ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: paco@innet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-03-1997 PART #1/ * Afrique occidentale. Epidemie de meningite - L'Organisation mondiale de la sante (OMS) affirmait le 7 mars qu'une epidemie de meningite en Afrique a fait deja 1.506 victimes, sur 11.175 personnes atteintes par la maladie. Sept pays ont annonce des cas: Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambie, Ghana, Mali, Niger et Togo. Le Burkina Faso est le pays le plus frappe avec 724 deces sur 5.571 cas. L'agence des Nations unies lance un appel d'urgence pour financer et distribuer des vaccins. (Newspot, USA, 7 mars 1997) * Afrique du Sud. Violente manifestation zouloue - Une manifestation organisee par les Zoulous conservateurs, dont de nombreux partisans du mouvement Inkatha, a degenere en fusillade nourrie avec les forces de l'ordre, le 12 mars a Johannesburg, faisant au moins un blesse grave. Le cortege, fort de 13.000 personnes, se dirigeait vers le centre-ville pour commemorer des affrontements qui avaient fait une cinquantaine de morts en 1994. De nombreux manifestants portaient leurs "armes traditionnelles". Certains d'entre eux ont sorti des fusils et des pistolets en arrivant en vue des policiers qui ont immediatement riposte. Dans la matinee, plusieurs gares de banlieues avaient ete le theatre de violences. (Liberation, France, 13 mars 1997) * South Africa. T & R Commission - On 5 March, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chairperson of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC), issued the following statement: "The TRC is to give strong consideration to investigating allegations, that people now in government acted as informants for the security Police in the apartheid era. I have noted the decision of the TRCþs Amnesty Committee this week, that it does not consider the naming of alleged informants to be appropriate for the present purposes of the Committee in the hearing that it is currently conducting in Pretoria. I shall be discussing the matter fully with the Amnesty Committee. However, I do not understand that their decision necessarily precludes other sections of the Commission from conducting an investigation, at least for purposes other than those of the amnesty process. Should the Commission decide to investigate the matter, we should first call for statements from those making the allegations. Then, in terms of the recent Appellate Division judgement requiring us to give adequate notice of allegations, implicating individuals, we would give the individuals 21 days to prepare a response and take the matter from there". On 7 March, Archbishop Tutu said that almost everyone agreed that apartheid was evil, but the TRC had yet to decide if the armed struggle against it was justified. Tutu, addressing a news conference after a meeting with leaders of the ruling ANC, urged members of the former liberation group, to apply for amnesty along with the police and soldiers of the apartheid era. He said that the theory of a "just war" had to be tested against a range of criteria. (Update by ANB- BIA: On 10 March, President Mandela said that people in his ruling ANC who served as informants for the apartheid government, had to be exposed.) (TRC, South Africa, 6 March 1997) * South Africa. Families left homeless in floods - 6 March: About 300 people have been left homeless and seven people injured, after heavy rains flooded a rural town in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. A Red Cross official said: "There was a terrible storm up there last night (5 March) and many homes were badly damaged". Two South African Air Force helicopters ferried Red Cross supplies for temporary homes, to the estimated 60 families in the province. (Newspot, USA, 6 March 1997) * Algerie. Elections - Le president algerien Liamine Zeroual a souhaite, le 7 mars, que le scrutin legislatif du 5 juin connaisse "une participation massive, pour mettre fin a une periode d'instabilite institutionnelle". Dans un discours a la television, le chef de l'Etat algerien s'est aussi engage a "respecter le choix" des electeurs. D'autre part, des dissidents du Front des forces socialistes (FFS) ont cree un nouveau parti politique, le Mouvement pour la democratie et la citoyennete. S'y retrouvent ceux qui sont hostiles a l'alliance entre le FFS et le FIS. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8-10 mars 1997) * Algerie. Les femmes contre le Code de la famille - Dans une lettre ouverte publiee le 6 mars plusieurs associations feminines algeriennes se mobilisent contre le Code de la famille adopte en 1984. Ce code, inspire par la Chari'a, les a enfermees dans un statut de "mineures a vie". Le 22 fevrier, elles avaient lance une petition proposant "d'amender 22 articles du Code, parmi les plus discriminatoires". Le gouvernement s'est prononce en faveur de ces revendications, mais en a remis la discussion apres les elections. Ceci a declenche les foudres du mouvement islamiste þEnnahda', repute modere, pour qui les femmes "expriment une rebellion contre le Createur". (d'apres Ait-Larbi, La Libre Belgique, 8 mars 1997) * Algerie. Milices d'autodefense - Les autorites algeriennes ont decide de reglementer l'activite des groupes d'autodefense, surnommes "patriotes", apparus il y a trois ans. Un decret, publie au journal officiel, definit "les conditions d'exercice de l'action de legitime defense dans un cadre organise" de ces groupes dont les effectifs approcheraient les 200.000 hommes. La montee en puissance de ces groupes a ete favorisee par les autorites, qui voyaient la une facon de quadriller le terrain. Le 12 mars, le journal þLiberte' annoncait que des dizaines de militaires, policiers, gardes communaux et "patriotes" comparaitront prochainement devant les tribunaux, accuses notamment d'atteintes aux libertes et de sevices. Ces proces constitueraient une grande premiere. (Le Soir, Belgique, 13 mars 1997) * Amnesty International. 1997 refugee campaign - At least 15 million people around the world are refugees, a further 20 million are internally displaced. Every single refugee is the consequence of a government's failure to protect human rights. Refugees are entitled to international protection... In response to the worldwide refugee crisis, Amnesty International (AI) this month is launching a campaign for refugees' human rights, which are being threatened, undermined or ignored by governments around the world. The campaign has three main aims: 1) To prevent human rights violations. 2) To ensure that those who flee human rights violations are allowed to reach a place of safety, are given effective protection against forcible return, and are guaranteed minimum standards of humane treatment while they are displaced. 3) To press for human rights to be a priority when considering refugee issues. (AI, Focus, March 1997) * Angola. Unity government - The UN said on 5 March that the Angola government and the former UNITA rebels have set 20 March as a new date to establish a national unity government. The decision came after the UN Security Council put pressure on UNITA to comply, by threatening to close down the UN peacekeeping operation if no progress was made. The formation of a new government, scheduled for 25 January, was postponed over problems finding an acceptable role for Jonas Savimbi. (Newspot, USA, 6 March 1997) * Burundi. 500.000 personnes dans des camps - Le gouvernement burundais a annonce que 500.000 personnes seraient transferees dans des "camps de regroupement" pour les conduire hors des zones de conflit. Le coordinateur de l'action humanitaire des Nations unies, M. Griffith, a dit que les organismes humanitaires refuseraient "d'etre complices d'une politique inspiree par des mesures policieres". Il a indique que les occupants des camps s'ajoutaient aux 300.000 Hutu que les troubles au Burundi ont deja pousses a l'exode. Il a ajoute, apres avoir visite un camp, qu'il y a vu des "signes horribles" de malnutrition des enfants. M. Griffith reitere son appel pour exempter les organisations humanitaires des sanctions imposees au Burundi par ses voisins. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 mars 1997) * Burundi. Tentative d'attentat contre le president - Pour la premiere fois on parle publiquement d'attentat contre le president. Le 12 mars, le ministre de l'Interieur a dit qu'il y avait eu une tentative d'attentat contre le president de la Republique, attribuee a des gens de la meme famille politique. L'attentat aurait ete prepare par deux militaires, deux civils et un etranger. On a su ensuite qu'il s'agissait du commandant du camp de Muharo et d'un de ses officiers, et que l'etranger etait un Rwandais. Les cinq ont ete arretes. On a recommande a la population de rester a la maison et de garder le calme. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 1997) * Egypte. Droits de l'homme - L'Organisation egyptienne des droits de l'homme a annonce le 8 mars que la torture dans les commissariats de police en Egypte a atteint un niveau "tragique". Elle a exhorte le gouvernement a prendre des mesures "severes et immediates" pour y remedier. D'autre part, le procureur general a disculpe le 8 mars les etudiants arretes en janvier et accuses d'etre des "adorateurs de Satan". "Aucun crime n'a ete commis", a estime le procureur. (Le Monde, France, 11 mars 1997) * Erythree. Elections regionales - Les elections regionales erythreennes, qui se sont deroulees du 4 janvier au 1 mars, ont permis l'election de 399 representants des six regions du pays. Ces membres apolitiques des Assemblees regionales vont s'ajouter a ceux de l'Assemblee nationale, qui sera composee de 150 personnes: 75 du comite central du parti au pouvoir et 75 non-membres, parmi lesquels figureront des representants des Erythreens vivant a l'etranger. L'Assemblee constituante durera un an ou un an et demi. Apres l'adoption d'une Constitution, elle sera remplacee par une Assemblee nationale elue pour cinq ans. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 7 mars 1997) * Ethiopie. Etat d'urgence - L'etat d'urgence a ete decrete le 7 mars en Ogaden, region somalie dans l'Etat de l'Ethiopie affectee par la secheresse. Selon l'agence de presse officielle, le conseil regional de l'Ogaden a lance un appel aux organisations humanitaires pour qu'elles viennent en aide a quelque 600.000 personnes. (Liberation, France, 8 mars 1997) * Kenya. Eastern Zaire summit - 6 March: Kenya will host a summit on the conflict in eastern Zaire on 19 March, but rebel leader Laurent Kabila is not invited. Kenya has asked President Mobutu of Zaire to attend the one-day talks with South Africa's President Mandela and five other African heads of state. (Newspot, USA, 6 March 1997) * Liberia. Kromah arrested - On 7 March, ECOMOG peacekeepers arrested Alhaji Kromah, leader of the ULIMO-K faction, when a search of his home uncovered bombs, grenades, anti-aircraft missiles and other weapons that violate a cease-fire accord. He was questioned at the HQ of the force's commander, General Victor Malu. The General said: "After our investigation, we will turn Kromah over to the interim government for prosecution. He will be treated like other criminals found with illegal weapons". (AFJN, Washington, 7 March 1997) * Libye. Relations diplomatiques avec le Vatican. - Le Saint- Siege et la Libye ont etabli des relations diplomatiques au niveau de nonciature apostolique et d'ambassade, a annonce le Vatican le 10 mars. Le premier nonce a Tripoli sera Mgr. Jose Sebastian Laboa. Quelque 50.000 chretiens vivent en Libye, en majorite des travailleurs asiatiques et arabes. Rome a declare qu'avec ces rapports diplomatiques le Saint-Siege entend reconnaitre "les resultats positifs obtenus grace a la collaboration des autorites libyennes dans le domaine de la liberte religieuse". Il y a quelques jours, cette decision du Vatican avait ete critiquee par Washington, qui accuse la Libye d'avoir pratique le terrorisme d'Etat. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 mars 1997) * Mali. Dissolution de l'Assemblee - Conformement a la Constitution, le president Konare a annonce, au cours d'une reunion extraordinaire du Conseil des ministres le 3 mars, la dissolution de l'Assemblee nationale "apres analyse de la situation et pour lever les hypotheques qui pesent sur la poursuite du processus electoral". Les elections legislatives ont ete fixees au 13 avril pour le premier tour et au 27 pour le second. Les presidentielles se tiendraient les 4 et 18 mai; les municipales le 1 juin. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 7 mars 1997) * Mauritius. Proposed regional cooperation - On 6 March, foreign ministers from 14 African and Asian countries bordering the Indian Ocean, met to examine the constitution of a proposed regional cooperation organisation, which could eventually embrace about 30 States. Mauritius has been lobbying to host the regional body's secretariat in Port Louis. Although this bid enjoys the support of some states, it also faces opposition of powerful countries such as South Africa, Australia and Singapore. (AFJN, Washington, 7 March 1997) * Nigeria. Transparence? - Trois membres de la Commission des droits de l'homme de l'Organisation de l'unite africaine sont arrives le 7 mars a Abuja et vont enqueter cette semaine au Nigeria. Invitee par Lagos, cette delegation devrait en principe avoir toute liberte de circuler dans le pays et de rencontrer les detenus politiques. Fin fevrier, une mission de deux rapporteurs de l'ONU avait ete ajournee sine die, en raison du refus des autorites nigerianes de leur garantir l'acces aux detenus politiques. (D'apres AFP, France, 9 mars 1997) * Nigeria. Nigeria Airways banned from Britain - Nigeria Airways, the country's troubled national carrier, has been barred from flying into Britain because it has no insurance on its aircraft. The British Civil Aviation Authority informed Nigeria Airways to keep out of British airspace until it produced proof that its fleet had insurance cover. However, Nigeria Airways Public Affairs Manager, Chris Aligbe, said the airline would still be flying its Lagos-London routes regularly with leased aircraft. The ban affects only the carrier's aircraft not its flying right. (AFJN, Washington, 5 March 1997) * Nigeria. Treason charge - On 12 March, the exiled Nigerian writer, Wole Soyinka, and eleven other dissidents were charged with treason by Nigeria's military government, for a spate of recent bomb blasts in the country. They face the death penalty if convicted. Mr Soyinka, who won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1996 and is a leading opponent of the Nigerian military leader, General Sani Abacha, said he was not surprised. "We learned the decision to try us on treason charges had been taken before the recent violence. The whole thing is orchestrated. Abacha is trying to get rid of us". (The Guardian, U.K., 13 March 1997) * Nigeria. Prix Nobel inculpe - Le prix Nobel de litterature 1986, Wole Soyinka, et 14 autres personnes ont ete inculpes de trahison, le 12 mars, par un tribunal de Lagos. L'ecrivain et opposant au regime militaire vit en exil depuis 1994, comme trois autres inculpes. Parmi les 11 autres inculpes figuraient deux ex- candidats a l'election presidentielle de 1993, Olu Falae et Frederick Fasheun. Les 15 sont accuses d'avoir "cause des explosions dans divers endroits du Nigeria dans le but d'intimider" le chef de l'Etat, le general Abacha, et d'avoir "conspire pour faire la guerre au gouvernement militaire federal du Nigeria". (Le Soir, Belgique, 13 mars 1997) * Rwanda. Message des eveques - Reunie en session ordinaire du 25 au 27 fevrier, la conference episcopale rwandaise -- renouvelee de moitie depuis le genocide de 1994 -- a publie un message sur la degradation de la securite en plusieurs endroits du pays. Rappelons que Jean-Paul II avait nomme trois nouveaux eveques le 19 janvier dernier. Dans le document (qui ne porte cependant pas la signature du nouvel eveque de Nyundo ni de celui de Butare), les eveques s'inquietent "devant cette montee constante de la violence qui semble nous replonger dans la periode tragique que nous croyions avoir traversee pour de bon". En abordant le probleme de la reintegration des recents rapatries -- une tache qui "n'est pas facile" --, le message demande que tout soit fait "pour qu'ils reintegrent leurs biens, le travail et les ecoles, sans trop les faire attendre". Jusqu'ici, les eveques rwandais avaient publie des textes consacres a la reconstruction du pays et a la reconciliation des habitants. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 1997) * Sahara occidental. Emissaire de l'ONU - Le Front Polisario s'est dit pret a offrir sa "cooperation" a l'ancien secretaire d'Etat americain James Baker, pressenti comme envoye personnel au Sahara occidental du secretaire general de l'ONU, Kofi Annan. De son cote, le ministre marocain des Affaires etrangeres, Abdelatif Filali, s'est declare favorable a la nomination de M. Baker. Le Sahara occidental fait l'objet d'un differend entre le Maroc et le Front Polisario qui empeche la tenue du referendum d'autodetermination preconise par les Nations unies. Les deux parties ne s'entendent pas sur les criteres d'identification des electeurs. (La Libre Belgique, 12 mars 1997) * Sierra Leone. No place like home - 23 February: Amidst thunderous applause from party supporters and former Ministers, inter-mingled with boos from some on-lookers, the former president of Sierra Leone and leader of the All People's Congress (APC), Brigadier Joseph Saidu Momoh, who was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 29 April 1992, arrived home from exile in Guinea. There is an acrimonious debate taking place over the Nine Hundred Thousand Leones monthly pension, the car, a house, and two security officers approved by the government for J.S. Momoh. According to the government, these are benefits he will receive if he stays out of politics. (Cyphas Williams, Sierra Leone, 1 March 1997) * Sierra Leone. Army ordered to crack down - On 6 March, Sierra Leone's government ordered the army and Kamajor traditional hunters to flush out rebels it said were attacking civilians -- a further sign that the peace deal may be unravelling. Deputy Defense Minister Samuel Hinga Norman said that rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, was trying to wreck the deal signed in Cote d'Ivoire on 30 November. He accused rebel leaders of killing 20 people. Under the peace deal, rebels were supposed to report to demobilisation camps, but only 30 rebel fighters have reported. (Newspot, USA, 6 March 1997) * Soudan. Menaces de famine - Le journal soudanais þAl-Sudan Al- Hadith' a annonce le 7 mars que des nuees de sauterelles se sont abattues sur la region est du Soudan, le long de la mer Rouge, et detruisent les recoltes. La region de Gedaref, plus au sud, qui produit plus de la moitie du sorgho du pays, la nourriture de base au Soudan, pourrait etre menacee. La guerre civile empeche les autorites d'intervenir efficacement. D'autre part, des cris d'alarme viennent egalement de la region des Monts Noubas, au centre du pays, ou 500.000 personnes seraient menacees de famine. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 mars 1997) * Sudan. Locusts destroy crops - On 7 March, the Al-Sudan Al- Hadith newspaper reported that swarms of locusts are destroying crops in eastern Sudan, where fighting with rebels has prevented government efforts to inspect the damage. The locusts have overrun 8,000 acres of farmland along the Red Sea, near the Eritrean border. Port Sudan and Tokar, main cities in the region, are affected. Unmapped land mines and fighting that began in eastern Sudan in January, have prevented the government from sending in help to stop the insects. The swarms originated in Eritrea and Yemen, across the red Sea. The locusts have not reached Gedaref, a region further south that produces more than half of Sudan's staple food, sorghum. (AP, USA, 9 mars 1997) * Swaziland. The King reviews Decree - On 6 March, it was announced that King Mswati III is reviewing the controversial 1973 Royal Decree banning political parties and unauthorised political gatherings in Swaziland. The chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission, Prince Mangaliso Dlamini, also announced on 6 March, that the King would review other legislation deemed to impinge on human rights. King Mswati has said that Swazis must decide through individual submissions to the Review Commission, whether the ban on political parties should be lifted. (AFJN, Washington, 7 March 1997) * Tanzania. Facilitating foreign investment - Tanzania is next month (April) expected to pass a law creating an investment promotion centre, to encourage foreign investment, by streamlining business procedures. The Tanzania Investment Facilitation Authority Act envisages the creation of an Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), which will reduce red tape for potential investors. The IPA will be responsible for facilitating the procurement of all documentation required by investors, including work and resident permits, business and industrial licences and land title deeds. (IRIN, Nairobi, 11 March 1997) * Tchad. Resultats des legislatives - Le MPS (Mouvement patriotique du salut), du president Idriss Deby, a obtenu une majorite relative a l'Assemblee nationale lors des elections legislatives. Selon les resultats publies le 3 mars par la Commission electorale, le MPS a obtenu 55 sieges sur 125. Il aura donc besoin d'allies pour disposer d'une majorite absolue. Il faudra toutefois attendre le verdict de la Cour d'appel, qui doit avaliser les resultats, contestes tant par le MPS que par une partie de l'opposition. En attendant, le principal aspect du vote est son caractere regionaliste tres marque. Ainsi, les partisans de M. Kamougue ont emporte la totalite des sieges dans les 4 prefectures du sud-est du pays, peuplees en majorite de chretiens et d'animistes, alors que le MPS a obtenu ses meilleurs resultats dans les parties a majorite musulmane. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 7 mars 1997) * Uganda. Tourism industry hit - The escalating insurgency in parts of northern and western Uganda has hit the country's tourism sector. Already, two major sources of tourists, Britain and the United States have advised their nationals against travelling to the rebel-hit areas, where some of the major tourist attractions are located. All British nationals arriving in the country are advised not to travel to the Rwenzori mountains where the famous mountain gorillas are found in the nearby Mgahinga National Park. British nationals have also been advised not to travel to the districts of Gulu, Kitigum, Moyo and Arua, as well as parts of northern Apac and southern Lira. (The East African, Kenya, 3-9 March 1997) * Uganda. Children abducted by LRA - On 6 March, UNICEFþs Director, Carol Bellamy, condemned the abduction of up to 10,000 children by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda, and called for their immediate release. In a statement issued from New York, Bellamy said that captives were often tortured, and those caught trying to escape were killed. Girls are sexually abused by soldiers and are given as "wives" in lieu of other forms of payment. The statement called for concerted international pressure, and said the problem was "neither too big nor too complex to solve". (IRIN, Nairobi, 7 March 1997) * Zaire--UN. Reports of massacres of Rwandan Hutu refugees - In a Press Release dated 6 March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Jose Ayala-Lasso, says he is following with deep concern the human rights situation in Eastern Zaire. He has received unconfirmed reports on massacres of Rwandan Hutu refugees in various camps in Eastern Zaire. According to local press reports and Zairian human rights groups, there may be several mass graves in Eastern Zaire at various sites near Mugunga camp, Kibumba, Katale, Sake and other locations...The High Commissioner has asked the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Zaire, Mr Roberto Garreton, to investigate these allegations and make recommendations to the forthcoming session of the Commission on Human Rights for further action. (UN, Geneva, 6 March 1997) * Zaire. France's lonely campaign - France is pursuing a lonely campaign to revive plans for an international force in Zaire to halt the rebel advance and prevent what it says is a genocide in the making. But sceptics in Washington and among France's European allies doubt the accusations of widespread massacres of refugees, and also doubt French intent...Paris is stepping up its efforts to win UN backing for a foreign force to halt the fighting. It says it is concerned for hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Hutu refugees who it claims are being systematically murdered by the rebels...France is keen to highlight the massacre allegations, not only as a means to justify intervention, but to shape how the conflict is seen by the rest of the world...Paris argues that Rwanda's Tutsi army has invaded Zaire in an attempt to exterminate Hutu refugees before Rwanda resettles Tutsis from its overcrowded land, in a divided Zaire. France accuses Uganda of joining the invasion, and other countries in the region of supporting it. The United States, Britain and some other European countries disagree... (The Guardian, U.K., 11 March 1997) * Zaire. Kindu - 27 February: The rebels capture Kindu. 4 March: Hundreds of people emerge from forest hideouts around Kindu, days after Zairian government soldiers retreated. Kindu was looted, first of all by the retreating soldiers and then by civilians who stole anything left. (From a report in The Independent, 5 March). 6 March: More than 120 Zairian soldiers have surrendered to rebel troops in Kindu, since the ADFL took over. The rebels say they have recovered about 100 assault rifles, including M-16 submachine guns, Kalashnikovs, an armoured car and munitions...In Kindu, the ADFL rebels have encountered problems as well as applause by the local population. Villagers became angry with the ADFL "Justice Minister", when he said he had asked district leaders and traditional chiefs to appoint new authorities for Maniema Province. 10 March: Laurent Kabila is warmly welcomed by the population. (ANB-BIA,, Brussels, 10 March 1997) * Zaire. Kisangani - 5 March: A column of several thousand people approaching Kisangani, is spotted, when a UN mission overflies the area with the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation, Jan Pronk. He meets with government representatives and aid representatives in Kisangani. 6 March: Hundreds of people are fleeing Kisangani, ahead of a feared arrival of rebels. The quay is full of men, women and children trying to bargain for places in boats leaving Kisangani. Today, pirogues and other vessels were leaving "crammed full of residents, desperate to get out". The rebel Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL), is reported to be besieging Kisangani. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are also believed to be near the town. The Zairian Ministry of Defence says there have been violent clashes with rebels, today, near Panga, some 80 kilometres northeast of Kisangani. 7 March: The UN calls on the rebels to accept a ceasefire. 10 March: The international Press reports that Kisangani's airport is awash with the wives and children of soldiers trying to scramble on to the last flights before the rebels arrive. The region's governor, Lombeya Bosongo, would like to join the exodus, but the army has twice prevented him from leaving Kisangani. He puts on a brave face: "The rebels wanted to take Kisangani for a long time. They've claimed several times to have taken it. But we are still here and we will defend the city". Rebels are massing on the southeastern flank of the city, after using Zaire's vast river network to approach Kisangani to the north. (ANB-BIA,, Brussels, 11 March 1997) * Zaire. Kinshasa - On 7 March, troops broke up a bid by the main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) to march in the capital, Kinshasa, in support of talks with rebel leader, Laurent Kabila. Soldiers patrolled the city after dispersing opposition militants trying to march in defiance of a government ban on all demonstrations. UDPS militants in the Matonge district are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Kengo wa Dondo and President Mobutu. They vowed to march again on 8 March. (Newspot, USA, 7 March 1997) * Zaire. Evenements - 6 mars. Radio Vatican annonce que huit pretres et trois religieuses, tous Hutu rwandais, ont ete assassines le 25 fevrier a Kalima, deux jours apres que la region soit tombee aux mains des rebelles tutsi. - Les premiers refugies de Tingi-Tingi arrivent a Ubundu. - Le ministre kenyan des Affaires etrangeres annonce que son pays organisera le 19 mars un sommet de six chefs d'Etat sur le conflit dans l'est du Zaire, mais que M. Kabila n'y est pas invite. - L'ex-president tanzanien, J. Nyerere, a declare que les jours du president Mobutu etaient comptes: "Le pauvre homme est en train de mourir". 7 mars. A Kinshasa, une marche organisee par l'UDPS, appelant a des pourparlers avec Kabila, est dispersee par l'armee. - On annonce de violents combats pres de Panga, a 80 km au nord-est de Kisangani. Punia (au sud-est de Kisangani) serait occupe par des ex-FAR. - Le Conseil de securite des Nations unies, le gouvernement americain et l'Union europeenne insistent aupres de Kabila pour qu'il accepte un cessez- le-feu. Le gouvernement zairois a accepte le plan de paix de l'ONU. 9 mars. M. Kabila se dit pret a accepter le plan de paix de l'ONU, mais uniquement comme point de depart des futures negociations, rejetant l'idee d'un cessez-le-feu immediat. Il assure poursuivre sa progression vers l'ouest et le sud, mais reconnait que ses troupes affrontent une resistance farouche pres de Kisangani. 10 mars. Un porte-parole de l'Alliance affirme que leurs troupes prennent Kisangani en tenaille en laissant un corridor ouvert a l'ouest "pour que les civils et les soldats zairois puissent fuir". Ils annoncent aussi avoir pris le controle de Moba, au sud, le dernier port sur le lac Tanganyika qui etait encore aux mains des forces gouvernementales. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 mars 1997) * Zaire. Efforts diplomatiques - 11 mars. La France lance a nouveau un appel solennel pour arreter les combats et envisage la creation d'un mini-pont aerien pour venir en aide aux refugies d'Ubundu, ou se regroupent une partie des refugies de Tingi-Tingi. Par ailleurs, lors d'une conference de presse donnee a Paris, l'eveque de Goma a conteste la realite des massacres anti-hutu au Kivu. 12 mars. Le Vatican publie une lettre du pape, datee du 4 mars, adressee au secretaire general des Nations unies, ou Jean- Paul II fait appel a M. Annan pour qu'il use de toute son influence pour faire appliquer un cessez-le-feu au Zaire. Le pape insiste aussi pour que "le principe de l'integrite territoriale soit respecte d'une facon absolue". Quant a lui, Kabila reitere son refus d'arreter les combats avant des negociations avec les autorites de Kinshasa. Les Etats-Unis disent "partager le sentiment de frustration" de la France, mais ne veulent aller plus loin que des efforts de "persuasion politique" en direction des rebelles. - Sur le terrain, des sources font mention de tensions croissantes au sein de l'Alliance, entre les ailes zairoise et rwandaise. La raison en serait l'annulation de nominations de Banyamulenge a des postes importants dans la nouvelle administration. Une delegation serait partie a Kigali pour une concertation avec le general rwandais Kagame. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 1997) * Zambia. Police arrest rioting students - 10 March: Zambian police arrest 10 students after using teargas and batons to break up riots at the University of Zambia. The street rampages started on 9 March. Riot police were sent to the campus the next day and fought pitch battles with scores of stone-throwing students. A university spokesman said that students are unhappy over delays in the disbursement of book allowances. (Reuters, 10 March 1997) * Zambia. Chiluba and Kaunda in Court - President Frederick Chiluba and former president Kenneth Kaunda are both in Court defending their citizenship, and their presidencies. The 53-year- old Chiluba's re-election and his pre-election declarations about his birth, parentage and birth-place, is being challenged by opposition party petitioners before the Supreme Court. The petition is based on the Electoral Amendment (1996) Act, requiring presidential candidates to declare the above-mentioned details on oath. President Chiluba was sworn in on 21 November 1996. Chief Justice Matthews Ngulube adjourned Chiluba's case until 18 March. The 73-year-old Dr Kaunda's Zambian citizenship is being challenged in Ndola High Court. The petitioners in this case want Kaunda declared "stateless" and charged with ruling Zambia "illegally" for 27 years. (Justin Mupundu, Zambia, 6 March 1997)