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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 10-07-1997      PART #1/5

* Afrique du Sud. Nouveau parti politique  -  D'anciens leaders du
Parti national (NP) et de l'ANC ont annonce le 8 juillet qu'ils
creeront un nouveau parti en septembre. L'initiative vient de Roelf
Meyer, qui a quitte le NP au mois de mai, et de Bantu Holomisa, qui
a ete expulse de l'ANC l'annee passee par le president Mandela. Le
nouveau parti verra officiellement le jour le 27 septembre. Meyer
et Holomisa esperent, aux elections de 1999, pouvoir compter sur
l'appui des Blancs moderes qui ne sont pas d'accord avec la
politique du NP, et des Noirs qui estiment que l'ANC n'a pas reussi
a combattre efficacement la pauvrete. Le NP et l'ANC ont reagi
negativement. Le NP parle d'opportunisme politique.   (d'apres De
Standaard, Belgique, 10 juillet 1997)

* Algeria. Curbs will be eased  -  Algeria's new government will
end the country's five-year-old state of emergency this weekend,
the French-language daily L'Authentique, considered close to the
authorities, reported on 3 July. President Liamine Zeroual made the
promise in recent election campaigning. The decree will be lifted
on Independence Day (5 July), the paper added. More than 250 people
have been killed since parliament voted on the issue last month.
The emergency empowers officials to set up detention centres, to
make arrests and searches without normal procedures, and to try
detainees before military tribunals. All demonstrations deemed
likely to disturb public order, are banned at present. Violence
between security forces and Muslim insurgents erupted in 1992,
after the army cancelled legislative elections that fundamentalist
parties were poised to win. The emergency has been in effect since
February 9, 1992.   (Financial Times, U.K., 4 July 1997)
	* Algerie. Proces du n. 3 du FIS-Le proces du numero 3 du FIS
s'est ouvert le 7 juillet devant le tribunal criminel d'Alger. Tres
affaibli par cinq annees de detention preventive et une derniere
greve de la faim, Abdelkader Hachani est poursuivi pour "incitation
par tous les moyens d'information aux crimes et delits contre la
surete de l'Etat". Chef du FIS par interim en 1991, cet ingenieur
petrochimiste de 42 ans avait conduit le mouvement a la victoire
des legislatives, avant l'interruption du processus electoral. Le
prevenu et ses avocats avaient reclame l'ouverture de ce proces
qu'ils veulent voir reconnu comme un "proces politique". Celui-ci
est percu generalement comme un "geste de bonne volonte" emanant du
pouvoir. Au terme de l'audience du 7 juillet, le procureur general
a requis une peine de dix ans de prison a l'encontre d'Hachani.
Apres les plaidoiries de la defense, le tribunal a rendu son
verdict: une peine de prison de cinq ans, largement couverte par la
detention preventive, et trois ans de privation des droits
civiques. Le 8 juillet au matin, Hachani a quitte la prison. Trois
journalistes du quotidien "El Khabar", qui etaient egalement
poursuivis, ont ete acquittes. - D'autre part, les festivites de
l'independance de l'Algerie, le 5 juillet, ont ete marquees par le
massacre d'au moins 61 personnes. Ces tueries jamais revendiquees
ont repris presque quotidiennement depuis la levee du dispositif
securitaire mis en place pour les elections.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 9 juillet 1997)
	* Algeria. FIS leader goes on trial  -  7 July: Mr Abdelkader
Hachani who was number 3 in the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) at
the height of its power in 1991, goes on trial in a tightly guarded
Algiers court, accused of trying to undermine state security.
Appearing after five years' detention without trial, he tells the
court that a FIS call for Algerian troops to disobey their officers
and leave radical Muslim activists alone, was aimed at avoiding
"confrontation" and involvement of the army in political struggles.
He was arrested in 1992 after a statement in his name appeared in
Al Khabar newspaper, when a general election in which the FIS had
taken a huge lead, was cancelled. He is sentenced to five years in
jail. 8 July: Hachani leaves prison, his prison sentence having
been already largely served by his years in detention. However, he
has also been sentenced to be deprived of his civic rights for
three years.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 July 1997)
	* Algerie. Secheresse - La secheresse a provoque un sinistre
agricole en Algerie. Alors que les recoltes de cereales
atteignaient un record l'annee derniere, cette annee plus de 60%
des superficies agricoles emblavees sont "totalement sinistrees".
Selon un responsable de l'agriculture, cette catastrophe est due a
la secheresse, aux gelees et aux vents chauds. Les paysans, pour
qui les pertes sont de 100% dans certaines regions, seront
indemnises par l'Etat grace a un fond de garantie.   (La Croix,
France, 8 juillet 1997)

* Angola. La tension monte  -  Dans une resolution du 30 juin, le
Conseil de securite des Nations unies a appele, "dans les termes
les plus forts", les deux parties angolaises a s'abstenir de tout
usage de la force. En effet, la tension militaire entre le
gouvernement et le mouvement rebelle UNITA n'a jamais ete aussi
grande depuis la signature du protocole de paix en 1994, malgre
l'integration de l'UNITA dans le gouvernement d'unite et de
reconciliation nationale et l'incorporation d'un certain nombre de
soldats de l'UNITA dans l'armee nationale. Les deux parties
s'accusent mutuellement d'attaques violentes et il y a de plus en
plus de preuves que l'UNITA a employe la periode de paix relative
depuis 1994 pour reorganiser et rearmer ses forces.   (d'apres
APIC, USA, 7 juillet 1997)

* Benin. Chasse aux "sans papiers"  -  La police a interpelle 250
"sans papiers", pour la plupart des etrangers, dans la nuit du 25
juin au marche international de Dantokpa a Cotonou. Ces
interpellations portent a pres de 640 le nombre de sans papiers
apprehendes en deux semaines. Le 19 juin, quelque 389 personnes,
principalement Togolais, Nigeriens, Maliens, Ghaneens, Nigerians,
Guineens et Senegalais, avaient ete interpellees au Port de Cotonou
lors d'une operation "coup de poing" menee conjointement par la
police et la gendarmerie et destinee a "lutter contre la
recrudescence du vol et assainir l'enceinte portuaire".   (Afrique
Express, France, 26 juin 1997)
	* Benin. Request for assistance  -  1 July: The UN Resident
Coordinator in Cotonou reports that due to heavy rains in the past
two weeks, flooding has occurred in Cotonou and Porto-Novo. The
Government of Benin has addressed an appeal for international
assistance to the UN system agencies present in Cotonou. The UN
Resident Coordinator has mobilized the local UN Disaster Management
Team to evaluate the flood damage and to determine relief
requirements. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA)
continues to closely monitor the situation, in cooperation with the
UN Resident Coordinator.   (DHA, 1 July 1997)

* Burundi. "Villagisation" policy  -  Concern is growing among the
humanitarian community that the government's intention to start
dismantling regroupment camps, may be followed by a policy of
"villagisation". Humanitarian sources say that in Kayanza, which
may be the first province to start dismantling the camps,
government plans are not to send people back to their often
isolated homes, but to relocate them along roads. New houses are to
be built along existing roads, and new roads constructed where
there are none. New roads would effectively encircle small villages
which, from a military point of view, would be easy to monitor.
Humanitarian sources say they will not support the "roadside
settlement scheme".   (IRIN, Kenya, 3 July 1997)
	* Burundi. Trial of Ndadaye's killers continues  -  On 4 July, the
Supreme Court restarted a trial of 79 people charged with killing
Burundi's first freely-elected Hutu president, but one defendant
laughed off the charges. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salvator
Scromba said that the 79 accused, many of them military officers,
were charged with mutiny. All have pleaded not guilty. Ethnic Tutsi
troops murdered President Melchior Ndadaye during an attempted coup
in Bujumbura in October 1993, sparking a wave of revenge killings
by Hutus, and army repression.   (Newspot, USA, 7 July 1997)
	* Burundi. Massacres  -  Plus de 200 rebelles hutu appartenant a
des groupes rivaux auraient ete tues le 2 mai dans des
affrontements les opposant dans la province Cibitoke, au nord-ouest
du Burundi, a rapporte le 8 juillet un porte-parole de l'armee.
Plus recemment, depuis le 2 juillet, le Burundi a ete le theatre de
violences hutu. Au moins 26 civils hutu ont peri de la main de
rebelles hutu dans la meme province de Cibitoke. Des rebelles du
parti Palipehutu s'en sont pris a la population de la zone de
Buhindo, au nord de Bujumbura, entre le 2 et le 6 juillet, ont
rapporte des temoins qui ont fui la region. Ils sont environ 2.500
a s'etre enfuis vers Buhinyuza.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 9 juillet
1997)

* Chad. Deby denies Amnesty report  -  In an interview published on
2 July, President Idriss Deby said there were no political
prisoners and no press censorship in his country. He accused
Amnesty International of lying about his human rights record. "In
contrast to those who preceded me, my reign is not based on human
rights violations, but on the democratic process. He said reports
by Amnesty International citing human rights abuses in Chad were
mostly lies. "I am not saying that everything is false in Amnesty
International reports. They contain 20 percent truth and 80 percent
lies, statements that are gross fabrications. In Chad there are
neither political prisoners nor press censorship. I am the
guarantor of respect for human rights in Chad. I am answerable only
to the Chadian people".   (Reuter, 2 July 1997)

* Congo-Brazzaville. Les affrontements se poursuivent  -  3
juillet. Le Conseil de securite de l'Onu obtient un accord general
sur le deploiement d'une premiere force multinationale,
principalement africaine, chargee d'assurer la securite de
l'aeroport de Brazzaville, mais aucun pays ne s'est porte
volontaire pour diriger cette operation et les modalites de
financement n'ont pas ete fixees. 6 juillet. Malgre un accord de
cessez-le-feu cense entrer en vigueur a minuit a l'instigation du
president gabonais, les milices de Lissouba et de N'Guesso se sont
affrontees toute la journee dans le centre de Brazzaville. Aucun
temoin fiable n'a pu mesurer la gravite des combats, tres
sporadiques, qui n'ont pas semble-t-il modifie la ligne de
demarcation qui divise la capitale. 8 juillet. Le Senegal donne son
accord pour prendre le commandement d'une force multinationale au
Congo et est pret a envoyer un contingent de 520 hommes. Ils
feraient partie d'un premier contingent de 1.800 soldats, en
majorite africains, si le Conseil de securite des Nations unies
decide de creer cette force.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 9
juillet 1997)
	* Congo (Brazza). Peacekeeping force - 3 July.The UN Security
Council expresses its backing for the deployment of a peacekeeping
force to be sent to Brazzaville. The force of up to 1,000 would be
made up of mainly African troops and its main job would be to
secure Brazzaville airport. No country has yet offered to lead the
mission, however, and it is unclear how it will be financed. The
OAU/UN Special Representative for the Great Lakes, Mohamed Sahnoun,
has warned that the fighting in Brazzaville may spill over into
Kinshasa, Congo (RDC), across the Congo river. 8 July: Senegal
agrees to lead a multinational force and is prepared to send a
contingent of 520 soldiers to Congo (Brazza).   (ANB-BIA, Brussels,
9 July 1997)

* Congo (RDC). Priority for farming, telecoms, roads  -  Congo
(RDC) plans to target farming, telecommunications and roadbuilding
as priorities, as it attempts to rebuild its economy. Finance
Minister Mawapanga Mwana Nanga said that the mineral-rich country
would encourage competition and foreign involvement in the
telecommunications sector, and offer incentives for investment in
farming. President Kabila's government struck deals with some
foreign mining companies before taking power. Linking other mining
deals to barter-style infrastructure projects, has been discussed.
 (Newspot, USA, 3 July 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Lettre des eveques  -  A l'issue d'une session
ordinaire de son comite permanent, tenue a Kinshasa du 23 au 28
juin, les eveques du Congo ont publie un message de 7 pages
intitule "Leve-toi et marche". Dans ce "message d'encouragement et
d'esperance", les douze signataires prennent acte de l'avenement du
changement. Ils felicitent le peuple pour son courage sous la
dictature, mais denoncent l'attitude de ceux qui ont participe a
son maintien et se sont remplis les poches. Ils s'insurgent
egalement contre les pratiques condamnables d'hier qui s'observent
encore aujourd'hui. Ils denoncent la justice expeditive et
l'incitation a la haine. Les eveques demandent aux nouveaux
dirigeants de ne jamais oublier que "c'est l'ensemble du peuple qui
est acteur de son destin" et invitent finalement les agents
pastoraux a prendre part a la reconstruction du pays.   (d'apres
CIP, Belgique, 4 juillet 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Mobutu troops terrorize Congo residents - On 6
July, local residents said that remnants of Mobutu's defeated army
are terrorizing the eastern Kasai province. They said that the
notoriously undisciplined soldiers had wreaked havoc in the Sankuru
region in Kasai, and they called on President Kabila's forces to
mop up the last pockets of resistance there. "We don't know where
these soldiers come from, but they have done so much harm to the
locals. They have caused so much damage at gun point", a Sankuru
student said.   (Newspot, USA, 7 July 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Nouveau "franc congolais"  -  Le ministre 
congolais des Finances, Mawapanga Mwana Nanga, a annonce le 6 juillet 
que le gouvernement mettra en circulation des billets de banque du 
nouveau franc congolais avec des coupures de 1 a 100 francs. Les 
coupures de 1 et de 5 F. seront imprimees au Congo. La production de 
celles de 10, 20, 50 et 100 F. est confiee a deux entreprises, une
americaine et une luxembourgeoise. Il y aura egalement des pieces
de monnaie. L'ensemble coutera a l'Etat environ 10 millions $. La
nouvelle monnaie devra remplacer le zaire. La date de
l'introduction du franc congolais n'est pas encore connue.
(d'apres De Standaard, Belgique, 8 juillet 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Human rights  -  3 July: The government says 
that UN investigators must agree to basic conditions if, on 7 July, 
they want to launch a probe into the alleged massacres of Hutu 
refugees. Conditions outlined by the government must include the 
period covered by the investigation and who is to lead the probe. The
government refuses to accept Chilean lawyer Roberto Garreton as a
member of the mission and wants the team to extend the inquiry
beyond its seven-month civil war, to include the aftermath of the
1994 genocide in Rwanda. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says that
the goal is to get at the facts. He said he is prepared to be
flexible and pragmatic if that is necessary to achieve the goal. 4
July: Another attempt is made to break the deadlock. Congo's
National Reconstruction and Emergency Planning Minister, Etienne
Richard Mbaya, says: "Our sovereignty is important to us". 5 July:
Congo's government has signed a tentative agreement that will allow
UN investigators to start work. In the draft document, the
government guarantees the security of UN investigators, their
freedom of movement and access to any information they need. It
also guarantees the safety of witnesses. 7 July: The UNHCR says
that the United Nations inquiry in Congo (RDC) is at an impasse.
The UN Secretary-General says the UN will organize a new mission to
probe the massacres, a move human rights groups says, gives in to
President Kabila's objections to the original Geneva-based mission.
9 July: The government welcomes the UN decision to send a new
mission but it continues to demand that the inquiry be widened to
include incidents dating back to 1993.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10
July 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Des religieux accusent-Dans un appel de "tous
les religieux et religieuses" adresse le 4 juillet a Pierre Medard
Kasonga Nyembue, delegue local de l'AFDL a Luluabourg, la
"Commission de vie religieuse" (CVR) du Kasai occidental lance un
cri d'alarme: une "culture de mort" est en train de s'installer
dans la region. Apres avoir salue le depart du dictateur et
l'arrivee des liberateurs, la CVR mentionne une liste exhaustive
d'agressions et d'assassinats. Des religieuses ont ete intimidees,
battues et ranconnees par des soldats de Kabila. L'archeveque de
Kananga, Mgr. Bakole wa Ilunga, dans une lettre adressee au meme
delegue, s'inquiete lui aussi d'une attaque de la maison de
formation des Carmelites a Kambote. Les assaillants, des militaires
fortement armes, ont demande "50.000 dollars et des jeunes soeurs
pour leur plaisir". Mgr. Bakole regrette que, chaque jour qui
passe, "nous assistons a des actes qui font renaitre dans les
esprits de la population des vexations et des anciennes pratiques
de l'armee de l'ancien regime".   (CIP, Belgique, 10 juillet 1997)
	* Congo (RDC). Enquetes et politique - Dans une conference de
presse a Kinshasa le 3 juillet, le secretaire general de l'AFDL a
reaffirme la preeminence du parti sur le gouvernement et a confirme
que les hommes et les partis politiques devaient adherer a l'AFDL
s'ils voulaient pretendre jouer un role dans la nouvelle
Republique. Pour sa part, le ministre de la Justice a declare que
le nouveau gouvernement est decide a faire la lumiere sur les
circonstances de l'assassinat de Patrice Lumumba, pere de
l'independance du Congo, et que ce proces ferait partie d'une serie
d'actions judiciaires destinees a faire la lumiere sur les
frequents assassinats politques qui suivirent l'independance du
pays, en 1960. D'autre part, selon un communique publie le 4
juillet a l'issue de conversations entre les representants de
Kinshasa et l'equipe du HCR qui preparait la mission d'enquete sur
les massacres de refugies hutu rwandais, les interlocuteurs ne sont
pas parvenus a s'entendre sur la nature et le mandat de cette
mission. Le protocole joint au communique souligne les deux points
principaux de divergence: composition de l'equipe des enqueteurs et
periode sur laquelle enqueter. Ce communique marque ainsi l'echec
definitif de la mission telle que la definissait la resolution
adoptee le 15 avril. M. Zacklin, du Haut commissariat aux droits de
l'homme, a declare le 7 juillet a Geneve que "c'est au secretaire
general de l'Onu de suggerer un autre mecanisme". Selon certaines
sources, jusqu'a 200.000 refugies auraient pu etre massacres. Le 8
juillet a Bruxelles, Emma Bonino, commissaire europeen a l'Action
humanitaire, faisait les comptes: 500.000 refugies hutu ne sont pas
rentres au Rwanda en decembre 1996. "Sur ceux-la, on sait que
50.000 ont ete rapatries au Rwanda [...] Quelques milliers d'autres
sont eparpilles au Congo [...] Quelques milliers ont gagne la
Zambie, l'Angola, le Congo-Brazzaville et le Gabon. De toutes les
facons, environ 230.000 ont disparu. On est quasiment certain
qu'ils ont succombe a la faim, aux maladies et aux massacres
systematiques." Finalement, Kofi Annan, le secretaire general de
l'Onu, semble s'incliner devant Kabila. Il a declare vouloir former
lui-meme une equipe d'enquete qui, tout en centrant leurs
recherches sur la periode depuis fin 1996, pourra egalement
s'interesser a la periode precedente. Annan justifie sa decision en
disant qu'un debut rapide de l'enquete est plus important que la
composition de l'equipe.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10
juillet 1997)

* Egypt. "Financially sound" status  -  Egypt is now a "financially
very solid" country which merits close inspection by international
investors, according to Mr Youssef Boutros Ghali, the designer of
Egypt's structural reform policies, who was promoted to economy
minister on 9 July by President Mubarak. Mr Boutros Ghali, who is
launching a drive to promote investment in Egypt, said his country
was now in a position to open its borders to foreign competition.
He said Cairo intended to raise economic growth from more than 5%
now, to 8% by the end of the century, and needed foreign investment
to achieve this.   (Financial Times, U.K., 9 July 1997)

* Ethiopia. Zenawi meets the Press  -  In late June, Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi met with the Press and dealt with a number of current
national and international issues. He said that there have been
peace talks in Europe between the Oromo Liberation Front and the
Government. The Government, in fact, welcomes any opposition group
who wants to operate peacefully and democratically. Regarding the
Al Itthad Al-Islam group, the Prime Minister described them as "a
terrorist group intent on terrorist activities". He then dealt with
Ethiopia-Sudan relations: "The Ethiopian Government has always
maintained that it has nothing against the Sudanese people. We
would like to have, if possible, good relations with Sudan".
Ethiopia's food situation gives cause for concern, and the Prime
Minister said: "The failure of the Belg (small rains between March
and May) in some parts of eastern and south-eastern Ethiopia, has
resulted in severe hardships, but we are confident we can cope with
the situation." Of particular interest is the utilization of Nile
waters. Mr Meles said that Ethiopia is keen to cooperate with all
riparian states on the basis of the principle of an equitable
sharing of the waters.   (Lammii Guddaa, Ethiopia, 29 June 1997)

* Guinee-Bissau. Report du congres du PAIGC  -  Le 6eme Congres du
Parti africain pour l'independance de la Guinee-Bissau, au pouvoir
depuis 23 ans, ne s'est pas ouvert comme prevu a la fin de la
derniere semaine de juin, et a ete reporte sine die. Ce report
imprevu serait du a un affrontement entre les deux principales
tendances au sein du PAIGC, qui s'est traduit debut juin par le
depart de l'ancien Premier ministre, Manuel da Costa, secretaire
national du parti. Ce congres a deja ete reporte a diverses
reprises cette annee. Il devait, cette fois-ci, preparer les
prochaines echeances electorales, mais aussi retablir la cohesion
au sein du parti menace d'eclatement. Le congres devait en outre se
pencher sur la crise socio-economique du pays, a la lumiere de son
entree dans la zone franc.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 4 juillet
1997)

* Guinee equatoriale. Arrestations  -  Dans une depeche datee du 2
juillet, Amnesty International denonce une vague d'arrestations de
membres de partis d'opposition en Guinee equatoriale. Le 30 juin et
le 1er juillet, les forces de l'ordre arreterent plusieurs membres
du parti FDR (Force democrate republicaine). Le 1 juillet a Bata,
une douzaine de membres de la CPDS (Convergence pour la democratie
sociale) furent egalement arretes au cours d'une reunion pacifique
de leur parti. Ces arrestations semblent faire suite a une decision
du gouvernement, le 16 juin, de dissoudre le Parti du Progres,
accuse d'un complot pour renverser le gouvernement. A.I. exige la
liberation immediate des prisonniers.   (Amnesty International, UK,
2 juillet 1997)

* Kenya. IMF warning  -  The International Monetary Fund has called
on Kenya to tackle the biggest financial scandal in its history or
face suspension of its loan agreement. Without an IMF agreement,
the country's donors are unlikely to provide new aid. President Moi
is already under unprecedented pressure to reform the constitution.
The warning has triggered the cancellation of a meeting of Kenya's
aid donors scheduled to take place in Paris later this month. The
Fund's decision to delay disbursement of the second tranche, worth
$37m, of its $216m Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility, was
prompted by last month's collapse of court proceedings against
defendants, in what has become known as the Goldenberg Affair.
(State officials are alleged to have allowed Goldenberg
International, a jewellery-exporting company owned by Mr Pattni, to
be paid millions of dollars for fictitious exports of gold and
diamonds. The scandal, part of a series of financial frauds,
estimated to have cost $430m, was exposed five years ago).
(Financial Times, U.K., 7 July 1997)
	* Kenya. 9 tues dans une repression - Le "National Convention
Executive Committee", qui regroupe des partis d'opposition, des
organisations de defense des droits de l'homme et des representants
ecclesiastiques, a lance un defi au regime du president Arap Moi en
appelant a une journee de mobilisation nationale, le 7 juillet,
pour reclamer une reforme de la Constitution. Une cinquantaine de
lieux etaient prevus a travers le pays, ou devaient se derouler des
protestations sous diverses formes. Les protestataires reclament
une reforme constitutionnelle avant les elections, ce que Arap Moi
se refuse a leur accorder. Dans les affrontements qui ont oppose ce
7 juillet manifestants et forces de l'ordre dans plusieurs villes,
dont la capitale, neuf personnes ont ete tuees. Les policiers sont
meme intervenus dans la cathedrale anglicane de Nairobi pour
reprimer les opposants. C'est la troisieme manifestation en deux
mois qui a ete dispersee avec violence par les forces de l'ordre.
Cependant, d'autres demonstrations sont prevues. Le 9 juillet, les
autorites kenyanes ont ferme l'universite de Nairobi, en pleine
periode d'examens, a la suite d'un nouveau defile d'etudiants dans
le centre de la ville. Les policiers ont pris d'assaut le campus.
Les ambassades de 19 pays ont condamne, dans un communique commun,
les "violents desordres" survenus cette semaine.   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 10 juillet 1997)
	* Kenya. Police fire on opposition protestors  -  4 July: 
About 100 university students clash with riot police at the Lower 
Kabete campus of Nairobi University, the second consecutive day of 
student unrest. The students are protesting against a proposed Higher
Education Bill. About 70 riot police fire rubber bullets and
teargas to disperse the students. Jennifer Wachie, a photographer
attached to The East African Standard is beaten by police when
covering the clashes at the university. 7 July: Priests in Nairobi
flee as police fire tear gas to break up rallies across Kenya.
Protesters are calling for constitutional reforms before the
elections. At least four people are killed when police move in,
beating the rally organisers and firing both live and rubber
bullets. (Editor's note: the total number of deaths is given as
nine.) Tear gas is fired into Nairobi's All Saint's Cathedral and
police beat several demonstrators including Muturi Kigano, chairman
of the unregistered Safina party, and opposition MPs. Also beaten
are Osman Njuguna, a correspondent with the All-Africa Press
Services and Peter Karuri, a freelance photo-journalist attached to
the Nation group of newspapers. Police say Red Cross workers have
found a boy bleeding from his mouth and ears in the capital's Uhuru
park. He dies on the way to hospital. In Thika, 20 miles from the
capital, witnesses say a 17-year-old youth has been shot dead by
police when they charged people gathering for a demonstration.
Police appear to have singled out for particularly savage beatings,
leaders of opposition-backed groups which called the rallies to
press for constitutional reforms before the elections. 8 July:
Opposition groups vow to step up public protests. Opposition
parties, human rights groups and other bodies in the National
Convention Executive Committee (NCEC) order a new demonstration for
9 July, to put pressure on the government and bring Kenya's
conflict to the attention of visiting leaders. (Editor's note: A
Summit of regional Presidents, on the civil war in Sudan, is being
held in Nairobi, 8-9 July.) In a news release, Amnesty
International says it is "appalled at the violence meted out by
police and security forces as they broke up pro-democracy rallies
yesterday". 9 July: Following on a student demonstration, the
authorities close Nairobi University   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 July
1997)

* Mali. Preparation des legislatives  -  17 partis politiques et 15
candidats independants seront en lice le 20 juillet lors du premier
tour des legislatives, a appris l'AFP le 30 juin. Dix des 17 partis
en lice appartiennent a la mouvance presidentielle, cinq font
partie de l'opposition moderee et deux n'ont pas d'etiquette
politique. De son cote, le collectif de 20 partis de l'opposition
radicale a reaffirme le 29 juin sa volonte de boycotter ces
elections, "parce que les conditions d'elections transparentes ne
sont pas reunies".   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 4 juillet 1997)

* Maroc. Remous dans le PPS  -  Ali Yata, le secretaire general du
PPS, le Parti du progres et du socialisme, anime par d'anciens
communistes, ne sera pas candidat a sa succession. Age de 76 ans,
Ali Yata dirige le PPS depuis sa creation au lendemain de
l'independance en 1956. Il quitte la direction du parti alors que
quatre membres du bureau politique ont annonce leur intention de
creer une nouvelle formation d'opposition, le Front des forces
democratiques (FFD), dont le congres constitutif doit se tenir le
27 juillet a Rabat.   (Le Monde, France, 8 juillet 1997)
	* Morocco. Where and how is Mobutu? - 23 May: Mobutu and his
entourage left Togo for Morocco. During the first part of June,
Mobutu, his family and entourage stayed at a hotel south of Rabat,
near King Hassan's palace at Skhirat. On 18 June, they moved to Le
Mirage Hotel at Cap Spartel, about 20 km from Tangier. On 27 June,
Mobutu, who is suffering from prostrate cancer, was brought to
Rabat from Tangier, and admitted to the Avicenne Hospital. On 28
June he underwent radiological vascular intervention. On 30 June,
Mobutu was reported to have left the hospital for an "unknown
destination". A doctor said he apparently needs "intensive medical
care later, which necessitates his hospitalisation abroad". The
same day, a manager at Le Mirage confirmed that Mobutu's entourage
was still at the hotel, but declined to confirm whether the former
president and his family were still there. Officials said they
expected Mobutu to spend up to six weeks there. On 2 July, Mobutu
underwent an intensive medical examination for "health
complications", at a military hospital in Rabat. Meanwhile,
diplomats said he had asked for political asylum in Spain and
Portugal, but had received no response. On 3 July, a Belgian
businessman said he was buying a mansion owned by Mobutu, near
central Brussels. 5 July: Congo (RDC)ūs Foreign Affairs Minister
makes an official request to Belgium, that Mobutu's bank accounts
and properties in Belgium, plus those of 82 others, should be
investigated. 9 July: The Belgian judicial authorities begin their
investigations.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 July 1997)

* Mauritanie. Boycott des elections  -  La coordination des cinq
partis d'opposition a decide de boycotter les elections
presidentielles prevues le 12 decembre. L'annonce en a ete faite le
28 juin par M. Ahmed ould Daddah, president de l'Union des forces
democratiques. Il a explique que l'opposition a pris cette decision
pour protester contre l'absence de transparence et denoncer la
gestion unilaterale de l'organisation des elections par le regime
du president Maaouiya Sid'Ahmed ould Taya.   (Marches Tropicaux,
France, 4 juillet 1997)

* Namibia/Botswana. Thirst  -  Namibia is the driest African
country south of the Sahara. It wants to divert water from the
Okavango river, which runs along part of its border with Angola,
and pump it uphill though a pipeline towards Windhoek, the capital.
The trouble is that the Okavango feeds one of the most delicate
ecosystems in the world: the Okavango Delta, which is Botswana's
main tourist draw. If the yearly floodwaters were to dry up,
Botswana would be badly hit. The Botswana government has insisted
on the Namibians carrying out, at their expense, an environmental
study to look at the possible effects on the delta. The study has
still not been released. Botswana's "greens", who argue that
Namibia should desalinate sea water, are preparing for a showdown.
 (The Economist, U.K., 5 July 1997)

* Niger. Opposition protests banned  -  The government has banned
opposition protests to mark the first anniversary of the chaotic
elections in which President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara made the
transition from coup leader to elected Head of State. On 2 July,
Interior Minister Idi Ango Omar announced that the government had
banned all demonstrations on July 7 and 8 after receiving reports
that protests were being planned. Mainassara, who toppled the
elected president Mahamane Ousmane in January 1996, scrapped the
Independent Electoral Commission on day-two of polling last July.
 (Newspot, USA, 3 July 1997)
	* Niger. Tensions dans le secteur rural  -  Le gouvernement
nigerien s'est declare "tres preoccupe" par la brusque
recrudescence des conflits entre agriculteurs et pasteurs nomades
qui ont fait une quarantaine de morts, autant de blesses et
d'importants degats materiels au cours des 4 derniers mois, selon
un bilan etabli le 30 juin a partir de communiques officiels. Les
affrontements les plus meurtriers sont survenus en mars pres de la
frontiere malienne, ou une vingtaine de bergers peuhls ont ete
massacres a l'issue d'une dispute autour d'un puits. D'autres
massacres ont eu lieu en mai pres de Niamey et dans le departement
de Maradi. Ces conflits traditionnels semblent s'etre intensifies
ces dix dernieres annees et se soldent souvent par des bilans tres
lourds, du fait notamment que l'arsenal traditionnel est maintenant
remplace par des fusils de chasse et des Kalashnikov. Le
gouvernement vient d'interdire toute importation d'armes a feu et
a suspendu la delivrance du permis de port d'armes.   (d'apres
Marches Tropicaux, France, 4 juillet 1997)

* Nigeria. Shell given ultimatum  -  Four communities in Nigeria's
ethnically-fragmented south have given Royal Dutch Shell a July 8
deadline to leave their oil-producing area or be forced out, local
newspapers reported on 3 July. The newspapers said a letter from
the ethnic-Ijaw communities near Sokebelou in Delta State accused
Shell of not providing local people with benefits from the 75,000
barrels per day of crude oil pumped into flow-stations in the area.
"Shell must go if she does not change her shameless stand of
disregard for the goose that lays the golden egg in this nation,"
the independent Thisday newspaper quoted the letter as saying. The
communities involved, recently won a battle against Shell in local
courts over compensation for environmental damage, but now say
Shell is planning to appeal to a higher court. A Shell spokesman in
Lagos said he was aware of the newspaper reports but was unable to
comment at this stage.   (Reuter, 2 July 1997)
	* Nigeria. Doubts on handover - Changes to the timetable for
elections in Nigeria have added to doubts about the commitment of
its military rulers to restoring democracy, opponents and analysts
said on 3 July. Since General Sani Abacha, the country's military
ruler, set out his timetable in 1995 for a return to civilian rule,
his plan has been attacked as insincere at every stage by critics
at home and abroad. The committee handling the transition plans
said on 3 July, that elections set for this year had been put off
until next year at the request of the five legal political parties.
Presidential elections are scheduled for August 1, 1998 before a
promised handover to civilian rule on October 1, 1998. Opponents
claim the democracy plan, adopted when Nigeria was under national
and international pressure to reform, is no more than a ruse to
ensue the military retains power.   (Financial Times, U.K., 4 July
1997)

* Nigeria. Transition confirmee  -  Le general Abacha a confirme,
le 2 juillet a Abuja, qu'il transmettrait le pouvoir aux civils le
1er octobre 1998, comme il s'y etait engage en octobre 1995.
L'election presidentielle est fixee au 1er aout 1998. Les elections
des gouverneurs civils des 36 Etats de la federation nigeriane se
tiendront le meme jour. Elles auraient du avoir lieu au cours du
dernier trimestre de 1997, mais ont ete reportees a la demande des
cinq formations politiques officiellement enregistrees qui
disputeront la course a la presidence.   (Le Monde, France, 4
juillet 1997)

* Rwanda. Rwandans led revolt in former Zaire  -  An article
published in The Washington Post (9 July), reports on how Rwanda's
Defense Minister, Paul Kagame, has acknowledged for the first time
his country's key role in the overthrow of President Mobutu in
neighbouring Congo (RDC), saying that the Rwandan government
planned and directed the rebellion that toppled Mobutu, and that
Rwandan troops and officers led the rebel forces. The article
states that Rwandan forces participated in the capture of at least
four cities -- Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kenge and Kisangani. Kagame
added that Rwandan "mid-level" commanders led Congolese rebel
forces throughout the successful rebellion, and that Rwanda
provided training and arms for those forces, even before the
campaign to overthrow Mobutu began last October.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 10 July 1997)

* Rwanda/Congo. Le Rwanda dirigea la guerre  -  Dans un entretien
publie le 9 juillet par le Washington Post, Paul Kagame, ministre
rwandais de la Defense et homme fort de Kigali, a reconnu que le
regime rwandais avait organise, arme et soutenu la rebellion de
Kabila qui a provoque en un peu plus de sept mois la chute de
Mobutu. Jusqu'alors les autorites rwandaises avaient toujours
dementi s'etre impliquees dans la crise zairoise en fournissant
hommes et armes a la rebellion. Kagame precise que les troupes de
l'AFDL ont ete entrainees et armees par le Rwanda avant meme le
debut de leur insurrection. Le recit de Kagame laisse a penser que
la guerre a ete planifiee au Rwanda et que le plan de destitution
de Mobutu a ete prepare a Kigali, ecrit le quotidien. Selon Kagame,
les forces rwandaises ont participe directement a la prise d'au
moins 4 villes: Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Kenge et Kinshasa. Il dement
en revanche que les massacres de refugies hutu aient ete planifies,
mais il n'exclut pas la possibilite de comportements individuels
atroces dans les rangs des forces essentiellement tutsi de Kabila.
L'article suggere que Kabila n'etait qu'un homme de paille et que
les rebelles dissidents, qui s'opposaient a l'ascandence rwandaise,
etaient elimines (tel le commandant Andre Kisase Ngandu, tue le 6
janvier pres de Goma par les Tutsi rwandais).   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 10 juillet 1997)

* Sierra Leone. Situation not yet settled  -  2 July: Sierre
Leone's UN ambassador accuses Liberians of propping up the coup
leaders that ousted the country's elected government. "The evidence
is very clear that those in charge today in Sierra Leone are not
those ill-considered military people who have made a coup," says
James Jonah, a former senior UN official and advisor to ousted
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. "Instead", he says, "the rebel
Revolutionary United Front (RUF) prevented the army coup leaders
from being flexible in dealing with international demands they give
up power. The control has passed on to the RUF, which is today
controlled by Liberians. They are digging in their heels." Also on
2 July, the State-owned Sierre Leone Commercial Bank reopens its
doors for the first time since the 25 May coup, after the new
military government says it will guarantee its safety. "The
government has, after repeated meetings with them, convinced us
that they will protect us and our operations fully," a senior
official at the bank says. Other banks, including foreign banks, in
the capital, Freetown, remain closed. 8 July: Panic grips Freetown
after a clandestine broadcast by ousted President Kabbah stokes
fear of a new attack by Nigeria to reinstate him. The city's lorry
park is crammed with people scrambling to leave for the interior,
after Kabbah called on troops backing the coup leaders, to defect
to a Nigerian-led regional force.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 July
1997)

* Somaliland. 21 wounded in attack  -  On 4 July, radio reports
said that six people were killed in Burao town centre, when gunmen
opened fire indiscriminately. A total of 21 people, including seven
women, were injured in the incident which took place on the evening
of 3 July. A gunman died in hospital after falling from a
"technical" battlewagon used in the attack. "Technicals" patrolled
Burao streets on 4 July. Elders from Burao's four main communities
and the country's Interior Minister began mediation.   (Newspot,
USA, 7 July 1997)

* Sudan. Peace framework  -  Sudan has accepted a framework for
negotiations clearing the way for resumed talks to end 14 years of
civil war. But Sudanese president Hassan al-Bashir said the
framework, "the declaration of principles", was not binding. A
summit of regional leaders in Nairobi on 9 July, described it as a
basis for discussion. In response, the main Sudanase rebel group,
the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), said it could not resume
negotiations with General Bashir unless the framework was binding
on both parties. The leaders of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and
Djibouti and a representative of Uganda, earlier hailed the
Sudanese acceptance of the declaration of principles, as "a major
breakthrough" in the long search for peace in southern Sudan. The
declaration included the separation of religion and the state and
the principle of self-determination for south Sudan.   (Financial
Times, U.K., 10 July 1997)

* Tanzania/Botswana. Joint Commission  -  On 1 July, the Tanzanian
state-owned news agency, SHINATA, reported that Botswana and
Tanzania have agreed to establish a joint commission in
agriculture, education, tourism and trade. The agency quoted State
House press secretary, Patrick Chokala, as saying the establishment
of the commission was reached on 30 June following talks between
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and President Ketumile Masire of
Botswana. During the one hour talks, Masire commended the role
Tanzania had played in the African struggle for independence. For
many years, Tanzania, where the headquarters of the African
Liberation Committee were located, hosted freedom fighters from
Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa. Masire is on a four-
day official visit to Tanzania.   (AFJN, Washington, 1 July 1997)

* Tanzania. Repatriation of Congolese refugees postponed  -  On 3
July, a UN official said that Tanzania has blocked a planned
voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees until the new
government in Kinshasa gives formal assurances of security and
safety. The official said that a scheduled repatriation of 300
refugees on 30 June who had fled Congo (RDC), was postponed pending
discussions between Tanzania and Kinshasa. Concern by Tanzanian
authorities for the welfare of the refugees lay behind the call for
talks. About 100,000 refugees from former Zaire, are in Tanzania.
 (Newspot, USA, 3 July 1997)

* Tunisia. Academic freedoms  -  Academic papers to be delivered to
conferences in Tunisia must now be vetted by the Higher Education
Ministry. The move follows a conference on financing when a foreign
speaker said claims of corruption in high places were fuelling
negative perceptions of Tunisian risk. Dissident academics
frequently fall foul of the authorities, which can mean visits to
the ever active examining magistrates, police surveillance and loss
of travelling rights. Tunis counters criticism, by measures such as
appointing respected academic Abdelbaki Hermassi as Culture
Minister. (...)   (Africa Confidential, U.K., 4 July 1997)

* Uganda. Children abducted  -  On 5 July, Ugandan rebels abducted
more than 30 children and looted food supplies, in an attack on
Mongula refugee camp in northern Moyo district. The abductees were
all boys between 11-15 years old. The raid is the third in a month
on the Sudanese refugee camp, bringing the total to 41 people
seized by Joseph Kony's Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The World Food
Programme (WFP) in Uganda reports that there are complaints among
the 11,000 refugees in Mongula, that their security concerns are
not being taken seriously.   (IRIN, Kenya, 8 July 1997)

* Uganda. Training Ugandan peace-keepers  -  Ugandan peace-keepers
due to be trained later this month by US Green Berets, will not be
deployed outside the OAU framework. Replying to concerned expressed
by an unnamed OAU official reported in The East African weekly,
Minister of State for Defense, Amama Mbabazi, told the Monitor
newspaper, that the army is interested in building its capacity,
rather than unilateral military deployment without OAU consent. The
US Special Forces team is due in Uganda for two months on 21 July,
to provide battalion-size instruction on convoy protection, mine
clearance, communications and civil-military relations.   (IRIN,
Kenya, 8 July 1997)

* Zambia. Lusaka -- an environmental disaster  -  Disgruntled
residents of Lusaka have long grumbled that their city is no longer
worthy of being called Zambia's capital. From the city centre to
the suburbs, Lusaka -- home to over two million people -- has
become so filthy, that water-borne diarrhoeal epidemics have become
commonplace, especially during the monsoons. Shanty towns have
mushroomed. And vendors have set up massively alongside garbage
dumps...It took an environmental workshop sponsored by the Swedish
International Development Agency, to drive the message home. The
Workshop -- a crash course for members of Parliament -- declared
Lusaka an environmental disaster...Probably the one uncontroversial
proof of Lusaka's sanitation problem lies in the fact that six
cholera centres have been opened since December 1996 (though the
Ministry of Health maintains strict secrecy over cholera cases).
(The East African, Kenya, 30 June-6 July 1997)

* Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana charged with sodomy  -  On 7 July, former
president Canaan Banana was charged with eleven counts of sodomy,
attempted sodomy and indecent assault, but the trial was postponed
until 4 August. Senior regional magistrate Jacqueline Pratt did not
ask Banana to plead, but he was remanded on $1,757 bail, surety of
his Harare home, and on surrender of his passport, court officials
said. Banana was indicted in a closed court. He had been under
investigation since February after allegations that he raped and
forced one of his former male aides into a relationship.
(Newspot, USA, 7 July 1997)


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=====> INTERESTING ARTICLE -- NOUS VOUS SIGNALONS...
= RWANDA/CONGO (RDC)
Title: Rwandans led revolt in Congo
Author: John Pomfret
Source: The Washington Post, 9 July 1997
Description: An article in The Washington Post, reporting on how
Rwanda's Defense Minister, Paul Kagame, has acknowledged for the
first time, his country's key role in the overthrow of President
Mobutu, saying that the Rwandan government planned and directed the
rebellion.