ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: anb- bia@village.uunet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 26-11-1999 PART #1/ * Africa. Corruption body pleads for crucial treaty - At the recent international conference held in October in Durban, South Africa, Transparency International (TI), the Berlin-based anti- corruption body, called on 16 of the 34 signatories of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Convention (OECD) to ratify it and avoid the trap of the anti-graft initiative. Almost half of the OECD member countries -- including Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Italy have not yet ratified the Convention and incorporated it into their legislation. In TI's Bribe Payers Perception Index (BPI), a disturbing picture of the degree to which leading exporting countries are using corrupt practices by bribing foreign officials to gain access to contracts and other business deals, emerges. The USA, which lobbied for the OECD Convention, ranked ninth on the BPI with a score of 6.2. Sweden was perceived to be the country with the cleanest record, followed closely by Canada and Australia. China, including Hong Kong, was seen as the home country of corporations that practice the highest levels of bribery. The BPI was also released together with TI's annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI). In Africa, Botswana was ranked as the cleanest country in the sub- Sahara region. Botswana was ranked 24th cleanest country in the world. With a CPI of 6.1, she scored better than Namibia which came second in the continent with 5.3, and South Africa with 5.0. (E.H. Gama, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 19 November 1999) * Afrique. Sida, dernier bilan - Selon le dernier bilan epidemiologique rendu public le 23 novembre par l'OMS et l'Onusida, on peut estimer a 5,6 millions le nombre de personnes qui, a travers le monde, auront contracte une infection par le virus du sida en 1999, et 2,6 millions sont mortes de la maladie cette annee. Au total, 33,6 millions de personnes sont aujourd'hui contaminees par le VIH. Les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne concentrent 70% du total des cas, soit 23,3 millions de contaminations. "La plupart des personnes infectees mourront dans les dix annees a venir et s'ajouteront aux 13,7 millions d'Africains deja emportes par l'epidemie. Elles laisseront derriere elles des familles detruites et des perspectives de developpement paralysees, soulignent les experts. A cause du sida, les entreprises etablies en Afrique, desormais en difficulte, se preparent au pire". (D'apres Le Monde, France, 24 novembre 1999) * Horn of Africa. Agreement on Nile water - Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt have adopted a strategy of co-operation they consider capable of developing the Nile water resources for their benefit. A document to this effect was signed on 18 November by Sudan's irrigation minister, Chivaru Jarsu, following two days of talks in Khartoum. According to Ali, "the three sides have agreed upon the sustainable development of the Nile water through the equitable exploitation of the river for the common benefit of all the river basin states. The three sides have also agreed upon the need to direct all Nile water projects for the elimination of poverty in the member states", he told the press. He said the three states have decided to co-operate "in all water projects: irrigation, drainage, hydro-electric power, drought and flood control, pollution prevention as well as projects for soil erosion prevention in the river tributaries. All projects to be launched on the river should seek the common benefit of all member states. This should be included in accompanying feasibility studies", Ali declared. He said they have agreed to lay down a one-year programme "during which projects can be specified, feasibility studies conducted and consultative studies completed prior to the presentation of those projects to international donors for funding". (PANA, Dakar, 18 November 1999) * Algerie. Les attentats continuent - Au cours de la semaine ecoulee, les tueries et attentats attribues aux groupes islamistes armes se sont multiplies, faisant une cinquantaine de morts. Le 20 novembre encore, 17 personnes (20 selon les journaux) ont ete tuees et six blessees dans un nouveau massacre pres de Blida (50 km au sud d'Alger). Ces tueries surviennent a moins de trois semaines du ramadan, souvent marque par une intensification de la violence. Cependant, le 19 novembre a Monaco, le president algerien Bouteflika a minimise la vague d'attentats dans son pays -- des "epiphenomenes" qui ne sont pas pres de cesser -- avant de rendre un vibrant hommage a l'armee "que l'on tente de diaboliser alors qu'elle n'aspire qu'a rentrer dans les casernes". Il a toutefois reaffirme qu'il serait impitoyable a l'egard des terroristes qui resteraient dans le maquis apres l'expiration de la loi sur la concorde civile. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 novembre 1999) * Algeria. Attacks continue - 20 November: In the second massacre in Algeria this week, 15 people have been killed and eight wounded in an attack at a false roadblock south of Algiers, security forces said. The attacks this week were the worst violence in the North African nation since President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected in April, pledging to restore peace after a seven-year Islamic uprising has left 100,000 dead. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. The statement provided no other information but said security forces had begun searching for the attackers after discovering the roadblock near Blida, 37 miles south of the capital. Earlier this week, about 20 people, mostly women and children, were slaughtered, presumably by Islamic militants. In a separate incident, the El Watan daily reported Saturday that two decapitated bodies were found in a forest 150 miles west of Algiers. On 19 November, Bouteflika, on a visit to Monaco, had issued another strong warning to Islamic militants in his country, saying they must lay down their weapons or face "eradication". 22 November: Abdelkader Hachani, a senior leader in the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), is murdered in Algiers. He ranked third in the FIS. President Bouteflika says he deplores the killing. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 November 1999) * Algerie. Le n. 3 du FIS abattu - Le dirigeant islamiste Abdelkader Hachani, considere comme le numero 3 du Front islamique du salut, a ete abattu le 22 novembre au matin dans une salle d'attente de dentiste a Bab-el-Oued, quartier populaire d'Alger, de plusieurs balles tirees par un agresseur unique. "Cet attentat a ete perpetre dans le but de torpiller, d'aneantir tous les efforts deployes pour un retour a la paix et de dissuader les hommes armes a se rendre", a declare a l'AFP une source politique proche de la victime. Bien que tres critique des methodes utilisees par le president Bouteflika pour en finir avec les violences, le chef islamiste avait souvent indique ses options pour la paix. Hachani avait beaucoup d'ennemis: aupres des radicaux islamistes dans le maquis, qui ne lui pardonnaient pas son approche legaliste, mais surtout chez les jusqu'au-boutistes militaires et leurs allies, qui craignaient cet homme de dialogue capable peut-etre de remettre un jour le FIS en selle. (Le Soir, Belgique, 23 novembre 1999) * Angola/Zambia. Resuming official contacts - Zambia and Angola are to resume official and friendly contacts next week when Angolan foreign minister, Joao Bernardo de Miranda, arrives in Lusaka for a state visit, a government spokesman said on 17 November. Foreign Affairs Minister, Keli Walubita, described the visit by his Angolan counterpart on 23 November "important" as it would greatly strengthen relations between the two neighbouring African countries. Relations between Zambia and Angola have been strained since 1998 when the government of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos accused that of President Frederick Chiluba of having supplied arms, including fighter jets and helicopter gunships to Angola's rebel movement, UNITA. The Zambian government repeatedly denied the allegations and between April last year, and March this year it allowed delegations from the United Nations Security Council and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to visit areas where arms and ordinances are said to have passed into UNITA-held areas. In addition the regional Inter-State Defence and Security Committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to which both countries belong, had to intervene. (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 17 Nov. 1999) * Angola. Les avoirs de l'Unita geles en GB - La Banque d'Angleterre a gele des comptes appartenant a Jonas Savimbi, le leader de l'Unita. Le gouvernement britannique a lance un appel a la communaute internationale pour qu'elle adopte des mesures similaires contre l'Unita. "Nous devons rechercher les avoirs de Savimbi, qu'ils soient secretement domicilies dans les pays voisins ou ailleurs", a declare le ministre britannique de la Cooperation, M. Hain. Pour lui, l'Occident est responsable de l'effusion de sang en Angola dans la mesure ou la plupart des pays d'Europe ont soutenu Jonas Savimbi et son mouvement. Dans les annees 70, l'Unita a ete armee par les Etats-Unis et l'Afrique du Sud. Les Etats et les organisations internationales doivent a present tout mettre en oeuvre pour mettre fin aux exactions du chef de l'Unita, a-t-il conclu. (D'apres PANA, 23 novembre 1999) * Burkina Faso. Greves et manifestations - Le 22 novembre, le Syndicat national des travailleurs de la sante humaine et animale (SYNTSHA) a entame une greve d'une semaine sur toute l'etendue du territoire national pour exiger de meilleures conditions de vie et de travail. Le gouvernement a opte pour la fermete, jugeant la greve "illegale". - D'autre part, le meme jour, les lyceens de la plupart des etablissements secondaires de Ouagadougou sont descendus dans la rue, pour la 4e fois en moins d'une semaine, pour exiger la reprise de 22 de leurs camarades renvoyes pour fait de greve l'annee derniere a Sabou. Le ministre de l'Enseignement a declare, la semaine precedente, que ces eleves ont ete exclus pour indiscipline et non pour avoir fait la greve. (D'apres PANA, 22 novembre 1999) * Burundi. Sommet regional en decembre - Un sommet regional, dont le but est de choisir un nouveau mediateur pour le processus de paix au Burundi, se tiendra a Arusha en Tanzanie le 1er decembre, a declare le ministre ougandais des Affaires etrangeres. Le president Museveni a fixe cette date en sa qualite de coordinateur de l'initiavive regionale apres consultation des autres dirigeants. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 novembre 1999) * Burundi. Agencies' fears for Burundi - Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) has suspended its programme in "regroupment" camps, complaining that their remoteness and insecurity means its intervention "can have little impact" on the 300,000 people forced to live there. Aid agencies decry the appalling conditions in which people are living; up to 35,000 people are held in each camp, with minimal facilities and away from their homes and livelihoods. MSF says conditions are "falling short of the vital minimum" in the three locations to which it had access. (Financial Times, UK, 20- 21 November 1999) * Burundi. MSF se retire - L'organisation humanitaire Medecins sans frontieres a suspendu, des le 17 novembre, ses activites dans les sites ou sont regroupees pres de 300.000 personnes dans la province de Bujumbura-rural, qui ceinture la capitale burundaise, a-t-on appris de sources concordantes. Une source sure a precise que MSF s'est resolue a cette decision parce que son aide "n'a pas d'impact sur les souffrances de la population". Depuis la mi- septembre, l'armee a entrepris de regrouper la tres grande majorite des villageois de Bujumbura-rural dans une cinquantaine de "sites de protection", afin de mieux traquer les rebelles. - D'autre part, selon un depeche de l'agence Azania, le PAM a decide de reprendre ses activites le 22 novembre, apres plus de cinq semaines d'interruption. Cependant, cette mesure ne signifie pas la levee de la suspension qui frappe les activites de l'Onu au Burundi depuis le meurtre, le 12 octobre, de deux hauts representants des Nations unies. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 novembre 1999) * Burundi. Attaques meurtrieres - Le 23 novembre, les rebelles hutu ont lance une importante offensive contre les positions de l'armee autour de Bujumbura. Selon l'armee, 15 rebelles ont ete tues, alors qu'un soldat a ete tue et 5 autres blesses. Par ailleurs, l'explosion d'une grenade sur le marche central de la capitale a fait au moins quatre morts. D'autre part, le 20 novembre, une embuscade tendue par les rebelles dans la province de Ngozi (nord) avait fait deux morts dans les rangs de l'armee et une dizaine de blesses. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 novembre 1999) * Centrafrique. Revoltes dans l'Est - Deux villes de la RCA, Dimbi et Kembe, toutes deux situees dans l'est du pays, sont entre les mains de militaires mutins, ont annonce des representants du gouvernement. Si le fait est confirme, la revolte constituerait la quatrieme mutinerie survenue depuis 1996 dans le pays. Le motif probable du soulevement serait la publication, il y a deux jours dans la capitale, d'une liste de 50 personnes hostiles au president Patasse, des "ennemis" a faire "eliminer" par les forces speciales. Recemment, huit personnes ont ete assassinees a Kembe, une tuerie imputee a la garde presidentielle. (D'apres Misna, Italie, 24 novembre 1999) * Congo-Brazza. Accord de paix - Le 16 novembre a Pointe-Noire, apres quatre jours de tractations, l'armee et la majorite des factions rebelles (Cocoyes, Ninjas, Cobras) ont signe un document d'accord de paix. Dans l'accord il est dit que "seul le dialogue peut aider a resoudre le conflit interne d'une maniere durable, et non le recours aux armes". Les signataires demandent l'adoption d'une loi d'amnistie pour tous les rebelles qui deposeraient les armes, et une operation de sauvetage pour les refugies disperses dans la foret. (Ceux-ci seraient autour de 500.000). Selon l'accord, l'armee doit renoncer aux operations militaires contre la guerilla. Il est prevu en outre la reinsertion dans l'armee gouvernementale des hauts officiers qui ont adhere a la guerilla et d'autres combattants, a partir du 15 decembre prochain. Les deux principaux opposants en exil, Lissouba et Kolelas, ont rejete l'accord. (D'apres Fides, Rome, 18 novembre 1999) * Congo-Brazza. Defending the peace initiative. - The President of Congo-Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso, has defended his government's peace accord with rebels. President Nguesso who was speaking ahead of the Summit of Central African leaders in Gabon, held on 19 November, said the peace initiative would continue and had a concrete response from the rebels. In what appeared to be comments directed at the former opposition leader, Bernard Kolelas, President Nguesso said his hand remained held out to Congolese of different political persuasions. Mr Kolelas has described the accord as a sham. The agreement, which was reached on 16 November, calls for a nationwide halt to fighting and an amnesty for combatants who hand in their weapons. (BBC News, 19 November 1999) * Congo (RDC). Le point de vue des USA - Le 18 novembre, le secretaire d'Etat adjoint pour les affaires africaines, Mme Susane Rice, a affirme que le processus de paix de Lusaka etait le seul moyen de mettre fin au conflit en RDC et que l'administration americaine ne tolererait pas sa violation. "L'accord de Lusaka est le seul moyen viable de mettre fin a la violence, a-t-elle affirme. Nous n'allons pas tolerer l'abrogation de cet accord. Il n'y a aucune excuse pour aucune des parties de violer cet accord, qui renferme tous les elements pour parvenir a une paix durable". Mme Rice n'a cependant pas indique la maniere dont les Etats-Unis reagiraient vis-a-vis de la partie qui denoncerait le cessez-le- feu. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 19 novembre 1999) * Congo (RDC). OAU observers in Congo - The first team of observers from the Organisation of African Unity have been deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The twelve observers have been stationed in four main provinces where the troops of countries involved in the conflict Congo Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe are based. The observers will investigate reports of ceasefire violations and report to the joint military commission which consist of the OAU, the UN and the combatants. (BBC News, 19 November 1999) * Congo (RDC)/Libye. Ventes d'armes - La Libye voudrait se defaire d'une partie de ses importantes reserves d'armes, provenant des pays de l'Est, et les troquer contre des diamants. Selon Africa Confidential, une delegation libyenne est venue en parler a Kinshasa. Officiellement, les Libyens venaient simplement s'informer du secteur diamantaire congolais. (De Standaard, Belgique, 20 novembre 1999) * Congo (RDC). Le Congo de Kabila au jour le jour - C'est un veritable ouvrage de reference que publie l'Institut africain de Bruxelles sur le Congo de Kabila entre les deux guerres, celle de la conquete du pouvoir et celle de la rebellion anti-Kabila. Les auteurs multiplient en effet les documents de base, rendant ainsi celui qui le souhaite capable de porter son propre jugement sur cette periode. Ils y ajoutent, separement, leur commentaire, pour permettre au profane de decrypter des faits obscurs. Pour la premiere partie, les auteurs recourent largement aux meilleurs journaux de Kinshasa (Le Potentiel, La Reference, Plus, Le Soft, La Tempete des Tropiques...), ce qui permet a l'ouvrage -- de meme que la participation de Jean Omasombo, professeur a l'universite de Kinshasa -- de contribuer a la reappropriation de l'histoire du Congo par ses citoyens. Un excellent livre, que l'on consultera par theme ou que l'on lira a la maniere d'une chronique. ("Republique democratique du Congo -Chronique politique d'un entre deux-guerres: octobre 1996 -juillet 1998", de Gauthier de Villers et Jean-Claude Willame, en collaboration avec Jean Omasombo et Eric Kennes. Ed. Institut africain -CEDAF. 371 pp. env. 950 FB - 23,55 euros) (M.- F. Cros, La Libre Belgique, 21 novembre 1999) * Congo (RDC). Exactions denoncees Une organisation des droits de l'homme, la Voix des sans voix, a denonce les violations des droits de l'homme commises par les forces de securite gouvernementales durant les heures de couvre- feu, et demande l'ouverture d'une enquete independante sur le meurtre d'un etudiant le 21 novembre a un barrage policier. "Confrontes a des graves problemes de survie, la population fait de plus en plus les frais du mauvais comportement des militaires et des policiers", a declare l'association. Le gouvernement a instaure un couvre-feu de 21h. a 6h. dans les zones qu'il controle, afin de dejouer les projets pretes aux rebelles d'infiltrer la capitale. - D'autre part, plusieurs organisations internationales des droits de l'homme expriment leur vive preoccupation au sujet de trois membres de premier plan de la societe civile du Nord-Kivu, qui ont ete arretes par la faction du RCD soutenue par l'Ouganda et seraient quotidiennement tortures a coups de fouet. Leur arrestation serait liee a une petition signee par eux qui reprochait au RCD d'etre responsable de la crise sociale et politique que connait la province du Nord-Kivu, en proie a des tensions interethniques exacerbees et ravagee par les conflits armes. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 novembre 1999) * Congo (RDC). Japan donates to Joint Military Commission - The Japanese government on 23 November said it has granted US $200,000 to the Joint Military Commission (JMC) tasked to implement the Lusaka ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the bloody conflict in Congo RDC. The Japanese ambassador to Zambia, Yoshihiro Nakamura, said in a statement that the grant was released following a request by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) for donations in order to sustain the peaceful implementation of the fragile Lusaka ceasefire peace pact. Nakamura expressed the hope that a new political dispensation through a national dialogue would ensue in Congo so that a meaningful economic development can take place in the mineral rich but highly impoverished Central African country. "The resources are supposed to be utilised for the establishment of OAU offices in Congo, and for expenses by the JMC monitors to implement the ceasefire and to verify any violations by either side," Nakamura said. He appealed to President Laurent Kabila, the rebels and other belligerent nations involved in the conflict, to adhere to the terms of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement. African diplomats in Lusaka however, attributed the ceasefire violations to the delayed deployment of the expected 15,000 UN peacekeepers. The European Union (EU) has pledged to pump in more money in the peace process once the ceasefire implementation process takes hold. However, EU member countries have so far contributed individually, particularly Belgium, Britain and France. ( Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 23 Nov. 1999) * Congo (RDC). Unification des rebelles? - Les trois mouvements rebelles, le Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie, le RCD- Mouvement de liberation et le Mouvement de liberation du Congo, ont demande le 23 novembre au secretaire general des Nations unies, Kofi Annan, que l'ancien president sud-africain Nelson Mandela soit nomme mediateur dans le conflit congolais. - D'autre part, le 24 novembre, le porte-parole du RCD-Goma a annonce que les trois mouvements rebelles allaient se reunir dans une dizaine de jours a Kabare, en Ouganda, en vue d'une unification. Selon lui, le principe en est acquis, en vue de presenter un front commun contre Kabila. (D'apres La Libre Belgique, 24-25 novembre 1999) * Congo (RDC). Fierce battle in N.E. Congo - 24 November: A failed surprise attack by government-allied Mai-Mai fighters in rebel-controlled northeastern Congo, ended in the deaths of about 200 combatants, MISNA said today. The MISNA report gave the first casuality figures on the 23 November battle, which Ugandan security sources had described as "fierce". According to both MISNA and Ugandan security sources, the Mai-Mai tribal fighters launched the 23 November fighting, attacking a camp of Ugandan soldiers and their allies at a small airport outside the town of Butembo near the Congo-Uganda border. The rebels had been expecting the attack and were able to repel it, MISNA said. The Mai-Mai gained control of the airport only briefly. (CNN, 24 November 1999) * Congo (RDC). Pretre assassine - Le 22 novembre au petit matin, l'abbe Georges Kakuja, 52 ans, a ete abattu par des "elements armes" dans sa paroisse de Kalonge, a 80 km au nord-ouest de Bukavu. Un autre pretre a reussi a s'enfuir. Kalonge se trouve dans une zone tenue par le RCD disputee par les Mai-Mai. Des autorites rwandaises a Bukavu imputent l'assassinat aux Mai-Mai et aux milices hutu. L'agence Misna parle egalement d'un groupe de rebelles interahamwe. Des sources locales, voulant garder l'anonymat pour raisons de securite, indiquent cependant des "militaires du RCD", qui auraient tue le pretre parce qu'il refusait de collaborer avec eux. L'abbe Kakuja est le troisieme pretre du diocese de Bukavu tue par les belligerants. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 novembre 1999) * Cote d'Ivoire. Le president critique les PAS - Dans un discours fait a la Conference internationale sur la bonne gouvernance, le president ivoirien Henri Konan Bedie a critique les programmes d'ajustement structurel (PAS) qui, selon lui, ne font pas cas des conditons locales et constituent une ingerence dans les politiques internes et un obstacle a la lutte contre la pauvrete. Tout en reconnaissant la necessite de combattre le laxisme, l'inertie, la fraude et la corruption, il a qualifie les PAS de "melange de potions ameres, de controles tatillons, de conditions innombrables, voire d'ingerences dans la vie politique des pays". Le principal objectif du gouvernement de Bedie est de reduire les 11 milliards de dollars de dettes exterieures, qui engloutissent la moitie des recettes du pays. La Banque mondiale et le FMI ont gele toute aide a la Cote d'Ivoire, entre autres pour des raisons liees a la corruption. (D'apres Reuters, 22 novembre 1999) * Eritrea. Boycotting regional summit over venue - Eritrea says it will boycott a key meeting of regional heads of state, scheduled for 26 November, unless the venue is changed from neighbouring Djibouti. Djibouti is due to host the annual summit of the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional group which also has Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Uganda as members. "We are very committed to IGAD, but when the Djiboutians have just been slandering us and they have broken off diplomatic relations, we cannot attend at the highest level," Eritrean Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebremeskel told Reuters. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed almost a year ago after Eritrea accused Djibouti of backing Ethiopia -- currently at war with Eritrea þ in a border dispute, a charge Djibouti denies. Djibouti in turn accused Eritrea of backing opposition groups in the country þ a charge denied by Asmara. Gebremeskel said Eritrea had been invited to the IGAD meeting and that Djibouti had also expressed a desire to normalise relations. But he said relations should have been restored before the invitation to the meeting was presented. IGAD started life as an organisation dedicated to monitoring food and famine problems, but has since expanded to become to the most important political forum in the region. Apart from Eritrea, the rulers of all the other member states are expected to attend the summit to discuss, among other things, the Ethiopia-Eritrea war, the civil war in Sudan and peace efforts for Somalia. (CNN, 19 November 1999) * Ethiopia. Ethiopian Jews struggle in Israel - More than 70,000 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel still have major difficulties integrating, nearly 15 years after the airlift which brought many of them from Africa. An Israeli report says that 75% of them cannot write Hebrew, and nearly half cannot hold a simple conversation in the language. The report, commissioned by Israel's Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, says that the unemployment rate among the Ethiopian community in Israel is at least three times the national average. It adds that the cultural gap between the Ethiopians and other Israelis remains wide, and their Jewishness has been questioned by the religious authorities. More than 1,000 families are still living in the caravans in the reception centres where they were placed on arrival in Israel, and 45% of parents cannot pay for their children's schooling, the report said. However, the military is one area of Israeli life where Ethiopian Jews are making a positive impact, with nearly all young Ethiopian males doing national service and more than 50 Ethiopians having been made officers, the report said. (BBC News, 17 November 1999) * Ethiopia. Human rights issues - 22 November: The Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners (SOCEPP), Germany, says that arbitrary killings and violations of rights, continues in Ethiopia. 24 November: SOCEPP reveals that government repression in Gambella has been intensified. the main victims are the alleged or actual supporters of the Gambella People's Democratic Congress, and organisation that opposes the Gambella People's Democratic Front which is backed by the government and is administering the region. The same day, Human Rights Watch called on the government of South Africa to bring deposed dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam to justice for massive killings and torture during his rule. Mengistu, who has been living in Zimbabwe since 1991, arrived in South Africa last week for medical treatment. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 November 1999) * Guinee Bissau. "Magna Carta" de l'armee - Le general Ansumane Mane, commandant supreme de la junte militaire qui a renverse le president Vieira, a propose une Magna Carta qui obligerait les dirigeants politiques a consulter la junte pour toutes les nominations aux postes cles du gouvernement, ont rapporte les agences de presse. Ce document, qualifie par un analyste local de pseudo-amendement constitutionnel, prevoit que le president et le Parlement soient tenus de consulter l'armee avant de nommer le Premier ministre et les membres du gouvernement. Le Premier ministre serait tenu d'informer le president et l'armee des questions concernant les affaires etrangeres et interieures. (IRIN, Abidjan, 18 novembre 1999) * Kenya. Donors keen on supporting Leakey - Western donors remain uncertain about the Kenyan government's determination to stamp out corruption but may resume aid support because of fears that otherwise Dr Richard Leakey may be ousted, Africa Analysis says. The latest edition of the London-based newsletter said that "there are expectations that the donors are likely to be generous to the government" given its chronic cash shortage and inability to pay off its loan repayments which it says are now two months behind. "The feeling among some senior donor representatives is that going soft on Kenya for now would ensure Leakey's position is not weakened dramatically vis-a-vis hard-liners around the President. Certainly, it has become apparent that, for the time being at least, donors are now read to put the complicated issue of the Goldenberg saga on the back burner. Even the IMF is not making the usual strident noises". But many European countries believe the government is only "half-hearted" in its efforts to tackle corruption, the report says and much still remains to be decided before the IMF decides to re-open stalled negotiations on the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility loan on November 28. (Paul Redfern, The Nation, 17 November 1999) * Kenya. Moi confronts corruption critics - In a highly unusual interview, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi has publicly denied allegations that he has vast sums of money hidden in a private bank account in Switzerland. The allegations about Mr Moi were made in the respected British newsletter, Africa Confidential. Speaking by telephone to Nation Radio, Mr Moi said he kept all his money in a named local account. "I do not have any money outside! Kabisa! {Not at all!}", the President told the station's deputy head of news, Makau Niko. Asked whether any member of his family was sending funds outside Kenya, the President did not commit himself to a definitive answer. "My family? Which one? I do not know who is doing what," the President said. "Take each person as an individual. There is no one taking any money outside with my knowledge". (BBC News, 23 November 1999) * Liberia. Prelate tells government: "do more" - The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Liberia, Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis, has urged the authorities to talk less and do more. He said Liberia was faced with massive problems that needed action, not government rhetoric and platitudes. Bishop Michael, who has just been awarded the Robert Kennedy Human Rights prize, said the national culture of silence born out of fear also had to be changed if human rights were to be improved. He also wanted a change in the often sycophantic way ordinary people treated those in authority. (BBC News, 22 November 1999) * Libye/Maroc. Accords de cooperation - Le 15 novembre, la Libye et le Maroc ont signe a Benghazi une serie d'accords de cooperation economique, a rapporte l'agence officielle libyenne Jana. Ils prevoient d'intensifier la "cooperation et la complementarite" entre les deux pays dans les domaines du tourisme, de l'artisanat, de la radiodiffusion et de la jeunesse et des sports. Un accord de creation d'une Chambre economique mixte a ete egalement signe. Le Premier ministre marocain, Abderrhamane Youssoufi avait ete recu le 14 novembre par le dirigeant libyen Mouammar Kadhafi. (La Libre Belgique, 19 novembre 1999) * Libye/Grande-Bretagne. Relations diplomatiques - La Grande- Bretagne devrait envoyer un ambassadeur en Libye le mois prochain, retablissant ainsi des relations diplomatiques completes apres 15 ans de gel. Londres avait rompu ses relations avec Tripoli en 1984, apres une manifestation devant l'ambassade libyenne, ou un policier londonien avait ete tue par des coups de feu tires de l'interieur. Le secretaire au Foreign Office a annonce, le 22 novembre, que la Libye avait verse des compensations. Le 23 novembre, le gouvernement britannique a nomme M. Richard Dalton comme ambassadeur a Tripoli,ou il prendra ses fonctions en decembre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 novembre 1999) * Madagascar. Vietnamese experts - Vietnamese agricultural experts are to be sent to Madagascar under a co-operation agreement signed on 18 November with the FAO. The agency said in a news release the Vietnamese are to work in Madagascar for three years, "continuing a spirit of co-operation, between African countries and South Asia". It said South-South co-operation provides an opportunity for strengthening co-operation among developing countries which are at different stages of development, with the support of interested donor countries and the FAO. The Vietnamese experts are going to Madagascar under the framework of FAO'S Special Programme for Food Security, helping countries benefit from the experience and expertise of more advanced developing countries. The initiative was launched at the beginning of 1987 by Jacques Diouf, who was re-elected FAO director-general for a second six- year term on 13 November. (PANA, Dakar, 18 November, 1999 * Malawi. The poor pay for other peoples sins - The Malawi government and the consumer body, the Consumers association of Malawi (CAMA) seem not to agree on the reason why the government approved the recent 17 per cent fuel price hike which has resulted in the sky-rocketing of commodity prices including transport. In October, the Malawi government through the fuel Pricing Committee chaired by Respicious Dzanjalimodzi, approved the fuel price increase saying this was done in line with the global fuel market trend which he said has also gone up in price. Dzanjalimodzi said it was not unique for Malawi to have its fuel price increased, as many other countries within the region who also happened to be Malawi business trading partners also had their fuel price increased by almost the same margin. Making the announcement, the Malawi Petroleum Control Commission's general manager, Ralph Kamoto said that government felt increasing the price of fuel was a step in the right direction, because it was going by the global trend and if Malawi was to survive on the market, the fuel price increase was appropriate. However, this did not go down well with CAMA who through its executive director, John Kapito, threatened to mobilise people and stage a mass action if the government doesn't explain, reasons which led to the fuel price increase which was a third within one year. (A. Sumbuleta, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 17 November 1999) * Malawi. Illegal dealings hit fuel industry. - State coffers are being deprived of several millions of Kwacha in dubious fuel deals, especially along the Malawi-Tanzania border. Officials at Malawi's fuel regulatory body, The Petroleum Control Commission, say drivers of fuel tankers siphon out several litres when hauling the fuel to Malawi from both the Tanzanian and Mozambican ports. They then stage accidents to justify the shortfall of the fuel in their tankers. The Commission's general manager, Ralph Kamoto, said although the Commission is yet to qualify the loss, it knows several litres are siphoned out before the fuel gets to authorised dealers. He also said this causes health hazards as the dealers in this illegal trade do not have neither adequate nor proper storage facilities for the fuel. There has been several accidents involving explosions which have left at least 12 people dead in northern Malawi. "All these problems come about from these illegal dealings in fuel," Kamoto said. In villages dotting the northern corridor route, which connects the northern region of Malawi and the major cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre, there are several makeshift fuel depots, mostly shacks, where the fuel is stored in drums. (PANA, Dakar, 19 November 1999) * Malawi. Local government elections' calendar out - The long awaited Malawi local government elections will be held in September 2000. following the release of the electoral calendar by that country's Electoral Commission (EC). Making the discloser in the commercial capital, Blantyre, EC chair, Justice James Kalaile, said that the elections have been set for September to pave the way for enough preparations for the elections, so that they are free from problems like the controversial June 15 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The chairperson who was speaking at the Local Government Elections Action plan launch said registration centres will open for 14 days in May. The Commission will order enough forms, films and other electoral material so that there are lesser problems, he said apparently referring to the presidential and parliamentary elections where people from other centres were not able to vote because of lack of some electoral material. The local elections are long overdue following the dissolving of the local councils in 1995. (Aubrey Sumbuleta, ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 November 1999) * Malawi. President visits Central Medical Stores - President Bakili Muluzi has warned medical officials against stealing and selling drugs meant for government hospitals. The presidential warning comes in the awake of a recent shortage of drugs from state-owned hospitals where patients have been sent home because of a shortage of drugs. This has resulted in patients dying who could have lived if there were enough drugs. Those with enough money have been forced to go to private doctors whose charges are pretty high. Speaking to officials from the Ministry of Health after visiting the Central Medical Stores in the capital, Lilongwe, Muluzi said that he was shocked to see that the drug storage facility had enough drugs which are lacking in government hospitals. He said he had noted that there were some officials who were deliberately witholding drugs in hospitals in order to discredit his government for failing to maintain health standards among the population. (A. Sumbuleta, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 24 November 1999) * Mali. Critiques de la Banque mondiale - Un rapport de la Banque mondiale, critiquant severement la gestion economique du Mali, pourrait indiquer un renversement de ses dispositions envers ce pays qui jouissait jusqu'a present de ses faveurs. Un allegement de la dette d'un montant de 2,4 milliards de FF pourrait etre remis en question. La BM reproche surtout au Mali de ne pas avoir respecte son programme de privatisations. Pourtant, celui-ci venait d'annoncer la privatisation d'une quinzaine de societes d'Etat avant 2002 et s'est engage dans une lutte severe contre la corruption. D'autre part, la gestion de la Compagnie malienne de developpement des fibres textiles, la plus importante du pays, fait l'objet d'une polemique: la BM y note de graves manquements dans la gestion, alors que les responsables accusent la BM de noircir a dessein la situation pour privatiser la societe. Le FMI pour sa part demande a l'Etat malien de reduire son train de vie et de prendre certaines mesures impopulaires, telles que l'augmentation du prix de l'essence. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 novembre 1999) * Mauritania. Mauritania, Mali to form border brigade - Mauritania and Mali have decided to set up a joint mobile border patrol brigade to curb the rising wave of cross-border crime. Both countries took the decision during the recent visit of Malian President, Alpha Oumar Konare, to Nouakchott. Mauritanian officials said the brigade will be empowered to pursue criminals across the common border where an upsurge of cattle rustling and car thefts has been reported. Bamako and Nouakchott will contribute an equal number of troops to the joint brigade. (PANA, Dakar, 23 November 1999) * Mauritanie/Mali. Gardes-frontieres - A la suite de la visite que vient d'effectuer a Nouakchott le president malien Konare, la Mauritanie et le Mali ont decide de mettre sur pied une brigade mobile de gardes-frontieres entre les deux pays. La brigade aura la possibilite de poursuivre les deliquants au-dela des frontieres. Les vols de betail et de vehicules notamment, sont tres courants dans les zones frontalieres. La brigade sera constituee a nombre egal de militaires mauritaniens et maliens. (PANA, 23 novembre 1999) * Mozambique. Grandiose park project cancelled - Mozambique has cancelled plans for a huge game park and resort complex dreamed up by an American businessman who said he intended to raise $800 million for the project. On 16 November, the cabinet withdrew without comment, its 1996 approval for the ecotourism project in the country's southern Matatuine district. James Blanchard III's grandiose scheme, called for a five-star hotel, floating casinos and bush lodges with access to the tropical coast and interior. Blanchard, who died earlier this year, was a New Orleans businessman who made a fortune dealing in gold and holding mining interests in South Africa and neighbouring Botswana. He backed the conservative Mozambique National Resistance in its civil war with the then-Marxist government, and also helped Oliver North support anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua. After Blanchard's death, the company set up to develop the project remained in operation. The government had approved an initial $20 million investment. Three years later, nowhere near this amount has been invested, and the only visible work is some new fencing round the Maputo elephant reserve, which Blanchard's representatives have said cost $3 million. Some environmentalists and local residents opposed the project, saying it would upset the natural ecosystem, throw people off their land or deny their livestock access to grazing. But the government had placed great stock in the hopes of new jobs and revenues. (CNN, 17 November 1999) * Mozambique. Elections observers - The Carter Centre, a US non- governmental organisation, plans to include three former heads of state in its mission to observe Mozambique's general elections scheduled for 3-4 December. The Carter Centre said in a statement on 19 November that its mission of about 50 observers will include the founder of the centre, former US president Jimmy Carter, former Botswana president Quett Masire and Manuel Pinto da Costa, former president of Sao Tome and Principe. The Carter Centre is one of several international organisations invited by Mozambique's National Electoral Commission to observe the elections. "The elections are an important part of the broader transition to democracy in Mozambique, and thus of great significance not only for Mozambique but for all of southern Africa," Jimmy Carter said in the statement. "As observers, we want to demonstrate the support of the international community for an open electoral process and to make an independent assessment about that process," Carter said. Members of the Carter Centre mission will be deployed to all of Mozambique's 11 provinces. The Carter Centre has been involved in the elections ince August when a team from the Centre visited Mozambique to observe voter registration. (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 23 Nov. 1999) * Namibia. Countdown to elections - As the countdown to this year's presidential and parliamentary elections continues, Namibia's campaign tactics have become the survival of the fittest, with all kinds of promises being made. Recently, President Sam Nukoma, who is also the presidential candidate for the ruling South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO), stunned the nation when he told a gathering in small and impoverished town of Omaruru, that his party will create 50,000 new jobs once it is retained into power. The President also told his party supporters that the government will help Namibians establish small and medium enterprises. Other interesting promises have come from the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Namibia's Official Opposition Party in Parliament. According to the DTA Member of Parliament Alois Gende, only his party can correct the "mess" brought about by SWAPO since Independence in 1990. (Mwana Bwalya, ANB-BIA, Namibia, 22 November 1999) * Niger. Etudiants blesses - Le 19 novembre, de violents affrontemens ont oppose etudiants et forces de l'ordre a Niamey, a moins d'une semaine du deuxieme tour de la presidentielle qui doit ramener un civil a la tete du pays. Une centaine d'etudiants auraient ete blesses lors de la dispersion d'un sit-in ou ils reclamaient le paiement d'arrieres de bourses. (Liberation, France, 20 novembre 1999) * Niger. Elections - Ce 24 novembre, les electeurs nigeriens se rendent aux urnes pour le second tour des presidentielles et l'election des 83 membres de la premiere assemblee nationale de la 5e republique instituee par la junte au pouvoir depuis l'assassinat du president Mainassara en avril dernier. Le second tour de l'election presidentielle oppose Mamadou Tandja (candidat de l'ancien parti unique MNSD) a Mahamadou Issoufou (ancien Premier ministre). L'ancien president Mahamane Ousmane, arrive troisieme au premier tour, s'est depuis lors rallie a M. Tandja et leur camp se dit assure de la victoire. Le Conseil de reconciliation nationale, dont plusieurs membres sont soupconnes de favoriser M. Issoufou, a reaffirme sa stricte neutralite. -Dans l'apres-midi, on notait que, malgre les appels repetes de la radio nationale, la participation au scrutin etait faible. La commission electorale nationale a averti que les premiers resultats officiels ne devaient pas etre attendus avant le debut de la semaine prochaine. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 novembre 1999) * Niger. Elections - 24 November: Over four million Nigeriens have been voting since this morning to elect a new president and 83 representatives to form the country's National Assembly. Two candidates are on the starting block for the second round of the presidential election after the first round held on 17 October. They are Mamadou Tanja Mamadou of the National Movement for the Society of Development, and Mahamadou of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism. The 703 candidates vying for seats in the National Assembly, are supported by more than ten political parties, groups of parties and organisations for the civil society. (PANA, Dakar, 24 November 1999) * Nigeria. Droits de l'homme - 30.000 plaintes emanant de 10.000 victimes ont ete enregistrees par la commission chargee d'enqueter sur les violations des droits de l'homme perpetrees sous la dictature militaire ces quinze dernieres annees, a indique son president, Chukwudifu Oputa, en visite en Afrique du Sud. La commission devrait commencer a sieger en seance publique debut 2000. Elle examinera notamment des allegations concernant un soutien presume de compagnies petrolieres internationales au regime du general Sani Abacha. (Le Monde, France, 21 novembre 1999) * Nigeria. Petrole et violences - Des affrontements dans les regions petrolieres du sud du Nigeria ont fait 60 morts. Les combats ont oppose deux tribus a propos du partage d'un lot de vieilles conduites de petrole abandonnees par la societe petroliere Shell, aux abords d'Isoko dans l'Etat du Delta. Pour la 7e fois en trois mois, Shell a annonce la suspension de ses enlevements de brut au depart du terminal de Forcados, sur l'Atlantique, pour cause de "force majeure". Par ailleurs, la commission nigeriane des droits de l'homme va enqueter sur le role des compagnies petrolieres etrangeres dans les atrocites commises sous la dictature. -Durant le week-end du 20-21 novembre, une operation militaire a ete declenchee dans l'Etat de Bayelsa, ou 12 policiers ont ete tues au debut du mois par de jeunes militants ijaw. Des dizaines de camions de transport de troupes ont converge vers les lieux. Il y a peu, le president Obasanjo avait mis en demeure le gouverneur de l'Etat de retablir l'ordre sous peine de decreter l'etat d'urgence. Selon une depeche d'AP, l'armee a ouvert le feu sur des civils et brule de nombreuses maisons en prenant le controle de la ville d'Odi, le bastion des militants ijaw. Plus de 200 civils auraient ete tues dans cette intervention. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 novembre 1999) * Nigeria. Anarchy in the Niger Delta - 19 November: A dispute over pipes donated by an oil company, has exploded into gunfights between two rival villages. At least 40 people have been killed. Among the dead were four police officers. Some 30 homes were torched and thousands of residents were fleeing area, several newspapers in Lagos reported. The feud occurred between the neighbouring villages of Oleh and Olomoro, some 30 kilometres from the city of Warri in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said 40 people were killed although several newspapers reported the death toll was as high as 50. The fighting began on 15 November following an argument between youths from the two villages over how to distribute disused pipe donated to the communities by Shell Oil, which drills crude in the area. Youths from Oleh led an attack on 15 November, on their opponents during which an Oleh leader, Ernest Imiko, and three compatriots were killed. Both sides launched counterattacks on 16- 17 November. Youths ransacked the police station in Oleh and stole quantities of guns and ammunition. Oleh, which is dominated by ethnic Isoko, and Olomoro, which is mainly Urhobo, have been the site of ethnic battles in the past. 22 November: Nigerian soldiers battle with members of the country's fourth largest ethnic group, the Ijaws, after escalating lawlessness in the oil-producing state of Bayelsa. 23 November: Nigeria begins to grapple with the issue at the heart of the crisis in the Niger Delta as President Obasanjo addresses a budget speech to the National Assembly. Human Rights Watch says it has reports of "indiscriminate reprisals" against civilians in the Delta. Amnesty International says there are fears that the military operation in the Niger Delta has resulted in the killing of innocent civilians and the burning of villages. 24 November: The government announces a large budget allocation for the Niger Delta. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 November 1999) * Rwanda. Pretre canadien blesse - Un pretre canadien, le pere Jean-Paul Lebel, a ete blesse par balles dans l'attaque d'une eglise catholique a Kicukiro, pres de Kigali, a rapporte un de ses collegues le 19 novembre. Le 16 novembre, cinq hommes armes ont fait irruption dans l'eglise de la paroisse St. Bosco et ont ouvert le feu, blessant le pere. Les assaillants reclamaient de l'argent. Cette paroisse, qui fournit de l'aide a des centaines d'enfants devenus orphelins lors du genocide, avait deja ete a trois reprises la cible d'agressions. La police a entrepris des recherches pour retrouver les auteurs de l'attaque. (AP, 19 novembre 1999) * Rwanda. Del Ponte "non grata" - Le Rwanda refuse finalement a Mme Carla Del Ponte, procureur general du Tribunal penal international, l'entree sur son territoire. Le ministre rwandais de la Justice a declare qu'elle ne recevait pas de visa. Le 6 novembre, le Rwanda avait dit suspendre sa cooperation avec le TPIR a la suite de la liberation de Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza, ancien dignitaire accuse de genocide. Mme Del Ponte, qui devait commencer sa visite au Rwanda le 23 novembre, a dit que le tribunal penal ne pouvait fonctionner sans la collaboration du Rwanda, ou se trouvent la plupart des temoins du genocide. Elle a indique qu'elle entendait demander la revision de la decision controversee de la liberation de Barayagwiza. - D'autre part, le TPIR examine actuellement le cas d'un suspect de genocide residant a Londres, le colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi, qui commandait l'armee a Butare et Gikongoro ou des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont ete tuees. Et un pretre rwandais, Athanase Seromba, accuse d'avoir provoque la mort de centaines de ses paroissiens en avril 1994, a ete repere a Florence, en Italie. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 novembre 1999) * Rwanda. UN genocide row - 21 November: The Rwandan government refuses a visa to Carla del Ponte, the International Tribunal for Rwanda's (TPR) chief prosecutor, in its dispute over its release of a leading suspect, Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza. Rwanda wants the suspect re-arrested. 22 November: Carla del Ponte asks the TPR to review its decision to release Barayadwiza. The Rwandan attorney-general, Gerald Gahima, says the TPR must act on disputed issues before it will get his country's wholehearted cooperation. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 November 1999) * Rwanda. The Church on trial - A Rwandan priest, Father Athanase Seromba, working in Italy with the permission of his bishop, finds himself plastered all over the newspapers. The London Sunday Times sought him out to repeat charges made by the London-based African Rights organisation, that he allegedly took part in the genocide. This resumption of the "hunt for Rwandan priests" has happened just before the most recent hearing (set for 23 November) of the trial of Bishop Misago of Gikongoro, accused of complicity in the 1994 genocide. When he set the date for 23 November, Judge Jaliel Rutamemara said: "this will be the last day for witnesses or we will never come to the end". The Bishops of Congo RDC, Rwanda and Burundi met in Nairobi 12-15 November and they mentioned Bishop Misago in their final message. They expressed solidarity with him and called on all Catholics "to pray with him and for him, that justice may be rendered as soon as possible in all transparency and fairness". (Infodoc, 23 November 1999) * Sahara occidental. Prisonniers liberes - Le 24 novembre, le Polisario a annonce la liberation de 191 combattants marocains. En echange, le Polisario a demande au Maroc de lever l'etat d'exception, d'arreter la repression sous toutes ses formes dans les territoirres occupes de la Republique arabe sahraouie, et de liberer les detenus politiques sahraouis. (Le Soir, Belgique, 25 novembre 1999) * Senegal. Victimes des inondations - Au 23 novembre, le Senegal avait mobilise 1,2 milliard de fcfa (environ 1,9 million de dollars), mais en aurait besoin de 3,2 milliards, pour aider les dizaines de milliers de gens restes sans abris apres les inondations provoquees par les pluies cette annee. De fortes pluies ont provoque des inondations dans de nombreuses regions de l'Afrique de l'Ouest cette annee et, dans certains pays, ces pluies etaient les plus graves qu'on ait connues en 30 ans. Au Senegal, la region la plus touchee est la vallee du fleuve Senegal, au nord du pays, ou des familles s'etaient installees pendant les annees successives de secheresse. (IRIN, Abidjan, 24 novembre 1999) * Sierra Leone. Ancien president libere - Le 18 novembre, l'ancien president de Sierra Leone, Joseph Saidu Momoh, a ete libere par les rebelles du Front revolutionnaire uni RUF. Leur dirigeant, Foday Sankoh, a explique que cette liberation repondait a l'appel general au pardon dans le processus de paix en cours. M. Momoh, qui etait detenu depuis sa condamnation en 1998 pour conspiration et collaboration avec la junte militaire, s'etait echappe de prison lors de l'invasion rebelle de Freetown en janvier dernier et a ete prisonnier du RUF pendant pres d'un an. - Par ailleurs, le 22 novembre, conformement a une disposition de l'accord de paix de Lome, le RUF a entame son processus de transformation en parti politique, sous le nom de parti du RUF (RUFP). - D'autre part, le secretaire general de l'Onu, Kofi Annan, a nomme un nouveau representant des Nations unies, Oluyemi Adeniji (Nigeria) en remplacement de Francis Okelo (Ouganda). Il sera le chef de la Mission de l'ONU en Sierra Leone (Minusil) chargee de mettre en oeuvre les accords de paix de Lome, alors que l'Onu doit deployer, a partir du 25 novembre, 6.000 casques bleus dans le pays. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 novembre 1999) * Sierra Leone. Rebels form political party - 22 November: The rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has inaugurated itself as a political party to contest future elections. "War is over and now we are talking politics", says RUF chairman, Foday Sankoh. The acting chairman of the Interim National Electoral Board tells Sankoh: "You are now free to participate in the politics of Sierra Leone". (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 November 1999) * Soudan. Conflit Bechir - Tourabi - Le president de l'Assemblee nationale, Hassan el-Tourabi, ideologue du regime et president du parti au pouvoir, a fait inscrire a l'Assemblee des projets d'amendement de la Constitution qui limiteraient le pouvoir du chef de l'Etat, Omar el-Bechir. Ces textes prevoient que les gouverneurs des Etats ne soient plus nommes par le chef de l'Etat, mais elus; ainsi que la creation d'un poste de Premier ministre. Selon des observateurs, il s'agirait avant tout d'un conflit de personnes. Tourabi voudrait cependant limiter le role des militaires. Le general Bechir a annule une visite en Afrique du Sud. - Par ailleurs, le 22 novembre, M. Bechir a publie plusieurs decrets en faveur de l'opposition, ordonnant la liberation de prisonniers politiques et l'abandon des poursuites contre d'autres opposants. Les divergences sur le processus de reconciliation nationale ont contribue au conflit entre Bechir et Tourabi. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 novembre 1999) * Sudan. Tensions in southern Sudan - Ethnic tensions are spreading in the eastern Equatoria region of southern Sudan between the Dinka, who predominate among officers of the SPLA rebel movement, and the Didinga tribe. There have been clashes in New Kush, near the Kenyan border, following the killing of a local commander, apparently by the SPLA. Local people have field their villages, armed against the rebels. A rebel spokesman said serious efforts were in hand to contain the situation. He said the killers would be identified and arrested. (BBC News, 24 November 1999) * Tchad. Nouvelles discussions sur le petrole - Des discussions sur le projet petrolier de Doba sont en cours entre Exxon et ses deux partenaires, Shell et Elf, pour un repositionnement dans leur association commune. Elles ont ete confirmees le 17 novembre par Exxon. En debut de semaine, le gouvernement tchadien avait annonce que Shell et Elf avaient decide de se retirer du projet soutenu par la Banque mondiale, ce qui avait provoque des manifestations et des heurts faisant un mort le 16 novembre a N'Djamena, la capitale tchadienne. (Le Monde, France, 19 novembre 1999) * Chad. Rebels claim victory in north - A rebel group fighting the government in northern Chad says it has captured the area around Aozou in the Tibesti mountains. The movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad said at least eighty government soldiers had died in the battle on 20 November. There's been no reaction from the government. Correspondents say the authorities have been negotiating for months with the northern rebels, and that President Idriss Deby spent the last week there. The rebels have been fighting the government in Tibesti since last year. (BBC News, 22 November 1999) * Tchad. Une victoire des rebelles - La localite d'Aozou, dans l'extreme nord du Tchad, "est passee, le 20 novembre, sous le controle exclusif" des rebelles du Mouvement pour la democratie et la justice au Tchad (MDJT), a annonce un communique recu le 21 novembre par l'AFP a Libreville. "Le bilan provisoire du cote ennemi est de 80 morts, 47 prisonniers, 42 rallies", indique le communique. N'Djamena n'a pas confirme la perte d'Aozou. Le MDJT avait indique auparavant avoir tue plus de 200 soldats tchadiens lors de combats a Omou. Ce mouvement, dirige par Youssouf Togoimi, ancien ministre de la defense, puis de l'interieur, mene une lutte armee dans la region du Tibesti depuis octobre 1998. (Le Monde, France, 23 novembre 1999) * Togo. Meeting of Experts on Conflict Prevention - A meeting of experts from ECOWAS opened in Lome on 17 November to review the draft protocol relative to conflict prevention, management and settlement, and peacekeeping and security in the sub-region. After review, the protocol will be submitted for approval by the 22nd session of the Heads of State and Government summit to held in Lome. The protocol's draft text, endeavours to encourage the management of conflicts and actions through diplomatic channels likely to circumscribe and neutralise emerging conflicts. The spokesman of the meeting, Adrienne Diop, said: "This is all about implementing a protocol which rests on prevention, but also on peacekeeping, if need be, a deployment of ECOMOG forces". She indicated that "what is so original about this protocol is, that actions are already under way for the opening of observation zones in four member states, Cotonou (Benin), Banjul (Gambia), Monrovia (Liberia) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). These observation zones will be the first concrete act towards the implementation of this protocol", she said. (PANA, Dakar, 17 November 1999) * Uganda. Co-operatives in Uganda - The failure of co-operative unions in Uganda to implement reforms designed in 1997, has created cracks in the movement, already saddled with huge debts. For more than 10 years now, the co-operatives have been finding it extremely dificult to compete with private business in the buying and marketing of farm produce, their long-time monopoly. Co-operatives thrived before the liberalisation of the marketing of coffee and cotton in the early 1990s, when the government shouldered the burden of providing crop finance to unions. Analysts say the co- operatives' slow response to the liberalisation of the marketing of cash crops could cost them dearly. The deputy secretary-general of the Uganda Co-operative Alliance (UCA), Mr Leonard Msemakweli, warned that the co-operative movement could collapse if the district unions did not reform their operations. The 1997 reforms include the immediate return to the original concept of "collective marketing for members, instead of buying from members". The UCA is the apex body of the co-operative movement in Uganda. "The best idea is to market collectively. Co-operatives went astray when they became buyers from members, because conflict of interest came in when they started trying to maximise profits from members' produce. So they behaved like any other private buyer", Mr Msemakweli told The East African. (The East African, Kenya, 15 November 1999) * Ouganda. La guerre dans l'ouest - Quelque 10.000 personnes ont ete deplacees et une vingtaine tuees au cours des trois derniers mois dans le district de Kibale a l'ouest de l'Ouganda, indique un rapport d'une organisation de l'ONU. Par ailleurs, les rebelles continuent a lancer des attaques dans la region du Rwenzori. Huit civils ont ete tues par des rebelles dans un camp de deplaces a Masaka, forcant les habitants a fuir. Les rebelles du Allied Democratic Force ont multiplie leurs attaques en reaction aux recentes victoires remportees par l'armee qui a repere leurs camps dans les montagnes. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 19 novembre 1999) * Zambia. Beer subsidised...but not food - President Chiluba has said that his government will not subsidise consumption, but will subsidise production. To some extent, the government has kept its pledge -- food subsidies have been withdrawn. But there is a subsidy on beer consumption -- at least for Defence Force personnel, diplomats and Members of Parliament for whom beer is "duty free". One wonders where is the logic or indeed, the morality in subsidising beer for the few! (Justin Mpundu, ANB-BIA, Zambia, 19 November 1999) * Zimbabwe. Areas of concern - Zimbabwe, like most Third World countries puts a moral connotation on debt relief and debt cancellation. But the collection of tax revenue is fast dwindling. The fact is: AIDS has decimated Zimbabwe's labour force, so fewer people are in regular employment. Whenever Zimbabwe makes a health budget, most of it goes on AIDS-related issues. In another area, the government has threatened to impose a land tax on the Commercial Farmers Union, if union members do not respond to government's demands to give away some of their land -- mostly unused land. Yet, at the same time, the government has started giving land to senior government officials, business people, High Court judges. Local farmers seem to be left out in the cold and they're not happy! In general, Zimbabwe's economy has remained stagnant for the past twenty years, but the government's threats to farmers, does nothing to help the situation. And when it comes to elections, then voter apathy gives cause for concern. In September, only 10% of the electorate participated in council elections. With constitutional changes taking place, people are saying elections should be nullified if less than 50% of voters cast their votes. (D. Khumalo, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 11 November 1999)