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: 16-04-1998      PART #1/  

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Egypt: The Committee to
Protect Journalists says: "The government's use of criminal libel
statutes are compounded by the high number of prosecutions of
journalists currently pending in the courts". There are at least 34
journalists who are awaiting trial or who are under investigation
for alleged publications offenses. Ethiopia: Reporters sans
frontieres says that Fesiha Alemu, editor-in-chief of the Amharic-
language independent weekly Tarik, was arrested in Addis Ababa on
26 March. Sierra Leone: On 14 April, Ibrahim B. Kargbo, managing
editor of the weekly independent newspaper Citizen, and Hilton
Fyle, managing editor of WBIG FM, were charged with treason. Three
other media people also appeared in court. Zambia: On 7 April,
Masautso Phiri, former special projects editor for The Post,
appeared before a magistrates court in Kabwe. Phiri has been
charged with "conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace". On 8
April, The Post newspaper reporter, Dickson Jere, who has been in
hiding since December 1997, was arrested. He has been sought by the
police in connection with an interview he had with Kenneth Kaunda.
He was later released without being charged.   (IFEX, Canada, 8-14
April 1998)

* East Africa. Cash and food needed  -  The UN has urged the
international community to supply food and financial aid to East
Africa to feed the hungry and rebuild infrastructure damaged by
floods. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said in its
March food supply report, that roads in the region had been
severely damaged by months of heavy rains since late last year and
repairing the damage was an immediate priority. The FAO said
increased food assistance would be needed in Somalia, Ethiopia, and
Tanzania after heavy rains in those countries since last October. 
 (InfoBeat, USA, 8 April 1998)

* East Africa. Passport troubles  -  The issuance of the long
awaited East African passport faces new delays following an
announcement by the Uganda government last week, that the document
would have to wait for computer records to be up-graded. Tanzania
recently said it was not ready to process the passports, to be
officially known as the East African Standard Travel Document,
until it computerised its immigration records. The computerisation
exercise was to take place once funds became available. With the
new development in Uganda, it would appear that only Kenya, among
the members of the East African co-operation, is now ready to
proceed with the issuance of the document.   (The East African,
Kenya, 6-12 April 1998)

* Algerie. La Fete du Sacrifice endeuillee  -  8 avril. Les forces
de securite algeriennes annoncent que seize personnes ont ete
massacrees la nuit precedente dans deux villages de la region de
Medea et M'Sila. Les musulmans fetaient ce soir-la la "Fete du
Sacrifice". Une premiere attaque contre le village d'Ouled Said,
dans la province de Medea, a fait douze morts. Quatre villageois
ont ete tues dans la seconde, dans la province de M'Sila. En trois
jours, 52 Algeriens au moins ont ete massacres dans le pays. 9
avril. La presse algerienne indique que cinq personnes ont ete
decapitees le 6 avril a Mascara, dans le sud-ouest, et deux autres
tuees par l'explosion d'une bombe a Gdyel, pres d'Oran, dans
l'ouest du pays. D'autre part, le 9 avril, quatre organisations
humanitaires internationales (A.I., FIDH, RSF et HRW) ont appele
l'Union europeenne, les Etats-Unis, le Canada et les autres Etats
a prendre immediatement une initiative aupres de la commission des
droits de l'homme, actuellement reunie a Geneve, pour que les
autorites algeriennes acceptent une enquete sur les droits de
l'homme. 11-12 avril. 30 rebelles islamistes et 4 militaires
algeriens ont ete tues durant le week-end dans la region de Tiaret. 
 (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 14 avril 1998)

* Algerie. Miliciens suspectes de massacres  -  Le 14 avril, les
journaux algeriens ont mis en cause des miliciens, appartenant au
parti presidentiel, leRND. Une douzaine de responsables locaux et
membres de groupes d'autodefense de la region de Relizane (dont le
maire de cette ville) auraient ete arretes, suspectes d'avoir
instaure "une ere de terreur" en executant des dizaines de civils.
Selon 'Liberte', deux charniers contiendraient les corps de 17 et
62 personnes. L'evenement n'a pas ete confirme officiellement.  
(d'apres Liberation, France, 15 avril 1998)

* Algeria. And the slaughter continues...  -  9 April: Nearly 100
civilians and Muslim rebels have been slaughtered in Algeria during
this week's celebrations of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, Algerian
newspapers say. More than half of those killed were civilians,
mostly women and children, in violence which mirrored past surges
of slaughter during religious holidays which Muslim rebels say are
propitious for what they term their "holy struggle". 10-12 April:
Thirty Muslim rebels and four soldiers were killed at the weekend
in a battle in Algeria's Tiaret region, southwest of Algiers, the
paper La Tribune reported on 13 April. More than 65,000 people have
been killed since the start of violence in early 1992, according to
western estimates. 12 April: Algeria's highest religious body has
ruled that women who have been raped by "terrorists" can have their
pregnancy ended, Algeria's al Khabar newspaper said. The
influential Arabic-language newspaper said the Supreme Islamic
Council had issued a fatwa, or religious edict, on abortion, which
is generally not allowed in Muslim countries. 14 April: Algerian
newspapers report that local officials and leaders of civilian
militias armed by the government, have been arrested in western
Algeria on suspicion of involvement in civilian killings. 15 April:
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Human
Rights Federation and Reporters sans Frontieres, call on the UN
Human Rights Commission to take action vis a vis Algeria.   (ANB-
BIA, Brussels, 16 April 1998)

* Botswana. Namibian troops accused of trespass  -  9 April:
Namibian troops have illegally entered Botswana twice in two weeks,
Botswana President Mogae's office says. President Mogae was sworn
in as Botswana's new leader a week ago, taking over from Ketumile
Masire, whose government had held talks with Namibia over long-
running local border disputes between the two sparsely populated
southern African nations. The report says that Namibian Defense
force have been patrolling along a disease-control fence inside the
Botswana-Namibia border, and the Namibian government sees this
illegal crossing very serious. The troops apparently strayed 20
yards inside Botswana.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 April 1998)

* Burundi/Congo (RDC). Refugies refoules  -  Le Haut commissariat
aux refugies des Nations unies s'inquiete d'une nouvelle vague de
refugies hutu burundais au Congo. Les derniers jours, environ 6.000
personnes, majoritairement des femmes et des enfants, se sont
dirigees du Burundi vers le Kivu, a communique un representant du
HCR a Geneve le 8 avril. L'armee congolaise, dans la region
d'Uvira, refoule ces refugies: pres de 500 d'entre eux ont ete
ramenes sous contrainte. On ne connait pas encore exactement la
cause de cette nouvelle fuite.   (De Standaard, Belgique, 9 avril
1998)

* Burundi/Uganda. Army debt  -  Uganda and Burundi Finance
Ministers held negotiations in Kampala last week over a $26.5
million debt owed to the Bujumbura government for goods supplied to
the Uganda military more than 10 years ago. No agreement was
reached, but there was progress on how to handle the decade-old
dispute in which President Museveni has at times been personally
been involved. A Burundi delegation led by Finance Minister Astere
Girukwigomba held two-day discussions with Ugandan Minister Jeoash
Mayanja-Nkangi and his officers on the payments owed to Burundi
businessmen who supplied provisions to the Uganda armed forces in
1987. The debt was initially $9.7 million but has grown to $26.5
million due to interest and changes in currency rates.   (The East
African, Kenya, 6-12 April 1998)

* Burundi. Droits de l'homme  -  Le gouvernement burundais a
dementi, le 8 avril, les accusations de 'Human Rights Watch'
concernant des executions sommaires de centaines de civils par
l'armee a majorite tutsi. Selon l'organisation americaine, le
regime du major Pierre Buyoya "a organise une campagne massive de
violence militaire contre la population du Burundi". A son tour, le
14 avril a Geneve, le rapporteur special de l'Onu sur le Burundi,
le Bresilien Paolo Pinheiro, a declare que l'armee burundaise et la
rebellion commettent de nombreuses et graves violations des droits
de l'homme. Il a cependant estime que la communaute internationale
devrait rompre l'isolement qui penalise la population de ce pays
soumis a des sanctions economiques.   (La Libre Belgique, 9 et 15
avril 1998)

* Cameroon. Journalist seeks justice  -  On 14 April, the
Cameroonian newspaper editor, Pius Njawe, was sentenced by the
appeal court to a year in prison, and a reduced fine for publishing
"false news". Last week, Mr Njawe appealed against a two-year
sentence imposed after his newspaper, Messager, published a story
about President Paul Biya's "heart problem". The story had been
confirmed by two sources close to Mr Biya. The case is likely to be
taken to the Supreme Court in the capital, Douala.   (The Guardian,
U.K., 15 April 1998)

* Cameroun. Atteinte a la liberte de la presse  -  Le journaliste
camerounais Pius Njawe a ete condamne, le 14 avril, a un an de
prison et 3.000 FF d'amende pour "propagation de fausses nouvelles"
par la cour d'appel de Douala. Le directeur de publication du
Messager a obtenu une reduction de la peine qui lui avait ete
infligee en premiere instance pour avoir rendu public un "malaise
cardiaque" du president Biya. Le verdict a ete rendu en moins de
trois minutes dans une salle a moitie vide, en l'absence de
l'accuse et de ses avocats.   (Liberation, France, 15 avril 1998)

* Centr. Afr. Republic. MINURCA takes over  -  On 15 April, a
multi-national UN force began peacekeeping duties, taking over from
a regional mission. The new force's commander, General Barthelemy
Batanga, appealed to the people to work with it. "The local
population should not regard the United Nations Mission in the
Central African Republic (MINURCA) as an occupation army, but as
soldiers for peace", he said.   (InfoBeat, USA, 15 April 1998)

* Centrafrique. Minurca  -  La Minurca (Mission des Nations unies
en Republique centrafricaine) entre officiellement en fonction le
15 avril pour un mandat initial de 3 mois avec un effectif qui ne
doit pas depasser 1.350 hommes. Ses premiers contingents arrivaient
cette semaine a Bangui pour prendre le relais d'une force
interafricaine qui, depuis un an, a reussi a retablir un semblant
de calme dans ce pays. La Minurca devra renforcer la securite,
ramasser les armes, maintenir l'ordre et aider a la formation de
policiers. Les forces de la Minurca sont composees des contingents
de huit pays africains, ainsi que du Canada et de la France. Pour
l'ONU, il s'agit de sa premiere mission militaire en Afrique, apres
ses operations en Somalie (1992), au Rwanda et au Liberia (1993-
94).   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 avril 1998)

* Congo Brazza. Insecurity continues  -  Sporadic shooting,
frequent looting and banditry continue to be reported in
Brazzaville. According to humanitarian sources, the insecurity is
largely caused by ex-militiamen who are resisting the government's
disarmament and demobilisation operation. As a result, much of
Brazzaville's civilian population stays indoors after the sun sets.
However, some improvements in the overall security situation has
been noted in the city over the past couple of weeks.   (IRIN,
Nairobi, 8 April 1998)

* Congo-Brazza. Troubles sporadiques  -  La paix civile au Congo
est loin d'etre assuree. Dans les regions du Niari et de la
Bouenza, des membres de milices en armes de l'ancien president
Lissouba ont lance une serie d'operations de guerilla durant les
premiers jours d'avril. La voie du chemin de fer Congo-Ocean aurait
ete coupee le 5 avril, tandis que le barrage hydroelectrique de
Moukoukoulou aurait ete pris par des 'Cocoyes', l'une des
composantes des anciennes milices de Lissouba. Une contre-attaque
des forces gouvernementales de Sassou Nguesso, composees de soldats
angolais et de miliciens 'Cobras', aurait ete lancee a Matoumbou,
a 90 km de Brazzaville, ou elle s'est heurtee a une autre milice,
les Ninjas de Bernard Kolelas. (Ndlr. Le 14 avril, l'AFP rapportait
que le calme etait revenu dans la region de Bouenza).   (L'Autre
Afrique, France, 8 avril 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Adolescents fusilles  -  Au moins treize adolescents
ont ete fusilles par des soldats de l'armee congolaise apres avoir
ete captures durant une attaque rebelle au Nord-Kivu, ont affirme
des temoins oculaires le 8 avril. Les adolescents, ages de 12 a 17
ans, auraient ete arretes le 5 avril, lors d'une attaque d'un
groupe de combattants Mai-Mai contre la localite de Beni, a la
frontiere avec l'Ouganda. Ils avaient affirme avoir ete recrutes
par un ancien officier de l'ex-armee mobutiste, qui leur avait
promis l'equivalent de 10.000 FB a chacun.   (La Soir, Belgique, 9
avril 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Religieuse belge assassinee  -  Dans la nuit du 8 au
9 avril, a Kananga au Kasai, une religieuse belge des Soeurs de la
charite de Heule, Anne Desrumaux, 57 ans, a ete assassinee a la
suite d'un vol avec violence par des hommes armes qui s'etaient
introduits dans le couvent. Il s'agit d'un crime crapuleux, sans
connotation politique apparente. La religieuse travaillait au Congo
depuis 1969.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 avril 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Autorisations et defenses  -  Apres avoir interdit
l'Azadho, les autorites congolaises ont autorise "provisoirement"
22 organisations de defense de droits de l'homme, sur 132 demandes,
a-t-on appris le 12 avril de sources officielles. -Par ailleurs,
Kinshasa vient d'ordonner la fermeture immediate de tous les
aeroports prives. L'ordre venu du ministere de l'Interieur stipule
que tous les avions en provenance de l'etranger doivent atterrir
sur les aeroports internationaux exclusivement.   (Le Soir,
Belgique, 14 avril 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Evasion d'opposants  -  Deux dirigeants de
l'opposition, Joseph Olenghankoy et Arthur Z'ahidi Ngoma, ainsi que
l'ancien conseiller du president Kabila, le commandant Masasu
Nindaga, tous les trois detenus dans la prison de Buluwo, non loin
de Lubumbashi, se sont evades, a annonce le 14 avril le vice-
ministre de l'Interieur, Faustin Munene, qui a affirme ne pas avoir
d'autres precisions sur cette evasion. M. Ngoma, president des
Forces du futur, avait ete arrete le 25 novembre; M. Olenghankoy,
president des Forces novatrices pour l'union et la solidarite
(FONUS), a ete interpelle le 20 janvier. Le commandant Masasu etait
un des co-fondateurs de l'Alliance des forces democratiques pour la
liberation du Congo (AFDL) au pouvoir.   (d'apres La Libre
Belgique, 15 avril 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Human rights concerns  -  8 April: Congo RDC's
recent ban of the country's leading human rights organization, is
the latest move in a crackdown on local human rights activists,
Amnesty International declares today, as it warns that repressive
measures against other organizations may follow. The ban on AZADHO,
(Association zairoise de defense des droits de l'homme) was imposed
on 3 April. The ban was declared by the Minister of Justice, on
national television. He accused AZADHO of carrying out political
campaigns against the government and receiving money from abroad.
He also criticized AZADHO for retaining in its name the old
designation of the country, Zaire. The minister announced that all
human rights organizations had to register at the Ministry. The
detention overnight of a Canadian member of a UN team that has been
trying for months to investigate alleged massacres in Congo-RDC,
could herald the final withdrawal of the mission, says a UN
spokesman. The team has suffered numerous setbacks, since it began
last August to hunt for evidence of alleged massacres of Rwandan
Hutu refugees by the forces of President Kabila and his Rwandan
Tutsi allies when they toppled late President Mobutu last May. The
same day, UNHCR says that President Kabila's troops have forced 500
Hutu refugees back to Burundi from Congo RDC. A spokesman says
UNHCR was concerned by the expulsions, which began on 6 April in
Uvira. Troops commandeered aid agency trucks for the expulsions and
also marched some refugees to the border. 9 April: The UN issues a
stern warning to Congo RDC, for detaining one of its officials. 15
April: The UN Secretary General decides to pull out the UN
investigations team.   (InfoBeat, USA, 8-15 April 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Enquete ONU suspendue  -  9 avril. Le porte-parole
des Nations unies a New-York a annonce la suspension des travaux de
la mission d'enquete de l'ONU sur les massacres presumes de
refugies rwandais. En cause, la detention pendant 24 heures, les 7
et 8 avril, a Goma au Kivu, d'un des enqueteurs, le Canadien
Christopher Harland. Les autorites ont saisi et fouille des
documents sensibles sur des inspections dans la region. Selon des
sources onusiennes, la liste des temoins qui se trouvait dans les
bagages de M. Harland a ete photocopiee par les agents du
gouvernement. Le porte-parole a precise que l'organisation
internationale avait donne instruction a la mission de suspendre
ses activites "jusqu'a ce que les faits soient clarifies et que les
autorites congolaises fournissent des explications". Mme Mary
Robinson, le haut-commissaire aux droits de l'homme de l'ONU, avait
deja accuse la RDC de s'opposer a l'enquete et elle avait evoque un
retrait possible de la mission. Le 14 avril, devant la Commission
des droits de l'homme a Geneve, le ministre congolais de la Justice
a longuement defendu la position de son gouvernement, accusant M.
Harland d'avoir enfreint la legislation en matiere d'immigration.
Le 15 avril, un haut responsable de l'ONU a fait savoir que le
secretaire general Kofi Annan avait decide de rappeler la mission
d'enquete; s'exprimant sous couvert de l'anonymat, il a precise que
l'annonce officielle interviendrait probablement le 16 avril. De
son cote, dans un rapport qu'il vient de presenter aux Nations
unies, a Geneve, Roberto Garreton dresse un tableau dramatique en
matiere de violations des droits de l'homme: "Le regime (de Kabila)
a fait table rase des droits a la vie".   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 16 avril 1998)

* Egypte. Conseil consultatif  -  A l'approche des elections
partielles du Conseil consultatif, qui auront lieu en juin
prochain, le Parti national democrate (au pouvoir) est seul en
lice. Plusieurs partis d'opposition et les Freres musulmans ont
deja fait savoir qu'ils ne prendraient pas part a ces elections,
jugees sans veritable enjeu, puisque le Conseil n'a pas de pouvoirs
legislatifs. En effet, ce Conseil cree au debut des annees 80 emet
des avis de caractere purement consultatif.   (Al Ahram Hebdo,
Egypte, 8-14 avril 1998)

* Kenya. "Let there be dialogue in the house"  -  Reconciliation,
co-operation and dialogue. This was the message President Moi gave
to Parliament as he opened the Eight Parliament this week, probably
for the last time. The President took advantage of the presence of
his rivals in the December 29 General Election to extend a hand of
reconciliation. He said he was ready to meet any one of them in
order to share ideas on the myriad problems that the country is
grappling with. He also took the initiative on the reforms front,
throwing the debate open by asking Parliament to be sensitive to
the views of Kenyans and accommodate them in the Constitution of
Kenya Review Commission.   (East Africa Standard, Kenya, 1 April
1998)

* Kenya. Vasco Da Gama stamp issue  -  On 15 April 1498, the coast
of Kenya was visited by three ships which sailed from Portugal and
had passed around the southernmost point of Africa. These ships,
under the command of Vasco Da Gama, were on their way to open up a
direct sea route between Portugal and India, circumventing the then
existing land trade routes to the Far East. On 15 April 1998, it
will be exactly 500 years since Vasco Da Gama landed off the coast
of Malindi (north of Mombasa). In recognition of the contribution
to the trade and history of Malindi, the Kenya Posts and
Telecommunications Corporation are joining with the Malindi Museum
Society and the Malindi community, in celebrating the 500th
anniversary of Vasco da Gama's visit to Malindi, by issuing a set
of four stamps released on 9 April 1998.   (Daily Nation, Kenya, 4
April 1998)

* Kenya. Warning by human rights groups  -  8 April: Human rights
groups say the Kenyan government's tactics have pushed the country
to the brink of violence. At a news conference, Mr.Edge Kanyongolo,
a spokesman for three human rights groups, said in Nairobi that
after a tour of the country, that "the downward spiral of violence
and ethnic hatred is resulting in increasing human rights
violations, and will not end until the government stops using
divide-and-rule tactics". More than 100 people were killed in
violent clashes between ethnic Kalenjins and Kikuyus in the Rift
Valley in January and February. The clashes followed general
elections in December, in which President arap Moi, a Kalenjin,
defeated Kikuyu former vice-president Mwai Kibaki to win a fifth
and final term for the ruling Kenyan African National Union.   (The
Guardian, U.K., 8 April 1998)

* Libye. Proces anti-americain  -  La justice libyenne a entame, le
13 avril a Tripoli, un proces contre six hauts responsables
americains, dont de proches collaborateurs de l'ancien president
Reagan, juges par contumace pour leur implication dans le raid
aerien de 1986 contre la Libye. Selon l'acte d'accusation, ils sont
poursuivis pour meurtre de 41 personnes et tentative de meurtre de
266 autres. Suite a un attentat meurtrier contre des militaires
americains a Berlin-ouest, l'armee de l'air americaine avait lance
le 15 avril 1986 des raids contre la caserne de Bab al-Azizya,
quartier general du colonel Kadhafi a Tripoli, et sur Benghazi.  
(Le Soir, Belgique, 14 avril 1998)

* Malawi. Les eveques denoncent la corruption  -  Lilongwe, 6
avril. Les eveques du Malawi viennent de publier une lettre
solennelle invitant les habitants du pays, ainsi que le
gouvernement du president Bakili Muluzi, a se pencher sur les
problemes qu'affronte le Malawi. "Notre pays devient de plus en
plus corrompu, -- ecrivent les eveques. -- La corruption derobe les
maigres ressources de notre nation et ce sont les plus pauvres et
les plus faibles qui en font les frais". Les eveques denoncent les
bas salaires, la hausse enorme des prix des biens de consommation,
l'insecurite, le mauvais usage des medias... En 1996, lorsque les
eveques avaient emis le meme genre de critiques, ils avaient ete
menaces d'arrestation par Muluzi en personne.   (CIP, Belgique, 9
avril 1998)

* Mali. Mariam Traore enfin jugee  -  En detention preventive
depuis mars 1991, Mariam Traore, l'epouse de l'ancien president
malien, sera finalement jugee a la mi-mai. Debut avril, Mariam
Traore se trouvait toujours a Selingue, une localite situee a 130
km au sud-ouest de Bamako. Elle devrait comparaitre devant un
tribunal de droit commun pour "crimes economiques", aux cotes
notamment de son epoux et de son frere, l'ancien directeur des
douanes, Abraham Douah Cissoko.   (Jeune Afrique, France, 7 avril
1998)

* Maroc. Liberation de prisonniers  -  Dix-neuf detenus, pour la
plupart membres de l'Organisation de l'action democratique et
populaire (OADP), ont ete liberes, le 8 avril, apres avoir passe
dix mois a la prison de Ben Slimane. Ces 19 personnes avaient
manifeste en juin dernier contre le "trucage", selon eux, des
elections municipales. Ils ont ete condamnes a un an de prison.  
(Le Soir, Belgique, 11 avril 1998)

* Maroc/Sahara occidental. Referendum  -  Le ministre marocain de
l'Interieur, Driss Basri, et le representant de l'Onu pour le
Sahara occidental, Charles Dunbar, se sont mis d'accord, le 6
avril, sur l'ouverture dans le nord du Maroc de 6 centres
d'identification des Sahraouis, dans le cadre de la preparation du
referendum d'autodetermination, prevu le 7 decembre 1998. Selon la
mission des Nations unies au Sahara occidental, plus de 100.000
Sahraouis ont deja ete identifies.   (Al Ahram Hebdo, Egypte, 8-14
avril 1998)

* Mauritania/Senegal. More refugees  -  11-12 April: Clashes
between Mauritanian refugees and locals in Senegal, have killed
four people at the weekend near the border between the West African
neighbours, say Senegalese officials. The clashes erupted in the
eastern Kidira district, 435 miles from the capital Dakar, when
locals tried to drive out the refugees and killed three of them,
one official said by telephone. The local residents accused the
refugees, who fled following violence against blacks in Mauritania
in 1989, of raiding their settlements.   (InfoBeat, USA, 13 April
1998)

* Mozambique. Debt relief  -  7 April: The International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank have approved a $2.9 billion debt relief
package for war-torn Mozambique as part of a program to help poor
nations committed to reform. The package -- supported by the World
Bank, the IMF and other major creditors including the Paris Club
and the Russian Federation -- is part of the international Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries initiative. The World Bank said Mozambique
now faces a year-long review period before the plan is finalized. 
 (InfoBeat, USA, 8 April 1998)

* Mozambique. Allegement de la dette  -  Le 8 avril, la Banque
mondiale, le Fonds monetaire international et d'autres creanciers
ont conclu un accord pour alleger la dette du Mozambique de pres de
3 milliards de dollars. Ceci represente 70% du produit interieur
brut du pays. Le Mozambique est le sixieme pays a beneficier d'une
telle mesure dans le cadre d'une initiative d'alleger les dettes
des pays les plus pauvres.   (De Standaard, Belgique, 9 avril 1998)

* Niger. Security forces and protestors clash  -  On 12 April,
opposition militants and security forces clashed in Niger during a
protest rally against President Bare Mainassara. The clash in
Takoua injured an estimated 20 people, including six members of the
security forces. The eight-party Front for the Restoration and
Defense of Democracy had called for protests, to demand the
resignation of Mainassara.   (InfoBeat, USA, 14 April 1998)

* Nigeria. A Briton killed  -  5 April: A Briton has been shot dead
in an armed robbery in Nigeria while working on a construction
project. The Foreign Office last night confirmed that the dead man
was Mark Davey, 34, a married man with children. Mr.Davey, from
Norfolk, was a sub-contractor for the Mobil oil company. He had
been working as a pipeline footer on a government water scheme in
Eket, in the east of the country, when he was killed during the
robbery which took place early on Thursday morning. Other British
workers on the project have returned home amid fears for their
safety in the West African republic. Mr.Davey's body is to be flown
back to Britain this week.   (The Independent, U.K., 6 April 1998)

* Nigeria. Unions press for oilworkers' release  -  Pressure for
the release of two Nigerian oilworkers' leaders will further
increase at a conference to be held by the OAU in Pretoria, South
Africa, 13-18 April. Union leaders from all over Africa will press
the continents employers and governments to help secure the release
of Milton Dabibi, General Secretary of the oil and gas workers'
union PENGASSAN, and Frank Kokori, General Secretary of the oil and
gas workers' union NUPENG. They have been detained without charge
or trial in Nigeria since 1996 and 1994 respectively. Both unions
are affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of
Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Union (ICEM) which is
campaigning for the two men's release.   (APIC, Washington, 7 April
1998)

* Nigeria. News roundup  -  8 April: Over 200 people die when a
boat in which they were travelling capsized in high winds in the
Bight of Bonny's treacherous waters en route to Gabon. The old boat
struggled against the waves until it was finally flipped upside
down by a huge wave off the coast of Cameroon. 11 April: It is
reported that at least 52 people have died from cerebro-spinal
meningitis CSM during the past week in Adamawa State. CSM is
usually most virulent in Northern Nigeria during the dry season,
but this year, the weather has been very hot in the absence of the
usual early rains in parts of the country. It is reported that WHO
rates Nigeria as fifth in the world with the largest number of
tuberculosis cases. The same day, the alarm was raised by leaders
of the five registered political parties concerning the serious
effects of the on-going fuel shortage on the transition programme.
The leaders decided to ask for the postponement of the National
Assembly elections scheduled for 25 April.   (Taye Babaleye,
Nigeria, 14 April 1998)

* Nigeria. "Fin d'Etat de droit"  -  Le 15 avril, le rapporteur de
l'ONU sur le Nigeria a accuse la junte militaire au pouvoir de
violer systematiquement les droits elementaires de l'homme. "Des
violations systematiques des droits elementaires de l'homme se
produisent au Nigeria", a declare l'enqueteur, qui n'a pas ete
autorise a se rendre sur place. "Le systeme juridique nigerian
n'assure pas de protection effective des droits de l'homme et le
regime gouverne par des decrets. Le Nigeria a cesse d'etre un Etat
de droit". -- Par ailleurs, le meme jour a Ibadan, lors d'une
manifestation pour la democratie et contre le general Abacha, la
police a ouvert le feu, abattant trois personnes et en blessant
grievement deux autres.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 avril
1998)

* Rwanda/Burundi. Arms inquiry  -  9 April: The UN Security council
votes unanimously to revive a commission of inquiry set up in 1995
to investigate illicit arms transfers to former Rwanda soldiers who
fled to neighbouring countries after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Many of the mainly Hutu troops and militia were involved in the
massacres in which up to a million Rwandan Tutsis and moderate
Hutus were slaughtered. The soldiers fled when the Tutsi-led Rwanda
Patriotic Front seized power later the same year and are now widely
dispersed throughout central Africa. But they are continuing to
carry out destabilizing attacked in Rwanda and Burundi, raising
fears of renewed genocide.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 April 1998)

* Rwanda. Affairs of justice  -  7 April: Rwanda calls on the
international community to face up to its responsibilities and help
bring the perpetrators of the killings to justice.9 April: A human
right investigator urges the UN to beef up the International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to help it better prosecute cases of
rape and other crimes committed during the 1994 genocide in the
African nation. Radhika Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan lawyer who is UN
special rapporteur on violence against women, also calls on Rwanda
to start prosecuting cases of rape in its own courts. She was
speaking to a news conference in Geneva after submitting a report
on her recent mission to Rwanda to the annual session of the UN
Commission on Human Rights in the Swiss city.   (InfoBeat, USA, 8-9
April 1998

* Rwanda. Attaques meurtrieres  -  Le 9 avril a l'aube, des
rebelles hutus ont massacre 33 "deplaces" rwandais dans la commune
de Nyarutovu (30 km a l'est de Ruhengeri); 36 civils ont ete
blesses, dont 26 gravement. Vingt rebelles ont ete tues par
l'armee. A Nyamugari, pres de Ruhengeri, onze soldats de l'armee
patriotique rwandaise, dont deux officiers, ont ete tues dans une
embuscade tendue par des miliciens interahamwe et des soldats de
l'ancienne armee, qui avaient coupe les ponts sur la route. Dans la
nuit du 10 au 11 avril, 24 personnes ont ete massacrees a
Musambira, et dix personnes ont ete tuees au cours de plusieurs
attaques lancees dans la nuit du 11 au 12 avril par des miliciens
hutu dans le centre du pays. Le nombre de personnes tuees depuis le
7 avril s'eleverait a 135.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 14
avril 1998)

* Rwanda. Upsurge in violence  -  9 April: Ethnic Hutu militia
killed 28 civilians in a pre-dawn attack in northwest Rwanda and
suffered at least 20 dead in ensuing clashes, the privately-owned
Rwanda News Agency (RNA) reports. It says two groups of rebels,
armed with guns, hand grenades, machetes and clubs, attacked a
military post and a camp housing refugees in Nyarutovu commune, 20
miles south of Ruhengeri town. Officials are quoted as saying that
the rebels shot at random and threw grenades. Some of the victims,
who were mainly women and children, were hacked or clubbed to
death. 10 April: IRIN reports that over 100 people have been killed
in violence perpetrated by Interahamwe militiamen since Rwanda
commemorated the fourth anniversary of the 1994 genocide on 6
April.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 April 1998)

* Senegal. Mauritaniens attaques  -  Quatre personnes ont ete tuees
au cours d'affrontements, pendant le week-end du 11 au 12 avril
dans de nord du Senegal, entre des habitants de la region de Kidira
et des refugies mauritaniens. Les paysans senegalais ont attaque un
camp mauritanien, accusant les refugies de voler les recoltes.
Trois deplaces ont ete tues. En represailles, les Mauritaniens s'en
sont pris a un autocar, tuant son chauffeur. De nombreux Noirs ont
fui la Mauritanie durant les troubles de 1989, pour se refugier au
Senegal.   (Liberation, France, 14 avril 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Hundreds die in flight  -  8 April: Hundreds of
exhausted people among thousands fleeing into Guinea to escape
rebel attacks in eastern Sierra Leone, have died in forests in the
mountainous area, aid and government officials say. Large numbers
of inhabitants of towns and villages fleeing diamond-producing Kono
district in past weeks have been trying to reach UN refugee camps
inside Guinea, they said.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 April 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Offensive de l'Ecomog  -  La Force ouest-africaine
de paix (Ecomog), a dominante nigeriane, a annonce, le 13 avril,
avoir lance une offensive finale pour deloger les forces de l'ex-
junte retranchees dans l'est de la Sierra Leone. Le commandant de
l'Ecomog assure que ses hommes ont commence a faire mouvement en
direction des derniers bastions. Des troupes guineennes avancent de
leur cote de la frontiere en un mouvement de tenaille. D'autre
part, plusieurs milliers de civils dans l'est du pays ont fui vers
la Guinee apres un mouvement de panique provoque par les partisans
de la junte en deroute, a raconte un rescape le 8 avril.   (ANB-
BIA, de sources diverses, 14 avril 1998)

* Sierra Leone. ECOMOG's final offensive  -  13 April: The
Nigerian-led West African force that restored Sierra Leone's ousted
president to power in March, has launched a "final" offensive to
root out those who briefly supplanted him. Aid workers say that the
ECOMOG task force was using tanks and jets in its drive against the
remaining strongholds of the military junta and its rebel allies --
all of them in the far east of the impoverished former British
colony. ECOMOG ejected the junta and its rebel allies from the
capital of Freetown in February and President Ahmad Kabbah returned
home in triumph March 10. 15 April: ECOMOG forces have closed in on
the diamond town of Koidu, triggering an exodus of civilians from
the area.   (InfoBeat, USA, 13 & 15 April 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Former President Momoh charged  -  On 14 April,
former president Saidu Momoh and 13 others, were charged with
treason in a Freetown court, in connection with a coup last May.
The 13 included prominent broadcaster and former BBC journalist
Hilton Fyle, and senior members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council
that toppled President Kabbah in May.   (InfoBeat, USA, 14 April
1998)

* Somalie. Conference de reconciliation  -  Les factions
somaliennes ont decide, lors d'une reunion a Mogadiscio, de
reporter au 15 mai la tenue de la conference de reconciliation
nationale prevue a Baidoa, dans le centre de la Somalie. Cette
conference, qui doit mettre en place un Etat federal et installer
un gouvernement provisoire, devait se tenir le 30 mars, mais avait
ete reportee, principalement parce que le chef de faction Aidid
s'etait refuse de retirer ses miliciens. Il a maintenant promis de
retirer ses troupes de Baidoa, un mois avant le debut de la
conference.   (Afrique Express, France, 6 avril 1998)

* Somalia. Aid workers kidnapped  -  On 15 April, gunmen kidnapped
ten aid workers from a small airstrip north of Mogadishu, the Red
Cross said. "We are trying all we can do to have them freed", a
spokesman said. He could not say how many of the captives were
foreigners. Since the overthrow of the dictator Mohammed Siad barre
in 1991, Somalia has been carved up into fiefdoms. Kidnappings are
a common way of extorting money.   (The Guardian, U.K., 16 April
1998)

* Somalie. Membres de la Croix Rouge enleves  -  Neuf membres du
Comite international de la Croix Rouge et de la Federation
internationale des societes de la Croix Rouge et du Croissant Rouge
ont ete enleves, le 15 avril, sur un aeroport au nord de
Mogadiscio, par des membres d'un sous-clan de Ali Mahdi Mohammed,
l'homme fort du secteur nord de la capitale. Leur accompagnateur
somalien a egalement ete pris en otage. Quatre autres passagers ont
pu eviter le guet-apens. On hesite sur les motifs du rapt: soit une
demande de rancon, soit une tentative de saboter le processus de
paix en cours concernant la reouverture du port et de l'aeroport de
la ville.   (d'apres La Libre Belgique, 16 avril 1998)

* Somaliland. Energy deals with foreign firms  -  10 April: The
Somaliland government has signed an agreement with international
companies to rehabilitate and reconstruct power stations in the
country. The agreement, the first by the breakaway republic with a
foreign company, was signed on 10 April with the US based Collins
Engineering company and British-American Energy by president
Mohamed Egal. The companies will rehabilitate a 25 megawatt power
station in the capital Hargesia at a cost of $23 million before
beginning work on electrification of other areas.   (InfoBeat, USA,
13 April 1998)

* South Africa. Coup plot -- a fraud  -  South African intelligence
service allegations of a coup plot against President Mandela, were
completely "fraudulent" and unfounded, a commission of inquiry has
found. Allegations of a plot in which Winnie Mandela, and former
guerrillas from the ANC old military wing were implicated were
presented to President Mandela last February. The President
commented on the report after the bizarre arrest in early March in
Mozambique of Robert McBride, a foreign affairs official, on gun-
smuggling charges. His name was among conspirators named in the
coup report. Conspiracy theorists are having a field day but the
government believes the "fraudulent" coup only exposes the tensions
within the South African armed forces, which are attempting to
blend former guerrillas with the apartheid-era government forces.
Despite a promising start, integration is going badly.   (The
Independent, U.K., 2 April 1998)

* South Africa. Unproved drug tested on humans  -  No one can quite
figure out why the South African government is championing
Virodene, a homegrown "cure" for Aids, even though it has been
thoroughly panned by the medical establishment. The government's
dogged support for the drug, whose main constituent is an
industrial solvent, is being linked to threats to abolish the
Medicine Controls Council (MCC), the body responsible for drug
safety. Medical experts and opposition parties say it is no
coincidence that the attacks on the MCC come after it refused to
lift the ban on Virodene. The MCC says the drug is toxic and there
is no scientific evidence to support claims that it can halt HIV
and even cure Aids. The African National Congress has suggested
that the MCC is stifling Virodene research because it has hidden
financial links with international pharmaceutical companies. The
MCC have denied this.   (The Independent, U.K., 3 April 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Aveu de Terreblanche  -  Eugene Terreblanche, le
chef du Mouvement de la resistance afrikaner (AWB, extreme droite),
va soumettre a la Commission verite et reconciliation une
deposition dans laquelle il assume la responsabilite de crimes
commis par ses partisans. Le chef de l'AWB avait refuse en mars de
temoigner pour soutenir la demande d'amnistie d'un de ses anciens
membres implique dans le meurtre d'un chauffeur de taxi noir.  
(Liberation, France, 9 avril 1998)

* South Africa. The P.W. Botha affair  -  14 April: Lawyers for
former president P.W. Botha seek to save him from his trial on
contempt charges, for refusing to testify to the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. If convicted he could face a fine of up
to $4,000 or two years in prison. A Commission spokesman says talks
are under way with Botha's lawyers which could result in a
postponement of the trial due to start at 9.a.m. A TRC spokesman
says Mr Botha's lawyers and TRC officials are working towards
getting Mr Botha to appear before the TRC in a closed session.
Talks continue into the night. 14-15 April: P.W. Botha fails in his
appeal. He must now appear for criminal trial. 15 April: The trial
begins. Damning new evidence of P.W. Botha's personal role in
ordering bomb attacks and killings to thwart anti-apartheid
activity, is revealed.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 April 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Proces de Pieter Botha  -  Le proces de l'ancien
president sud-africain Pieter Botha, qui devait commencer le 14
avril, a d'abord ete suspendu. Ce proces fait suite au refus de M.
Botha (president de 1978 a 1989) de comparaitre devant la
Commission verite et reconciliation, qui voulait l'interroger sur
le role de l'Etat durant l'apartheid. Ses avocats ont propose qu'il
puisse deposer en prive devant la Commission afin d'echapper au
proces. Mais apres qu'il ait rejete tout arrangement a l'amiable,
M. Botha s'est assis, le 15 avril, au banc des accuses du tribunal
de George. Le proces risque de reveiller les demons de l'apartheid. 
 (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 avril 1998)

* Tanzania. Reports of Interahamwe training camp denied  -  Tazania
has strongly denied allegations by the Agence Burundaise de Press,
that the Mbuba reception centre in northwest Ngara district, is
being used as a training camp for Interahamwe militia and ex-FAR
soldiers. The acting UNHCR representative for Tanzania, Lennart
Kotsalainen, said that Mbuba is a reception centre for Burundian
and Rwandan asylum-seekers, controlled by the Tanzanian government
with assistance from UNHCR. A UNHCR spokeswman said that despite
"porous borders", the refugee agency "confirms the civilian
character of the camps in Tanzania".   (IRIN, Washington, 9 April
1998)

* Tanzanie. Catastrophe miniere  -  On craint que plus de 100
mineurs soient morts suite a l'inondation de quatorze puits miniers
dans la region d'Arusha, le 10 avril. Le Premier ministre, M.
Sumaye, a appele tous les mineurs de la region a essayer de sauver
des rescapes. Trois corps ont ete retrouves et 21 personnes ont ete
degagees vivantes, le 12 avril.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 14 avril 1998)

* Tanzania. Update on mine accident  -  13 April: Hopes fade of
finding survivors of a mining disaster in northern Tanzania in
which at least 55 miners were killed in flash floods. Up-to-date,
four bodies had been recovered and 21 people have been pulled out
alive from the Mererani mines that flooded after heavy rains on the
night of 9 April. Rescue workers and regional officials say they
lacked heavy duty pumps needed to draw water out of the mines. Mine
owners had a list of 55 miners in the Tanzanite mine at the time of
the accident who are now presumed dead, but up to 100, including
illegal workers, are probably trapped inside the mine, they said.
14 April: Officials hold out little hope of finding more survivors
of the mine diaster.   (InfoBeat, USA, 13-14 April 1998)

* Uganda. Debt package  -  8 April: The International Monetary Fund
and the World Bank have launched a $650 million debt relief package
for Uganda, promising immediate disbursements to the reformist
African state. The lending agencies say Uganda will be the first
recipient of debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
project, which rewards low-income debtor states with a strong
record of reform with the most generous debt relief terms creditors
have been offered. The joint statement says that Uganda has
established a strong track record of economic management and policy
reform.   (InfoBeat, USA, 9 April 1998)

* Uganda. 11 die in cattle rustler raid  -  Cattle rustlers raided
a village in eastern Uganda, killing five soldiers of the Uganda
People's Defense force and three civilians, Ugandan newspapers
reported 11 April. The daily Monitor newspaper said three of the
rustlers also died in the raid on the village in Mbale district.
The rustlers, known as the Karimojong, were armed with AK-47 rifles
and light machineguns and were involved in a two-hour shootout with
the army, the newspaper said. The state-owned New Vision newspaper
said the rustlers, travelling in two trucks, took four guns from
the dead soldiers and an unspecified number of cattle.   (InfoBeat,
USA, 13 April 1998)

* Ouganda. Penurie alimentaire  -  Une enquete, conduite
conjointement par la FAO, le PAM, le Systeme d'alerte rapide sur la
famine et le ministere ougandais du Travail, a confirme que la
penurie alimentaire allait persister cette annee dans la plupart
des regions de l'ouest et du nord de l'Ouganda. Le rapport, publie
le 14 avril, estime que plus de 800.000 Ougandais sont touches par
des graves penuries alimentaires. La secheresse, les inondations et
l'insurrection rebelle ont gravement touche la production sur un
quart des terres cultivables. On estime a environ 563.600 le nombre
de refugies et personnes deplacees qui dependra de l'aide
alimentaire cette annee.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 15 avril 1998)

* Zimbabwe. Fermiers blancs indemnises  -  Le gouvernement
zimbabween est finalement revenu sur la decision, prise en decembre
1997, de ne pas indemniser les gros proprietaires terriens
expropries dans le cadre de la politique de redistribution de
terres aux petits paysans. Ce revirement s'explique par les
pressions des bailleurs de fonds et coincide avec la negotiation
d'une aide de 176 millions de dollars du FMI. Le ministre de
l'Agriculture a declare qu'une "compensation financiere integrale
en fonction d'estimations equitables" serait offerte pour les
terres entierement exploitees, tout en precisant qu'il n'y aurait
pas d'indemnisations pour les terres abandonnees.   (Jeune Afrique
Economie, France, 13 avril 1998)