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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-08-1998      PART #1/  

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Chad: On 20 July, Sy Koumbo
Singa Gali and Polycarpe Togomissi, director of publication and
journalist respectively for the independent bi-monthly
L'Observateur, received sentences for defamation. Congo RDC: The
International Federation of Journalists says that journalists with
World Television News have been detained by police, and
representatives from their embassies have been denied access to
them. Ethiopia: Bezunesh Debebe, publisher and deputy editor of the
Amharic-language weekly Zegabi, was arrested on 10 July for unknown
reasons. Gabon: On 17 August, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) said
that three journalists have been sentenced to eight months'
imprisonment for defamation. Ghana: On 31 July, the Court of Appeal
dismissed an application for bail filed by jailed editors Haruna
Atta (The Weekend Statesman) and Kweku Baako Jr (The Guide). The
two were sentenced to one month's imprisonment. A grand welcome
ceremony has been planned for them to mark their release from
prison on 22 August. Namibia: President Nujoma and Home Affairs
Minister Jerry Ekandjo serve separate summons on the weekly, the
Windhoek Observer. Nigeria: On 28 July, some journalists covering
the proceedings at the launching of a new political party, the
United Nigeria Peoples Party, were assaulted. In another
development, the Anambra state correspondent of The Punch
newspaper, was arrested by the police in that state on 29 July. The
police gave no reason for the arrest. Also, RSF says that since
June, six imprisoned journalists have been released, but seven are
still in jail. On 13 August, four journalists were beaten and
chased away by military security officers at the Benue state
government house. Sierra Leone: The International Press Institute,
Vienna, says it is deeply concerned about the fate of five
journalists who were sentenced to death on 24 August, on charges of
treason in connection with the May 1997 coup d'etat. Tanzania: The
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) protests the continued
banning of newspapers in Zanzibar. Togo: RSF says that on 6 August,
three journalists were arrested for "attacking the honour" of the
presidential couple.   (IFEX, Canada, 3-17 August 1998)

* Algeria. Explosions  -  10 August: A blast hit an Algerian gas
pipeline at the weekend, cutting off the gas flow, the Algerian
state-owned oil gas company, Sonatrach, said. "The blast, followed
by a fire...damaged the pipeline over about a 15-metre stretch".
Sonatrach did not say what caused the blast or whether gas exports
would be affected. 12 August. A bomb exploded on an Algerian train
killing seven people and wounding 11, security forces said. The
train which was heading for Algiers from the western city of Oran,
was passing through Ain Torki in Ain Defla province, 80 miles
south-west of Algiers, when the bomb exploded. It was the second
explosion on the line in two months. At least 13 people were killed
and 31 hurt in June when a bomb ripped through a passenger train
near a hamlet in Ain Defla. At the time local newspapers quoted
survivors criticising the government for failing to provide
security in trains, which have been regular targets for bombs.  
(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 August 1998)

* Algeria. Media reveals tension within the regime  -  A fierce and
unprecedented media campaign against a top aide to Algerian
President Zeroual has perplexed the country's political class and
raised concerns of tensions within the regime. The campaign, in
anti-Islamist newspapers, has targeted Mohammed Betchine,
Mr.Zeroual's trusted adviser and former head of military security.
He is considered a key figure in the political and military
establishment and has been a driving force behind Mr.Zeroual's
attempt to consolidate power since his 1995 election. The news-
papers publishing attacks against Mr.Betchine, are considered to be
on the radical, anti-Islamist end of the political spectrum. They
view Mr.Betchine as representing the nationalist-Islamic wing of
the establishment, which has been asserting itself more strongly
since Mr.Zeroual's election.   (Financial Times, U.K., 13 August
1998)

* Algerie. La mission de l'Onu divisee  -  Les six membres de la
"mission d'information" de l'Onu en Algerie, qui ont travaille sur
place du 22 juillet au 3 aout, seraient divises quant aux
conclusions a tirer de leurs observations. A en croire de bonnes
sources a Paris, cela explique un certain delai dans la publication
du rapport qu'ils doivent remettre a M. Kofi Annan. Celui-ci a recu
un prerapport, pendant que la mission prenait encore quelques
semaines pour rediger un texte definitif. Selon ces sources
diplomatiques, le president de la mission, Mario Soares, souhaitait
tirer des lecons plutot critiques pour le regime algerien. Cette
conclusion ne serait pas partagee par la majorite des autres
membres de la mission.   (Le Monde, France, 14 aout 1998)

* Algerie. Attentats et manifestation  -  Le 12 aout, l'explosion
d'une bombe deposee dans un train a tue sept personnes et en a
blesse onze autres, ont annonce les forces de securite algeriennes,
qui ont impute la responsabilite aux "terroristes". La bombe a
explose alors que la train, qui faisait la liaison Oran-Alger,
etait a une centaine de km de la capitale. C'est le deuxieme
attentat sur cette ligne en deux mois. - Par ailleurs, d'apres le
quotidien progouvernemental L'Authentique, les forces de securite
ont tue, le 11 aout, a Constantine, le chef du GIA de l'Est
algerien, Hamou El Eulmi, dit Zeneddine, recherche depuis 1993 et
condamne a mort par contumace. - D'autre part, le 16 aout, a Alger,
pres d'une centaine de personnes, des femmes en majorite, proches
de personnes disparues apres avoir ete arretees par les forces de
securite, se sont rassemblees pour reclamer des nouvelles des
leurs. Ils avaient recu le soutien des Parti des travailleurs et du
Front des forces socialistes, siegeant a l'Assemblee nationale. Ils
n'ont pas pu manifester. Une delegation des manifestants devait
etre recue le 17 aout a la presidence. - Le 17 aout a l'aube, une
bombe artisanale a explose pres d'Ouled Haddadj, a une trentaine de
km a l'est d'Alger, sans faire de victimes. Et deux hommes ont ete
assassines pres de Djelfa, au sud d'Alger. -Le 20 aout, 13
personnes ont ete tuees et 39 blessees dans un attentat a la bombe
a El-Khemis, a 80 km d'Alger, au lendemain d'un discours televise
du president Zeroual promettant la poursuite de l'eradication du
terrorisme.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 aout 1998)

* Algeria. Algeria's plutonium  -  Spain's military secret service
(CESID) has learned that Algeria will be able in two years to
produce weapons-grade plutonium, a key ingredient for making atomic
bombs, a Spanish newspaper reports. A CESID report stated that
Algeria, despite having signed the international nuclear non-
proliferation treaty, had forged ahead with a nuclear program aided
by China and Argentina that far exceeded its civilian needs.  
(InfoBeat, USA, 24 August 1998)

* Algerie. Programme atomique?  -  L'Algerie sera en mesure de
fabriquer d'ici deux ans du plutonium pouvant etre utilise a des
fins militaires, a revele le 23 aout le quotidien madrilene El Pais
citant un rapport confidentiel des services de renseignements
militaires espagnols (Cesid). Le Cesid pense que les Algeriens,
bien qu'ils aient signe le traite international de non-
proliferation nucleaire, poursuivent un programme atomique, avec
l'aide de la Chine et de l'Argentine, allant bien au-dela de leurs
besoins civils. Ces allegations ont ete dementies par les autorites
algeriennes.   (Le Monde, France, 25 aout 1998)

* Algerie-Maroc. Rencontre au sommet  -  Le chef du gouvernement
algerien, Ahmed Ouyahia, aurait rencontre, le 18 aout, son
homologue marocain M. Youssoufi a Oran, selon El Watan. Ce
quotidien est le seul journal algerien a faire etat de cette
rencontre, ni confirmee ni infirmee de source officielle, qui
serait la premiere a ce niveau depuis le gel des relations entre
Alger et Rabat en 1994. Parmi les nombreux differends opposant les
deux pays fi-gure notamment le dossier du Sahara occidental, que le
Maroc revendique comme faisant partie du territoire national alors
qu'Alger soutient les separatistes du Front Polisario.   (Le Soir,
Belgique, 20 aout 1998)

* Angola. Rising tension  -  Further fighting has erupted in
northern Angola in what United Nations officials fear may be a big
new offensive by the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) against the UNITA
rebels. But so far the fighting does not seem to have spread to the
central high-lands further south, where Jonas Savimbi, the UNITA
leader, has his headquarters. As such, it does not yet constitute
the "final offensive" many have said is imminent. Relations between
the government and the rebels soured in June as scattered
skirmishes broke out. They worsened when Alioune Blondin Beye, UN
special representative to Angola, died in an air crash on June 26.
Tension rose as each side blamed the other for another massacre in
late July, less than 1000 km from Milando, in which the UN said at
least 105 people had died. The new fighting could herald a wider
offensive against Unita because of government exasperation. It sees
the negotiating proposals brought back to Luanda by Isaias
Samakuva, UNITA's chief negotiator, as further delaying tactics.  
(Financial Times, U.K., 12 August 1998)
* Angola. Prolongation du mandat de l'Onu  -  Le 7 aout, le
secretaire general des Nations unies a demande la prolongation pour
trente jours (jusqu'au 15 septembre) du mandat de la mission
d'observation de l'Onu en Angola, en soulignant que le pays
poursuivait sa derive vers "une guerre ouverte". Cette mission est
actuellement composee de 728 soldats. L'Onu a pris des sanctions
d'ordre commercial a l'encontre du chef de l'Unita, Jonas Savimbi,
qui tarde a faire evacuer quatre localites clefs du pays. M. Annan
a egalement annonce, le 7 aout, la nomination du diplomate guineen
Issa Dialo comme son nouveau representant special en Angola, qui
succedera a M. Alioune Blondin Beye, mort dans un accident d'avion
a Abidjan le 26 juin dernier. D'autre part, le PAM a declare que
les derniers combats en Angola ont provoque le deplacement de
60.000 personnes, dont le nombre est encore en augmentation. Les
combats entre les rebelles de l'Unita et les troupes
gouvernementales ont repris recemment, en depit du plan de paix de
novembre 1994.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 14 aout 1998)

* Angola. Peace keepers to stay  -  The UN Security Council has
unanimously approved a one-month extension for a peacekeeping force
in Angola that is trying to prevent a 1994 accord between the
government and former UNITA rebels from falling apart. The 728 UN
peacekeepers were given the go-ahead to stay until September 15 in
the African nation. UNITA has taken most of the blame for
undercutting the agreement, called the Lusaka Protocol, and is
already the target of UN sanctions. The resolution, approved by a
15-0 vote, demands that UNITA comply immediately and without
conditions with the accord, seeking the complete demilitarisation
of its forces and full co-operation in the extension of government
control throughout the country. Before the extension runs out, the
security council will have to decide about any future UN role in
Angola. It is due to receive a report on Angola from Kofi Annan, UN
Secretary-General, based on recommendations by a special envoy who
has been visiting the region, Lakdar Brahimi, former Algerian
foreign minister.   (Financial Times, U.K., 17 August 1998)

* Angola. L'Unita dans le nord du pays  -  L'Unita a pris le
controle de plusieurs villes dans le nord du pays, dont Kumbi-die-
Baze, qui subit depuis le debut du mois les attaques des rebelles,
ainsi que dans les provinces de Malanje et de Kwanza-Norte. -
D'autre part, les Etats-Unis ont impose une serie de sanctions
economiques a l'Unita, afin qu'elle aille au bout du processus de
paix. Les sanctions prevoient le blocage des actifs de l'Unita aux
Etats-Unis, l'interdiction d'importer des diamants non certifies
par le gouvernement angolais et l'interdiction de la vente de
materiel minier.   (D'apres La Libre Belgique, 21 aout 1998)

* Burundi. Processus de paix  -  Le second round des pourparlers du
processus de paix inter-burundais s'est acheve le 30 juillet, a
Arusha, sans progres notable: les 17 delegations des differentes
parties burundaises se sont separees apres 10 jours de
negociations, sans adopter le reglement general devant regir les
pourparlers, ni nommer les presidents des cinq commissions ou
doivent etre negocies les points les plus sensibles de la crise.
Mais les delegations se sont donne rendez-vous pour un troisieme
round a partir du... 12 octobre. Cette lenteur commence a inquieter
les bailleurs de fonds occidentaux qui financent la logistique de
ces negociations. En plus, une autre menace pese sur ce processus:
alors qu'un projet de cessez-le-feu a partir du 20 juillet avait
ete avalise par les differentes parties, notamment les
organisations de la rebellion, les attaques se poursuivent au
Burundi, revendiquees par un groupe dissident qui rejette les
pourparlers.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 14 aout 1998)

* Burundi. La guerre continue  -  Le gouvernement canadien a
organise a Ottawa les 19 et 20 aout une reunion d'evaluation sur le
processus de paix au Burundi, ou etaient invites des representants
des principaux partis burundais, des Etats-Unis, de l'Union
europeenne et d'autres instances internationales. Mais pendant ce
temps, le conflit s'eternise. Le 12 aout, a Gahombo, 59 civils et
20 rebelles auraient ete tues. Dans la province de Bubanza, 5
personnes ont ete tuees et 4 autres blessees lors d'une attaque
attribuee a la rebellion. Selon des organisations humanitaires, la
nouvelle violence dans le nord du pays a provoque la fuite de
30.000 personnes. Dans les provinces de Makamba et Muyinga, au sud-
est du pays, on note egalement une recrudescence des activites
rebelles. Le 20 aout, une source militaire indiquait que 60
rebelles avaient ete tues lors d'un coup de filet dans la commune
de Mutamba, dans la province de Bujumbura. Des sources concordantes
font regulierement etat de tueries et d'arrestations arbitraires
par l'armee, plus particulierement dans la province de Bujumbura
rural. La reunion d'Ottawa a conclu qu'une reprise de la
cooperation avec le Burundi n'etait possible que si les
participants au processus de paix d'Arusha accordaient a son
gouvernement une legitimite suffisante.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 21 aout 1998)

* Burundi. Un centre medical detruit  -  Selon l'agence burundaise
Azania, des militaires ont detruit, dans la nuit du 21 au 22 aout,
un centre nutritionnel dans la commune de Kabezi. D'apres les
temoignages receuillis, les soldats se seraient rendus au centre
pendant la nuit et, apres avoir saccage les structures, emporte
matelas et materiel technique, ils auraient mis le feu au batiment.
Ce centre therapeutique, gere par l'ONG italienne "Gruppo
volontariato civile", avait ete construit a l'intention de 200
enfants gravement mal nourris, de moins de 14 ans.   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 26 aout 1998)

* Cameroon/Chad. Red light for pipeline  -  An oil pipeline that
could transform the economic future of Chad and Cameroon is being
held up by environmental staff at the World Bank, which says it
does not conform to the organisation's newly-adopted green code.
The issue is causing internal strife at the Bank between
traditional economists, who believe that the benefits of mega-
projects trickle down to the poor, and new staff who have leaked
the environmental assessments to try to halt the project. It is
likely to form a test-case when the 1,000 mile pipeline is
considered by the Bank's governors in October. The pipeline is to
be built by a consortium of Exxon, Shell and Elf, and is expected
to double the size of Chad's economy in 10 years.   (The Guardian,
U.K., 24 August 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Background to the conflict  -  Plane hijacked: New
details emerging from the hijacking of a commercial jet last week
in Congo suggest that the country's eastern neighbour, Rwanda, has
strongly backed and perhaps actively led, efforts to bring down the
government of President Kabila. The hijacked plane was used on 11
August to fly rebel troops from rebel-held areas in the west across
Congo to the east, where they opened a second front in the
insurrection against Kabila. A Nigerian commercial pilot said he
had flown the commandeered plane. After take-off from the eastern
rebel-held city of Goma, he said he was ordered to land in the
Rwandan capital, Kigali, to refuel. In the cockpit with him
throughout the flight, directing the operation at gunpoint, the
pilot said, was James Kabarehe, the Rwandan commander who is widely
believed to have led the rebel armies that defeated the long-time
dictator Mobutu, and installed Kabila in power in Kinshasa, the
Congo capital, 15 months ago. Until recently, when Mr.Kabila
dismissed him in the midst of a growing rift with Rwanda, Commander
Kabarehe was on loan from that country as the interim chief of
staff of the new Congolese army being assembled by Mr.Kabila. Human
rights ignored: Respect for human rights has deteriorated
dangerously during the eight days of civil was in Congo, according
to diplomatic and humanitarian agency sources who report that
Congolese and Rwandans have been executed, Americans taken hostage,
and embassies and the United Nations denied their customary
protection. Abuses are committed by both President Kabila's armed
forces and the ethnic Tutsi soldiers, backed by Rwanda's mostly
Tutsi army, who are trying to topple him.   (The Guardian, U.K., 11
& 13 August 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Internationalisation du conflit  -  14 aout. Les
rebelles prennent Matadi et le barrage d'Inga: Kinshasa et
Brazzaville sont privees d'electricite. Le Conseil de securite de
l'ONU appelle a un arret des hostilites. 15. L'Angola met en alerte
ses troupes a Cabinda, proche des zones de combats. 16. Evacuation
massive des ressortissants occidentaux. Kabila rencontre, en
Angola, les presidents namibien et angolais. Dans l'est, a Goma, la
rebellion cree le "Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie"
(RCD), une structure politique, presidee par Ernest Wamba dia
Wamba, un professeur de Dar es-Salaam. 17. Au Zimbabwe, Kabila
rencontre les ministres de la Defense de l'Angola, du Zimbabwe et
de la Namibie. 18. Cinq ministres de la Defense d'Afrique australe
donnent leur soutien au president Kabila, sans preciser quel
soutien. A Goma, reunion entre les ministres des Affaires
etrangeres de Namibie, Tanzanie, Zimbabwe et Zambie et des
representants du RCD. L'organisation Human Rights Watch s'inquiete
en particulier de la securite des Tutsi detenus a Kinshasa et fait
pression pour que des observateurs independants soient autorises a
se rendre dans l'Est. 19. Important appui diplomatique a Kabila, de
la part des Etats d'Afrique australe (SADC), toutefois divises sur
une aide militaire. La rebellion se declare prete a une negociation
"politique des problemes du Congo". 20. Des soldats zimbabweens
arrivent a Kinshasa. La Namibie aurait deja fourni des armes au
gouvernement congolais. On attend la prise de position de l'Angola.
Le president sud-africain Mandela appelle a un cessez-le-feu et a
un sommet de la SADC pour une solution pacifique. 21. L'Ouganda et
le Rwanda appellent a un cessez-le-feu, mais Kigali menace
d'intervenir ouvertement si le Zimbabwe maintient son intervention
armee. L'Angola masse des troupes a sa frontiere avec le Congo et
la Tanzanie serait egalement tentee par une intervention militaire.
Les Occidentaux mettent leurs troupes en alerte dans la region.
Selon les rebelles, au moins 400 Tutsi, detenus dans la prison de
Makala (Kisnhasa), auraient ete abattus par des soldats
gouvernementaux. 22-23. A Pretoria, le mini-sommet du 22 aout,
convoque par Mandela, n'a pas pu se faire, vu l'absence de MM.
Kabila et Mugabe; mais le sommet du SADC, le 23, lance un appel au
cessez-le-feu. Les Angolais, engages dans le conflit, se sont
rendus maitres de Kitona, la base arriere des rebelles. Des troupes
ougandaises sont signalees a Isiro, 400 km a l'interieur. 24. Les
troupes du Zimbabwe, debarquees a Kinshasa, avancent vers le sud-
ouest et les rebelles se seraient retires jusqu'a 100 km de
Kinshasa. Dans l'est, les rebelles soutenus par l'Ouganda et le
Rwanda continueraient a avancer en direction du Katanga. Kabila
refuse le cessez-le-feu propose par l'Afrique du Sud. 25. La SADC
envoie une delegation a Luanda et a Kinshasa. L'Angola appelle a
"une solution politique", alors que le Conseil de securite de l'ONU
demande un cessez-le-feu immediat et l'ouverture de negociations.
26. Des violents combats a la peripherie de Kinshasa auraient fait
de nombreuses victimes. Selon certaines sources, les rebelles ont
l'intention de se disperser en vetements civils. Le ministre de
l'information appelle a la denonciation des Tutsis. Le Rwanda a de
nouveau menace d'intervenir dans la guerre. A l'ouest, selon le
gouvernement toutes les villes du Bas-Congo ont ete reprises. Dans
l'est du pays, la rebellion assure avoir pris la ville de Kalemie
et avancer vers Lubumbashi, mais selon Kinshasa les forces
gouvernementales ont repousse l'attaque et refoule les assaillants
vers Fizi-Baraka.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 17-27 aout 1998)

* Congo (RDC). War progress  -  13 August: Congolese rebels have
taken the airport at the western river port of Matadi, are
advancing on the town and have also seized the key Inga power plant
on the Congo River, a rebel leader said. He also said some rebel
troops had advanced as far as Kasangalu, 30km south-west of
Kinshasa. Mr.Kabila claims that neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda are
helping rebels, many of them ethnic Tutsi, who are trying to oust
him. 16 August: Foreigners continued to flee the Democratic
Republic of Congo amid growing speculation that President Kabila
had given up hopes of halting a rebel advance on Kinshasa and was
preparing to rebase in his native province of Katanga. The
departure of hundreds of European, American, Lebanese and South
African nationals fuelled growing anti-Western sentiment in the
tense riverside city, where inhabitants were braced for the
imminent arrival of rebels who have sworn to topple Mr.Kabila.
There are very few signs of the army being able to resist a
campaign being waged with a far higher level of technological back-
up than Mr.Kabila's seven-month march on Kinshasa in 1997, a degree
of sophistication pointing to the involvement of neighbouring
Rwanda. Also, Congolese rebels trying to topple President Kabila
have formed a political coalition, the Rwandan News Agency
reported. The Congolese Democratic Coalition comprises more than 20
military and political leaders, the agency said in a report from
Goma in eastern Congo, where the revolt was launched two weeks ago.
The group includes some of the most credible opposition names among
the country's fragmented political forces. The agency said
Professor Wamba Dia Wamba was executive secretary of the coalition,
which has an executive council of four civilians and four military
commanders. The civilian members include Bizima Karaha, Congo's
former foreign minister. The military commanders were not named.
Meanwhile Mr.Kabila was reported to have briefly visited the
Angolan capital. He was seen arriving at Luanda's airport shortly
after the Namibian president, Sam Nujoma, arrived. 17 August:
Defense ministers from Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet with a
senior Congolese official in Harare, to discuss a list of requests
expected to include troops, air power and logistical support.
Zimbabwe's defence minister denies claims by rebels that Zimbabwe
is arming President Kabila's forces. Leaders of the ongoing
rebellion formally announce details of their movement and its
principal members. The movement will be known as the Congolese
Rally for Democracy (RCD). It's chairman will be Ernest Wamba Dia
Wamba. 18 August: Many parts of Kinshasa have now been 36 hours
without water or electricity. Promises are made over local radio
that trucks will be delivering water and fuel but none can be seen
anywhere in the city. Queues are building up around petrol
stations. A western diplomat says it is now only a matter of days
before the rebels reach Kinshasa. Diplomats and officials say
President Mugabe is trying to arrange a heads of state summit this
week to hammer out a political and military package to help
President Kabila. 18-19 August: Shots are heard in Kinshasa during
the night. The President has left the capital probably for
Lubumbashi. 19 August: President Mugabe pledges that 9 southern
African countries will offer military assistance to President
Kabila. 20 August: Zimbabwean soldiers arrive in Kinshasa. There
are reports that Angola has sent troops into its Cabinda enclave
close to the border with Congo RDC. Some think the Angolans have
already crossed the frontier to attack rebel bases in Kitona and
Muanda.21 August: Uganda and Rwanda demand the immediate withdrawal
of Zimbabwean forces from Congo RDC. "The alternative is a
bloodbath". 22 August: President Mandela of South Africa invites
the Presidents of Congo RDC, Rwanda and Uganda to Pretoria to try
and find some solution to Congo RDC's problems. 23 August: The
rebels say they have taken Kisangani but admit to having lost the
base of Kitona to the Angolans supporting President Kabila. Leaders
meeting in Pretoria call for a ceasefire in Congo. 24 August:
Angolan troops advance through Lower Congo having recaptured a
number of important towns on behalf of President Kabila. News
agency reports indicate that the rebels have murdered 37 people,
including a priest and three nuns, in Kasika, 50 miles from Bukavu.
25 August: After eight days' absence, Kabila returns to Kinshasa.
Angolan and Zimbabwean jet fighters and helicopters bomb rebel
positions in the centre and south-west of the country.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 26 August 1998)

* Congo (RDC). Massacre dans le Sud-Kivu  -  Selon l'agence Misna
(Missionary News Agency, http://www.misna.org), le 24 aout, a la
paroisse de Kasika, dans le diocese d'Uvira, 37 personnes ont ete
massacrees, dont un pretre, Stanislas Bwabulakombe, trois
religieuses des Filles de la Resurrection (Sr Adrienne Kagarabi, Sr
Germaine Lugolo et Sr Germaine Nyagira) et un seminariste.
L'execution aurait ete perpetree par des rebelles banyamulenge, en
represailles pour le meurtre d'un bon nombre des leurs, dont
plusieurs officiers, la veille, a Mwenga, a 120 km de Bukavu.
Kasika se trouve a 80 km de Bukavu, sur la route de Kamituga. Ce 27
aout, une depeche de Misna informe que le nombre de morts serait
bien plus eleve: 207 corps (205 civils et 2 militaires) ont ete
enterres le 26 aout par le personnel de l'eglise locale, mais de
nombreux cadavres se trouveraient encore dans toute la region de
Kasika et dans les villages limitrophes.   (ANB-BIA, Bruxelles, 27
aout 1998)

* Egypt. Exploiting its growth potential  -  The termination of
profitable east European partnerships and the slow collapse of the
Middle East peace process is behind Cairo's moves to join the
Africa club. Egypt intends to join sub-Saharan Africa's main
economic and intergovernmental groupings as part of an expanded
Africa policy, intended to strengthen trade ties and raise its
political profile on the continent. Behind the new policy, Cairo
analysts believe, in its growing need to find new markets and
increase its exports by 11% in order to achieve the 7-8% GDP growth
necessary to sustain its growing work-force. But the government is
now considering a detailed strategy for trade expansion, which it
also intends to use to bolster its claim as a representative of
Africa if the UN votes to create permanent regional Security
Council seats. Following extensive visits in the past year to key
African countries by Amr Moussa, Egyptian foreign minister, Egypt
now hopes to join East and Horn of Africa governments as a member
of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development
(IGADD).   (Financial Times, U.K., 19 August 1998)

* Egypt/Sudan. Mubarak plays more active role  -  The Sudanese
opposition, a broad coalition of African southerners and Arab
Muslim northerners known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA),
held a conference in Cairo this weekend to plan the next stage of
its struggle against the Khartoum government. It is the first time
Egypt has hosted such a gathering, and it is another blow to the
Sudanese leader Hassan al-Turabi and his National Islamic Front.
Reports in Cairo suggest that President Mubarak has decided to
start playing a more active role in the affairs of Egypt's vast
southern neighbour. He is alarmed by the worsening conditions
there, including the widespread famine, the growing scale and
complexity of the civil war, and above all the danger Sudan's
territorial disintegration poses to Egypt's vital stake in the
waters of the Nile.   (The Guardian, U.K., 17 August 1998)

* Erythree-Ethiopie. Mediation de l'OUA  -  La reunion
ministerielle de mediation relative au conflit opposant l'Ethiopie
et l'Erythree s'est achevee le 2 aout au Burkina Faso sur "une note
d'espoir", a estime le ministre burkinabe des Affaires etrangeres.
"Tout le monde est d'accord pour regler cette situation par le
dialogue et de facon pacifique", a-t-il affirme. Cependant, les
mediateurs n'ont pas reussi a faire s'asseoir a la meme table les
deux parties en conflit. Le comite a demande aux deux parties de
maintenir la situation presente de non-hostilite et a s'abstenir de
toute action qui pourrait aggraver la situation. Il a decide de se
retrouver, en accord avec les deux parties, des que les chefs
d'Etat auront etudie le rapport et trouve la possibilite d'une
concertation avec les deux parties en conflit.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 7 aout 1998)

* Eritrea/Ethiopia. Eritreans flee across river  -  On 24 August,
officials on the Eritrean side of the frontier said that hundreds
of Eritreans have made a perilous crossing of the rain-swollen
Mereb River to escape the hostility which flared against them in
Ethiopia. There has been no major fighting in the border conflict
since mid-June but both countries complain that citizens living on
the other side have been mistreated and driven out.   (InfoBeat,
USA, 24 August 1998)

* Ethiopie-Erythree. 100 jours d'etat de guerre  -  Le 21 aout,
l'Erythree et l'Ethiopie entrent dans leur centieme jour d'une
guerre non declaree. Les derniers accrochages remontent au 24 juin,
mais le conflit a deja fait plusieurs milliers de morts et provoque
le deplacement de 184.000 Ethiopiens et 100.000 Erythreens. Depuis
les derniers accrochages, les deux pays n'ont cesse de renforcer la
mobilisation et leur arsenal militaire. Dans les milieux
diplomatiques, on evoque une eventuelle reprise des hostilites
apres la fin de la saison de pluies, attendue apres la mi-
septembre. Les deux pays attendent pour fin aout le rapport et les
propositions de l'OUA pour tenter de resoudre pacifiquement le
conflit frontalier.   (D'apres AFP, France, 20 aout 1998)

* Ghana. Catholic Bishops decry corruption  -  The Catholic Church
in Ghana has declared a national crusade against bribery and
corruption. At the end of its week-long conference, the Bishops
resolved to wage a relentless war on dishonesty and Impropriety.
"Bribery and corruption at all levels of our national life is now
taken for granted. It has become a dangerous social canker that is
eating its lethal way into the fabric of the civil service, the
Police Service, Parliament, the Judiciary, the Armed Forces,
Government and even the Church", the Bishops said in a communique
issued on 10 July. The Bishops noted that certain social crimes are
becoming endemic in a country which professes to be Christian in
outlook. They said: "We charge the Justice and Peace Commission on
both parish and diocesan levels with this grave responsibility (of
weeding out corruption), and we pledge our support to all who shall
be victimised in this exercise".   (Samuel Sarpong, Ghana, 11 July
1998)

* Guinea-Bissau. Easing of tension  -  Joint peace efforts by the
Community of Portuguese-Speaking countries (CPLP) and ECOWAS have
led to a further easing of tension between the two warring sides at
the weekend. Representatives of Guinea Bissau's President Vieira,
and his sacked armed forces chief of staff, General Mane, expressed
satisfaction at the two organisations' efforts to restore peace.
However, the peace talks scheduled to be held on 18 August in Cape
Verde, have now been postponed. The Bishop of Bissau warns that
this could lead to a resumption of fighting. By 19 August it could
not be confirmed if the meeting had actually got underway. 20
August: Representatives of Guinea's government and army rebels
agree at separate meetings with the Community of Portuguese-
Speaking countries (CPLP) to continue to respect the ceasefire. A
meeting has been scheduled for 25 August. 25 August: An official in
the ministry of foreign affairs in Cape Verde says that a new round
of peace talks between Guinea Bissau's government and army rebels
began today.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 8-25 August 1998)

* Guinee-Bissau. Les mediations continuent  -  Les ministres de
Cote d'Ivoire, de Gambie, du Ghana, de Guinee, du Senegal, et des
delegues du Burkina Faso et du Nigeria, se sont reunis le 4 aout a
Accra (Ghana) pour trouver une solution regionale a la crise que
traverse la Guinee-Bissau depuis pres de deux mois avec la
rebellion d'une grande partie de l'armee et l'exode de plus de
250.000 civils. Un cessez-le-feu est observe depuis la fin juin.
Trois initiatives sont actuellement en cours pour trouver une
solution a la crise. - Le 13 aout, les medias ont annonce que les
pourparlers de paix entre gouvernement et mutins, prevus le 18 aout
au Cap Vert, n'auraient pas lieu. Les delegations de la CEDEAO et
des pays lusophones auraient une "optique differente" et voudraient
d'abord harmoniser leurs efforts. Aucune date pour les pourparlers
n'a ete annoncee. - Le 19 aout, le ministre portugais des Affaires
etrangeres a annonce que les deux equipes de mediation (CEDEAO et
CPLP-lusophone) se rencontreront le 25 aout en presence de
representants des deux parties belligerantes. Le CPLP est juge plus
utile a chercher une solution interne au conflit, et la CEDEAO plus
habilitee a chercher une solution regionale a la crise.   (Marches
Tropicaux et IRIN, 14-20 aout 1998)

* Kenya. Press Statement from Catholic Bishops  -  Issued on 17
August by Kenya's Catholic Bishops meeting in Kakamega, the Letter
is addressed to President Moi and his Government; to all Kenyans;
to all people of goodwill, and is both an appeal and a condemnation
of the Nairobi bomb blast and the desecration of Christian Churches
in Wajir, north of Garissa. Referring first of all to the Nairobi
bomb blast, the Bishops said: "...What is clear to all, is that
fanatical hatred, which totally ignores God and mankind, is the
cause of such horrific deeds. In order to prevent such a happening
recurring, all people, but especially religious and political
leaders, must not only believe in peace, but also speak and act, in
building up peace, based on justice for all". The Bishops went on
to say that on the very day of the Nairobi bombing, the newspapers
carried a report of attacks and vandalising of two Christian
Churches in Wajir, by Muslim followers. The Bishops said: "We must
bear in mind that the Catholic Church has a great respect for
Islam...It is fully recognised that Islam itself is for peace and
that violence has been strongly condemned by many of its
leaders...".   (Catholic Bishops of Kenya, 17 August 1998)

* Kenya. After the bombing  -  Shortly before the bomb exploded at
the American embassy in Nairobi on 7 August, five men opened fire
on security guards and launched a hand-grenade attack, witnesses
say. The men, who were in the lorry carrying the bomb, were stopped
by guards at the barrier to the embassy's front car park and made
to turn around the park at the rear of the building. The attackers
described by a guard as "Arab looking", then jumped out of their
vehicle and started shooting. At least one American marine returned
fire before one of the attackers threw a hand-grenade. Moments
later the truck exploded, a guard told Kenyan television. US state
department's deputy spokesman, James Foley, described a Kenyan
security guard a hero for refusing to open a gate into the embassy
compound even when grenades were thrown at him. Another US official
said there would have been many more casualties had the guards not
acted as they did. 16 August: Pakistan said it had arrested a
suspect in the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
and sent him to Nairobi. The suspect, a 32-year-old man, was
arrested immediately after his arrival from Nairobi on August 7,
the day of the bombing, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said. The bombs
killed at least 247 in Nairobi and 10 people is Dar es Salaam.
Pakistan's national English-language daily, The News, reported that
the suspect was heading towards Afghanistan, when he was arrested
by the authorities in Karachi, Pakistan's main port city. It said
the suspect had been stopped by the airport authorities on
suspicions that he was travelling on forged documents. He is also
reported to have identified other suspects who arrived in Pakistan
before the bombings and are believed to have proceeded to
neighbouring Afghanistan. 18 August: Madeleine Albright, US
Secretary of State pledged financial help to Kenya and acknowledged
American personnel mishandled events after the bombing. 19 August:
The American FBI and Kenya's CID raid the Hilltop Hotel in Nairobi.
This confirms a report in the Daily Nation which said two hotel
rooms had been used to assemble the bomb. It also coincides with
new threats by a group calling itself the Islamic International
Front for Fighting Jews and Crusaders, linked to Osama bin Laden,
a wealthy Afghanistan-based Saudi.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 August
1998)

* Kenya-Tanzanie. Apres les attentats  -  15 aout. En Tanzanie, la
police libere 12 des 14 etrangers arretes a la suite de l'attentat
a l'ambassade americaine du 7 aout. Les deux autres sont retenus
comme temoins. 16. Le Pakistan expulse vers le Kenya un
ressortissant d'un pays arabe, age de 32 ans, arrete a l'aeroport
de Karachi a son arrivee de Nairobi. 18. Le secretaire d'Etat
americain, Mme Albright, apres avoir visite les locaux endommages
des deux ambassades americaines, reaffirme la determination des
Etats-Unis a lutter contre le terrorisme, tout en reconnaissant que
l'attitude des Americains, vivement critiques par la presse locale,
n'avait pas ete "parfaite" vis-a-vis des Kenyans apres l'attentat
a Nairobi. Selon le Washington Post, le principal suspect, Mohammed
Saddiq Howaida, a designe le millionnaire saoudien Oussama ben
Laden comme son chef et decrit son reseau terroriste international.
19. Une organisation intitulee "Front islamique international pour
la lutte contre les juifs et les croises" (qui aurait ete creee par
Oussama ben Laden) menace les Etats-Unis de nouvelles attaques
jusqu'a leur retrait des pays musulmans. 20. En represailles aux
attentats, les Etats-Unis ont bombarde plusieurs sites, au Soudan
et en Afghanistan. Le Soudan a depose plainte devant le Conseil de
securite de l'ONU . Le Conseil de securite a decide pour le moment
de ne pas donner suite a la requete. Par ailleurs, le gouvernement
americain a verse plus de 5 millions de dollars pour les victimes
des attentats de Dar es-Salaam et Nairobi.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 21 aout 1998)

* Lesotho. Protests at election results  -  At least three people
were wounded in the capital of Lesotho when shooting erupted during
a clash between rival parties disputing the outcome of a recent
election. It happened as government supporters tried to take over
the opposition headquarters, said Evaristus Sekhonyana, leader of
the opposition Basotho National party. Supporters of the
government, which won all but one of the 80 parliamentary seats in
the May election, have clashed with protesters who claim the vote
was rigged during four days of a protest strike.   (Financial
Times, U.K., 14 August 1998)

* Lesotho. Manifestations sanglantes  -  Le vice-president
d'Afrique du Sud Thabo Mbeki a mene, le 10 aout, une mission pour
des pourparlers au Lesotho, ou des manifestations contre les
resultats des elections de mai dernier ont fait un mort et 15
blesses a Maseru, capitale du royaume. Depuis six jours, les trois
principaux partis d'opposition menent des manifestations demandant
au roi d'annuler le resultat des legislatives. Selon 8 partis sur
12, la victoire du Congres du Lesotho pour la democratie, qui a
remporte 79 sur 80 des sieges de l'Assemblee nationale, est le
resultat de graves irregularites. Des tracts appelant a la greve
generale ont ete distribues dans les rues de Maseru, prevenant que
tous ceux qui se rendraient au travail ou ouvriraient leurs
magasins le feraient a leurs risques et perils.   (Marches
Tropicaux, France, 14 aout 1998)

* Liberia. Cloture de la conference nationale  -  La conference
nationale de trois semaines sur l'avenir du Liberia s'est terminee
le 12 aout sur des appels demandant aux Liberiens de rejeter la
guerre et de regler leurs differends par le dialogue. La conference
a propose des reformes dans les domaines de la politique,
l'education, la sante, la securite et la justice. Elle a propose
une decentralisation du pouvoir politique et l'election de
dirigeants locaux, actuellement nommes par le president.
Finalement, elle a appele le gouvernement a elaborer un document
global pour le debut de l'annee prochaine, afin de guider la mise
en oeuvre de ces projets.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 14 aout 1998)

* Libya. The British Aerospace connection  -  On 19 August, British
Aerospace (BA) said it was holding preliminary talks with Libya on
rebuilding the country's civil aviation infrastructure, but
insisted there was no question of breaching UN restrictions and
dealing with Tripoli. BA said two units of the company, one
specialising in airfield restructuring and the other in project
management, had been involved in "talks about talks". There had
been face-to-face meetings between BA executives and Libyans.  
(Financial Times, U.K., 20 August 1998)

* Libya. Lockerbie deal  -  There is cautious optimism that the two
Libyans accused of having organised the 1988 Pan Am bombing over
Lockerbie, Scotland, will be tried in The Hague next spring under
Scottish Law. The Scottish Lord Advocate suggested that the full
trial could start by May, with the two prisoners being held in a
special facility staffed by Scottish prison officers. It could last
up to a year. However, it is still far from certain that Libya will
hand over the two accused men, Abdel Baset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi
and al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah, who have always denied any involvement. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 August 1998)

* Libye. L'affaire Lockerbie  -  La secretaire d'Etat americaine,
M. Albright, a annonce le 24 aout que le gouvernement americain
acceptait que les deux Libyens soupconnes d'avoir organise
l'attentat de Lockerbie en 1988 soient juges a La Haye "devant une
cour ecossaise, avec des juges ecossais (et) selon le droit
ecossais". Les Etats-Unis avaient indique fin juillet envisager la
possibilite qu'ils soient juges dans un pays tiers, comme propose
par Tripoli depuis plusieurs annees, revenant ainsi sur leur
exigence de les voir comparaitre aux Etats-Unis ou en Ecosse. - Le
25 aout, les Etats-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne devaient presenter au
Conseil de securite de l'Onu un projet de resolution suspendant les
sanctions imposees a la Libye depuis 1992, si celle-ci accepte de
faire juger aux Pays-Bas ses deux ressortissants. Le 26 aout, la
Libye a accepte la proposition americano-britanique, sous reserve
qu'elle ne comporte pas de conditions, et a reitere son appel a la
levee de l'embargo.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25-27 aout
1998)

* Namibia. Suspected apartheid-era killers  -  The Namibian
government is slowly closing in on suspected apartheid-era killers
who operated in Namibia but fled to South Africa just before
Namibia's independence in 1990. Namibia's justice minister says the
suspects may soon stand trial here. Already a contact group
comprising Namibian and South African judicial officers has been
formed to co-ordinate efforts to get to the bottom of apartheid-era
crimes committed in Namibia. One of the cases involves the murder
of Anton Lubowski, a Windhoek advocate and prominent member of the
South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), who was shot death
in September 1989. Another case involves the killing of a Namibian
citizen during an attack on the United Nations office in the small
northern town of Outjo during the 1989 election campaign. Three
South Africans were arrested in connection with the attack but they
escaped from police custody and fled to South Africa where they
still are.   (Venarcious Mwansa, Namibia, 14 August 1998)
* Niger. Appel a l'aide internationale  -  Le Premier ministre
Maiyaki a lance, le 19 aout, un appel a la communaute
internationale pour une aide des regions touchees par les
inondations de juillet dernier, qui ont cause la mort de cinq
personnes et detruit plus de 6.000 habitations. Le gouvernement
estime qu'il faudra environ 1,5 milliard de fcfa au seul titre de
la refection des routes endommagees. A ce jour, seuls la Libye, le
Maroc et l'Egypte ont fait parvenir au Niger de l'aide sous forme
de vivres, d'habits et de personnel medical.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 20
aout 1998)

* Niger. Les rebelles toubous rentrent dans le rang  -  Le 23 aout,
le gouvernement nigerien et les rebelles toubous du Front
democratique du renouveau (FDR) ont rendu public a Niamey le detail
de l'accord de paix signe 48 heures plus tot au Tchad. Celui-ci
prevoit que les ex-rebelles seront cantonnes a Sila, a 1500 km a
l'est de Niamey, pour y etre desarmes et recenses dans un delai de
deux mois. Les deux parties libereront leurs prisonniers et le
gouvernement s'est engage a proclamer une amnistie generale en
faveur de toutes les personnes impliquees dans le conflit. Le
desarmement termine, le gouvernement erigera le FDR en parti
politique et integrera certains de ses membres dans
l'administration et les forces de defense et de securite. Fonde en
1994, le FDR constituait le dernier front actif face au
gouvernement, apres les traites de paix avec les Touaregs en 1995
et 1997.   (La Libre Belgique, 24 aout 1998)

* Nigeria. Vers un nouveau parti politique  -  Des personnalites
politiques nigerianes se sont regroupees en association afin de
preparer la creation d'un nouveau parti politique d'envergure,
selon la presse locale du 30 juillet. Le general Abubakar,
actuellement au pouvoir, a dissous le 20 juillet dernier, cinq
partis politiques finances par le regime de son predecesseur, le
general Abacha. Le chef de l'Etat avait annonce en meme temps que
les Nigerians seraient autorises a former de nouveaux partis
politiques, independants, pour prendre part a des elections libres
lors du premier trimestre de 1999.   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 14
aout 1998)

* Nigeria. Abubakar veut un regime democratique  -  Le 17 aout, le
general Abubakar, en visite a Lagos (la premiere d'un dirigeant
militaire en pres de cinq ans), a demande le soutien de tous les
Nigerians, y compris l'armee, de veiller au succes du transfert de
pouvoir a un gouvernement elu. Il a conseille aux officiers et aux
hommes des forces armees et de la police de "retourner a leur role
traditionnel, la defense de la souverainete du pays", declarant que
l'armee devait etre preparee a se subordonner aux autorites civiles
d'un regime democratique. M. Abubakar, qui a promis de restaurer
une administration civile d'ici mai 1999, apres des elections
generales, a declare que les agences de securite avaient recu pour
instruction de laisser les hommes politiques faire librement
campagne pour les elections.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 18 aout 1998)

* Nigeria. Nouveau gouvernement de technocrates  -  Annonce le 20
aout par le chef de l'Etat pour conduire le pays a des elections
democratiques en 1999, le nouveau cabinet nigerian est compose de
technocrates, d'universitaires et de nombreux visages nouveaux,
mais ne comprend pas d'opposants, illustrant les difficultes a
constituer un gouvernement elargi. L'equipe de 31 personnes
comprend neuf membres de l'administration precedente, mais apporte
des changements aux ministeres-clefs. Toutefois, l'instance supreme
du pouvoir nigerian reste un organe militaire, le Conseil
provisoire de gouvernement.   (Le Monde, France, 23 aout 1998)

* Nigeria. Election dates  -  On 25 August, the Electoral
Commission announced the election dates. Compilation of a new
voters' register: starts on 5 October 1998 and lasts for two weeks.
Election of governors and legislators for the 36 states: 9 January
1999. Election to the National Assembly: 20 February 1999.
Presidential election: 27 February 1999. Handing over of power to
civilian rule: 29 May 1999.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 August 1998)

* Rwanda. Nouvel enlevement d'un missionnaire  -  Un missionnaire
canadien, le Pere Richard Dessurault, des Missionnaires d'Afrique
(Peres Blancs), a ete enleve le samedi soir, 8 aout, vers 20
heures, dans le diocese de Ruhengeri. Le P. Dessurault etait
accompagne de quatre collaborateurs, dont deux de la Caritas
diocesaine et le responsable pastoral de la paroisse de Runaba, ou
l'enlevement a eu lieu. Tous ont ete relaches par les rebelles hutu
le mardi 11 aout, fatigues mais en bonne sante. Deux autres Peres
Blancs avaient deja ete enleves par les rebelles le 21 juillet,
puis liberes trois jours plus tard.   (ANB-BIA, 13 aout 1998)

* Rwanda. Elections?  -  Dans une recente declaration parue dans le
journal bi-mensuel gouvernemental, le Premier ministre Rwigema
affirme que son gouvernement a decide de s'engager sur la voie de
la "democratisation participative" et que "dans un proche avenir,
les populations auront la possibilite de se choisir des
responsables au niveau des structures de base". Mais le systeme
choisi par les autorites semble s'inspirer fortement du modele
ougandais, excluant les partis en tant que tels. Selon
l'editorialiste du journal, cette serie d'elections ne mettra "pas
en competition des partis politiques [...] pour l'instant mis entre
parentheses".   (Marches Tropicaux, France, 14 aout 1998)

* Rwanda. Massacre  -  Le 16 aout au soir, 14 personnes, dont 6
enfants, ont ete assassinees a l'arme blanche par des inconnus dans
le centre du Rwanda. L'attaque s'est produite dans le centre
commercial de Ruhango, a 80 km au sud de Kigali. Treize victimes
appartiennent a deux familles.   (La Libre Belgique, 18 aout 1998)

* Rwanda. Le TPIR manque de juges  -  Le Conseil de securite de
l'Onu souhaite renforcer les effectifs du Tribunal penal
international pour le Rwanda, afin d'accelerer les procedures de
jugement des responsables du genocide de 1994. Mais ne recevant pas
assez de candidatures de juges, la date limite de depot des
dossiers des candidats a ete reportee au 14 septembre. Le president
du TPIR a indique que sur un minimum de 18 candidats requis, seuls
neuf s'etaient presentes a la date butoir du 4 aout dernier.  
(D'apres La Croix, France, 20 aout 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Les combats se poursuivent  -  Selon les depeches
d'agences du 15-16 aout, l'Ecomog a repousse les rebelles de divers
bastions dans l'est et le nord de la Sierra Leone. De violents
combats ont eu lieu dans la ville orientale de Kailahun, important
centre diamantifere et dernier bastion rebelle dans l'est du pays.
Parallelement, les soldats sierra-leonais ont repris la ville de
Kruloba, base principale des rebelles dans le nord du pays, pres de
la frontiere guineenne. Par ailleurs, le gouvernement a rejete un
ultimatum des rebelles du Front revolutionnaire uni (RUF) exigeant
la liberation de leur leader emprisonne, Foday Sankoh.   (IRIN,
Abidjan, 17 aout 1998)

* Sierra Leone. Mortel enrolement  -  Selon le Concord Times de
Freetown du 17 aout, plus d'une centaine de civils, enleves par des
rebelles, se sont noyes, le 14 aout, dans une riviere du nord de la
Sierra Leone. Citant un rescape, le quotidien rapporte que les
rebelles, bases a Sanda (150 km au nord de Freetown), ont lance une
attaque sur plusieurs villes et villages du district de Port Loko,
dans la region de Gbinti, pour enlever une centaine de personnes.
La rebellion comptait enroler ces dernieres de force dans ses
rangs, mais le bateau qui les emmenait aurait heurte des rochers. 
 (Le Soir, Belgique, 18 aout 1998)

* Sierra Leone. 16 sentenced to death  -  16 civilians, including
five journalists, were sentenced to death in Sierra Leone on 24
August, on charges of treason following the May 1997 coup. Two
others were discharged and acquitted by the Freetown court which
pronounced the first convictions of those implicated in the coup
that ousted President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah for 10 months and plunged
the country into turmoil.   (InfoBeat, USA, 26 August 1998)

* Somalia. National Immunization Days  -  In a splendid show of
solidarity, Somali leaders in Southern and central Somalia have
joined hands with the health workers from the UN, international
NGO's and Somali health professionals, at the start of the first
round of a polio immunization campaign aimed at eradicating polio
from Somalia. Participating in the five-day vaccination campaign,
which started on 15 August, are over 605 teams of about 2,500
health workers, using over 650 vehicles. The teams intend to
vaccinate about 900,000 children under five, in approximately 2,800
villages, towns and nomadic settlements in central and southern
Somalia.   (UNCT Somalia Monitor, 13-19 August 1998)

* South Africa. Asia affects De Beers  -  11 August. De Beers, the
South African diamond mining and investment group which has sought
to revive a flagging diamond market by restricting the supply of
precious stones, reported sharply lower profits in the first half
of the year. Combined net earnings of De Beers Consolidated Mines
and its Swiss sister company De Beers Centenary fell 57% to $336m,
largely because of lower diamond income. Combined dividends were
maintained at 27.4 cents. De Beers blamed the loss of sales in
Japan and south-east Asia.   (Financial Times, U.K., 12 August
1998)

* South Africa. Fight over land  -  Since four years now, attacks
have been made on white farmers, in which 570 have been killed, and
according to the South African Agricultural Union (SAAU), are still
being killed at the rate of one every three days. In the wake of an
upsurge in the attacks -- a family of four was shot dead in the
Western Cape last Sunday, apparently by a disgruntled labourer --
some farmers have voted to withhold taxes in protest against
alleged government inaction. Despite three government reports,
however, the parties including the agriculture minister, Derek
Hanekom, and the safety and security minister have been unable to
pinpoint either the perpetrators of the attacks or their motives.
There are suspicions that the trend reflects a race war. The slow
process of shifting land ownership is undoubtedly an underlying
motive for the attacks. When apartheid ended in 1994, 87% of the
land in South Africa was in the hands of just 12% of the
population.   (The Guardian, U.K., 14 August 1998)

* South Africa. Defection of a senior MP  -  13 August: The
National Party, which imposed apartheid on South Africa for four
decades before yielding to majority rule in the 1990s, was dealt a
severe, possibly fatal, blow when one of its senior figures
defected to another party. Sam de Beer, a former cabinet minister,
who was leader of the NP in Gauteng -- the country's most important
province embracing both Johannesburg and Pretoria -- joined the
year-old United Democratic Movement (UDM) in a public signing
ceremony and automatically lost his position as a member of
parliament. The multiracial UDM, in spite of the vagueness of its
policies, appears to be emerging as the ANC's main challenger in
next year's general election because other opposition parties are
identified with particular racial or ethnic groups. Mr de Beer said
he had struggled for three years to reform the NP, but had
eventually been forced to admit failure.   (Financial Times, U.K.,
14 August 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Tutu en conge sabbatique  -  Mission accomplie a
l'issue des travaux de la Commission verite et reconciliation, Mgr
Desmond Tutu part a Atlanta pour un conge sabbatique de deux ou
trois ans. A 67 ans, le Prix Nobel de la paix, tire sa reverence,
non sans une derniere recommandation a ses concitoyens: "L'Afrique
du Sud doit aujourd'hui accomplir sa reconstruction morale" pour
que le reve de "nation arc-en-ciel" devienne realite, dit-il dans
un message publie le 19 aout par le quotidien Cape Times. Mgr. Tutu
a annonce qu'il prendrait sa retraite a son retour des Etats-Unis. 
 (Liberation, France, 20 aout 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Botha condamne  -  L'ancien president sud-
africain P.W. Botha a ete condamne, le 21 aout, a un an de prison
avec sursis et 10.000 rands (1.600 dollars) d'amende pour outrage
a la Commission verite et reconciliation devant laquelle il avait
refuse de comparaitre. Le juge Lugaju a estime que la non-
comparution devant la commission etait illegale. M. Botha a annonce
qu'il ferait appel.   (La Libre Belgique, 22 aout 1998)

* South Africa. Allan Boesak goes on trial  -  24 August: Allan
Boesak, once a feted South African anti-apartheid cleric, will
finally face his detractors today when, after long delays, he goes
on trial on charges of siphoning off foreign donor funds for his
own use. Boesak, 51, is accused by a Danish aid agency of
embezzling up to $157,2000 in aid donations meant for the poor
during the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1980s. He pleads not
guilty.   (InfoBeat, USA, 24 August 1998)

* Afrique du Sud. Attentat  -  Le 25 aout, une femme a ete tuee et
24 autres personnes blessees par un engin explosif dans un
restaurant du Cap. Une personne se reclamant de l'organisation
"Musulmans contre l'oppression globale" a revendique la
responsabilite de l'explosion. Cette organsiation avait organise
des manifestations et brule des drapeaux americains lors de la
visite en Afrique du Sud du president Clinton.   (La Libre
Belgique, 26 aout 1998)

* Soudan. Echec des pourparlers de paix  -  Les pourparlers de paix
entre le gouvernement soudanais et la SPLA se sont acheves, le 6
aout, sans que les deux parties ne parviennent a un accord. Les
deux parties continuent a s'opposer sur la delimitation
geographique du Sud, ainsi que sur la question de la separation
entre la religion et l'Etat. Des propositions ont egalement ete
formulees pour faire face a la famine qui menace plus de 2,5
millions de personnes, principalement dans le sud du pays. La
delegation gouvernementale a appele a un cessez-le-feu permanent,
mais "il n'y a eu de convergence sur aucun point", a souligne le
porte-parole du SPLA. Les deux delegations ont simplement convenu
de se retrouver a Nairobi dans six mois.   (Marches Tropicaux,
France, 14 aout 1998)

* Sudan. Truce comes too late  -  A ceasefire in Sudan's civil war
has given new access to aid for thousands of desperate refugees.
The three-month truce between the Islamic government in Khartoum
and the Sudan People's Liberation Army has opened the airstrip at
Ajiep in the south where people have gathered for months struggling
to survive on inadequate airdrops. But the aid has come too late
for unknown displaced people in many such rough, ill-equipped camps
across the region. Aid workers fear that the high death toll at
Ajiep suggests that many other camps are also in the grip of a
catastrophe. The death rate in Ajiep is worse than even the Horn of
Africa famine of 1984,1985 which so shocked Bob Geldof that he
started Live Aid, or the 1994 cholera epidemic among Rwandan
refugees which nearly sparked a Western invasion. "The situation in
Ajiep is catastrophic," said Sophie Baguet, a nutritionist with
Medecins sans Frontieres". The death rate is 69 per 10,000 a day
and 133 deaths per 10,000 for children under five. Two deaths per
10,000 a day is considered an emergency.   (The Guardian, 12 Aug.
& Guardian Weekly 23 Aug. 1998)

* Soudan. La famine s'etend  -  De retour du Sud-Soudan, le delegue
general-adjoint du CICR pour l'Afrique a mis en garde, le 17 aout,
a Geneve, contre une extension de la famine. L'organisation
s'inquiete particulierement de l'evolution de la situation dans
l'est du pays, a la frontiere de l'Erythree et de l'Ethiopie:
30.000 personnes sont deja quotidiennement assistees et, selon le
CICR, leur nombre va aller en augmentant. Ailleurs la situation ne
s'ameliore pas. Ainsi, dans la provinde du Bahr-el-Ghazal, les
personnes deplacees par les combats et la famine arrivent dans un
etat de plus en plus lamentable. Le delegue du CICR a par ailleurs
juge que les allegations des ONG, selon lesquelles jusqu'a 60% de
l'aide alimentaire sont detournes par les rebelles et les forces
gouvernementales, etaient "a prendre au serieux".   (La Libre
Belgique, 18 aout 1998)

* Sudan. US planes strike at factory  -  20 August: Sudan's
interior minister, Abdel Raheem Mohammed, says that a factory
producing medicines has been devastated by two US warplanes in the
north of Khartoum. According to the Americans, this factory is
producing chemical weapons. In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair
supported the US action without qualification. General Hugh
Shelton, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said the strike in
Sudan against the Shifa pharmaceutical plant in north-east
Khartoum, was made in response to efforts by the Osama bin Laden
network to develop and acquire chemical weapons. 21 August:
President el-Bashir denounces President Clinton as immoral and a
liar as Khartoum hospitals report that ten people were injured in
the missile attacks. 24 August: Britain's ambassador is asked to
leave Sudan and President al-Bashir says he is recalling Sudan's
ambassador to Britain. The President says he is throwing open what
is left of Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries to international
inspection.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 August 1998)

* Soudan. Plainte a l'Onu  -  Apres l'attaque de Etats-Unis a
l'usine Al-Chifa, non loin du centre de Khartoum, le 20 aout, le
Soudan a rappele tous ses diplomates en poste a Washington.
Khartoum, qui juge les raids americains contraires au droit
international, a annonce une plainte aupres du Conseil de securite
de l'Onu, reclamant l'ouverture d'une enquete. Soutenu par la Ligue
arabe, l'Organisation de la conference islamique, le mouvement des
non-alignes et l'OUA, le Soudan veut obtenir la constitution d'une
commission d'enquete internationale sur les activites reelles de
l'usine qui, d'apres les dirigeants soudanais, n'a jamais servi le
terrorisme. Le Conseil de securite a decide pour le moment de ne
pas donner suite a la requete.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22-
26 aout 1998)

* Togo. Attaque a Lome  -  Le 16 aout, les forces armees togolaises
ont pu retablir le calme a Lome, avec la collaboration du Ghana,
apres une attaque lancee tot le matin par des hommes en armes a la
frontiere ghaneenne de la capitale. Les deux pays ont collabore
pour neutraliser l'attaque. Les assaillants, venus du Ghana, se
sont attaques aux quartiers ouest de la capitale, ou des tirs
nourris ont resonne pendant quelques heures. Un poste de police a
aussi ete attaque dans la nuit dans la ville de Kpalime, a 135 km
au nord de Lome, egalement a la    frontiere ghaneenne. Plusieurs
arrestations de "terroristes" ont eu lieu au Togo et au Ghana, a-t-
on appris de source officielle. Le Ghana a abrite plusieurs
representants de l'opposition radicale togolaise, mais M. Gilchrist
Olympio, candidat aux elections presidentielles de juin, interroge
par telephone, a assure n'etre au courant de rien.   (D'apres La
Libre Belgique, 17 aout 1998)

* Togo. L'opposition reclame un nouveau scrutin  -  Le 21 aout,
selon l'AFP, deux partis de l'opposition ont reclame la
"reorganisation" du scrutin presidentiel suite aux elections de
juin dernier qui avaient accorde un dernier mandat au president
Eyadema. Dans une lettre adressee au Premier ministre Kwassi
Klutse, les chefs de file du Comite d'action pour le renouveau
(CAR) et du Parti democratique pour le renouveau (PDR) ont rejete
l'offre de M. Eyadema de participer a un nouveau gouvernement
unitaire. Les partis d'opposition affirment que le leader de
l'opposition, G. Olympio, est le veritable vainqueur des elections.
L'Union europeenne avait egalement critique la maniere dont s'etait
deroule le scrutin. Le president du Ghana, J. Rawlings, a offert sa
mediation dans la crise politique au Togo.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 23
aout 1998)

* Uganda. Promoting alternative tourism  -  Uganda is trying to
revive its once-thriving tourist industry by promoting bird
watching, gorilla tracking and mountain biking instead of the high-
cost big-game safaris of former years. But security concerns still
surround some of Uganda's prime tourist areas. These factors have
depressed Uganda's tourist industry and experts say they threaten
the best-laid plans for the industry...Uganda has not yet recovered
from the diaster's of Amin's eight years of capricious rule, during
which hotels and once luxurious tourist lodges were looted or
destroyed. Much of the infrastructure has been restored or rebuilt,
but the depleted herds of game are still scared of contact with
humans.   (East African Standard, Kenya, 17 August 1998)

* Uganda. Bomb explosions  -  25 August: Bombs planted on three
buses by suspected rebels, killed at least 28 people. The buses
were travelling from Kampala to the countryside. Most of the
casualties occured 30 miles from Mbarara in western Uganda, when an
explosion blew a bus out of control and into a minibus.  
(InfoBeat, USA, 25 August 1998)

* Ouganda. Attentats  -  Le 25 aout, au moins 28 personnes ont ete
tuees dans des explosions qui ont eu lieu a bord de trois autocars
differents. L'une s'est produite pres du domicile prive du
president Museveni a Mbarara; une autre a bord d'un autocar
appartenant a Moses Kigongo, vice-president du parti du chef de
l'Etat. Le gouvernement ougandais doit faire face a deux rebellions
basees l'une en Republique democratique du Congo et l'autre au
Soudan.   (Le Monde, France, 27 aout 1998)

* Western Sahara. Progress on referendum plan  -  On 20 August, The
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said the identification of voters
for the long-delayed referendum on the future of Western Sahara,
should be completed this month, except for three disputed tribal
groupings. He said 145,928 persons had been identified as of 16
August.   (InfoBeat, USA, 21 August 1998)

* Zambia. "Jubilee 2000: Cancel Zambia's Debt"  -  An ecumenical
Pastoral Letter published last week, has urged Christians in Zambia
to seek a reduction in their country's large external debt. The
document calls the $7.1 billion sum unpayable,"because it blocks
future development, is politically destabilising, and hurts most of
the poor in the country". This year, the Zambian government is due
to spend more money on servicing debt than on health and education
combined.   (The Tablet, U.K., 15 August 1998)

* Zimbabwe. Foreign control of newspapers  -  For the first time
since independence, Zimbabwe is going to see a foreign-controlled
daily newspaper and some weeklies operating on its soil. A
consortium of local institutions and individuals have joined hands
with foreign investors to start a newspaper group called the
Associated Newspaper (ANZ), which will publish the Daily News and
five other weeklies based in the country's five provincial cities.
This has not gone down well with some local senior journalists and
politicians who feel the foreign media does not fully represent the
interests of the people of Zimbabwe. They are worried that the ANZ
is controlled from Europe and South Africa, with foreign interests
in ANZ being the Bank of Scotland, the Independent Newspapers of
South Africa, Tindle Newspapers (one of South Africa's largest
publishers of regional and local newspapers), Cross Graphics (a
British supplier of printing and associated equipment), Allied
Press (New Zealand's largest private media group, and Commonwealth
Publishing Ltd.   (Patrick Chapita, Zimbabwe, 15 August 1998)

***********************************************************
******   DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE AT YOUR REQUEST   *******
******  DOCUMENTS A VOTRE DISPOSITION SUR DEMANDE *******
***********************************************************


1. SOUTHERN and EAST AFRICA
--> Title: "Jubilee 2000 -- Economic Justice for Churches in
Eastern and Southern Africa"
--> Author: Economic Justice Network for Church
--> Organisation in Eastern and Southern Africa. 28-31 July 1998
--> Description: A document putting the Jubilee 2000 campaign for
debt cancellation for poor countries, in the context of a wider
range of economic issues.

===> Please quote: < /apic/africa/98015.txt > when ordering
---------------------------------------------------------------


2. CONGO RDC.
--> Title: "Whose who in the rebellion"
--> Author: IRIN, Nairobi, 20 August 1998
--> Description: A helpful index, with a short curriculum vitae, of
the main characters on the rebel side in Congo RDC's rebellion.

===> Please quote: < /irin-e/countries/rdc/980820.txt > when
ordering)
--> pour le meme texte en FRANCAIS, veuillez demander:
===>  </irin-f/pays/rdc/980820A.txt>
------------------------------------------------



3. ZAMBIA
--> Title: "Jubilee 2000: Cancel Zambia's Debt"
--> Author: The Ecumenical Steering Committee for Jubilee 2000 --
Zambia, 7 August 1998
--> Description: This Ecumenical Pastoral letter urges Christians
in Zambia to seek a rededuction in their country's large external
debt. The document calls the $7.1 billion sum unpayable, "because
it blocks future development, is politically destabilising, and
hurts most of the poor in the country".

===> Please quote: < E-MAIL/IN/ZAM0819.TXT > when ordering