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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 19-06-1997      PART #1/5

* Afrique. Rapport du Pnud  -  Le rapport 1997 du Programme des
Nations unies pour le developpement (Pnud) reconnait les grands
progres faits au cours des cinquante dernieres annees, mais ne
masque pas une situation qui reste dramatique. Ainsi, l'Afrique
subsaharienne reunit les pays ou la pauvrete touche le plus fort
pourcentage de la population. C'est la aussi que la plupart des
formes de pauvrete progressent le plus vite. D'ici a l'an 2000, 50%
des habitants de cette region vivront sous le seuil de la pauvrete.
Mais le rapport donne aussi des chiffres qui font reflechir. Une
amelioration reelle de la situation des 20 pays les plus gravement
touches couterait 5,5 milliards de dollars, soit le cout de la
construction d'Euro-Disney. Les depenses militaires de l'Afrique
subsaharienne en 1995 se montaient a 8 milliards de dollars, soit
environ le cout annuel necessaire pour assurer l'acces universel a
l'eau potable et aux reseaux d'assainissement dans tous les pays en
developpement.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 juin 1997)

* Africa. Refugee Day  -  In a News Release to mark Africa Refugee
Day, Amnesty International says that Governments in Africa and
worldwide are failing to prevent the mass human rights abuses which
are behind the refugee crisis in Africa, while at the same time
shirking their obligations to protect those fleeing for their
safety. More than 20 million Africans have been forcibly displaced
from their homes -- five million have sought asylum in other
countries and around 16 million are internally displaced within
their own country. the vast majority of them are women, children
and elderly victims of the worsening armed conflict situations and
ethnic-based violence throughout the continent.   (Amnesty
International, 19 June 1997)

* Amnesty International. Rapport 1997  -  Selon le rapport 1997
d'Amnesty International, des atteintes aux droits fondamentaux des
opposants politiques ont encore ete perpetrees dans 151 Etats du
globe. Pour l'annee 1996, Amnesty rappelle le sort des refugies et
evalue leur nombre dans le monde a 15 millions, en soulignant que
ce chiffre a double en l'espace de dix ans. Les pays les plus
pauvres accueillent 85% des refugies. L'Afrique a elle seule en
abrite cinq millions. Le rapport souligne aussi que les conditions
de vie des refugies dans les pays d'accueil se sont
considerablement degradees. Les pays limitrophes des zones de
violence (p.ex. la Tanzanie pour le Rwanda et le Burundi)
n'hesitent plus a enfermer ou a rapatrier les refugies de force.
Les pays occidentaux mettent de plus en plus d'obstacles au droit
d'asile, alors que la majorite des pays du monde ont ratifie la
Convention de 1951 relative au statut de refugie.   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 18 juin 1997)

* Afrique/U.S.A. Plan economique pour l'Afrique  -  Le president
americain, Bill Clinton, a presente le 17 juin un programme de
developpement commercial et economique pour l'Afrique, qui prevoit
la reduction des tarifs douaniers pour les pays reformant leur
systeme economique. Selon ce programme, les pays africains les plus
pauvres pourront exporter presque 50% de produits supplementaires
sans droits de douane. A trois jours de l'ouverture a Denver du
sommet des sept pays les plus industrialises et de la Russie, la
Maison Blanche a par ailleurs annonce que M. Clinton oeuvrera au
cours du G7 en faveur d'une action internationale concertee pour
reduire l'endettement des pays pauvres, notamment aupres de la
Banque mondiale et du FMI.   (Le Monde, France, 19 juin 1997)

* Afrique du Sud. Revolte pharmaceutique  -  Les grands groupes
pharmaceutiques internationaux presents en Afrique du Sud sont
entres en revolte contre le projet de loi depose par le ministre de
la Sante. Ce projet vise a democratiser l'acces de la medecine en
adoptant des dispositions susceptibles de reduire les prix des
medicaments. Ainsi, l'utilisation de medicaments generiques sera
encouragee: l'insertion des noms de marques dans les formules
officielles des medicaments devrait etre interdite. Le projet de
loi envisage egalement l'importation de medicaments en dehors du
reseau de commercialisation habituel des fabricants afin de
profiter des grandes differences de prix observees entre les pays.
 (Lettre de l'Ocean Indien, France, 14 juin 1997)

* Afrique du Sud. Drogue  -  Plus du quart des syndicats mondiaux
de la drogue operent en Afrique du Sud, devenue une plaque
tournante de distribution depuis la fin de l'apartheid, selon le
ministre de la Justice. Le ministre a indique que ses compatriotes
consommaient plus de 70% de la production mondiale de Mandrax, un
barbiturique. Il a egalement indique que seulement 10 a 15% de la
drogue introduite dans le pays etait saisie. Le commerce de la
drogue est aussi source de violents affrontements entre groupes
rivaux. L'Afrique du Sud a adopte une serie de lois pour combattre
ce fleau et a etabli une cooperation avec plusieurs pays, dont les
Etats-Unis.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 14 juin 1997)

* South Africa. "Take jobseekers"  -  13 June: The South African
government has been urged to abolish existing immigration controls
and open its borders to all jobseekers from Southern African
states. The proposal from the Centre for Development and Enterprise
(CDE), a Johannesburg-based think-tank funded by South Africa's
biggest private companies, is intended to stimulate the economy and
curb the flow of illegal immigrants. Its recommendations contradict
government proposals for new immigration legislation released by
Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Home Affairs Minister, in a green paper last
month. The paper says free movement of people within the Southern
African region is "neither politically nor economically viable for
South Africa, so long as gross regional economic disparities
persist".   (Financial Times, U.K., 13 June 1997)

* Afrique du Sud. Terre'Blanche condamne  -  Eugene Terre'Blanche,
chef du parti d'extreme droite Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, qui
veut reinstaurer la domination blanche en Afrique du Sud, a ete
condamne le 17 juin a six ans de prison. Il a ete reconnu coupable
de tentative de meurtre pour avoir grievement blesse un de ses
employes noirs surpris en train de manger durant ses heures de
travail. Terre'Blanche est alle en appel, laissant a ses militants
le soin de reunir la somme necessaire pour sa mise en liberte sous
caution.   (D'apres AFP/Reuters, 17 juin 1997)

* South Africa. Land to be transferred to blacks  -  On 17 June,
the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Derek Hanekom, said
his department was transferring more than four million acres of
land to blacks, as part of apartheid land ownership reforms.
Hanekom said that by the end of 1994, eight land reform projects
were in the works. Now there are currently 318 approved
redistribution projects, affecting 69,000 households, or 400,000
people.   (Newspot, USA, 17 June 1997)

* South Africa. Company news encouraging  -  18 June: The diamond
cartel organised by De Beers of South Africa reported record first
half-yearly sales, even though exports from Russia, one of the
biggest producers, came to a virtual halt because of bureaucratic
hold-ups. Supplies from two other substantial producers, Angola and
Congo (RDC), dropped because of turmoil in those countries. Also,
Gencor, the mining group based in Johannesburg, shook off the
legacy of South Africa's isolation, when it said it would list its
base metals operations on the London Stock Exchange. The company
will adopt the name of Billiton, the aluminium producer which
Gencor bought from Royal Dutch Shell in 1994 for $1.2 billion.
Billiton will also merge with QNI, the Australian nickel group, to
create the world's fourth biggest nickel producer.   (Financial
Times, U.K., 19 June 1997)

* Algerie. Partis interdits et Premier ministre reconduit  -  Le
parti de l'ancien president Ben Bella, le Mouvement pour la
democratie en Algerie, a ete dissous le 11 juin par les autorites
algeriennes pour ne pas avoir mis ses statuts en conformite avec la
nouvelle loi sur les partis politiques. Six autres formations
politiques, peu representatives, ont egalement ete touchees par
cette mesure. Selon les juges, ils auraient utilise des elements
d'identite nationale, ce qui est interdit par la loi electorale.
Les partis interdits n'avaient obtenu aucun siege aux elections
legislatives de la semaine precedente. Le 14 juin, le president
Zeroual a reconduit son homme de confiance, Ahmed Ouyahia, a la
tete du gouvernement, malgre l'impopularite de ce technocrate dans
les couches les plus defavorisees et les classes moyennes. Cette
nomination confirme qu'aucun changement ne devrait intervenir dans
la politique economique et l'application du programme d'austerite
soutenu par le FMI. D'autre part, les massacres continuent: 12
habitants d'un village a 30 km au sud d'Alger ont ete egorges, dans
la nuit du 14 au 15 juin, par des islamistes presumes et une
etudiante universitaire de 23 ans a ete tuee sur les hauteurs de la
capitale.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 juin 1997)

* Angola. Conflicting reports over fighting  -  12 June: Newspot
(USA) reports that Angolan troops are running into fierce
resistance from armed UNITA soldiers, in a flare-up of fighting in
the diamond-rich northeast, which threatens to restart the civil
war. Diplomats said the fighting, the heaviest since the cease-fire
in 1994, could derail Angola's fragile peace process. Ironically,
the former foes sat together only this week, in the country's first
National Unity Parliament. But analysts say UNITA is split between
those seeking reconciliation, and hardline generals. 13 June:
Newspot reports that Jonas Savimbi, UNITAžs leader, is ready to
hold talks in Italy with President dos Santos, to try and end the
fighting in north-eastern Angola. 16 June: The Guardian (UK)
reports that the UN mission in Angola says it has found no evidence
of the heavy fighting said to be raging in the diamond-rich north-
eastern part of the country. Representatives of former rebels, the
government and the UN flew to Luanda Norte in north-eastern Angola
but found no evidence of clashes, a UN statement said.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 16 June 1997)

* Burundi. Tribunal international?  -  Le major Pierre Buyoya,
l'homme fort du Burundi, a souhaite le 14 juin la creation d'un
tribunal penal international charge de juger les actes de genocide
dans son pays. "C'est une facon de dire que le genocide sera
poursuivi partout", a-t-il declare. Buyoya a annonce egalement que
son regime preparait une nouvelle Constitution "anti-genocide",
indiquant que la protection des Burundais contre le genocide est
"la priorite des priorites" de son regime.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 16
juin 1997)

* Burundi. Ntibantunganya leaves US Embassy  -  7 June: A Press
Communique announces that President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya who
has been sheltering in the residence of the US Ambassador in
Bujumbura since 23 July 1996, is leaving the embassy. 13 June:
Ntibantunganya says that he still has a role to play and that he
should be invited to attend peace negotiations. "However, the coup
which brought Buyoya to power last year, must be fought
"ideologically, politically and concretely"".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels,
17 June 1997)

* Burundi. Epidemies et disette  -  Une disette rampante regne au
Burundi. En cause: l'insecurite et les destructions
d'infrastructures dues a la guerre civile. Les paysans sont les
plus touches, comme ils le sont deja par la guerre que menent
l'armee, dominee par les Tutsi, et les guerillas hutu. Le pays doit
faire face egalement, depuis janvier, a des epidemies successives
de cholera, meningite et, aujourd'hui, de typhus. La situation la
plus dramatique est celle des populations rurales regroupees de
force dans des camps d'internement, qui ne peuvent cultiver leurs
champs et que le gouvernement n'a pas les moyens de nourrir a ses
frais. Le 30 mai dernier, le Conseil de securite de l'Onu a demande
au gouvernement burundais de liberer ces internes.   (d'apres M-
F.C., La Libre Belgique, 18 juin 1997)

* Congo (Brazzaville). Confrontation  -  12 June: Fighting flares
up again and spreads throughout Brazzaville, ending a day-old
cease-fire negotiated after a week of fierce clashes between forces
loyal to President Lissouba and those of former Marxist military
ruler, Denis Sassou Nguesso. The city centre echoes to automatic
gunfire as fighting steadily grows worse between President
Lissouba's troops and Nguesso's "Cobra" militia. Battle lines
remain static in the city centre but the "Cobras" are advancing
along a road to the airport. The OAU and the UN call for an end to
hostilities. 13 June: Brazzaville enjoys its quietest day in more
than week. Mediators say peace talks will take place in Gabon.
Nguesso's "Cobra" militia accuse the former Angolan rebel UNITA, of
fighting alongside government troops in Brazzaville. 15 June:
Envoys of the rival leaders fly to Gabon to start peace talks. the
Presidents of Chad, Mali, Gabon and the Central African Republic
will also attend the talks. 16 June: Despite occasional shooting,
there is a relative lull in the fighting in Brazzaville, as peace
talks get under way in Gabon. A three-day truce is declared. 17
June: France's withdrawal of its troops is now underway. Witnesses
say that in some parts of Brazzaville, men accused of being spies
are given five minutes to explain themselves. Invariably, their
fate is sealed with a bullet to the head or chest.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 18 June 1997)

* Congo (Brazzaville). Combats et concertations  -  12 juin. Les
tirs reprennent a Brazzaville, apres l'accalmie qui a succede aux
appels au cessez-le-feu du president Lissouba et de son rival
Nguesso. Les milices de Nguesso ont menace d'interdire
l'atterrissage des avions si les militaires francais n'empechaient
pas Lissouba de recevoir des renforts de troupes et de munitions.
On ignore toujours le bilan des combats qui ont embrase la capitale
depuis une semaine, mais des temoins estiment a "des milliers" le
nombre de civils tues. Les factions rivales ont souhaite que
l'election presidentielle, prevue le 27 juillet, soit maintenue. M.
Nguesso a estime necessaire le deploiement d'une force
internationale pour la tenue de cette election. 13 juin. Les
representants des deux camps acceptent une proposition de paix en
sept points, preparee par la commission de mediation. 15 juin. Les
combats reprennent de plus belle, pour se calmer l'apres-midi, a la
veille de la premiere reunion de concertation sous la mediation du
president gabonais Omar Bongo. Celui-ci a convie a Libreville ses
homologues centrafricain et malien; des representants d'autres pays
africains, de la France et de l'Union europeenne, ainsi que le
representant special de l'Onu, M. Sahnoun, sont egalement attendus.
Les soldats francais, qui ont evacue plus de 5.000 etrangers,
devraient commencer a se retirer aujourd'hui, bien que le president
Lissouba ait lance un appel a la France lui demandant de participer
a une force d'interposition. 16 juin. La reunion du Comite
international de mediation, avec des representants des parties
congolaises, s'est close a Libreville sur un echec, ayant "constate
qu'il n'est pas arrive pour le moment a departager les parties
concernees sur un certain nombre de propositions". La France ayant
rejete l'appel demandant que ses troupes restent a Brazzaville
comme force tampon, on n'exclut pas une "presence africaine"
d'interposition. 17 juin. Les deux parties, au cours d'une
rencontre organisee a l'ambassade de France par le comite national
de mediation, ont signe un accord de cessez-le-feu de trois jours
qui devait etre effectif des minuit. La treve s'assortit d'un
accord de demilitarisation de l'aeroport de Maya-Maya. Le dialogue
doit se poursuivre.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 juin 1997)

* Congo (RDC). General Mahele's funeral  -  On 12 June, Kinshasa
residents turned out in their thousands to pay their last respects
to General Donatien Mahele, who was killed one day before Kinshasa
fell to Laurent Kabila's army. General Mahele was the highest-
ranking officer in former president Mobutu's army, and since
December, had personally directed the Zairian army's war against Mr
Kabila's Alliance. However, after watching his under-equipped,
unpaid and demoralized troops crumble before the Alliance's
offensive, General Mahele had a change of heart about the regime he
had spent his entire career fighting to defend. In the closing days
of the war, it was General Mahele who urged the ailing dictator to
leave the country. Once Mobutu had gone, it was also General
Mahele's decision to order an end to the army's defence of the city
-- to essentially open the door for the Alliance to enter. Some of
Mobutu's supporters thought that General Mahele's last minute
conversion was the act of a traitor or a coward. That is why one of
them put a bullet in the back of his head.   (Voice of America,
USA, 12 June 1997)

* Congo (RDC). La politique des Etats-Unis  -  Le directeur charge
de l'Afrique centrale au sein du Departement d'Etat americain, Marc
Baas, etait a Bruxelles le 12 juin, pour expliquer a l'Union
europeenne les resultats du voyage qu'il venait d'effectuer a
Kinshasa, avec l'envoye special de l'ONU Richardson. Les Etats-Unis
veulent promouvoir un Etat de droit, des institutions
democratiques, des elections et une presse libre. Dans ce
processus, Mgr. Monsengwo et M. Tshisekedi auraient un role
important a jouer. Au plan humanitaire, ils exigent une assistance
inconditionnelle aux refugies et leur rapatriement au Rwanda. Selon
certaines sources, ils ont egalement parle d'une cooperation
militaire avec le regime.   (d'apres De Standaard, Belgique, 13
juin 1997)

* Congo (RDC). Political debate in the Press  -  The government has
banned all political activity by established parties for two years,
but, so far, this ban has not ended the country's long tradition of
lively political debate in the Press. Ipakala Mobiko is Editor-in-
Chief of La Reference Plus, a daily which prints about 2,000 copies
a day. He says his reporters are able to work freely but he is
worried that the Press may, one day, face some restrictions. He is,
however, more cautious about what he prints now. Kiki Epaba is a
reporter for Le Potentiel, another Kinshasa daily. He says he feels
free to gather information and conduct interviews in the street.
But he says it is difficult to get information from the new
government. In an interview with Government Television last week,
Interior Minister Mwenze Kongolo made no effort to hide his
distaste for Kinshasa's news media. He said he had been appalled by
what he had seen in the local Press, adding he believes that 90% of
what is written is inaccurate. He said he has never been to a city
where the Press is so irresponsible.   (Voice of America, USA, 13
June 1997)
* Congo (RDC). Nouvelles accusations  -  Les troupes de Kabila sont
a nouveau sur la sellette, cette fois pour des massacres perpetres
a Kinshasa. Selon l'Association des droits de l'homme Azadho, les
soldats de l'AFDL ont tue plus de 640 personnes entre le 19 et le
28 mai dans la capitale et ses environs. Les victimes sont "pour la
plupart des ex-FAZ (armee zairoise), des pillards et des
innocents", souligne le rapport, qui fournit une liste des
emplacements des fosses communes et denonce la "derive" des
nouvelles autorites vers un "Etat totalitaire". Kinshasa a
immediatement dementi ces "allegations malveillantes". Mais le 12
juin, la radio officielle confirmait qu'un etudiant avait ete tue
par des soldats de l'Alliance d'une balle dans la nuque.
L'opposition a exprime son indignation, qualifiant cet acte de
"barbarie militaire qui confirme les derives totalitaires du
nouveau pouvoir". Par ailleurs, l'agence Reuters rapporte qu'un
representant de haut niveau d'une organisation humanitaire,
desirant rester anonyme, affirme que durant des mois les militaires
de Kabila ont massacre des dizaines de milliers de refugies hutu.
"Les trois derniers jours je n'ai plus recu de rapports, mais je
crains que les tueries continuent", a-t-il ajoute. D'autre part, le
tragique exode des refugies hutu continue. 35.000 d'entre eux sont
arrives a Bangui, en Centrafrique. D'autres, a peine arrives au
Congo-Brazzaville, apres un periple de 2.500 km, ont repris la
route vers ce meme Centrafrique. Debut juin, Medecins du monde ont
recense 30.000 refugies hutu rwandais dans trois camps au nord du
Congo-Brazzaville, a Njoundou, Liranga et Loukokela, dans une zone
marecageuse en bordure du fleuve Zaire.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 13-17 juin 1997)

* Congo (RDC). Refugee crisis deepens  -  There has been
"systematic and widespread killing of refugees in eastern Congo for
several months" by the Alliance forces of Laurent Kabila, and
Rwandan military units have been directly involved, senior aid
agency official claimed on 16 June. "At least tens of thousands
have been killed...no one really knows how many," the officials
said, describing it as the greatest ever loss of refugee life. The
officials, who insist on anonymity because of security concerns for
their staff in the region, also claimed that Ugandan and Burundian
military personnel were implicated in what they describe as the
"on-going Hutu-Tutsi conflict" in the Geat Lakes. "It is a
misconception that the war is over".   (The Guardian, U.K., 17 June
1997)

* Egypte. Recensement  -  Selon les resultats du recensement
decennal de la population, effectue de juin a decembre 1996,
l'Egypte connait une baisse de la croissance demographique, de
l'analphabetisme et de l'exode rural. L'Egypte compte 61.452.382
habitants. Le taux de croissance demographique est tombee a 2,1% en
1996, contre 2,8 en 1986, et 3% en 1981. Le taux d'analphabetisme
a baisse de 11% en dix ans, passant de 49,6 a 38,6%. Une baisse de
l'exode rural a ete enregistree "pour la premiere fois dans
l'histoire contemporaine de l'Egypte", les citadins representant
43% de la population contre 44% il y a dix ans.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 13 juin 1997)
* Egypte. Detenus politiques  -  Plus de 16.700 detenus politiques,
en majorite islamistes, se trouvent dans les prisons en Egypte, ou
les droits de l'homme sont "en crise", a affirme le 16 juin
l'Organisation egyptienne des droits de l'homme. Sur ce total,
7.891 sont detenus sans jugement, sur decision du ministre de
l'Interieur. Leur detention administrative "a ete renouvelee
systematiquement au cours des cinq dernieres annees sous pretexte
qu'ils sont impliques dans des actes de violence et de terrorisme".
Le rapport souligne que les services de securite ont largement
recours a l'arrestation administrative sur base de simples
soupcons.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 17 juin 1997)

* G7. Denver Summit  -  16 June: Leaders from the Group of Seven
nations, meet in Denver, Colorado, 20-22 June. With most of the G7
leaders struggling with unemployment at home, job creation is
expected to be a major theme of this summit. Africa is also
expected to be near the top of the agenda. President Clinton and
his economic team are determined to restore Africa's pride, in the
hope of sparking private-sector interest, by insisting on sweeping
economic and political reforms in exchange for access to debt
forgiveness and capital flows. Uganda, which receives multilateral
debt forgiveness in the spring, is seen as blazing the way. 17
June: OXFAM reports that the US government has drawn up proposals
for a new initiative, the Partnership for Economic growth and
Opportunity in Africa, aimed at addressing the development crisis
in sub-Saharan Africa.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 June 1997)

* Lesotho. Opposition calls for PMžs resignation  -  On 16 June,
the newly created Opposition burned pictures of the prime minister
and called for his resignation. Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle
recently formed the Lesotho Congress for Democracy Party with a
faction of the ruling Basotholand Congress Party (BCP), taking with
him a majority of the 65 members of parliament to form a new
governing party. About 20 BCP members have refused to recognise the
new party. A petition described the formation of the new party as
a "manipulation".   (Newspot, USA, 16 June 1997)

* Malawi. Celebrations amidst a crisis  -  On 17 May, the ruling
United Democratic Front celebrated its third anniversary of taking
power from the Malawi Congress Party (on 17 May 1994). While
celebrations were taking place, the country's civil servants were
still on strike (since 7 April). Since the strike began, the
strikers have been harassed by the police who have used force to
break up demonstrations e.g. by using tear gas, police dogs,
beatings. On 13 May, teachers throughout the country joined the
strike, demanding salary increases, housing and transport
allowances. The Malawi Civil Servants Trade Union has received
international support from the Norwegian Confederation of Trade
Unions. Negotiations between the parties involved are possible.
Indeed, President Muluzi says his government is ready for
negotiations.   (Patrick Mawaya, Malawi, 10 June 1997)

* Maroc. Elections municipales  -  Les resultats des elections
municipales, qui se sont deroulees le 13 juin au Maroc, n'auront
pas marque de bouleversement majeur. Avec un taux de participation
de 75%, la carte politique demeure globalement ce qu'elle etait,
divisee en quinze partis, eux-memes repartis en trois grandes
tendances. Un tiers des suffrages est alle aux formations
d'opposition, regroupees dans la Koutla, (34% des voix), un tiers
a la coalition gouvernementale (26%) et un tiers aux partis
politiques dits "centristes" qui soutiennent le gouvernement (24%).
Ces elections municipales ne fournissent pas pour autant une carte
politique precise du pays, les facteurs locaux pesant de tout leur
poids sur ce type de scrutin. Il faudra attendre les legislatives
en septembre. Le ministre de l'Interieur s'est felicite d'un climat
de "liberte absolue" et de "totale transparence". La presse
d'opposition admettait les "resultats honorables" du vote, mais
denoncait la "neutralite passive" des autorites a propos des
irregularites commises dans plusieurs circonscriptions.
(Liberation, France, 16 juin 1997)

* Morocco. Local elections  -  13 June: Morocco's 13 million
eligible voters will elect 25,000 local council members today, in
a poll meant to mark an important step in the nation's move to a
more open political system. The poll is the first in a series
culminating in a legislative ballot in September. Todays elections
are being watched as a test of the government's commitment to
electoral transparency. 15 June: Opposition parties claim there
were irregularities in the ballot. The opposition Progress and
Socialism Party (PSP) said the elections had not "held their
promise" despite progress, and much remained to be done before
parliamentary elections in September. Partial results show the pro-
government rightist Wifaq group and a centre-right group, led by
the Independent National Rally (RNI), to be dominating in the
results.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 June 1997)

* Mozambique. Local elections at the door  -  At the end of May,
President Chissano signed a Decree authorising the holding of local
elections. However, the National Elections Commission (CNE) still
has to be established. The Commission will eventually consist in
one Member designated by the President of the Republic and five
Members elected by the National Assembly. Definitive dates for the
election still have to be decided on but dates sometime during
November have already been mooted. An extraordinary session of the
National Assembly has been called by the Permanent Parliamentary
Commission, to ensure the election of the CNE members. This session
will also concentrate on two documents linked to the National
Defence Law, the Land Law, the Electricity Law, the Environment
Law. This will be followed by a parliamentary ordinary session in
October. The Government is still trying to find the necessary
funding to run the elections. The opposition RENAMO accuses
FRELIMO, the party in power, of preparing to postpone the local
elections, possibly to the second half of next year. FRELIMO has
reacted to this by describing RENAMOžs accusation as "pure
imagination and falsehood".   (Joao de Brito Langa, Mozambique, 13
June 1997)

* Mozambique. Bringing in the British  -  Last month, Mozambique
scored a world first, when responsibility for the customs service
was handed over to a British company. For the next three years,
Crown Agents, which provides a range of services to governments and
development agencies, will take full responsibility for the
regulation of all aspects of Mozambique's cross-boarder trade. The
aim will be to hand back a fully functioning, efficient, honest
service, and meanwhile make a significant contribution to the
state's ailing finances.   (Financial Times, U.K., 17 June 1997)

* Nigeria. Groaning under fuel scarcity  -  The fuel scarcity which
has gripped Nigeria intermittently this year is worsening. As black
market prices inch towards $5 a gallon, manufacturers warn of the
imminent collapse on industries. On 12 June, Uzor Okeke, director
of the Manufacturers Association of Niger, said: "The scarcity has
coincided with the "worst-ever performance" of the state
electricity utility, National Power Authority. People pay as much
as $47 for a 10-gallon can of gasoline -- more than seven times the
normal price. (Editor's note: The World Bank says that Nigeria's
military government has accumulated $10 billion in arrears on debt
repayments to western creditors over the past three years, while
failing to account for earnings from oil exports).   (Newspot, USA,
13 June 1997)

* Ouganda. Attaque des rebelles  -  Des rebelles ougandais,
soutenus par des soldats des ex-armees rwandaise et zairoise, ont
occupe brievement, le 16 juin, la ville de Bundibudgyo, a l'ouest
de l'Ouganda. Ils ont enleve des touristes etrangers et un eveque
anglican local, selon le journal "Crusader". Les assaillants ont
ete repousse durant la nuit, selon le porte-parole de l'armee, mais
d'apres d'autres sources les combats continueraient. Les rebelles
appartiennent aux Forces democratiques alliees, constituees de
membres de l'ancienne armee nationale pour la liberation de
l'Ouganda, de fondamentalistes musulmans et de membres du Front de
la rive ouest du Nil. Ayant opere longtemps a partir de bases
arrieres situees au Zaire, ils se sont replies maintenant sur les
pentes du Ruwenzori.   (La Libre Belgique, 18 juin 1997)

* Rwanda. Affrontements a Ruhengeri  -  Les autorites rwandaises
ont rassemble des milliers d'habitants dans le stade de Ruhengeri
(nord-ouest) pour controler leur identite et les mettre en garde
contre tout soutien a la rebellion hutu, ont indique des temoins le
10 juin. Depuis plusieurs semaines, des combats opposent dans la
region l'armee et la guerilla. Les affrontements ont ete relances
par le retour des rebelles hutu chasses du Congo-RDC, et l'armee
mene une operation de grande envergure dans la region, en
represailles a deux attaques lancees le 5 juin. Selon des sources
locales, les soldats tutsi attaquent et tuent aussi des civils,
abattant ou volant le betail et brulant les maisons. Deux
collaborateurs rwandais du Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM) de
l'Onu, qui distribue des vivres aux refugies, et trois membres de
leurs familles, ont ete tues le 14 juin par des agresseurs non
identifies dans la ville de Ruhengeri. Les Nations unies ont decide
d'interrompre leurs activites dans la region, a annonce le 18 juin
le porte-parole du PAM, qui denonce une insecurite croissante dans
l'ouest du pays empechant les organisations humanitaires de
garantir la securite de milliers de refugies rapatries.   (ANB-BIA,
de sources diverses, 13-19 juin 1997)

* Sahara Occidental. Pourparlers  -  Le secretaire general de
l'ONU, Kofi Annan, a invite, le 12 juin, le Maroc et le Front
Polisario a se rencontrer a Lisbonne le 23 juin pour des
"discussions directes", apres les entretiens separes qu'ils ont eus
aLondres avec le mediateur de l'ONU, James Baker.   (Le Monde,
France, 14 juin 1997)

* Sierra Leone. Military junta remains in control  -  11 June:
Sierra Leonean and Nigerian senior military officers meet in
Freetown to try and reduce tension, following fighting near the
international airport during the night. The two sides agreed to
talk to their men in an effort to cool the situation. 12 June:
Hundreds of professionals and their families are scrambling to
leave Freetown by sea, saying the city has become unsafe. With
Nigeria strengthening its naval presence nearby, scuffles broke out
as hundreds of Sierra Leoneans line a pier in the city's main port,
trying to board a Gambian-chartered boat. 16 June: The coup leaders
say they have arrested at least four senior officers and six
civilians on suspicion of plotting fresh coup. Witnesses report
increased security at strategic points in the city such as the
national radio and TV station. The population refuses to go to work
despite threats and reprisals. 17 June: The coup leader, Johnny
Paul Koroma, is sworn is as Head of State. He pledges to restore
peace and eventually, democracy.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 June
1997)

* Sierra Leone. Nouvelles tensions  -  La panique regnait dans la
capitale Freetown a la suite d'accrochages dans la nuit du 10 au 11
juin sur l'aeroport de Lungi entre les forces armees de la junte et
les troupes nigerianes. Deux nouveaux navires de guerre nigerians
ont ete envoyes. Le secretaire general de l'ONU, Kofi Annan, a
declare que l'ONU pourrait s'impliquer dans la crise si les
negociations entre les putschistes et les autorites nigerianes ne
devaient pas aboutir. Il a evoque une "option militaire pour
deloger les putschistes". Cependant, selon certaines sources, des
consultations diplomatiques se sont intensifiees dans la sous-
region depuis le 6 juin afin de faire triompher la "maniere douce"
et de convaincre le Nigeria de renoncer a son projet d'intervention
militaire. Le journal nigerian "This Day" a meme ecrit le 8 juin
que la Libye, la Cote d'Ivoire et le Burkina Faso auraient apporte
une aide clandestine aux putschistes. Le 16 juin, un membre du
Comite de gouvernement des forces armees a annonce que les
putschistes acceptaient une force d'interposition des Etats
d'Afrique de l'Ouest, sous l'egide de l'ONU, afin de mettre un
terme a la crise. Le 17 juin, le leader du putsch, J. Koromah, a
prete serment comme nouveau chef d'Etat, s'engageant a restaurer la
paix et la democratie.

* Somalie. Conference de paix reportee  -  La conference de
reconciliation nationale, programmee pour le 10 juin a Bossasso, au
nord du pays, a ete reportee sans qu'une date n'ait ete fixee.
Cette conference avait ete annoncee en avril par de nombreuses
factions qui avaient cree un "Conseil de salut national" (NSC ), en
vue de former un gouvernement de transition; mais Hussein Aidid n'y
avait pas participe. Dans l'accord de paix conclu entre Aidid et
Ali Mahdi, le 29 mai au Caire, les deux signataires ont cependant
propose egalement la tenue d'une conference nationale de
reconciliation. Hussein Hadji Bod, membre du NSC, a affirme que la
conference aurat lieu ulterieurement "a Bossasso ou ailleurs", et
qu'elle reunirait quelque mille delegues. "Tous les partis doivent
etre convies", a-t-il ajoute.   (d'apres Marches Tropicaux, France,
14 juin 1997)

* Somalia/Italy. Special commission  -  13 June: Italy is setting
up a special commission to investigate the abuse of civilians by
Italian soldiers during their international humanitarian mission in
Somalia in 1993. President Scalfaro of Italy is also convening a
special session of the supreme council next week to examine the
role of the Italian military overseas. The affair is forcing the
government to take a closer look at the workings of the military,
which has always been left to its own devices as a trade-off for
being given a low budget and indifferent weaponry. 14 June: The
office of the Army Chief of Staff says that Generals Bruno Loi and
Carmine Fiore (who headed the Italian forces in Somalia) have asked
to be replaced so as to "ease and speed up investigations
underway". The Army Chief of Staff has "accepted the request in
order to contribute...to the rapid clarification of this affair",
a statement says.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 17 June 1997)

* Somaliland. 200 skulls found in mass graves  -  Witnesses said on
16 June, that police in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland
have dug up a series of mass graves containing more than 200
skulls. The corpses, bound by the wrist and in groups of 10 and 15,
were believed to have been killed by forces of former president
Siad Barre in 1988, police said. The finding confirms rumours that
mass graves existed in the Somaliland capital, but the identities
of the bodies and their manner of death remain unclear. Machine-gun
cartridges, army uniforms and civilian clothes littered the site.
 (Newspot, USA, 16 June 1997)

* Sudan. Strategic town captured by SPLA  -  15 June: The SPLA,
which has recently claimed a string of successes in fighting in the
south of the country, says its forces have taken Yirol, a strategic
town in the Lakes (Buheyrat) State. "The capture of Yirol ends any
hope of land reinforcements reaching the beleaguered government
garrison in Juba, the main town in the south, from Bahr el Gazal
region", an SPLA spokesman, Yasir Arman, said. 17 June: The
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) says that another
potential conflict is brewing in Sudan, where parliamentarians from
western areas have called for self-determination, following the
agreement signed between southern rebel factions and the
government, earlier this year. Also, the Sudanese authorities have
called on Khartoum residents originating from Bahr el-Ghazal
province, to mobilise to defend their home areas against attack by
the SPLA.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 June 1997)

* Tanzanie. Rapport sur la corruption  -  Le juge J. Warioba, dont
le premier rapport sur la corruption remis l'annee derniere avait
provoque un debat national, a soumis fin mai un nouveau rapport sur
ce sujet, centre cette fois-ci sur le secteur de l'education. Il
mettrait en evidence des pratiques de corruption dans l'admission
des eleves dans les colleges et les universites, et dans
l'attribution de bourses a l'etranger. Certaines informations font
etat egalement de trafic de diplomes scolaires et universitaires ou
encore de listes d'etudiants de l'enseignement superieur
volontairement gonflees, afin que les allocations puissent etre
detournees.   (Lettre de l'Ocean Indien, France, 14 juin 1997)

* Tunisie. Droits de l'homme  -  Les liberaux, les Verts, les
radicaux, les socialistes et les communistes du Parlement europeen
ont organise le 11 juin une rencontre avec des representants de la
societe civile tunisienne pour examiner la situation des droits de
l'homme dans ce pays. Parmi les douze personnalites invitees, seul
Kemais Chamari, ancien depute et en liberte conditionnelle, a pu se
rendre a Strasbourg. Selon Amnesty International, 10.000 Tunisiens
ont ete victimes de la politique de repression du regime du
president Ben Ali depuis le debut des annees 90. Un rapport
denoncant les violations des droits de l'homme devrait etre soumis
au vote de l'assemblee en juillet.   (Le Monde, France, 13 juin
1997)

* United Nations. New Human Rights Commissioner  -  On 12 June,
Amnesty International welcomed the announcement that Mary Robinson,
presently President of Eire, has been appointed as the new UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights. Amnesty International is calling on
Mary Robinson to take immediate action on a series of the most
pressing concerns. These include ensuring that the High
Commissioner's field operations notably in Colombia, Burundi,
Rwanda and Congo (RDC) are given the necessary financial support
and guidance. Also, in securing the implementation of human rights
in the peace processes in Sierra Leone and Angola.   (Amnesty
International, 13 June 1997)

* Western Sahara. Date set for talks  -  On 12 June, James Baker,
UN special envoy on the Western Sahara, said in London, that
Morocco and the Polisario Front are to hold direct talks in Lisbon
on 23 June, to seek ways to implement a stalled UN referendum on
the future of the disputed Western Sahara. After two days' talks
with the parties, Mr Baker said he had reached the conclusion that
the referendum could not be implemented without direct talks, which
will be held under his auspices. Algeria, which backs the
Polisario, and Mauritania, which has a long border with the Western
Sahara, will be observers.   (Financial Times, U.K., 13 June 1997)

* Zimbabwe. Mugabe remains unmoved  -  The Catholic Bishops
Conference recently handed over a report on the massacre of
civilians by government forces pursuing armed rebels in
Matebeleland and the Midlands, 1980-1988. The bishops have tried to
secure an audience with President Mugabe to discuss the report, but
presidential aids have stonewalled over the appointment. However,
in a clear reference to the report, the President told mourners at
the burial of a senior party official, that they should guard
against those who wanted to destroy the country's unity, by digging
into the past. The President has even refused to enrol the
survivors of the massacres, or the dependents of victims of the
massacres, into the War Victims Compensation Fund.   (Lewis Gaba,
Zimbabwe, 7 June 1997)

* Zimbabwe. CITES conference  -  16 June: At the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference,
Zimbabwe says it will go ahead and sell elephant ivory, even if the
conference votes to maintain the ivory trade ban. "We will not
accept it", the environment minister, Chen Chimutengwende says.
"Elephants are killing our people and destroying their own habitat.
We have too many elephants and we must be able to earn some money
from them". Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia have mounted a
convincing campaign to downlist the elephant from CITES Appendix 1
to Appendix 2, which would allow controlled sales of ivory. 17
June: The resolution allowing strictly-controlled trade in ivory
and other elephant products, is defeated.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18
June 1997)

====> NOUS VOUS SIGNALONS -- IMPORTANT ARTICLES

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
1.
Title: Facts and figures about Amnesty International and its work
for human rights
Source: Amnesty International 13 June 1997
Description: We are all familiar with the reports issued by Amnesty
International, pin-pointing human rights violations worldwide. This
article gives a brief summary of the organisation's history and the
continuing challenge facing Amnesty International.

2.
Title: International Community Failing to Provide Solutions for
Massive Human Rights Violations in 1996
Source: Amnesty International, 18 June 1997
Description: A News Release from Amnesty International, giving a
summary of human rights abuses in 151 countries and territories
worldwide.

3.
Title: Africa Refugee Day
Source: Amnesty International, 19 June 1997
Description: A News Release from Amnesty International, marking
Africa Refugee Day. Amnesty International says that Governments
must take action. 20 million refugees are in search for safety.