur cinq ans, a annoncé à Antananarivo le président de la Commission européenne, Romano Prodi, soit une augmentation de 40%. -Par ailleurs, un émissaire de la Commission de l’océan Indien (COI) se trouve actuellement à Madagascar en vue de relancer le renforcement de la sécurité civile dans la Grande Ile. - D’autre part, lors d’une conférence de  presse, le président Ravalomanana a donné l’assurance que les prochaines élections législatives se dérouleront dans la transparence la plus totale, avant, pendant et après le scrutin, afin d’éviter toute contestation. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 septembre 2002)

* Malawi. Shutting biggest textile factory — Malawi has said it will shut down the country’s largest textile factory, putting more than 2,000 people out of work, after plans for privatisation failed. The government has decided to stop subsidising the factory because of heavy financial losses, the Commerce and Industry Minister Peter Kaleso said. Only last month Mr Kaleso said that the government was looking for a strategic partner for the state-owned David Whitehead and Sons (DWS) factory and he was predicting a «booming» future. The closure comes even though Malawi has seen textile exports surge since it signed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) treaty with the US in September 2001. In the last year the industry’s yearly growth rate was reported to be 120%. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 September 2002)

* Malawi. Illicit grain deals cost Malawi $40 million — The illicit sale of Malawi’s grain reserves, which has compounded widespread food shortages, cost the country at least $40 million, according to an official report released on 8 September. The national auditor’s office found that part of the 160,000-ton (176,000-short ton) food reserve was exported to Kenya, and the rest was sold locally, mainly to government officials, at below its market value. The losses on the grain, which had been stockpiled to avert possible food shortages, were incurred mainly by the National Food Reserve Agency. «The maize (corn) was originally bought at a higher price and sold at a low price,» the auditor’s office said in a report, which was leaked to the media. Aid agencies say the sale of the food reserves, along with failed harvests caused by drought and floods, have left more than 3 million people in danger of starvation. Several officials implicated in the auditor’s report are already being probed by the official Anti-Corruption Bureau. (CNN, USA, 8 September 2002)

* Malawi. Le 3e mandat de Muluzi — Le ministre de la Justice, Henry Dama Phoya, a confirmé que le gouvernement va réintroduire un projet d’amendement de la Constitution pour permettre au président Bakili Muluzi de briguer un troisième mandat. Son deuxième mandat constitutionnel expire en 2004. Cette nouvelle tentative du Front démocratique uni (UDF, au pouvoir) intervient quelques mois seulement après le rejet par le Parlement d’une première tentative d’amendement de la Constitution. Mais selon M. Phoya, bon nombre de Malawites veulent que l’actuel chef de l’Etat reste au pouvoir. Cependant, lors d’un symposium à Lilongwe, les autorités des  Eglises ont joint leur voix à celle des chefs traditionnels pour s’opposer à ce projet. Le symposium a promis de mobiliser les Malawites afin de faire pression sur les députés pour qu’ils rejettent une fois encore l’amendement constitutionnel. (PANA, Sénégal, 10 septembre 2002)

* Malawi. Third term debate revived — The government plans to try once more to change the constitution to allow President Bakili Muluzi to remain in office, the attorney general has said. In July, parliament narrowly defeated a bill ending a limit on the presidential term of office. The controversial proposals earlier led to political violence, strains between the government and the judiciary and caused divisions among religious leaders. Christian leaders came out against a third term, while some Muslim groups supported it. Mr Muluzi is a Muslim. Over 75% of Malawians are Christian. The next presidential elections are due in 2004. Attorney General Henry Dama Phoya said that despite the uproar, many Malawians wanted the president to remain in office. «We can’t escape the fact that people still want Dr Muluzi,» he said. The new bill, to be introduced next month, would allow presidents three terms of office, which could be extended following a national referendum, he said. Currently they can only serve two terms. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in parliament. Mr Muluzi’s United Democratic Front (UDF) has 101 out of 193 seats. In July, the bill failed by just three votes, despite being introduced by the opposition Aford party. (BBC News, UK, 10 September 2002)

* Mali. Projet halieutique — La Banque arabe pour le développement économique de l’Afrique (BADEA) a accordé au Mali un prêt de 5,2 millions de dollars, destiné au financement partiel du Projet de développement des ressources halieutiques dans le lac de Sélingué. Selon le gouvernement, ce prêt vise à créer les conditions d’un développement durable de la pêche dans ce cours d’eau par la mise en place d’infrastructures de base et des installations d’appui, ainsi que le soutien à la production et à la commercialisation des produits de la pêche. (PANA, Sénégal, 5 septembre 2002)

* Mali/France. Le président Touré à Paris — Le 9 septembre, le président malien Amadou Toumani Touré a entamé une visite de quatre jours à Paris. Au-delà d’une prise de contact plus personnelle avec le président français, la visite du nouveau chef d’Etat malien a une forte teneur économique. Son objectif: la coopération franco/malienne qui a besoin d’être “fortifiée”. En 2001, le montant de l’aide de la France s’est élevé à 54,8 millions d’euros. Tenant compte de certains retards et de l’aide militaire au Mali, le total de l’aide française devrait s’élever cette année à 73 millions d’euros. Au centre du débat figure aussi la relance de la filière coton, qui fait vivre au Mali près de 3 millions de personnes. - A l’issue  d’une rencontre de M. Touré avec le ministre français de l’Economie, Francis Mer, ce dernier a indiqué que la France est prête à réduire de manière “significative” la dette du Mali, qui s’élève à 200 millions d’euros. La France avait déjà consenti à rééchelonner la dette et à en supprimer les intérêts. Les deux hommes ont aussi évoqué la situation de l’investissement privé au Mali, notamment dans le secteur aurifère. - Le 10 septembre, le président Chirac a indiqué que la France était prête à annuler 40% de la dette monétaire due par le Mali. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 septembre 2002)

* Mali. Mali gets help with debts — The French president has promised his country will cancel 40% of the debts owed to it by Mali, one of the world’s poorest countries, his spokesman has said. President Jacques Chirac made the pledge during a meeting with Mali’s leader, President Amadou Toumani Toure, in Paris. The bilateral debt cancellation will wipe out about 15% of Mali’s total foreign debts. It will take effect at the end of this year under the auspices of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to help poor nations. France will register the debt with the IMF‘s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) scheme. Mali is believed to owe about 520m euros ($504m) in foreign debt altogether. (BBC News, UK, 11 September 2002)

* Maroc. Fermeture de librairies islamistes — Les autorités marocaines poursuivent leur offensive contre la propagande islamiste en multipliant les descentes de police contre les librairies et dépôts de livres soupçonnés de diffuser une littérature et des cassettes “extrémistes”. Alors que certains journaux saluent ces mesures contre les “obscurantistes”, la presse islamiste dénonce une campagne orchestrée par les partis “laïcs” à l’approche des élections législatives prévues le 27 septembre. Elle a trouvé un soutien dans Al Alam, l’organe de l’Istiqlal (principal parti de coalition gouvernementale), qui a vivement critiqué la campagne de fermeture de librairies, y voyant “un pas en arrière”. (Libération, France, 7 septembre 2002)

* Namibia. Worried white farmers — White farmers in Namibia are becoming increasingly nervous about land reform. Their concern grew after this week’s attack on Tony Blair by their President, Sam Nujoma, at the World Development Summit in Johannesburg who said he supported the land seizures being carried out by Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. Many farmers are worried by calls for more rapid land redistribution and threats from the ruling party which describes them as «arrogant white farmers». The parallels between Presidents Mugabe and Nujoma are clear. Like Zimbabwe, much of Namibia’s best land is owned by a white minority and although a land reform programme on the basis of willing buyer willing seller is in  place, there is little movement. Cattle buyer Frikkie Brigdenhann says land reform is happening but must not be rushed. «It must go in a responsible way. When its going too fast it is irresponsible,» he said. «People will get farms and they will not produce. We must produce and we must export.» However, despite their concerns few farmers believe the situation could deteriorate as far as it has in Zimbabwe. Namibia is a huge country with a small population. And their cattle farms are much poorer quality land with huge areas needed to make commercial farming viable. Namibia’s main opposition party says Mr Nujoma is trying to divert attention from the real issues on the ground — poverty and unemployment and fears that things could go the way of Zimbabwe. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 September 2002)

* Niger. Prison term for Sultan — A court in Niger has sentenced the country’s most senior traditional ruler to two years in prison for fraud. This is the latest blow for the former Sultan of Zinder, Elhadj Aboubacar Sanda, who was last year sacked by the government in the «Sultangate» affair. The former sultan’s lawyers boycotted the trial, saying they had been denied access to key court papers. He is currently under house arrest and is planning to appeal against what they call «the politically motivated sentence». (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 September 2002)

* Nigeria. “La charia viole les normes universelles” — Réagissant à la confirmation de la condamnation à mort par lapidation d’Amina Lawal, accusée d’adultère, la FIDH (Fédération internationale des Ligues des droits de l’homme) a affirmé que “ces condamnations sont en contradiction avec les normes internationales en matière des droits de l’homme, y compris la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme, et la Constitution nigériane”. Une délégation de la FIDH a effectué une mission dans divers Etats du Nigeria, où elle a rencontré des représentants de la société civile et du gouvernement fédéral. Malgré que le gouvernement ait reconnu publiquement l’incompatibilité entre la loi coranique et la Constitution fédérale du pays, le président Obasanjo a toujours évité d’intervenir de façon décidée contre les Etats appliquant la charia, se limitant à appeler à la modération. L’Eglise nigériane, par la voix de ses évêques, s’est élevée à plusieurs reprises contre ce qu’elle considère comme une “anomalie juridique qui lèse les principes de la légalité au Nigeria”. (Misna, Italie, 9 septembre 2002)

* Nigeria. Voter registration to begin — Nigeria is to start to register voters in preparation for state and national elections after months of delays. Election officials are opening 120,000 registration centres for a massive ten-day operation to enfranchise the country’s sixty million voters. Local elections have already twice been postponed because there is no up-to-date electoral roll, breaking a constitutional deadline. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 September 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) — War amputees have agreed to take part in reconciliation hearings to be organised by the TRC. Bishop Joseph Humper, the TRC‘s chairman, says that the amputees are important to the reconciliation hearings and is pleased at their decision to take part. He also says the Commission will listen to people talk about the past, record what is said and make recommendations. Once adequate funding is in place, the TRC can complete its mission within the mandated 12 months. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 September 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Commission vérité et réconciliation — Les représentants des mutilés ont décidé de reconsidérer leur décision de bouder la Commission vérité et réconciliation (TRC). Les mutilés avaient réclamé l’éducation et la prise en charge médicale gratuites de leurs enfants, ainsi que des logements et un traitement mensuel de 80 dollars pour chaque mutilé, comme préalable à leur comparution devant la commission. Mais après une entrevue avec le président Kabbah, le président de leur association a promis de sensibiliser ses camarades pour leur faire changer d’avis. “Refuser de se présenter devant la commission mettra sans doute les auteurs des exactions à l’abri de toute poursuite”, a indiqué leur porte-parole, espérant toutefois qu’après la remise du rapport, la communauté internationale aidera les victimes de la guerre. — D’autre part, les agents de la sécurité sierra-léonaise ont exprimé leur appréhension de devoir faire face à la TRC. Le chef d’état-major des armées a exprimé sa crainte que le témoignage de son personnel puisse en faire des candidats potentiels pour les tribunaux spéciaux. Les forces de sécurité ont été accusées d’avoir procédé à des arrestations arbitraires et des détentions illégales, ainsi qu’à des exécutions sommaires dans différentes régions du pays. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 6-9 septembre 2002)

* Sierra Leone. UN force to stay — It is a «certainty» that the United Nations peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone will stay for an extra six months, a UN spokesperson has said. «We do expect that the extension will be agreed,» Margaret Novicki spokesperson for the UN force (Unamsil) said. On 9 September, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah asked the UN to extend the stay of the force. The UN has 17,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone — the largest such force in the world — and their mandate is due to expire on 30 September. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 September 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Le mandat de la Minusil — Le président sierra-léonais Kabbah a écrit au secrétaire général de l’Onu afin de solliciter la  prorogation du mandat de la Mission des Nations unies en Sierra Leone (Minusil) pour une période de trois mois. Le mandat de la force de maintien de la paix expire au cours de la troisième semaine de septembre. M. Kabbah a affirmé que la restructuration en cours des forces armées et des autres institutions de sécurité, ainsi que la réorganisation de la police requièrent du temps. Il a aussi fait remarquer que l’absence de tout progrès dans l’intégration des anciens combattants pourrait entraîner des frustrations susceptibles de compromettre l’ordre public. (PANA, Sénégal, 11 septembre 2002)

* Somalia. Somali peace talks to resume in Kenya — Negotiations to restore peace in Somalia under the auspices of the six-nation Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will resume on 15 October in the Kenyan Rift Valley town of Eldoret. Kenya’s Special Envoy for Somalia, Elijah Mwangale, said that some 300 delegates representing all segments of the Somali society will attend the first phase of the talks which are expected to last several weeks. Mwangale made the announcement after he briefed the IGAD Partners Forum and the UN Contact Group on the Somali peace process on the results of a recent fact-finding tour he led to parts of Somalia. The meeting will try to work out a framework for a viable state for Somalia, which has had no central government since 1991 when erstwhile President Siad Barre was overthrown and fled to a Nigerian exile where he died years later. «The primary goal of this process is not power sharing, but construction of a viable Somali state with appropriate inclusive and durable structures and institutions for a decentralised unity government,» Mwangale said. To this end, he added, IGAD would recommend that conference delegates form committees to consider such critical issues as constitutional structure, including the degree of centralisation. They will also deliberate on land ownership and demobilisation of armed militia set up by warlords who have balkanised the country into antagonistic fiefs perpetually at war with one another. (PANA, Senegal, 11 September 2002)