* Guinea. Easy poll for Conte — 12 November: Guinea’s diabetic leader looks set to secure another seven years in office in presidential elections next month. The Supreme Court announced that only President Lansana Conte and one other candidate met the requirements to contest the 21 December poll. Last week, the opposition alliance announced a boycott saying the vote would not be free and fair. The challenger, Mamadou Bhoye Barry, of the Union for National Progress party is barely known - even among Guineans. Six other presidential hopefuls were disqualified by the Supreme Court panel for a variety of reasons. These ranged from a failure to pay the application fee, to the failure on the part of at least one candidate, to convince the panel of his correct date of birth. The European Union has announced that it will not finance or send election observers because of doubts over the conduct of the poll. 14 November: An opposition leader is detained in Guinea after casting doubts on the health of President Lansana Conte. Jean-Marie Dore was taken to an unknown destination after being questioned by police, his lawyers say. He will be charged with «insulting the president» after telling French radio that Mr Conte is too ill to contest elections on 21 December. Mr Dore is a member of parliament and leader of the small Union for Progress (UPG) in Guinea. The UPG is part of an opposition alliance which is boycotting next month’s  poll, saying that it will not be free and fair. 15 November: Jean-Marie Dore is released. He says: «They told me I could go home and that the case would take its course». (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 November 2003)

* Equatorial Guinea. President described as «father and real master of the nation» — A Catholic Church Congregation in Acureman, in the south of Equatorial Guinea has described the country’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo as «father and real master» of the nation. «The Catholic Church looks at Equatorial Guinea’s current realities and proclaims its trust in this nation from the heritage and the light of the Christ message," the Acureman Parish priest said in his homily broadcast live by the official radio on 16 November. According to him, the Catholic Church «feels that President Obiang is the father and true master of the Nation. The parish of Santa Barbara of Acurenam recognises and greatly admires the tremendous efforts and progress achieved by the Head of State, his government and the ruling party, Equatorial Guinea Democratic Party (PDGE)». (...) Of late, the Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea, which has often desisted from commenting on human rights violations in the country, has showed praise for the actions being taken by President Obiang and his party. A few months ago, the official radio even went further and claimed that President Obiang was «the God of Equatorial Guinea». (PANA, Senegal, 17 November 2003)

* Guinée-Bissau. Première université — Le président Henrique Rosa a officiellement inauguré la première université publique de la Guinée-Bissau, presque 30 ans après l’indépendance du pays. La création de l’université avait été décidée par décret gouvernemental en 1999; en janvier 2004 les premiers étudiants à un cours pré-universitaire y seront admis. L’université est baptisée “Amilcar Cabral”, du nom du fondateur du Parti africain pour l’indépendance de la Guinée et du Cap Vert (PAIGC) qui a lutté pour leur autonomie. Elle proposera des cours de maîtrise en droit, médecine, économie agraire, ingénierie, sociologie, langues modernes et journalisme. (Misna, Italie, 15 novembre 2003)

* Kenya. Church leaders seek to reintroduce religious education in schools — Confronted with increasing unrest in public schools, Church leaders in Kenya are calling for the re-introduction of compulsory religious education. The Church leaders, attending a consultative forum on school safety, argued that the abandonment of compulsory teaching of religious education in early 1990s had contributed to the decline in discipline in the country’s schools. Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi suggested that in the 1990s Kenya followed a popular trend, without having critically analyzed the situation. «The choice was made following the trend at the time, but we are reaping pain and regret,» Archbishop Nzimbi  told CWN. He added that Christian leaders now see the restoration of religious instruction as a part of the solution because «it teaches children morals and the fear of God.» Kenya’s education minister, who attended the forum in Nairobi, said that the idea of religious education was worth discussing. Church groups sponsor about one-half of all Kenya’s schools. (Africa Infodoc, Belgium, 18 November 2003)

* Kenya. Constitution talks at risk — 18 November: The academic charged with drafting Kenya’s new constitution has said he will resign unless the government lets him finish the process. Professor Yash Pal Ghai accuses the authorities of reneging on promises to bring in a new constitution. Changing the constitution was one of President Mwai Kibaki’s key campaign pledges during last year’s elections. But the coalition government is now split, especially over whether the post of prime minister should be created. Professor Ghai says he was trying to discuss the issue with Mr Kibaki but he suspects some officials were blocking that meeting. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 18 November 2003)

* Kenya. Matatu strike causes chaos — 19 November: The owners of Kenya’s minibus taxis, or «matatus», have gone on strike over new safety rules, forcing many commuters to walk long distances to work. The police say they have used teargas to stop strikers throwing stones at buses which were working normally. The government wants all matatus to be fitted with seatbelts and speed regulators to improve road safety. Matatu drivers are notorious for their dangerous driving but owners say the new rules will increase bus fares. Crowds of commuters scrambled to board the few available buses at bus stations on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi. Despite the safety concerns, many Kenyans use matatus because they are the cheapest form of public transport. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 November 2003)

* Liberia. Campagne de désarmement — 18 novembre. La mission des Nations unies au Liberia (MINUL) entamera en décembre une vaste campagne de désarmement de toutes les factions présentes dans le pays, rapporte l’agence Misna. Trois centres de récolte d’armes seront institués. Les Casques bleus donneront un maximum de 300 dollars par personne en échange du matériel de guerre qui leur sera remis. Selon des estimations officieuses, au moins 50.000 individus possèdent une arme au Liberia. Le désarmement est l’un des objectifs principaux du gouvernement de transition. — 19 novembre. La MINUL a été empêchée de mener des missions d’évaluation dans les zones contrôlées par le groupe rebelle des Libériens unis pour la réconciliation et la démocratie (LURD). Le représentant de l’Onu au Liberia a dit que les rebelles refusent de coopérer, alors que les Casques bleus sont prêts à commencer le programme de désarmement le 7 décembre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, novembre  2003)

* Malawi/Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean bishops want Muluzi to urge their leaders to talk — Three leading Zimbabwean bishops have appealed to Malawi President Bakili Muluzi to put pressure on his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe and the opposition to resume talks aimed at ending the current political and economic crises engulfing the once prosperous southern Africa nation. Bishops Sebastian Bakare of the Anglican Church, Patrick Matume of the Catholic Church and Trevor Mahnanga of the Evangelical Church made the appeal on 17 November at a meeting held in the Malawi capital of Lilongwe. Mahnanga told journalists the three were in Malawi to brief Muluzi on the current political stand-off between the Mugabe regime and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai. «Dr Bakili Muluzi has been involved in the discussions on Zimbabwe’s political instability together with South African leader Thabo Mbeki and Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo,» he said. «We have come here to appeal to President Bakili Muluzi to mount more pressure on President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to let their political parties resume talks,» Mahnanga added. He said that it was important for leaders of Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria to continue urging the ruling ZANU-PF and MDC officials to have talks. (PANA, Senegal, 18 November 2003)

* Maroc. Islamistes en procès — Le 14 novembre, s’est ouvert à Rabat, le procès de onze intégristes arrêtés dans le cadre de l’enquête sur l’assassinat d’un juif marocain en septembre à Casablanca. Albert Rebibo, un commerçant de 55 ans, avait été tué par balles par deux individus, le 11 septembre, dans un souk populaire de Casablanca. (Libération, France, 15 novembre 2003)

* Maroc. Emigration clandestine — Depuis plusieurs semaines, le Maroc multiplie les initiatives pour tenter de démontrer à ses partenaires de l’Union européenne sa détermination à lutter contre l’émigration clandestine et les réseaux mafieux qui l’organisent. Le lundi 17 novembre, le ministre marocain de l’Intérieur, Mustapha Sahel, s’est entretenu à Bruxelles avec M. Javier Solana, et ce mardi il devait rencontrer à Madrid son homologue espagnol. Ce même mardi 18 novembre, la police marocaine a arrêté à Tanger 142 clandestins subsahariens, dont 55 femmes, alors qu’ils se préparaient à traverser le détroit de Gibraltar. Ces clandestins ont été interpellés au cours d’une opération de ratissage dans la banlieue de Tanger et n’étaient en possession d’aucun document d’identité. La police dit avoir procédé, entre le 10 octobre et le 13 novembre, à l’arrestation à Tanger de 709 candidats à l’émigration clandestine, dont 113 ressortissants de pays subsahariens. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 novembre 2003)

* Maroc. Fortes pluies - 12 morts — Depuis le dimanche 16 novembre, des pluies torrentielles se sont abattues sur l’ensemble du Maroc. Le mardi, dans le nord du pays, elles ont causé la mort d’au moins 12 personnes, apprend-on de sources hospitalières. Les 12 victimes, dont au moins deux enfants, ont été emportées par les crues de deux oueds entre Nador et Al Hoceïma (550 km au nord de Rabat), deux villes situées sur le littoral méditerranéen dans les contreforts du massif montagneux du Rif. (AP, 19 novembre 2003)

* Mauritanie. Nouveau gouvernement — Le jeudi soir 13 novembre, le Premier ministre Sghaïr Ould M’Bareck, reconduit la veille dans ses fonctions, a formé son gouvernement. Celui-ci compte 18 ministres (dont 8 nouveaux) et 4 secrétaires d’Etat. -D’autre part, une commission de l’Assemblée nationale a levé l’immunité parlementaire du député Ismaïl Ould Amar, directeur de campagne de l’ancien chef de l’Etat Ould Haidallah lors de l’élection présidentielle du 7 novembre. Ould Amar avait été arrêté dimanche en même temps qu’Ould Haidallah, accusés tous deux “d’atteinte à la sûreté de l’Etat”. — Le 17 novembre, l’Union des forces de progrès (UFP), une formation qui a soutenu la candidature d’Ould Haidallah, a estimé que “cette élection a débouché sur une crise politique majeure”. Elle demande “la libération sans délai d’Ould Haidallah et de ses compagnons, le respect des libertés publiques et individuelles, et l’ouverture d’un dialogue sérieux avec l’opposition”. La veille, le procureur de la République avait encore renvoyé pour “complément d’enquête” la libération de neuf pesronnes soupçonnées d’avoir participé à une tentative de coup d’Etat le 7 novembre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 17 novembre 2003)

* Mauritania. Another opponent arrested in crackdown — Police in Mauritania arrested another opposition figure on 16 November in what his lawyer described as a government crackdown after this month’s disputed election. Incumbent President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya was declared winner of the November 7 ballot with two-thirds of the vote. The opposition said massive fraud and intimidation rendered the election invalid. On 16 November, police arrested Cheikh Ould Horma, deputy campaign director for the leading opposition candidate, Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, who was himself arrested hours after the election result was declared. «It’s an attempt to discourage anybody from becoming involved in politics,» Brahim Ould Ebetty, one of the lawyers defending the arrested opposition figures, told Reuters. «They want to eliminate Haidalla’s campaign team at any cost.» Lawyers said Horma was the latest of at least 12 opposition figures to be taken into custody in the past month in Mauritania, a country stretching from the Sahara to the Atlantic where many hope offshore oil deposits will bring riches. Official results showed Haidalla, who remains in detention, won just under 19 percent the vote in the country of 2.9 million, which straddles black and Arab Africa. (CNN, USA, 17 November 2003)

* Mauritanie. Recherche pétrolière — La recherche pétrolière et gazière menée en Mauritanie depuis quelques années par la société australienne Woodside, a connu d’importantes avancées fin octobre et début novembre, a-t-on appris de bonnes sources à Nouakchott. Les fruits de ces nouvelles découvertes devraient se traduire par une production de 75.000 barils/jour pendant les deux premières années, selon l’hebdomadaire mauritanien le “Calame” à paraître le 20 novembre. (PANA, Sénégal, 18 novembre 2003)

* Mozambique. La Renamo aux élections — Pour la première fois dans l’histoire du Mozambique indépendant, l’opposition a participé à des élections municipales. Celles-ci se déroulent ce 19 novembre dans 33 villes, dont la capitale Maputo, un an environ avant la tenue des élections générales, présidentielle et législatives. Les municipales de 1998 avaient été boycottées par l’ex-rébellion de la Résistance nationale du Mozambique (Renamo). - En fin de journée, le président Chissano s’est dit satisfait du déroulement des élections. Le leader de l’opposition, Alfonso Dhlakama, s’est plaint “d’irrégularités”, mais s’est dit confiant que la Renamo remporterait un nombre significatif de municipalités. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 19 novembre 2003)

* Namibia. Stowaways take wrong turn — Nine West African stowaways have ended up in Namibia after boarding the wrong ship, immigration officials say. The five men and four women were trying to get to Europe from Gabon, but instead landed on a beach some 2,500 km in the wrong direction. They were discovered by the Chinese crew and cast adrift on rafts made of steel drums, with just a small bottle of water and a bag of uncooked rice. After spending three days at sea, they were exhausted but have now recovered. They were discovered by marine researchers who were fishing in Meob Bay, 200km south of Namibia’s main harbour Walvis Bay. They had nothing but the clothes they were wearing. The nine say they come from Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon but immigration official Steven Mulundu says they had no documentation so their stories cannot be verified. Instead of greener pastures in Europe, the stowaways are now awaiting an immigration tribunal in arid, sandy Namibia. A group of people who apparently put out to sea on a third raft, is still missing. (BBC News, UK, 14 November 2003)

* Nigeria. Polio eradication programme to be re-launched — The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it  will re-launch a campaign to eradicate polio from Nigeria early next year. Last month’s inoculation programme was blocked when three northern Nigerian states suspended the campaign. The states acted after an influential Islamic leader said the vaccines might cause cancer, AIDS or sterility. WHO warns that if the campaign fails, polio will spread to Nigeria’s neighbours setting back a 15-year campaign costing more than $3bn. WHO polio eradication co-ordinator, Dr Bruce Aylward, says the new campaign will involve the Nigerian government at all levels. A local Nigerian committee set up to investigate the safety of the immunisation programme is expected to give its verdict today. Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says the analysis is necessary to remove all doubts about the vaccines. Take up was much lower than hoped in Nigeria during the vaccine campaign because of the controversy. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2003)

* Nigeria. Child slaves — 13 November: Recently Nigerian police rescued about 200 «child slaves» from forests in the south-west, where they were forced to work in granite mines or digging sand. They have arrested about seven members of a syndicate accused of involvement in the trafficking of children from neighbouring Benin. The children, mainly aged between five and 15, are either snatched from their families or lured away with promises that they are being taken to Nigeria to further their education. In the forests around the town of Abeokuta, they dig several lorry loads of sand and granite every day, which are transported to Nigerian cities to be sold as building materials. One of the recently rescued children, Macenia Boha, says they were beaten if they did not work hard enough and also if they asked for food, even if they were hungry. «You are always hungry,» he said. «They are bad people. They did bad things to us.» Macenia is lucky to have lived to tell his story. A number of children are known to have died in the forest. Alexis Kesinu, who is about 12-years-old, says while he was in the forest he saw six children die. He said the «masters» would not let the children take any time off, even if they were ill. «When they went back to work they died,» he said. But it is not just the harsh conditions and ill health that cause deaths among the captive children —they are also at risk from wild animals living in the forests. «We were sleeping on the sand and we saw an animal. When it came it attacked a child, who died,» said another of those rescued, Mansua Bokovo. «But I don’t know where the corpse was taken to.» (BBC News, UK, 13 November 2003)

* Nigeria. Lapidation évitée — Le 14 novembre, la Haute Cour de la charia de Bauchi (nord du Nigeria) a acquitté un homme de 36 ans, condamné en première instance à la lapidation pour adultère. La cour d’appel a estimé que l’accusation était devenue infondée, l’accusé étant revenu sur ses aveux. (Libération, France, 15 novembre 2003)

* Rwanda. Exploitation of children — Some 340,000 minors (making one in 10 children) including 170,000 employed in household chores and 2,000 prostitutes below 17 are exploited in Rwanda, delegates learnt at the second national conference on child labour that wound up here at the weekend. Besides working as house helps, other areas in which children are exploited in the country include brickwork and quarries. Some 3,100 child domestic servants have been recorded in Kigali alone, according to the final report of the conference, which recommended that the government enact measures to get the children back to school. Delegates also proposed the creation of a Youth Division within the national police force, as well as the strengthening of the capacities of Public Service agents in charge of preventing child labour. The first such conference was organised in October 1997, at the end of which a countrywide probe was launched on child labour. Children below 17 account for 48 percent of Rwanda’s 8 million inhabitants, according to the last general census conducted in August 2002. (PANA, Senegal, 17 November 2003)

* Rwanda. Reddition d’un général rebelle — Vendredi soir, le 14 novembre, le commandant en chef des milices rwandaises opérant au Congo-RDC, le général Paul Rwarakabije, s’est rendu  à l’armée rwandaise avec 150 de ses hommes, des membres de l’ancienne armée rwandaise et d’Interahamwe (miliciens hutu). Rwarakabije dirigeait la branche armée du mouvement politico-militaire des Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR). Son nom ne figure toutefois pas dans les actes d’accusation officiels du Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR). Sa reddition inattendue devrait réduire les menaces d’instabilité dans les deux pays. Rwarakabije a franchi la frontière avec ses hommes qui ont déposé leurs armes à Cyangugu. La reddition ferait suite à des négociations secrètes. Dans un entretien avec PANA, le général Rwarakabije a invité tous ses combattants encore présents au Congo à déposer les armes et à regagner le pays. -Cependant, le 17 novembre, les FDLR ont publié un communiqué annonçant “à toute la communauté internationale et au peuple rwandais qu’elles ne sont pas impliquées dans les manoeuvres entre le gouvernement rwandais et des individus agissant à leur propre compte”. Et elles informent que “le haut commandement de l’armée des FDLR continue à diriger ses forces”. -Pour sa part, le président Kagame a promis, le 18 novembre, la réintégration dans la société rwandaise à tous les rebelles qui accepteraient de regagner le pays, mais il a assuré que les présumés coupables de génocide ne pourront échapper à la justice. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 novembre 2003)

* Rwanda. Rebel gives up the fight — 15 November: The leader of a Rwandan Hutu rebel group which includes some of those who took part  in the genocide of 1994 has surrendered to the government. Militia leader Paul Rwarakabije arrived in the capital Kigali on a Rwandan army helicopter after nearly a decade in Congo RDC. Accompanied by about 100 militiamen, he said he realised that violence was not the answer to Rwanda’s problems. He was embraced by the army chief, General James Kabarebe. The group which he led, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, brought together members of the former Rwandan army and Interahamwe fighters. Many of the rebels are implicated in the genocide in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered. The group is estimated to have between 15,000 and 20,000 troops fighting the Rwandan Government from bases in the jungle of eastern Congo RDC. 18 November: The Financial Times reports that hundreds of Rwandan Hutu militiamen are gathering in eastern Congo RDC in anticipation of a return to Rwanda. There are sill thought to be as many as 15,000 Hutu rebels at large in Congo. They are made up of disaffected young Rwandans as well as the remnants of the former Rwandan army and Interahamwe militia. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 18 November 2003)

* Rwanda/USA. Bounty for genocide suspects renewed — 19 November: The United States has relaunched its $5m campaign to capture suspected leaders of the Rwanda genocide. Four suspects have been caught after the reward was first offered last year. But 10 others named on a «wanted» poster remain at large, as US envoy Pierre-Richard Prosper revived the initiative in Rwanda. Mr Prosper urged Kenya to do more to apprehend Felicien Kabuga accused of funding the genocide. He is due to discuss the case with officials in Kenya, where Mr Kabuga is believed to be hiding. «These people need to understand that justice will pursue them aggressively and is patient,» Mr Prosper said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 November 2003)

* Senegal. Oil stains beach near slave site — An oil slick washed up on a beach near a historic slave trading centre in Senegal, in what appeared to be the latest sign of ships dumping oil off the West African coast, environmentalists said on 16 November. A black smudge covered the water and much of the sand when it hit Gorée Island on 15 November, where some two million African slaves had a last glimpse of their homeland before being shipped across the Atlantic to a lifetime of servitude. «The pollution is quite worrying because the beach at Goree is covered by oil which is quite thinly spread but very visible,» Blandine Melis, a marine biologist monitoring ocean life at Senegal’s Oceanium diving centre, told Reuters. Melis said she could not identify the specific source of the pollution, but said it was likely to have been dumped at sea by ships washing out their tanks, a frequent source of oil slicks off the coast of Senegal. (CNN, USA, 17 November 2003)

* Senegal. Horsepower for Dakar commuters — Commuters in Senegal’s capital are resorting to horses to help evade heavy traffic and cut transport costs. A 20-minute journey can take more than an hour during the city’s rush hour. Frustrated passengers are now using a new horse and cart taxi service, which is adept at beating the jams. «The roads are sometimes very busy so we take the shorts cuts to get home faster than the cars,» says Alhadj Mbaye a horse taxi operator. The horses are able to use paths leading to the centre of Dakar and unlike minibus taxis are never overloaded. They began carrying passengers three months ago and only carry a maximum of three at a time. There are about 100 now operating in the city and are approximately half the cost of taxis. The horse taxis have long been viewed as ideal for businessmen seeking to ferry goods across the congested capital. Sidi Sarr, a businessman, says the horse carts are quicker, cheaper and more reliable than taxis. With the growing numbers of unemployed people, the mode of transport has also become a reliable source of income for many in Dakar. (BBC News, UK, 17 November 2003)