ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: paco@innet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 26-03-1998 PART #1/ * Africa. Action against the Media - Guinea: Reporters sans Frontieres says that since the beginning of 1998, three foreign journalists working for the private Guinea press, have been expelled, and an editor-in-chief from Burkina Faso was detained on 17 March 1998. Nigeria: According to Reporters sans Frontieres, Nigeria is one of the most repressive African countries for freedom of the press. Since the beginning of the year, one journalists has been killed and eleven others are presently detained throughout the country. South Africa: According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa, on 18 March, the provincial portfolio committee on public works in the Mpumalanga legislature, rejected an attempt by journalists to table questions during the committee's sessions. (IFEX, Canada, 19-20 March 1998) * Afrique/USA. Voyage du president Clinton - 23 mars. Ghana: devant une foule enorme, Clinton donne le coup d'envoi de sa tournee en Afrique, offrant a ce continent de batir un "partenariat" avec l'Amerique reposant sur la democratisation et la liberalisation de l'economie. 24-25 mars. Ouganda: entretiens avec le president Museveni. M. Clinton promet pres de 180 millions de dollars de nouvelle aide au continent, les deux tiers pour l'enseignement, l'autre pour l'agriculture. Lors d'une visite a une ecole, il declare que l'esclavage a ete "le pire peche de l'Amerique". 25 mars. Rencontre avec huit chefs d'Etat de la region (Ouganda, Ethiopie, Erythree, Kenya, Tanzanie, Rwanda et R.D. Congo, ainsi que le secretaire general de l'OUA sur la securite regionale. Un communique commun reconnait qu'il n'y a "pas de modele etabli" de democratie, ce qui conforte la "democratie sans partis" du president Museveni. Le president congolais Kabila, qui a eu droit a 15 minutes de tete a tete avec M. Clinton, a repete ses promesses d'organiser des elections en 1999. Le meme jour, M. Clinton a fait un aller-retour au Rwanda, ou il reste deux heures a l'interieur de l'aeroport de Kigali, sans se rendre au memorial du genocide, comme initialement prevu, ce qui pour le gouvenement "rabaisse la signification de sa visite". M. Clinton a exprime ses regrets de n'avoir pas tout fait pour limiter le genocide. (ANB- BIA, de sources diverses, 26 mars 1998) * Algeria. Norway and Canada invited to provide aid - On 18 March, officials said that Algeria has made an unusual invitation to Norway and Canada to provide humanitarian assistance. The Algerian Health Minister requested Norway send child trauma experts, and Norway, with Algeria's approval, asked Canada to join it in the effort. An estimated 65,000 people have died in the six years of violence, with children often witnessing the slaughter of other family members, including siblings and mothers. (InfoBeat, USA, 19 March 1998) * Algerie. Chute des cours du petrole - L'economie algerienne patit serieusement de la chute des cours du petrole. La baisse des prix du petrole fait perdre a l'Algerie 10 millions de dollars par jour, a affirme le 18 mars aMadrid, Ali Hached, un dirigeant de la compagnie nationale Sonatrach. Or, cette annee, Alger commencera a rembourser le principal de sa dette reechelonnee depuis 1994 dans le cadre du Club de Paris et du Club de Londres. L'Algerie n'a d'autre source de devises que l'exportation de ses hydrocarbures. (Le Monde, France, 21 mars 1998) * Algeria. A country at war with itself - 19 March: Security forces say a bomb wounded at least 11 people overnight in an apartment building in Saida. The building was badly damaged. 22 March: The trial of 12 Algerians suspected of killing Bishop Pierre Claverie of Oran and his driver in August 1996, begins in Oran. 23 March: Seven defendants found guilty of the murder of the Bishop of Oran and his driver, are sentenced to death. Five others are given prison sentences. 24 March: The Bishops of Algeria petition for mercy for those condemned to death. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 March 1998) * Algerie. Les meurtriers de Mgr. Claverie - Sept personnes reconnues coupables d'avoir aide les meurtriers de Mgr. Claverie (eveque d'Oran assassine en aout 1996) ont ete condamnees a mort, le 23 mars, par le tribunal criminel d'Oran. Le lendemain, les eveques d'Algerie ont demande la clemence pour les condamnes. "En notre nom personnel et au nom de notre Eglise, nous souhaitons que la sentence ne soit pas appliquee dans toute sa rigueur et qu'un recours en grace puisse etre examine favorablement", ont demande les eveques. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 mars 1998) * Algerie. Les Etats-Unis demandent une enquete - A la Commission des droits de l'homme a Geneve, les Etats-Unis ont demande, le 25 mars, aux autorites algeriennes d'autoriser "la visite du rapporteur special de l'Onu sur les executions sommaires , extrajudiciaires et arbitraires, et celle d'organisations non gouvernementales de defense des droits de l'homme". "Une verification credible et independante des faits est necessaire", a declare l'ambassadeur americain Bill Richardson. La semaine derniere, dans la meme enceinte, le ministre algerien des Affaires etrangeres s'etait oppose a une enquete internationale. (Liberation, France, 26 mars 1998) * Angola. Demobilisation - Les 193 derniers haut grades de l'ancienne rebellion angolaise (Unita) ont depose les armes et ont ete demobilises, a indique le 19 mars la mission de l'ONU (Monua). Le 21 mars, 400 gardes du corps du leader du mouvement Jonas Savimbi seront egalement demobilises avant leur integration dans la police nationale. La demobilisation des officiers de l'Unita symbolise la fin de la demilitarisation du mouvement, reconnu comme parti politique par le gouvernement d'unite et de reconciliation nationale (Gurn). L'Unita a desarme jusqu'a present plus de 70.000 soldats. (Liberation, France, 20 mars 1998) * Botswana. Le depart du president - Plusieurs dirigeants de la Communaute de developpement des pays de l'Afrique australe (SADC, 14 pays), dont 5 presidents et 2 rois, se sont reunis, le 18 mars a Gabarone, pour saluer le prochain depart a la retraite du chef de l'Etat, Ketumile Masire. Age de 72 ans, celui-ci a decide de quitter la scene politique, apres 18 ans passes a la tete du Botswana, pays repute pour sa stabilite politique et economique. Il sera remplace par le vice-president et ministre des Finances, Festus Mogae (59 ans), jusqu'aux elections prevues en 1999. M. Masire avait aussi preside la SADC pendant 16 ans, jusqu'en 1996, avant que le president Mandela ne lui succede. (Le Monde, France, 20 mars 1998) * Burkina Faso. Le barrage de Ziga - Le Premier ministre burkinabe a lance, le 26 fevrier, les travaux du barrage de Ziga, situe a une trentaine de km a l'est de Ouagadougou. Le site a ete retenu comme la solution la moins couteuse et la plus economiquement rentable. Le projet comprend la construction d'un barrage d'une capacite de 200 millions de mü et la construction d'une station de pompage. A terme, Ziga fournira 40 millions de m3 d'eau a la ville de Ouagadougou (contre 14 actuellement) et entrainera la realisation de 16.000 nouveaux branchements et 69 bornes-fontaines. (Marches Tropicaux, France, 20 mars 1998) * Burundi. News update - President Buyoya has returned from a visit to France and Italy, where he met with senior authorities and discussed matters concerning the general situation in Burundi. On 9 March, he met with Pope John Paul II. On 12 March, the first meeting between UNHCR and Tanzanian and Burundian authorities took place in Mwanza, Tanzania, to discuss technical questions related to the implementation of a facilitated return of the first 100,000 of some 250,000 Burundians living in camps in Tanzania. 13 March: The UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Kathleen Cravero-Kristofferson, visited Cibitoke province where she met with the governor and representatives from aid agencies. On 15 March, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Leonce Ngendakumana, voiced his concern over two conflicting documents: the 1992 Constitution, and the Statutory Order put in place to cover the current transitional period. The WFP said on 24 March, that it will start tomorrow an airlift of life-saving food for 37,000 malnourished children in nutritional centres throughout Burundi. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19-24 March 1998) * Burundi. Pont aerien pour les enfants - Le Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM) a commence le 25 mars le transport par avion de 600 tonnes de nourriture pour 37.000 enfants sous- alimentes dans 111 centres au Burundi. Le pont aerien, a partir de Dar es-Salaam en Tanzanie, est finance par l'Union europeenne et a recu l'accord des pays voisins qui maintiennent toujours un embargo contre le Burundi. "Le nombre d'enfants sous-alimentes s'est accru de maniere terrifiante", a dit le directeur du PAM, M. Siblot, "mais il y a aussi au moins 300.000 adultes dans cette situation". (De Standaard, Belgique, 26 mars 1998) * Cameroon. Archbishop Zoa dies - 20 March: Archbishop Jean Zoa of Yaounde, felt ill and died this morning during the funeral of Bishop Paul Etoga of Mbalmayo. Ordained priest in 1950, Jean Zoa became a bishop in 1961. At the time of his collapse he was concelebrating the funeral presided by Cardinal Christian Whygan Tumi. All assistance was useless, so much so, that his death was announced at the end of the liturgy. (MISNA, Rome, 20 March 1998) * Cameroun. Deces de Mgr. Zoa - Mgr. Zoa, archeveque de Yaounde, est decede le 20 mars a l'age de 73 ans. Il etait ne a Saa, dans le diocese d'Obala, en 1924. Ordonne pretre en 1950, il fut sacre eveque en 1961 et devint le premier archeveque noir de l'Afrique francophone. Il a ete un des grands promoteurs de l'inculturation du message evangelique et de l'engagement de l'Eglise dans la societe. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 mars 1998) * Centrafrique. Gendarmes tues par des refugies rwandais - Deux gendarmes centrafricains ont ete tues par des refugies rwandais a Bouka, a 450 km au nord de Bangui. Les gendarmes avaient arrete quatre personnes soupconnees de tentative d'assassinat. Lors de leur transfert, les suspects ont attaque et tue leurs gardiens. La Centrafrique compterait quelque 300 refugies rwandais. Certains militaires de l'ancien regime auraient ete recrutes pour etoffer des milices partisanes. - A la suite de ces incidents, 10 a 40 personnes ont ete tuees dans le camp de refugies a Bouka. (La Libre Belgique, 23-25 mars 1998) * Congo-Brazza. Le gouvernement demande une enquete UE - Le gouvernement du Congo-Brazzaville a demande au Parlement europeen d'envoyer une mission d'enquete pour evaluer les progres democratiques effectues par le nouveau regime. Cette decision fait suite a une resolution de cette Assemblee, la semaine derniere, demandant a la Commission europeenne d'interrompre l'aide humanitaire au Congo, qui, selon elle, est devenu une dictature depuis le retour au pouvoir de Sassou Nguesso. Dans une lettre adressee le 16 mars au Parlement europeen, le ministre congolais des Affaires etrangeres a demande une enquete afin de verifier ces allegations. (IRIN, Nairobi, 20 mars 1998) * Congo (RDC). Changements de noms? - La Commission constitutionnelle de M. Anicet Kashamura propose de changer le nom de la ville de Kinshasa, qui deviendrait "Lumumbaville". La ville de Kikwit, elle, deviendrait "Muleleville", du nom de l'ancien chef de la rebellion du Kwilu. Les discussions au sein de la commission au sujet de la reunification de certaines provinces, comme les deux Kasai, suscitent egalement des debats passionnants. (L.K., Kinshasa, RDC, 15 mars 1998) * Congo (RDC). Ambassador seeks asylum in Zambia - Congo RDC's ambassador to Zambia, Bongo Lega, has refused to return home and is seeking political asylum in Zambia, sources at Congo RDC's embassy in Lusaka said on 23 March. Lega has ignored calls to return home for fear of prosecution, amid accusations that he is a relative of the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. He denied the accusations. The new government in Congo RDC recalled Lega and Consul-General Issa Longombe, but Lega has stayed in Zambia, saying he could not return to Congo RDC before he receives money he is due. (Africa Press Bureau, South Africa, 23 March 1998) * Congo (RDC). Mises en garde et investissements - Le 19 mars, le secretaire d'Etat americain, Madeleine Albright, dans un discours a l'universite G. Mason a Fairfax en Virginie, a lance une severe mise en garde au president de la R.D. du Congo, Laurent-Desire Kabila, l'appelant a democratiser d'urgence son regime s'il ne veut pas perdre le soutien de Washington. Le 20 mars, les Etats-Unis ont de nouveau appele, M. Kabila a s'engager sur la voie d'une "plus grande democratie" et indique que le president Clinton aurait, le 25 mars, "des entretiens francs" avec lui a ce sujet. "Il est important que le president Kabila continue d'avancer sur la voie d'une plus grande liberte", a declare le conseiller de M. Clinton pour les affaires de securite nationale, Sandy Berger. -- D'autre part, un groupe de patrons americains va investir environ 110 millions de dollars au Congo-Kinshasa, a annonce le 20 mars David Miller, directeur executif du Conseil des entreprises pour l'Afrique (CCA). M. Miller a toutefois affirme que privatisations et instauration d'un Etat de droit conditionneraient le succes economique du Congo. Par ailleurs, la compagnie petroliere Chevron a annonce, le 21 mars, qu'elle allait investir 2 milliards de dollars en RDC au cours des deux prochaines annees. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 mars 1998) * Congo (RDC). Mission d'enquete - Les relations avec le gouvernement congolais s'etant ameliorees, la mission de l'ONU chargee d'enqueter sur des massacres presumes dans l'ex-Zaire a commence ses travaux a Goma, dans l'est du pays, a annonce le 19 mars le responsable de la mission, Atsu-Kofi Amega. Il ajouta que des membres de l'equipe devaient se rendre la semaine prochaine a Kisangani, au nord du pays, et que l'enquete a Mbandaka (a l'ouest) se deroulait desormais assez bien. Cependant, le 21 mars, les enqueteurs ont du quitter Mbandaka sous la menace de la population locale qui les accusait de profaner un cimetiere traditionel. Ils ont affirme avoir decouvert un charnier. Le Haut Commissaire des droits de l'homme de l'Onu, Mme Robinson, s'est dite "profondement inquiete" et a appele Kinshasa a s'assurer qu'il n'y ait pas d'autres entraves au travail de la mission. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 mars 1998) * Congo (RDC). Bodies removed from mass grave - A UN spokesman disclosed on 24 March that UN investigators digging in the north, have found at least one mass grave with all the bodies removed in a possible attempt to destroy evidence. A team of UN forensic investigators pulled out of the town of Mbandaka on 21 March after villagers threatened them with machetes and spears in Wendji, about 12 miles north of the town. The UN experts were investigating reported massacres of Rwandan Hutu refugees in the Congo RDC. (InfoBeat, USA, 25 March 1998) * Cote d'Ivoire. Debt relief approved - On 19 March, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank approved a deal to ease Cote d'Ivoire's debt burden by up to $800 million. The IMF and World Bank said the package would be provided under the international community's HIPC, or Highly Indebted Poor Countries, which aims to reward reformist debtor states with generous debt relief terms. Cote d'Ivoire is the fifth country to benefit from HIPC. The other countries are Uganda, Burkina Faso, Guyana and Bolivia. Cote d'Ivoire's debt package, will support wide-ranging economic and structural reforms, and help the world's biggest cocoa producer reform its fragile economy. (InfoBeat, USA, 20 March 1998) * Egypte. Tempete de sable - La tempete de sable qui souffle du Caire a la vallee du Nil avec une exceptionnelle violence depuis une semaine perturbe gravement le trafic aerien et maritime. Le "Khamsin", qui signifie "cinquante", est une tempete de sable qui deferle chaque annee sur l'Egypte a l'approche du printemps et qui peut durer cinquante jours, d'ou son nom. Depuis le premier jour, 36 personnes ont ete blessees et 99 maisons detruites dans le delta du Nil. Quelques jours plus tard, Le Caire a ete la cible privilegiee. Sur les routes du desert, la visibilite est reduite a 50 metres. (La Croix, France, 21 mars 1998) * Ethiopie. Famine - La Federation internationale des Societes de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge a lance, le 13 mars, un appel visant a reunir $6,5 millions pour venir en aide a plus de quatre millions d'Ethiopiens sinistres par les consequences de la secheresse et de la famine. Dans la province septentrionale de Tigre, 1,2 million de personnes sont menacees par la famine. La secheresse a entraine en Ethiopie un deficit dans la recolte des cereales estime a pres de 530.000 tonnes. La Federation concentrera son aide, pendant les neuf mois a venir, dans les regions les plus affectees du sud du Tigre, du sud de Wollo et du nord de Shoa. (Marches Tropicaux, France, 20 mars 1998) * Ghana. Clinton in Africa - On 23 March, President Bill Clinton arrived in Ghana to a tumultuous reception, but at one stage the crowds came almost too close for comfort. Mr.Clinton, who began his tour of six African states in Ghana, delivered his keynote speech in the capital's Independence Square and walked to meet some of the estimated crowd of 250,000 well-wishers. Wearing a dark suit, he was also struggling to cope with the unfamiliar tropical heat and humidity at the start of what will be his longest trip as president. A teeming crowd of Ghanaians clamouring to shake his hand surged forward -- almost knocking over metal security barriers and sending a flutter through White House security. Looking in danger of being overwhelmed, the US president with a look of consternation on his face waved his arm and cried: "Back up". Mr.Clinton who was accompanied by his wife Hilary, was to spend less that 10 hours in Ghana. He flies on to Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana and the former French colony of Senegal. (The Guardian, U.K., 24 March 1998) * Kenya. Agenda for mass action - An Opposition meeting in Nairobi's Kamukunji Grounds on 14 March, resolved to organise a nationwide strike beginning on 3 April, as part of a series of actions to press for change in the country's political and economic management. National Convention Executive Committee Co-convener, Kivutha Kibwana, warned that if the Government does not act fast and heed the people's pleas over their plight, especially the plea against rising taxation, a series of national strikes will go ahead. (Daily Nation, Kenya, 15 March 1998) * Kenya. Freedom fighters forgotten families - Kenyan film-maker, Dommie Yambo-Odotte, plans to start work in June on "The Forgotten", a movie about the women and children left behind in East and Central Africa, when South African freedom fighters returned home on the collapse of apartheid. Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia provided camps for guerrillas where they stayed for years. Many lived with local women and raised families, but when white rule ended, hundreds of wives and children were abandoned as their menfolk returned south.(...) Researching the film, to be shot in Tanzania and Zambia, Ms Yambo-Odotte found that hundreds of children had been thrown out of school and were living on the streets or had turned to crime to survive. (The East African, Kenya, 19-22 March 1998) * Kenya. Universite de Nairobi fermee - L'universite de Nairobi a ete fermee dans la nuit du 23 mars, a l'issue d'une emeute declenchee par des etudiants pour protester contre les procedures d'admission. Un communique publie par le vice-chancelier a declare que l'universite resterait fermee indefiniment. Plusieurs blesses ont ete signales, ainsi qu'un certain nombre de voitures incendiees au cours de cette journee d'affrontements avec la police dans le centre de Nairobi. (IRIN, Nairobi, 24 mars 1998) * Kenya. Riot over Kenyan ad for rich students - 23 March. Police armed with live ammunition and tear-gas were forced to retreat by stone-throwing university students in running battles in central Nairobi that lasted all day. Witnesses said a policeman was critically injured when he was hit in the head by a stone thrown by students who went on the rampage outside the downtown campus of the University of Nairobi. Three more police were seriously injured and two were slightly hurt when they tried to break up rioters. Using slingshots to keep paramilitary and riot police off the campus, students burned cars and smashed shop windows. Government radio announced that the university was closed in the afternoon. The riots followed an advertisement in the popular Daily Nation which offered degrees in medicine and health "for privately sponsored students" with minimal educational requirements. Students say university places are being sold off by a corrupt administration -- the advert comes soon after a recently exposed scandal involving the sale of university degree certificates. (The Guardian, U.K., 24 March 1998) * Libya. Reaping UN success - 20 March. Libya scored a propaganda coup at the United Nations today when dozens of countries backed Tripoli's call for the lifting of the sanctions imposed after the Lockerbie bombing. The open Security Council debate, with families of the bombing victims among the audience, was an embarrassing setback for Britain and the United States. In an attempt to buttress the United States case, its ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, appeared at a press conference with two victims' relatives, and the US delegation displayed a picture of the downed Pan Am plane and a list of the 270 passengers who died in the 1988 bombing. "This is what it's all about", said Dan Cohen, holding a photograph of his dead daughter. "If the United Nations turns its back on justice, the American people will turn their back on the UN". (The Guardian, U.K., 21 March 1998) * Mauritanie. Esclavage - La cour d'appel de Nouakchott a confirme la peine de treize mois de prison prononcee contre cinq militants des droits de l'homme. Ils avaient ete arretes au lendemain de la diffusion d'une emission sur France 3 sur le theme de la persistance de l'esclavage en Mauritanie, a laquelle l'un d'eux avait participe. (Liberation, France, 25 mars 1998) * Mauritius. Africa's most competitive country - Mauritius is the most competitive country in Africa, according to the Africa Competitiveness Report compiled by the World Economic Forum. The competitiveness index is calculated as a weighted average of six indices, that combine economic statistics and the results of a survey of African businessmen. These measure are: openness, government, finance, labour, infrastructure and institutions. The countries that scored well -- Mauritius, Tunisia and Botswana -- are all export-oriented economies that have long had stable, well- run governments. (The Economist, U.K., 21 March 1998) * Morocco/Western Sahara. Towards a referendum - 14 March: The new Prime Minister Youssoufi declares his departmental staff will give priority to three aims: Western Sahara, employment and social problems. 16-17 March: Visit to Morocco of Martin Indyk, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. 19 March: The representative of the Swiss NGO, Centre Europe Tiers Monde, says Morocco has a strange way of preparing itself for a referendum on Western Sahara: there is intimidation, taking of prisoners; others have simply disappeared. Moroccans should take a sincere, fair approach to this referendum. (ARSO, Suisse, 22 March 1998) * Nigeria. Massacre interethnique - Trente et une personnes appartenant a l'ethnie Urhobo ont ete massacrees le 17 mars par des Ijaws dans l'Etat de Bayelsa, au sud du Nigeria. Selon le temoignage d'une jeune femme rescapee, les victimes auraient ete assassinees une a une pour etre "sacrifiees" a des dieux locaux. Ce secteur, proche d'une des grandes cites petrolieres du delta du Niger, a deja ete le theatre de sanglants affrontements interethniques entre Ijaws et Itsekiris entre mars et juin 1997, qui avaient fait plus d'une centaine de morts. (La Croix, France, 20 mars 1998) * Nigeria. Papal visit - 20 March: On the eve of the Pope's visit, Amnesty International issues a reminder that arrests and beatings of human rights activists and journalists have shamelessly continued right up to the Pope's official visit to Nigeria. "Even the Pope's impending visit has not been enough to stop the Nigerian authorities from brutally suppressing dissenting opinions in the country". 21 March: Pope John Paul 11 arrives in Abuja and is met at the airport by General Abacha. The Pope calls on the government to consider granting clemency to about 60 political detainees and 600 death row inmates. 22 March: Beatification of Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi. The Pope tells the people: "All Nigerians must work towards achieving honesty, efficiency and competence in the art of governing. As your nation pursues a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government, there is a need for politicians -- both men and women -- who love their own people and wish to serve rather than be served. There can be no place for intimidation and domination of the poor and the weak..." 23 March: The Pope leaves Nigeria with an appeal to Nigeria to leave behind its divisions and work towards unity and peace. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 24 March 1998) * Nigeria. Visite du pape - Jean-Paul II a fait une visite au Nigeria du 21 au 23 mars. Des son arrivee, le samedi 21 a Abuja, il a demande aux autorites nigerianes des mesures de clemence en faveur d'une soixantaine de detenus. Le dimanche 22 a Oba, pres d'Onitsha, devant une foule de pres de deux millions de fideles, le pape a proclame la beatification du pere nigerian Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi. Il a aussi appele les Nigerians a la reconciliation nationale et au respect des droits de l'homme. "Tous les Nigerians doivent liberer la societe de tout ce qui offense la dignite de la personne humaine et viole les droits de l'homme", a dit le pape, appelant la nation a "une transition pacifique vers un gouvernement democratique civil". Le dimanche soir a Abuja, il a rencontre une delegation de dignitaires musulmans. Jean-Paul II a quitte le Nigeria le lundi 23 mars, apres avoir une derniere fois appele au respect des droits de l'homme et fait l'apologie de la famille. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 mars 1998) * Nigeria. Coca-Cola urged to leave Nigeria - Nigerian democracy campaigners calling for sanctions against the military regime, have shifted their attention from oil companies such as Shell, to another top multinational investor, Coca-Cola. They want to broaden a campaign, begun on campuses in the United States, to persuade Coca-Cola to withdraw from Nigeria in protest against human rights abuses. (The Guardian, U.K., 20 March 1998) * Nigeria. Panic fuel buying in Lagos - On 25 March, the streets were jammed in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, as motorists scrambled to buy newly arrived petrol after a week-long shortage paralysed business in Africa's biggest oil producer. Queues of cars stretched outside the few filling stations with fuel to sell after authorities brought in 17 million litres of petrol. Paramilitary police with horsewhips kept desperate customers in check. Hundreds more were on standby to intervene if there was any repeat of violence that erupted on 23 March, when unruly crowds were dispersed with tear gas. (The Guardian, U.K., 26 March 1998) * Rwanda. Religieuses enlevees - Sept religieuses (5 Rwandaises et 2 Espagnoles) ont ete enlevees par des inconnus dans la nuit du 22 au 23 mars a Kibumbu, dans la region de Gisenyi, au nord-ouest du pays pres de la frontiere congolaise, a indique a Madrid le ministere espagnol des Affaires etrangeres. Selon le porte-parole des Soeurs de la Charite de Ste Anne, dont dependent les religieuses espagnoles, les ravisseurs sont probablement des rebelles hutu, qui pourraient avoir enleve les soeurs pour soigner leurs blesses; elles ont ete obligees d'emporter avec elles du materiel medical. Le soir du 23 mars, les cinq aspirantes rwandaises ont ete liberees par leurs ravisseurs. Selon l'agence Fides, les deux religieuses espagnoles, toujours detenues, ont pu telephoner le 25 mars au matin a leurs consoeurs a Madrid, disant qu'elles allaient bien et etaient bien traitees. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 mars 1998) * Rwanda. Seven nuns abducted - Two Spanish and five Rwandan nuns have been abducted in northwest Rwanda by suspected Hutu rebels, Rwanda's Episcopal Conference said on 23 March. The nuns from the St. Anne of Charity order were abducted on the night of 22 March from Kivumu parish. On 24 March, IRIN reported that the five Rwandan nuns have been released, but the two Spanish nuns still remain in captivity. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 March 1998) * Rwanda. Clinton in Africa - 24 March: A statement from the Rwandan presidency describes President Clinton's visit to Kigali as a "clear message to the world that the 1994 genocide was simply unacceptable". The same day, the Rwanda News Agency reports that Clinton has refused to visit a genocide memorial specially erected at Kigali airport. It quotes an unnamed government official as saying Clinton's decision "belittles the meaning of his stopover here". 25 March: Clinton arrives in Kigali. He holds talks at the airport terminal with President Pasteur Bizimungu and Vice- President Paul Kagame. He also meets with genocide survivors and comments that the world did not act quickly enough to stop the slaughter in 1994. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 March 1998) * Seychelles. Sticking to Rene - 23 March. President Albert Rene and his Seychelles People's Progressive Front have won the country's presidential and parliamentary elections, state television reported. The opposition leader James Mancham, overthrown by Mr.Rene in a 1977 military coup, polled less than 12% to Mr.Rene's 64%, and his Democratic Party lost four of its five seats. Wavel Ramkalawan's United Opposition party won its first three seats. (The Guardian, U.K., 24 March 1998) * Sierra Leone. Fighting continues - 20 March. A Nigerian-led West African force that restored Sierra Leone's president to power, has sent reinforcement to the east to quell attacks by supporters of the military junta it ousted in February. Commanders of the ECOMOG force said in the capital, Freetown, that junta loyalists and their rebel allies, were fighting a traditional hunters militia, loyal to President Kabbah, for control of eastern Kailahun district. Civilians fleeing the diamond-mining town of Koidu to the north, spoke of an exodus of thousands of residents from the area. One told reporters in Freetown that children were dying from hunger, thirst and disease in the bush in the area. (InfoBeat, USA, 20 March 1998) * Somalie. Ancien carnage americain - Selon une enquete d'un journal americain, le Philadelphia Inquirer, les Casques bleus americains, pris de panique, auraient abattu plus de 1.000 personnes en plein centre de Mogadiscio, le 3 octobre 1993, lors de l'operation Black Hawk, et non 200 comme officiellement admis. (Liberation, France, 23 mars 1998) * Somalia. Unity efforts but bloodshed continues - Somali faction chiefs met on 24 March to prepare for a national reconciliation conference set for March 31, but clan bloodletting of the kind that has wrecked the country since 1991 flared anew in Mogadishu. As dominant rival clan chiefs Ali Mahdi Mohamed and Hussein Aidid convened a 28-member coordination committee, rival militiamen fought in another part of town and at least three people were killed, witnesses said. Somalia has had no central government since the 1991 overthrow of dictator Mohamed Barre and has since been laid to waste by clan warfare. (InfoBeat, USA, 25 March 1998) * South Africa. Employment Equity Bill - A commentary on the Employment Equity Bill from the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference Liaison Office says: "The new political dispensation in South Africa has brought about a large measure of formal equality among our people. Apartheid laws have been repealed, and, from a legal point of view, all our citizens enjoy equal treatment. None of this, however, is enough to bring about substantive equality; changing laws in this respect is not sufficient to change people's lives, and there are still millions of South Africans who suffer discrimination and lack of opportunity in many spheres. One such sphere is the workplace, and it is here that the Employment Equity Bill seeks to redress past imbalances. It does this primarily by making unfair discrimination in the workplace illegal, and by introducing a strong element of affirmative action". (SACBC, South Africa, February 1998) * South Africa. Rugby inquiry - 19 March: In a constitutionally important move, President Mandela obeys a subpoena and submits to cross-examination on how he decided to appoint a commission of inquiry into the game of rugby. The occasion is replete with irony, not least because the President was trained as a lawyer, whereas the judge who summoned him had led a campaign to bar blacks from the Pretoria bar. Mr Justice William De Villiers had ordered Mr Mandela to testify after South Africa's rugby boss, Louis Luyt, went to court to try to block an inquiry into "certain financial and administrative aspects of the South African Rugby Football Union and related matters". In effect, corruption and racism. 20 March: President Mandela is in court again, sticking to his guns that an inquiry into the white-dominated game of rugby was necessary. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 March 1998) * Afrique du Sud. Tensions raciales - Les 18 et 19 mars, des bagarres ont eclate dans les quartiers noirs de Vryburg a cause de tensions raciales entre etudiants. Les Noirs sud-africains protestaient contre les grandes differences d'equipements entre les ecoles blanches et noires. Au moins 2.000 Noirs, armes de machettes, de couteaux et de cocktails Molotov se sont repandus dans les rues. Des incidents de ce genre sont devenus rares depuis la fin de l'apartheid. - D'autre part, une epreuve de force engagee entre le pouvoir noir et le rugby sud-africain (embleme de la minorite blanche la plus conservatrice) prend la dimension d'une veritable affaire nationale. Les 19 et 20 mars, le president Mandela a ete appele a la barre des temoins dans un proces qui oppose son gouvernement aux dirigeants du rugby, concernant une commission d'enquete chargee d'examiner la gestion de la federation. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 mars 1998) * South Africa. Race clashes at a school - 19 March: Police clash several times with about 2,500 stone-throwing black demonstrators who try to march on a high school beset by racial violence. The demonstrators are marching is support of black students who say they no longer feel safe at Vryburg High School, the scene of repeated clashes in the past month. They demand the closure of the school, which has resisted racial integration, the resignation of the principal and the disbanding of the governing body. 20 March: Vryburg School is closed today. Police prepare for trouble. Black youths burn tires and stone a police vehicle. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 March 1998) * South Africa. Bishops meet with President - On 24 March, the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, after requesting a meeting with the President, met with President Mandela at Tuynhuys this morning. The meeting set a positive tone for good relations and continuing dialogue between the Church and the government. What emerged from the meeting was the need for greater cooperation between Church and State in the socio-economic and moral reconstruction of our society. The President suggested a further meeting with the Bishops, especially in regard to several areas of mutual concern which were raised by the Bishops at this present meeting. (SACBC, South Africa, 24 March 1998) * Soudan. La securite alimentaire se deteriore - Les populations dans le Bahr el-Ghazal connaissent de graves penuries alimentaires, ont indique des sources humanitaires. Les vols humanitaires sont limites par le gouvernement a quatre endroits seulement. La population locale est obligee de vivre essentiellement des aliments sauvages qu'elle peut trouver. Les mouvements de population provoques par les recents combats a Wau et a Aweil ont aggrave la situation dans une region ou la population a deja souffert de deux mauvaises recoltes consecutives dues a la secheresse et a l'insecurite. 18% des enfants de moins de cinq ans souffriraient de malnutrition severe. La saison de plantation approche, mais les gens n'ont pas de semences. Si celles-ci n'etaient pas fournies, une autre annee de penurie alimentaire sera inevitable. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 mars 1998) * Sudan. Hunger crisis in the south - On 24 March, aid agencies said that hundreds of thousands of people in a vast province in southern Sudan face a major food shortage after they were displaced from their homes by civil war. But aid workers disagree on the gravity of the situation in the Bahr el-Ghazal region of southwest Sudan. Around 350,000 people face the early stages of famine, and children in Pakor, Thiet Thou and other feeding centres are already starving, according to UN and non-governmental agencies. Other aid workers said the situation was comparable to the early stages of other famines in Ethiopia in 1984 and Somalia in 1992. (InfoBeat, USA, 25 March 1998) * Sudan. Ties with Egypt improve - 20 March: Sudan's foreign minister was quoted as saying that he would visit Egypt in a few days, amid progress in efforts by both countries to repair strained ties. Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail told the Arabic newspaper al- Hayat that he would come to Cairo on 23 March for talks with his counterpart, Amr Moussa, on outstanding issues. "If we find the time is suitable, we will also propose a summit meeting (between President Mubarak of Egypt and Lieutenant-General Omar al-Bashir of Sudan)," he said. Sudanese-Egyptian ties soured after Islamists seized power in Khartoum in a 1989 coup. (InfoBeat, USA, 20 March 1998) * Sudan. Constitutional vote after peace talks - On 23 March, Sudan's foreign minister said the country's first permanent Constitution for more than a decade, would be submitted to a popular vote in May after next month's peace talks with southern rebels. Sudan's parliament is now debating the Constitution, its first since 1994. Peace talks with the SPLA rebels are due to resume in April. Sudan's parliament this month started debating the draft Constitution, which says Islamic law and custom are sources of law and confirm Sudan's status as a federation of 26 states. (InfoBeat, USA, 23 March 1998) * Tanzanie. Investissements miniers - Quatre compagnies minieres internationales (Ashanti Goldfiels du Ghana, Anglo-American d'Afrique du Sud, Samax Ressources de Grande-Bretagne et Sutton Ressources du Canada) devraient investir 360 millions de dollars dans des mines d'or en Tanzanie, au cours des deux prochaines annees, a rapporte le 19 mars le Daily News. Elles planifient d'operer a Geita (region de Mwanza, au nord du lac Victoria), a Kahama (region de Shinyanga) et a Nzega (region de Tabora), a fait savoir le ministre adjoint de l'Energie et des mineraux, M. Msambya. (IRIN, Nairobi, 21 mars 1998) * Tanzania. What the papers say - Tanzania's Sunday News (15 March) says that about 2.8 million people in Tanzania are reported to be at risk from a malaria epidemic, according to a report by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation. The report, entitled: "Guidelines for Epidemic Preparedness for Malaria in Tanzania", says the number represents 10% of the entire population. The same day, Kenya's Sunday Standard reports that in an attempt to end more than two years of wrangling over who won elections in Zanzibar, President Mkapa of Tanzania says there will be no more talks with the Opposition, and they should stop challenging the results. Kenya's The East African (16-22 March), reports that Tanzania is to establish a Deep Sea Fishing Authority in its Exclusive Economic Zone, to stem illegal fishing and encourage its exploitation. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 March 1998) * Tunisie. Droits de l'homme - Maitre Nadhia Nasraoui, avocate specialisee dans la defense des droits de l'homme, et son mari, un ancien prisonnier politique, ont ete inculpes d'"appartenance a un groupe criminel et terroriste, tenue de reunions non autorisees, incitation a la revolte, insulte au president, diffusion de fausses informations", selon un communique publie le 17 mars par Amnesty International. Une quinzaine de detenus, defendus par Me Nasraoui, font l'objet d'accusations identiques. (Le Monde, France, 19 mars 1998) * Uganda. Terrorist issues - On 18 March, President Museveni said that Khartoum must arrange the release of 21 schoolgirls abducted by Sudanese-backed rebels, before Uganda frees 114 Sudanese prisoners of war. "They (the Sudanese) will stay in prison in Uganda until we get our schoolgirls. We are holding the Sudanese soldiers against the schoolgirls", he said. The President also demanded that Sudan must release two Ugandan soldiers currently held by the government in Khartoum. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 March 1998) * Uganda. Clinton in Africa - On 24 March, President Clinton visited a Ugandan primary school (Kisowera) with dirt-floor classrooms. He pledged $120 million in aid for African schools to train more teachers and to connect children to the Internet. The President also promised more aid to combat malaria and to increase food production. He said a million African children die each year on malaria and he pledged an additional $16 million to combat the mosquito-born disease. Before visiting the school, President Clinton met with President Museveni to discuss ways of stabilising neighbouring countries, including Rwanda and Burundi. (Editor's update: President Clinton flew to Kigali, Rwanda, on 25 March, for a short visit. He returned to Uganda the same day and had a meeting with African Heads of State. His next stop will be South Africa). (The Guardian. U.K., 25 March 1998) * Zambie. Etat d'urgence leve - Le 17 mars, le president zambien, Frederick Chiluba, a leve l'etat d'urgence impose apres la tentative de coup d'Etat en octobre dernier. Il a declare que les proces des 90 detenus, dont l'ancien president Kenneth Kaunda, allaient bientot commencer et que la nation pouvait "continuer a se developper de facon democratique" sans avoir besoin de mesures d'urgence, a rapporte la BBC. M. Kaunda est accuse de ne pas avoir prevenu le gouvernement du coup d'Etat. Il est actuellement en residence surveillee, mais risque la prison a perpetuite s'il est juge coupable. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 mars 1998) * Zambia. Falconbridge pulls out of project - Zambia's hopes of reviving its copper industry, the country's biggest employer and which accounts for about 90% of its foreign currency earnings, suffered another blow on March 25, when Falconbridge of Canada pulled out of the Konkola project. Falconbridge is the third mining group to quit the $800m venture. Gencor of South Africa gave up last May, citing a lower rate of return than it had previously expected, following Australia's WMC which left in July, 1996, saying the project did not meet its investment criteria. Falconbridge said it was leaving because of "a review of priorities and commitments with regard to other projects and in the light of lower copper price forecasts". London Metal Exchange copper prices have fallen by 30% in the past nine months. However, the remaining member of the consortium, Zambia Copper Investments, a subsidiary of Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, insisted it would finalise a Konkola feasibility study, probably in the second quarter, and if the scheme was viable, it would seek other partners. Zambia's copper production has fallen from a peak of 720,000 tonnes in 1969 to a little over 300,000 tonnes a year. (Financial Times, U.K., 26 March 1998) * Zimbabwe. Mugabe under pressure - 24 March: Police break up a peaceful demonstration in Harare, by former supporters of President Mugabe. The riot police use baton charges to disperse a march by about 400 "chimbwidos", the female supporters of Mr Mugabe's nationalist guerrillas during the 1970s war to end white-minority Rhodesian rule. They are appealing to Mr Mugabe for the same pensions as he granted freedom fighters last year. 25 March: President Mugabe denies he is buying a castle in Scotland and accuses Britain of trying to derail his government's programme to seize farms owned by descendants of white British settlers. (The Guardian, U.K., 25-26 March 1998)