ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.02 4203436 fax 4200549 E-Mail: anb-bia@village.uunet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 16-03-2000 - PART #1/2 (AFRICA => MALI) ====> (From Morocco to Zimbabwe see 16b_03_2k) * Afrique. L'Afrique victime de l'effet de serre - Alors que l'Afrique australe est noyee sous les eaux, la Corne de l'Afrique connait une secheresse exceptionnelle, notamment en Ethiopie ou les feux de brousse se multiplient dans l'indifference generale. Paradoxalement, l'Afrique qui produit chaque annee moins de 5% des emissions de gaz a effet de serre, responsables du rechauffement climatique, est frappee de plein fouet par ses effets. Les inondations qui sevissent actuellement au Mozambique, au Zimbabwe et a Madagascar pourraient, en effet, etre une nouvelle manifestation exacerbee du phenomene climatique La Ni¤a. Celle-ci, qui a l'effet oppose de son frere bien connu El Ni¤o, refroidit l'ocean Pacifique, ce qui entraine un rechauffement de meme mesure sur le sud de l'ocean Indien. En surface, l'eau de l'ocean Indien a ainsi gagne au moins un degre centigrade, assez pour relancer dangeureusement l'activite cyclonique. Au moment ou les cyclones Eline et Gloria devastent l'Afrique australe, la Corne de l'Afrique souffre de secheresse avec le deplacement des pluies plus au sud. (Reuters, 8 mars 2000) * Africa. Action against the Media - Angola: The trial of three Angolan journalists charged with writing and publishing "defamatory" articles against President Dos Santos, started in Luanda's provincial court last week. The journalists are: Rafael Marques, Antonio Freitas and Aguiar dos Santos. Cameroon: On 23 February, the authorities interrogated 3 journalists from the provincial radio station Radio Buea, about a broadcast that criticised the government's treatment of English-speaking Cameroonians. Congo RDC: On 13 March, the Committee to Protect Journalists sent a letter to President Kabila, expressing the organisation's concern about journalist Freddy Loseka Lisumbu la Yayenga's prolonged detention. Kenya: A journalist, Simba Kusimba, working for The People daily, was arrested by police on 11 March. His whereabouts remains unknown. He writes in relation to a report by the newspaper which claims that part of a 4.7 ton hashish haul had disappeared over a month ago. Journalists from other newspapers who have been reporting on the narcotics story, are receiving threats from anonymous callers telling them to back-off from the drug story. Liberia: On 15 March, the authorities closed down the independent Star Radio and suspended broadcasts by the Catholic-run Radio Veritas, accusing them of abusing press freedom and freedom of speech. Nigeria: On 9 March, security operatives swooped down on newspaper stands in Bayelsa State, and impounded several copies of the Independent Monitor and Banner News newspapers. Zambia: on 10 March, the State House barred the private media from covering a meeting between President Chiluba and President Muluzi of Malawi. Zimbabwe: On 8 March, the Postal Telecommunications Bill of 1999 was passed by Parliament with allegedly little opportunity for public debate. On 15 March, it was reported that the two Standard journalists, Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto, have been scheduled to appear before a full bench of judges of appeal, on 20 March. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 March 2000) * Afrique. Conference sur la proliferation des armes - Le dimanche 12 mars, s'est ouvert a Nairobi une conference de quatre jours sur la proliferation des armes en Afrique. Selon une enquete, plus de 100 millions d'armes illegales circulent actuellement dans le continent, concentrees principalement dans la region des Grands Lacs et la Corne de l'Afrique. Dans son discours d'ouverture, le ministre kenyan des Affaires etrangeres a indique que les conflits dans ces deux regions etaient a l'origine de l'introduction massive des armes dans les autres pays. "L'accumulation excessive et destabilisatrice et le transfert d'armes legeres est egalement a l'origine de la recrudescence des conflits internes, du grand banditisme, de la violence et de l'instabilite", a-t-il affirme. - Le 15 mars, a l'issue de la reunion, dix pays ont signe un texte declarant la guerre a l'afflux d'armes legeres: l'Ethiopie et l'Erythree (en conflit frontalier ouvert), la RDC et le Soudan (en proie chacun a une guerre civile), le Burundi, le Kenya, la Tanzanie, Djibouti, le Rwanda et l'Ouganda. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 mars 2000) * Afrique/France. L'aide francaise critiquee - Un rapport de l'OCDE, publie le 14 mars, critique la dispersion de l'aide francaise au developpement; en 1997-98, 44% de cette aide ont ete disperses sur 130 pays. Par ailleurs, l'aide francaise accordee a l'Afrique noire a chute de 53% a 44% entre 1997 et 1998. Les pays les moins avances sont les plus durement touches; ils ne recoivent que 22% de l'aide francaise et un seul d'entre eux, Madagascar, figure parmi les dix principaux beneficiaires. En dehors des TOM, c'est l'Egypte, la Cote d'Ivoire, le Cameroun et le Maroc qui coiffent le palmares des meilleurs clients. On note encore que l'aide aux secteurs sociaux primordiaux, tels que l'education de base et la sante primaire, ne represente que 0,22% de l'aide publique francaise au developpement. (D'apres Liberation, France, 15 mars 2000) * Afrique de l'Ouest. Vers une connexion ferroviaire? - Un projet visant a relier les reseaux ferroviaires d'Afrique de l'Ouest devrait commencer en juin 2003. La decision en a ete prise lors d'une reunion de la CEDEAO et l'Union des chemins de fer africains. Les donateurs seront approches pour financer une etude de faisabilite. On a toutefois du constater que les chemins de fer de la sous-region souffraient de "l'etat deplorable" des lignes et des equipements. A la reunion participaient des representants du Benin, du Burkina Faso, de Cote d'Ivoire, du Ghana, du Mali, du Nigeria et de Sierra Leone. (D'apres IRIN, Abidjan, 13 mars 2000) * East Africa. Arms trade targeted - 13 March: Ten nations from the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes and East Africa are targeting the increasing flow of arms through their various regions. Over the next few days, representatives are meeting in Nairobi to discuss gun control in the wake of an upsurge in violent crime. The number of assault rifles, grenades and pistols has brought violence to alarming levels. Instead of wars, military hardware is being used on cross-border cattle raids by tribesmen, and guns are routine tools for street muggers. Western countries have supported the arms conference with donations. 15 March: An agreement is signed aimed at stopping the proliferation of small arms in the regions targeted. The countries agree to greater co-operation between their police, intelligence and customs officials, to combat the illicit circulation and trafficking of arms. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 March 2000) * Horn of Africa. Risk of severe hunger this year - An estimated fifteen million people on the Horn of Africa are at risk of severe hunger this year, warned USAID Administrator Brady Anderson in Washington, DC on 7 March. Anderson says that "unreliable rainfall has led to complete crop failure" and "significant aid is necessary to prevent famine." The agency says 545,000 people in Eritrea, 2,744,580 in Kenya, 1,200,000 in Somalia, 2,400,000 in Sudan, and 730,270 in Uganda are at risk of starvation and disease. The crisis is most severe in Ethiopia, with over 8 million people currently at risk in the Tigray and Amhara regions as well as pastoral zones in the Oromiya and Somali regions. The Gode and Afder zones of the southeastern Somali Region have suffered poor rainfall for three years, and rates of malnutrition, severe water shortages and loss of livestock have been high. In some pastoral regions up to 90 percent of cattle and 65 percent of goats are reportedly dying from lack of food and water. The USAID/Famine early Warning Systems (FEWS) estimates that two thirds of aid beneficiaries in southern Tigray, northern Amhara, and southern Oromiya may require additional assistance next year. On January 21, Ethiopia's Disaster Prevention Preparedness Committee (DPPC) began appealing for emergency assistance. The agency expects to need 898,936 metric tons of food aid -- and more if the beleg or rains of the secondary season from March to May fail to come. In addition, the DPPC is already reporting outbreaks of bloody diarrhoea and measles. The Drought Monitoring Centre in Nairobi has already forecast below normal rains for the March-to-May season in most of Somalia, eastern Kenya, and southeastern Ethiopia. Roughly half of the 1,265,489 metric tons of food required by the region are being planned for shipment by the US, but the transfer process faces substantial logistical challenges. "The road system into the famine area is very questionable," says Hugh Parmer, administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Response. Other uncertainties include port capacities and vehicles to transport aid. (Charles E. Cobb Jnr. PANA, 8 March 2000) * Angola. Les diamants de l'Unita - Le 10 mars, le rapport d'une commission de l'Onu a accuse les presidents du Togo, Gnassingbe Eyadema, et du Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, ainsi que le vice- president du Rwanda, Kagame, et les anciens presidents Mobutu (ex- Zaire) et Lissouba (Congo-Brazzaville) d'avoir aide le leader du mouvement rebelle angolais Unita, Jonas Savimbi, a acquerir des armes en echange de diamants, en violation des sanctions de l'Onu. La commission met aussi en cause les "controles negligents" du principal marche du diamant a Anvers (Belgique). Le ministre belge des Affaires etrangeres a reaffirme que toutes les mesures etaient prises pour renforcer ces controles, tout en soulignant la difficulte de determiner l'origine des diamants. Le 12 mars, les gouvernements du Burkina Faso, du Togo et du Rwanda ont tous dementi categoriquement toute implication dans la violation des sanctions imposees a l'Unita. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 2000) * Angola. UN names violators of sanctions on UNITA - 11 March: The UN has named seven African countries and one from eastern Europe, it alleges have violated sanctions placed on UNITA rebels in Angola. The countries face arms embargoes and other sanctions if the UN adopts the recommendations of the panel that furnished the report. The report, due to be aired in the UN sanctions committee on 20 March, was prepared by a panel headed by Robert Fowler, Canada's UN ambassador. Its mandate was "to recommend practical measures for enhanced enforcement and observance of sanctions against UNITA", which uses diamond revenues to finance its civil war against the government in Luanda. Bulgaria was singled out for allegedly smuggling weapons to UNITA. President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, and Omar Bongo of Gabon were accused of being personally involved in sanctions busting. South Africa also finds itself in hot water. UNITA delegates travelled to the country to buy weapons as recently as last year, the report alleges. Rwanda was said to have allowed UNITA rebels to trade diamonds and arms "more or less freely in Kigali". The report stopped short of naming Angolan officials for providing fuel to UNITA rebels,a claim widely made in other reports. Uganda, thought to be helping UNITA rebels, was also let off lightly, diplomats said. Belgium was chided for its "extremely lax controls and regulations governing the Antwerp market", one of the main centres of the diamond trade. An article in The Times (16 March) specifically mentions "the denizens of three small backstreets, hidden away behind Antwerp's elegant Central Station, accused of fuelling two of Africa's bloodiest and longest-running wars" -- in Angola and Sierra Leone. 12 March: Rwanda, Togo, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria and the Belgian Diamond Council have denied UN accusations that they helped UNITA break international sanctions. 15 March: Belgium has strongly criticised the report saying it was inaccurate and left out relevant facts about its international diamond trade in Antwerp. Its UN ambassador, Andre Adam, says much of the criticism of his government on not controlling illicit diamonds coming from Angola "does not reflect reality". Britain and Canada urge the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against countries violating the embargo against UNITA. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 March 2000) * Burundi/Rwanda. Projets de voie ferree - Le Burundi et le Rwanda envisagent de construire une ligne de chemin de fer jusqu'au port tanzanien de Dar es-Salaam, a rapporte le 13 mars le quotidien tanzanien EastAfrican. Les deux pays enclaves dependent actuellement du port de Mombasa au Kenya pour leurs importations et exportations qui transitent par l'Ouganda. Le Burundi prevoit de prolonger la voie ferree depuis le terminal actuel situe a Rusumo, a la frontiere avec la Tanzanie, jusqu'a Bujumbura. Le Rwanda projette de relier la capitale Kigali au terminal d'Isaka, a la frontiere tanzanienne, un projet qui devrait couter 3 milliards de dollars. Les deux pays cherchent une alternative pour baisser les frais du transport et reduire les delais causes par les procedures douanieres a Mombasa, selon le journal. Les fonds pour ces projets n'ont cependant pas encore ete reunis. (Agence burundaise de presse, 14 mars 2000) * Burundi. Penurie d'essence - Depuis quelques semaines, le carburant fait defaut dans le pays, signale l'agence burundaise Net Press le 13 mars. Plus de la moitie des stations ne distribuent plus de carburant. L'effectif des vehicules qui circulent a sensiblement chute. Selon les compagnies petrolieres, la raison en serait le fait que le gouvernement ne decide pas d'indexer le prix a la pompe aux nouveaux prix mondiaux. Le prix dans les pays limitrophes serait presque le triple de celui au Burundi. Selon le ministre du Commerce, il s'agit d'un accident de gestion et une solution devrait rapidement etre trouvee. - Le 14 mars, la radio nationale a rapporte que les autorites ont prevenu que les carburants seront vraisemblablement rationnes et que leurs prix avaient ete augmentes. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 mars 2000) * Congo (RDC). Massacre a Luofu - D'apres une depeche de l'agence PANA du 9 mars, la radiotelevision nationale congolaise a rapporte que 15 fideles catholiques, dont 11 femmes, ont ete massacres a la paroisse de Luofu (diocese de Beni-Butembo - province du Nord- Kivu). Selon les sources de la radio, qu'elle dit fiables, ces personnes ont ete abattues le dimanche 5 mars par des soldats rwandais, sans aucun motif officiel. Selon des observateurs (ndlr: a prendre avec beaucoup de prudence), il s'agirait d'un plan d'elimination des autochtones des villages et paroisses pour les remplacer par des ressortissants rwandais tutsi. C'est, dit-on, dans ce cadre que Mgr Kataliko, archeveque de Bukavu, se voit interdire son retour a Bukavu, ou les Tutsi voudraient le faire remplacer par Mgr Gapangwa, l'eveque d'Uvira d'origine tutsi. Par ailleurs, le jeune frere de Mgr Kataliko, M. Kamate Musiki, a ete assassine le 28 fevrier a Kibumba (a 17 km de Goma). Ses obseques ont donne lieu a quelques manifestations spontanees. - Selon l'agence Misna du 10 mars, les peres Augustins de l'Assomption ont confirme le massacre. Ils ont cependant precise que les responsables de la tuerie etaient des hommes armes dont on ne connait pas encore l'identite ni l'appartenance. La zone est le theatre d'un va-et-vient continuel de groupes armes: Ougandais reguliers, ex-miliciens rwandais et Mai-Mai. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 mars 2000) * Congo (RDC). Luofu massacre confirmed - 15 people were killed, including 11 women, one week ago in Luofu, North Kivu. As confirmed to MISNA by the Assumptionists, the massacre was perpetrated during a raid carried out by an unidentified armed group. Among those injured in the attack -- explain the congregation -- was Congolese deputy parish priest Father Jean-Bosco Paluku, who was stabbed. He was transported to the nearby hospital of Kayna and is now in a stable condition. The area of the massacres, denounced yesterday over the government radio in Kinshasa, has become common ground to the comings and goings of armed groups: from Ugandan regular troops to former Rwandan militia (Interahamwe) and Congolese nationalist partisans (Mayi-Mayi). (MISNA, Rome. 10 March 2000) * Congo (RDC). Fin de la consultation nationale - La consultation nationale organisee a Kinshasa par les chefs de confessions religieuses en guise de "reunion preparatoire" au debat national stipule dans les accords de Lusaka, s'est achevee le 11 mars. Les participants ont publie un communique dans lequel ils ont reitere que le peuple congolais etait souverain et aspirait a vivre dans la paix, a rapporte la television nationale. Ils ont condamne "la guerre d'agression et l'invasion de notre territoire national", ainsi que les "enormes massacres de Congolais et le pillage des ressources naturelles". Ils ont enjoint a l'opposition non armee de travailler a la reconciliation et de cesser le boycott des consultations, et ont appele l'opposition armee a deposer les armes immediatement et a se dissocier des ennemis du peuple. Finalement, indique le communique, "nous appelons le gouvernement a tenir compte des aspirations du peuple congolais exprimees a l'occasion des consultations nationales et a creer un environnement favorable a la tenue du debat national". (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 13 mars 2000) * Congo (RDC). Guerre et paix - Le 9 mars, le chef des operations de maintien de la paix de l'Onu au Congo est arrive a Kinshasa, debut d'une tournee regionale pour obtenir "le plein soutien" des belligerants au deploiement des casques bleus charges de superviser un cessez-le-feu. Bernard Miyet, sous-secretaire general des Nations unies, doit rencontrer le president Kabila, avant de se rendre en Namibie, au Zimbabwe, au Rwanda et en Ouganda, pays dont des troupes sont impliquees dans le conflit. Mais la treve, officiellement signee l'an dernier, n'est pas appliquee. -D'autre part, le president Kabila a nomme un nouvel ambassadeur a Bruxelles: M. Kisonga Mazakala, 57 ans, directeur du quotidien kinois Demain le Congo et ancien compagnon de lutte de Kabila dans les maquis de 1960. -10 mars. M. Miyet a affirme que le president Kabila avait donne son feu vert pour le deploiement d'observateurs au Congo. En meme temps, le gouvernement de Kinshasa a accuse les troupes rwandaises, ougandaises et burundaises d'avoir attaque des positions des forces armees congolaises (FAC) a Idumbe (au Kasai oriental). Les rebelles, eux, affirment avoir repris, le 7 mars, le port fluvial d'Idumbe, quatre jours apres sa chute aux mains des FAC. - Le 12 mars, le ministre belge des Affaires etrangeres, Louis Michel, est arrive a Kinshasa, premiere etappe d'un periple qui le conduira aussi en Angola, au Zimbabwe, en Ouganda et au Rwanda. Le lendemain, apres s'etre entretenu avec le president Kabila, M. Michel a declare a la presse: "il n'est pas acceptable que le Congo soit occupe", se gardant toutefois de citer les pays qui "occupent" le Congo. La cooperation avec la Belgique, suspendue depuis une decennie, n'a pas repris depuis l'arrivee au pouvoir de M. Kabila, mais "le contexte evolue favorablement", a commente M. Michel. - 15 mars. Selon IRIN, une mission de reconnaissance de l'Onu s'est rendue le 14 mars a Mbuji-Mayi et une autre se rendra le 16 mars a Mbandaka, villes ou la Monuc devrait cantonner son personnel. Les officiers de l'Onu sont actuellement bases dans 11 villes. D'autre part, selon le PAM, des deplacements massifs de civils sont signales dans le Sud-Kivu en raison de l'insecurite, et des affrontements avec les milices Mai-Mai se poursuivent a Shabunda et dans les zones minieres de Lulungu et Kachungu. On estime a 55.000 le nombre de personnes deplacees qui sont arrivees depuis janvier dans la region de Bukavu. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 mars 2000) * Congo (RDC). Deployment of UN peacekeeping force called into question - 10 March: President Kabila has pledged his full co- operation over the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces in Congo. UN's peacekeeping head, Bernard Miyet, said after meeting Mr Kabila in Kinshasa, that the President "was very, very relaxed and friendly, and basically said he had a strong desire to co-operate fully with the UN. 15 March: All parties involved in the civil war have promised to respect a shaky cease-fire deal, says the head of the UN peacekeeping operations. But with fresh reports of heavy fighting this week, officials say the deployment of a UN observer force has been called into question. President Kabila's government has not signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN that would allow the deployment to proceed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 March 2000) * Congo (RDC). Des centaines de milliers de personnes fuient les combats - Plus de 250.000 personnes ont quitte leur domicile ces deux derniers mois pour fuir les combats qui ont redouble d'intensite dans l'est de la Republique democratique du Congo (RDC), ont annonce des organisations humanitaires. Des groupes de miliciens armes errent dans les forets de la region et attaquent les villageois, alors que les Nations unies s'appretent a envoyer une force de maintien de la paix. "Ces deux derniers mois, nous avons constate une forte augmentation du nombre de personnes deplacees a l'interieur du pays", a declare Charles Petrie, du Bureau de coordination des affaires humanitaires de l'Onu, base dans la capitale rwandaise, Kigali. Dans les seules provinces du Nord- et du Sud-Kivu, le nombre de personnes deplacees est passe de 250.000 a environ un demi-million ces deux derniers mois, a-t-il precise. Selon des chiffres de l'Onu, moins de 200.000 deplaces ont eu acces a une aide adequate. Les organisations sur place redoutent une crise humanitaire et evoquent notamment des problemes de malnutrition. Depuis le debut de l'annee, les combats se sont intensifies dans l'est de la RDC entre les rebelles congolais, soutenus par le Rwanda et le Burundi, et des milices locales opposees a leur presence dans le pays. (Reuters, 16 mars 2000) * Cote d'Ivoire. Constitutional reforms steam ahead - 9 March: Cote d'Ivoire is steaming ahead with work to re-write its Constitution ready for an April referendum promised by the country's military rulers, but there have been delays in compiling voters lists. Seven sub-commissions charged with recommending changes to constitutional and electoral laws have already finished their work, presenting their conclusions to the Consultative and Electoral Commission three weeks ahead of their 31 March deadline. Military ruler General Robert Guei has promised a referendum on a new Constitution and Electoral Code in April, although a date has yet to be set. Presidential, parliamentary and local elections are to follow by the end of October. (CNN, 9 March 2000) * Cote d'Ivoire. Comptes geles en Suisse - A la demande des autorites ivoiriennes, la police suisse a gele a titre provisoire des comptes bancaires de l'ex-president Henri Konan Bedie, ainsi que ceux de ses proches; plus de 50 millions de FF auraient ete decouverts sur neuf comptes differents. Les autorites d'Abidjan soupconnent ces personnes de s'etre enrichies illegalement durant l'exercice de leurs mandats officiels. La Cote d'Ivoire dispose d'un delai de trois mois pour presenter une demande formelle d'entraide judiciaire. -D'autre part, a Abidjan, l'ancien ministre de l'Interieur, Emile Constant Bombet, arrete le 15 fevrier et detenu depuis a la prison militaire, a ete libere le 10 mars. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 mars 2000) * Cote d'Ivoire. Swiss freeze bank accounts - Swiss authorities have frozen accounts in the name of deposed president Henri Bedie and other former government officials. The provisional block on the assets of Mr Bedie, as well as his relatives and officials in his government, and earlier administrators, was ordered on 8 March following a request by the Cote d'Ivoire authorities. The former officials in Cote d'Ivoire are suspected of "having enriched themselves illegally while in office". (Financial Times, UK, 11 March 2000) * Cote d'Ivoire. Debt servicing left intact - The Ivorian military regime has made cuts in the former administration's budget proposals but left debt servicing which stood at 756.8 billion CFA francs, about 39.7 percent of the total resources of the country untouched. This is contained in a document released in Abidjan on 13 March by the Ministry of Budget, which did not include any loans expected from the International Monetary Fund. It shows that Gen. Robert Guie's government has cut the 2000 budget by about 6.8 percent of what had been proposed by his predecessor, Henri Konan Bedie, and approved by the then National Assembly before it was dissolved following the 24 December coup. (PANA, Dakar, 13 March 2000) * Egypte. Islamistes liberes - Le 11 mars, l'Egypte a commence a liberer 840 islamistes dans le cadre d'une amnistie marquant la fete de l'Aid el-Adha. Parmi les personnes liberees figurent pour la premiere fois des membres du Jihad, une organisation extremiste dont le chef avait demande le mois dernier a ses hommes de cesser la guerre sainte contre l'Egypte et de retourner leurs armes pour la liberation de Jerusalem. La plupart des militants islamistes, incarceres parfois depuis longtemps, n'avaient ete ni inculpes, ni juges. (La Libre Belgique, 13 mars 2000) * Egypte. Razzia sur le cannabis - La police egyptienne a detruit plus d'un millier de champs de cannabis et d'opium au cours de raids dans le Sinai ces dernieres semaines. Selon l'agence officielle Mena, qui cite les services de securite, sur les 1.148 plantations aneanties depuis le debut du mois de mars, 127 ont ete eliminees le 13 mars. (Liberation, France, 14 mars 2000) * Ethiopia. Raging forest fires - 9 March: South Africa has agreed to send more firefighters to Ethiopia to assist in an air operation to put out raging forest fires. "South Africa is honoured to be part of an international team providing assistance to the Ethiopian authorities in extinguishing these fires", says South Africa's deputy minister for foreign affairs, Aziz Pahad. 13 March: A forest fire has erupted inside Ethiopia's Nechsar Game Park, home to the rare Swayne's hartebest. 14 March: Firemen helped by over 5,000 volunteers manage to bring under control a fire in southern Ethiopia's Nechsar Game Park. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 March 2000) * Kenya. Census results - Official census results released by the government on 29 february, put the population of Kenya at 28.7 million. The figures are said to be provisional. This represents a 34% increase in population since the last census in 1989. The provisional results have been arrived at by verifying summaries provided by the district census officers. The final results will be released in July upon completing the date processing and analysis. (Daily Nation, Kenya, 1 March 2000) * Liberia. Liberte de communication - Les utilisateurs de postes emetteurs-recepteurs, tels que walkies-talkies, devront dorenavant etre porteurs d'une carte d'identite ou "risquer de se trouver dans l'embarras", a indique le ministre des Telecommunications, cite le 13 mars par Star Radio. Cette carte devra mentionner le nom du pays de fabrication, le numero de serie, la date de fabrication et la signature du ministre. L'infrastructure telephonique au Liberia ayant ete aneantie pendant la guerre civile, les postes emetteurs- recepteurs offrent un moyen alternatif de communication pour les ONG et autres corps constitues. - D'autre part, le 15 mars, la police a investi et ferme les locaux de la radio independante Star Radio, sans que le gouvernement ait informe la compagnie mere, l'ONG suisse Fondation Hirondelle, des raisons de cette operation. Cependant, un communique du gouvernement lu a la radio du president Taylor, indique que cette fermeture a ete ordonnee en raison de "la menace pour la securite creee par des agents provocateurs qui utilisent les medias pour abuser de la liberte d'expression et de la presse qui prevaut actuellement dans le pays". (IRIN, Abidjan, 15 mars 2000) * Libya. 9th Conference of Pan-African Students' Federation - The ninth conference of the Pan-African Students' Federation opened on 11 March in Tripoli with the aim of reviewing its organisational functions and the activity report of the general secretariat. Delegations at the meeting include those from the International Student's Federation, Asia Student's Federation, Arab Student's Federation, International Democratic Youth Federation and the World Student's Federation. The secretary general of Libya's Student Union, Milad Maatouge, emphasised the importance of students' role in the progress and development of societies, and called on them to get actively involved in the overall development of Africa. "Students, who are the future politicians and economists, have the challenge of making Africans aware of the importance of African unity," he said. Africa has to unite its efforts and resources in order to face the demands of globalisation and challenges of the third millennium where only giant socio- economic blocks will have the chance to survive, he noted. The theme of the meeting is: "Fulfilling the African unity dream and the role of students." (PANA, Dakar, 12 March 2000) * Madagascar. Apres les cyclones - Apres le passage des cyclones Eline et Gloria, les bilans humains et materiels sont encore provisoires. Selon les chiffres officiels actuels, Eline aurait fait 64 morts et Gloria 73. La cote est, touchee de plein fouet par les depressions tropicales, souffrira d'un important deficit de production de vanille, une des principales ressources du pays. De plus, la route et la voie de chemin de fer d'Ambatondrazaka, d'ou provient la plus grande partie du riz, principale alimentation de la population, sont coupees. Selon la FAO, la securite alimentaire du pays est menacee; une mission de l'organisation doit se rendre prochainement a Madagascar pour evaluer la situation. La FAO ajoute que les regions les plus touchees sont les parties nord et centre de la cote orientale de l'ile; les recoltes sont perdues et les rizieres ont souffert. L'aide internationale, qui s'etait d'abord concentree sur le Mozambique, devra maintenant porter aussi son attention sur la grande ile. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 2000) * Madagascar. Severe flooding - 10 March: The UN says it is deeply concerned about severe flooding in Madagascar, as aid workers try to reach remote villages cut off by floods. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) will begin an airlift operation today and the UN Secretary-General says an official appeal will be launched shortly. A UN representative in Madagascar, Sergio Soro, says the island is not getting the same media attention as Mozambique, despite being hit by the same storms. Torrential rains and high force winds reaching up to 200 km per hour brought by Cyclones Eline on 17 February and Gloria on 2 March, caused loss of life, severe damage to infrastructure, and left over 10,000 people homeless. Preliminary indications point to almost total crop losses in low-lying areas. 10 March: The WFP appeals for helicopters to help distribute food and relief supplies. 13 March: A French helicopter carrier, the Jeanne D'Arc, has reached Madagascar to add impetus to the relief effort. French navy helicopters have flown over north-eastern Madagascar to assess the damage. The WFP is sending two cargo planes loaded with emergency relief supplies to the north-eastern town of Sambava. 14 March: The captain of the French helicopter carrier says the damage, although bad, falls short of the devastation in Mozambique. 15 March: The estimated number of people needing urgent help has doubled to 40,000. The UN says it is now moving the relief operation from an acute emergency phase to rebuilding and rehabilitation. There has also been a sharp rise in the number of deaths caused by cholera which appears to confirm fears that the cyclone and tropical storms have helped to fuel an epidemic. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 March 2000) * Malawi. "Giving the little we have to Mozambique" - The government of Malawi, local non-governmental organisations and Malawian individuals have donated assorted items to flood victims in neighbouring Mozambique. The items include food (maize flour and beans), toiletries, blankets, plastic plates and medicines. The donation followed an appeal from President Bakili Muluzi to all Malawians, to donate whatever they could manage to help alleviate the suffering of Mozambicans, following the devastating floods that hit the country. Malawi's First Lady, Madame Patricia Shanil Muluzi, personally handed over the donations to Mozambican officials and some victims in Beira on 12 March In her speech, Madame Muluzi thanked all Malawians who contributed to the donation. "Malawi is a very poor country but we could not just sit back when our friends in Mozambique are in such problems. We decided to give the little that we could manage," said Madame Muluzi while encouraging Malawians to continue with the love they have shown. Malawi was the fist country, after South Africa, to assist the flood victims. It sent two helicopters and men from the Malawi army who have helped in the evacuation process and are currently helping in food distribution. The Mozambican Ambassador to Malawi, Mr. Matius, told the press in Blantyre recently that his country is very grateful for the assistance that Malawi has given to Mozambique during this trying time. (Hastings Maloya, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 13 March 2000) * Malawi. Touche aussi par les inondations - Au moins 1.500 personnes appartenant a 300 familles ont ete deplacees et d'autres ont ete coupees de la terre ferme dans le district de Chikwawa, au sud du Malawi, a la suite de tres fortes pluies qui ont inonde la region depuis le 12 mars. Les pluies qui ont commence a tomber le 11 mars, ont gonfle le fleuve Lalanje, qui a deborde de ses rives et envahi de vastes etendues de terres. Plusieurs villages sont completement envahis par les eaux. (D'apres PANA, 15 mars 2000) * Malawi. Archbishop Chiona under probe - The head of the Catholic Church in Malawi, Archbishop James Chiona is under probe by Malawi's Office of the Ombudsman, for allegedly holding property of a deceased Roman Catholic priest for more than 10 years. The investigations follows a complaint by Telephonia Chilola, a sister to the deceased priest, Father Phillip Katsetse, who died 12 years ago while serving as a priest at Namulenga Parish in Mulanje District in Southern Malawi. The Archbishop's hearing was scheduled to take place on 10 March, but was adjourned by the Ombudsman, Enock Chibwana, because the Archbishop failed to turn up. The Archbishop did not even send a representative. The Ombudsman said Telephonia Chilola is complaining that the property of her late brother, Father Katsense, was given to other people and not the relatives of the deceased. The Ombudsman said his office wrote to Archbishop Chiona, twice, with a copy of the complaint's letter. He said his letters were replied to by the Vicar General of Blantyre Diocese, Monsignor Simbota, who explained that all the priests are under the Archbishop and the Archbishop is the one who looks at after all the property for priests. Mgr. Simbota also stated that the Archbishop is the one who decides whether such property for a deceased priest should go to the relatives or the Church. He said the Archbishop had not make any order on the property of the deceased priest, because he died a poor man and the little he had was given to the poor. The inquiry was adjourned to 12 April. (Brian Logomeka, ANB-BIA, Malawi, 14 March 2000) * Mali. Trouble flares in the north - 14 March: The French charity, Action against Hunger, says it is suspending work in northern Mali, after three Dutch tourists were murdered there last week. The charity, which had received threats, said it suspected that former Tuareg rebels might have joined forces with fundamentalist groups in Algeria. Other agencies, such as USAID, are said to have withdrawn too after a meeting yesterday. Mali's security minister has been holding emergency talks in Algeria since late last week with his counterparts from Algeria, Niger and Mauritania to discuss the border area which has become a major smuggling route. (BBC News, 14 March 2000) END OF PART PART #1/2 (AFRICA => MALI) ====> (From MOROCCO to ZIMBABWE see 16b_03_2k)