* Ghana. Drug dealing hits yam exports — Ghana’s lucrative yam export business is under attack from the illegal smuggling of cocaine, according to local press reports. The concerns were voiced by the president of the Ghana Root Crops and Tuber Exporters Union at a press conference in Accra on 6 November. The union claims that drug traffickers are using the cargoes of yams destined for the United Kingdom and the United States  to conceal narcotics. The cargoes of yams are then stripped of the valuable drugs, while the vegetables are often given away or sold for next to nothing. Kofi Asiedu, president of the tuber exporters union, says this is flooding the marketplace and destroying prices. «Ghana loses more than half the potential foreign exchange earnings from the yam export trade,» Mr Asiedu is reported to have said. Ghana produces more than five million tonnes of yam a year, and should reap at least $20m from exports. But the real figure is thought to be significantly less than this. The union is now calling for a national policy to tackle the problem and save the jobs of farmers and traders across the country. (BBC News, UK, 8 November 2002)

* Ghana. Two held for Dagbon chief’s murder — 13 November: The authorities in Ghana have arrested two people in connection with the beheading of a prominent northern chief earlier this year. The chief or «Lion» of Dagbon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani was killed in gruesome fashion with about 40 others in the town of Yendi in March, in a chieftaincy dispute between two royal clans. The incident led to the resignation of some prominent people in government and still threatens the peace and security of the northern region of Ghana. The police re-arrested Yidana Sugri and Iddrisu Jahanfo, for their alleged role in the murder of the Dagbon king. A security source said the two men were arrested on 8 November in Yendi by police officers from the capital, Accra. They were flown to Accra that same day. Yidana Sugri was first arrested in April by the security agencies but the office of the attorney general ordered that he should be released. The Wuako commission — which was set up by the government to investigate the crisis — also ordered the arrest and prosecution of Iddrisu Jahanfo for his alleged complicity in the murder of the king, but again the attorney general ordered the court to stop his prosecution. He was subsequently released because the commission was thought to have acted prematurely and improperly in asking for the prosecution. The re-arrest of the two suspects, which was obviously done rather quietly, sends signals that the government has started to act on the report of the commission. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2002)

* Equatorial Guinea. Africa’s oil star strives to shine — 13 November: The tiny West African nation of Equatorial Guinea, home to just 500,000 people, is Africa’s economic star. With a staggering gross domestic product of about 65% last year, it boasts the fastest growing economy in Africa — and probably in the world. Previously almost unheard of by corporate America, it has become the fourth largest destination for US investments in sub-Saharan Africa, trailing only South Africa, Nigeria and Angola. The reason for its sudden rise to fame is the oil reserves which remained largely untapped until the mid-1990s. Oil production has increased more than tenfold since 1996, and output is expected to rise to a  daily average of more than 200,000 barrels this year. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2002)

* Kenya. Children’s deadly find — 6 November: A group of Kenyan schoolchildren has discovered an arms cache while playing during their break in the central town of Isiolo. The Daily Nation newspaper says that Isiolo is a bandit-prone district and illegal guns are regularly smuggled from Ethiopia. Local police chief Williams Manya says he children found a G3 gun buried near the school fence. «They took it to the headmaster, who called me,» he said. Six more weapons were uncovered, including AK-47 and M-13 machine-guns. Mr Manya denies that Isiolo was awash with guns smuggled across the border. He says that no arrests have been made in connection with the arms cache. The guns had been lying near the school, wrapped in clothes and plastic, for about a week, the local police chief said. Mr Manya says he could tell that the earth had been disturbed recently because it had been raining. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 November 2002)

* Kenya. Mau Mau Kenyans threaten court action — 9 November: Kenyans who fought in the Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule in the 1950s say they are preparing to take the British Government to court for alleged human rights abuses. More than 13,000 Africans were killed in the fighting — including Mau Mau guerrillas, troops and civilians — and about 100 Europeans. Now a welfare group with more than half-a-million members, the Mau Mau Trust, claims many veterans were tortured and illegally detained by the British. The Mau Mau Trust claims that many of its fighters were regularly beaten and tortured by British forces throughout their fight for independence. Some were alleged to have been battered with rifle butts, stabbed with broken bottles and forced to do slave labour. This treatment is said to have left many mentally scarred and unable to walk again. Last year, the Mau Mau Trust tried to take legal action in Kenya, but failed to win the Kenyan Government’s backing. Now, they have hired English lawyer Martin Day, who recently won compensation for British prisoners of war detained by the Japanese, as well as for some Jews who were forced to work for the Nazis. Mr Day predicts that victory in the British courts could win many thousands of Mau Mau veterans six-figure sums in compensation. Should they fail, the trust’s chairman is threatening to campaign for a boycott of all British products in Kenya. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 9 November 2002)

* Kenya. Les évêques et les élections — L’Eglise catholique du Kenya est préoccupée par les élections générales qui se dérouleront le 27 décembre prochain. Le 9 novembre, une prière publique a été conduite par les évêques dans la basilique de la Sainte Famille à Nairobi. La veille, à l’issue d’une réunion de la Conférence épiscopale, les évêques ont publié une lettre pastorale mettant en garde les politiciens contre d’éventuels troubles  au cours des élections, condamnant toute forme de contrainte. Dans leur message, les évêques ont affirmé que l’Eglise n’a pas l’intention de se désintéresser des questions politiques, car elles influent sur les nécessités socio-économiques et spirituelles de la population. Ils ont souligné que l’Eglise promeut le respect des droits de l’homme et désire recomposer le tissu social lacéré par la violence. L’épiscopat désire donc l’organisation d’élections libres, correctes et sans effusion de sang, dans l’intérêt de tous les citoyens. (Misna, Italie, 11 novembre 2002)

* Kenya. New blow for ruling party — 12 November: Kenya’s ruling party Kanu has suffered another blow in the run-up to the December general elections after another minister announced he was quitting the government and the party. The resignation of Joseph Nyagah, a minister in the office of the president, comes several weeks after the issue of President Moi’s successor split the party down the middle and led to the resignation and defection of key Kanu and government officials to the main opposition alliance. The National Rainbow Coalition has come up with a sole candidate —former Vice President Mwai Kibaki — while Kanu has nominated Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Moi’s preferred candidate and the son of Kenya’s first president. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 November 2002)

* Kenya. La KANU se désagrège — La KANU (Union nationale africaine du Kenya), parti au pouvoir, se désagrège. Après la défection, il y a quelques semaines, de ministres et de membres de première importance, un autre ministre a abandonné le gouvernement ce 13 novembre. M. Joseph Nyagah, ministre d’Etat délégué à la présidence, a démissionné de l’exécutif et du parti. Le choix du chef de l’Etat d’indiquer son successeur en la personne de Uhuru Kenyatta est au centre de la querelle qui divise la KANU. Un large groupe de dissidents a formé la grande Coalition nationale de l’arc-en-ciel (ANC), dont le candidat unique sera Mwai Kibaki, ex-vice-président. Ce cartel a, pour la première fois, les cartes en main pour saper la KANU, au pouvoir depuis près de 40 ans. (Misna, Italie, 13 novembre 2002)

* Liberia. Opposition hopes to unite against Taylor — 12 November: Opposition parties in Liberia are trying to unite in order to contest next year’s presidential election under one banner. The five opposition leaders, who are based in the United States, include Harry Moniba, the former vice-president of Liberia, and Alhaji Kromah, former vice-chairman of the council of the state. Liberian President Charles Taylor announced in September that the lifting of restrictions, including an end to a ban on political rallies, would pave the way for national reconciliation before next year’s elections. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 November 2002)

* Liberia. Badly-needed aid — 12 November: The distribution of agricultural and health packages has started in Liberia in six camps for internally displaced persons under a grant provided by the German Government and managed by World Vision’s Liberian office. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 November 2002)

* Libya/Zimbabwe. Libyan oil deal with Zimbabwe finished — 11 November: Zimbabwe’s oil deal with Libya has reportedly collapsed as the government prepares to deregulate the country’s oil industry. Libyan ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mohammad Azzabi, was quoted by a South African paper as saying the deal was terminated for commercial and not political reasons. «It’s a matter of supply and demand,» Mr Azzabi told the Sunday Times. «It’s not political but maybe it appears semi-political in a way because we are not taking out the money which Zimbabwe pays since we are investing it here,» he said. Economically troubled Zimbabwe has relied on Libya to supply 70% of its oil for the last two years. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has offered president Robert Mugabe political and economic support in the face of Western criticism of Zimbabwe’s land redistribution policies. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 November 2002)

* Malawi. Aide de la Banque mondiale — La Banque mondiale a approuvé une allocation de 50 millions de dollars au Malawi dans le cadre du programme de relance économique d’urgence afin d’aider ce pays à faire face à la crise alimentaire, a indiqué l’institution le 7 novembre. Outre l’achat de vivres pour la consommation immédiate, une partie de l’argent servira à acheter des semences et des engrais pour les fermiers afin d’éviter une nouvelle crise. Au moins 3,2 millions de Malawites sont confrontés à une pénurie alimentaire. (PANA, Sénégal, 7 novembre 2002)

* Maroc. Nouveau gouvernement — Le 7 novembre, le roi Mohammed VI a finalement nommé un nouveau gouvernement dirigé par le Premier ministre Driss Jettou, un gestionnaire sans appartenance politique, qui avait été nommé à ce poste le 9 octobre. Composé de 37 ministres et secrétaires d’Etat, dont trois femmes, le nouveau gouvernement reproduit largement l’ancienne coalition, en regroupant au total 6 formations politiques autour de l’Union socialiste des forces populaires (USFP) et de l’Istiqlal. Il ne prend cependant pas en compte la nouveauté du scrutin du 27 septembre: la percée des islamistes “légaux” du Parti de la justice et du développement (PJD), arrivés en troisième position. Ceux-ci constitueront la première force d’opposition au Parlement. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 novembre 2002)

* Mauritania. A future free from slavery? — On 7 November, Amnesty International  said that despite the legal abolition of slavery in Mauritania twenty years ago, the government is yet to take practical steps to ensure its abolition in practice. «The Mauritanian government must stop violating its own laws and urgently end slavery, which is an abominable attack on human dignity and freedom«, Amnesty‘s report stated. (Amnesty International, 7 November 2002)

* Mauritanie. A.I.: “toujours des esclaves” — Vingt ans après l’abolition de l’esclavage, la Mauritanie continue de fermer les yeux sur cette pratique d’un autre âge. C’est ce qu’a dénoncé Amnesty International dans un rapport rendu public le 7 novembre. L’organisation de défense des droits de l’homme n’a pas été autorisée à enquêter sur ce sujet par les autorités du pays. Mais elle a recueilli ses informations auprès d’autres organisations non gouvernementales en Mauritanie et à l’étranger. Amnesty exhorte Nouakchott à “adopter une approche volontariste du problème plutôt que de nier son existence”. Et souligne que “les personnes qui luttent contre l’esclavage et ses répercussions ne sont pas reconnues par les autorités et sont menacées d’arrestation et d’emprisonnement”. (Ndlr.: Le 13 novembre, le gouvernement mauritanien a déclaré que le rapport d’Amnesty “est un mensonge grossier et ne repose que sur du faux”). (Libération, France, 8 novembre 2002)

* Mozambique. 6 morts dans des tempêtes — Six personnes sont mortes lors de pluies torrentielles qui se sont abattues la semaine dernière sur le centre du Mozambique, selon des informations diffusées le 7 novembre par la radio nationale. Les victimes sont décédées dans la province de Sofala, où les tempêtes ont détruit les maisons de quelque 4.000 personnes. Les précipitations ont également touché les provinces de Gaza (sud) et de Tete (nord-ouest), où les dégâts et les coupures de courant ont affecté des centaines de personnes. Début 2000, les pires inondations enregistrées depuis plusieurs dizaines d’années au Mozambique avaient fait quelque 700 morts et détruit environ 150.000 maisons. (AP, 7 novembre 2002)

* Namibia. Award for schools project — An ambitious initiative to provide computers and net access for all schoolchildren in Namibia has been recognised with a prestigious award. The Africa Hafkin Communications Prize was set up by Nancy Hafkin, a pioneer in introducing information and communication technology in Africa. SchoolNet Namibia was singled out by the judges at a ceremony in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia as an exemplary role model for the sustainable introduction of computers in schools across Africa. The project introduces computers into schools across Namibia, using open source and free software solutions. It sets up free internet services in partnership with local government-owned telecom agencies in solar-powered computer labs. Its work has been recognised by the Namibian Government. It has acknowledged SchoolNet as a key player in rolling out technology across all schools in  the country. Congratulating the winner on its $7,500 prize, Nancy Hafkin called on governments across Africa to question what impact their policies on information communication technology were having. «Will government provide service subsidies to the poorest or to the disabled? Will government encourage the development of software that the illiterate can use?» she asked. (BBC News, UK, 10 November 2002)

* Niger. Nouveau gouvernement — Le 8 novembre, le président Mamadou Tandja a nommé un nouveau gouvernement. Le Premier ministre Hama Amadou reste en charge. La nouvelle équipe est dominée par les trois principaux partis de la mouvance présidentielle: le Mouvement national pour la société de développement (MNSD), la Convention démocratique et sociale (CDS, parti du président de l’Assemblée nationale et ancien président de la République, Mahamane Ousmane) et l’Alliance nigérienne pour la démocratie et le progrès (ANDP) qui vient de quitter l’opposition pour se rallier au pouvoir. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 novembre 2002)

* Nigeria. Congress on Pastoral Life and the Eucharist — 500 delegates representing the different segments of the people of God from all over Niger, including all Catholic Bishops and representatives of the clergy and religious, will gather at Sts Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, for the first National Pastoral Congress of the Catholic Church, from 11-15 November 2002. The delegates will deliberate on various aspects of the life and mission of the Church in Africa under the theme: «The Church in Africa: God’s People On Mission». Cardinal Arinze will represent the Pope. (Fr. Emm.Adetoyese Badejo, Nigeria, 6 November 2002)

* Nigeria. Court opens up elections to more parties — Nigeria’s supreme court cleared the way on 8 November for more parties to contest the country’s elections next year, further complicating the faltering process. The court ruled some of the stringent requirements set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when it registered six parties for the polls were unconstitutional. Five of 21 political groups barred from presidential and general elections early next year had gone to court to challenge the guidelines. These included a requirement that a party must have offices in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states. «The registration of political parties in Nigeria is governed by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,» Chief Justice Muhammed Uwais said, reading a unanimous judgement of seven justices. The constitution only requires that parties seeking to field candidates submit copies of their constitution, logo, addresses of their offices and names of key officials to INEC. INEC is already lagging badly in its  preparations for Nigeria’s first elections since military rule ended in 1999. It has yet to compile a voters’ register, a fact that forced it to postpone municipal polls twice this year. No new date has been set for the local elections, which must be held before presidential and general elections. (CNN, USA, 9 November 2002)

* Nigeria. Nigeria vows to prevent stoning — 9 November: Amid growing controversy over the staging of the Miss World beauty pageant in Nigeria, the government has made it clear that it will if necessary intervene to save the life of a woman sentenced to death by stoning under Islamic law. A statement issued by junior foreign minister Dubem Onyia said that the country’s constitution would be used to thwart any negative ruling in the case of Amina Lawal. She lost her appeal against a conviction for adultery in August and is now taking her case to a higher court. But unless the government intervenes directly and actually quashes the conviction itself the controversy over her case will remain as strong as ever. This latest statement is a clear sign of how apprehensive the Nigerian authorities have become to negative publicity over the staging of the Miss World contest. They want the event to portray the country in a positive light, but the controversy over the stoning sentence threatens to overshadow the glitz and glamour of the occasion. The statement makes it clear that, although the government is strongly opposed to the sentence handed down by the Islamic court, it will not at this stage directly intervene. The Justice Minister, Kanu Agabi, has said that, under Nigerian law, it is not possible for central government to interfere with the Islamic justice system unless an appeal reaches the federal supreme court in Abuja. But legal experts have questioned this opinion, saying that the constitution does allow for direct challenge by central government at any stage. (BBC News, UK, 9 November 2002)

* Nigeria. Shoot-to-kill policy in Plateau State — 13 November: Seven people have been shot dead in a clash with security forces in Nigeria’s central Plateau State. They are the first casualties of a shoot-on-sight policy introduced by the state governor two weeks ago in an attempt to stem a wave of ethnic and religious violence which has engulfed the state for a year. There is little sympathy for the dead among ordinary people, who are tired of the fighting. Two months ago, the Nigerian election commission temporarily suspended the registration of voters in areas of Plateau State because of the violence. Persons who have yet to be identified opened fire on a joint patrol of police officers who then retaliated. People looked away as the security forces opened fire on the assailants. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2002)

* Rwanda. Projet de nouvelle Constitution — Une nouvelle Constitution sera proposée au Rwanda en mars 2003 par référendum. Une Commission  constitutionnelle gouvernementale prépare depuis début 2002, notamment par des consultations populaires, cette nouvelle Constitution qui marquera la sortie de la période de transition ouverte au Rwanda en juillet 1994. Avant d’être soumise au référendum, cette Constitution devra être approuvée par le gouvernement en novembre, et votée par l’Assemblée nationale de transition en décembre. Les députés à la nouvelle Assemblée et le nouveau président de la République seront élus au plus tard le 7 juillet 2003. -L’avant-projet a été soumis à 700 délégués de toutes les couches de la population et de la diaspora, réunis depuis le 8 novembre. Ceux-ci ont proposé des amendements: ils rejettent notamment l’abolition de la peine de mort et suggèrent de porter de 5 à 7 ans le mandat présidentiel. Ils plaident aussi pour la préservation des droits des personnes vulnérables et démunies, et pour la discrimination positive en faveur de la femme. Dans l’ensemble, les 7 piliers de la future Constitution sont restés intacts: le partage du pouvoir, l’Etat de droit, la lutte contre le génocide, la prévention de toute forme de division, la promotion de l’égalité pour tous, la justice sociale et la gestion consensuelle du pays, indique l’agence PANA. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 novembre 2002)

* Somalie. Pourparlers de paix — L’ouverture de la seconde série de pourparlers somaliens à Eldoret (Kenya) est prévue le 11 novembre, selon des sources officielles. Les participants seront désormais scindés en six commissions qui seront chacune chargée de se pencher sur des points précis du conflit: Constitution et gouvernement élargi; réconciliation, droits humains et éthique; renforcement des capacités institutionnelles et mobilisation des ressources; renforcement de la paix, désarmement, réhabilitation et construction; relations régionales et internationales; et droits fonciers, droits de propriété et droits des minorités. (PANA, Sénégal, 7 novembre 2002)

* Somalie. Appel à “Al-Barakaat” — Le 11 novembre, les Seigneurs de la guerre et le gouvernement de transition, réunis à Eldoret, ont adressé un appel désespéré pour que reprennent au plus tôt les opérations de la compagnie financière “Al-Barakaat. La compagnie, dont la fermeture a été décidée par Washington en novembre 2001 parce qu’elle était suspectée de contacts avec le réseau Al-Qaïda, fut créée après la chute du dictateur Siad Barre en 1991, se tranformant rapidement en un élément essentiel pour la survie de la population somalienne. Pendant des années, elle a reçu les versements de nombreux émigrants somaliens. En 2000, elle a transféré une somme de 650 millions de dollars. S’il est possible que des extrémistes islamiques ont utilisé ses services, son rôle est cependant considéré comme central pour des millions de Somaliens. Les Nations unies elles-mêmes ont critiqué sa fermeture. ”Le gel des fonds d’Al-Barakaat contribue à l’effondrement de toutes les activités économiques", a-t-on  déclaré à Eldoret. (Misna, Italie, 12 novembre 2002)

* Somalia. Peace Talks «on course» — 7 November: After two days of political haggling, Somali groups meeting in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, have asked the mediators to determine the number of delegates to remain at the peace talks. Members of the leaders’ committee (comprising representatives of the faction leaders, the Transitional National Government [TNB] and civil society), which met on 4 November, failed to agree on the number of delegates from each group to be allocated to various committees, he said. «Last night (6 November), the leaders’ committee decided to transfer the issue to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) technical committee for it to come up with an acceptable number of delegates. They are basically admitting they have failed, and so they want the technical committee to make the decisions, with some guidance from them. There are over 1,000 delegates now, and the original list allowed for only 350». 8 November: The leaders of eight factions have sent a letter of protest to the organisers of the peace conference against the way the conference is being conducted by the organisers. 11 November: Warlords and the TNG have issued a joint call for an end to the freeze on the assets of the al-Barakaat bank. The freeze was imposed after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, after it was accused of helping terrorist groups finance their activities. Before the ban, al-Barakaat was Somalia’s largest employer, while hundreds of thousands and probably millions of Somalis depended on it to transfer money throughout the world. 13 November: The office of Elijah Mwangale, the Kenyan special envoy and chairman of the peace talks, says the peace talks «are on course». — The various factions and the TNG have signed a commitment to ban the use of landmines in areas under their control. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2002)