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WEEKLY NEWS - ISSUE of 31/05/96 -  PART 1/

* Africa. Mad cow disease
There is growing concern among African officials about the row
over Britain's mad cow disease (BSE) and its effect on the
region's meat trade. As soon as the European Union imposed a ban
on British beef exports, African newspapers were claiming that
condemned meat was being smuggled into some countries. Government
officials from Botswana, which has over four million head of
cattle, have long maintained that health conditions in their
country's meat sector match or surpass those in Europe. Almost
all their cattle are grass-fed and do not follow Europe's
intensive farming methods. The Minister of Finance, Festus Mogae,
made this point at a Franco-African economic symposium in
Bordeaux last week and he argued for greater access to markets
for Botswana's meat exports. However, Mogae returned home to a
meat crisis: some 250,000 cattle in the north are believed to
have been affected by a tubercular disease. Health officials
moved quickly to isolate the disease but many cattle owners could
now face economic ruin. (...)
(Africa Confidential, U.K., 24 May 1996)

* Afrique, Demographie
Selon le rapport 1993 du Fonds des Nations unies pour la
population (FNUAP), la Terre compte actuellement 5,8 milliards
d'habitants, dont 748 millions en Afrique, le continent le plus
peuple apres l'Asie (3 milliards). Taux de croissance --
Croissance dynamique en Afrique (2,7% en moyenne): certains pays
(Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger,
Ouganda, Somalie, Togo, Zaire) doublent leur population en une
generation. D'ici 2025, le Zaire pourrait passer de 45 a 104
millions d'habitants, et l'Ethiopie de 56 a 126 millions. Taux
d'urbanisation -- S'il est de 21% sur le continent, il atteint
41,6% en Afrique subsaharienne (28% au Kenya, 50% au Gabon). La
population urbaine africaine est estimee passer de 250 millions
en 1995 a 804 millions d'ici 2025. Et, d'ici l'an 2000,
l'agglomeration de Lagos (Nigeria) devrait passer a la troisieme
place, avec plus de 24 millions d'habitants. Esperance de vie
moyenne -- 53 ans pour les hommes (44 pour un Ougandais) et 56
ans pour les femmes, contre 69 et 77, respectivement, en Europe.
Mortalite infantile -- 112 pour mille en Angola, 154 pour mille
en Sierra Leone. Seules 2% des naissances beneficient d'une
assistance qualifiee en Somalie. Contraception -- 57% des femmes
dans le monde utilisent un moyen de contraception: 50% en Afrique
du Sud et au Maroc, 20% en Tanzanie et au Ghana, 5% au Mali et
2% en Guinee.
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 30 mai 1996)

* Algerie. La guerre continue
Au moment ou l'assassinat des moines retient toute l'attention,
une serie d'affrontements militaires d'envergure qui ne sont pas
rendus publics se deroulent dans l'ouest et le sud de l'Algerie.
Quarante a quarante-cinq militaires ont ainsi ete tues mercredi
22 mai au cours d'une embuscade tendue par quelque 250 islamistes
pres de Tlemcen, en Oranie. Dans le sud du pays, quatorze jeunes
recrues ont ete tuees a Colomb-Bechar par des islamistes. Alors
que les sources officielles algeriennes evoquaient "deux morts"
dans une explosion, l'attaque du bureau de recrutement a Blida
aurait fait en realite 32 morts. Malgre cela, les autorites
algeriennes sont a nouveau intervenues ce 29 mai pour affirmer
"une amelioration constante de la situation securitaire". Entre-
temps, le projet de reforme constitutionnelle propose par Liamine
Zeroual semble faire l'unanimite contre lui. Le FIS a denonce
hier cette "tentative de legaliser sa dictature", tandis que le
Front des forces socialistes (FFS) l'a rejete "dans la forme et
dans le fond".
(D'apres Liberation, France, 29 et 30 mai 1996

* Algeria. Monk forgave future killer
Christian de Cherge, one of seven French monks murdered by
Algerian terrorists had foreseen his death. On 29 May his family
released a letter in which Dom Christian gives thanks to his
future murderer, whom he hopes to meet in paradise. The letter,
which he had told his family to open after his death, was written
in January 1994, after the Armed Islamic Group first threatened
his monastery. Entitled: "A Dieu" ("to God"), it reveals a love
of Islam and a commitment to Algeria. Dom Christian writes: "If
one day -- and it could be today -- I become a victim of
terrorism, I want my community, my church, my family to remember
that my life was given to God and this country". Dom Christian
said he did not want Islam to be blamed: "It is too easy to
identify this religion with fundamentalism and extremism. Algeria
for me is something else; it's a body and a soul". Giving thanks
to his future assailant, he writes: "And you too, last-minute
friend who will not have known what you were doing, I want to
thank you. May we meet again, in paradise, with the father who
is ours. Amen.Inshalllah".
(The Guardian, U.K., 30 May 1996)

* Algerie. Une communaute en deuil
La Communaute chretienne d'Algerie est en deuil. Une semaine
apres l'annonce de leur execution par le Groupe islamique arme
(GIA), le ministere algerien de l'Interieur a annonce jeudi 30
mai que les corps des sept moines assassines ont ete retrouves
a quelques kilometres de la ville de Medea, au sud-ouest d'Alger.
A Paris dans la cathedrale Notre-Dame, Mgr Lustiger a lu, la voix
nouee par l'emotion devant les sept cierges allumes, le testament
du P. Christian de Cherge, prieur des moines de l'Atlas. A la
cathedrale de Tunis, chretiens et musulmans de Tunisie etaient
reunis avec Mgr Fouad Twal, eveque de Tunis pour prier, au cours
d'une celebration identique, pour la reconciliation en Algerie.
Quelques heures avant cette annonce, le Card. Mohamed Duval, 93
ans, s'eteignait dans sa maison pres de Notre-Dame d'Afrique, a
Alger. Algerien dans une Algerie ou il voulait "rester toujours",
il disait: "Nous n'avons pas le droit d'etre pessimiste; etre
fidele a la confiance demande du courage".
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 mai 1996)

* Burundi. Chronique d'une degradation
La situation au Burundi devient de plus en plus inquietante.
Mardi 28 mai, la France a annonce la suspension de sa cooperation
militaire (23 cooperants militaires) avec le Burundi en invoquant
des "problemes de securite" et l'impasse politique du pays. En
meme temps, Bruxelles a demande a l'Ecole belge de Bujumbura de
fermer rapidement ses portes en raison de l'insecurite.
Washington a nomme un coordinateur special pour le Rwanda et le
Burundi, Richard Begovian, et le president Clinton a depeche a
Bujumbura son conseiller pour la securite nationale, Anthony
Lake. L'ONU a pris l'initiative d'un "plan d'urgence
humanitaire", en cas d'explosion de violence au Burundi. Jimmy
Carter, a Bujumbura, a insiste sur la necessite d'entretiens avec
le leader hutu Leonard Nyangoma. Mais le Premier ministre et
l'armee refusent toute negociation avec le "rebelle". Dans le
pays, les bruits d'un coup d'Etat augmentent l'angoisse de la
population. L'Assemblee ne peut pas travailler ne pouvant pas
atteindre le nombre legal: la fermeture des frontieres avec le
Zaire empeche 23 deputes, bloques a Uvira (Zaire), de participer
aux seances. Des sources officielles parlent de 73.400 tues ce
dernier mois dans les camps de refugies de Gitega. Les memes
sources parlent de 25 morts, vendredi 24 mai, lors
d'affrontements entre armee et "bandes armees", a Higiro
(Gitega), et d'au moins une cinquantaine de tues lors d'une
attaque d'un camp de deplaces tutsi par des "bandes armees" a
Ruhigi (Butezi). 15.000 Hutu seraient en fuite vers la Tanzanie,
craignant des represailles.
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 30 mai 1996)

* Egypte. Contestation religieuse
Depuis l'arrivee, en mars dernier, d'un nouveau cheikh modere,
Mohammed Sayyed Tantaoui, a la tete d'al-Azhar, le Front des
oulemas d'al-Azhar (FOA) -- qui regroupe un millier de
theologiens diplomes de l'universite millenaire et represente la
tendance conservatrice dominante dans cette institution -- a
critique a plusieurs reprises ses positions. Mais c'est surtout
un projet de loi du ministre des Waqfs (biens religieux), M.
Mahmoud Zaqzouq, reservant l'acces aux mosquees aux predicateurs
nommes par son ministere, qui suscite les apprehensions des
oulemas conservateurs. Le FOA met en garde contre "une sedition
dont l'ampleur pourrait depasser de loin toute sedition
anterieure" (allusion a la violence integriste qui a fait plus
de mille morts en Egypte depuis 1992), et refuse de "faire les
frais de la lutte contre l'integrisme". Le ministere des Waqfs
controle 34.000 mosquees et veut mettre sous tutelle 20.000
autres. Par ailleurs, la mort et la folie guettent 4.000 detenus,
en majorite politiques, dans une prison de Fayoum, a une centaine
de kilometres au sud-ouest du Caire, a affirme, mardi 28 mai,
l'Organisation egyptienne des droits de l'homme qui denonce, dans
un rapport publie mercredi 29 mai, la torture comme une pratique
"de routine".
(Marches Trop. et AFP, France, 24 et 30 mai 1996

* Ghana. Muslim sects clash
One person was killed and 16 seriously wounded when rival Muslim
sects fought with guns and other weapons for two days in northern
Ghana, witnesses said. The clashes in the town of Atebubu, 260km
north of Accra were marked by looting. Orthodox Tijaniya Muslims
armed with guns, cutlasses, bows and arrows attacked rival Sunni
revivalists over doctrinal differences. "The Tijaniya wanted the
Sunni to stop preaching and drumming in the streets. The district
secretary banned all preaching in the town. But the Sunni
continued to preach. Then the Tijaniya started shooting at them",
said postmaster Jackson Jatuat Talon. Some 100 armed police have
been deployed in the town of about 150,000 inhabitants.
(AFJN, Washington, 28 May 1996)

* Kenya. Human rights committee set-up
The Kenya government has appointed a nine-member committee to
investigate complaints of alleged violation of fundamental human
rights and freedoms in the country. The committee, to be chaired
by a renowned Kenyan scholar, Prof. Onesmus Mutungi, will
investigate complaints of alleged injustice, abuse of power and
unfair treatment of any person by a public officer in exercise
of his official duties. It will also educate the public on human
rights and freedoms by such means as it deems fit, including
publications, lectures and symposia.
(PANA, 23 May 1996)

* Liberia. Boutros Boutros-Ghali very concerned
The UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali is concerned that
continued fighting among the Liberian factions will lead the West
African countries (ECOWAS) to withdraw their peacekeeping forces
and ultimately force the UN military observers and international
humanitarian aid workers also to leave the country. The unarmed
UN observers are dependent on the security provided by the
Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group
(ECOMOG) forces to do their jobs. Despite UN and ECOWAS's
warnings to the faction leaders to return to the Abuja peace
process, the faction leaders have clearly demonstrated their
disregard for the aspirations of the Liberian people for peace.
They have shown wanton disrespect for the United Nations, ECOWAS,
and the international community. (Editor's note: On 28 May, it
was reported that Liberia's warring factions had pulled their
guerrillas out of Monrovia.)
(WOA, Washington, 27 May 1996)
=== Liberia. Flag of convenience
Despite the civil war that is waging in Liberia, its hundreds of
vessels sail around the globe -- virtually unaffected -- bearing
the flag of convenience, something of an institution in world
shipping. According to Liberia's commissioner of Maritime
Affairs, Benoni Urey, Liberia's shipping economy provides 90% of
government revenue, adding that this business is not dictated by
politics but by safety. Liberia invested 10% of its earnings in
training its ship inspectors. Ship owners flying under Liberian
flags have strict safety inspections, but from time to time,
Liberia's shipping safety standards are criticised when a
Liberian-flagged ship is involved in an accident. Some of these
criticisms come from rival countries seeking to expand their own
ship registry. One such country, Panama, is apparently hoping to
woo ship owners away from Liberia's lone star flag, by promoting
itself in the specialist Press and on the Internet. Liberia's
Commissioner of Maritime Affairs says that "Panama is running
advertisements...saying it is a stable country, and they are
inviting ship owners registered under the Liberian flag to change
their registration to Panama".
(AFJN, Washington, 28 May 1996)

* Liberia. Optimisme
Un relatif optimisme prevalait a Monrovia, lundi 27 mai, apres
le feu vert donne par les principaux dirigeants, dont Charles
Taylor, au deploiement de l'Ecomog, la force ouest-africaine
d'interposition, et au retrait de leurs milices. Pour la premiere
fois depuis cinquante jours, la capitale a connu un semblant de
vie normale et M. Taylor s'est declare pret a rencontrer le
"general" Roosevelt Johnson, qu'il avait tente d'arreter, debut
avril, declenchant ainsi la reprise des combats.
(Le Monde, France, 29 mai 1996)

* Libye. Shampoing diabolique
En visite en Egypte, le numero un libyen, Mouammar Kadhafi, a
encourage le 27 mai les etudiants de l'universite du Caire a ne
se laver la tete qu'avec "du savon". Lui-meme, a-t-il confie,
n'utilise jamais de shampoing aux oeufs ou au lait, car ils sont
le fruit d'un "complot colonialiste et imperialiste". En Libye,
il a d'ailleurs interdit au ministere de l'Industrie de fabriquer
des shampoings similaires a ceux des pays occidentaux, car "ces
produits sont l'oeuvre des compagnies diaboliques occidentales
qui cherchent d'une part a realiser des gains enormes en
fabriquant des choses frivoles et inutiles, et d'autre part a
priver les enfants du tiers monde d'oeufs et de lait".
(Liberation, France, 28 mai 1996)

* Madagascar. Nouveau Premier ministre
Suite a une motion de censure, 125 deputes votants ont renverse,
vendredi 17 mai, le gouvernement d'Emmanuel Rakotovahiny par 109
voix contre 15 et une voix blanche. La motion de censure
denoncait, entre autres, le manque de solidarite gouvernementale,
aucune amelioration de niveau de vie des Malgaches et, surtout,
le Premier ministre lui-meme ne representant pas la majorite
parlementaire. En remplacement de M. Emmanuel Rakotovahiny, le
president Albert Zafy a nomme Premier ministre, mardi 28 mai, M.
Norbert Ratsirahonana, 58 ans, president de la haute cour
constitutionnelle malgache. Depuis l'avenement de la Troisieme
Republique, Madagascar n'a jamais connu la stabilite politique,
ce qui explique la degradation de l'economie et l'insecurite dans
presque toute l'ile, malgre les efforts menes par les militaires
dans les campagnes.
(D'apres M.C. Ramasiar., Madagascar, 29 mai 1996)

* Nigeria. Ogoni youth reject Shell
In a move characteristic of the Ogoni struggle, the youths of
Ogoniland under the umbrella of National Youth council of Ogoni
People (NYCOP) have rejected the plans set out by Shell Petroleum
towards resumption of oil exploitation in the area. This is
contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by
Needam Befii, acting secretary-general of the association. The
Youths insist that oil activities can only resume in Ogoni when
certain conditions are met, and insisting that demands contained
in the Ogoni Bill of Rights are still relevant, thus the Shell
and the Nigerian government must fulfil the terms of that
document. The Youths demanded the withdrawal of all military and
para-military troops stationed in Ogoniland "before any
meaningful negotiations can take place". Worried by these
pronouncements, some Ogoni chiefs have advised the government to
increase security in Ogoniland to forestall any unfortunate
incident. Shell is worried by the way things have turned out,
blocking their plans of returning to Ogoni. Shell management in
Nigeria had offered to clean up the oil spill in Ogoni and work
out acceptable community development programme for the People.
The offer is seen as a Greek gift.
(AFJN, Washington, 24 May 1996)

* Rwanda. Exode de Tutsi zairois
Selon le Haut commissariat de l'ONU aux refugies, plus d'un
millier de Zairois d'origine rwandaise, essentiellement Tutsi,
se sont refugies a Gisenyi (Rwanda), depuis lundi 27 mai, en
fuyant la region de Masisi (Kivu, est du Zaire), dechiree par un
conflit interethnique. Depuis deux mois, plus de 11.000 Tutsi
zairois, d'origine rwandaise, se sont deja refugies au Rwanda,
pourchasses par les violences d'extremistes hutus rwandais,
refugies dans la region depuis 1994, apres le genocide rwandais.
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 mai 1996)

* Rwanda. Arusha International Tribunal
In a communique dated 27 May 1996, the Prosecutors Office of the
International Tribunal for Rwanda announced that the first
Rwandan suspects of the 1994 tragedy, indicted by the office of
the Prosecutor, will appear in court on 30 May at the seat of the
Tribunal in Arusha. These persons are: Georges Anderson
Rutaganda, Second Vice-President of the National Committee of the
Interahamwe and Jean-Paul Akayesu, former Bourgmestre of Taba
Commune. Clement Kayishema, former Prefect of Kibuye Prefecture,
will appear in court on 31 May.
(IRINWIRE, 30 May 1996)

* Rwanda. Premiers proces
Les deux premiers accuses de massacres ont comparu devant le
Tribunal penal international d'Arusha, inculpes de "genocide",
de "crimes contre l'humanite", d'"assassinats". Georges
Rutaganda, assiste de l'avocat belge Me De Temmerman, a plaide
non coupable pour les 8 chefs d'accusation retenus contre lui.
Il est accuse d'avoir ete pendant les massacres le deuxieme vice-
president du comite national des Interhahamwe, ces miliciens qui
accomplirent l'essentiel des tueries. Apres une comparution de
moins de trois quarts d'heure, le juge senegalais Laity Kama a
ajourne le proces de Rutaganda jusqu'au 3 octobre. Le deuxieme
prevenu, Jean-Paul Akayesu, un ancien bourgmestre, assiste lui
aussi par un avocat belge, a egalement repondu non coupable aux
12 chefs d'accusation pesant sur lui: au moins 2.000 Tutsi ont
ete massacres dans sa commune et il est accuse d'avoir lui-meme
tue au cours d'interrogatoires transformes en seances de torture.
Par ailleurs, le conseil de guerre de Kigali a condamne a mort
un sous-officier de l'armee rwandaise pour le meurtre de 4
personnes, en decembre 1995, a Rwerere (Gisenyi).
(D'apres AFP, France, 29 mai 1996)

* Western Sahara. Voter registration suspended
On 29 May, the UN Security Council decided unanimously to suspend
voter registration in Western Sahara as disagreements persist
over who should be allowed to vote in a referendum on the fate
of the former Spanish colony. The Council also agreed, without
public debate, to cut a UN force in the territory by 20%.
(Voice of America, 29 May 1996)

* Sahara occidental. Recensement suspendu
Le Conseil de securite des Nations unies a vote a l'unanimite,
mercredi 29 mai, la suspension du recensement electoral et la
reduction du dispositif de l'ONU au Sahara occidental, en raison
des obstacles mis depuis 1992 par le Maroc et le Front Polisario
sur la voie d'un referendum d'autodetermination. Le recensement
electoral ne reprendra que quand les deux parties en cause auront
fourni "des preuves concretes et convaincantes" de leur
determination a reprendre le processus. Le Conseil a approuve la
recommandation a ce sujet faite le 8 mai par le secretaire
general, Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 30 mai 1996)

* Soudan. Esclavagisme
Le Soudan a cree une commission pour enqueter sur des accusations
de commerce d'esclaves dans le sud du pays. La commission devra
examiner les informations du rapporteur special de l'ONU pour les
droits de l'homme, M. Gaspar Biro, sur l'existence de
disparitions forcees et de pratiques d'esclavage au Soudan. Dans
son rapport en avril, M. Biro avait affirme que la guerre entre
les forces gouvernementales et les rebelles du Sud donne lieu a
un important trafic d'esclaves, y compris d'enfants, captures
dans les regions en rebellion. "L'enlevement de civils du Sud,
hommes, femmes et enfants, est devenu une nouvelle facon de faire
la guerre", selon ce rapport qui denoncait la "totale passivite
du gouvernement" en l'assimilant a "une approbation politique
tacite de l'esclavage". De son cote, l'organisation americaine
Human Rights Watch a denonce dans un rapport, mercredi 29 mai,
"la negation des libertes fondamentales d'expression, de
rassemblement et d'association au Soudan, ainsi que la menace
d'arrestations arbitraires, d'emprisonnement et de torture de la
part d'un appareil de securite omnipresent".
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 30 mai 1996)

* South Africa. Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Human rights violations Committee of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission plans to hold nearly 50 public hearings
in more than 35 towns throughout South Africa before the end of
the year. Hearings lasting between two and five days will take
place in areas ranging from Nelspruit to Namaqualand and from
Hermanus to Pietersburg. Hearings have been provisionally
scheduled for 28 of the 31 weeks between June and December. On
some days, two or three hearings will take place simultaneously
in different parts of the country. The total number of commission
hearings will increase when Amnesty Committee hearings are
announced. Also still to be scheduled are hearings for political
parties, non-governmental organisations and other institutions.
A number of submissions from NGOs have already been received
after a special appeal was made earlier this year to interested
organisations in South Africa society.
(Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa, 24 May 1996)

* Sudan. Two unrelated events
1) On 27 May, Sudan denied charges that it had mounted cross-
border raids into Ethiopia and accused its neighbour of inciting
trouble in the region. Major General Mohamed Abdel-Gadir,
official spokesman of the Sudanese armed forces, said the
Ethiopian accusations were a smokescreen for agression by Addis
Ababa. 2) Also on 27 May, it was announced that Sudan's last
independent daily, Rahi al Akhar (Alternative View Point) has
been closed following a raid by an unidentified group of armed
men who seized the newspaper's plates, a year's supply of
newsprint, and 20,000 copies of the paper awaiting distribution.
(AFJN, Washington, 30 May 1996)

* Tanzania. Survivors condemned ferry
Survivors of the worst shipping disaster on Lake Victoria accused
the ferry, the shipping companies, as well as the government for
the disaster. According to some of the officials, survivors and
witnesses comments, many errors points to confirm the lack of
seriousness and safety in the shipping industries. For instance,
the boat was far too overloaded and swayed for hours before it
eventually capsized. There were too few lifejackets and
passengers fought for them. Many passengers were worried and
wanted to throw some of the ship's heavy cargo of bananas into
the lake but the crew men threatened to throw them overboard if
they did so. Besides, the boat couldn't sent an SOS as the
Captain was not on duty. The accident was reported by some local
fishing vessels. Then when the rescue people got to the boat,
they cut holes in the hull which perhaps let out air and water
and made the ship sink too quickly. Hundreds of ships and
thousands of boats now use the lake, plying between small
isolated island communities and the major ports of Mwanza and
Musoma in Yanzania, Kisumu in kenya and Port Bell in Uganda.
Governing them are international maritime rules which say
navigation charts must be revised and updated at least every ten
years. Charts for Lake Victoria were last revised 40 years ago,
according to Kenya's Lake Basin Development Authority. On 29 May,
Captain Jumanne Rume Mwiru and eight crew members of the MV
Bukoba appeared in court in Mwanza, Tanzania. Survivors claim the
captain and crew took bribes to allow people without tickets
aboard.
(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 May 1996)

* Zaire. Amos interpelle les religieux
A l'occasion de la reunion annuelle de l'Assemblee des superieurs
majeurs, le Groupe Amos -- du nom du prophete de la justice,
groupe tres actif a Kinshasa, ou il est ne en 1988 -- interpelle
les religieux. S'il apprecie leur presence et leur engagement,
il pose aussi des questions: "Nous avons l'impression que
beaucoup de religieux sont tres occupes par leurs problemes
internes. Souvent, vous continuez comme si de rien n'etait, comme
s'il n'y avait pas de crise. Et alors, il faut engager des
militaires pour proteger vos personnes et vos biens. Bien sur,
vous faites un travail formidable sur le terrain par des oeuvres
de charite. Mais souvent ces actions essaient seulement de guerir
les degats d'un systeme pourri. A notre avis, il faut aller plus
loin. Osez-vous vous attaquer aux causes du systeme, aux racines
du mal, aux "structures de peche", afin de provoquer un vrai
changement?" Le groupe Amos attend des religieux "des prises de
positions communes, claires, courageuses, des gestes
prophetiques, des gestes et des attitudes de solidarite avec le
peuple qui souffre".
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 mai 1996)

* Zaire. Tres cheres etudes au Kasai
Le groupe Amos de Kananga, chef-lieu du Kasai occidental,
proteste contre un arrete du gouverneur de region, du 2 mai 1996,
fixant les frais de participation a l'examen d'Etat pour l'annee
scolaire 1995-96: environ 120 FB pour la dissertation, 34 FB pour
l'oral francais, etc... soit un total de 389 FB. Or le salaire
de nombreux fonctionnaires est fixe a... 20 FB par mois. Dans
l'enseignement, un prefet du cycle long gagne environ 43 FB
mensuels. Il lui faut donc "neuf mois de salaire plein pour payer
les frais d'un seul enfant presentant les examens d'Etat", note
le groupe Amos. "Si les travailleurs sont penalises, que dire des
sans-emploi et autres demunis tels que les refoules du Shaba",
interroge Amos. Il faut egalement savoir que "pour ces memes
examens, les eleves avaient deja paye" environ 40 FB chacun. En
plus, les parents paient aux enseignants des supplements de
salaire, ce dernier etant notoirement insuffisant: ainsi un sac
de 50 kg de farine de mais, nourriture de base d'une famille
pendant un mois, coute environ 800 FB.
(D'apres M.-F.C., La Libre Belgique, 29 mai 1996)

* Zaire. Unrest in Masisi
UN officials in Geneva say more refugees have fled the Masisi
Region of Eastern Zaire, amid continued ethnic violence involving
Hutus and Tutsis. Officials are now describing the unrest as a
carry-over from the bloody war in Rwanda, two years ago. The
violence in Masisi began several months ago, but appears to have
escalated during the past few weeks. UN officials and Western
diplomats are blaming the unrest on exiled supporters of Rwanda's
former, Hutu-dominated government who have been attacking and
expelling Tutsi villagers in the Masisi Region, which is near the
sprawling Rwandan refugee camps around Goma. The Tutsis are
themselves refugees from a previous Rwandan conflict. But most
have lived in eastern Zaire for generations. Officials of the UN
High Comissioner for Refugees say more than 11,000 Tutsis have
fled Zaire for Rwanda since the end of March.
(IRINWIRE, 29 May 1996)

* Zambia. Presidential Bill amended
On 21 May, the Zambian parliament changed a controversial bill
which prevented former president Kenneth Kaunda from running
again, but observers said the veteran leader could still be
barred from holding the office. In an apparent response to
intense local and donor pressure, the parliament voted
unanimously for amendments to the bill, which is scheduled to go
for its final readings later this week. The original bill
proposed to bar Zambians whose parents were born elsewhere from
running for president, and Kaunda was born in Zambia of Malawian
parents. The bill now allows for second-generation Zambians to
run for president, providing their parents acquired Zambian
citizenship after emigrating to Zambia, yet the government claims
that Kaunda only renounced his Malawian citizenship in 1972,
eight years after he had assumed the office of president. Western
donors threatened to slap an aid freeze on Zambia if the bill
went through parliament unamended, while Kaunda's political party
warned of civil strife if Kaunda was barred from standing.
(Reuter, 21 May 1996)

ANGOLA
<B>Title: Army amnesty moves, opens the path to peace
<B>Source: APIC, 29 May 1996 (Please quote when ordering)
<B>Description: A report on events in Angola especially regarding
the integration of the government and UNITA forces.

COUNTRY