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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 28-05-1998      PART #1/  

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Congo RDC: Reporters sans
Frontieres said that on 18 May, Jose Kajangwa, director-general of
the national radio and television agency (RTNC), was arrested in
Kinshasa with four of his colleagues. They were arrested after
images of massacres of civilian populations in Africa were
broadcast on television. Ethiopia: At an international conference
on human rights, which began on 19 May at Addis Ababa, RSF
condemned the arrest of four more journalists from the private
press since the start of May 1998. This brings to 21, the number of
journalists now in prison. Malawi: Two journalists working for the
opposition Daily Times, have been subpoenaed to testify for the
state against the Malawi Congress Party Member of Parliament for
Lilongwe South-East, Hetherwick Ntaba, in a case in which Ntaba is
being prosecuted for calling President Muluzi "silly". They
received a summons to report to the High Court on 25 May, to
testify against Ntaba. Also, the Malawi Chapter of the Media
Institute of Southern Africa has strongly condemned its
government's delays in enacting the long-awaited Communications
Bill and thereby liberalising the communications sector. (IFEX
alert of 14 May). Niger: On 13 May, government authorities ordered
that ten private newspapers cease operating for non-payment of
taxes. Reporters sans Frontieres and the Committee to Protect
Journalists say that attacks against the Media have been escalating
in Niger. Nigeria: IFEX reports on 20 May that a search was
undertaken for the pro-democracy activists, believed to be behind
the May Day riot in Ibadan. Some people, believed to be agents of
the State Security Services, raided the Lagos house of Olubunmi
Drum, a University of Lagos activist, pro-democracy campaigner and
writer with one of the national dailies. Rwanda: According to
information released by RSF on 20 May, on 5 May, Emmanuel
Munyemanzi, head of production services at Rwandan National
Television, disappeared while returning from work. Two moths prior
to his disappearance, the journalist was accused of sabotage by the
director of the Rwandan Information Office, following a technical
incident that occurred during the taping of a political debate.  
(IFEX, Canada, 20-26 May 1998)

* Africa. Drug peddlers  -  12 May: The African continent is being
targeted by drug traffickers, participants attending a meeting on
illicit drug control in Kenya were told. A statement from the
United Nations International Drug Control Programme on the meeting,
said reports indicated that illicit drug cultivation, processing,
trafficking and abuse were on the rise on the continent. It noted
that Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States had
undertaken specific drug control activities in East Africa, such as
equipping and training of police and customs officers on drug
control-related law enforcements efforts.   (Daily Nation, Kenya,
13 May 1998)

* Africa. Return of the Peace Corps  -  Now that the dust has
settled in the killing fields in Liberia and Congo RDC, the United
States looks set to resume its Peace Corps work in those countries.
The USA has disclosed that two separate fact-finding teams will
shortly be dispatched to these two countries to find out what
prospects and opportunities are there for the return of the Peace
Corps to assist in the rebuilding of these two countries. The
Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, Mr Charles R. Bacquet said the
move is in response to requests made by President Charles Taylor of
Liberia and Kabila of Congo RDC.   (Hassan Kiawu, Atlanta, USA, 21
May 1998)

* Africa/Europe. Faith and Justice Network  -  On the 10th
Anniversary of the foundation of the Africa-Faith and Justice
Network, representatives of its antennae of the European Union met
in Brussels. Together they reflected on what the AEFJN wants to say
to politicians, just after the start of negotiations for the
renewal of relations between the EU and the Afro-Caribbean Pacific
group. Those at the meeting, together with members of the Executive
Committee in Rome, also wanted to express their profound solidarity
with the peoples of Africa and with their sisters and brothers,
from, their 40 member Institutes who work there.   (Andre
Claessens, AFJN, Brussels, 26 May 1998)

* Algerie. Attentats  -  Au souk Boumati, a El-Harrach, un quartier
est d'Alger, l'explosion d'un bombe a fait 16 morts et 61 blesses,
le 22 mai au matin, dans un marche bonde avant la grande priere du
vendredi. La veille, une bombe avait fait une quinzaine de blesses
a Bab el-Oued, un autre quartier populaire. La semaine derniere,
une bombe avait eclate dans une ecole et une autre avait ete
desamorcee in extremis. Ces attentats marqueraient un retour des
groupes islamistes dans la capitale, d'ou ils semblaient avoir ete
chasses. Pendant ce temps, l'armee mene de nombreuses operations,
notamment dans l'ouest du pays et en Kabylie, ou des zones de
maquis ont ete bombardees. - D'autre part, des journaux rapportent
que trois groupes armes, forts de 10 a 20 hommes chacun, ont
annonce qu'ils se joignaient a la treve decretee en octobre 1997
par l'Armee islamique du salut. - Le 26 mai, au moins 7 personnes
ont ete tuees et 8 blessees par l'explosion d'une bombe sur un
marche de Khemis Miliana (a 100 km au sud-ouest d'Alger), portant
a 40 le nombre de morts depuis le dimanche 24 mai dans une flambee
de violence qui s'etend a la Kabylie, la region montagneuse a l'est
d'Alger, ou les groupes armes ont frappe ce dimanche et ou une
trentaine de personnes ont ete tuees. 27 mai. Onze personnes ont
ete tuees dans la nuit du 26 au 27 lors de l'attaque de Mactaa
Lazregue, un village de la region de Blida. Les services de
securite, qui attribuent ce massacre aux islamistes armes,
affirment avoir lance une operation de recherches au cours de
laquelle "six terroristes ont ete elimines".   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 28 mai 1998)

* Algeria. Bomb explosions in markets  -  22 May: A bomb apparently
hidden in a box of vegetables explodes in a packed market in an
Algiers suburb killing at least 15 people, hospital authorities
say. At least three of the victims die in a stampede after the
blast. The bomb appears to have exploded in a carton of vegetables,
a nurse say on condition of anonymity. No one has claimed
responsibility for the attack at Boumadid market in the western
suburb of El Harrach. Police block off the market, one of the
biggest in the A Algiers area, where about 1,000 people had been
gathered. Security has been tight at the market for the past two
years to guard against violence connected to Algeria's Islamic
insurgency. At least 75,000 people have died in Algeria since the
start of the insurgency, which erupted after the military-backed
regime cancelled 1992 parliamentary elections an Islamic party
appeared set to win. 26 May: A bomb explodes in a market in Khemis
Miliana, about 100 km from Algiers, killing seven people. Bombs in
markets and cafes have been a frequent means of spreading terror in
Algeria.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 May 1998)

* Burundi. All sides agree to Arusha talks  -  On 20 May, Julius
Nyerere announced that all sides in the conflict had agreed to meet
in Arusha on 15 June. His announcement followed talks in Dar es
Salaam with Pierre Buyoya, coming in the wake of a series of
meetings with various Burundi political leaders. Nyerere told a
news conference there should be a cessation of hostilities in
Burundi before the start of the talks.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 21 May
1998)

* Burundi. Consentement unanime aux pourparlers  -  Le mediateur
des negociations de paix burundaises, l'ancien president tanzanien
Julius Nyerere, a annonce le 20 mai que les differents groupes
impliques dans le conflit avaient tous consenti a se rencontrer a
Arusha le 15 juin prochain. M. Nyerere a fait savoir qu'une
cessation des hostilites au Burundi etait imperative avant le debut
des pourparlers. Cependant, Leonard Nyangoma, recemment dechu de
ses fonctions de dirigeant du CNDD, a declare que le mouvement
allait continuer les combats.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 22-25 mai 1998)

* Burundi. Nyerere menace de demissionner  -  Le mediateur de la
paix au Burundi, Julius Nyerere, a menace de demissionner si les
parties en conflit refusent de reconnaitre l'autorite du president
Pierre Buyoya, a rapporte le quotidien tanzanien 'The Guardian'.
"Le commandant Buyoya est peut-etre un president illegitime, mais
le fait est qu'il est actuellement le president au pouvoir", a
declare M. Nyerere. "S'ils declarent ne pas le reconnaitre... je
ferai donc mes bagages". Il a ajoute que "la reconnaissance de
l'influence du commandant Buyoya" etait une condition sine qua non
aux pourparlers de paix interburundais, qui devraient reprendre a
Arusha le 15 juin prochain, a rapporte le journal.   (IRIN,
Nairobi, 26 mai 1998)

* Burundi. Rafles en vrac  -  Le 27 mai, plus de 500 personnes ont
ete arretees a Bujumbura lors d'une "rafle", pres du marche
central, destinee a retrouver des Rwandais et des Congolais en
situation irreguliere, ainsi que des rebelles burundais. Les
personnes arretees ont ete regroupees dans un commissariat, ou la
police a commence a controler leurs identites. La semaine derniere,
des rumeurs insistantes annoncaient l'arrivee d'anciens soldats
rwandais et congolais et de rebelles hutus dans la capitale.   (Le
Soir, Belgique, 28 mai 1998)

* Centrafrique. Commission electorale  -  Le 22 mai, le president
Patasse a nomme Michel Adama Tamboux comme president de la
Commission electorale, qui sera chargee de superviser les elections
parlementaires prevues en aout/septembre prochains. M. Adama
Tamboux, qui fut president de la premiere Assemblee nationale apres
l'independance en 1960, n'est membre d'aucun parti politique. Il
devrait presenter les membres de son equipe dans le courant de la
semaine.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 23 mai 1998)

* Congo-Brazza. Accord avec les Cocoyes  -  Le gouvernement et la
milice rebelle Cocoyes ont signe un accord le 14 mai, mettant fin
a la crise dans la region de Mouyondzi dans le sud du Congo, a
rapporte le 21 mai l'hebdomadaire La Semaine Africaine. Lors d'une
ceremonie symbolique, le 16 mai, les insurges ont remis leurs armes
aux negociateurs du gouvernement. La milice Cocoyes a quitte le
barrage hydroelectrique de Moukoukoulou, qu'elle occupait depuis le
debut du mois d'avril.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 23 mai 1998)

* Congo-Brazza. Appel des eveques  -  Les eveques du Congo-
Brazzaville, dans une lettre episcopale publiee a la mi-mai,
exigent la decheance politique et civique des responsables des
milices privees, constituees avant la guerre civile de l'an
dernier. A l'epoque, trois forces politiques disposaient de milices
privees: l'ex-president Lissouba, l'actuel president Sassou Nguesso
et l'ex-maire de Brazzaville, Bernard Kolelas.   (La Libre
Belgique, 28 mai 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Aide de l'Afrique du Sud  -  Le vice-president sud-
africain, Thabo Mbeki, a promis d'envoyer des experts sud-africains
en RDC pour l'aider a realiser des programmes de developpement dans
les domaines de la finance, de l'infrastructure et des ressources
humaines, a rapporte le Sunday Independant. Il a fait cette
declaration a l'issue d'une rencontre de trois heures avec le
president Kabila, le 15 mai, apres la soudaine annulation du sommet
regional. M. Mbeki a exhorte M. Kabila a cooperer avec la
communaute internationale et a temperer sa position sur les
questions des droits de l'homme.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 20 mai 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Embuscade au Kivu  -  Le 16 mai, au moins trente
personnes, dont un homme d'affaires belge, ont ete tuees pres de
Goma, lors d'une fusillade entre l'armee congolaise et des milices.
Malgre l'absence de temoignages directs, tout laisse penser que les
assaillants, qui ont tendu une embuscade a un convoi militaire a 30
km au nord de Goma sur la route de Butembo, sont des anciens
militaires des armees rwandaise et zairoise. Le Kivu est une zone
de repli pour ces anciens soldats. L'insecurite regne dans la
region depuis des mois, en raison de raids de rebelles ougandais,
rwandais, burundais et de combats entre milices tribales et
l'armee.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 mai 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Kabila's opponents in jail  -  19 May: A military
court in Congo RDC sentences two prominent opponents of President
Kabila to up to 20 years in jail on charges of threatening state
security. Kabila's disgraced army chief Masasu Nindanga is
sentenced to 20 years, while opposition politician Joseph
Olenghankoy is given a 15 year term. The tribunal rejects a demand
from the prosecution for death sentences. The two have no right of
appeal. The same day the authorities arrest a Congolese newspaper
editor after he published a letter critical of allies of President
Kabila. Thierry Kyalumba Kabonga, editor of Vision newspaper, is
taken into custody on allegations of "making harmful accusations
and spreading false rumours", the newspaper says in a statement.
The statement condemns "the cavalier manner of this arrest, which
was done in a violation of the law". Vision ran a letter to the
editor from Gerard Kamanda, a minister of foreign affairs during
the regime of former dictator Mobutu, whom Kabila ousted last year.
Kamanda's letter said "the minority regimes installed by force in
Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi", were destabilizing Central Africa's
Great Lakes region. All three nations are believed to have helped
Kabila during his war to unseat Mobutu. 26 May: Six Congo RDC
ministers are "behind bars or about to be", according to the Congo
RDC daily La Reference Plus. No official explanation has been
given.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 May 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Ministres interpelles  -  23-24 mai. Les ministres
congolais de l'Information, Raphael Ghenda, et du Portefeuille
(gestion des entreprises publiques), Kambale Mututulo, ont ete
"interpelles" durant le week-end, pour des raisons encore
inconnues. Le ministre de l'Interieur, qui a annonce la nouvelle le
25 mai, a refuse de preciser si les deux hommes etaient en etat
d'arrestation et ce qui leur etait reproche. Cinq autres
personnalites ont ete egalement interrogees. En l'absence
d'explications officielles, une information circulait a Kinshasa
selon laquelle ces interpellations seraient liees a une "mauvaise
gestion". Mais selon un quotidien local, les arrestations, au moins
celle de M. Ghanda, seraient liees notamment a la diffusion par la
television d'un film sur les atrocites commises contre les refugies
rwandais pendant l'avancee des forces de l'AFDL. - 25 mai. Deux
autres ministres, Etienne Mbaya, au Plan, et Pierre Lombe, a
l'Energie, auraient a leur tour ete arretes, de sources
ministerielles. - 26 mai. Deux journalistes du quotidien Le Soft,
Kindimbu Mpese (directeur de production) et Awasi Kharomon
(redacteur en chef), ont ete arretes par les services de securite.
Ces arrestations avaient commence la semaine derniere avec celles
du directeur de la television nationale et de son directeur de
l'information. On signale par ailleurs l'arrestation du secretaire
general de l'AFDL, Shambuyi Kalala, et du chef de cabinet du
president, Yerodia Abdoulaye. Il semble qu'on assiste a une lutte
d'influence, ou certains voient l'action du conseiller du president
en matiere de communication, Sakombi Inongo.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 27 mai 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Transitional Constituent Assembly established  - 
The authorities have established a transitional constituent
assembly to draw up a draft constitution for Congo RDC. The
assembly was created by presidential decree on 25 May, and will
have legislative powers. It specifically excludes anyone who held
public office during the regime of former President Mobutu.The 300-
strong assembly, once established, will become the country's second
institution after the President.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 May 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Assemblee constituante  -  Dans un decret-loi publie
le 25 mai a Kinshasa, le president a cree une Assemblee
constituante qui sera chargee d'adopter des lois sur les partis
politiques et les associations, et la commission nationale
d'organisation des elections presidentielle et legislatives prevues
officiellement en avril 1999. L'Assemblee arretera le projet de
Constitution qui sera soumis au referendum en decembre prochain.
L'Assemblee comprendra 300 membres. En sont exclus les dignitaires
du regime dechu de Mobutu ainsi que des personnalites soupconnees
d'etre impliquees dans des crimes politiques ou economiques.   (Le
Soir, Belgique, 27 mai 1998)

* Egypt. Pressing on with bank sale  -  Egypt will this year launch
plans for full privatisation of a state-owned bank and will open
the offer to foreign shareholders, the economy minister said on 20
May. The statement contradicted one made in parliament earlier this
week, in which the government said it had shelved plans to
privatise the banks for three years. Now the government has made it
clear that it will keep to its original time table, and plans to
begin the process of selling one bank this year.   (Financial
Times, U.K., 21 May 1998)

* Egypt. Sphinx facelift  -  On 25 May, Egypt feted the newly
restored Sphinx in lavish, star-studded celebration at the pyramids
at Giza overlooking the man-lion structure. President Hosni Mubarak
and his wife, Suzanne, were hosting a party, entertained by a sound
and light show detailing the Sphinx's 4,500-year-old tale. Egyptian
archaeologists and architects have spent 10 years repairing the
ravages of erosion and rising damp, and removing concrete used in
earlier work to fix the soft stone structure. The government hopes
the œ1.9 million (pounds sterling) restoration will lure more
tourists to the Gaza plateau and recoup some of the losses Egypt's
vital tourism industry suffered after Islamic militants killed 58
holidaymakers in Luxor last November.   (The Independent, U.K., 26
May 1998)

* Ethiopie. Journalistes emprisonnes  -  Alors que s'ouvre a Addis
Abeba une conference internationale sur les droits de l'homme,
Reporters sans frontieres denonce l'incarceration de quatre
nouveaux journalistes de la presse privee depuis le debut du mois
de mai 1998. Ces arrestations font de l'Ethiopie le pays comptant
le plus de journalistes emprisonnes pour leurs activites
professionnelles, avec 21 detenus. Le montant abusif des cautions,
dont la plupart des journalistes ne peuvent s'acquitter, sert
souvent de justification a ces incarcerations.   (IFEX, Canada, 20
mai 1998)

* Erythree. Premier patriarche copte  -  L'archeveque Abuna
Philipos, 93 ans, a ete nomme le 9 mai premier patriarche de
l'Eglise erythreenne copte par le pape Chenouda III des coptes
d'Egypte. Depuis 1994, le pape Chenouda avait permis a l'Eglise
erythreenne d'avoir son propre synode et d'elire son propre
patriarche. Meme apres l'independance en 1993, l'Eglise erythreenne
copte depend toujours de l'Eglise d'Alexandrie, en Egypte, alors
que l'Eglise ethiopienne n'en depend plus depuis 1959.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 22 mai 1998)

* Ethiopia/Eritrea. Warnings of war  -  On 27 May, Ethiopia
insisted it would use force to eject Eritrean troops accused of
invading its border territory. "Eritrea's rejection of Ethiopia's
demand for unconditional withdrawal of its troops...leaves Ethiopia
with no alternative but to use force", the ruling Ethiopian Peoples
Revolutionary Democratic Front said. Ethiopia has repeatedly made
it clear that it will not negotiate with Eritrea while its troops
occupy part of its territory.   (InfoBeat, USA, 27 May 1998)

* Kenya. Violence and decay deter investors  -  Ethnic clashes and
poor infrastructure are keeping multinational investors away from
Kenya. The International Labour Organisation regional
representative, Mr.Abhik Gosh, told a workshop in Machakos that
blood-letting among citizens scares away potential investors. The
workshop, whose theme is "Development and Optimisation of Foreign
Employment Opportunities", aims at finalising a foreign employment
policy document for Kenya and produce a draft sessional paper for
consideration by the Cabinet.   (Daily Nation, Kenya, 14 May 1998)

* Kenya. Lake Victoria evacuation planned  -  Authorities plan to
evacuate the shores of western Kenya's Lake Victoria, where water
is spilling over into farms and villages. Stephen Khisa, the
Rachuonyo district commissioner, announced the evacuation after
touring areas flooded by the world's second-largest freshwater
lake. Water has been spreading inland for more than a week. There
has been no official explanation, but the area has had unusually
heavy rains since November.Lake Victoria, which is the source of
the White Nile River, is fed by rivers and streams from mountains
in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Joseph Mucuthi, a
marine expert at the port city of Kisumu, blames water hyacinths,
decorative plants that have run amok in the lake and have blocked
natural outlets. Residents say it is the worst flooding since 1961. 
 (InfoBeat, USA, 20 May 1998)

* Kenya. Le lac Victoria rompt ses digues  -  Le lac Victoria a
rompu ses digues pour la premiere fois en 36 ans, laissant des
centaines de gens sans abris, a rapporte le Daily Nation le 19 mai.
Le debordement du lac, cause par des precipitations anormales dans
l'ouest du pays, a egalement detruit des centaines d'hectares de
cultures dans la province de Nyanza. Le journal ajoute qu'une
commission de secours s'est rendue dans les regions touchees.  
(IRIN, Nairobi, 20 mai 1998)

* Lesotho. Apres les elections  -  Des milliers de protestataires
sont descendus, le 24 mai, dans les rues de la capitale Maseru,
pour protester contre la victoire electorale du parti au pouvoir,
le Congres du Lesotho pour la democratie (LCD), accuse de fraudes.
Les manifestations ont commence apres que les observateurs ont
declare le scrutin "conforme aux normes internationales". Selon les
resultats partiels, le LCD a remporte toutes les circonscriptions
dont les resultats sont connus.   (Le Monde, France, 26 mai 1998)

* Lesotho. Elections.  -  22 May: Many citizens of this southern
African kingdom hope to leave a history of political upheavals and
military rebellions behind after elections on 23 May. Twelve
parties are contesting the election -- only the second since 1993,
when the military surrendered power. The party that wins more than
50% in parliament selects the prime minister. Since 1993, political
developments in Lesotho have been riddled with as many potholes as
the roads snaking through this mountainous country in the middle of
South Africa. In early 1994, an army rebellion killed Deputy Prime
Minister Selometsi Baholo. Loyal troops restored order. The
following August, King Letsie III dismissed the government, then
restored it a month later after mediation by southern African
diplomats. 23 May: Elections. 25 May: The ruling Lesotho Congress
for Democracy wins the elections. Opposition parties accuse the
ruling party of using fraud to achieve their victory.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 26 May 1998)

* Malawi. Catastrophe feroviaire  -  Vingt morts et deux cents
blesses, certains tres gravement, tel est le bilan provisoire du
deraillement de l'express de Blantyre, qui transportait 250
passagers. Les freins de la locomotive ont lache a l'entree d'une
longue courbe.   (Liberation, France, 23 mai 1998)

* Nigeria. Ogonis allowed bail  -  On 22 May, a Nigerian court
granted bail to 19 Ogonis arrested four years ago and accused of
the same crime as Ken Saro-Wiwa, the hanged author, and eight other
executed activists. "The prosecution has shown insufficient
interest in pursuing the matter," said Justice Obie Daniel-Kalio at
the High Court in Port Harcourt, as he delivered bail for the 19,
accused of conspiracy to commit murder.   (The Times, U.K., 23 May
1998)

* Nigeria. EU concerned over human rights  -  On 27 May, the
European Union expressed "deep concern" at increasing human rights
abuses in Nigeria and appealed for clemency on behalf of six people
sentenced to death for plotting against the military government. An
EU statement issued by Britain, which currently holds the EU
rotating presidency, also called for the release of Moshood Abiola
(jailed after he looked like winning the 1993 presidential
elections), and other detainees. Major powers are increasingly
unhappy about Nigeria's foot-dragging over plans to restore
democratic rule.   (InfoBeat, USA, 27 May 1998)

* Rwanda/Kenya. Meurtriers de Sendashonga  -  La police kenyane a
affirme, le 20 mai, avoir arrete le commanditaire (un homme
d'affaires rwandais tutsi) et deux executants (un Rwandais hutu et
un Ougandais) du meurtre, le 16 mai, de l'ancien ministre de
l'Interieur rwandais Seth Sendashonga. Selon la police, le meurtre
est lie a une affaire de detournement d'argent; il s'agirait d'une
vengeance personnelle. La veuve de M. Sendashonga a affirme que ces
aveux etaient une machination organisee par le pouvoir de Kigali,
qu'elle accuse de l'assassinat.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22
mai 1998)

* Rwanda/Burkina. Extradition  -  L'ex-colonel rwandais Alphonse
Ntezirayo, arrete fin avril, a ete extrade par le Burkina Faso au
Tribunal international d'Arusha. Cet ancien militaire des Forces
armees rwandaises, accuse de genocide, etait Prefet de Butare
depuis juin 1994. Il commandait la police militaire, selon le
tribunal, et, selon des temoins, il dirigeait la "protection
civile" qui a degenere en action genocidaire. -D'autre part, au
Rwanda meme, plus de 200 nouveaux prisonniers sont passes aux
aveux, le 20 mai, dans l'espoir de voir leur peine reduite, a
rapporte la radio rwandaise. Leurs confessions font suite a celles
de 2.000 prisonniers la semaine derniere.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 22 mai 1998)

* Rwanda. Mise au point des eveques  -  Dans un communique du 22
mai, le comite permanent de la Conference episcopale rwandaise se
dit surpris des declarations du ministre des Affaires etrangeres,
affirmant qu'il n'y aurait pas d'entente entre l'Eglise et l'Etat.
Les eveques soulignent la collaboration existante dans differents
secteurs entre l'Eglise et l'Etat, et les relations saines entre le
Rwanda et le Vatican. Ils demandent que, s'il y a des problemes,
ceux-ci soient debattus au sein des organes de liaison existants. 
 (ANB-BIA, Bruxelles, 23 mai 1998)

* Rwanda. Children used by rebels  -  Hutu rebels in northwest
Rwanda are using children in their guerrilla war against the Tutsi-
led government, according to state radio. On 25 May, the radio said
that 60 children abducted by Hutu militiamen had turned themselves
in to government troops in Nyamutera commune, north of Kigali. The
children had been used by rebels to spread anti-government
pamphlets and to spy on the Rwandan army, the radio said. There was
no independent confirmation of this report.   (InfoBeat, USA, 25
May 1998)

* Rwanda. Epidemie de cholera  -  850 cas de cholera, dont 31
mortels, ont ete enregistres dans la prefecture de Cyangugu depuis
le 1er mars, a declare le 24 mai le directeur des services
sanitaires de cette region. Des mesures ont ete prises pour contrer
l'epidemie. Le Rwanda avait ete tres touche par le cholera en 1996,
lors du retour massif des refugies.   (La Libre Belgique, 25 mai
1998)

* Rwanda. Offensive dans le nord-ouest  -  Le 23 mai, a Ngilu pres
de Ruhengeri, dans le nord-ouest du pays, l'armee rwandaise a tue
sept miliciens interahamwe dans une importante operation militaire,
selon une source militaire, "apres le retour massif de civils qui
avaient suivi les miliciens jusque dans le district des Volcans".
La radio rwandaise a rapporte, le 20 mai, que plus de 4.000
personnes etaient rentrees chez elles depuis les montagnes de
Virunga. L'agence rwandaise d'information a egalement rapporte que
jusqu'a 50.000 personnes pourraient etre rentrees dans les regions
du nord-ouest au cours du mois dernier.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 26 mai
1998)

* Rwanda. Death sentence for killers of last Tutsi queen  -  On 26
May, a Rwandan military court sentenced two people to death and one
to life imprisonment for the murder of the country's last Tutsi
queen during the 1994 genocide. The verdicts were handed down in
Butare, after two former Rwandan army officers and a university
professor pleaded guilty to killing the queen and six of her
relatives four years earlier. Queen Rosalia Gicanda had survived
decades of ethnic strife between the country's minority Tutsi and
majority Hutu tribes. The victims were reportedly taken to a nearby
forest, where they had their limbs cut off and were left to die.
The queen was not survived by any children.   (InfoBeat, USA, 27
May 1998)

* Rwanda. Government resettling villagers in northwest  - 
Government officials have begun resettling thousands of villagers
displaced by war in northwest Rwanda. Food items and farming
implements were distributed to about 20,000 internally displaced
residents in Ruhengeri prefecture. On 25 May, local officials
launched a campaign urging residents to maintain security in their
communes.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 27 May 1998)

* Senegal. Rebelles tues en Casamance  -  L'armee senegalaise a
profite de l'approche des elections (le 24 mai) pour lancer pendant
trois jours une vaste operation de ratissage contre les bases du
mouvement des Forces democratiques de Casamance, dans la region de
Bignonna. Au terme de trois jours de combats, une trentaine de
rebelles casamancais, cinq civils et un militaire ont ete tues.
Trois bases du mouvement auraient ete detruites. Quelque 1.500
refugies, fuyant les combats, sont arrives en Gambie, ou la Croix-
Rouge a lance un appel a l'aide pour pouvoir accueillir ces
refugies, dont un certain nombre sont blesses.   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 25 mai 1998)

* Senegal. Main opposition rejects election  -  Senegal's chief
opposition leader, Abdoulaye Wade, said on 25 May, that his party
would not recognise the country's general election because of
alleged fraud by the ruling Socialist Party. Wade announced his
surprise move even as early unofficial returns from the poll on 24
May, showed his Democratic Party of Senegal gaining ground.
President Abdou Diouf's Socialists who have held power since
independence from France in 1960, appeared weakened by an internal
rift.   (InfoBeat, USA, 26 May 1998)

* Senegal. Elections  -  Le parti d'Abdou Diouf, president du
Senegal depuis 1981, sortirait grand gagnant des elections
legislatives qui se sont deroulees le dimanche 24 mai. Selon des
resultats provisoires rendus publics le 26 mai, le parti socialiste
(PS) s'adjugerait 58 des 70 sieges de deputes elus au scrutin
majoritaire. Mais l'absence des resultats definitifs de quelques
grandes villes empechait encore le PS d'officialiser sa victoire.
Abdoulaye Wade, chef du principal parti d'opposition, le Renouveau
democratique, a rejete d'avance les resultats et a demande
l'invalidation du PS qu'il accuse de fraudes multiples, sans grand
espoir d'obtenir gain de cause.   (Liberation, France, 27 mai 1998)

* Sierra Leone. L'Ecomog a le controle  -  L'Ecomog, la force
ouest-africaine chargee de la securite en Sierra Leone qui a
renverse en fevrier la junte au pouvoir, a affirme, le 20 mai,
avoir "le controle effectif" des capitales de tous les districts du
pays. Le secretaire general de la junte dechue, le colonel Sesay,
s'est "repenti" publiquement a Freetown et a appele son chef,
Johnny Paul Koroma, a se rendre.   (Le Monde, France, 22 mai 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Arms' sale to ECOMOG forces  -  On 22 May, UN top
lawyers ruled that supplying arms to the Nigerian-led peacekeeping
force in Sierra Leone was legal. The confidential decision appears
to undermine accusations that Sandline International, the British
company, had violated a UN embargo on Sierra Leone. It also
appeared to mark a shift in the UN's earlier view that any supply
of arms to Sierra Leone represented a breach of the arms embargo. 
 (Financial Times, U.K., 23 May 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Attaques contre fermiers blancs  -  Au debut de
la semaine, a Rustenburg, Donne Delafield et sa femme Verina ont
ete tues sauvagement par des attaquants noirs qui ont laisse des
pamphlets du Azanian People's Liberation Army, l'aile armee du
mouvement radical noir Pan African Congress (PAC). Rien qu'au mois
de mai, le nombre de fermiers blancs tues se monte ainsi a huit. En
1997, 142 fermiers ont ete assassines. Le PAC nie formellement
toute implication dans ces meurtres, qu'il a condamnes a plusieurs
reprises. Selon l'Union des agriculteurs, certains politiciens
creent un climat de haine contre les fermiers blancs. Ceux-ci
demandent des mesures urgentes du gouvernement et menacent sinon
d'appeler a un boycott contre l'Afrique du Sud, comme l'avait fait
l'ANC du temps de l'apartheid.   (D'apres De Standaard, Belgique,
23 mai 1998)

* South Africa. New-look Defense Force  -  On 26 May, Defense
Minister Joe Modise hailed the dawn of a new era for the South
African National Defense Force as a black former guerrilla prepared
to take over as head of the forces. "Momentous changes are under
way," Modise told Parliament as he presented his defense budget for
ratification. Modise also said his department was approaching the
finalization of a 10 billion rand (US $ 1.96 billion) programme to
reequip the defense force.   (InfoBeat, USA, 25 May 1998)

* South Africa. Trade with Britain  -  South Africa is asking
British defence manufacturers to help it re-arm as part of a wider
campaign to bolster trade between the two countries. Britain is
South Africa's largest single trading partner with exports of goods
reaching œ1.7 billion (pounds sterling) last year and direct
investment from the UK almost œ2.5 billion (pounds sterling). The
key sectors for trade promotion this year will be automotive
products, health-care, tourism, design, railway equipment and
consumer goods. The South African Deputy High Commissioner in
London said military equipment was also on the shopping list, in
particular submarines, tanks and helicopters.   (The Independent,
U.K., 26 May 1998)

* South Africa/EU. Mandela to say goodbye to EU leaders  - 
President Mandela will meet European Union leaders at their summit
in Cardiff, Wales, on 17 June, to bid them goodbye, British Foreign
Secretary Robin Cook said on 27 May. Cook told the EU assembly that
Mandela had managed to "achieve one of the major gains for
democracy and ethnic tolerance that we have seen in our
generation".   (InfoBeat, USA, 27 May 1998)

* Soudan. Devastations et referendum  -  Un porte-parole de l'ONG
norvegienne Norwegian People's Aid a informe, le 22 mai, que
plusieurs villages au Bahr el-Ghazal, dans le comte de Twic au
nord-est de Gogrial, avaient ete "devastes" lors d'attaques
punitives. Une milice armee alliee au gouvernement de Khartoum a
tue un nombre inconnu de civils et brule des villages et des
marches lors d'une serie d'attaques commencees le 4 mai. Jusqu'a un
millier d'hommes a cheval auraient participe a ces attaques. -
D'autre part, le 19 mai, le secretaire general des Nations unies a
appele les pays donateurs a apporter une aide d'urgence au Soudan,
avant que la saison des pluies n'empeche les vols humanitaires vers
le sud du pays. Par ailleurs, le 21 mai, les autorites soudanaises
ont annonce une nouvelle prolongation du referendum sur la
Constitution dans tous les Etats du sud. Selon elles, un taux de
participation tres eleve avait deja ete enregistre dans les divers
Etats, malgre que l'opposition ait appele au boycottage du scrutin. 
 (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23 mai 1998)

* Sudan. Ugandans freed  -  Sudan has released two Ugandan
prisoners-of-war, a week after Uganda released 42 of 114 Sudanese
POWs. They were captured last year in an attack on the Ugandan
rebel Lords Resistance Army bases in South Sudan.   (The Guardian,
U.K., 25 May 1998)

* Soudan. Petrole  -  Le Soudan a lance, le 26 mai, les travaux de
construction d'une raffinerie au nord de Khartoum, et d'un oleoduc
vers la mer Rouge. Un consortium comprenant des entreprises
chinoise, britannique, allemande, argentine et malaisienne, est
implique dans ce projet d'un cout de 7,2 milliards de FF.   (La
Croix, France, 28 mai 1998)

* Sudan. Government sponsored militia  -  Independent sources
report that Government sponsored militia of the Baqqqara tribe, the
murahiliin, have been active in the region of Northern Bahr el
Ghazal since February, following the failed SPLA attack on Wau.
Camping along the railway line that links Khartoum to Wau, the
murahiliin launch their raids into the villages, pillage, burn,
kill, loot and return to base with hundreds and even thousands of
head of cattle, plus children, girls and young women as their
booty. All with complete impunity. As government allies, they are
employed to do the dirty work any regular army would refuse to do.
In return, since they are not paid by the government, they are
allowed to take what they can lay their hands on and get away with
it. The people of the region are outraged.  -  On 15 May, the vice-
president, accompanied by a large parliamentary delegation from
Khartoum, visited the area and was told about the gross violations
of the basic rights of the local people, and of how the policy of
the government is seriously undermined. Most people remain
sceptical about the visit.  -  The influx of returnees to Wau
(after the mass exodus of January and February) had declined,
principally because of the lynching and disappearing of men at the
points of entry. This too has been brought to the attention of the
visiting government delegation. Rains have finally arrived, but
very few dare to get into the fields and cultivate, as there is
hardly any security. All kinds of armed groups roam the
countryside. Next year, the famine!   (Comboni Press, Rome, 27 May
1998)

* Tanzania. Considering whether to sell oil refinery  -  The
Tanzanian government is considering whether its main oil refinery
should be closed or sold to the private sector. "We had a study
from the World Bank that we should get rid of the refinery," deputy
minister for energy and mines, Manju Msambya, said. "But after
consultation with the petroleum industry in the country, we found
it was not ideal to scrap the refinery at this time". The World
Bank's report said the Tanzanian and Italian Petroleum Refinery
(TIPER) was fundamentally unsound.   (East African Standard, 13 May
1998)

* Tanzanie. Cecite des rivieres  -  Le ministre tanzanien de la
Sante, Aaron Chiduo, a declare que pres d'un million de Tanzaniens
souffraient de la cecite des rivieres et qu'au moins 4 millions
pourraient contracter la maladie dans les regions de Tanga,
Mogororo, Ruvuma, Iranga, Mbeya et Kigoma. Le 22 mai, le ministre
a demande a l'OMS d'aider son pays a combattre la maladie, qui est
causee par l'eau contaminee des rivieres et conduit a la cecite.  
(IRIN, Nairobi, 23 mai 1998)

* Uganda. Cabinet reshuffle  -  President Museveni had long been
expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle. But he played the timing
close to his chest. When he eventually made his move on the 15 May,
the announcement fell short of the radical shake up the public had
expected. The number of ministries was reduced from 21 to 17, and
three ministers of State was dropped. The three are: Minister of
State for Education, Minister for State for Justice, and Minister
for State for Works. Museveni displayed a lot of hesitation and
even lack of imagination in the reshuffle. There was disappointment
that he merely recycled the same old unpopular crowd of ministers,
some of them aging long-time politicians who have mostly a record
of incompetence to show for their years in office, are thought to
be corrupt.   (The East African, Kenya, 18-24 May 1998)

* Uganda. Kidnapped schoolgirls  -  The Ugandan authorities have
freed 42 Sudanese prisoners-of-war in a "goodwill gesture". The
soldiers are part of a group of 114 captured over a year ago in the
northern Kitgum area. A senior army officer says that Uganda was
now awaiting the return of two Ugandan soldiers held in Sudan, and
a group of abducted Ugandan schoolgirls. However, a statement
issued by the Lord's Resistance Army on 21 May, said plans to free
the girls had been put on hold.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 22 May 1998)

* Ouganda. Rentree de Kony  -  Le chef du groupe rebelle LRA
(Lord's Resistance Army), Joseph Kony, est rentre dans le nord de
l'Ouganda depuis sa base au Soudan, accompagne par des centaines de
combattants, selon les dernieres informations de la presse
ougandaise. Ses troupes se seraient deja confrontees deux fois avec
l'armee ougandaise, alors qu'elles essayaient d'entrer dans Gulu.
Selon le Sunday Vision, l'armee a bloque la frontiere pour empecher
les rebelles de repartir vers le Soudan. C'est une chance en or
pour les aneantir, a affirme le general Salim Saleh.   (IRIN,
Nairobi, 25 mai 1998)

* Uganda. LRA rebels trapped on two fronts  -  Rebels from the
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are reportedly trapped on two fronts
by Ugandan troops, the New Vision reported on 27 May. It cited
security sources as saying Ugandan forces counter-attacked on two
fronts in the northern Lira district, surrounding the rebels in the
Apala and Olilim areas. A third group of rebels managed to cross to
Kitgum through Adwari sub-county. The trapped rebels are believed
to be led by the LRA second-in-command, Vincent Otto Lagony.  
(IRIN, Nairobi, 27 May 1998)

* Western Sahara. Voter dispute still unresolved  -  19 May:
Secretary General Kofi Annan said no agreement had yet been reached
on registering 65,000 members of three disputed tribal groups to
take part in a referendum on the future of Western Sahara. In a
written report to the Security Council, he did not say whether the
long-delayed vote, currently set for December 7, would again have
to be postponed. The referendum, originally set for January 1992,
is to decide whether the phosphate-rich former Spanish colony
should be incorporated into Morocco, which controls most of the
territory or become independent, as sought by the Polisario Front,
whose base camps are in Algeria.   (InfoBeat, USA, 22 May 1998)

* Zambie. Danger pour les soins de sante  -  Pour repondre aux
exigences du FMI, le gouvernement zambien doit reduire de facon
drastique le nombre de ses fonctionnaires. Cette mesure touche
notamment les hopitaux publics, et egalement ceux qui sont geres
par l'Eglise, puisque le gouvernement verse une partie des salaires
du personnel. On s'inquiete des consequences de ces mesures sur la
sante des populations, en particulier dans les zones rurales et les
quartiers pauvres dont les habitants ne pourront pas payer les
soins dont ils auront besoin. Cette brutale restriction des credits
met en danger non seulement le niveau de vie, mais l'existance meme
d'un certain nombre de centres et donc aussi la sante des
populations.   (CIP, Belgique, 28 mai 1998)
* Zimbabwe. Schools in Zimbabwe after 2000  -  Zimbabwe's Catholic
bishops have called for a new education philosophy based on moral
issues, at their 1998 plenary session. "Education in Zimbabwe
Beyond the Year 2000" was the theme of the plenary session at
Africa House in Harare, which was also attended by Catholic
educationalists, lay and religious leaders, as well as the
Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe. He urged the Church in Zimbabwe to
work out a special agreement with on education the government.
Participants noted that urban schools benefitted more frequently
from new investment than their rural counterparts. There was a call
for all dioceses to appoint chaplains for teachers in Catholic and
government schools.   (The Southern Cross, South Africa, 24 May
1998)

* Zimbabwe. Routiers anti-pachydermes  -  Les routiers zimbabweens
menacent de faire greve si le ministere de la Faune et des Parcs
nationaux ne prend pas des mesures pour assurer leur securite. Ils
accusent les elephants de profiter des longues files d'attente aux
frontieres, a cause des formalites douanieres, pour fouiller,
manger, detruire les cargaisons de farine et mais dans les bennes. 
 (Liberation, France, 25 mai 1998)
@TITRE_1 = NOUS VOUS SIGNALONS... -- WE INFORM YOU...
SUDAN
<B>Title: Southern Blue Nile. May 1998
<B>Source: An independent journalist. The material was sent by
IRIN, 21 May 1998. It is NOT a United Nations publication.
<B>Description: A report written by an independent journalist just
returned froma visit to Sudan's Blue Nile province. It is being
distributed by IRIN for humanitarian information purposes only. It
covers such areas as the peace talks; a description of the Blue
Nile Province; the displaced civilian trauma; prisoners of war etc.

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