* Sahara occidental. Prisonniers libérés — Les 243 prisonniers de guerre marocains libérés le 14 août par le Polisario ont été remis, le lundi 1er septembre, au Comité international de la Croix-Rouge. Parmi ces prisonniers, des officiers capturés dans les années 1970-1980. Le Polisario a souligné qu’il avait ainsi libéré unilatéralement 1.343 prisonniers marocains depuis le début du conflit qui l’oppose au Maroc. Le Polisario qui a proclamé en 1976 la République arabe sahraouie démocratique, dispute au Maroc cette ancienne colonie espagnole quasi désertique de 266.000 km², comptant près de 300.000 habitants. Selon Rabat, 914 prisonniers marocains sont encore détenus par le Polisario dans la région de Tindouf. (Le Soir, Belgique, 2 septembre 2003)

* Western Sahara. Polisario releases Moroccan POWs — 2 September: The independence movement for Western Sahara, the Polisario Front, has released 243 Moroccan prisoners of war, some of whom had been held for up to 28 years. They were flown in two batches under the auspices of the International Red Cross from Polisario camps in the western Algerian town of Tindouf to the southern Moroccan port of Agadir. It is the first release of Moroccan prisoners of war since the United Nations voted its support for a new plan to settle the long-running dispute over Western Sahara at the end of July. Recently, the Polisario made a major policy switch, outflanking Morocco by accepting the UN-supported plan to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara, which has been controlled by Rabat since fighting ended in 1991. But Morocco’s continued rejection of the plan on the grounds that it might lead to the territory’s independence has left it looking isolated and intransigent. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 2 September 2003)

* South Africa. Crippled gold miners seek payout — 28 August: UK mining giant is among the companies facing a multi-million pound legal battle with former gold miners in South Africa. The former workers claim to have contracted the crippling lung disease silicosis as a result of bad ventilation in the country’s mines. The disease, which causes cancer, is widespread among South African miners. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 28 August 2003)

* Afrique du Sud. Attitude raciste d’un rugbyman — L’ensemble des partis politiques sud-africains a énergiquement condamné l’incident raciste pour lequel le joueur de rugby, Geo Cronje, a été exclu de la sélection nationale qui s’entraînait pour la Coupe du monde. Cronje avait refusé de partager la même chambre d’hôtel avec un joueur noir, Quinton Davids, déclarant qu’il n’utiliserait pas les mêmes salle de bain et toilettes que son coéquipier noir. L’ANC s’est félicité de la décision du président de la fédération de rugby d’exclure Cronje de la sélection nationale. Le parti des Démocrates indépendants (ID) a estimé que l’exclusion de Cronje enverrait une onde de choc dans le milieu du rugby sud-africain au moment où les “Springboks” devaient consacrer leur temps et leur énergie à préparer la Coupe du monde après une série de matchs internationaux décevants. (PANA, Sénégal, 29 août 2003)

* South Africa. Gun owners up in arms — 1 September: Prospective gun owners in South Africa are angry over what they claim is the application of a quota system to refuse 80% of new applications for gun licences. Gun shop owners say there has been a marked decrease in the granting of firearm licences since a new system of assessing applicants for firearm licences was introduced in April. The argument comes as South Africa’s police are grappling with one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. The number of people killed by guns in South Africa is also on the rise. Gun law expert Martin Hood claims that since new firearm legislation was implemented in April this year there has been a significant drop in the amount of firearm licences being approved in the Johannesburg area. The tighter control on private ownership of firearms has seen the police introducing a new system of assessing applicants for firearm licences and includes a psychological and physical evaluation as well as checks with third parties about the applicant. The anti-gun lobby group, «Gun Free South Africa», has welcomed the decrease in successful licence applications saying it is proof that police are now doing their job properly by checking more meticulously on applicants, including whether they have the required place to store their firearms. In terms of legislation, applicants have to store their firearms in a safe fixed to a solid wall. They also have to undergo a firearm training course where they write a competency test. «Gun Free South Africa», however, say they remain concerned that private firearm ownership is rapidly increasing countrywide. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 1 September 2003)

* Sudan. Oil firm leaves Sudan — Austria’s OMV has bowed to pressure from human rights groups and pulled out of Sudan. OMV is Austria’s largest industrial group and is the third Western oil firm to pull out of the war-torn country within a year. Humans rights group have accused oil companies of indirectly financing the government’s civil war efforts by investing in the nation’s oil resources. The civil war erupted in 1983 and pits the Islamic government in the north against rebels seeking more autonomy in the Christian and animist south. But, as in previous cases, an Asian firm will take over the oil exploration block, meaning the government will receive the same level of funding from oil as before. OMV‘s exploration manager, Helmut Langanger said the decision was the right one for the company. But just four months ago, Mr Langanger had told Reuters newswire that OMV had no plans to sell out of Sudan given its «attractive assets». OMV sold its assets to India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp for $115m. Canada’s Talisman, which sold its stake in a pipeline project in Sudan in March, also sold to the Indian oil firm. (BBC News, UK, 2 September 2003)

* Soudan. Darfour: cessez-le-feu attendu — Le mercredi 3 septembre, une délégation du gouvernement soudanais s’est rendue au Tchad où elle devrait signer un accord de cessez-le-feu convenu durant le week-end avec les rebelles du Darfour, indiquent des sources de la présidence à Khartoum. Le Mouvement de libération du Soudan (SLM) a déclaré avoir accepté en principe un cessez-le-feu avec le gouvernement au cours de négociations indirectes à Abeche au Tchad, le week-end dernier, sous médiation tchadienne, afin de mettre un terme aux affrontements sporadiques avec les forces gouvernementales. Le SLM a été créé en août 2001 et mène depuis février dernier des attaques contre l’armée soudanaise dans différentes zones du Darfour, une région semi-désertique. Selon des sources diplomatiques, le régime soudanais néglige depuis plusieurs années le développement du Darfour, et les rebelles bénéficient d’une aide logistique du principal mouvement rebelle soudanais, l’Armée populaire de libération du Soudan (SPLA). De son côté, le SLM accuse le gouvernement d’armer des milices pour attaquer les tribus non arabes des provinces de Darfour. Ces derniers jours, des attaques menées par la milice Jenjaweed auraient encore fait 81 morts et 2.700 déplacés. ( ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 3 septembre 2003)

* Tanzania. Tension over Tanzanian militia — 3 September: The authorities in north-western Tanzanian have said that they are trying to diffuse tensions between local residents and a traditional militia group which is said to be harassing and intimidating villagers. The group, known as Sungusungu, which is recognised by the government, had threatened to punish women in the Bariadi district, whom they accuse of promiscuity and spreading HIV/Aids in the society. The Bariadi district commissioner, Cleophas Rugarabamu, said that tension occurred after the traditional militia gave two local unmarried women an ultimatum on 1 September — to get married, leave the Inkoma village or face the consequences. «Following the investigations by our security personnel, we discovered that Sungusungu had issued the directives to two women who are said to be practising prostitution,» said Mr Rugarabamu. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 3 September 2003)

* Togo. Eyadéma soigné en Italie — 28 août. Le président togolais Gnassingbé Eyadéma, 66 ans, se trouve depuis plusieurs jours en Italie pour y recevoir des soins, indique l’agence Misna. Il serait hospitalisé dans une clinique dans la région de Milan, où il a déjà été soigné dans le passé. Il y a quelques jours, des journaux privés togolais et des sites internet proches de l’opposition ont affirmé que le chef de l’Etat est gravement malade et qu’il se trouve en Italie pour se soumettre à une thérapie. “Il s’agit de rumeurs diffusées avec la volonté de nuire”, réplique un communiqué diffusé sur le site officiel de la République togolaise, qui ajoute que M. Eyadéma se trouve en Italie dans le cadre d’une visite privée. — Le 29 août, dans la soirée, le président Eyadéma est rentré au pays, après 12 jours de “visite privée” en Italie, a annoncé la télévision nationale. Celle-ci a montré M. Eyadéma un peu fatigué, descendant de l’avion a pas feutrés, mais souriant. Contrairement aux longs reportages qu’elle consacre habituellement aux activités du président, la télévision n’a diffusé que l’image d’un court instant. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 août 2003)

* Tunisie. Journaliste condamné — Le 29 août, le journaliste Abdallah Zouari, 46 ans, libéré en 2002 après 11 ans de détention et arrêté de nouveau le 17 août dernier, a été condamné à 9 mois de prison pour “infraction à une mesure de contrôle administratif” à laquelle il était astreint. A sa sortie de prison en 2002, il avait été soumis à une mesure d’éloignement et envoyé à Zarzis, dans le sud-est tunisien, alors que ses proches résident à Tunis. Abdallah Zouari était en grève de la faim depuis son arrestation pour réclamer sa libération. (Le Monde, France, 31 août 2003)

* Ouganda. Au nord, le drame continue — Les rebelles de l’Armée de résistance du Seigneur (LRA) ont commis deux nouvelles attaques durant le week-end, tuant au moins 20 personnes et enlevant plusieurs dizaines de civils, rapporte l’agence Misna. Le samedi 30 août dans l’après-midi, ils ont tué six civils transportant des marchandises sur la route reliant Lira à Pader, près du village d’Okwang. Peu après, ils se sont rendus au marché d’Okwang, où ils ont enlevé un grand nombre de personnes, majoritairement des jeunes. Ensuite, dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, au moins 11 personnes ont été tuées à Ocoko Ber, à 80 km à l’est de Lira. Des dizaines de personnes, surtout des femmes et des enfants, ont été obligées de suivre les rebelles avec leur butin. Des sources de la société civile dénoncent la non-intervention de l’armée gouvernementale, de plus en plus incapable d’assurer la sécurité de la population civile qui vit dans la terreur. — Le lundi 1er septembre, les rebelles de la LRA ont encore tué 25 civils lors d’une embuscade contre un bus, a rapporté un porte-parole de l’armée, cité par l’agence AP. Les insurgés ont tué les passagers du bus, qui reliait Lira à Soroti, par balles ou à coups de matraque. Neuf autres personnes ont été blessées et les rebelles ont mis le feu au véhicule. - Mgr Odama, l’archevêque de Gulu, a demandé au Saint Siège de “faire pression sur la communauté internationale afin qu’elle comprenne la gravité et l’urgence de la crise. Cette guerre doit finir avant qu’il ne soit trop tard!”. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 1er septembre 2003)

* Uganda. Refugee deaths denied — 2 September: The Ugandan Government has been defending its relocation of Sudanese refugees from the centre of the country to camps in the far north. Uganda’s Commissioner of Disaster Management and Refugees, Carlos Twesigomwe, said that the relocation had taken place without the use of force. «We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We had planned this exercise for months... and it was voluntary,» Mr Twesigomwe said. He denied earlier reports that three refugees had died when police and army forced refugees on to trucks and said police had only been brought in to prevent youths in the camp from causing trouble. But refugees said force had been used — men had fled into the bush and women and children had been beaten into submission. «The army and the police arrived at 0300 (0000 GMT) when the people were still sleeping, they surrounded the camp and started shooting, hitting people with tear gas and bullets,» one of the refugees Nyeko Magellan said. Mr Magellan said several refugees were arrested for resisting the move to relocate them to West Nile district, with many others fleeing to the bush to avoid the relocation. However, some women and children were taken away in seven trucks. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 2 September 2003)

* Uganda. Seeking US military aid — 3 September: Uganda has asked the United States for military assistance in its fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. An advisor to the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said the call was made in the spirit of the continuing global war against terrorism, as the LRA is on the US list of terror groups. But John Nagenda is emphatic that Uganda was not asking the US to send in troops to northern and eastern Uganda where the fighting is concentrated. The Ugandan army has been fighting the LRA in northern Uganda since 1988, since when hundreds of thousands of people have been either displaced, maimed or killed. The LRA often mutilates civilians and abducts children to either become fighters or sex slaves. «What we are asking the US to do is to provide us with logistical support and intelligence information,» Mr Nagenda said. «We have enough of our own soldiers to do the job.» (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 3 September 2003)

* Zambia. Slum unites to fight disease — People in a deprived part of the Zambian capital, Lusaka, have banded together in an ambitious attempt to improve their health. They are working for nothing to build and maintain new drains that will not spread disease. The capital cost of the drains themselves is being paid by the UK Government. The incidence of malaria, cholera and other water-borne diseases has already fallen significantly. Mandevu is home to 20,000 people, and conditions there can be grim. One long-established resident, Joyce Phiri, says: «My family normally has malaria because of the mosquitoes in this drain...the water is stagnant, which makes it a breeding ground for the mosquitoes. In the rainy season the drains overflow, flooding our house and spreading malaria and cholera.» Most people in Mandevu use pit latrines, which can leak into the water supply, especially at times of high rainfall. Lusaka city council has the know how to remedy the problem, and the UK‘s Department for International Development (DFID) is providing the money, through its City Community Challenge Fund. The people of Mandevu provide the third component, their labour. Their aim is to build and then care for nearly 1,500 metres of flood-resistant drainage. Not far away in Chazanga, the British fund is paying for a Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine. It is in the marketplace and near a bus stop, and is designed not to leak into the water table. One local resident, Irene Nkanga Mulundika, says of the townspeople building the latrine: «They have a sense of responsibility and ownership, and therefore you find there’s sustainability — whatever it is you’ve done there is maintained.» (Alex Kirby, BBC, UK, 19 August 2003

* Zambia. Mwanawasa calls crisis meeting — 1 September: President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia has called for a national crisis meeting as he struggles with a civil service strike. He invited opposition parties, civil society organisations and church groups to a national conference to be held within the next four weeks. He was speaking as a strike by around 120,000 civil servants and public workers went into a second week. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 1 September 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Ending fuel controls — 28 August: Fuel prices have risen by up to 500% after the government announced that it had ended price controls. Private companies will now be allowed to import fuel in a bid to end the fuel shortages which have plagued Zimbabwe for three years. The shortages had led to a thriving black market, where prices were even higher than the new rates. Earlier this week, police seized petrol and diesel from a company owned by a senior member of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party. The company was accused of selling the fuel at prices far above the official level set by the government. With the end of price controls, diesel that used to cost 200 Zimbabwe dollars (25 US cents) a litre will now be sold at 1,060 dollars (US $1.32) while the price of petrol has risen from 450 (56 US cents) to 1,170 dollars (US $1.46). Businesses have been calling for an end to price controls and the state monopoly on fuel imports in order to increase supply. However, government-sourced fuel will still be sold to government departments at the old prices. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 28 August 2003)

* Zimbabwe. 50 fermiers blancs expropriés — Malgré l’annonce de la fin des expropriations par le gouvernement de Robert Mugabe il y a quelques mois, 50 autres propriétaires terriens blancs ont été expropriés, à l’occasion d’une nouvelle campagne de redistribution de terres, a annoncé Doug Taylor-Freeme, le président du Syndicat des fermiers commerciaux (CFU). “Ces évictions sont illégales. Les fermiers vont se protéger par des moyens légaux”, a-t-il déclaré. La production agricole du pays aurait chuté de 50% par rapport à il y a quelques années. Harare a lancé un appel pour obtenir 700.000 tonnes de nourriture des donateurs internationaux. (La Libre Belgique, 30 août 2003)