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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 04-10-1996      PART #1/ 


* Afrique. Situation sanitaire  -  Le bureau regional pour
l'Afrique de l'Organisation mondiale de la sante (OMS) s'est
declare "indigne" par la situation sanitaire des Etats africains =
qui ne cesse de se degrader en depit de l'aide internationale. Dans
un rapport presente a la 46eme session du comite de l'OMS pour
l'Afrique, qui s'est tenu a Brazzaville, le bureau regional de
l'OMS souligne ainsi que le paludisme continue de faire des
victimes sur le continent, particulierement chez les enfants ou il
est responsable de 30% des deces. D'autres affections "continuent
d'imposer un lourd tribut aux enfants africains, malgre l'existence
des mesures de prevention", note le rapport selon lequel 170
millions d'Africains sont sous-alimentes et 30% des enfants ages de
moins de cinq ans souffrent de malnutrition proteino-energetique.
A la fin 1995, l'OMS avait estime a 12 millions le nombre
d'Africains infectes par le virus du sida, lequel se renforce
considerablement de la persistance des autres maladies sexuellement
transmissibles (MST) --qui frappent 75 millions de personnes en
Afrique sub-saharienne -- et de la tuberculose. A ces affections
s'ajoutent les epidemies dans plusieurs pays d'Afrique occidentale
et centrale. C'est le cas de la meningite et du cholera dans douze
des 46 pays membres du Comite regional de l'OMS pour l'Afrique.
Pour l'OMS, la degradation de la situation sanitaire africaine
s'explique par la defaillance des systemes de sante, la faible
performance des agents de sante et la mauvaise gestion des
ressources financieres et humaines disponibles.   (D'apres Afrique
Express, France, 19 septembre 1996)

* Afrique du Sud. Croissance des Eglises independantes  -  Alors
que le pourcentage de chretiens parmi les Blancs et les metis en
Afrique du Sud connait une baisse considerable, le nombre de
chretiens noirs se multiplie de facon spectaculaire, a fait
remarquer Jurgens Hendriks, theologien de l'Eglise reformee
hollandaise. Entre 1980 et 1991, le pourcentage des chretiens parmi
la population blanche est passe de 91,7% a 77,9%; dans le groupe de
la population metisse, il est passe de 87% a 64,4%. La seule grande
Eglise traditionnelle d'Afrique du Sud qui enregistre une adhesion
croissante de fideles noirs est l'Eglise catholique romaine. Mais,
de plus en plus, les chretiens noirs adherent aux Eglises
"independantes" africaines, et non aux grandes Eglises historiques
d'origine europeenne. "Une Eglise independante africaine ou
autochtone est une denomination geree par des Noirs sans aucun lien
-- que ce soit au niveau de la composition des membres ou du
controle de l'administration --avec une Eglise non africaine. Les
Eglises independantes africaines ont totalement coupe le cordon
ombilical avec les institutions issues des missions occidentales",
dit le rapport.   (D'apres ENI, Suisse, 24 septembre 1996

* Algerie. Interdit? Voir Internet!  -  Le 2 juillet, le quotidien
prive algerien, La Tribune, avait publie un dessin representant
deux passants dans une rue pavoisee aux couleurs algeriennes. Le
premier demande: "C'est pour le 5 juillet?" [fete de l'independance
algerienne, ndlr]. "Non, ils etendent le linge sale!", repond le
second. Chawki Amari, le caricaturiste du journal, entendait ainsi
brocarder la classe politique algerienne a la veille de rencontres
entre le pouvoir et l'opposition. Le 3 septembre, La Tribune est
condamne en appel a six mois de suspension. Chawki Amari est
condamne a trois ans de prison avec sursis. Afin de permettre aux
journalistes de La Tribune de contourner la censure, Reporters sans
frontieres (RSF) met a leur disposition une rubrique sur son site
Internet. Ainsi, certains membres de la redaction publieront,
chaque semaine, des chroniques, des billets ou encore des dessins
(Serveur Web: http://www.calvacom.fr/rsf/).   (D'apres RSF, France,
30 septembre 1996)

* Burundi. Vaccines for Bujumbura  -  On 30 September, UNICEF
airlifted a sorely needed batch of vaccines to Bujumbura to help
stave off a serious crisis in local stocks. The 500kg of polio and
measles vaccine were the first such humanitarian supplies to reach
beleaguered Burundi since July when neighbouring countries
announced a complete land and sea blockade of Burundi. In
cooperation with the World Food Programme which is providing flight
support, UNICEF plans to airlift to Burundi in the coming weeks
several tons of drugs, high protein biscuits, soap, plastic
sheeting, water bladders and jerrycans under a programme of
humanitarian aid exemptions agreed upon by the Regional Sanctions
Committee earlier this month.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 2 October 1996)

* Burundi. Ouverture du Parlement  -  Le president de l'Assemblee
nationale burundaise, Leonce Ngendakumana a accepte de presider la
session parlementaire qui s'ouvrira lundi 7 octobre et a souhaite
que le Parlement soit associe aux negociations de paix. M.
Ngendakumana, un Hutu du Frodebu, a quitte mercredi la residence de
l'ambassadeur d'Allemagne a Bujumbura, ou il s'etait refugie peu
avant le putsch du 25 juillet, qui a porte au pouvoir le major
Pierre Buyoya, un Tutsi (ethnie minoritaire). L'Assemblee nationale
et les partis politiques avaient ete suspendus par le coup d'Etat
militaire avant d'etre retablis le 12 septembre par les nouvelles
autorites. De son cote, Pierre Buyoya a prevenu les rebelles hutu
qu'ils ne pouvaient remporter la guerre civile par les armes. "Les
rebelles ne peuvent pas gagner. Notamment lorsque la guerre civile
est egalement une guerre ethnique. La paix ne peut intervenir que
par la negociation", a-t-il affirme. Enfin, l'emissaire du
president Clinton pour le Burundi, Howard Wolpe, a salue, a l'issue
de son sejour, la decision prise par le dirigeant tutsi de retablir
l'Assemblee nationale, mais il ne s'est guere montre optimiste pour
l'avenir. Un constat que pourra apprecier l'envoye special de
l'Union europeenne, Aldo Ayello, qui est arrive a son tour a
Bujumbura.   (ANB-BIA, d'apres AFP et Reuter, 4 octobre 1996)

* Cote d'Ivoire. Interdire l'excision  -  Le gouvernement ivoirien
a prepare un projet de loi interdisant formellement l'excision,
pratique qui entraine des souffrances "gratuites et inutiles", a
annonce a Abidjan le ministre de la famille et de la promotion de
la femme, Albertine Gnanazan Hepie. "La pratique de ces mutilations
ne se justifie ni sur le plan religieux ni sur le plan
scientifique", a-t-elle rappele.   (La Croix, France, 2 octobre
1996)

* The Gambia. Army chief wins poll  -  27 September: Yahya Jammeh,
Gambia's military leader, coasts to an emphatic victory in
presidential elections to return the country to democracy after two
years of army rule. Ousainon Darboe, his main rival, is reported to
have taken refuge in the Senegalese Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia's
capital. 29 September: Commonwealth ministers say they are
extremely sceptical about the way the elections took place.   (ANB-
BIA, Brussels, 29 September 1996)

* Gambie. Election presidentielle  -  L'election presidentielle,
organisee jeudi 26 septembre, devrait mettre fin au regime
militaire dirige par le colonel Jammeh depuis le putsch de juillet
1994. Le colonel Jahya Jammeh a ete elu avec pres de 56% des voix.
Mais des "doutes serieux" sur la "credibilite" du scrutin
presidentiel ont ete emis, dimanche 29, par les ministres du Groupe
d'action ministeriel du Commonwealth. Le Groupe s'inquiete aussi du
sort de son principal rival, Ousainu Drabo, qui s'est refugie a
l'ambassade du Senegal, craignant pour sa vie.   (D'apres Le Monde,
France, 1er octobre 1996)

* Italie. "N'accuse pas Dieu"  -  "N'accuse pas Dieu": c'est le
titre du dernier livre de Mgr Emmanuel Milingo, un prelat africain
en poste a Rome, tres populaire en Italie pour son activite de
guerisseur et d'exorciste. Un cri qui repond aux questions de
nombreux malades et possedes qu'il ecoute, encourage et meme
guerit, a-t-il explique lors de la presentation de l'ouvrage a
Rome. Si Mgr Milingo est heureux de faire profiter ceux qu'il
rencontre de son charisme exceptionnel, il ne cache pas que
certains eveques italiens sont moins enthousiastes quand ils sont
mis au courant par des intermediaires de son arrivee dans leur
diocese. Il est persona non grata dans plusieurs dioceses. Mgr
Milingo a ete prie de ne plus celebrer ses messes, auxquelles il a
l'habitude de rajouter des prieres de guerison et d'exorcisme,
quand celles-ci ne s'accordent pas avec la pastorale des eveques
des dioceses dans lesquels il se rend. Originaire de Zambie, Mgr
Milingo, 66 ans, fut eveque de Lusaka jusqu'en 1983, quand le
Vatican lui demanda de demissionner tant son action, trop souvent
liee a la vie politique, etait controversee la-bas. Rome l'a nomme
"delegue special" du Conseil pontifical de la Pastorale des
migrants et des itinerants.   (D'apres CIP, Belgique, 26 septembre
1996)

Kenya. Parliamentary Seats  -  On 23 September, Kenya's electoral
commission chairman, Zacheus Chesoni, said the commission had
received overwhelming evidence calling for an increase of
parliamentary seats by more than the 22 currently allowed by the
constitution. Chesoni told the Press that evidence gathered from 60
districts showed there would be a better representation in
parliament if the seats were increased. The Kenyan constitution
allows an increase of 22 seats at a time and the commission can
only raise the number from the current 188 to 210 constituencies.
Chesoni said the commission was perusing reports gathered during
the electoral boundaries review that ended in September. "As things
stand, we will restrict ourselves to 210 seats as provided for in
the constitution but should parliament pass an amendment, we will
be ready to increase by any number they ask us to do," Chesoni
said.   (Paul Okolo, PANA, 24 September 1996)

* Kenya. Muslims back reforms  -  On 22 September, the Supreme
Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM)joined those calling for
constitutional reforms but added that the process should not be
hurried. SUPKEM officials admitted that they had taken a low
profile on the calls for reforms but that after their own research,
they had realised there was need for change. They said they were in
the process of drafting their proposals for a new constitution
meant to protect the interests of both Muslims and non-Muslim
Kenyans. (Editor's note: A report published in the Kenya Times on
26 September says that a trustee of Quran Teachers Trust Fund has
criticises SUPKEMūs call for constitutional reforms, saying the
call should be ignored by all Muslims.)   (East African Standard,
Kenya, 23 September 1996)

* Kenya. Death dungeons  -  Kenya's prisons are among the most
"cruel, inhuman and horrifying in the world" according to a report
just issued by the Kenya Human Rights Commission. Describing the
country's jails as "dungeons of death", the report A Death
Sentence: Prison Conditions in Kenya, tells of overcrowded cells
infested with lice, fleas, bed-bugs and mosquitoes as well as of
leaking roofs and cracked floor smeared with human waste. Citing
former inmates, it says the sick are sometimes chained on hosiptal
beds for days with dead prisoners beside them. Some inmates are
said to be forced by hunger and lack of water into eating their own
waste and washing in their own urine.   (The Independent, UK., 1
October 1996)

* Madagascar. Vers les elections  -  L'on compte deja une dizaine
de candidats a l'election presidentielle, dont le premier tour est
prevu le 3 novembre: deux anciens chefs d'Etat, le president de
l'Assemblee nationale, deux anciens Premiers ministres, d'anciens
ministres, un depute et president de l'ancien parti proletarien
MFM-MFT, etc. Le president par interim, M. Norbert Lala
Ratsirahonana, n'a toujours pas manifeste son intention de se
porter candidat, mais certains observateurs estiment que ce
magistrat apolitique aurait ses chances. Concernant un eventuel
report de l'election, M. Ratsirahonana a laisse entendre qu'il
etudiera cette question avec le ministre de l'Interieur et
consultera la Haute Cour constitutionnelle (HCC) avant de trancher.
Le ministre de l'Interieur a fait etat d'un besoin urgent de FMG 7
milliards pour organiser le scrutin.   (D'apres Marches Tropicaux,
France, 27 sept 1996)

* Malawi. Implementing the African Synod  -  On 14 September, the
Episcopal Conference of Malawi launched the implementation of the
African Synod at Civo Stadium, Lilongwe. The ceremony was
highlighted by a five-hour solemn Mass in the presence of Dr Bakili
Muluzi, President of Malawi. In recognition of the theme of the
day: "Rooting Christ in our life and culture", the liturgy was
characterised by authentic African culture. It should be recalled
that the Catholic Church first arrived in Malawi in December 1889
with the arrival of four Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).
For some reasons, the Faith never took hold at this moment. A
further group of missionaries, Montfort Missionaries, arrived in
June 1901.   (Benedict R. Chimenya, Malawi, 28 September 1996)

* Mozambique. US may resume food aid  -  The US may resume its
commercial food aid programme to Mozambique in 1997, the director
of the US agency for International Development (USAID), George
Wachtenheim, said on 23 September. He told the Mozambican News
Agency that, at a meeting in Washington with Mozambican Prime
Minister Pascoal Mocumbi, USAID administrator Brian Attwood had
congratulated the government for improving security at Maputo port,
and for returning the cash value of large amounts of American maize
stolen from the port in late 1995. This was enough to convince
USAID to "reassess" the decision to suspend the commercial food aid
programme. The suspension of food aid shipments dates from late
January when the scale of the theft became clear. Initially, port
authorities claimed that only 500 tonnes had gone missing. The
government put losses at 1,451 tonnes, while the Americans said the
true figure was around 1,800 tonnes. The 247,000 US dollars
returned to the American authorities earlier in September covers
1,800 tonnes -- an effective admission that the American figure is
correct. USAID had imposed two other conditions for the resumption
of the commercial food aid programme -- namely progress in the
investigation into the theft, and the identification and
prosecution of the culprits. Nonetheless, Wachtenheim told the
agency that "we see sufficient progress to allow us to start up the
programme again." He believed that the Mozambican authorities "have
shown good faith," and that the matter would indeed come to court. 
 (Yahya el Hassan, PANA, 23 September 1996)

* Mozambique. Exportateur de mais  -  Apres deux decennies de
guerre civile, de mauvaises annees agricoles a repetition, et meme
de famine pendant certaines periodes, le Mozambique va pouvoir
enfin exporter du mais! Une entreprise privee, la VM, est en effet
en train de negocier avec le Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM)
l'exportation de 11.400 tonnes de mais a destination de l'Angola.
VM devrait aussi en exporter 13.500 tonnes a partir du port de
Nacala, dans le nord du pays. Enfin, VM exportera egalement 5.000
tonnes de mais provenant de la province Tete, destine au Malawi. Il
y a trois mois encore, le delegue du PAM a Maputo, Philip Clarke,
avait prevu que le Mozambique aurait besoin cette annee de
1.626.000 tonnes de cereales, mais que sa recolte n'atteindrait que
1.326.000 tonnes, soit un manque de 300.000 tonnes. Mais 250.000
tonnes du deficit cerealier de cette annee (sur 300.000) concernent
le ble et le riz. Pour ce qui est du mais, les trois provinces
septentrionales de Nampula, Niassa et Cabo Delgado enregistreront
des excedents de 180.000 tonnes de cereales, principalement du
mais. Les excedents dans les provinces centrales de la Zamberia,
Sofalan, Manica et Tete seront d'environ 96.000 tonnes.   (D'apres
Marches Tropicaux, France, 27 sept 1996)

* Nigeria. Human rights abuses inquiry  -  On 29 September,
Commonwealth governments agreed to send ministers to look at human
rights abuses in Nigeria but they held off discussing further
sanctions. The eight-nation Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group,
meeting in New York, announced that the mission would go ahead
despite fears that access to dissidents would be restricted.   (The
Guardian, U.K., 30 September 1996)

* Nigeria. Cinq partis politiques legalises  -  Cinq partis
politiques ont ete legalises, lundi 30 septembre, mais une dizaine
d'autres ont ete ecartes, dont le principal mouvement d'opposition,
le Parti progressiste du peuple, forme par des membres de la
Coalition nationale democratique (Nadeco). Cette decision a ete
prise juste avant que, dans un discours a la nation, a l'occasion
du 36e anniversaire de l'independance, le general Sani Abacha
n'annonce, mardi, la creation de six nouveaux Etats au sein de la
federation nigeriane qui en compte trente actuellement.   (Le
Monde, France, 2 octobre 1996)

* Rwandan International Tribunal. First trial "on hold"  -  On 27
September, the first Rwandan genocide trial was put on hold for a
month amid farcical court scenes a day after it opened. The judges
at the frequently delayed international tribunal in Arusha,
Tanzania, initially rejected a defence plea against Jean-Paul
Akayesu, a former Hutu mayor, or postpone the trial. The court
ordered the hearings to continue on 30 September. But the
prosecutor interrupted to admit he was still not ready. He pleaded
for a week to bring witnesses to Arusha, and then asked for a
fortnight. The defence called for a three-week break. The judges
threw their hands up in despair, reversed their earlier decision
and called a halt to the trial for a month. Before the trial, Luc
de Temmerman, a Belgian lawyer representing Georges Rutaganda,
vice-president of the interahamwe Hutu militia said: "It is going
to come out clearly that it is not Hutus who are guilty. There was
no genocide. It was a situation of mass killings in a state of war
where everyone was killing their enemies."   (The Guardian, U.K.,
28 & 30 September 1996)

* Rwanda. Justice Richard Goldstone bids farewell  -  Speaking at
a press briefing on 30 September, his last day in office as
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and
former Yugoslavia, Justice Richard Goldstone said that the main
problem associated with the Rwanda Tribunal had been getting
started and getting funding. Recruiting had to be done through the
UN. Nevertheless, some countries had contributed in cash and
material goods such as computers and personnel, including
lawyers...There were four points of control: His office in the
Hague; the prosecutor's office operating under tremendous
difficulties in Kigali; the registrar and judges in Arusha;
Headquarters which did all the recruiting. There were virtually no
direct communications between Arusha and Kigali and all faxes and
phone calls must be made through The Hague. No trial proceedings
could begin until the accused were brought to Arusha to stand
trial, but the cells there were below standard and unsuitable for
a UN international tribunal...   (IRIN, Nairobi, 30 September 1996)

* Rwanda. Exit l'ambassadeur a Paris  -  Sous la menace d'etre
limoge comme ses collegues (egalement hutu) en Suisse et au Zaire,
l'ambassadeur du Rwanda a Paris, Christophe Mfizi, a pris les
devants en demissionnant. Dans une lettre, dont Liberation a revele
la teneur mardi 1er octobre, il explique qu'il a ete victime de
"harcelements depuis plusieurs mois" de la part du pouvoir
rwandais, domine par les Tutsi. Parmi les griefs motivant sa
demission, Christophe Mfizi fait etat, entre autres, de la
"tentative de bipolarisation de l'ambassade par le biais du premier
conseiller", Modeste Rutabayiru, un Tutsi qui le marque depuis sa
prise de fonction. La demission forcee de l'ambassadeur n'est qu'un
episode de plus dans l'epuration de l'administration rwandaise
depuis la prise de pouvoir du Front patriotique rwandais (FPR, a
majorite tutsi) en juillet 1994, au sortir d'un genocide ayant
coute la vie a quelque 800.000 Tutsi et opposants hutu a l'ancien
regime.   (D'apres S.S., Liberation, France, 2 octobre 1996)

* Sudan. Secret military trials  -  On 30 September, Human Rights
Watch reported that an accused civilian TV cameraman removed his
shirt in the military tribunal to show marks of torture he said
were inflicted by military intelligence agents, who coerced a
confession from him. Human Rights watch urged the government to
exclude all such statements and called for a fair trial for all.
Human Rights Watch pointed out that the trial is being held in a
restricted military intelligence area of army headquarters to which
family members and the public have no access. Human Rights Watch
has asked the Sudan Government to open up this trial of thirty-one
persons facing the death penalty to the public and press.   (Human
Rights Watch, New York, 30 September 1996)

* South Africa. Migrant headache  -  South Africa, which spends $4
million every year deporting foreigners from neighbouring
countries, seems to be losing its battle against regional migrants.
In June, the Government declared an amnesty on illegal immigrants
giving them three months to legalise their stay while the issue was
being analyzed. With the amnesty expiring at the end of September,
a mere 10,000 have applied. Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu
Buthelezi says an advertising campaign will now be undertaken to
make sure that all illegal residents know about the offer. Part of
the problem could lie with Mr Buthelezi's department in charge of
the immigrants as there have been allegations that officials refuse
to send application forms to the migrants.   (Daily Nation, Kenya,
24 September 1996)

* Tanzania. Sanctions on Burundi to continue  -  On 24 September,
President Benjamin Mkapa reaffirmed that countries of the Great
Lakes Region would not relax sanctions on Burundi's military
government until it restores constitutional rule. Mkapa told
visiting US Assistant Secretary of State on African Affairs George
Moose that the trade embargo would be "effective to push Burundi
onto the road of democratization", according to a presidential
statement. The Tanzanian president added that another regional
heads of state and government summit would soon be held to review
the implementation of the sanctions imposed since late July after
former military leader Pierre Buyoya took power in a successful
coup.   (AFJN, Washington, 27 September 1996)

* Tchad. Code electoral modifie  -  Le Conseil superieur de
transition (CST) vient de modifier certaines dispositions du code
electoral, en introduisant le vote a deux tours et en excluant les
candidatures independantes des partis. Ces modifications sont
intervenues dix jours avant la cloture de la liste des candidats,
prevue pour le 30 septembre, aux legislatives. Cette revision a
provoque des critiques croissantes de la part de groupes
d'independants et de representants de la societe civile qui parlent
de "violations" des droits fondamentaux des citoyens. La
Coordination des associations de la societe civile, formee de six
associations, ainsi qu'Alternative 94, qui regroupe des
personnalites independantes et des transfuges de partis politiques,
ont notamment vivement conteste ces changements.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 27 septembre 1996)

* United Nations/Africa. African development  -  African experts
are judging the United Nations harshly for its efforts to support
development in Africa, after the results thus far of three major UN
initiatives over the past decade. One of those initiatives, the New
Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (NADAF), garnered
many positive reviews as nations met to examine progress mid-way
through its 10-year span. But some diplomats and non-governmental
experts worry that NADAF and UN efforts in general, have done
little so far to aid African economies. "Is the United Nations
really relevant?" asks Opa Kapijimpanga of the African Forum on
Debt and Development, a Zimbabwe-based non-governmental
organization. "We know the United Nations is being marginalized in
the debate over Africa's debt and economies", Kapijimpanga says.
"But it's a waste of resources if these institutions are here just
to gloss over issues." Because of UN ineffectiveness on Africa and
the inability of governments to do more than plead for debt relief
and development aid, he argues, "Africa is being put in a begging
role."   (AFJN, Washington, 27 September 1996)

* Zaire. Annuler la dette africaine  -  Le Centre d'information et
d'animation missionnaire (CIAM) du Zaire a pris l'initiative de
lancer une petition "que nous remettrons un jour aux maitres de ce
monde pour que la dette africaine soit annulee", expliquent ses
promoteurs. Le texte propose a la signature, dont le retour est
attendu avant fin 1997, denonce les enormes "forces politiques,
economiques, ideologiques et militaires, disposant de moyens
puissants de manipulation des consciences", mobilisees "pour
renforcer dans le monde entier l'emprise du liberalisme". Il faut,
poursuit le texte, "denoncer l'imposture d'un systeme qui pretend
sauver, alors qu'il detruit la vie". S'appuyant sur l'appel de
Jean-Paul II proposant que le Jubile de l'an 2000 soit "un moment
favorable pour penser, entre autres, a une reduction importante,
sinon a un effacement total de la dette internationale qui pese sur
le destin de nombreuses nations", la petition poursuit un double
but: d'une part "creer un mouvement de prise de conscience en
faveur de l'annulation de la dette africaine"; d'autre part,
prendre toutes les initiatives possibles pour renforcer ce
mouvement "en collaboration avec tous ceux et celles qui veulent la
liberation de l'Afrique".   (CIP, Bruxelles, 30 septembre 1996)

* Zambia. Parliament reconvenes  -  On 24 September, the Zambian
parliament resumed sitting after more than three months recess for
the third and final session, ahead of the presidential and
parliamentary elections expected to be held late October or early
November. President Frederick Chiluba is expected to announce
dissolution of the house during the current session and announce
the date for the election. The House ended its last session in May
after passing a controversial amendment of the country's
constitution, which bans former President Kenneth Kaunda from
contesting the presidency because he had Malawian parents. The
amendment is at the centre of heated political controversy between
Chiluba's government and the opposition. The amendment has also
been criticised by western donors and other cooperating partners,
civil society organisations, including the church, who have
condemned it as discriminatory and undemocratic. (Editor's note: On
25 September, UNIP decided to boycott the elections to protest
against the constitutional amendment banning former president
Kenneth Kaunda from running.)   (Mildred Mulenga, PANA, 24
September 1996)

* Zimbabwe. Nouveau programme d'ajustement  -  A la veille de
l'importante conference de promotion des investissements qui se
tenait a Hambourg (Allemagne), cette semaine, le ministre
zimbabween des Finances, Herbert Murerwa, a annonce a Harare un
nouveau plan d'ajustement economique sur cinq ans denomme Program
for Economic and Social Transformation (Zimprest). Ce programme,
qui sera lance vers la fin de l'annee, se propose de reduire le
deficit budgetaire du pays, de liberaliser le secteur financier et
de promouvoir l'activite des hommes d'affaires noirs. Tout cela en
tablant sur une hausse de la croissance de 5% par an.   (Lettre
Ocean Indien, France, 28 septembre 1996)


COUNTRY