ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belgium
TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: anb-bia@village.uunet.be
_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 17-10-2002

PART #3/4 - From  ERITREA to SENEGAL 

* Eritrea/Ethiopia. UN protests about Ethiopian threats — 11 October: The United Nations has protested to the Ethiopian Government over security threats made by Ethiopian villagers and militia to UN peacekeepers, stationed at the border with Eritrea. The 4,200 strong UN peacekeeping force (Unmee) has been stationed in the region since September 2000, to ensure that a ceasefire agreement signed between Ethiopia and Eritrea is respected. On 4 October, 50-60 armed Ethiopian villagers and approximately 10 militiamen in the Aromo area entered the buffer zone — which separates the Ethiopia and Eritrea armies -and tried to enter into Eritrean territory. «They were carrying sticks, axes, and daggers and were trying to enter into Eritrean villages», said Unmee’s Chief of Staff, Colonel Rajesh Arya. However, when the UN‘s Indian peacekeepers stationed in Aromo, some 12 km north-east of the town of Zalembessa — tried to intervene and prevent a violation of the peace agreement and stop clashes between Ethiopian and Eritrean villagers and militia, there was a serious confrontation. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 October 2002)

* Ghana. Tension rising in Dagbon — The Dispatch reported in its edition of October 9 that tension is mounting in Dagbon. The newspaper says it has evidence that the two gates, that is, Abudu and Andani are asking for contributions from their supporters to use to buy arms. The use for such arms is obvious: to fight to the death. We can confirm the Dispatch story that «contribution» are indeed being sought by both gates to build up war chests for what some of the hard liners say is an inevitable outcome: a fight to the finish. All the signs are out there and since some people have decided to give a political coloration to the tragedy, it is the security of the state itself, which is at risk. We wish to reiterate our call for moderation and sobriety. Should a fight flare up, there will be no winners, only losers. Dagbon would certainly disintegrate and the rest of the country would not be left out in the ensuing melee. We wish to take this opportunity to call on the elders of Dagbon to call their hot heads to order. Dagbon must prove that there are elders in the house; elders whose voices would be respected. Our neighbour Côte d’Ivoire is in flames. Is that what we want? Certainly not. And to our national security apparatus, we wish to entreat the bosses to pay particular attention to Dagbon, as from all indications, it may yet be Ghana’s biggest security threat so far. We understand that the Dagomba-Kokomba war proliferated many arms and ammunition. Dagbon is awash in arms therefore. We must also not forget that vast populations of Dagombas are spread all over the country. A fire ignited in Yendi and Tamale would very quickly spread to other parts of the country. Let’s take the Yendi crisis serious. We trivialise it to our own collective peril. (The Accra Mail, Ghana, 10 October 2002)

* Kenya. Appel des évêques — Dans un appel lancé le 11 octobre par la Conférence épiscopale kényane (KEC), lors d’une rencontre avec la presse à Nairobi, les évêques ont demandé à tous les partis politiques et aux candidats de se conformer au code de conduite électoral afin d’éviter les violences. Le président de la KEC, l’archevêque John Njue, a condamné les récents épisodes de violence dans plusieurs parties du pays. “Nous soupçonnons fortement que ces groupes agissent avec la bénédiction des autorités”, a-t-il dit. Les évêques invitent également la radiotélévision à assurer une couverture équitable des activités des partis politiques. (Misna, Italie, 12 octobre 2002)

* Kenya. Crise politique — Le lundi 14 octobre, le parti au pouvoir, la KANU, a désigné Uhuru Kenyatta, fils du premier président du Kenya, comme son candidat présidentiel aux prochaines élections prévues à la fin de l’année. Cependant, le dimanche, la crise au sein du gouvernement et de la KANU s’est aggravée quand quatre ministres ont rendu leur démission pour protester contre la façon dont le président Moï gère sa succession. Cela porte à cinq le nombre de démissions en moins de trois jours. D’autre part, le lundi, le président Moï a dû faire face à la plus large alliance politique contre son dauphin. Opposants de toujours et anciens apparatchiks de la KANU se sont présentés à la foule, aux couleurs de leur tout nouveau Parti démocratique libéral. Des négociations ont déjà commencé au sein de cette nouvelle supercoalition pour trouver d’ici à deux semaines le candidat qui les mènera à la présidentielle face à Uhuru Kenyatta. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 octobre 2002)

* Kenya. Political crisis deepens — 10 October: On this day every year, Kenyans take a break from work to remember what their president has done for them since he assumed power exactly 24 years go. Today’s Moi Day is particularly significant because it is the last national holiday to be marked with President Moi as leader. The general elections due by the end of year will bid farewell to Moi’s rule and usher in a new government. Instead of his normal address to the nation preceded by festivities, President Moi chose to spend his time on a low key visit to a home for the disabled near Nairobi. Kenyans on the other hand either relaxed at home, went to sporting venues or congregated at their local pubs to talk the politics of Moi’s succession. 11 October: A group of dissident senior members of the ruling KANU (the Rainbow Alliance), are boycotting a delegates conference to elect a candidate for the December presidential election. Several candidates wanting to succeed President Moi have missed the deadline to present their papers and stand as candidates. 13 October: Four members of the Kenyan Government have resigned, further deepening the crisis in the ruling party. They resigned saying they had lost all confidence in the top leadership of the ruling party. The ministers are: Raila Odinga, Energy Minister; Adhu Awiti, Planning Minister; William Ole Ntimama, Minister in the Office of the President; Moody Awori, Assistant Minister for Education. On 14 October, Kanu, which has ruled since independence, is due to nominate its presidential candidate for the forthcoming election. However, President Moi’s chosen successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, has been bitterly opposed by senior party members. The former Minister for Energy, Raila Odinga, said no-one could expect fair play, denouncing the gathering as a farce. President Moi has made it plain that he wants the 41-year-old political novice, Mr Kenyatta, as his successor. His decision has led to the biggest crisis in the ruling party since independence. Dissident party members will hold a separate rally in central Nairobi. With two rival groups of supporters in the capital, there are fears of violence. 14 October: The main opposition parties have now teamed up with dissidents from KANU and are promising to field a single candidate in the presidential elections. They announce what is being termed «a super alliance» called the National Rainbow Coalition, at a large rally in the centre of Nairobi. Earlier, KANU, endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta, as its official candidate for the elections. 16 October: Around 30 MPs from KANU have publicly crossed the floor of the House to sit on the opposition benches. The defection is led by former KANU secretary-general Raila Odinga. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 16 October 2002)

* Liberia. NGO starts peace programme — The non-governmental organisation Mercy Corps has begun a three-year community peace building and development programme (CPBD) targeting at least 600 Liberian communities. The goal of the programme is to increase civil society participation and strengthen democracy. It is being implemented in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development and Search for Common Ground and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development. «Community members will work together to identify their needs and will receive support from 20 Liberian NGOs to address community issues. The programme will also have a public information component promoting peace, stability, and development through radio and other media», Mercy Corps said. Mercy Corps works to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Since 1979, it has provided at least US $640 million to assist 74 countries. It is based in the United States and Scotland. (IRIN, Kenya, 10 October 2002)

* Libye. Manifestation anti-américaine — Le 13 octobre, des dizaines de milliers de Libyens ont manifesté dans les rues de Tripoli pour dénoncer “l’hégémonie américaine et sioniste” et exprimé leur refus de l’humiliation des Arabes par les Etats-Unis et l’Etat hébreu. Les manifestants ont notamment dénoncé la décision du Congrès américain de considérer la ville sainte d’Al-Qods (Jérusalem) comme capitale d’Israël et les menaces de frappes américaines contre le peuple irakien. Ils ont également condamné le mutisme officiel des régimes arabes. (PANA, Sénégal, 13 octobre 2002)

* Madagascar. Parliamentary elections set for 15 December — Madagascar will hold parliamentary elections on December 15 to help bolster democracy and attract foreign investment. President Marc Ravalomanana is hoping to win a majority in the parliament, which is now dominated by the party of exiled former leader Didier Ratsiraka. The former Marxist who ruled for 23 years fled to France in July after a six-month leadership struggle that followed disputed presidential elections. The current parliament, which was elected in 1998, will be dissolved October 16 to prepare for the new polls. The number of seats will be increased from 150 to 160. (Voice of America, USA, 11 October 2002)

* Madagascar. Elections le 15 décembre — Avec la dissolution de l’Assemblée nationale, le 16 octobre, Madagascar a ouvert la voie à des élections législatives anticipées prévue pour le 15 décembre, comme annoncé par le président Marc Ravalomanana le 9 octobre. Le dépôt des candidatures est possible jusqu’au 5 novembre, tandis que la campagne électorale, qui débutera le 30 novembre, s’achèvera le 14 décembre, à la veille du scrutin. Ces législatives anticipées ont été exigées par les bailleurs de fonds avant la reprise effective de leur aide, «l’Assemblée (dissoute) ne reflétant pas le changement politique» intervenu à Madagascar depuis le début de l’année. Proclamé officiellement, le 29 avril dernier, vainqueur de l’élection du 16 décembre 2001, le président Ravalomanana ne comptait aucun représentant siégeant à l’Assemblée nationale, constituée à 70% par des députés de l’AREMA, une formation proche de l’ex-président Ratsiraka.. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 17 octobre 2002)

* Mali. Premier ministre reconduit — Dans la soirée du samedi 12 octobre, le Premier ministre malien Ahmed Mohamed Ag Hamani a été reconduit dans ses fonctions, après avoir présenté, le même jour, sa démission au président Touré. M. Ag Hamani dirigeait, depuis le 14 juin, le gouvernement malien qui a organisé les élections législatives de juillet. La semaine dernière, le nouveau Parlement a mis en place un bureau de 18 membres issus de toutes les sensibilités politiques. Le nouveau gouvernement que va former M. Ag Hamani devrait refléter la configuration de l’Assemblée nationale après les élections. Le Premier ministre a entrepris des consultations avec les différentes formations et regroupements politiques. - Le 16 octobre, M. Ag Hamani a constitué son nouveau goouvernement. La nouvelle équipe comprend 28 membres, dont 7 ministres délégués. Ce gouvernement est qualifié par l’entourage du président de “gouvernement d’union nationale”, les groupements politiques représentés à l’Assemblée nationale faisant partie de la nouvelle équipe. Il se veut aussi un “gouvernement de combat” dans la lutte contre la pauvreté. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 octobre 2002)

* Maroc. Le roi en visite en Russie — Le 14 octobre, le roi Mohammed VI a quitté Marrakech à destination de Moscou pour une visite officielle de quatre jours en Russie. Le souverain aura des entretiens avec le président Poutine et d’autres responsables russes. Les entretiens devraient porter sur la situation au Proche-Orient et en Irak, mais aussi sur les relations commerciales bilatérales. Au cours des six premiers mois de l’année, le volume des échanges commerciaux entre les deux pays a atteint un peu plus de 2 milliards de dirhams marocains (environ 200 millions de dollars), mais la balance est largement à la défaveur du Maroc. — Avant son départ, lors d’une allocution télévisée prononcée à l’ouverture de la session parlementaire, le 11 octobre, le roi a invité les parlementaires issus des élections législatives à livrer combat “contre le fanatisme, l’ostracisme et l’isolement”. Il a aussi lancé un appel à la mise en oeuvre rapide des réformes nécessaires à la lutte contre le chômage, la pauvreté et l’illettrisme. Cette visite a donné lieu à la signature d’une déclaration sur “un partenariat stratégique” entre les deux pays, soulignant entre autres leur attachement à l’ONU en tant qu’organe de prévention des conflits. A également été signée une série d’accords-cadre sur la coopération entre les chambres de commerce marocaine et russe, et dans les secteurs des communications et de la pêche. Les échanges russo-marocains ont atteint en 2001 un chiffre record de 379,5 millions de dollars. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 octobre 2002)

* Mauritanie. 5 nouveaux barrages — Le 15 octobre, cinq nouveaux barrages ont été inaugurés dans la région de Brakna (centre) par le ministre du Développeemnt et le chef de la délégation de l’UE. Ces ouvrages d’une valeur globale de près de 1,5 millions de dollars, permettent de stocker 3 millions de mètres cubes d’eau et de sécuriser la production agricole sur une superficie de mille hectares. Leur réalisation rentre dans le cadre d’un projet qui a déjà permis aux populations de la zone de bénéficier d’autres investissements dans le domaine du forage de puits et de la mise en place d’unités de santé de base et d’écoles. La région voisine de Tagant bénéficie d’investissements similaires qui profitent à 3.800 familles. L’objectif visé par le gouvernement et l’UE est d’élargir les efforts d’investissement dans les zones dites pluviales afin de mettre en valeur les potentialités agropastorales et fixer les populations dans leur terroir. (PANA, Sénégal, 16 octobre 2002)

* Namibia. Government tackles food crisis — The Namibian government says said it has finalised plans to distribute food aid to 345,000 people who face critical food shortages over the next eight months. Gabriel Kangowa, the deputy director of the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) says that beneficiaries will soon receive food deliveries. «We have completed all assessments and are poised to help the most vulnerable populations. There is no time to waste because the situation is dire in certain regions,» Kangowa said. Earlier estimates put the number of people in need at over 500,000, but Kangowa said the initial assessment «was not done properly». According to the EMU, the region hardest hit by this year’s poor harvest was the Caprivi in the extreme northeast. (IRIN, Kenya, 9 October 2002)

* Namibia. Namibian brewer eyes US market — Namibia Breweries, frustrated by a saturated domestic market, has set its sights on exporting its beer to the United States. The company, the only major African brewer to abide by German beer purity laws, said it already sold a little in the US, but was now targeting African-Americans as a large potential market. Namibia Breweries has already signed a deal with the authorities in Fulton County, the region containing Atlanta, Georgia. This could eventually lead to Namibia Breweries setting up production in Atlanta, according to press reports. Namibia Breweries has not confirmed plans to brew in the US, but it makes no secret of its ambitions for the market. Beer demand in its home market is stagnant, and nearby countries are dominated by two large firms — SAB and East African Breweries. (BBC News, UK, 16 October 2002)

* Nigeria. Nigeria accepts loss of Bakassi — 10 October: Nigeria has accepted a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that has handed sovereignty of the disputed oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to its neighbour Cameroon. Junior Justice Minister Musa Elayo, in a statement released by the presidency, said it was «inappropriate to talk of winners and losers. The judgement will resolve many outstanding matters between the two states and provide a way forward for both in areas which have caused difficulties in the past,» he said. The court based its decision on a 1917 document between former colonial powers Britain and Germany. Although the court awarded Cameroon the key prize, it did give Nigeria some pockets of land along the border between the two countries. Nigeria welcomed this and said the ruling did not damage the rights of its citizens living on Bakassi nor its control of existing oil reserves and production. «Necessary consultations will be undertaken,» said Mr Elayo. «There will not be any requirement for Nigerian nationals to move from where they are living at present. The judgement will not have any effect on Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves. It is apparent that there have been both gains and losses for each state. That is normal in a case that is as large and as complex as this.» — Cameroon has hailed the court’s decision as «a victory for international law». (BBC News, UK, 10 October 2002)

* Nigeria. Material gain in UN defeat — Nigeria may emerge the long-term economic winner from last week’s United Nations court ruling on its long-running dispute with neighbouring Cameroon over oil-rich border areas. Officials from the two countries say Cameroon’s high-profile political success in winning a tussle over a territory known as the Bakassi peninsula is offset by more strategically significant Nigerian victories in other contested areas. The assessment, which comes at a time of increasing US interest in Gulf of Guinea oil, contrasts with the political outcry since the judgment among Nigerian politicians focused on the symbolic significance of the loss of Bakassi. «The result is better than expected,» said one official in the office of Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s president. «Taken in its totality, it is actually a no-winner, no-loser situation.» The judgment last week by the Hague-based International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest court, awarded the Bakassi peninsula and areas around Lake Chad to Cameroon but gave a series of other territories near the land border to Nigeria. The decision, which came after Cameroon brought a claim to the court in 1994, accepted Nigeria’s argument for retaining existing maritime boundaries between the two countries and the nearby oil-producing state of Equatorial Guinea. (Financial Times, UK, 17 October 2002)

* Rwanda. Rapatriement d’ex-combattants — Le 12 octobre, la mission des Nations unies au Congo-RDC (Monuc) a procédé au rapatriement d’une centaine d’ex-combattants rwandais se trouvant en RDC. Cette première opération de rapatriement volontaire concerne 98 combattants et 38 membres de leurs familles, cantonnés depuis un an sur la base militaire de Kamina (Katanga) et qui ont été transportés par la Monuc jusqu’à Kigali, où ils ont été accueillis par des représentants du gouvernement rwandais. Dernièrement, une mission exploratoire avait permis à 79 des 2.000 ex-combattants de Kamina de constater sur place les conditions d’accueil et de sécurité que leur assureraient les autorités rwandaises. (L’Avenir, Kinshasa, 14 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Procès de Bizimungu — Le procès de l’ancien président Pasteur Bizimungu, poursuivi pour atteinte à la sûreté de l’Etat avec sept coaccusés, a été reporté sine die, le 14 octobre, peu après son ouverture devant le tribunal de première instance de Kigali. Le tribunal a décidé le report pour faire droit à la requête de six des accusés qui demandaient du temps pour lire le dossier. Ce report doit aussi permettre l’examen en appel d’un recours de l’ancien président et de son ancien ministre Charles Ntakirutinka, qui ont refusé de plaider parce que les infractions inscrites à l’acte d’accusation étaient différentes de celles que la police leur reprochait lors de leur arrestation: la création du Parti démocratique pour le renouveau (PDR, Ubuyanja). “En menant nos propres enquêtes à partir du dossier établi par la police, nous avons abouti à cet acte d’accusation. Ce faisant, nous n’avons violé aucune loi”, a riposté le procureur. (La Libre Belgique, 15 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Rwanda blames Congo RDC — 16 October: Rwanda has accused the authorities in Congo RDC of using local Congolese militia as a smokescreen for their real allies — the Rwandan militia responsible for the 1994 genocide. Rwanda says that most of the so-called Mai-Mai fighters who seized the Congolese town of Uvira at the weekend are in fact members of the former Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) and Interahamwe militia. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 16 October 2002)

* Sao Tome e Principe. US-backed oil boom — The new prime minister of Sao Tome and Principe, a small island-state off the West African coast, has pinned her economic hopes on future oil riches and a US naval base. Prime Minister Maria das Neves told Portuguese newspaper Expresso that she hopes to clean up the finances of what is one of the world’s poorest countries and restore its international reputation. She supports continuing austere budget measures, «even if it causes pain and is unpopular», to adhere to the World Bank’s debt forgiveness programme. Ms das Neves is from the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe, the largest party in the parliament, and leads a «national unity» government. The former Portuguese colony is made up of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea, has a population of roughly 165,000 and large unexploited oil reserves. Future oil revenues will not be included in current budget because contracts are still being negotiated. The prime minister has promised to «guarantee available resources are allocated for sustainable development and improving the living conditions of most of the population, which lives in absolute poverty». (BBC News, UK, 14 October 2002)

* Senegal. More woes for Casamance — 11 October: The sinking of the Joola ferry last month is the latest in a number of misfortunes to hit Senegal’s troubled southern Casamance region. Many of the more than 1,000 people who died were from Casamance as the ferry was the region’s main link to the capital, Dakar. The tragedy came just ahead of the end of school holidays, and many of those who died were the best and brightest of Casamance’s students and schoolchildren. Some are already talking about a «lost generation». Casamance is the most fertile part of Senegal but has been plagued by a low-level guerrilla war for the last 20 years. The Movement of Democratic Casamance Forces (MFDC), led by charismatic Catholic priest Father Diamacoune-Senghor, wants independence for the region. While casualty figures are relatively low for an independence war — maybe a few thousand people have been killed in two decades — the tragedy is that what should be a rich region remains mired in poverty. Tens of thousands have had to flee their homes and abandon their fields. (BBC News, UK, 11 October 2002)

* Sénégal. Funérailles nationales — Le 11 octobre, le Sénégal a rendu hommage aux quelque mille victimes du naufrage du navire Joola, la pire catastrophe jamais vécue par le pays, lors de funérailles nationales présidées à Dakar, au bord de l’océan, par le chef d’Etat, Abdoulaye Wade. — Le 14 octobre, le président Wade a relevé de ses fonctions le chef d’état-major de la marine nationale, le colonel Ousseynou Kombo, dans le cadre des sanctions prises après le naufrage. Il a promis d’autres sanctions au fur et à mesure de l’avancée de l’enquête en cours. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 14 octobre 2002)