* South Africa. Black group to buy stake in gold mines — Gold Fields, one of the world’s largest gold miners, said on 10 June that it had agreed to sell a 15 percent stake in its South African operations to Mvelaphanda Resources for 4.1 billion rand ($516.4 million). The transaction is one of the biggest so far in South Africa’s six-year effort to expand the role of blacks in owning and operating the country’s gold industry. «Through this deal we will speedily achieve our stated objectives of putting together a black economic transaction which will transform Gold Fields,» Ian Cockerill, the chief executive of Gold Fields, said in a statement to the Securities Exchange News Service in Johannesburg, where the company is based. Mvelaphanda is a holding company founded and led by Tokyo M. G. Sexwale, a prominent black activist and politician who spent years imprisoned on Robben Island along with Nelson Mandela during apartheid. The company, whose name means progress in the Venda language, owns substantial stakes in Northam Platinum; in the Trans Hex Group, a diamond producer; and in Gem Diamond Mining, a Trans Hex subsidiary. Mr. Sexwale serves as chairman of all those companies. (New York Times, USA, 11 June 2003)

* Tunisia. Systematic human rights abuses — 10 June: Amnesty International has accused Tunisia of systematic human rights abuses and arbitrary arrests of opponents of the government. In a new report, Amnesty said that for more than a decade the Tunisian authorities had used the security issue to curtail the basic rights of hundreds of political and other prisoners. Amnesty urged Tunisia to urgently reform its justice system, release all prisoners of sonscience and guarantee fair trials for all the accused. (BBC News, UK, 10 June 2003)

* Tunisie. Amnesty accuse — Dans un nouveau rapport publié le 10 juin, intitulé “Tunisie, le cycle de l’injustice”, Amnesty International dresse un sombre tableau de l’évolution de la situation des libertés en Tunisie et déclare qu’un “fossé sépare toujours les principes proclamés par les pouvoirs publics et la réalité telle qu’elle est vécue par les Tunisiens”. Par l’intermédiaire des forces de sécurité, de l’appareil judiciaire et d’autres institutions de l’Etat, le pouvoir “continue de violer délibérément les traités internationaux relatifs aux droits humains” que la Tunisie a pourtant ratifiés, ainsi que la Constitution et la législation tunisienne. Pour Amnesty, les organismes créés ces dernières années par le palais de Carthage ont eu pour objectif d’améliorer non les libertés, mais l’image de la Tunisie sur la scène internationale. (Le Monde, France, 11 juin 2003)

* Uganda. Senior army officer sacked — President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has removed  from office one of his top army commanders, Major-General James Kazini. The move follows two United Nations reports accusing the general of profiting from mining operations while he was head of Ugandan forces in Congo RDC. The latest, in November 2001, accused him of gaining personal wealth from mining operations in Congo and interfering in the public administration there. At the time, General Kazini was in charge of military operations in Congo. Following the allegations of plundering, General Kazini was removed from Congo and was surprisingly named acting head of the army. But in response to the UN claims, the Ugandan Government set up a commission headed by Justice David Porter to investigate the accusations of benefiting from the economic resources of Congo. General Kazini admitted that he had instructed his field commanders that any money collected from traders in the form of security taxes should be directed to the headquarters of Operation Safe Haven, the Ugandan army’s operational headquarters in the Congo. He told the commission that no taxes materialised and he denied receiving any financial benefit. Last month the Ugandan Government released its findings which concurred with the UN report and recommended disciplinary action be taken against him. Even after the report was completed, General Kazini denied any wrongdoing. However, the army spokesman says his removal from office is not as a result of these reports and that General Kazini has been sent for what is described as «further training». (BBC News, UK, 6 June 2003)

* Ouganda. Les Eglises contre la modification de la Constitution — Les chefs des Eglises catholique, anglicane et orthodoxe ont joint leur voix à celles de ceux qui sont opposés à l’intention du président Museveni de modifier les dispositions de la Constitution qui limitent à deux le nombre de mandats présidentiels, afin d’avoir la possibilité de rester au pouvoir après 2006. Dans un communiqué conjoint, les chefs des Eglises indiquent que cette initiative va nuire aux efforts visant à construire une culture démocratique en Ouganda. Certaines sections du gouvernement du Mouvement de Museveni plaident pour la non-limitation du mandat du président. Les plus virulents détracteurs de la tentative de Museveni de rester au pouvoir ont été chassés du gouvernement le mois dernier. (PANA, Sénégal, 6 juin 2003)

* Ouganda. Le général Kazini limogé — Le 6 juin, le président Museveni a limogé le major-général James Kazini, commandant en chef de l’armée, accusé par des experts de l’Onu d’être une des personnes les plus impliquées dans l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles au Congo-RDC. L’officier “sera traduit devant un conseil de guerre pour une enquête plus approfondie”, a indiqué un porte-parole militaire. Une commission judiciaire ougandaise a confirmé les résultats d’une enquête menée par des experts de l’Onu. Le général Kazini, nommé commandant en chef de l’armée en novembre  2001, dirigeait les opérations militaires en RDC lors des premiers affrontements entre soldats ougandais et rwandais à Kisangani en 1999. Il en avait été écarté en 2000 après avoir été accusé d’avoir participé à des opérations financières et politiques douteuses dans ce pays. Kazini a été remplacé par le major-général Aronda Nyakiyirima, qui commandait les forces déployées au nord du pays. D’autres changements sont attendus dans les rangs des forces armées. Il y a quelques jours, le colonel Tukumunde a été renvoyé de la direction du service de sécurité. Selon certains, Kazini et Tukumunde seraient envoyés à l’étranger pour suivre des cours d’ajournement. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 juin 2003)

* Ouganda. Attaques de la LRA — Les attaques des rebelles de l’Armée de résistance du Seigneur (LRA) se poursuivent dans le nord de l’Ouganda. Dans le week-end du 31 mai-1er juin, ils ont attaqué la mission catholique de Madi Opei, à environ 50 km au nord-est de Kitgum. Le samedi, un groupe de rebelles a incendié une centaine de cabanes, mais l’arrivée de militaires a provoqué leur fuite. Ils sont revenus plus nombreux le dimanche soir, vers 23 heures, défonçant la porte de l’église et provoquant de graves dommages à l’édifice. Cherchant de l’argent et des objets de valeur, ils ont violemment frappé un catéchiste de 73 ans, qui avait la garde de la paroisse en l’absence du curé; son état de santé est critique. - Le 4 juin, les rebelles ont attaqué un camp de déplacés. Durant la nuit, ils ont fait incursion dans le camp de Pabbo (25 km de Gulu), qui héberge plus de 50.000 civils, tuant 13 personnes. Il s’agirait de représailles, la LRA accusant les autorités locales et militaires de convaincre les déplacés à combattre les rebelles. — Le 10 juin, un autobus de ligne a sauté sur une mine antichar vers midi entre Kitgum et Gulu, faisant au moins 4 morts et 25 blessés graves. Des tirs d’armes à feu ont été entendus après l’explosion de la mine, fort probablement posée par les rebelles de la LRA. Dans la nuit, les mêmes rebelles ont attaqué le siège du Resident district commissioner de Gulu, équivalent d’un préfet, faisant quatre victimes, deux militaires ougandais et deux rebelles. Ces deux épisodes témoignent de la recrudescence de la violence de la LRA qui semble agir par groupes autonomes, privés d’un véritable commandement centralisé, malgré le rôle de guide de leur leader Joseph Kony. (D’après Misna, Italie, 5-11 juin 2003)

* Uganda. Ugandan’s Key to White House: AIDS — On 10 June, President Bush today embraced the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, for his success in fighting AIDS, but said nothing publicly about what the White House views as Uganda’s less inspiring role as a weapons supplier to militias in Congo’s five-year-old civil war. The White House used Mr. Bush’s meeting with Mr. Museveni to showcase a central part of the president’s  agenda, a $15 billion bill that Congress approved last month to fight AIDS on the global level. Mr. Bush is hoping to use the bill to highlight what his advisers say is the human side of his administration’s foreign policy. «Mr. President, you have shown extraordinary leadership on a lot of issues, but the one that’s really captured the imagination and the hearts of the American people is your extraordinary leadership on HIV/AIDS in your country,» Mr. Bush said at the start of a meeting with Mr. Museveni in the Oval Office. Mr. Bush is to travel to Africa next month, although it is not clear whether he will make Uganda part of his trip. Either way, administration officials say Uganda’s ability to turn around its AIDS epidemic -— 5 percent of Ugandans now have AIDS, compared with 15 percent a decade ago -— served as inspiration for Mr. Bush’s AIDS bill. Uganda’s success also helped persuade him, officials say, that money on AIDS in Africa could be well spent. (New York Times, USA, 11 June 2003)

* Zambia. 1,000 oil tankers go missing in fuel controversy — One thousand oil tankers with US $13.5 million worth of fuel destined for Zambia’s oil refinery from neighbouring countries never reached their destination between 1999 and 2000, said an auditor general’s report tabled in parliament earlier this week. The report also noted that an examination of the supplier’s records showed that more than double the amount of oil approved by the Zambia National Tender Board was sold to procurer the Zambian National Oil Company (ZNOC). There was also a discrepancy in official records between the amount of oil loaded by the supplier and the amount actually received in Zambia, news reports said. ZNOC, the national oil purchaser, was put into receivership in 2001 with vast debts. Zambia’s oil procurement procedures have become part of a wider anti-corruption probe by President Levy Mwanawasa. Donald Chanda, former president Frederick Chiluba’s economic advisor, who is currently being questioned by parliament’s public accounts committee on the contents of the report, was previous board chairman of ZNOC, the Indeni oil refinery and transporter Tanzania Zambia Mafuta. The auditor general linked Chanda to the irregular supply of oil. In April this year, Zambia faced serious fuel shortages as a result of procurement problems. The crisis was attributed to Mwanawasa’s decision to cancel a fuel supply contract with Trans Sahara Trading (TST), a subsidiary of the Canadian mining firm, Diamondworks. Mwanawasa cited unnamed irregularities when he ended the deal with TST as the sole supplier of fuel to Zambia in March. The then vice-president, Enoch Kavindele, awarded the supply contract to TST in August last year, cutting out TotalFinaElf, the main company supplying crude in the region. Kavindele’s son, Junior, has reportedly been linked to TST, but Kavindele denied any personal connection to the firm. The controversy led to  Kavindele’s sacking last week for ignoring Mwanawasa’s decree terminating TST‘s supply contract. He also allegedly failed to follow accounting procedures when he received a US $100,000 donation from TST for the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy. (IRIN, Kenya, 5 June 2003)

* Zambie. Chiluba dans de sales draps — Le 6 juin, la police zambienne a failli procéder à l’arrestation de l’ancien président Frederick Chiluba, qui doit répondre de nouveaux chefs d’accusation de détournement de plus de 32 millions de dollars américains du gouvernement qu’il a dirigé pendant 10 ans. Toutefois, la procédure a été suspendue à la dernière minute après que les enquêteurs ont fourni une nouvelle pièce importante permettant de reconstituer le puzzle et d’accéder à un faisceau d’indices essentiels susceptibles de révéler comment l’argent public a été détourné. Chiluba est accusé avec six autres complices. Deux d’entre eux ont été arrêtés en mai, mais libérés sous caution, en attendant que Chiluba et les autres soient obligés eux aussi à rendre des comptes. (PANA, Sénégal, 6 juin 2003)

* Zambia. Chiluba facing new corruption accusations — Zambian authorities plan to re-arrest former President Frederick Chiluba over allegations he used public funds to buy an apartment block in Belgium, a government anti-corruption taskforce said Monday. Chiluba already faces dozens of counts of theft under a wide-ranging crackdown launched last year by President Levy Mwanawasa, Chiluba’s chosen successor who turned against his sponsor once voted to power in the poor southern African state. «There is one block of flats (apartments) which has been discovered in Belgium and seized which we suspect belongs to Chiluba and was bought using public funds by (former intelligence chief) Xavier Chungu,«Betty Mumba, spokeswoman for the Anti-Corruption Taskforce, told Reuters. She said the Belgian property had been valued at $1 million, but gave no further details. (CNN, USA, 9 June 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Human rights conditions have deteriorated — In a new briefing paper published on 9 June, Human Rights Watch says that human rights conditions have deteriorated markedly in Zimbabwe over the last few months. The briefing paper, «Under a Shadow: Civil and Political Rights in Zimbabwe», details the government’s policy of repression and the harassment of opposition party members by state institutions and supporters of the rulung party. The direct involvement of ranking government officials and state security forces marks a new and worrisome trend in Zimbabwe’s ongoing political crisis. (Human Rights Watch, 9 June 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai en garde à vue — Le vendredi 6 juin, au dernier jour d’une semaine de manifestations contre le régime du  président Mugabe, la situation était plutôt calme au Zimbabwe. Les partisans du Mouvement pour le changement démocratique (MDC) ne sont pas descendus dans la rue, comme l’avait demandé leur parti, craignant la répression de la police et de l’armée. Par ailleurs, le leader du MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, a été arrêté pour la seconde fois dans la semaine, inculpé d’avoir violé les lois de la sécurité nationale en appelant au renversement de M. Mugabe. Selon son avocat, il devra passer le week-end dans les locaux de la police. — Par ailleurs, le même jour, le FMI a décidé de suspendre le Zimbabwe de ses droits d’adhérent. A la fin mai 2003, les arriérés de paiement du Zimbabwe auprès du FMI se montaient à environ 200 millions d’euros. L’organisation a déclaré qu’elle étudierait à nouveau la situation dans six mois. — Le 7 juin, Morgan Tsvangirai a été présenté devant un tribunal pour trahison, mais l’audience a été reportée à lundi. Washington a condamné l’arrestation de Tsvangirai et appelé le pouvoir au dialogue avec l’opposition. - Le lundi 9 juin, le secrétaire général du MDC, Welshman Ncube, a été arrêté, mais il a été relâché dans l’après-midi. Par contre, le tribunal a ordonné le maintien en garde à vue de M. Tsvangirai jusqu’au 10 juillet. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 juin 2003)

* Zimbabwe. MDC under pressure — 6 June: The main Zimbabwe opposition party has urged its supporters to turn out in force on what it calls D-Day, the end of a week of protests against President Robert Mugabe. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called on its supporters to stage the biggest mass demonstrations in the country since independence, despite state repression. The five-day general protest called by the MDC was billed as an attempt to end President Mugabe’s authoritarian grip on power and address the country’s deep political, economic and social crises. But planned street protests failed to take off as government security forces cracked down, arresting about 500 MDC supporters, according to the opposition. The United States State Department has described Mr Mugabe’s response to the protests as an ongoing wave of intolerance and brutality. However, there has been some criticism in Zimbabwe of the opposition’s alleged lack of a credible strategy. — In Harare, police, the army and ruling party militants are deployed throughout the city. Police arrest opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. 7 June: The United States has condemned the Government’s decision to charge opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai with treason. A spokesman for the US State Department said «continued intimidation and repression» was not conducive to the dialogue between President Robert Mugabe and his opponents which he said the country needed. Mr Tsvangirai spent the night of 6-7 June in a police cell, and his lawyer believes he will appear in court today. He is already facing another treason charge over an alleged plot to assassinate Mr Mugabe. 9 June: Morgan Tsvangirai appears in court today, charged with a second count of treason. The charges related to recent protests, which Mr Tsvangirai and his party described as the final push against President Mugabe’s government. The MDC has threatened to renew the protests unless its leader is released. But Mr Mugabe says he is determined to serve his full term and face down the demonstrators. The MDC leader will spend a fourth night in jail after failing to be released on bail. MDC secretary-general, Welshman Ncube, is also arrested today and has been charged with treason for encouraging the protests. Mr Ncube is also already on trial for plotting to kill Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. 10 June: Morgan Tsvangirai has been remanded in custody for a month. A magistrate tells him to remain in police custody until 10 July although he will be able to seek bail from a higher court later tomorrow. — Welshman Ncube is released today. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 June 2003)