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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 12-03-1998      PART #1/  

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Botswana: World View
Botswana, a locally based non-governmental organization, has been
denied a broadcasting licence by the Botswana Telecommunications
Authority. Chad: According to the World Association of
Newspapers, on 12 February, the N'Djamena correctional tribunal,
sentenced Yaldet Begoto Oulatar and Dieudonne Djonabaye, director
and chief editor respectively of the newspaper N'Djamena Hebdo.
The two journalists received two-year suspended prison sentences
and fines of CFA francs 100,000 for defaming the President of the
Republic. Zambia: On 25 February, opposition UNIP member and
writer, Frederick Mwanza, is released (together with five others)
from detention by President Chiluba.   (IFEX, Canada, 5 & 9 March
1998)

* Africa. African economies  -  A report on African economies
compiled by the World Economic Forum and the Havard Institute for
International Development has ranked Kenya number 13. The report
said that Mauritius, Tunisia and Botswana are the most
competitive economies of 23 countries surveyed. The Africa
Competitiveness report shows that small, dynamic, stable
economies with solid economies, perform best. Mauritius, Tunisia
and Botswana, are all reliably well-managed economies. They all
have significant export interests, and all have a history of
sustained, respectable economic growth.   (East African Business
& Finance, Kenya, 24 February 1998)

* Afrique/Monde. Securite alimentaire  -  La FAO s'inquiete de
l'etat alarmant des stocks mondiaux de cereales, qui laisserait
presager, pour 1998, un niveau de securite alimentaire inferieur
de 17 a 18% au minimum requis. Dans un rapport publie le 4 mars,
la FAO "appelle a une surveillance etroite et permanente de la
situation". "Les stocks cerealiers mondiaux restent en-dessous
des niveaux de securite pour une troisieme annee consecutive",
constate l'organisation. Elle estime par ailleurs que le nombre
de pays en situation d'urgence alimentaire a augmente au point
"d'approcher un chiffre record". Elle les evalue a 37 pour 1998,
citant notamment pour l'Afrique: l'Angola, le Burkina Faso, le
Burundi, l'Erythree, l'Ethiopie, le Kenya, le Rwanda, le Senegal
et la Somalie.   (Le Monde, France, 6 mars 1998)

* Afrique. Forum sur les investissements  -  A Addis Abeba, le
8 mars, s'est ouvert un forum de deux jours, ou les gouvernements
de douze pays africains (Ouganda, Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe,
Tanzanie, Ghana, Tunisie, Maroc, Mali, Erythree, Botswana,
Ethiopie et Malawi) discuteront, avec pres de 300 chefs
d'entreprises etrangeres, la question des investissements en
Afrique. L'accent sera mis sur les exigences d'une saine
economie, les possibilites d'investissement en Afrique et la
creation de nouvelles relations commerciales entre les
entreprises occidentales et le continent africain. Le premier
jour, le president ougandais, Museveni, a attaque le systeme
d'aide apporte par l'Occident a des "economies moribondes", qui
perpetue la dependance. Il s'en est pris egalement au FMI et a
la Banque mondiale, qui imposent des reformes structurelles sans
essayer de comprendre les situations, et a certains leaders
africains "totalement corrompus".   (De Standaard, Belgique, 7-9
mars 1998)

* East Africa. Targeted by drug barons  -  Kenya has declared an
allout war on drug abuse and trafficking, joining Uganda and
Tanzania and other African countries which have been transit
points for hard drugs destined for European and American markets.
This week, Kenya's Attorney-General outlined measures which the
government has put in place, in collaboration with Tanzania and
Uganda. The Kenyan government has established a high powered
interministerial drug and co-ordinating committee to address the
problem on a serious and permanent basis.   (Sunday Times, Kenya,
1 March 1998)

* Algeria. Human rights situation  -  The UN Commission of Human
Rights opens in Geneva on 16 March 1998. This year marks the 50th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well
as the five-year review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme
of Action. Amnesty International has sent an Open Letter to all
governments, and in particular those states who are members of
the UN Commission, to take immediate and effective action on the
acute situation of human rights in Algeria.   (Amnesty
International, 5 March 1998)

* Algerie/Belgique. Membres du GIA arretes  -  Le 5 mars, apres
un affrontement violent avec des unites de la gendarmerie belge,
huit membres du Groupe islamiste arme (GIA) ont ete arretes a
Bruxelles. L'identite d'un seul a ete devoilee: Farid Melouk, 32
ans, un Francais d'origine algerienne, condamne par defaut le 18
fevrier a Paris a sept ans de reclusion pour sa participation a
la serie d'attentats de l'ete 1995 en France, et presume etre une
cheville ouvriere de la mouvance islamiste radicale en Europe.
Une neuvieme personne a ete interpellee le 6 mars, mais a ete
remise en liberte. Selon le parquet de Bruxelles, sept activistes
ont ete inculpes; un autre devrait etre expulse. Il se
confirmerait que le reseau demantele constituait un point d'appui
logistique pour les militants et sympathisants du GIA dissemines
en Europe, plutot qu'une base servant a l'organisation
d'attentats et au stockage d'armes.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 7 mars 1998)

* Algerie. Fatwa et massacres  -  Le gouvernement algerien vient
de demander au Haut Conseil islamique, la plus haute instance
religieuse en Algerie, de promulguer une fatwa (avis religieux
autorise) pour l'avortement des femmes enceintes a la suite de
viols commis par des "terroristes", a indique, le 4 mars, le
ministre de la solidarite nationale et de la famille, Rabea
Mechernene. - D'autre part, au moins 32 personnes (dont 4 femmes
aveugles et 6 bergers) ont ete assassinees en deux jours a
travers l'Algerie lors d'attaques attribuees aux islamistes
armes, selon des bilans officiels et des informations de presse.
A Alger, 12 personnes au moins ont ete blessees, le 7 mars, dans
une attaque a la grenade contre un autobus au centre de la
capitale. Par ailleurs, les forces de securite poursuivent leur
offensive contre les groupes armes dans l'Ouest.   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 9 mars 1998)
* Algeria. Industrial unrest  -  7 March: The police attempt to
disarm Custom's agents. The agents go on strike and a union
representative says the strike has paralysed port and airport
traffic, including oil and gas exports. Customs union officials
say the authorities have offered to rescind the decision to
disarm the Customs' agents, but the union is maintaining its
strike, to demand that those officials who ordered the police to
move into action, be punished. 8 March: Officials say there have
been casualties among the Customs agents during the strike
action. 9 March: More than 100,000 workers in dozens of
mechanical and metallurgy industry units go on strike to protest
reform-driven mass layoffs and plant closures, union
representatives say. The 24-hour strike paralyses Algeria's main
industrial hub in Rouiba, east of Algiers, and the al Hadjar
steel complex in the northeastern town of Annaba, say the
representatives. The al Hadjar and Rouiba complexes, built early
in the 1970s during Algeria's socialist era, employ more than
120,000 workers, according to data.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 March
1998)

* Algerie. Greves  -  Plus de 100.000 salaries de l'industrie ont
suivi, le 9 mars, un appel a la greve d'une journee dans toute
l'Algerie pour protester contre les privatisations des
entreprises publiques et les compressions d'effectifs. La
direction de l'UGTA, la puissante centrale syndicale, a annonce
une journee de greve chaque semaine dans l'un des secteurs
d'activite du pays. D'autre part, apres la mort d'un douanier,
tue par un policier, une greve "illimitee" des douaniers bloque
les ports et aeroports de Bejaia, Alger, Skikda et Constantine. 
 (Liberation, France, 10 mars 1998)

* Algeria. death sentences  -  Algerian media said on 11 March,
that a court has sentenced to death 17 Muslim rebel fugitives,
including Anwar Haddan, a US-based spokesman of the outlawed
Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). La Tribune said the men, tried in
their absence, were convicted of several killings, including that
of Abdelhak Benhamouda, the leader of Algeria's main trade union.
It said the 17, included Haddan, one of the leaders in exile of
the FIS.   (InfoBeat, USA, 11 March 1998)

* Angola. UNITA demobilisation  -  5 March: The deadline for
UNITA's demobilisation is midnight today. 6 March: Angola's joint
commission is meeting today, following UNITA's failure to meet
yesterday's midnight deadline for a declaration of
demobilisation. According to the UN observer mission to Angola
(MONUA), UNITA still has some 1,200 residual forces to
demobilise. The Angolan ambassador to Zambia says that weapons
destined for UNITA are transiting through Zambian territory.
Later, UNITA declares its effective demobilisation, meeting one
of the key conditions for the completion of the peace process. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 7 March 1998)

* Angola. L'Unita desarme  -  L'ancien mouvement rebelle Unita
a enfin signe la declaration d'une demobilisation totale de ses
forces, qui devra etre terminee avant le 19 mars. Un communique,
diffuse le 6 mars par la radio de l'Unita, annonce une
"demobilisation speciale et finale" dans quinze localites
differentes entre le 11 et le 15 mars; et la demobilisation des
generaux de l'Unita a Bailundo entre le 16 et le 19 mars. Des
mediateurs internationaux ont redige un nouveau programme pour
la realisation de l'accord de paix de 1994. Le 11 mars, l'Unita
a obtenu sa reconnaissance officielle de parti politique.
L'ancien mouvement rebelle pourra desormais installer son
quartier general a Luanda et reconstituer ses comites locaux. Au
total, l'Unita aura desarme plus de 70.000 hommes.   (ANB-BIA,
de sources diverses, 12 mars 1998)

* Burundi. Buyoya en Europe  -  En visite a Paris, Pierre Buyoya,
le chef de la junte burundaise, a rencontre, le 6 mars, le
president Chirac et le ministre des Affaires etrangeres, Hubert
Vedrine. Il a recu l'assurance des plus hautes autorites
francaises d'etre soutenu, au sein des instances internationales,
dans sa quete d'une levee de l'embargo impose a son pays. Il a
egalement obtenu des promesses tres concretes dans le domaine de
la cooperation entre les deux pays. En contrepartie, M. Buyoya
a du assurer le gouvernement francais de sa "volonte d'amener le
pays a la paix". Il a promis d'une part la relance des
pourparlers au niveau regional, et d'autre part l'ouverture du
dialogue et de la reconciliation a l'interieur du Burundi. - Le
9 mars, a Rome, Pierre Buyoya a ete recu par le pape. A cette
occasion, le Saint Siege a reaffirme son opposition a l'embargo
impose au Burundi.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 mars 1998)

* Cameroon/Nigeria. Bakassi Peninsula dispute  -  On 5 March,
Cameroon accused Nigeria of delaying UN court proceedings so it
could solidify occupation of a swamp-ridden peninsula, and block
development of its natural resources. The Bakassi Peninsula is
thought to hold significant oil reserves. Officials from Cameroon
told the International Court of Justice that in 1994, Nigeria
invaded the 20 sq. mile peninsula, violating frontiers agreed by
colonizing powers.   (InfoBeat, USA, 5 March 1998)

* Centrafrique. Reconciliation nationale  -  Un "pacte de
reconciliation nationale" a ete adopte a l'unanimite, le 4 mars,
par 400 delegues de la Conference de reconciliation reunis depuis
une semaine a Bangui pour mettre un terme definitif aux crises
que connait la Republique centrafricaine depuis deux ans. Ce
pacte reprend l'essentiel des accords ayant mis fin aux dernieres
mutineries de l'armee. Plusieurs chefs d'Etat africains etaient
attendus le 5 mars pour la signature officielle du pacte.   (Le
Monde, France, 6 mars 1998)

* Centrafrique. Depart de l'armee francaise  -  Le 7 mars,
l'armee francaise a remis aux autorites centrafricaines le camp
militaire Beal, qu'elle occupait depuis juillet 1981 au centre
de Bangui. Dans le cadre de son redeploiement en Afrique, la
France a decide d'abandonner les deux bases militaires qu'elle
maintenait en Republique centraficaine.   (La Croix, France, 10
mars 1998)

* Comores. Gouvernement a Anjouan  -  Le "president" de l'ile
secessionniste d'Anjouan, Abdallah Ibrahim, a nomme les ministres
de son nouveau gouvernement, apres avoir designe le 9 mars
"Premier ministre" Chamasse Ben Said Omar, un ancien sous-
officier aveugle de la marine francaise. Aucun pays, ni
organisation internationale, n'a reconnu le nouvel Etat.  
(Liberation, France, 11 mars 1998)

* Congo-Brazza. Inter-Agency consolidated appeal  -  From early
January to mid-February 1998, the humanitarian community, under
the coordination of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator,
undertook, in collaboration with the International Committee of
the Red Cross, the international and national community and
representatives from the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, an
assessment of the humanitarian situation prevailing throughout
Congo-Brazzaville. (...) At the end of the war, Brazzaville was
severely damaged. The capital had been emptied of close to 70%
of its population, most basic services were
destroyed...uncontrolled bands of militia went on the
rampage...similar levels of insecurity prevailed in most of the
southern regions of the country, as well as in many parts of the
north. Today, Brazzaville and much of the country shows signs of
progress in a number of areas. (...) But it is to be feared that
the indicators used to not reveal the extent of the distress of
individual families and communities as a result of their losses
over the months of civil war, nor the sharp cleavages which have
emerged between regional groups. Also, it will be difficult for
significant numbers of people throughout the country to engage
in normal economic activity. (...)   (IRIN, Nairobi, 11 March
1998)

* Congo (RDC). Justice et Paix  -  Depuis le 5 mars, se deroule
a Lubumbashi une session de formation des cadres de Justice et
Paix, organisee par l'association des avocats catholiques du
Katanga. La session, qui durera deux semaines, porte sur les
chartes, les conventions et les traites internationaux sur les
droits de l'homme ratifies par la R.D. du Congo. Un accent
particulier sera mis sur les droits de l'enfant.   (DIA,
Kinshasa, 6 mars 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Human rights  -  5 March: Human Rights Watch send
a letter to the UN Secretary-General, expressing grave concern
that witnesses who gave testimony to his investigative team in
Congo RDC, have been arrested by the government. 6 March: The
main human rights group in Congo RDC says that President Kabila's
troops last month massacred more than 300 civilians in a town in
the east of the country. The group, (Azadho), says that regular
troops carried out the killings in the eastern market town of
Butembo while quelling a rebellion by Mai-Mai tribal warriors who
helped Kabila seize power in May 1997. The Mai-Mai have since
been at odds with Kabila's army.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 7 March
1998)

* Congo (RDC). Combats sanglants au Kivu  -  Plus de 300
personnes ont ete tuees fin fevrier lors de combats entre l'armee
congolaise et les milices Mai-Mai dans le Nord-Kivu, a annonce,
le 5 mars, l'association congolaise de defense des droits de
l'homme, Azadho. Selon elle, les combats ont debute le 20 fevrier
dans la ville de Butembo, lorsque des miliciens Mai-Mai ont pris
le controle de la ville, en s'attaquant particulierement aux
soldats originaires du Katanga. Des renforts de l'armee, depeches
depuis Goma, ont ensuite "tire sur des civils innocents". Des
accrochages se sont poursuivis jusque fin fevrier dans les
localites voisines. Brievement allies aux troupes de Kabila lors
de leur offensive contre Mobutu, les Mai-Mai, milices formees par
plusieurs ethnies du Kivu, affrontent desormais l'armee reguliere
au Nord et au Sud-Kivu. - D'autre part, des centaines de soldats
banyamulenge ont mis fin a leur mutinerie, qui a dure une
quinzaine de jours. Selon des fonctionnaires locaux, ils sont
rentres a Bukavu apres l'annonce d'une amnistie. On leur a permis
de rester dans la region.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 6-10
mars 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Trust fund to help rebuild the country  -  On 8
March, a statement from international aid donors, say they have
pledged $32 million to a trust fund to help rebuild Congo RDC's
shattered economy, but the amount is far short of what the
government says it needs. The "Friends of Congo" steering
committee says it agreed at a meeting in Stockholm, to set up the
trust fund, to help the country rebuild its shattered economy and
infrastructure. The group represents rich nations, the World Bank
and other multilateral lenders. But the donors say more progress
was needed on humanitarian and human rights issues, and urged the
government to strengthen the administration of justice to ensure
respect for the law.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 March 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Commission d'enquete  -  Dans une lettre adressee
au secretaire general de l'Onu, l'organisation Human Rights Watch
accuse les autorites congolaises d'avoir arrete des temoins de
la commission d'enquete des Nations unies. HRW dit savoir de
bonne source que les forces de securite ont au moins deux fois
interpelle pour interrogation des temoins de la commission aux
environs de Mbandaka. L'equipe de la mission d'enquete s'est
egalement plainte de ces interrogations, selon RFI. Le porte-
parole de la mission, Jose Diaz, a encore fait savoir, le 9 mars,
que ses membres etaient suivis par les autorites, mais que les
activites de l'equipe se poursuivaient a Mbandaka.   (ANB-BIA,
de sources diverses, 10 mars 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Cellule de droits de l'homme  -  Le ministere
congolais de la Justice vient de creer une "cellule pour la
defense des droits de l'homme". SelonLe Palmares, cette cellule
devrait informer le ministere des transgressions en ce domaine,
coordonner les activites des differentes associations des droits
de l'homme dans le pays, et assurer les contacts internationaux.
Les organisations des droits de l'homme independantes craignent
une mainmise du gouvernement sur leurs activites.   (d'apres De
Standaard, Belgique, 12 mars 1998)

* Egypt. Big fall in tourists  -  The number of tourists visiting
Egypt plunged in December to its lowest level in almost three
years after a massacre of foreign holidaymakers in Luxor, an
official said on 10 March. The Central Bank's March bulletin said
178,000 tourists visited Egypt in December, less than half the
figure for December 1996 and the lowest monthly number for almost
three years. The December figure was the lowest since 161,000 in
February 1995.   (Financial Times, U.K., 11 March 1998)

* Ethiopia. Journalists seek asylum  -  Five Ethiopian
journalists stranded in Kenya after fleeing state persecution,
have sent out an appeal for asylum. The journalists are the
victims of the alleged ongoing offensive against the independent
press, by the Ethiopian government of Meles Zenawi. According to
the statement issued by Media Institute, the five have suffered
torture or imprisonment at one time or another in detention
without trial. They allegedly fled their country to Kenya and
have been here for several months. They have expressed fear of
being trailed by "assassins on the payroll of the Ethiopian
government". "There is an alleged history of politically
connected assassinations in Kenya of opponents of the Ethiopian
government. Last year, two Ethiopians fugitives were allegedly
shot dead by people suspected to be agents of the Addis regime
when they sought asylum in a friendly country", says the
statement.   (Sunday Times, Kenya, 1 March 1998)

* Ethiopia. Setback over IMF loan  -  Ethiopia has failed to
reach agreement on the resumption of an International Monetary
Fund (IMF) loan agreement suspended last October, Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi said this week. Ethiopia's reform programme was hit
in October when the IMF suspended its $125m three-year structural
adjustment facility, because of the government's failure to
overhaul its banking sector, further relax exchange controls and
lift its cap on interest rates. In a report to the country's
parliament, Mr.Meles, who recently expressed optimism about a
resumption of the loan, said negotiations with a visiting IMF
team had failed to close the gap between the two sides. Talks are
expected to resume in May. Mr.Meles told parliament that the
combination of drought early last year, and summer floods, had
reduced the 1988 food harvest, and cut the forecast for economic
GDP growth to 3% this year, less than half last year's rate.  
(Financial Times, U.K., 7 March 1998)

* Equatorial Guinea. Detainees severely tortured  -  On 11 March,
Amnesty International urged the government of Equatorial Guinea
to stop the incommunicado detention and allow access to medical
care of dozens of detainees who have been tortured and left to
suffer appalling prion conditions. "That the authorities have
tortured these people -- to the extent that five of them have
died -- mostly on account of their ethnic origin, is
contemptible", Amnesty International stated. "How many more
detainees have to die before the authorities allow them access
to the medical attention they urgently need", The group were
detained since 21 January in connection with attacks on military
barracks on Bioko Island.   (Amnesty International, 11 March
1998)

* Ghana/Rwanda. President Clinton's visit  -  US President Bill
Clinton is due to make his African tour, 22 March-2 April. The
US Ambassador in Ghana has already informed the Ghanaian
authorities that Mr Clinton will not be spending the night in
Ghana when he visits that country. Why? Because Bill Clinton is
travelling with an entourage of some 1,200 people, and there are
only 550 suitable hotel rooms available in Accra. And of these,
234 are in the Golden Tulip hotel complex, run with the help of
Libyan finance. Definitely not for American citizens! On 11
March, the White House said that Mr Clinton has added a stop in
Rwanda to his trip, with the aim of expressing concern over the
violence which has ravaged Rwanda and its neighbours.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 12 March 1998)

* Kenya. Malaria toll rises  -  Kenyan medics are pressing for
more prevention and control measures against malaria, due to
increased deaths and the emergence of resistant strains to
available drugs. The director of medical services, Dr James
Mwanzia, last week advised Kenyans not only enforce malaria
prevention, but to seek effective treatment if they contract the
disease. In the absence of a vaccine, and unaffordable personal
protection devices, health officials are stressing the need to
boost a malaria control campaign.   (The East African, Kenya, 1-8
March 1998)

* Kenya. The Goldenberg corruption trial  -  4 March: The first
witness in Kenya's Goldenberg corruption trial gives evidence,
after the judge warned journalists to report accurately or be
banned. The prosecution alleges that the defendants in the
Goldenberg affair, which revolves around gold and diamond
exports, stole nearly $100 million from the Kenyan treasury in
1993 alone. The Kenyan media have closely followed the case for
years, but this session began with a protest by defense lawyers,
about inaccurate reporting by Nairobi's East African Standard,
of the 3 March trial opening.   (InfoBeat, USA, 4 March 1998)

* Kenya. Problems with the economy  -  4 March: The government
suspends tax increases on soft loans for bank employees, in a
significant climbdown ahead of a planned general strike. "I have
decided to exercise my option under the law, and I have directed
the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to suspend the implementation
of the increase until the matter is brought to parliament for
review", Finance Minister Simeone Nyachae says. Earlier on, union
leaders in the East African country had called a general strike
in sympathy with bank staff. 5 March: Kenya unveiled a series of
belt-tightening measures aimed at curbing a budget deficit in
danger of getting out of control as a result of a multilateral
aid squeeze, El Ni¤o's disastrous impact and a dramatic slide in
tourist numbers. Announcing the second round of tax increases and
spending cuts in less than six months, Simeon Nyachae, the
finance minister, says "firm and painful" steps are essential to
keep inflation at manageable levels and allow high interest rates
to fall.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 March 1998)

* Lesotho. Elections  -  Le Parlement du Lesotho a ete dissous
le 27 fevrier dans la perspective des elections generales prevues
le 23 mai. Un responsable de la Commission electorale
independante, chargee d'organiser les elections, a indique que
2.400 bureaux de vote allaient etre mis en place pour permettre
aux 1,3 million d'electeurs de se rendre aux urnes.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 6 mars 1998)

* Libye. Sanctions prorogees  -  Le 6 mars, le Conseil de
securite de l'ONU a proroge pour quatre mois les sanctions
internationales imposees a la Libye depuis 1992, pour son refus
de livrer a la justice americaine ou britannique deux Libyens
accuses d'avoir organise l'attentat de Lockerbie en 1988, qui
avait fait 270 morts. Le Conseil n'a pas donne suite a une
requete libyenne de "suspendre" l'embargo dans l'attente d'une
decision sur le fond de la Cour internationale de justice de La
Haye, qui s'est declaree competente pour examiner l'affaire
Lockerbie.   (Le Monde, France, 9 mars 1998)

* Mali/Mauritanie. Refugies bloques  -  Treize mille negro-
mauritaniens, refugies dans la region de Kayes, a l'ouest du
Mali, depuis le conflit racial de 1989 en Mauritanie, n'arrivent
toujours pas a rentrer chez eux et connaissent de ce fait une
situation tres difficile, a l'instar de leurs compatriotes
installes dans le nord du Senegal. Quand ils se presentent a la
frontiere, munis de cartes d'identification delivrees par le HCR,
les militaires mauritaniens font la sourde oreille. En juillet
1997, 5.600 refugies avaient pu traverser la frontiere, mais des
centaines ont du revenir au Mali. Recemment, Mme Ogata, haut-
commissaire du HCR, a demande au president mauritanien de
faciliter leur retour.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 6 mars 1998)

* Maroc. Nouveau gouvernement  -  La composition du gouvernement
marocain devrait etre annoncee cette semaine. Les deux principaux
partis allies aux socialistes au sein de la future coalition
gouvernementale, l'Istiqlal (nationaliste) et le Rassemblement
national des independants (RNI) ont en effet accepte, le 8 mars,
les ultimes propositions faites par le socialiste M. Youssoufi,
le futur chef du gouvernement. L'Istiqlal obtiendrait six
ministeres et le RNI cinq.   (Le Monde, France, 10 mars 1998)

* Mozambique. South African official arrested  -  On 11 March,
the South African High Commissioner in Mozambique said that a
senior South African foreign affairs official, Robert McBride,
director of the Middle East desk at the South African foreign
ministry, was arrested at the border town of Ressano Garcia.
McBride is currently being detained in Maputo but has yet to be
charged.   (InfoBeat, USA, 12 March 1998)

* Nigeria. Sanctions de l'Union europeene  -  Lors de la session
du Parlement europeen a Strasbourg du 16 au 20 fevrier, les
deputes ont adopte une resolution commune demandant de renforcer
les sanctions economiques et commerciales vis-a-vis du Nigeria,
et de fixer des jalons precis s'echelonnant jusqu'a l'election
presidentielle. Si aucune transition authentique vers un regime
civil n'avait ete engage a cette date, le Parlement reclame: le
maintien des mesures actuelles, un embargo total sur les
livraisons d'armes, l'interdiction de toute mission commerciale
au Nigeria, le gel des avoirs financiers aux Etats-Unis, et la
mise en place d'un embargo petrolier.   (Marches Tropicaux,
France, 6 mars 1998)

* Nigeria. For and against Abacha  -  3 March: The Commonwealth
Ministerial Action group maintains its threat to expel Nigeria
from the Commonwealth if certain conditions are not met. 4 March:
Nigerian pro-democracy campaigners vow to continue protests
against the military ruler, General Abacha, after police broke
up a march in Lagos and arrested at least 30 people. At the same
time, in the capital Abuja, scores of thousands of people joined
the second day of a state-backed rally, calling on Abacha,
denounced by Western countries for reported human rights abuses,
to stand in elections he has decreed for August. Lagos police
said they were preparing to charge 30 people for taking part in
the 3 March demonstration. 5 March: An aide to General Abacha
says he will discuss whether to stand in elections over coming
weeks, and says his backers will "not be disappointed." 8 March:
Nigeria's Catholic Bishops urge General Abacha to release the
country's political prisoners and make amends with opposition
groups, before the Pope's visit later this month. 9 March: The
coalition United Action for Democracy tells a news conference
that the current programme of transition to democracy, was only
designed to keep General Abacha in power. The coalition leader
says his group is consulting with other opposition groups to work
out a programme of strikes and demonstrations.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 9 March 1998)

* Nigeria. Wole Soyinka organise la resistance  -  Un des auteurs
les plus connus du Nigeria, le prix Nobel Wole Soyinka, a annonce
la creation d'une nouvelle coalition des exiles nigerians. Selon
lui, une grande majorite de Nigerians sont opposes a toute forme
de pouvoir politique militaire. Le groupe se rejouit de la visite
prochaine du pape au Nigeria et appelle le souverain pontife a
s'identifier aux aspirations du peuple nigerian a la liberte et
a une veritable democratie.   (De Standaard, Belgique, 10 mars
1998)

* Nigeria. L'Eglise interpelle le regime  -  La liberation des
prisonniers politiques est un signal necessaire pour surmonter
les divisions dans le pays, estiment les eveques du Nigeria dans
un appel public lance a l'issue de leur assemblee pleniere, le
9 mars. La reconciliation politique, sociale et religieuse est
urgente, soulignent les eveques, a une dizaine de jours de la
visite de Jean-Paul II dans le pays. La semaine derniere,
l'avocat Olisa Agbakoba a ete arrete, apres avoir defendu le
defenseur des droits de l'homme Ken Saro-Wiwa, execute en 1995. 
 (CIP, Belgique, 12 mars 1998)

* Reunion. Eruption volcanique  -  Apres six ans de sommeil, le
volcan reunionnais du piton de la Fournaise est a nouveau entre
en activite dans la journee du 9 mars. De grandioses fontaines
de laves ont jailli au travers des fissures qui se sont formees
sur la face nord du Dolomieu, le cone central de ce volcan
culminant a pres de 2.500 metres. Pour l'heure, aucun village
n'est menace par l'eruption.   (Le Monde, France, 11 mars 1998)

* Rwanda. Affrontements et proces  -  Une personne a ete tuee et
sept autres blessees, lorsque les rebelles ont pris un minibus
en embuscade pres de Mushubati, dans la prefecture de Gitarama,
a rapporte l'AFP le 5 mars. Les rebelles ont ouvert le feu sur
le bus, alors qu'il se trouvait a l'arret entre Mulinga et
Mushubati. L'armee a par ailleurs fait savoir que plus de 100
rebelles avaient ete tues a Gitarama lors de combats qui ont
eclate durant le week-end du 1 mars et qui continuent encore.
Huit soldats ont egalement perdu la vie. -- D'autre part, le
procureur de la Cour supreme, Simeon Rwagasore, a annonce que
plus de 5.000 suspects du genocide seront juges cette annee, par
rapport aux 300 de l'annee derniere. Cette decision vise a
resoudre la surpopulation dans les prisons rwandaises. M.
Rwagasore a exhorte le gouvernement a aider la magistrature dans
cette tache.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 6-9 mars 1998)

* Rwanda. Fighting between army and rebels  -  6 March: Rwanda's
Tutsi-led army vows a quick "mop-up" operation, to end nearly a
week of fighting with majority Hutu rebels in central Rwanda.
According to army Col.Nyamwasa, at least 135 people including 120
rebels and eight soldiers have died in six days of fighting. He
said the rebels have killed 6 community leaders in the fighting. 
 (InfoBeat, USA, 6 March 1998)

* Rwanda. Deces d'Andre Sibomana  -  Mgr. Andre Sibomana,
journaliste respecte et courageux defenseur des droits de
l'homme, est decede le 9 mars a Kabgayi. Andre Sibomana est ne
le 21 juillet 1954 dans la commune de Masango, prefecture de
Gitarama. Ordonne pretre en 1980, il sera cure de la paroisse de
Muyunzwe de 1981 a 1986. Apres des etudes de journalisme en
France, il est nomme en 1988 redacteur en chef de "Kinyamateka",
le plus ancien et le plus important journal prive du Rwanda.
President de l'Association des journalistes du Rwanda, il devient
egalement, en 1992, president de l'Association pour la defense
des droits de l'homme et des libertes publiques (ADL). Figure
emblematique de la presse libre dans son pays, il etait connu
pour sa rigueur professionnelle et son grand courage. Ayant
denonce les injustices du regime d'Habyarimana, il fut considere
comme traitre par les extremistes hutu. Apres l'assassinat de
l'eveque de Kabgayi, en 1994, Mgr. Sibomana fut nomme
temporairement administrateur apostolique du diocese. Sous le
nouveau regime, certains l'accuserent d'avoir ete implique dans
le genocide des Tutsi; des organismes internationaux, tels que
Reporters sans frontieres, dont il recut le prix en 1994, prirent
sa defense. Ces dernieres annees, A. Sibomana se sentait de plus
en plus menace; il recevait des menaces de mort et avait deja
echappe a des attentats. Critique envers le regime actuel, il fut
remplace comme redacteur en chef de "Kinyamateka" en aout
dernier. Finalement, a la suite d'une longue maladie, il vient
de s'eteindre le 9 mars, tot le matin, au presbystere de Kabgayi,
ou il etait soigne. Ses obseques ont eu lieu le 10 mars.   (ANB-
BIA, 10 mars 1998)

* Rwanda. Father Andre Sibomana  -  "Amnesty International has
learnt with deep sadness of the death of Andre Sibomana -- one
of Rwanda's leading human rights activists. He died on 9 March
1998, at Kabgayi, in Gitarama, central Rwanda, after an illness
of several weeks. Andre Sibomana -- a Roman Catholic priest and
journalist -- was known and respected above all as a staunch and
uncompromising defender of human rights and a defender of the
truth, in a country where the most basic rights are violated
daily on a massive scale and where the truth is often obscured
by propaganda from all sides. Under successive governments in
Rwanda, Andre Sibomana denounced without fear the abuses of those
in authority -- before, during and after the genocide which
claimed as many as one million lives in Rwanda in 1994. He
devoted his life to helping the vulnerable and the voiceless,
from all walks of life. (...)Andre Sibomana can never be
replaced, but the memory of this remarkable man -- his courage,
his devotion, his perseverance and his humanity -- will serve as
an inspiration to those inside and outside Rwanda who are
committed to restoring respect for human rights in the country". 
 (Amnesty International, 10 March 1998)

* Senegal. Accrochage sanglant en Casamance  -  Une cinquantaine
de rebelles ont ete tues au cours d'une embuscade tendue, le 6
mars au soir, par l'armee senegalaise pres de Banghangha, a 25
km a l'est de Ziguinchor, pres de la frontiere avec la Guinee.
Cet accrochage est le plus serieux enregistre en Casamance depuis
le nouvel appel a la paix lance le 13 janvier par l'abbe
Diamacoune, secretaire general du Mouvement des forces
democratiques de Casamance, independantiste. Les combats ont fait
plus de 1.000 morts depuis aout 1997.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 9 mars 1998)

* Senegal. Opposition threatens to quit government  -  Senegal's
main opposition party, which joined the government in 1995, is
threatening to quit the coalition and even the National Assembly
ahead of parliamentary elections in May. The Senegalese
Democratic Party (PDS), winding up a two-day congress on 7 March,
gave its veteran leader, Abdoulaye Wade, a full mandate to talk
to President Abdou Diouf and decide whether to remain in the
coalition or parliament, or quit one or both. "The frustrations
on liberals within the government as well as in the parliament
have become unbearable," Ousmane Ngom, minister of health and
members of the PDS leadership said, as he read the final
resolution.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 March 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Retour du president Kabbah  -  Apres dix mois
d'exil, le president sierra-leonais, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, est
rentre dans son pays le 10 mars. A l'aeroport de Freetown, il a
ete recu triomphalement par une foule nombreuse et les hauts
dignitaires sierra-leonais, en presence de plusieurs chefs d'Etat
et des responsables de l'Ecomog. M. Kabbah doit son salut au
Nigeria, qui a assure son evacuation vers la Guinee, lors du coup
d'Etat militaire, puis les conditions de son retour en delogeant
la junte. A son arrivee a Freetown, il a appele la population a
la reconciliation. "Nous allons faire de cela un nouveau depart
pour la Sierra Leone", a-t-il dit.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 11 mars 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Return of a President  -  6 March: ECOMOG
commanders say their troops have won control of Kabala, the last
major town in the north held by renegade soldiers and rebels.
Senior members of the West African ECOMOG force say its soldiers
drove the rebels from the town on 5 March. Father Conteh of the
Catholic Mission in Freetown quotes colleagues as saying the
fleeing rebels have killed about 50 people, also, the Catholic
Church and schools in Kabala have been looted and 40 homes set
on fire. Elected President Ahmad Kabbah, toppled by the
disaffected soldiers on May 25, is due to return to Sierra Leone
on 10 March. 9 March: ECOMOG soldiers throw a cordon around
Freetown for the return of President Kabbah. "Freetown is now
impregnable against any rebel attack when President Kabbah
returns, accompanied by other African heads of state," said an
ECOMOG commander. The people of Freetown begin a huge party to
celebrate the return of their President. 10 March: 289 days after
having been overthrown in a military coup, President Kabbah
returns to Freetown.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 March 1998)

* Sierra Leone. The starving and helpless  -  4 March: The UN
Food Programme says it has delivered the first food aide, for
more than 100,000 starving people in Bo and Kenema. It says the
2.5 tons of corn and soya blended flour, and oil, airlifted from
Conakry (Guinea), will be given to needy people in Bo and Kenema.
8 March: State radio reports that about 300 orphans have been
found hiding in a remote jungle, where they had taken refuge from
the fighting. The children, aged between five and 12, had
survived on wild roots and herbs since fleeing their orphanage
in Makeni last week, as the town was plundered and vandalised
amid fighting between West African and rebel soldiers. Some of
the children were malnourished. They are now being taken care of
by families and aid groups in Makeni. The UN says it will set up
soup kitchens to feed the neediest people in Sierra Leone but had
no plans for general distribution of food.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9
March 1998)

* South Africa. The poor invited to speak up  -  On 4 March,
South Africa's poor were invited to speak up about their plight
at poverty hearings, inspired by the country's Truth and
Reconciliation commission on victims of apartheid. The South
African Non-Governmental Organizations' Coalition hopes its
"Speak Out on Poverty" hearings will gain a similarly high
profile to draw attention to hardship that is continuing. The
Coalition said a quarter of South African infants suffered from
malnutrition or stunted growth, only 1 in 3 black adults could
read and write adequately and 12 million people, almost a third
of the population, had no drinking water at home.  
(InfoBeat,USA, 4 March 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Afflux de clandestins  -  L'Afrique du Sud
depense chaque annee 210 millions de rands (42 millions de
dollars) pour expulser ou rapatrier des immigres clandestins, a
estime le gouvernement. Selon le ministre de l'Interieur, les
estimations du nombre d'immigres clandestins oscillent entre
500.000 et 4,1 millions. La plupart de ceux-ci viennent des pays
voisins, Mozambique, Zimbabwe et Lesotho. Mais l'annee derniere,
6.400 Britanniques, 6.000 Allemands, 2.500 Francais et 2.200
Americains se trouvaient en situation irreguliere sur le sol sud-
africain.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 6 mars 1998)

* South Africa. Ecumenical prayer service  -  The Southern
African Catholic Bishops's Conference Parliamentary Liason Office
reports that recently it was involved recently in a rather unique
prayer service for Members of Parliament in St. Mary's Cathedral.
"This was organised jointly by the SACC, the Western Province
Alliance of Reformed Churches, and ourselves. Under the former
government, it was customary for a group of Christian Members of
Parliament to pray God's blessing over them in the Groote Kerk,
at the beginning of each year. This year it was organised as an
ecumenical event for the first time. members from all the major
parties attended".   (SACBC, South Africa, 6 March 1998)

* South Africa. AIDS drug row  -  Nelson Mandela's successor to
the presidency of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has put his
credibility on the line by joining in a furious row about the
development of a "miracle" AIDS drug. Sunday newspapers carried
lengthy articles by the deputy president justifying his
government's role in the development of the drug, Virodene, and
accusing the statutory Medical Control Council of "denying dying
AIDS sufferers mercy treatment". The long-running controversy
erupted last week, when the opposition Democratic Party claimed
that it had documentary evidence that the ANC had a financial
stake in the drug, which critics say is potentially lethal. The
health minister, Nkosazana Zuma, countered by accusing it of
wanting ANC's supporters to "die of AIDS".   (The Guardian, U.K.,
9 March 1998)

* South Africa. Did the ANC murder dissidents?  -  On 6 March,
it was announced that a long-awaited inquiry into charges of
murder and torture by the ruling African National congress (ANC)
while a guerrilla group in exile, will be heard by South Africa's
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) this month. The TRC
headed by Archbishop Tutu said it had "invited" three former
guerrillas from the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear
of the Nation), to give testimony on 26 March and 30 March. If
they do not attend of their own volition, the commission has the
right to issue subpoenas compelling them to appear.   (InfoBeat,
USA, 6 March 1998)

* South Africa. Maintaining tight fiscal target  -  On 11 March,
the South African government committed itself to maintaining its
tight fiscal target for the 1998/1999 financial year and beyond,
when Trevor Manuel, the finance minister, unveiled his budget in
parliament.There were "no short cuts" to developing the country,
he said in a speech mainly in English but including passages in
Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa. Mr Manuel and the ANC are determined
to enforce the fiscal discipline demanded by investors and
foreign creditors.   (Financial Times, U.K., 12 March 1998)

* South Africa. Truth & Reconciliation Commission  -  10 March:
The Amnesty Commission of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
is to hear amnesty applications in Durban later this month, from
nine people who have applied for amnesty for the killing of at
least 50 people in a series of separate incidents. 11 March:
Archbishop Tutu issued a statement concerning the allocation for
reparations. He said: "The Government's allocation of R100
million for reparations in the next financial year, is a
significant first step towards the payment of reparations of
human rights violations. The allocation is substantially more
than the R50 million which we believe will be needed for interim
repayments, and we are grateful that an allocation for final
reparations has effectively been made even before the
presentation of our final report to the President".   (TRC, South
Africa, 10-11 March 1998)

* Soudan. 350.000 personnes menacees de famine  -  Quelque
350.000 personnes, dans le Sud-Soudan devaste par la guerre, sont
menacees par la famine, a declare le 3 mars a Geneve le porte-
parole du PAM. Les personnes touchees se trouvent dans le Bahr
el-Ghazal et incluent 150.000 personnes deplacees a la suite des
combats, fin janvier, dans les villes de Wau, Gogrial et Aweil.
Il faudrait arreter les mouvements de population et permettre aux
gens de cultiver a nouveau leurs terres. La derniere recolte date
de 1995. Depuis 1996, l'aide internationale a ete le seul moyen
de survie, la guerre ayant rendu toute culture impossible.  
(IRIN, Nairobi, 5 mars 1998)

* Sudan. Hospital bombed  -  On 5 March, a Sudanese government
plane bombed a hospital at Yei in rebel-held territory, killing
seven and wounding 46, the aid agency Norwegian People's Aid
said. A nurse and two children were among the dead. A government
Antonov plane dropped 13 bombs at about 11. a.m., five of which
hit the hospital directly, destroying the operating theatre and
an evacuation bunker in the hospital grounds.   (InfoBeat, USA,
5 March 1998)

* Soudan. Hopitaux bombardes  -  Selon des sources humanitaires
et diplomatiques du 5 mars, 7 personnes ont ete tuees et 46
blessees, lorsqu'un avion du gouvernement a bombarde la ville de
Yei, dans la province de l'Equateur occidental. L'avion est passe
quatre fois et a largue 13 bombes. Frappe de plein fouet, la
salle d'operation de l'hopital et son abri anti-aerien ont ete
detruits. Selon le porte-parole de l'ONG "Norwegian People's
Aid", il ne fait aucun doute que l'hopital a ete deliberement
cible. Un autre hopital, a Lubone, dans la province de l'Equateur
oriental, a egalement ete bombarde le 28 fevrier. - D'autre part,
selon un quotidien independant de Khartoum, depuis le debut de
l'annee, une centaine de personnes ont ete tuees au cours
d'affrontements tribaux dans la region de Darfour, ou l'etat
d'urgence a ete decrete en decembre.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 9 mars 1998)

* Tanzania. Police action  -  The Dar es Salaam Regional
Commissioner, has ordered the police to immediately apprehend all
people at Mwembechai Mosque who are currently preaching
obscenities against other religions. The Commissioner said that
obscene religious preaching now takes place at this particular
mosque immediately after prayers. The imams pick up the
microphone and start castigating other religions, and discussing
the country's politics inside the mosque, said the Commissioner.
The police are now mounting house-to-house manhunts for religious
preachers at this mosque who had been hiding from the authorities
since the outbreak of the riots on 13 February this year.   (The
Guardian, Tanzania, 26 February 1998)

* Uganda. A law to curb AIDS  -  Uganda's health and legal
officials, in a desperate bid to curb the spread of AIDS, are
working on a law to punish people who infect others with HIV
maliciously. Officials of the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and
HIV/AIDS, said last week that research into the law to punish
people who spread AIDS knowingly, had started, though it could
be some months before the draft law was finalised. Network co-
ordinator Sarah bates said her organisation was working with the
Law Reform Commission, which was preparing the controversial
relations law.   (The East African, Kenya, 2-8 March 1998)

* Uganda. Summit for Clinton  -  On 10 March, President Yoweri
Museveni said he would host a summit of 10 African leaders to
meet President Clinton when the US leader visits on 25 March.
Uganda will be Clinton's second stop on his first visit to Africa
(23 March-2 April). Clinton and first lady Hilary Rodham Clinton
will begin in Ghana and head to South Africa, Botswana and
Senegal after the two-day stay in Uganda. Speaking in Ethiopia,
Museveni said topics expected to be discussed between Clinton and
African leaders included regional security and the broad US
relationship with Africa.   (InfoBeat, USA, 10 March 1998)

* Zimbabwe. Land reform to be open, fair  -  4 March: The
government, bruised by an anti-tax strike which ends today, says
it is still willing to talk with labour leaders. A union official
says that at least 70% of Zimbabwe's estimated 1.2 million formal
labour force has taken part in the strike. 5 March: Fire guts the
offices of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in
Bulawayo. Locks of the office door were broken and there were
other signs that the fire was deliberate. Suspecting arson,
police and fire officials say they are investigating. 6 March:
The UN Development Programme says that Zimbabwe's government has
assured donors it will implement its controversial land reform
policy in a transparent way, and pay full compensation for all
productive land. The Lands and Agricultural Minister has told
international aid donors, Zimbabwe's planned land reform scheme
was aimed at ensuring food security, reducing poverty and
boosting agricultural output. President Mugabe had said the
government would forcibly buy 13.6 million acres from mainly
white commercial farmers, paying them for improvements, not for
the soil.   (InfoBeat,USA, 6 March 1998)

* Zimbabwe. Harare students in clash  -  9 March: Zimbabwean
paramilitary police club hundreds of students in central Harare,
to break up a demonstration backing demands for bigger grants,
according to witnesses. The police seal off the University of
Zimbabwe and two other colleges to stop further protests. State
media reports that students in Gweru, 180 miles south-west of
Harare, have joined the protest, but there is no word of violence
there. The students, who have been boycotting classes for a week
to demand a 253% grant increase, had warned that they would take
their protest on to the streets this week. 10 March: The students
resume classes but their leaders warn of more protests unless the
government addresses their grievances.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11
March 1998)


COUNTRY