ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.2/4203436 fax /4200549 E-Mail: anb-bia@village.uunet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 03-02-2000 - PART 2/2 (Ethiopia ==> Zimbabwe) ====> (From Africa to Egypt see 03a_02_2k) * Ethiopia. Largest electric power dam under construction - Ethiopia's largest power dam, expected to increase the country's hydroelectric power output to over 500 MW when completed, is being built at a cost of US $259 million. The Gilgel-Gibe power project, 250 km south of Addis Ababa, with a capacity of 184 MW, will be completed by mid-2003. A large portion of the fund for the project, amount to US $190 million is a World Bank loan. Another loan of US $46 million comes from the European Investment Bank, while the remaining US $23 million is covered by the Ethiopian government. The project was to have started 15 years ago but was delayed due to various problems, including financing, the choice of the constructors and consultants. (PANA, Dakar, 1 February 2000) * Erythree/Soudan. Reprise diplomatique - L'Erythree a rouvert son ambassade a Khartoum, marquant la reprise complete de ses relations diplomatiques avec le Soudan, rompues en 1995, les deux pays s'accusant d'heberger l'opposition de l'autre. Le ministre erythreen des Affaires etrangeres a hisse le drapeau de son pays sur le siege de l'ambassade au cours d'une ceremonie a laquelle a pris part notamment son homologue soudanais. Ce dernier a declare que le Soudan etait determine a normaliser ses relations avec les pays voisins, affirmant que la normalisation des relations avec Asmara "ne se fera pas aux depens des relations avec l'Ethiopie". (Al Ahram Hebdo, Egypte, 26 jan.-1er fevr. 2000) * Ethiopie. Urgence alimentaire - Le 27 janvier, l'Onu a lance un appel a la communaute internationale afin qu'elle assure des aides humanitaires d'un montant de 190 millions de dollars, destines a plus de 8 millions de personnes en Ethiopie, touchees par la famine et delogees a cause de la guerre avec l'Erythree, ainsi que des refugies provenant du Soudan et de la Somalie. Des sources locales confirment le caractere dramatique de la situation, mais soulignent en meme temps le paradoxe des depenses militaires, qui ont plus que double depuis 1995. En 1999, Addis Abeba a achete 8 avions de combat russes d'une valeur de 160 millions de dollars. Bien qu'on n'enregistre pas en ce moment de combats a la frontiere, des sources independantes signalent l'imminente reprise des hostilites, peut-etre en fevrier. (D'apres Misna, Italie, 28 janvier 2000) * Gabon. Manoeuvres militaires - Reunis pour la premiere fois sur le terrain, les militaires de huit pays d'Afrique centrale engages dans l'exercice Gabon 2000 ont appris a travailler ensemble pour une mission de maintien de la paix. Au total, quelque 700 soldats venus du Gabon, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinee equatoriale, Republique centrafricaine, Sao Tome e Principe, Tchad et Cameroun, ont participe a ces manoeuvres, organisees pendant plusieurs jours dans la region de Lambarene. (La Libre Belgique, 28 janvier 2000) * Ghana. Troop withdrawal from Sierra leone completed - Ghana today completed its withdrawal from the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, in Sierra Leone. The outgoing Ghana commander expressed his hope that the key players in the peacekeeping process would be sincere and cooperate so as to enable the disarmament process to speed up. (The Progress, Sierra Leone, 1 February 2000) * Guinee-Bissau. Creation d'une universite - Le 31 janvier a Bissau, des representants de l'Universite Lusofona de Lisbonne et du ministere de l'Education de Guinee-Bissau ont signe un accord portant sur la creation de la premiere universite du pays, a rapporte l'agence de presse Lusa. Le president de la commission mise sur pied pour creer l'universite Amilcar Cabral a declare que celle-ci sera une institution publique, geree par un groupe prive qui peut etre cree avec des capitaux du Portugal et de Guinee- Bissau. (IRIN, Abidjan, 1er fevrier 2000) * Kenya/Egypt. Kenya removes duty on Egyptian rice - 26 January: Kenya has lifted duty on Egyptian rice and wheat flour to avert a trade crisis between the two countries. Kenya's Finance Minister says the measure is temporary while the two countries discuss how best the crisis over tea exports can be resolved. (PANA, Dakar, 27 January 2000) * Kenya. Plane tragedy -- Let's wait for a probe - These are sorrowful times for Kenyans and other nationalities whose compatriots lost their lives when a Kenya Airways Airbus crashed off the coast of Cote d'Ivoire. It is too early to tell exactly what caused the disaster, but we can commiserate with the bereaved and hope that whatever the problem was, will be detected early and rectified as soon as possible. Kenya Airways (KA) has a good record of safety. In fact, this is the first disaster of its kind to have befallen any of its flights, meaning that negligence amongst the crew may not account for it. It is possible there was an undetected technical fault with the aircraft, or that such a fault was indeed detected but ignored as too minor to ground the plane. Still, until we know more, it would be callous in the extreme for anyone to start apportioning blame for the catastrophe. It is not clear yet just how many Kenyans were among the 169 passengers and 10 crew members on Flight KQ 431. The majority were Nigerian passengers flying back home from Cote d'Ivoire and elsewhere. All the flight crew members were Kenyan and none survived the crash in the Atlantic Ocean. It has also been established that 10 of the passengers survived. Only the intervention of a higher being could account for it. Late last week, the Kenya Airways management announced plans to phase off the ageing Airbus 310 planes and replace them with new Airbus B767-300 models over a period of time. This particular aircraft was 13 years old and was due to be replaced in the next two years. In retrospect, the decision by the KA Board was a recognition that the safety of passengers was paramount. Now after this disaster, and depending on the outcome of the investigations which we expect will be thorough, it is obvious the carrier will have to speed up its modernisation programme, and this for a very good reason. Kenya Airways has gained an enviable reputation as an airline which takes the safety and comfort of passengers and crew very seriously indeed. The accident is therefore a serious blot on this record, and obviously the management cannot afford to take the issue lightly. So it is our hope that the KA Board will do everything to ensure there is no recurrence of such a tragedy. (Editor's note: On 2 February, it was reported that recovery teams have found part of the fuselage of the crashed plane. Divers are to be sent down to try to recover the black boxes). (The Nation, Kenya, 1 February 2000) * Libye. Vers un reseau ferroviaire - La Libye est en discussion avec la Chine pour la construction d'un reseau ferroviaire de 3.170 km devant relier ses principales villes, a indique le 23 janvier un responsable libyen. Les etudes de faisabilite auraient commence et une delegation libyenne doit se rendre "prochainement" a Pekin pour finaliser le projet. Il n'existe pas de voies ferrees en Libye, territoire qui s'etend sur une superficie de 1.775.500 kmę, dont 95% de desert. (Marches Tropicaux, France, 28 janvier 2000) * Libya. 110,000 seedlings planted in 2 weeks - Various Libyan cities mobilised themselves in the last two weeks, to carry out a huge afforestation campaign aimed at controlling the desertification process, by protecting arable lands and halting sand dunes. The sand dunes are extremely unsteady in the Libyan desert. They can move at a pace of five to six kilometres a day at some places, with risk of the sand burying houses, oases, fields and roads. At least 110,000 seedlings were planted in the country, thanks to a good rainfall recorded during the period. The afforestation campaign will be followed in the next few days by the planting of about one million seedlings in the various regions of the country. (PANA, Dakar, 31 January 2000) * Libye/France. Demande de mandat d'arret contre Kadhafi - A Paris, l'association SOS Attentats a demande au juge Bruguiere de delivrer un mandat d'arret contre le chef d'Etat libyen dans l'attentat, le 19 septembre 1989, du DC10 d'UTA qui fit 170 morts. Six agents de Tripoli ont deja ete condamnes par contumace en mars 1999. Mais l'association a depose contre le colonel Kadhafi une plainte pour complicite d'homicides volontaires, que le juge antiterroriste a decide d'instruire, contre les requisitions du procureur. La cour d'appel n'a pas encore tranche. (Liberation, France, 1er fevrier 2000) * Libye. "Non coupables" - Le 2 fevrier, lors d'une audience preliminaire a Edimbourg, les avocats des deux Libyens juges dans le cadre de l'attentat de Lockerbie, ont indique pour la premiere fois que leurs clients plaidaient non coupables des charges de complot, meurtre et violation de la securite aerienne qui leur sont imputes. Les deux suspects ont toujours nie leur implication dans l'attentat a la bombe contre l'avion qui a explose en vol, tuant 259 passagers et 11 personnes au sol en decembre 1988. Par ailleurs, la cour ecossaise a examine et rejete une requete de la BBC de retransmettre le proces a la television. (La Libre Belgique, 3 fevrier 2000) * Malawi. Cholera outbreak - Cholera has been reported in Malawi. Chief Environmentalist Officer, Barley Makumba says: "The epidemic is concentrated in cities, especially in squatter townships where sanitation conditions are quite deplorable. There is also a shortage of drugs used in treatment, due to the high number of cases. Also, the Central Medical Stores has said it has run short of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS). Latest figures available, indicate there are 490 cases in Southern Malawi, 200 cases in Central Malawi and 33 cases in Northern Malawi. (Binson Musongole, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 27 January 2000) * Malawi. Election case takes new twist - As the Opposition in Malawi continue to dispute the 15 June 1999 presidential election results, the case has taken a new twist in which the opposition Malawi Congress Party-Alliance for Democracy is withholding voting material which they seized from a warehouse in the central region district of Ntcheu. The Attorney General said he had written to the lawyers acting for the Alliance, asking them to surrender the voting material to the Electoral Commission, but the Opposition has declined. The government is now looking at which step to take next to recover the material. Opposition spokesman, Hetherwick Ntaba, said the voting material they impounded, is part of their evidence that President Bakili Muluzi and his party rigged the elections. He said there is not way they are going to hand over the material which is their clear evidence of rigging. The voting material was found dumped in a warehouse, weeks after the voting exercise had ended and the Opposition took away the material and put it in their custody. The case is presently with the High Court. (Aubrey Sumbuleta, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 27 January 2000) * Maroc. Hausse des produits petroliers - Le gouvernement marocain a decide de ne pas repercuter a la pompe la hausse des produits petroliers pour le mois de fevrier afin de preserver le pouvoir d'achat des consommateurs, a-t-on appris le 1er fevrier a la primature. Cette mesure coutera a l'Etat 32 millions de dirhams (40 millions de FF). Depuis juillet dernier, l'Etat marocain est deja intervenu a six reprises dans le meme sens. Pays non producteur de petrole, le Maroc a vu sa facture petroliere augmenter de 54,6% entre 1998 et 1999. Des prospections petrolieres sont actuellement en cours dans le royaume et en off-shore. (D'apres AP, 1er fevrier 2000) * Morocco. Human rights - 30 January: Morocco's main banned Islamist group demands the freedom of its leader, Abdessalam Yassine, from his ten-year house arrest, portraying the issue as a barometer of the political change King Mohammad advocates. Sheikh Yassine, spiritual leader of Al-Adl wal Ihsane (Justice and Charity), has been held without trial since December 1989 in Sale, for challenging the rule of the late King Hassan. 1 February: Amnesty International has revealed significant progress in the field of human rights in Morocco. The positive evaluation, announced during a public meeting held in Madrid, Spain, confirms Morocco's opening up to civil and human rights groups, and to the freedom of the press. 2 February: Justice Minister Omar Azziman says Abdessalam Yassine could soon be released from house arrest. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 2 February 2000) * Maroc. Les islamistes demandent la liberation de leur dirigeant - Le 28 janvier, les islamistes de l'association "Al adl wal Ihsane" (justice et bienfaisance) ont une nouvelle fois demande aux autorites marocaines de lever la mesure d'assignation a residence qui frappe depuis dix ans leur dirigeant, Abdesslam Yassine, 71 ans. Ce dernier, dans une lettre adressee a Mohammed VI, a par ailleurs demande au jeune roi de se "repentir" et de "racheter" les fautes de son pere defunt Hassan II. Il lui a demande aussi de rapatrier l'argent de son pere; il estime la fortune de Hassan II, dont une partie a ete placee a l'etranger, a 40 ou 50 milliards de dollars. - Ancien inspecteur de l'enseignement, Cheick Yassine continue a exercer un controle absolu sur l'association, officiellement interdite en 1995, qui constitue le socle de l'islamisme radical marocain et dispose d'une tres importante capacite de mobilisation. Representes au Parlement par le Parti de la justice et du developpement (PJD), les islamistes marocains exercent notamment une forte pression sur le gouvernement pour qu'il renonce au plan de promotion de la condition feminine presente en mars 1999 et qui contient, selon eux, des dispositions contraires a la loi coranique. -Le 2 fevrier a Paris, le ministre marocain de la Justice, Omar Azziman, a affirme que Cheick Yassine pourrait bientot retrouver la liberte. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 3 fevrier 2000) * Mauritanie. Arrestations - 27 janvier. Les enqueteurs americains estiment qu'un islamiste mauritanien, arrete le 22 janvier a l'aeroport de Dakar par la police senegalaise a la demande des Etats-Unis, serait le cerveau des projets d'attentats qui ont ete dejoues avec l'arrestation d'un Algerien pres de la frontiere avec le Canada, a rapporte le New York Times. Mohamedou Ould Slahi serait le beau-frere d'un lieutenant du milliardaire d'origine saoudienne Oussama ben Laden, dont la tete est mise a prix par les Etats-Unis depuis les attentats contre des ambassades americaines en Afrique en 1998. - 1er fevrier. Quatre terroristes presumes du reseau de ben Laden ont ete arretes "ces derniers jours" a Nouakchott, a-t-on appris de sources proches des services de securite mauritaniens. Ces arrestations sont directement liees aux aveux de Mohamedou Ould Slahi. Celui-ci a ete ramene le 26 janvier a Nouakchott, ou il est interroge par la Direction de la surete de l'Etat. (La Libre Belgique, 28 jan.-3 fevr. 2000) * Mozambique. Striking Mozambican workers paralyse major vehicle company - The 470 striking workers at one of Mozambique's major motor companies on 27 January threatened not to return to work until all their demands, including a 60 per cent wage increase have been met by management. Operations at Entreposto Commercial have been paralysed since 25 January, when the management of the company rejected the workers' demand for a 60 per cent wage increase, and instead offered them a 10 per cent increase. Spokesman for the workers, Carlos de Barros, said in exchange for the 10 per cent wage increase offer, the workers would loose existing benefits like transport to and from work, free medical assistance, a holiday bonus and an eight-hour working day. "We are demanding decent wages and we are not interested to discuss the benefits that we have fought for over the years. Those benefits can never be subject to negotiation as part of the wage bargaining," de Barros said. The current minimum wage at the company is about US $64 per month, which is twice the statutory minimum industrial wage. De Barros said also the workers are demanding equal pay for Mozambican and Portuguese workers at the company. "If we can prove that the company, dominantly financed by Portuguese capital, pays their Portuguese staff more than the Mozambican staff, the company can be sued under Mozambique's labour law," he said. Representatives of the Labour ministry, the company's trade union committee and management meanwhile continued their closed-door meeting to find a solution to end the strike. (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 27 January 2000) * Mozambique. Renamo leader threatens to proclaim own government - Afonso Dhlakama, leader of Mozambique's main opposition Renamo has threatened to proclaim a Renamo government later this month, to rule in the six provinces where the party won the majority of votes in last year's elections, it was reported on 1 February. Speaking in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Dhlakama once again demanded a re-count of the votes in last December's presidential and parliamentary elections. Quoted by Radio Mozambique, Dhlakama threatened that if there could be no re-count, then fresh elections should be held in April or May this year after the rain season. Dhlakama said that if the ruling Frelimo party of President Joaquim Chissano reject Renamo's demands, the party would go ahead and set up its own government in those provinces where Renamo got the majority of votes. Following the official announcement of the votes, Renamo appealed to the Supreme Court and urged a re-count. The Supreme Court, however, on January 4 validated the results. Political analysts in Maputo said since Renamo did not appeal against the Supreme Court rulings there could be no re-count of the votes. Fresh elections could only be held if Chissano should resign, die or become permanently incapacitated. (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 1 February 2000) * Niger. France resumes cooperation - France says it's resuming development aid to Niger, 9 months after it was cut following a coup. The announcement was made by a senior government official during a visit to Paris by Niger's new President, Mamadou Tandja. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 January 2000) * Niger. Reprise de la cooperation - La France a decide de reprendre sa cooperation avec le Niger, qui s'est aussitot concretisee par l'annonce d'une aide d'urgence a la population. Le Premier ministre francais Lionel Jospin, recevant le chef d'Etat nigerien Mamadou Tandja le 28 janvier, a decide d'accorder une contribution exceptionnelle de 60 millions de FF destinee aux salaires des fonctionnaires, a la sante et a l'education. Selon le ministre nigerien des Finances qui accompagnait M. Tandja, la cooperation avec l'Union europeenne devrait egalement reprendre prochainement. Au lendemain de l'entree en fonction du president Tandja, le tresor nigerien ne disposait que de 622 millions de fcfa (moins d'un million de dollars) et les arrieres des 40.000 fonctionnaires totalisent plus d'un an de salaires. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 janvier 2000) * Nigeria. Sharia Law - 27 January: The state of Zamfara has begun implementing Sharia Law. Christians who dominate southern Nigeria have reacted with indignation. The situation is complicated by the fact that there is a substantial Christian minority in northern Nigeria who now fear that their freedoms are under threat, in spite of the fact that the Governor of Zamfara has repeatedly stressed that Sharia will only apply to Muslims and that Christians in Zamfara have nothing to fear. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 January 2000) * Rwanda. Condamnation au TPR - Le 27 janvier, le Tribunal penal international pour le Rwanda a Arusha a condamne un ancien producteur de the rwandais, Alfred Musema, a la reclusion a perpetuite pour genocide et crimes contre l'humanite. Musema a ete blanchi de six autres chefs d'inculpation pour crimes de guerre. Il etait accuse d'avoir organise et participe au massacre d'un groupe de Tutsi qui s'etaient refugies dans son usine de the pour echapper au genocide. Il est le septieme suspect condamne par le TPR, mais le premier issu de la societe civile. - D'autre part, a la demande du TPR, l'ancien general de gendarmerie Augustin Ndilindyimana a ete arrete en Belgique, ou il s'etait refugie depuis 1994, et devrait etre transfere a Arusha. (D'apres Le Soir, Belgique, 28-31 janvier 2000) * Rwanda. Proces de Mgr Misago - La 17e audience du proces contre Mgr Misago, eveque de Gikongoro, le 26 janvier, encore consacree aux temoignages en faveur de l'accuse, a ete caracterisee par un dialogue mouvemente entre la partie civile et la defense. La partie civile s'est dite "discriminee", le tribunal ne lui accordant pas le temps necessaire pour le contre- interrogatoire. L'avocat de la defense a, quant a lui, evoque et condamne a nouveau les intimidations subies par ses temoins. Il a ensuite montre des articles de journaux reportant des episodes du proces manipules en faveur de la partie civile. A ce propos, il a fait remarquer que la procedure etait semblable a celle de l'organisation African Rights, qui officialise des documents sans interpeller les personnes ou les groupes indiques comme responsables de crimes. Dans l'audience du 2 fevrier, le tribunal a entendu M. Gaspard Gahamanyi, qui etait directeur de l'ecole veterinaire de Kaduha au moment des evenements. Arrete le 28 juillet 1995, Mr Gahamanyi est actuellement detenu a la prison de Gikongoro, mais son proces n'a pas encore commence. Apres un echange verbal entre la partie civile et la defense, il a temoigne qu'aucun eleve de l'ecole n'a ete tue et que la trentaine d'eleves tutsi, qui avaient demande et obtenu asile a l'ecole, etaient encore en vie a l'arrivee des soldats francais de l'Operation Turquoise (fin juin 94). Ces derniers les ont evacues et proteges jusqu'a Murambi. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 3 fevrier 2000) * Senegal/Tchad. Les plaintes contre Hissene Habre - Le 26 janvier a Dakar, plusieurs victimes de la repression politique au Tchad au temps de Hissene Habre ont apporte des temoignages accablants contre l'ex-president tchadien, qui fait l'objet d'une plainte pour "crimes contre l'humanite et actes de torture" deposee par plusieurs organisations de defense des droits de l'homme. Le 27 janvier, le procureur de la Republique de Dakar a decide d'ouvrir une information judiciaire contre Hissene Habre, qui avait obtenu l'asile politique au Senegal en 1990. L'instruction a ete confiee au doyen des juges d'instruction de Dakar. Les juges senegalais appliquent ainsi, pour la premiere fois en Afrique, le principe de competence universelle, en vertu duquel tout responsable presume de tortures peut etre juge sur le territoire d'un Etat qui a ratifie la convention internationale sur la torture. Le 28 janvier, la justice senegalaise a commence a entendre le temoignage de victimes presumees. (ANB- BIA, de sources diverses, 28 janvier 2000) * Senegal/Chad. Investigations against former Chad dictator - 28 January: A Senegalese prosecutor gives the green light to a judicial investigation of Hissein Habre, the exiled dictator of Chad, accused of torture and crimes against humanity. The move opens the way for a judge to hear the testimony of Chadian victims and could lead to the early indictment of Habre. "This is a great victory for Habre's thousands of victims who never gave up hope that he would be forced to answer for his crimes one day", says Reed Brody, Advocacy Director of Human Rights Watch, which, together with other humanitarian organisation, initiated a private complaint against Habre. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 January 2000) * Senegal. Huit candidats a la presidentielle - Huit personnes ont depose, avant la date limite du 27 janvier, leur candidature a l'election presidentielle prevue pour le 27 fevrier. Parmi elles, un dignitaire musulman, Ousseynou Fall, frere du calife de Baye Fall de la confrerie Mouride. Les candidats les plus connus sont: l'actuel president Abdou Diouf du Parti socialiste, Abdoulaye Wade du Parti democratique senegalais, Moustapha Niasse de l'Alliance des forces du progres et Djibo Ka de l'Union pour le renouveau democratique. (D'apres IRIN, Abidjan, 31 janvier 2000) * Sierra Leone. Children freed - UN officials in Sierra Leone have negotiated the release of 37 children seized by rebels during the civil war. The children, some as young as six, had been held in a rebel stronghold in the Occra Hills, 70 kms north of Freetown. A UN spokesman says the younger children appear malnourished and have been handed over to UNICEF. UNICEF believes that about 4,000 children who were abducted to fight in the civil war are still missing. (BBC News, 3 February 2000) * Somalie. Armes ethiopiennes - La plus importante organisation humanitaire operant en Somalie, Peace and Human Rights Network (PHRN), a accuse l'Ethiopie d'avoir livre des armes et des munitions a la milice d'un des nombreux chefs de guerre qui se partagent la capitale Mogadiscio. "Les armes et les munitions sont arrivees d'Ethiopie dans le nord de Mogadiscio, au quartier general de Yalahow", a dit un chef de faction. Le quotidien Xogogal de Mogadiscio, independant des factions, a par ailleurs rapporte que des camions de Yalahow ont transporte les armes depuis la ville ethiopienne de Ferfer, sur la frontiere avec la Somalie. (Al Ahram Hebdo, Egypte, 26 jan.-1er fevr. 2000) * Somalie. Attaque dun convoi de vivres - Quinze personnes ont ete tuees dans l'attaque d'un convoi de vivres destines aux victimes de la famine dans le sud de la Somalie, a annonce a Nairobi l'ONG Care International. Le 30 janvier, un convoi de vehicules affretes par ses soins pour livrer 254 tonnes de vivres a Tieglow, dans la region de Bakool, est tombe dans une embuscade tendue par des miliciens sur une route venant de la capitale Mogadiscio. Le convoi etait escorte de plusieurs camionnettes blindees et de vigiles armes. Quatre miliciens et un des agents ont ete tues dans une fusillade. Ensuite, le vehicule de tete, qui a voulu changer de direction, a saute sur une mine anti- char et dix employes ont ete tues. (Reuters, 31 janvier 2000) * South Africa. Parties sign pact to oppose ANC - On 27 January, Tony Leon, leader of South Africa's Democratic Party, signed an electoral pact with Lucas Mangope, who heads a regional party in the north-west, the United Christian Democratic Party, in the latest move by opposition parties to joining forces against the African National Congress (ANC). Opposition parties have fought to make themselves heard since the ANC of President Thabo Mbeki increased its share of the vote to more than 66% in the general election last June, up from 63% in the 1994 election that marked the end of apartheid. (Financial Times, UK, 28 January 2000) * South Africa. Industrial unrest - 31 January: The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) starts a programme of "mass action" to protest against the high unemployment rate, and threatens a wave of strikes later this year. COSATU has embarked on a five-week demonstration and picketing campaign set to culminate in a nationwide strike of its 1.8 million members in May. (Financial Times, UK, 1 February 2000) * South Africa. Taxi drivers and owners protest - This week, a planned exhibition of new minibus taxis, was faced with mass protests throughout Gauteng, and there were some reports of intimidation of other taxi drivers and members of the public. Hundreds of taxi drivers and owners were protesting about plans by the government to replace the fleet of 126,000 16- seater minibuses, with the 18 and 35-seater buses. The protesters said about 41,000 drivers stood to lose their jobs. Chaos reigned in the streets of Johannesburg when taxi drivers stopped other taxis and pulled passengers out of the vehicles. The exhibition was held at Kyalami Exhibition Centre in Midrand, just outside Johannesburg, but people who came to view the exhibition could not even enter because of the protesters, and the heavy army and police personnel who came to control the situation. (Maqu Makhaye, ANB-BIA, South Africa, 30 January 2000) * Tanzania. Zanzibar treason trial - 27 January: Members of Parliament from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, have petitioned Zanzibar's President Dr. Salmin Amour to drop the treason case which has come up for hearing in Zanzibar. The trial concerns 18 members of the Civic United Front (CUF) charged with treason. the case has now been adjourned to 28 February. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 January 2000) * Tanzania. General Elections - The National Electoral Commission announced on 14 January, the timetable for the general elections to be held later this year. The elections will be held on Sunday 29 October. Registration for voters will be conducted between 1-21 August this year, while nomination of contestants will be made on 13 August. The press release said election campaigns will take place between 14 August and 28 October. This year's elections will include presidential and parliamentary elections. (Daily News, Tanzania, 15 January 2000) * Uganda. Sudan lashed over kidnapped children - 1 February: President Museveni has lashed out at neighbouring Sudan over its failure to return children abducted by Sudanese-based rebels. Less than two months ago, the two neighbours signed an agreement aimed at ending cross-border enmity, which included the return of captives. Under the agreement, Sudan was to end support for the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) which raids northern Uganda and forces young people to become soldiers or sex slaves for commandos, Mr Museveni has told Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that before diplomatic relations could be resumed, the children must be returned to Uganda. "They are wrecked, ruined, married to the LRA and infected with AIDS", he says. 2 February: The Sudanese Government emphasises its commitment to its December peace deal with Uganda. A junior foreign office minister, Ali Nimeiri, says Sudan is not providing any assistance to the LRA. He says Sudan has little control over its borders with Uganda, where many forces are active as well as the LRA. (BBC News, 1-2 February 2000) * Zambia. Catholic nuns get cold shoulder from government - The Zambian parliament on 28 January turned down a request from Roman Catholic nuns that a special committee be formed to monitor the cancellation of Zambia's foreign debt and the use of funds accrued from the exercise. Grouped under an umbrella known as the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods, the Catholic nuns say they were disappointed with the turn of events. Sister Victoria Matandiko said that apart from the formation of the committee, the Catholic Sisters were to have marched peacefully in the streets of Lusaka to parliament building to highlight national problems arising from the heavy national debt burden. The march was, however, turned down by police who did not want protests to disrupt the budget presentation of Finance and Economic Development Minister, Katele Kalumba. The Catholic Sisters are part of the Global campaign known as Jubilee 2000, which collected millions of signatures from around the world for presentation to leaders of influential countries. "We, as an association, are very disappointed because the aim of the protest march was peaceful and to show that we are concerned with the lives of the less privileged," Sister Matandiko said. "We earnestly request that government should look at the dignity of people," she added. Another activist, Sister Auxilio Ponga said their main concern was the welfare of the less privileged of society. The nuns said they would try to involve Christians from other denominations in their fight. (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 28 January 2000) * Zambie/Angola. Attaques de l'Unita - La semaine derniere, un groupe de combattants du mouvement rebelle angolais Unita a attaque plusieurs villages dans le nord-ouest de la Zambie, terrorisant les habitants et volant 150 tetes de betail, a annonce la police zambienne le 31 janvier. Il y a deux semaines, les combattants de l'Unita avaient penetre en Zambie dans la meme region et attaque un village a environ 10 km de la frontiere angolaise. Ils avaient tue une personne, vole divers objets et pose des mines pour couvrir leur fuite. (La Libre Belgique, 1er fevrier 2000) * Zimbabwe. Princess Diana's brother opens childrens conservancy centre. - Earl Spencer, brother to the late Princess Diana, opened the Princess of Wales children's Conservation Education Centre at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage on the outskirts of Bulawayo on 16 January. "The Centre was funded by the Trustees of the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and consists of an interpretive centre, fresh water aquarium, herbarium, wild fowl area, aviaries and indigenous aloe and tree areas. There is also a children's playground area and an Old MacDonalds Farm", said Mr. Kevin Wilson of the Chipangali Wildlife Trust. Chipangali also specialises in the conservation of wildlife and veterinary services for injured wildlife animals. It also intends to conserve the almost extinct duiker species and wild dogs. (Dumisani Khumalo, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 27 January 2000) * Zimbabwe. The Opposition -- making its presence felt - 30 January: Today sees the formal launch of a new political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which political analysts believe represents the strongest electoral challenge to President Robert Mugabe. Morgan Tsvangirai was elected president of the MDC, and Gibson Sibanda, vice-president. 2 February: Opposition politicians accuse the government of defying a court order, by refusing them access to the airwaves, in the run- up to the referendum on the Constitution. Thoko Matshe, chairwoman of the opposition alliance, the National Constitutional Assembly, says that state-controlled newspapers are refusing to take their advertisements. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 3 February 2000) * Zimbabwe. Constitutional reform - In a News Release on 2 February, Amnesty International says the constitutional reform is an opportunity for Zimbabwe to strengthen human rights at the heart of its political life. Amnesty International analyses the human rights provisions in the draft Constitution and makes recommendations for the inclusion of additional human rights safeguards during the final stages of its revision and before it is put to popular referendum. Amnesty International concludes that the draft Constitution represents major human rights improvements compared to the present Constitution -- particularly with regards to women's rights. However, it believes that there are still a number of discrepancies between Zimbabwe's human rights obligations under international law, and the current draft of the Constitution. It urges the President of Zimbabwe to ensure that the final draft of the Constitution complies with the country's human rights obligations under international law, before it is presented to the people of Zimbabwe for ratification in a referendum. (Amnesty International, 2 February 2000) **************************************************************** PART 2/2 (Ethiopia ==> Zimbabwe) ====> (From Africa to Egypt see 03a_02_2k)