ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: anb- bia@village.uunet.be _____________________________________________________________ WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 29-10-1998 PART #1/ * Africa. Action against the media - Togo: Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) is protesting the arrest of a journalist in Lome. According to RSF's information, on 21 October 1998, Appollinaire Mewenemesse, editor-in-chief of the bi-monthly "La Depeche", was arrested and taken to the police station in the capital. The arrest followed the filing of a defamation complaint by the national Minister of Defence. On 15 October, the newspaper had published an article attributing responsibility for robberies in the capital to soldiers of the Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaises). La Depeche quoted a non-commissioned officer stating that "fragments of abandoned arms found at the crime scene either belong to the police or the army." Police also seized all copies of the bi-monthly. Liberia: In a press release dated 23 October, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications announced it had withdrawn, effective immediately, the short-wave frequencies assigned to Star Radio. Niger: On 28 October, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) expressed concern that the situation regarding press freedom in Niger is worsening. (IFEX, Canada, 22-28 October 1998) * Afrique. Le satellite AfriStar - Le 28 octobre au soir, une fusee Ariane doit lancer le satellite AfriStar, destine a diffuser une centaine de programmes radio sur l'ensemble du continent africain. AfriStar est un projet de Worldspace, lance par un juriste americain d'origine ethiopienne, M. Noah Samara. Il s'agit d'un satellite international de radiodiffusion numerique et directe. Pour capter ses emissions, un recepteur radio portable de la nouvelle generation sera toutefois necessaire. (D'apres La Libre Belgique, 28 octobre 1998) * Africa. Expressing concern at environment measure - More than 20 African countries have expressed deep concern at an internationally agreed environment measures, which they fear could reduce official aid flows and divert attention from debt relief. The Kyoto Environmental Conference last December, established a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to give industrial countries incentives to introduce emission-reducing technologies to the south. A conference in Buenos Aires starting 2 November, will examine ways to meet the Kyoto targets. But 26 African environment ministers meeting in Nairobi, warned that the mechanism could increase south-north dependence. "The Clean Development Mechanism aims to promote sustainable development, but the large external debt and depleted resource base of Africa, remain the main obstacles to the achievement of that goal," the ministers said. "The CDM should not be used as a substitute for other mechanisms such as official development assistance." Their comments, which represented the first common African position on the issue, add to doubts surrounding an instrument whose practical implementation remains vague, 10 months after its creation. The basic aim of the mechanism is to ease industrialised countries' greenhouse reduction targets, in return for spreading clean technology. But there is no model stating how credits should be calculated, and no mechanism for monitoring the benefits achieved. "The rules are not yet established; we are open to proposals," explained Hussein Abaza, a senior economist for the United Nation's environmental arm, UNEP. "We need to make sure the CDM contributes to poverty alleviation and employment, and not only greenhouse gas reductions." (Financial Times, U.K., 28 October 1998) * Africa. AIDS cuts a swathe through Africa's people - 28 October: AIDS is cutting the life expectancy in many African countries and will leave their populations far below what was expected in the next 10-15 years, according to a report released today by the population division of the UN. The report, part of a world population survey for 1998, says AIDS has achieved pandemic proportions in several of 34 sub-Saharan countries where at least one in four people is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In Botswana, the hardest hit country in sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy which stood at 61 years only five years ago, has dropped to 47 and is expected to drop further to 41 between 2000 and 2005. The report says: "of the 30 million people in the world currently infected by HIV, 26 million, or 86%, reside in the 34 sub-Saharan African countries. In addition, 91% of all AIDS deaths in the world have occurred in these 34 countries. (The Guardian, U.K., 29 October 1998) * Algerie. La grogne sociale s'amplifie - La grogne sociale s'amplifie en Algerie avec la paralysie des universites depuis une semaine, alors qu'un bras de fer oppose une partie de la presse privee aux imprimeries d'Etat. Les enseignants universitaires, qui ont arrete leurs cours en reclamant des augmentations de salaires et l'attribution de logements, ont ete rejoint par les etudiants. D'autre part, les magistrats du syndicat national entament le 26 octobre une greve de trois jours afin de protester contre ce qu'ils considerent comme une campagne de presse diffamatoire a leur egard. La presse privee avait notamment accuse les magistrats d'incompetence et de partialite. Par ailleurs, le syndicat national des journalistes algeriens a appele a une greve generale des journalistes le 27 octobre pour defendre la liberte de la presse. (D'apres AFP, France, 26 octobre 1998) * Algerie. Six tues - Six personnes, dont quatre civils, ont ete tuees les 24 et 25 octobre, ont rapporte les quotidiens arabophones Sawt El-Ahrar et El-Acil. Quatre voyageurs ont ete tues dans la region de Tiaret lorsqu'un autobus a ete pris sous le feu d'un groupe arme; et deux islamistes armes ont ete tues dans une embuscade de l'armee pres de Blida. (D'apres Le Soir, Belgique, 27 octobre 1998) * Algeria. Aircraft back troops in forest - Aircraft dropped bombs in support of thousands of troops battling Muslim rebels in a dense forest in northern Algeria, Le Jeune Independent reported on 28 October. "The huge operation which began last week against hideouts of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), involved thousands of soldiers belonging to various army units". (Reuters, 28 October 1998) * Burundi. Prochain round des negociations - A la cloture de la troisieme session de pourparlers a Arusha, le 22 octobre, un quatrieme round de negociations de paix pour le Burundi a ete fixe au 18 janvier prochain. Deux points figureront a son agenda: la reconstruction et le developpement d'un "Burundi post-Arusha" et l'etude des propositions issues de trois commissions. La troisieme session, qui s'est tenue du 13 au 22 octobre, s'est conclue sans ceremonie ni communique des parties. En derniere minute un accord est intervenu sur la presidence, jusque la controversee, de la commission Paix et securite; elle sera confie au pere Matteo Zuppi, de la communaute de San Egidio. -D'autre part, les Nations unies ont nomme un Beninois, Ayite Jean-Claude Kpakpo, au poste de premier conseiller du mediateur Julius Nyerere dans le processus de paix inter-burundais. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 octobre 1998) * Burundi. Last round for Arusha talks still to come - The third round of peace talks ended in Arusha, Tanzania, and a fourth round will resume on 18 January 1999, the independent Hirondelle news agency reported. No communique was issued. The Nyerere Foundation, which is sponsoring the peace process, said the next round of talks would focus on reconstruction and development and on proposals put forward by three working commissions. The commission -- on the nature of the conflict: democracy and good governance; and peace and security -- will meet ahead of the January session. The three commissions will be headed respectively by Armando Emilio Guebuza, president of Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party; Prof. Nicholas Haysom representing South African Judge Richard Goldstone; and Padre Mateo Zuppi of the San Edigio community. A fourth commission on reconstruction and development is due to be chaired by Georg Lenkin of Austria's development ministry and a fifth commission on respecting future peace accords has yet to be formed, Hirondelle said. (IRIN, Nairobi, 22 October 1998) * Burundi. Insecurite - Le bureau d'OCHA Burundi a fait savoir que plusieurs ONG avaient temporairement evacue leur personnel de differentes provinces pour des raisons de securite. Les activites rebelles de plus en plus frequentes dans les provinces de Makamba et de Rutana ont conduit a l'evacuation de certaines ONG au debut du mois. D'autres membres ont ete transferes a Bujumbura depuis la province de Kayanza, suite a une recrudescence des troubles. Le PAM a egalement du reporter des distributions dans la commune de Gahombo. Le rapport ajoute que plusieurs attaques ont encore ete enregistrees dans la province de Bubanza. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 27 octobre 1998) * Comoros. OAU welcomes decision to postpone poll - The Organisation of African Unity OAU welcomed a decision by separatists on the Comoran island of Anjouan to postpone legislative elections that had been planned for Oct.15. The decision "would facilitate a consensual approach to the peaceful resolution of the crisis (in the Comoros islands)," the OAU's department for conflict resolution said in a communique at the end of a one-day meeting in Addis Ababa. Anjouan declared itself independent from the Federal Republic of the Comoros in August 1997 and shortly afterwards repulsed an invasion from the main island of Grand Comore. (Reuters, 22 October 1998) * Congo-Brazza. Rail closure disrupts WFP plans - A WFP mission is currently in Pointe-Noire to assess the storage of forwarding conditions in the port city, in view of the continued suspension of railway traffic in Brazzaville, the latest WFP weekly emergency report said. The rail line has been closed since late September due to violence in the Pool region. The suspension came at the time when the WFP was planning to transfer 3,150 mt of food supplies from Pointe-Noire to Brazzaville, from where it would be transported to neighbouring Kinshasa in Congo RDC, the report said. (IRIN, Nairobi, 22 October 1998) * Congo ( RDC). Tshisekedi interdit de voyage - Le 24 octobre, des officiers des services d'immigration ont empeche Etienne Tshisekedi, le chef de file de l'opposition, de quitter le pays. M. Tshisekedi etait invite a se rendre a Bruxelles par le Parlement europeen pour presenter son projet de resolution pacifique a la crise. Par ailleurs, M. Kabila a recu la proposition de nouvelle Constitution du pays preparee par la commission sur la reforme institutionnelle, composee de 13 membres. Cette proposition devrait faire l'objet d'un referendum. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 24 octobre 1998) * Congo (RDC). Guerre dispersee - 22 octobre. La radio des rebelles a Goma annonce des durs combats autour de la ville diamantifere de Mbuji-Mayi, la capitale de la province du Kasai oriental, mais ces nouvelles sont contredites par des sources locales, qui les qualifient de propagande militaire. Elles notent toutefois l'arrivee de troupes tchadiennes et zimbabweennes. Le president Mugabe (Zimbabwe) a decide de renforcer son contingent militaire en RDC; selon un diplomate occidental, Harare a double ses effectifs pour atteindre les 6.000 soldats. D'autre part, le Conseil de securite de l'Onu a invite toutes les parties impliquees dans le conflit a cesser immediatement les hostilites et a respecter l'integrite territoriale de l'ex-Zaire.- Le 24 octobre, selon l'agence Misna, les troupes gouvernementales, venant de Gbadolite, ont reconquis la ville De Buta, au nord du pays, dans une avancee vers Kisangani. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 26 octobre 1998) * Congo (RDC). Talk of peace but war continues - 21 October: President Kabila names a new military chief of staff after winning pledges of support from his allies for a push against Rwandan and Ugandan backed rebels in the east. State radio says Kabila has named his aide-de-camp, Commandant Eddy Kapend, as Congo RDC's new armed forces chief of staff. 22 October: The rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RDC) says that fighting has started around the diamond-rich city of Mbuji-Mayi in Kasai province. The Congolese government denies rebels have been attacking around Mbuji-Mayi but say loyalist forces have met resistance elsewhere. 23 October: Rebels say they are poised to capture Mbuji-Mayi. 26 October: Foreign and Defence Ministers from the Southern African Development Community begin a peace conference in Lusaka, Zambia. 27 October: A conference aimed at ending the Democratic Republic of Congo's civil war was on the verge of collapse last night, as the country's foreign minister traded bitter words with his Ugandan and Rwandan counterparts, and rebel representatives refused to be bound by calls for a ceasefire. The Lusaka meeting, attended by foreign and defence ministers from 19 eastern and southern African countries, left the continent's third largest country with little hope of an immediate end to its three-month-old conflict. Both sides are locked in a seemingly intractable stalemate, with Mr.Kabila and his allies demanding the withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops from the country, and eastern rebel leaders claiming that they will not lay down arms until they are granted face-to- face talks with the Congolese government. "We cannot accept a situation where we have to negotiate through third parties. We are going to have to sit in the talks and have a direct participation or we go back home and fight," said Bizima Karaha, a rebel spokesman, after rebuffing a ceasefire offered by officials from Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa and the United Nations. Mr.Okoto accused Rwanda and Uganda of pursuing a "hidden agenda" to crush ethnic Hutus, in pursuit of Tutsi supremacy throughout the Great Lakes region. "It is imperative these two countries move out of Congo," said Jean Charles Okoto, the Congolese foreign minister. "If nothing conclusive comes out on this, we will continue fighting." Rwanda and Uganda said that the Congo was destabilising the region by providing a springboard for insurgents to destabilise their countries. Angola said that it remained firmly behind Mr.Kabila, even if it meant extending the war in the east of the country. "We are one alliance and we obviously support our joint objectives as an alliance," said Joao Miranda, the country's deputy foreign minister. The conference came to halt the same day, with rebels requesting direct peace talks with President Kabila. In the meantime, they would return to the headquarters in eastern Congo while the government in Kinshasa considered their request. The rebels have rejected the indirect method of negotiation requested by the ministers present at the conference. 29-30 October: Foreign Ministers from 11 African countries are to meet in Yaounde, to discuss the main conflicts in central Africa. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 29 October 1998) * Congo (RDC)/Zambie. Le sommet de Lusaka - Les ministres des Affaires etrangeres et de la Defense d'une douzaine de pays africains se sont reunis le 26 octobre a Lusaka (Zambie) dans une ambiance tendue, pour debattre du conflit en RDC. La conference a pour but de finaliser les modalites d'un cessez-le-feu qui permettrait de lancer des discussions sur un reglement politique. Mais la conference pourrait buter sur le meme obstacle que les precedentes: la presence de la rebellion. Les representants du president Kabila et ses allies ont refuse jusqu'ici de rencontrer une delegation des rebelles, car ceci reviendrait a une reconnaissance politique de la rebellion. - Le 27 octobre les rebelles de leur cote refusaient toujours de renoncer a leur exigence de pourparlers directs avec le regime de Kabila, et le president zambien n'a pas reussi davantage a les convaincre d'accepter un document de travail reclamant notamment un cessez-le- feu immediat. Installes dans un hotel, tout pres du lieu de la reunion, ils ont prevenu qu'ils n'accepteraient pas un accord mis au point sans eux. - Finalement, dans la soiree, le sommet s'est conclu sur un echec. Il n'a pu que ratifier un "projet" de cessez- le-feu et les grands traits d'un systeme de controle pour le faire observer. - On apprend par ailleurs que le president americain, Bill Clinton, a decide d'envoyer deux emissaires: Susan Rice et Gael Smith ont quitte Washington le 26 octobre et se rendront successivement en Afrique du Sud, Angola, RDC, Zambie, Zimbabwe, Rwanda et Ouganda. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 octobre 1998) * Egypt. Jailed editor - 22 October. Two Egyptians journalists were jailed for a year with hard labour after being convicted of libelling a pro-government politician. Their convictions bring to six the number of editors and reporters who have been sentenced to prison for libel this year. Human rights groups have condemned the cases as an attempt to muzzle the press. (The Guardian, U.K., 23 October 1998) * Egypte. Relations economiques avec l'Afrique - Le 26 octobre, dans un discours d'ouverture d'une reunion de trois jours sur le theme L'Egypte et le Comesa, le ministre egyptien des Affaires etrangeres a exprime la volonte de son pays de developper ses relations economiques avec le Marche commun de l'Est et du Sud de l'Afrique (Comesa), que l'Egypte a rejoint en juin dernier. Il a ajoute que, a travers cette rencontre, son pays cherchait a faciliter les contacts et la cooperation entre hommes d'affaires egyptiens et africains. (D'apres AFP, France, 26 octobre 1998) * Ethiopie/Erythree. Mediation de l'OUA - Le ministre ethiopien des Affaires etrangeres a annonce que l'equipe de mediation de l'OUA allait tenir des pourparlers avec les dirigeants ethiopien et erytrheen en novembre, pour essayer de resoudre le conflit frontalier, ont rapporte plusieurs agences de presse. Une commission, comprenant les presidents du Burkina Faso, du Zimbabwe et de Djibouti, devrait rencontrer les deux dirigeants separement et faire ensuite des propositions, a-t-il ajoute. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 26 octobre 1998) * Guinea. Parliamentary speaker suspended - Guinea's ruling Parti d'unite et du progres (PUP) has suspended the Speaker of the National Assembly, Boubacar Diallo, for attacking the country's human rights situation, AFP reported. The news agency quoted a PUP statement as saying it disassociated itself from Diallo's appeal last week to President Conte, to do something about conditions in a military camp, where he said torture had been used to extract confessions from officers implicated in a 1996 coup attempt. The PUP said Diallo had made "serious and tendentious allegations of a nature to tarnish the country's image nationally and internationally." As a consequence, Diallo had been suspended from all party activities until further notice. There was no indication whether he would continue in office. (IRIN, West Africa, 23 October 1998) * Guinee-Bissau. Combats et rencontres - Le 22 octobre, les combats ont encore fait rage a Bissau, en depit d'un cessez-le-feu unilateral declare la veille par le president Vieira. Des affrontements ont eu lieu egalement autour de la ville de Fulacunda. Pour la premiere fois depuis le debut de la rebellion, le president Vieira s'est dit pret a rencontrer personnellement le chef des rebelles, le general Mane, dont les troupes se trouvent desormais en position de force aussi bien dans la capitale qu'a l'interieur du pays, qu'ils controlent pour la plus grande partie. Le 21 octobre, la CEDEAO avait exprime sa profonde inquietude et decide d'envoyer immediatement un emissaire sur place pour tenter de ramener les parties a la raison. Le 23 octobre, le general Mane a annonce un cessez-le-feu de trois jours. Le 24, le Senegal, qui soutient militairement le president Vieira, a depeche son ministre de l'Interieur pour rencontrer le general Mane. Le dimanche 25, le chef des rebelles a accepte en principe de rencontrer le president Vieira. Apres encore deux jours de tractations, les deux parties s'etaient mis d'accord pour tenir cette reunion le 28 octobre a Banjul en Gambie, mais le matin meme de ce jour le porte-parole de la junte a fait savoir que le general Mane ne viendrait pas, invoquant le manque de preparation des rebelles pour cette rencontre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 octobre 1998) * Guinea-Bissau. Truce broken - 21 October: Embattled Guinea- Bissau President Joao "Nino" Vieira declares a unilateral ceasefire with rebels seeking to oust him. The call for a truce follows three days of intense fighting in the capital Bissau, which shattered a three-month-old ceasefire mediated by members of the Economic community of West African States and the Community of Portuguese- Speaking Countries. Earlier, rebels said they had captured Bafata, the second largest town in the former Portuguese colony. Humanitarian sources say food supplies stock in Bafata have been looted. 22 October: Fighting breaks out again in Bissau in spite of the ceasefire. 23 October: It is reported that Senegalese troops have fought a bloody battle with mutinous soldiers and their rebel allies in Bissau during the period 20-21 October. Senegal sends more troops and hardware to Guinea-Bissau to reinforce its troops. Rebels declare a 48-hour truce to allow Vieira time to explain his position on the mutineers' key demands. Spokesman Zamora Induta says the rebels want to hear what Vieira intends to do about troops from Guinea and Senegal that have come to his aid. 26 October: Senegalese newspapers and army officers accuse Portugal of sending military material to rebel soldiers in Guinea-Bissau. Portugal rejects the charge. 27 October: The meeting between President Vieira and rebel leader Ansumane Mane scheduled for today, does not take place. There were disagreements over the venue. The meeting will probably take place "on another date, perhaps abroad", says the BBC. The missionary news agency, MISNA, says attempts to find a solution to the disagreement over the venue had been complicated by Vierira's "changing attitude" on the war. The agency quoted Vieira as saying that he would prosecute the war "until the bitter end", after calling the truce and then requesting direct talks. 28 October: The peace talks are re-located to The Gambia, but the two leaders have not yet arrived. Transport difficulties have delayed Mane's arrival while Vieira is on standby in Bissau ready to come. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 29 October 1998) * Liberia. President called upon to cease harassment - 22 October. Human Rights Watch urged President Taylor to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders in Liberia. In a letter released today, 23 October, the monitoring group criticized government intimidation of members of the Justice and Peace Commission, a non- governmental organisation associated with the Catholic Church. On 9 October, the Commission called for an investigation into mass killings and other abuses by government troops in Monrovia in September. Since then credible reports indicate that an arrest warrant was issued for Mr.Samuel Kofi Woods, president of the Commission. Mr.Woods, a well-known activist and former Reebok Human Rights Award winner, has been a long standing independent voice for human rights through years of civil war and repression in Liberia. The harassment of members of the Justice and Peace Commission appears to be part of a larger attempt by the Taylor government to curb freedom of expression and freedom of association in Liberia. (Human Rights Watch, USA, 23 October 1998) * Maroc. Manifestation de chomeurs reprimee - Le 26 octobre a Rabat, la dispersion violente par la police d'une manifestation de jeunes diplomes au chomage a fait cinq blesses, dont deux grievement. Le gouvernement avait promis le mois dernier d'employer dans la fonction publique quelque 200 diplomes qui avaient proteste pendant 45 jours devant le Parlement pour reclamer du travail. Le taux de chomage est officiellement de 17%, mais les syndicalistes marocains l'estiment a 23% environ. (La Libre Belgique, 27 octobre 1998) * Mauritanie. Reduction de la dette - Nouakchott vient de signer avec la Banque mondiale un accord en vue d'une substantielle reduction de sa dette multilaterale, a declare le 21 octobre le representant-residant de la banque, M. Mazurelle. L'octroi de cette facilite, qui sera examine par la Banque les 17 et 18 decembre prochains a Paris, sera le couronnement de reformes economiques, financieres et institutionnelles. (Le Monde, France, 23 octobre 1998) * Niger. Liberte de la presse - Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) s'inquiete de la deterioration de la liberte de la presse au Niger. Selon ses informations, Daouda Diallo, le president du Conseil superieur de la communication a annonce le 28 octobre qu'a partir du 31 octobre tous les journaux dont les directeurs ne possedent pas de licence professionnelle de journaliste seront suspendus. Il a egalement declare que les radios privees nigeriennes n'auront plus le droit de relayer les stations etrangeres pendant leurs emissions d'information. La veille, Ibrahim Hanidou, directeur de publication de La Tribune du Peuple, et Abdul Mounime Ousseyni, directeur de publication du Citoyen, ont ete condamnes a six mois de prison avec sursis pour diffamation. (D'apres IFEX, Canada, 28 octobre 1998) * Nigeria. Firefighters smother blaze - 22 October: Badly burned survivors of a Nigerian pipeline fire in which over 700 people died, are returning to hospitals they fled from for fear of prosecution for sabotage or pilfering fuel. Health officials say: "Several victims with severe burns who had signed off from hospitals, are now coming back after reassurance they will not be arrested. Local "town-criers" are being employed to go into remote villages to persuade fleeing victims to come out of hiding to receive treatment. 24 October: A US firefighting team has now smothered the blaze, putting out the last of the flames with a thick layer of nitrogen-rich foam. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 October 1998) * Nigeria. 6 dead in fresh clashes - At least six people died in renewed clashes between ethnic Ijaw and Itshekiri youths in the southern Nigerian oil town of Warri, witnesses said. "Some Ijaw youths invaded an Itshekiri community this morning in retaliation for some of their people killed last Oct.16. They later moved to the centre of town setting houses of fire," one witness said. "Six people have so far been confirmed dead, but it could be more," a police source said. Hundreds of soldiers have been sent into the stricken area to restore peace and they fired in the air to scare away the fighting groups, the witnesses said. (Reuters, 22 October 1998) * Nigeria. Affrontements dans la zone petrolifere - Le 22 octobre, cinq personnes ont ete tuees au cours d'affrontements qui ont dure toute la journee entre deux communautes rivales dans la ville de Warri, apres que des autobus transportant une centaine d'employes des compagnies Shell et Texaco eurent ete detournes par des jeunes. Des troupes ont pris position dans les rues et autour de la zone centrale du port. Les affrontements ont pour enjeu le controle de la terre et des ressources. - Le 24 octobre, des jeunes de l'ethnie ijaw ont encore lance des attaques contre un groupe rival itsekiri dans la zone petrolifere du delta, et le lendemain ils ont attaque des postes de police a Burutu et Bomadi, pres de Warri, emportant des armes et des munitions. Plusieurs entreprises etrangeres ont retire le personnel non essentiel de Warri. Au cours des trois dernieres semaines, les militants ijaws ont fait fermer plusieurs installations petrolieres dans la region, reduisant d'environ un tiers les exportations journalieres de petrole. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 26 octobre 1998) * Nigeria. Obasanjo joins PNP - General Olusegun Obasanjo, the only Nigerian military leader to voluntarily step down from power, formally joined a leading political party on 28 October, but declined to confirm he was running for the presidency in February. "You can count on me as a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)", Gen. Obasanjo told a meeting of the PDP in his home town of Abeokuta, 100km north of Lagos. (Financial Times, U.K., 29 October 1998) * Rwanda/Congo (RDC). UN deadline - Human Rights Watch deplored the failure of the governments of Rwanda and Congo RDC to submit official reports on their progress in investigating the 1997 atrocities in Congo RDC. The UNSecurity Council set a deadline of Oct.15 for Rwanda and Congo to submit progress reports on steps they had taken to investigate and prosecute massacres, atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law at the time the current Congo government took power in 1997. In a letter to Amb.Jeremy Greenstock, president of the Security Council, Human Rights Watch urged the council to press ahead with steps to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes and atrocities are brought to justice. On June 30, the Secretary-General's Investigative Team released a report partially documenting the crimes in the Congo and calling for further investigations. At the time, Human Rights Watch criticized the decision to ask Rwanda and Congo, governments accused of massive human rights abuses, to investigate their own alleged crimes. Instead, Human Rights Watch urged the Security Council to consider creating an independent commission of inquiry for that purpose. (Human Rights Watch, USA, 22 October 1998) * Rwanda. Greve de la faim au TPIR - Vingt-cinq prisonniers du tribunal penal international pour le Rwanda ont commence une greve de la faim parce qu'ils ne peuvent pas choisir librement leurs avocats. Ils suivent ainsi l'exemple de Jean-Paul Akayesu, condamne a la prison a vie, qui a commence egalement une greve de la faim il y a quelques jours, parce qu'on lui refuse d'etre represente par un avocat canadien. Dans un communique, le greffe a estime que cette greve de la faim etait injustifiee. Le TPIR a depense 575.000 dollars pour la defense d'Akayesu, qui a change deux fois de defenseurs, a ajoute le greffe. Jusqu'a present, 41 avocats de 14 nationalites ont ete proposes aux detenus. 5 millions de dollars ont ete affectes, pour 1999, aux depenses des avocats de la defense. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 27 octobre 1998) * Rwanda. Hunger strike at the TPR - 27 October: In a Statement dealing with the assignment of Defence Counsel to detainees at the UN Detention Facilities in Arusha, Tanzania, the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (TPR) says a letter has been received signed by 25 out of the 32 detainees in the Detention Facilities, indicating that they have embarked on a hunger strike. The detainees claim to have adopted this course of action because of an alleged denial of their human rights, in the assignment of defence counsel to them by the Registrar. "This development is not, and should not be, surprising. The full gravity of their situation is dawning on these detainees. 28 October: All of the 25 detainees who went on hunger strike, started to eat today, with the exception of Jean-Paul Akayesu who is still refusing food. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 October 1998) * Rwanda. L'enquete de l'OUA - Le 26 octobre, l'Organisation de l'unite africaine a reuni pour la premiere fois le groupe charge d'enqueter sur le genocide de 1994 au Rwanda. Ce groupe reunit des personnalites eminentes: preside par l'ex-president du Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, il comprend egalement l'ancien president malien Amadou Toumani Toure, la dirigeante de l'opposition liberienne Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, le juge algerien Mohamed Bedjawi et la directrice du Comite national suedois de l'Unicef, Lisbet Palme. Il doit "enqueter et reflechir sur les origines et les reponses a apporter au genocide rwandais". L'enquete est destinee a "panser les plaies" et "eviter la politique d'impunite en Afrique", selon l'OUA. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 octobre 1998) * Western Sahara. Voter registration - On 27 October, the UN Secretary-General proposed going ahead with voter registration of members of three Western Sahara tribal groups involved in a dispute that has held up a referendum on the territory's future -- should it become independent or be incorporated into Morocco? (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 October 1998) * Sahara occidental. Renvoi du referendum - Le 27 octobre, le secretaire general des Nations unies, Kofi Annan, a propose de repousser d'un an le referendum sur l'autodetermination du Sahara occidental, qui pourrait donc avoir lieu en decembre 1999. Dans un rapport au Conseil de securite, il propose d'engager une operation complementaire d'identification des electeurs. Le Maroc et le Front Polisario n'ont pu trouver un compromis concernant le droit de vote d'environ 65.000 personnes. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 octobre 1998) * Sao Tome e Principe. Call the lawyers - In a deal with Sao Tome Petroleum, America's Mobil has bought information rights to all 22 of the blocks on offer. The most promising strip of sea-bed lies along the disputed boundaries where Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Sao Tome all claim rights. France's Elf Aquitaine is exploring nearby, under Nigerian Oil Prospecting Licence 223, and has put down a well just eight kilometres from Equatorial Guinea's Zafiro operation. Elf has also signed up with Malabo for the huge H Block area, whose eastern part is claimed by Sao Tome. We hear Mobil hopes to acquire Sao Tome Blocks 2, 5 and 6; this could encroach on parts of H Block which Malabo has awarded to Elf. Nigeria, too, claims parts of the contested area, and controversy rages around its Block OPL 247. It was assigned by the late General Sani Abacha to Daniel Kano, head of an organization called Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA!). Gen.Abdulsalami Abubakar's new regime, which is now up for grabs. Before they start pumping oil, they will have to call the lawyers. (Africa Confidential, U.K., 23 October 1998) * Sierra Leone. Death sentence for rebel leader - Sierra Leone's High Court sentenced rebel leader Foday Sankoh to death for treason in connection with a May 1997 coup that briefly ousted elected President Kabbah. The judge said that Sankoh, leader of the Revolutionary United Front, had the right to appeal within 21 days. Sankoh, who defended himself during the hearing, replied that he would do so and requested that he be granted a lawyer. A 12-member jury found Sankoh, a former army corporal aged 60, guilty on seven out of nine counts of treason. (Reuters, 23 October 1998) * Sierra Leone. Nouveau proces - Alors que 24 officiers ont ete executes le 19 octobre, un nouveau groupe de seize militaires sierra-leonais comparaitra prochainement a Freetown en cour martiale pour "trahison", passible de la peine de mort, ont annonce les autorites militaires. Les rebelles ont menace de s'en prendre a la capitale en represailles aux dernieres executions publiques. - D'autre part, le 24 octobre, une bataille entre l'Ecomog et les rebelles dans la region de Kono aurait fait une centaine de morts, selon des journalistes locaux. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 23- 27 octobre 1998) * Somalia. Militia attack warlord compound - Up to 50 gunmen attacked the compound of Somali warlord Gen.Mohamed Osman in the south of the capital Mogadishu, witnesses said. Residents in the area said militiamen armed with guns and hand grenades attacked the compound from three sides on 21 Oct. and overpowered security staff after an exchange of heavy gunfire. No casualties were reported. The attackers captured an anti-aircraft machine gun and two civilian vehicles, the witnesses said. They said the militiamen were from the same subclan as Sheikh Osman. The attack was believed to be in revenge for the warlord refusing to pay compensation when his forces allegedly tortured and killed a friend of the gunmen earlier this year. (Reuters, 22 October 1998) * Somalia. Somersaults - "Top-down" leadership conferences, such as Sodere and Cairo last year, are now out and seem to be being replaced, as many have long hoped, by a "bottom-up" approach of regional administrations built upon local clan agreements. The model now provoking interest is Puntland (north-east Somalia) set up in July, with a President (Somali Salvation Democratic Front boss Col.Abdullahi Yusuf), nine ministers and a 69-person assembly, after a two-month conference of Harti/Darod clans --Majerteen, Dolbahunta, Warsengeli. Its appearance has upset neighbouring Somaliland, set up in 1991 and still unrecognised, which includes regions inhabited by the Dolbahunta and Warsengeli; President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal doesn't want to let them go. Discussions have also been going on in the central Hiraan region and in Mogadishu, where Hussein Aydeed and Ali Mahdi announced a regional administration for Benadir region in early August but with the Hawiye clans, the Habr Gidir and Abgal, still seriously divided, there's been little progress in implementing their agreement. Next is likely to be south-west Somalia, Jubaland. Gen.Adan Nur Gebiyu (Absame/Ogaden), Defence Minister under Mohamed Siad Barre and Chairman of the Somali Patriotic Movement, and Gen.Mohamed Siad Morgan (Majerteen), the warlord of Kismayo, have been organising preliminary meetings of elders. The aim is a constitutional conference in the new year, to produce an administration for Lower and Middle Juba. Incorporating Gedo, the other Juba Valley region, will be harder. It's largely Marehan, and both Marehan and Harti want control of Kismayo. A Marehan attempt to seize the city in April was defeated. Now as Morgan has alienated the business community in Kismayo by raising taxes 20%, Marehan militia and "technicals" have been reported moving south from Gedo, poised to take advantage of any weakness. (Africa Confidential, U.K., 23 October 1998) * Afrique du Sud. Bebes seropositifs - Un bebe sur trois nait seropositif a l'hopital de Soweto, qui traite la population de la cite noire, selon les chiffres de l'hopital publies le 23 octobre. 16% des femmes enceintes sont seropositives, soit une augmentation de 13% par rapport a 1996. L'Afrique du Sud est le pays ou le sida progresse le plus vite dans le monde. 20% de la population active seront contamines par le virus en l'an 2000. (Liberation, France, 24 octobre 1998) * South Africa. De Klerk goes to court - The South African Nobel peace prize winner and former president F.W.de Klerk, is to bring a court action to try to salvage his reputation as a peace-maker in the face of damaging findings on him expected from the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Commission's 3,500 page report on the apartheid era is due to be released in Pretoria and Cape Town on 29 October. In it, Mr.De Klerk is accused of covering up a state-orchestrated bombing of the South African Council of Churches and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). He is one of about 200 people on whom the Commission, headed by Archbishop Tutu, makes adverse findings in the final document. The Truth Commission is required by law to inform individuals that they face damaging allegations and give them a chance to respond. Mr.De Klerk, who handed South Africa over to majority rule between 1990- 94, decided to seek a court injunction preventing publication of the report after failing to persuade the commission to withdraw findings that he was an "accessory after the fact" in the two Johannesburg bombings. (The Guardian, U.K., 26 October 1998) * South Africa. Parliamentary session - The National Assembly adjourned towards the end of September, although many of its committees and the National Council of Provinces continued to meet. It will reconvene for a short sitting in November and then again in February and March next year. It is worth noting that the life of this Parliament expires at the end of April next year. The next General Election must be held within three months of that date. (SACB, Cape Town, October 1998) * Afrique du Sud. TRC: l'ANC mis en cause - Le Congres national africain a commis des "violations graves des droits de l'homme" au cours de sa lutte contre le regime de l'apartheid, selon un rapport preliminaire de la Commission verite et reconciliation (TRC), dont une copie a ete communiquee le 26 octobre a l'AFP. L'ANC aurait commis des tortures, procede a des executions sommaires et joue un role actif dans les violences politiques entre 1990 et 1994. La Commission doit remettre son rapport final au president Mandela le 29 octobre. - Le 28 octobre, Desmond Tutu a annonce que la TRC avait supprime du rapport final les passages mettant en cause l'ex- president de Klerk, qui avait depose recours. Dans le meme sens, l'ANC annoncait qu'il avait egalement demande a la justice l'annulation de passages l'accusant de crimes a l'epoque de l'apartheid. Suite a quoi, un juge a bloque la diffusion du rapport. Apres examen de la requete, jeudi 29 octobre, le juge a repousse la demande de l'ANC et autorise la diffusion du rapport long de 3.500 pages. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 octobre 1998) * South Africa. The TRC's final report - 26 October: A draft copy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report is handed to President Mandela. Both supporters and opponents of apartheid will be criticised. In it, the ANC is heavily criticised for alleged human rights violations, including the use of torture and the killing of innocent civilians. The Commission is also expected to find Winnie Mandela guilty of gross human rights violations, and says the ANC has to take responsibility for her actions. The report is to be released on 29 October. 27 October: F.W. de Klerk is today seeking an urgent court order to stop the report being published on 29 October. 28 October: The fate of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hangs in the balance, in the face of legal challenges to its findings by both former president F.W. de Klerk and the ruling ANC. This evening, the ANC announces it is planning to emulate Mr De Klerk with a similar court application, objecting to what it regards as the Commission's "criminalisation" of the anti-apartheid struggle. After flying senior counsel to Cape Town from Johannesburg to fight Mr De Klerk's court bid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu had agreed to cut references to the former head of state. The Archbishop's compromise was intended to allow publication of the report today as planned. But the decision by the ANC to follow Mr De Klerk's example, has thrown the report's release into confusion. 29 October: Publication of the report looks like being delayed. Archbishop Tutu says he is "devastated". Then news is released that the ANC's court application has failed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 29 October 1998) * Sudan. Supporting rebels - Sudan has acknowledged it is supporting rebels fighting to overthrow the governments of Uganda and Eritrea, but said this was only a response to similar policies from its neighbours. Sudan has long accused Uganda and Eritrea of supporting rebels fighting the Islamist government of Khartoum, and says the two countries, together with Sudanese rebels, invaded southern Sudan last month. In response, Sudan is supporting rebels opposing Ugandan president Museveni --including the Lord's Resistance Army and the Allied Democratic Forces -- Sudan Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said on 22 Oct. (Reuters, 23 October 1998) * Sudan. Two priests on trial - Two Catholic priests, Fathers Lino Sebit and Hillary Boma are presently on trial, together with 19 others, on charges relating to the attempted bombing on 30 June. The trial is being held at the military headquarters, Khartoum. The following is a summary of court proceedings so far. 12 October: Only five lawyers for the defence are allowed in court. Sudanese journalists and Sudan Television are present. Court scenes are shown on the evening news. After the preliminary procedures, the Court says the defence can have five more lawyers, as long as only three speak in court. The Prosecutor then presents the whole case regarding the explosions. 13 October: The investigator for the prosecution continues to question the accused. He asks if their statements are correct. All the accused say the elements of the statements read are correct, but other elements in the statements read are not correct. Medical reports for each of the accused are then presented. Three of the reports (including those of the two priests) have no date. The Defence presents an objection about the Court's juristiction. It should be a civil trial and not a military court. The Court rejects the objection. 26 October: The trial resumes today, but is adjourned due to the absence of the investigator for the prosecution. Proceedings are due to resume on 2 November. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 October 1998) * Sudan. Peace talks, not aid, are needed - On 26 October, four large relief organisations told UN Security Council members to take a more active role in ending Sudan's civil war, saying aid alone would not solve disasters that have cost 1.5 million lives. Representatives of CARE International, OXFAM, Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, all of whom have projects in the Sudan, met Security Council members at Sweden's UN mission, to press their campaign. (Reuters, 27 October 1998) * Soudan. Appel des ONG - Le 26 octobre, CARE, Oxfam, MSF et SCF ont appele le Conseil de securite de l'Onu a jouer un "role actif" pour mettre fin a la guerre au Soudan, affirmant que cette guerre et la crise humanitaire qui s'ensuit avaient atteint des proportions "inimaginables". Les ONG indiquent que le conflit a cause la mort de pres de 1,5 million de personnes entre 1983 et 1993 et que pres de 4 millions de Soudanais sont desormais deplaces ou vivent comme refugies. - D'autre part, on signale qu'au Bahr el- Ghazal la crise nutritionnelle persiste: meme si le taux de mortalite a diminue au cours des dernieres semaines, il est trop tot pour conclure que la situation s'est stabilisee. A Ajiep, une des regions les plus sinistrees, MSF indique que le taux de mortalite a diminue de 26 a 3,6 deces par jour pour 10.000 personnes. Mais on considere qu'un taux de 2 deces pour 10.000 personnes par jour reste toujours "une urgence hors controle". (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 28 octobre 1998) * Tanzania. What the papers say - 10 October: The government will next month hand over Kilimanjaro International Airport to a locally registered firm, Kilimanjaro Airport Development Company, which is expected to make the airport a leading tourist destination in the region. (Daily News). 20 October: The Guardian reports that a total of 14.2bn shillings has been disbursed to 20 regions for maintenance and rehabilitation of roads and bridges damaged by the destructive El Nino rains and other natural hazards. 21 October: The Guardian says that the Office of the Zanzibar Director of Criminal Investigation has not received any directive to arrest two top leaders of the opposition Civic United Front, so they can be joined with 18 other accused persons facing treason charges. The same day, the Financial Times explains that Electronic Mailing will save large expenses in the country's annual bills for phones, fax and postal services, by replacing them by E-Mail services as a dependable means of communication. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 October 1998) * Togo. Redacteur en chef arrete - Apolinaire Mewenemesse, redacteur en chef du magazine La Depeche, a ete arrete le 21 octobre a Lome pour avoir rapporte des "informations mensongeres" sur le role de l'armee togolaise dans le domaine du banditisme croissant au Togo. Dans un article date du 15 octobre, le journaliste avait accuse l'armee d'etre a la base de l'insecurite croissante dans le pays. Le ministre de la Defense a rejete ces accusations comme etant "denuees de tout fondement". (D'apres IRIN, Abidjan, 22 octobre 1998) * Tunisie. Festival cinematographique - La 17e edition des Journees cinematographiques de Carthage se deroule du 23 au 31 octobre a Tunis. 21 films et 13 courts metrages venant de neuf pays arabes et sept pays africains sont dans la course. Le jury international est preside par le Sud-Africain John Badenhorst. Le festival s'est ouvert avec des images d'Afrique sub-saharienne dans "Kini et Adams", le dernier film du Burkinabe Idrissa Ouedraogo. (D'apres AFP, France, 24 octobre 1998)