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: 08-01-1999 PART #1/ * Africa. Action against the Media - Burkina Faso: On 22 December, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) called for an investigation into the death of Norbert Zongo, chief Editor of Burkina Faso's private weekly L'Independent and head of the country's Private Press Editors Company. Mr.Zongo, whose pen name was Henri Sebgo and who was known for his strong criticism of the government, was killed earlier in December on the road outside the capital Ouagadougou. The journalist, his brother, his chauffeur and one other person had been burned to death inside their vehicle and the rear door was pierced by several holes which could have been caused by bullets. Several other human rights and press freedom groups have also called for an investigation. Cameroon: Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) has protested the seizure of copies of the satirical newspaper Mamy-Wata on 4 January. Chad: RSF has expressed concern regarding the sentencing of two journalists from L'Observateur newspaper, following their appeal of an earlier sentence. Congo RDC: On 23 December, human rights groups said that two journalists from state-run radio, Yvette Idi Lupantsha and Risasi Gisonga, had been arrested on 19 December. They have now been released. Also, RSF reports that on 26 December, Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, editor-in-chief of the Libre Afrique, received 150 lashes by agents of the Special Group of the President's Security Service. Guinea: On 29 December, RSF protested the decision by the National Council on Communications, to revoke the accreditation of Mouctar Ba, a correspondent with two foreign media organisations. Kenya: On 21 December, Kenya's largest selling daily, The Daily Nation, published by the Nation Media Group, was barred from covering proceedings at the Akiwumi Commission investigating the causes of the tribal clashes which rocked the country between 1992 and 1997. The inquiry was appointed by President Moi this year and is currently hearing evidence in Nakuru in the Rift Valley Province. The commissioners made the decision after the assisting counsel, Bernard Chunga, complained that the paper had published reports which amounted to contempt for the Commission. Madagascar: On 30 December, RSF said that 2 journalists working for L'Express de Madagascar were sentenced to 3 months in prison for calling into question a judge's integrity. Sierra Leone: On 31 December, Colonel Bockrie of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel forces said that BBC Makeni stringer Sylvester Rogers was biased against the rebels in his reporting and such people would be dealt with if the rebels take Makeni. Uganda: The arrest of the editor of the independent Crusader newspaper, George Lugalambi, on 17 December, has been described as "shocking" by a senior Ugandan journalist. Lugalambi was charged with promoting sectarianism -- a crime which carries a maximum of five years imprisonment -- over an article he wrote on the alleged arming of the Bahima, a subgroup of the Banyankole, to which President Museveni belongs. He was released on police bail on 18 December. The hearing is set for 15 January. Meanwhile, James Mujini the Mbarara bureau chief of the semi- official New Vision was released on 20 December after 24 hours in detention. He was questioned over reports on gun proliferation in Ankole. On his release, Mujini said he had been asked by the police to be a state witness against Lugalambi but refused, the newspaper reported. (A report issued by Reporters sans Frontieres on 31 December 1998 covering the world-wide situation, states that fewer journalists were killed in 1998 than in 1997, but just as many were imprisoned). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 January 1999) * Afrique de l'Ouest. CFA rattache a l'euro - La Banque centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) a annonce que le franc CFA a ete, par le biais du franc francais, rattache a l'euro au taux de 655,957 fcfa pour un euro. Le taux de conversion du cfa en francs francais reste inchange a 100 pour un. Le lancement de l'euro, le 1er janvier, avait suscite des rumeurs de devaluation simultanee du cfa. (IRIN, Abidjan, 4 janvier 1999) * Algerie. Ramadan sanglant - Les attentats et massacres se multiplient durant le ramadan. Parmi les plus importants on peut citer les faits suivants. Huit militaires ont ete tues et quinze autres blesses dans la nuit du 20 au 21 decembre dans une embuscade tendue par un groupe islamiste dans la region de Miliana (120 km a l'ouest d'Alger), ont rapporte plusieurs journaux le 24 decembre. Le Quotidien d'Oran a precise qu'une quarantaine d'islamistes armes ont ete tues dans la riposte des forces de securite. - Le soir du 27 decembre, seize personnes ont ete tuees lors d'une attaque par un groupe islamiste arme du village de Beni Amrane, dans la region d'Ain Defla, a l'ouest d'Alger. La petite ville de Khenis-Miliana a subi des tirs de mortier, faisant 15 morts et 40 blesses. - Le 31 decembre a Oran, une dizaine de soldats ont peri dans une embuscade. - Dans la nuit du 1 au 2 janvier, des islamistes ont massacre une famille nomade de 22 personnes a Oued el-Atchane dans la region de Saida (450 km au sud-ouest d'Alger). - Depuis le debut du ramadan, les mesures de securite ont ete renforcees a Alger autour des marches et la television diffuse des appels a la vigilance. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 4 janvier 1999) * Algeria. More massacres - 28 December: Muslim rebels cut the throats of 15 villagers, including eight children, in the worst massacre in Algeria since the start of Ramadan. Five villagers are also reported wounded in the 27-28 December night attack in Zmala hamlet in Ain Defla province. 6 January: Newspapers say the security forces have killed dozens of suspected Islamic insurgents in operations against their mountain hideout. More than 30 militants have been reported killed near Ain Defla. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 7 January 1999) * Algeria. FIS backing for election - Algeria's outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) threw its weight behind the coming Algerian presidential election and pledged to play a large part in the campaign. The vote has been set for April following a surprise decision by President Zeroual to stand down. "We will work towards making these elections a genuine beginning of a just and global political solution in the context of national reconciliation and of a return to peace and security in the country..." the FIS' foreign co-ordinating council said in a statement released in France. The FIS, Algeria's largest opposition group, was banned and went underground after authorities cancelled a general election in 1992 in which radical Islamists held a commanding lead. More than 65,000 people have been killed in bloody strife involving Islamic militants in Algeria since the aborted 1992 vote, according to western estimates. (Financial Times, U.K., 29 December 1998) * Algerie. Vers les presidentielles - 16 decembre: Abdelaziz Bouteflika, ancien ministre des Affaires etrangeres sous Boumedienne, est designe par le FLN comme candidat a la presidentielle. 18 decembre: le Mouvement de la societe pour la paix (MSP), le principal parti islamiste legal, a designe son president Mahfoud Nahnah comme candidat. 19 decembre: le nouveau chef du gouvernement, Smail Hamdani, a reconduit l'equipe de son predecesseur a l'exception de trois ministres concernes par la preparation de l'election presidentielle. 26 decembre: Abdelaziz Bouteflika a confirme sa candidature qui, la veille, avait ete soutenue egalement par le mouvement islamiste de la Nahda (MNI), dont le propre president a decide de ne pas se porter candidat. Bouteflika serait d'ailleurs le "favori" des generaux, et le RND, parti presidentiel, serait pret aussi a le soutenir. 28 decembre: l'ancien chef du gouvernement, Mouloud Hamrouche, a confirme sa candidature, tout en precisant que l'annonce officielle serait faite apres d'ultimes consultations. - Quatre hommes politiques ont signe une declaration commune, ou ils appellent le chef de l'Etat demissionnaire ainsi que la toute-puissante institution militaire a garantir l'"alternance" et la "transparence" pour eviter "une election de pure forme". (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 4 janvier 1999) * Angola. Nouvelle guerre - L'armee gouvernementale angolaise et les rebelles de l'Unita sont a nouveau plonges dans une guerre qu'aucune des deux parties ne peut gagner. L'Unita a accuse la Namibie et le Zimbabwe d'avoir engage des troupes aux cotes des forces gouvernementales. La Namibie a reconnu avoir des soldats en Angola pour des operations de deminage dans le cadre des Nations unies; le Zimbabwe a dementi. - Le 24 decembre, les rebelles ont bombarde la ville de Kuito (au centre), qu'ils tiennent encerclee depuis une semaine et ou pres de 100.000 personnes se sont refugiees depuis le debut des combats. Selon la television d'Etat, 35 personnes ont peri suite a ces bombardements. Le 26 decembre, un avion transportant 10 membres de l'Onu s'est ecrase pres de Huambo, au centre de l'Angola, dans une zone de combat. Un autre avion de la compagnie privee Ancargo, avec 10 passagers a bord, qui avait decolle de Luanda a destination de Lukapa, est egalement porte disparu. Le 31 decembre, le Conseil de securite de l'ONU a exige que l'Unita facilite la recherche de survivants de son avion. Les Nations unies et les ONG ont prepare des plans d'evacuation des regions touchees par les combats, selon des sources a Luanda. Le 2 janvier, un autre avion affrete par l'Onu a ete abattu a Huambo; on est sans nouvelles des huit passagers, dont quatre membres de l'Onu. Le 3 janvier, le representant special de l'Onu en Angola, Issa Diallo, a affirme que l'Onu n'avait d'autre choix que de retirer des zones de combat ses quelque 1.000 observateurs, tout en esperant que le gouvernement et la rebellion reprennent le dialogue. Ce retrait des observateurs menace d'aggraver la situation alimentaire et sanitaire, ont declare les organisations humanitaires. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 5 janvier 1999) * Angola. Deteriorating situation - 22 December: Thousands of people displaced by clashes between government troops and rebels of Angola's UNITA opposition movement have now been receiving humanitarian assistance. In Huambo, more than 30,000 newly displaced have been registered, the UN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH) says. On 18 December, the distribution of food and non-food items started targeting a first group of almost 7,500 people considered the most vulnerable. UCAH says the quick response in providing assistance to people displaced in the central highlands "was only possible thanks to the commitment of all humanitarian workers, and to the monitoring and coordination of actions in the humanitarian community." At the same time, Namibia and Zimbabwe have both denied allegations by Angola's opposition UNITA movement that they have intervened in the Angolan conflict on the side of the government. UNITA's secretary-general, Paulo Gato, was quoted as saying Namibia and Zimbabwe troops had entered Angolan territory on 18 December. 26 December: A UN plane crashes near Huambo. Angolan state radio accuses UNITA rebels of responsibility. The passengers included three Angolans, two Russians, an Australian, an Egyptian a Cameroonian, a Zambian and a Namibian. Eight were part of the UN observer Mission in Angola and two were employed by a private communications company, Dinacom, which was working alongside the UN. Fighting near the crash site in central Angola blocked the search for survivors despite appeals by the UN Secretary-General. UN officials say they have no idea if anyone on board the Hercules C-130 transport plane escaped. Nor can they say whether the crash was the result of an attack, as claimed by the government. UNITA says whatever happened to the place was the government's fault for allowing it to fly in a combat zone. 27 December: The UN suspends all humanitarian flights and appeals to the government and UNITA for a 48 hour truce so that rescuers can get to the scene of the crash. The Catholic radio station "Ecclesia" says that 200 people have been killed in Cuito, since UNITA began its bombardment on 9 December. 30 December: The UN says it has located the crashed plane. 31 December: The UN begins to evacuate its personnel from Huambo. 1 January: The government gives the "go-ahead" for the UN to look for survivors of the air crash. 2 January: A second plane is shot down in the same area, with 4 UN personnel on board. 3 January: The UN has ordered the withdrawal of about 1,000 peace monitors from battle zones in Angola and is deliberating the future of its entire mission. The UN Secretary- General, Kofi Annan, demands an end to what he calls "threats to UN personnel", and again calls for a cease-fire to allow search teams to hunt for survivors from the latest crash. The UN representative in Angola, Issa Diallo, says the UN must not pull out of Angola despite the recent increase in hostilities and the shooting down of these two UN-chartered aircrafts. He says the international community has an obligation to provide humanitarian assistance to ordinary Angolans, and says it should continue to push for dialogue between the country's government and UNITA. 4 January: Representatives of aid agencies in Luanda say the withdrawal of UN personnel and the halting of humanitarian flights in the Huambo region, is endangering the lives of people living in that area. 5 January: Relentless fighting continues between government forces and UNITA in the Bie and Huambo regions. A UN representative, Benon Sevan, tries, in vain, to bring about a ceasefire in these areas so that a UN team can be sent in to look for survivors of the two plane crashes. Kofi Annan is expected to recommend an end to failed peacekeeping efforts in Angola. In his report to the Security Council next week, he is expected to ask: "Is there any peace left to keep?" Preparations are underway to evacuate UN personnel from Malanje. 6 January: Benon Sevan says he has received President Chissano's "complete support" to send a team to investigate the two air crashes. 7 January: Foreign mining companies in Angola re- examine their positions after four diamond miners are killed in an ambush by an armed band believed to be UNITA rebels. Renewed shelling in the besieged town of Malanje kill at least 25 people. UNITA says it will cooperate with the UN in the search for the crashed planes. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 January 1999) * Angola. Assassinats - Un pretre catholique, Albino Sawaku, a ete assassine le 4 janvier, ainsi que deux de ses collaborateurs, par un groupe arme non identifie, a Katchiungu, un village au nord- est de Huambo. Deux jeunes religieuses capturees ont pu s'enfuir. - Par ailleurs, la compagnie miniere Ashton Mining Ltd a annonce le 7 janvier que quatre de ses employes avaient trouve la mort, la veille, dans une embuscade tendue par les rebelles de l'Unita dans la province diamantifere de Lunda Norte (nord-est du pays). (ANB- BIA, de sources diverses, 8 janvier 1999) * Burkina Faso. Apres la mort d'un journaliste - Un communique officiel publie le 21 decembre dans la presse locale indiquait que le gouvernement a ordonne l'ouverture d'une enquete independante sur la mort du journaliste Norbert Zongo. Trois postes de la commission seront reserves aux representants d'associations de medias internationaux et d'organisations des droits de l'homme. Sa mort avait engendre des manifestations de milliers d'etudiants a travers le pays. - Le 3 janvier, une manifestation en l'honneur de M. Zongo a Ouagadougou a ete dispersee par la police au gaz lacrymogene. Plusieurs opposants au regime ont ete arretes, tandis que les organisateurs de la manifestation ont appele a une greve generale de 72 heures. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 4 janvier 1999) * Burundi. Discussions inter-burundaises - Les commissions cherchant une issue au conflit burundais ont travaille du 14 au 18 decembre a Arusha. Il se degage deux camps nettement distincts. Pour le premier groupe il faut des institutions democratiques fondees sur le principe "un homme une voix", pendant que l'autre estime que ce systeme consacrerait toujours le pouvoir de la majorite ethnique. Quant a la paix et la securite, le premier groupe demande une armee et une police nationales impliquant des reformes profondes; tandis que l'autre pense que l'armee doit garder ses structures actuelles ou qu'il faut prevoir des reformes progressives. (D'apres Azania, Burundi, 21 decembre 1998) * Burundi. Poursuite des affrontements - Les deux dernieres semaines ont vu une recrudescence des attaques rebelles contre des positions militaires dans les provinces de Bujumbura rural, de Bururi et de Makamba. Ainsi, les 25 et 26 decembre ils ont attaque une position militaire a Rumongo, faisant 7 morts et plusieurs blesses. Le 29 decembre, huit personnes ont ete tuees dans une attaque attribuee a la rebellion dans la commune de Bukeye, province de Muramvya. D'autre part, les autorites militaires indiquaient, debut janvier, qu'une operation militaire etait en cours en zone Mubone, commune Kabezi, province de Bujumbura; en trois jours de combats 17 rebelles auraient ete tues. D'autres sources font etat d'une soixantaine de personnes dont les corps jalonneraient les bananeraies. (D'apres Azania, Burundi, 4-6 janvier 1999) * Congo-Brazza. Militia action - 22 December: The number of people displaced by fighting and looting in southern Brazzaville is now estimated at between 200,000 and 250,000, humanitarian sources say. Most of the displaced -- from the Bacongo, Makelekele and Diatta areas -- have fled to northern Brazzaville and the rest have moved southwards, the sources said. Heavy fighting between government forces and Ninja militia in southern Brazzaville ended on 20 December, but news agencies said Cobra militia were looting abandoned homes and shops on 21 December. Meanwhile, Radio France Internationale says the army is pursuing the retreating Ninja militia on the outskirts of the city. Police sources estimate that 400 people were killed during the weekend clashes. France evacuates 61 of its nationals from Brazzaville over the weekend due to fighting and insecurity in the city, Reuters said. The evacuees are flown to the southern port city of Pointe-Noire, from where some have gone on to France via Gabon on an Air France flight. Another 381 French nationals have decided to remain in Brazzaville. 23 December: The Angolan army intervenes in southern areas of Brazzaville to stop the pillaging Cobra militia. 29 December: The Presidents of Congo-Brazza and Congo RDC sign a "non-aggression pact" between their two countries. It is reported that rotting bodies lie uncollected in the streets of Bacongo and Makelekele. 29-30 December: About 20 kms south of Brazzaville, the army attacks groups of Ninja militia. 31 December: President Nguesso says fighting between Ninja militia and the government's armed forces has resulted in hundreds of deaths. The Ninja withdraw to two villages near Brazzaville where they have 2,000 civilians as "hostages". 2 January: Former prime minister Bernard Kolelas denies government claims that his armed militia have made hostages in the two villages. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 4 January 1999) * Congo-Brazza. Affrontements a Brazzaville - 17 decembre. Les combats entre l'armee et les milices Ninjas de l'ancien maire Kolelas touchent desormais les quartiers sud de Brazzaville. De nombreux refugies tenteraient de fuir vers Kinshasa. 18-19 decembre. Pendant deux jours l'armee bombarde les quartiers sud de la ville. 20 decembre. Les bombardements ont pratiquement cesse, mais les quartiers sud de Brazzaville sont boucles par l'armee. 21 decembre. Des miliciens Cobras, soutien du president Nguesso, se livrent a des pillages dans les quartiers sud. Les autorites se refusent a tout commentaire, mais des sources humanitaires font etat d'une "situation humanitaire horrible" dans la region du Pool. 23 decembre. L'armee angolaise s'est deployee dans les quartiers sud de Brazzaville pour faire cesser les pillages des miliciens "Cobras". 25 decembre. Les autorites font etat d'affrontements dans la region de Niari (sud-ouest du pays) et deplorent que la RDC voisine soit utilisee comme base arriere par les rebelles. Le 31 decembre, le president Nguesso a declare que les combats entre l'armee et les Ninjas ont fait "plusieurs centaines de morts". Selon une source militaire, les seuls affrontements dans les quartiers sud de Brazzaville auraient fait de 1.000 a 1.500 morts. - Les 4 et 5 janvier, l'armee gouvernementale appuyee par des forces angolaises a bombarde des positions des Ninjas, encercles a une vingtaine de km au sud-ouest de Brazzaville; un couloir a ete cree pour permettre a la population de gagner les quartiers sud de Brazzaville. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 6 janvier 1999) * Congo-Brazza. L'Eglise dans la tourmente - Dans tous ces evenements, l'Eglise elle aussi paie un prix tres lourd, indique une note recue a ANB-BIA le 7 janvier d'une source locale. Fin juillet 1998, un Jesuite francais, Michel Halbeq, fut tue a Brazzaville; et fin octobre ce fut le tour d'un pretre polonais, le pere Jan. Durant les batailles des dernieres semaines, l'armee a oblige les seminaristes a quitter le grand seminaire; sous son escorte, un seminariste fut tue durant une fusillade. Les structures diocesaines de deux dioceses, Kinkala et Nkayi, sont pratiquement detruites, pillees et incendiees. Mais c'est evidemment la population qui souffre le plus... (ANB-BIA, Bruxelles, 7 janvier 1999) * Congo (RDC). Rebel leader talks with Gaddafi - The leader of Congo's rebels fighting to oust President Kabila held talks on 21 December with Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, the rebels' first such meeting with Kabila's major ally. Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, leader of the Congolese Democratic Coalition, said after the two-hour meeting in the Libyan capital, Tripoli that Gaddafi was trying to find an end to the civil war, but gave no details. "Gaddafi is trying to see how he could make it possible for war to end," Wamba said from Tripoli. Gaddafi has backed Kabila in a civil war that has drawn in Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad on the government side and Rwanda and Uganda on the rebel side. (AP, 22 December 1998) * Congo (RDC). Tensions entre Rwanda et Ouganda? - Selon le quotidien ougandais The Monitor, des differends entre allies rwandais et ougandais auraient provoque une accrochage militaire. Un officier ougandais, cite par le quotidien, a precise qu'une trentaine de Rwandais et huit Ougandais ont ete tues. Le ministre ougandais de la Defense a dementi l'incident, dont le lieu n'a d'ailleurs pas ete revele. Des questions de strategie opposeraient cependant les deux allies: l'Ouganda voudrait surtout epauler le MLC de Jean-Pierre Bemba, actif dans le province de l'Equateur, et serait pret a negocier avec Kabila, tandis que le Rwanda soutient d'abord le RCD de Wamba dia Wamba et veut le depart de Kabila. A cela se mele l'appetit que suscitent les ressources economiques du Congo: l'Ouganda exploite deja l'or du nord du Kivu et le diamant de Kisangani, alors que l'armee rwandaise domine le front sud-ouest et voudrait pousser les rebelles jusqu'a la riche cite de Lubumbashi. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 decembre 1998) * Congo (RDC). Plight of the displaced - 22 December: Some 130 Banyamulenge displaced families from Vyura have moved to new camps in the plains of Ruzizi. Others have been encouraged to vacate temporary shelters in schools to allow for the start of the new academic year. A national polio immunization campaign, postponed in August due to the outbreak of the conflict, was launched on December, but will initially cover only three provinces. The first phase of the campaign, lasting three days, will strive to vaccinate some 2.2 million children under five years old in Kinshasa, Bas- Congo and Kasai Occidental. The campaign, part of global efforts to eradicate polio by the year 2000, initially aimed to vaccinate all 10 million children under five throughout the country. Meanwhile, some 50,000 children were vaccinated against measles in rebel-held Kisangani earlier this month. The campaign was organised in response to a recent measles outbreak in the city, he said. 2-3 January: 3,000 inhabitants from Zongo, a town on Congo's frontier with the Central African Republic (CAR), flee from advancing rebels, to Bangui, capital of the CAR. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 January 1999) * Congo (RDC). Massacre au Sud-Kivu? - Selon l'agence italienne Misna, quelque 500 civils, parmi lesquels de nombreuses femmes et des enfants, ont ete tues dans la province du Sud-Kivu, a l'est du pays, par des Banyamulenge lies au Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD). Les faits se seraient deroules entre le 30 decembre et le 1er janvier dans les districts de Bangwe, Katuta et Kashekesi, a Makobola. Selon l'agence, il s'agit de l'un des pires massacres perpetres dans l'ex-Zaire. Des responsables de la rebellion ont dementi l'implication de leurs forces dans un tel massacre et ont qualifie les informations de "mensonges". Cependant, le massacre a ete confirme par d'autres sources, notamment par la societe civile du Kivu, qui precise que le secteur est actuellement interdit a toute circulation. Le 6 janvier, le vice-president du RCD, M. Ngoma, a encore dementi la nouvelle, en ajoutant que fin decembre il a eu un affrontement avec 400 rebelles burundais hutu, dont la plupart ont ete tues. La rebellion compte cependant ouvrir une enquete. Toutefois, le secretaire general de l'Onu a "fermement condamne" le massacre et lance un appel a toutes les parties engagees dans le conflit pour qu'elles respectent les droits de l'homme. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 janvier 1999) * Congo (RDC). Sommets et combats - 18 decembre. Le sommet de l'OUA a Ouagadougou s'est cloture sans resultats tangibles dans la nuit du 17 au 18 decembre. Blaise Compaore a cependant annonce que des progres avaient ete realises en vue d'un accord de cessez-le- feu. Les parties impliquees doivent se retrouver les 27 et 28 decembre a Lusaka (Zambie) pour signer cet accord. 24 decembre. La presidence zambienne a annonce que le sommet regional de Lusaka avait ete une nouvelle fois repousse. Le 25 decembre, le president Kabila s'est rendu inopinement a Tripoli pour s'y entretenir avec le colonel Kadhafi, a rapporte la television officielle libyenne, qui a qualifie cette visite "d'urgente". Le 29 decembre, le Congo- Brazzaville et la RDC ont signe un "pacte de non-agression". Le 7 janvier, le president Kabila a propose aux rebelles de les rencontrer a Kinshasa et a assure les ambassades americaine et britannique que la securite des emissaires rebelles serait garantie. D'autre part, le president zambien Chiluba a annonce que la rebellion avait ete invitee a un nouveau sommet a Lusaka qui devrait avoir lieu du 12 au 15 janvier. - Sur le terrain, le 22 decembre les rebelles affirmaient avoir pris la ville de Pweto, au sud-est du pays a la frontiere zambienne. Cette nouvelle a ete dementie par d'autres sources. Mais selon certains, les troupes ougandaises se sont emparees la semaine derniere de Lisala, au nord, sur la riviere Congo. Selon l'agence AP du 29 decembre, les rebelles du MLC de J.P. Bemba ont pris le controle de la ville de Gemena dans l'Equateur et ils menaceraient Gbadolite, le village natal de Mobutu. Le 3 janvier, ils ont affirme avoir pris la ville de Zongo, a la frontiere centrafricaine, alors que les forces gouvernementales ont repris la localite de Businga. Plus de 3.000 habitants de Zongo se sont refugies en Centrafrique. Au sud, selon d'autres sources, la capitale du Kasai Mbuji-Mayi serait infiltree par des rebelles en civil et la chute de la ville ne serait qu'une question de jours. Le 4 janvier, les forces gouvernementales affirmaient avoir repris le controle des secteurs de Moba et Nyunzu dans le nord du Katanga. -Pendant ce temps, le bras politique de la rebellion, le RCD est engage depuis fin decembre dans une violente bataille politique entre "anciens" et "renovateurs". Leurs dirigeants se sont rendus, le 2 janvier, en Ouganda pour des consultations visant a resoudre leurs difficultes internes. Ils seraient arrives a un accord. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 janvier 1999) * Congo (RDC). Threatened split in rebel ranks - 5 January: A threatened split within the rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) has been averted after talks with senior Ugandan and Rwandan officials. The RCD president, Wamba dia Wamba, is quoted as saying: "We have agreed on the objectives of the struggle. The 28-member RCD assembly will meet on 6 January in Goma to vote on expanding the leadership, to create a broader-based movement". 7 January: State television says President Kabila has offered to meet with the rebels. (ANB-BIA), Brussels, 8 January 1999) * Cote d'Ivoire. Abidjan power plant - The International Development Association, the soft-loan arm of the World Bank, has issued its first loan guarantee for a private sector project, clearing the way for a $223m financing of the largest gas-fired power station in West Africa. The 288MW Azito power plant, on the outskirts of Abidjan, is being financed by $45m of equity, $140m of senior debt, $20m of subordinated debt and $15m of internal cash flow. (Financial Times, U.K., 8 January 1999) * Egypt. Cairo's Metro working well - Just a few steps beneath Cairo's gridlocked and polluted streets, a different world exists. It's clean, quiet and efficient -- and it's where Egyptians, uncharacteristically, obey the rules. Cairo's Metro, with its elegant and air-conditioned stations, is an escape from mayhem -- bumper-to-bumper traffic, armies of jaywalkers, incessant honking and belching of noxious fumes by aged, dented cars, trucks and buses. In one of the world's most unworkable cities, travel time has been reduced to a fraction for many people. The subway trains, which arrive every five minutes in the busiest hours, are on time. Fares run from 15 to 25 cents. (AP, 21 December 1998) * Egypt. External relations - Gas to Israel: Egypt's leading gas suppliers are planning to pipe Egyptian gas to Israel after both countries gave assurances that there was now no political opposition to building the first energy pipeline between Israel and its Arab neighbours. BP Amoco and Eni of Italy want to pipe Egyptian gas across the Sinai desert to three Israeli coastal power stations. Saddam ignoring people's plight: Iraq's rift with Arab states widened on 3 January, when Egypt's President Mubarak intensified criticism of Saddam Hussein's regime. Mr Mubarak blamed the government in Baghdad for ignoring the plight of the Iraqi people. His criticism followed his candid statement this week that "the ruling regime there is the cause of all problems. Egypt, of course, does not support that regime". (Financial Times, U.K. 2-3 January 1999) * Egypte. Les femmes pourront acheter leur divorce - Les Egyptiennes vont desormais pouvoir acheter leur divorce, meme sans l'accord de leur mari, selon un projet de loi du ministere de la Justice accueilli favorablement par islamistes et feministes. "Le principe du khola (divorce a la demande de la femme), conforme a la charia, figurera dans la nouvelle loi", a dit le ministre cite par le quotidien Al-Ahram le 7 janvier. "Une femme pourra desormais divorcer immediatement en echange d'une somme d'argent ou d'une propriete qu'elle donnera a son mari et dont le montant sera approuve par le juge", a-t-il precise. (D'apres AFP, France, 8 janvier 1999) * Erythree. Liberation d'une journaliste - Le 29 decembre, apres 20 mois de detention sans jugement ni aucune plainte publique, Ruth Simon, correspondante de l'AFP en Erythree, a ete liberee, selon Asmara. Figure de la lutte pour l'independance, elle dirigeait depuis l'independance de l'Erythree en 1991 une association pour la reinsertion des anciennes combattantes et etait devenue correspondante de l'AFP en 1996. En avril 1997, elle avait diffuse une depeche selon laquelle le president Issayas aurait confirme la presence de soldats erythreens aux cotes des rebelles soudanais. Elle avait aussitot ete arretee, tandis que le gouvernement denoncait une "desinformation grossiere". (D'apres Liberation, France, 30 decembre 1998) * Ethiopia. Professor releases - Professor Asrat Woldeyes, one of Ethiopia's best-known political prisoners, has been released and was flying to Britain on 27 December. The chairman, aged 70, of the All-Amhara People's Organisation (AAPO) was released to receive specialist medical treatment abroad. Dr.Asrat, a British-trained surgeon, has been a prisoner for almost a year in the hospital where he used to work. For three years before that he was held in the central prison in the capital Addis Ababa on charges of planning violent actions against the state and incitement to rebellion. He was dismissed from his job shortly after he founded the AAPO when the present regime came to power in 1991. While in prison, his health deteriorated and he was transferred to the Black Lion hospital in January 1998. He took a turn for the worse 10 days ago and was moved into intensive care for observation. It was thought he may have suffered a mild heart attack. Some years ago he had a heart bypass operation in Texas. Welcoming his release last night, the foreign minister Tony Blair said: "I believe this signals a clear commitment by the Ethiopian government to uphold their human rights obligation". Dr.Asrat is expected to stay in a London hospital for a few days before going to Texas. (Editor's note: The Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners has announced that a world-wide prayer campaign will be held 9-10 January, in solidarity with Ethiopian political prisoners). (The Guardian, U.K., 28 December 1998) * Guinee. Le general Conte reelu - Selon des resultats provisoires des elections du 14 decembre, publies le 18 decembre, le president Lansana Conte a ete reelu au premier tour avec 54,12% des voix; Mamadou Ba a obtenu 24,63% des suffrages; Alpha Conde 16,58%. Conde a ete arrete le 15 decembre a la frontiere ivoiro- guineenne, accuse de vouloir fuir le pays. Le 20 decembre, a Siguiri (700 km a l'est de Conakry) au cours d'une manifestation pour reclamer la liberation d'Alpha Conde, au moins deux personnes ont ete tuees. Depuis une semaine, des manifestations hostiles au general Conte se deroulent a Conakry et dans plusieurs villes du pays. Alpha Conde devrait etre formellement inculpe dans les prochains jours. Des sources gouvernementales affirment qu'il etait en cheville avec des "mercenaires" et les partisans de Conte sont convaincus qu'il etait de meche avec les putschistes qui en 1997 ont failli tuer le chef de l'Etat. - Selon les resultats definitifs publies le 31 decembre, le general Conte a ete reelu avec 56,11% des suffrages. - Le parti d'Alpha Conde, le Rassemblement du peuple de Guinee, denonce la repression postelectorale. Il fait etat de huit morts, dont deux femmes, parmi ses manifestants, ainsi que de 457 partisans arretes, dont 4 deputes et 6 maires et conseillers municipaux. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 5 janvier 1999) * Guinee-Bissau. Force d'interposition - Le Conseil de securite de l'ONU a vote, le 21 decembre, une resolution envisageant un role pour les Nations unies au cote de la force d'interposition ouest- africaine. Le Conseil envisage l'etablissement d'une force de "liaison" pour remplacer les troupes senegalaises et guineennes qui interviennent depuis cinq mois pour soutenir le regime du president Vieira. (Le Monde, France, 23 decembre 1998) * Kenya. Contre la corruption - Le 12 decembre, a l'occasion du 35e anniversaire de la Republique, le president arap Moi a instruit le procureur du pays de nommer un magistrat charge specifiquement des cas de corruption et malversations diverses au sein de la fonction publique. M. Moi a affirme que les pratiques illegales avaient atteint des niveaux alarmants. Il a promis de ne pas proteger quiconque implique dans des malversations quel que soit son statut au sein de la societe. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 18 decembre 1998) * Kenya. Ray of hope for tea - If the year's first tea auctions at Mombasa is anything to go by, Kenya's tea sector may justifiably feel rather pleased with itself. Strong demands from Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, pushed prices up by 5 to 20 US cents a kilo from December -- an unexpected boon following a year when production exceeded all expectations, although slightly below similar prices at the beginning of last year. Heavy rains due to the El Nino weather pattern helped Kenya's estates and smallholders reap 290m or more tonnes of processed tea in 1998, well above predictions of 280m to 285m tonnes. (Financial Times, U.K., 7 January 1999) * Libye. Revirement pour Lockerbie - Le 21 decembre, Mouammar Kadhafi a exige, dans une interview diffusee a la television neerlandaise, que les deux suspects libyens dans l'affaire Lockerbie soient juges par "un tribunal international avec des juges d'Amerique, de Libye, d'Angleterre et d'autres pays". Tripoli avait pourtant accepte un jugement a La Haye par des juges ecossais. Washington et Londres demanderont au Conseil de securite de renforcer les sanctions contre la Libye si les suspects ne sont pas livres avant la fin fevrier. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 decembre 1998) * Mali. Programme de sante - La Banque mondiale a approuve un financement de $40 millions pour un Programme de developpement du secteur de la sante au Mali. La banque a indique que le programme visait a etendre l'acces a des soins de sante de qualite a des prix abordables, l'accent etant mis sur les soins de sante primaires. Il inclut des services de prevention, des services sociaux et des services curatifs, axes principalement sur les soins a la maternite, la gestion integree des maladies infantiles, la planification familiale et la nutrition. (IRIN, Abidjan, 21 decembre 1998) * Maroc. Prets et dons - Le 9 decembre, le Maroc et la Commission europeenne ont signe des conventions de financement de cinq projets de developpement avec une contribution non remboursable de l'UE de 110 millions d'ecus. Ces projets concernent l'education de base, la sante, le developpement rural et la promotion de la qualite des produits marocains. - Le meme jour, le Fonds africain de developpement a accorde deux prets de $386,41 millions pour des projets de developpement. - Le 10 decembre, le Maroc et la Banque mondiale ont paraphe un accord de pret de $250 millions destine a soutenir les reformes economiques et sociales du gouvernement marocain. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 18 decembre 1998) * Mauritanie. Arrestations - Ahmed Ould Daddah, president de l'Union des forces democratiques (UFD, principal parti d'opposition, et trois dirigeants de ce parti, arretes le 16 decembre a Nouakchott, ont ete assignes a residence a Tichitt, dans le desert du centre nord de Mauritanie. Il est reproche aux opposants d'accuser la Mauritanie d'avoir accepte de stocker des dechets nucleaires en provenance d'Israel. - Le 5 janvier, une centaine de femmes ont manifeste devant l'Assemblee nationale pour exiger la liberation des trois detenus, et le Front des partis d'opposition ont denonce les conditions de detention "illegales et inhumaines" qui ont altere "la sante de ces trois personnalites". (D'apres Le Monde, France, 22.12.98 et 7.01.99) * Nigeria. Islamistes liberes - En preparation aux elections, la detente politique au Nigeria a fait un nouveau progres avec la remise en liberte, a la fin de la semaine derniere, du dirigeant islamiste Ibrahim Zakzaki. Age de 47 ans, il etait la derniere personnalite importante de l'opposition aux militaires a n'avoir pas encore beneficie du climat d'apaisement instaure par le general Abubakar. Une centaine de ses partisans, appartenant a la frange radicale du courant islamiste, devraient egalement sortir de prison. (Le Monde, France, 27 decembre 1998) * Nigeria. Carburant et caisses vides - Le 21 decembre, les prix du carburant ont plus que double au Nigeria, ce qui represente la premiere augmentation en quatre ans, ont rapporte les agences de presse. La semaine derniere, le gouvernement militaire avait indique qu'il ne fixerait plus les prix du carburant et permettrait au marche d'etablir les taux. Bien qu'etant le plus grand producteur de petrole d'Afrique, le Nigeria connait des penuries de carburant. - Le 28 decembre, le general Abubakar a declare que la chute des cours du petrole brut a coute au Nigeria 200 milliards de nairas (2,3 milliards de dollars) en 10 mois. Le gouvernement a annonce qu'il serait incapable de verser aux fonctionnaires les traitements revalorises en octobre, les caisses de l'Etat etant vides. On se trouverait en presence d'une "bombe a retardement pour le nouveau regime civil". (D'apres IRIN, Abidjan, 21-28 decembre 1998) * Nigeria. Fuel prices - 21 December: The price of fuel in Nigeria more than doubled on 21 December after the military-led government removed controls in a move aimed at easing crippling fuel shortages, discouraging cross-border smuggling and ending subsidies it can no longer afford. Petrol, which at 11 naira (just under 10 cents) a litre cost considerably less than bottled water, increased to 25 naira (21 cents), kerosene tripled in price and diesel more than doubled. The rates were agreed at a weekend meeting of oil marketing groups. Industry analysts said the government had cleverly distanced itself from the increases. Responding to speculation that the move was imminent, Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe, deputy to the ruler, Gen.Abubakar, said last week it was not government policy to endorse a price rise but that deregulation was in line with its economic reform programme. Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but it has suffered years of crippling fuel shortages. Its refineries are working at a fraction of their capacity and the slump in world oil prices has meant the government is no longer able to afford the political luxury of subsidising imported fuel. 5 January: Oil company executives have forecast "an extremely difficult year" for Nigeria's oil industry after the government announced it could only allocate $2 billion toward joint-venture projects. 7 January: The government bows to popular pressure and reduces last month's huge 127% rise in fuel prices. (Financial Times, U.K., 22 Dec. 1998, 6-7 Jan. 1999) * Nigeria. Dual exchange rates abolished - On 2 January, Gen.Abubakar announced the long-awaited economic reforms which could improve relations with foreign donors and encourage investment with tax incentives and privatisation. Fulfilling a key condition for international support through the remaining five months of transition to civilian rule, Gen.Abubakar announced the immediate abolition of the country's exchange rate system. Until then, privileged officials were able to buy dollars at about a quarter of their commercial value, in a system designed to ease the government's import bill but long prone to abuse. The abolition of the two-tier exchange rate removes the most prominent bone of contention between Nigeria's military rulers and international financing institutions from which they are seeking relief on the estimated $34bn external debt. (Financial Times, U.K., 2-3 January 1999) * Nigeria. Affrontements avec Ijaws - Des affrontements entre jeunes Ijaws et forces de l'ordre dans l'Etat de Bayelsa ont fait jusqu'a 26 morts, 200 blesses et des centaines de deplaces, ont rapporte les agences de presse. Des blindes de l'armee, deux batiments de la marine et de 10 a 15 mille soldats supplementaires ont ete deployes dans la zone en reponse a la crise, qui a eu comme detonateur les exigences des jeunes Ijaws d'avoir un droit de regard sur les ressources petrolieres locales. Par ailleurs, six employes nigerians de Chevron ont ete enleves et pris en otage par de jeunes Ijaws dans la ville de Warri dans la region du Delta. (D'apres IRIN, Abidjan, 4 janvier 1999) * Nigeria. Elections - 5 January: A 17-member team from the Commonwealth Secretariat is due in Nigeria today to observe State Assembly and Gubernatorial elections scheduled for 9 January. 6 January: Two of the three political parties that qualified to take part in this year's multi-party elections have signed an electoral pact and will present a common presidential candidate in February. The parties, the All People's Party and the Alliance for Democracy, were distant runners-up in last month's local government elections, the first step in plans to restore civilian rule by May. (ANB- BIA, Brussels, 7 January 1999) * Central African Republic. Victory for opposition - An opposition alliance won most seats in the CAR's second multi-party parliamentary election, but fell one short of an outright majority, the constitutional court said. The results, announced by court president Edouard Franck, credited the opposition with 54 of the new national assembly's 109 seats, compared to 49 for supporters of President Patasse. The balance is held by independents. The elections, supervised by the United Nations, were designed to promote national reconciliation after three army mutinies in 1996 provoked political and ethnic bloodshed. The impoverished former French colony holds a presidential election at the end of 1999. It will be its second since the restoration of multi-party politics in 1991. (CNN/Reuters, 22 December 1998) * Rwanda. Ministre hutu en exil - Beatrice Sebatware Panda, secretaire d'Etat au ministre de l'Interieur, du developpement communal et de la reintegration sociale, a quitte clandestinement le Rwanda au debut de decembre pour des raisons politiques. Elle a ecrit une lettre de demission au president et pris l'avion pour Nairobi. Elle demandera probablement l'asile politique en Belgique. Elle est la fille de l'ancien prefet de Kigali, recherche pour genocide. Plusieurs de ses freres ont ete arretes recemment, accuses d'etre impliques dans des attaques rebelles dans le nord du pays. Depuis 1994, c'est le quatrieme membre hutu du gouvernement qui quitte clandestinement le Rwanda et prend le chemin de l'exil. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 decembre 1998) * Senegal. L'excision criminalisee - L'excision est desormais un crime au Senegal, puni de un a cinq ans de prison. Cette decision, prise le 22 decembre en Conseil des ministres, peut etre consideree comme une "premiere en Afrique", ou les actions dans ce domaine se limitent generalement a des campagnes de sensibilisation. Cette pratique touche en Afrique quelque 130 millions de femmes, dont 700.000 au Senegal, selon l'Unicef. (Liberation, France, 24 decembre 1998) * Sierra Leone. Rebels enter Freetown - 22 December: ECOMOG troops defending Sierra Leone's government, tighten a night curfew, and patrol beaches and suburbs of Freetown amid fears of a new rebel advance. Without explaining, ECOMOG had announced on 5 December, that all residents in Freetown would be required to be behind closed doors form 10 p.m. until 6.30 a.m. instead of the previous midnight to 6.00 a.m. curfew. ECOMOG and civilian militia patrols and checkpoints are stepped up in and around Freetown, while rumours spread of rebel advances on several major towns in Sierra Leone's interior. The same day, panic-stricken villagers and aid workers flee heavy shelling in towns near Freetown, amid a rebel advance on ECOMOG troops. The town of Koidu, hub of Sierra Leone's diamond trade and located about 180 miles northeast of Freetown, fell to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel alliance in recent days. 27 December: Kofi Annan, UN Secretary- General, condemns the rebel uprising and appeals to the insurgents to lay down their arms. The rebels include guerrillas from the Revolutionary United Front and army defectors. ECOMOG forces say they are fighting rebels outside the northern town of Makeni. 25 December-3 January: ECOMOG has failed to hold its ground while rebels have captured ECOMOG's north-western headquarters of Makeni and have attacked towns and villages around Freetown. The evacuation over Christmas of foreign nationals added to the panic, as did a statement by a UN envoy that the rebels -- who have attacked and mutilated civilians and terrified them into supporting their cause -- have gained control of half of the impoverished country. In a policy statement, the Government of Liberia denies allegations by the Government of Sierra Leone that Liberia is supporting former Junta/RUF forces in Sierra Leone.3-4 January: Some 200 rebels are killed in fighting between ECOMOG forces and rebels near Freetown. 4 January: Mali's President Konare reaffirms his commitment to send Malian troops to strengthen ECOMOG. 6 January: Rebel forces enter areas of Freetown. The UN evacuates its personnel. It is not clear, however, who is controlling the capital. ECOMOG still holds the international airport. 7 January: President Kabbah and rebel leader Foday Sankoh order an immediate seven-day ceasefire in fighting in Freetown. Earlier, Mr Kabbah and members of his family had fled to a nearby military base. (ANB- BIA, Brussels, 8 January 1999) * Sierra Leone. Les rebelles a Freetown - Le 19 decembre, plus de 70 rebelles ont ete tues dans le district de Kailahun, bastion de la rebellion situe pres de la frontiere liberienne, lors de combats avec les forces gouvernementales. Au cours de cette bataille, les Kamajors ont capture six villages pres de Pendembu. L'ECOMOG (force d'intervention regionale) en revanche, qui combat les rebelles a l'interieur du pays, a ete repoussee de certaines parties de Koidu (250 km a l'est de Freetown) dans le district diamantifere de Kono. Le 24 decembre, les rebelles, qui s'approchent de la capitale, ont menace de lancer une attaque contre Freetown "avant le Nouvel An" si le president Kabbah continuait de refuser un dialogue. Le 22 decembre, les rebelles avaient deja atteint Waterloo, a une trentaine de km de Freetown. Les Britanniques ont commence a evacuer leurs ressortissants du pays. Les organisations humanitaires ont egalement envoye la majeure partie de leur personnel "en vacances", et plusieurs ambassades ont ete fermees. Le 26 decembre, de violents combats ont eu lieu a Makeni, principale ville du nord du pays, alors que des milliers d'habitants fuyaient la region. - Le 28 decembre, les ministres des Affaires etrangeres de cinq pays de la CEDEAO se sont reunis d'urgence a Abidjan pour augmenter les effectifs de l'Ecomog, qui compte deja 10.000 soldats en Sierra Leone. La veille, le Nigeria avait deja envoye 600 soldats supplementaires. - Les 2 et 3 janvier, quelque 200 rebelles ont ete tues lors d'affrontements avec l'Ecomog a une quinzaine de km de la capitale. - Le 6 janvier, la rebellion a envahi Freetown, penetrant dans les locaux de la presidence, incendiant plusieurs batiments, dont l'ambassade du Nigeria, et liberant les detenus de deux grandes prisons. - Le 7 janvier au soir, apres un entretien avec le chef du RUF Foday Sankoh detenu dans un lieu secret, le president Kabbah a annonce un cessez-le-feu d'une semaine pour "elaborer un cadre pour la paix", mais les combats ont encore fait rage jusqu'a la tombee de la nuit. Les soldats de l'Ecomog auraient reconquis le centre de la ville. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 janvier 1999) * Somalie. Vers la paix? - Le 26 decembre, le chef de guerre Hussein Aidid, en visite en Libye, a affirme que les differentes factions en conflit en Somalie etaient parvenues a une reconciliation et s'appretaient a annoncer la formation d'un gouvernement d'union nationale. Selon lui, des contacts avaient eu lieu "avec toutes les factions en Somalie" dans le cadre d'une mediation du colonel Kadhafi. Par ailleurs, plusieurs organisations des Nations unies ont diagnostique des signes avant-coureurs de famine. - Le 3 janvier, au moins 28 personnes ont ete tuees par une roquette antichar tiree sur un bus civil par des combattants de l'Armee de resistance Rahanwein pres de Baidoa. Selon le mouvement, le bus bravait regulierement l'interdiction d'emprunter cette route. - Le 6 janvier, de violents combats pour le controle de Kismayo entre milices Marjetan et Marehan ont fait au moins 35 morts et plusieurs dizaines de blesses. Le port et l'aeroport de la ville ont ete fermes. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 janvier 1999) * South Africa. Five prisoners freed - Five men convicted in the politically motivated Christmas massacre of 18 people were freed from prison, less than three years after the killings. Judge Jan Hugo, ruling on an appeal, overturned the convictions of five of 13 men convicted in the massacre. The judge found they had been wrongly convicted, the South African Press Association reported. The attack was carried out by supporters of the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party in Shobashobane, a village 330 miles southeast of Johannesburg. It was a particularly shocking episode in the decade-long war between Inkatha and followers of the African National Congress. (AP, 22 December 1998) * Afrique du Sud. Deces de Dorothy Nyembe - Dorothy Nyembe, parlementaire sud-africaine et ancienne activiste anti-apartheid, est decedee la semaine derniere a l'age de 67 ans. Nyembe a joue un role important dans la lutte des femmes contre le regime blanc, notamment avec Winnie Mandela en 1956. Elle a ete emprisonnee durant 18 ans. En 1994, elle a ete elue au Parlement sur les listes de l'ANC. (D'apres De Standaard, Belgique, 28 decembre 1998) * South Africa. Faulty condoms hinders AIDS fight - South Africa's efforts to combat the fastest growing HIV infection rate in the world have been dealt a blow by revelations that foreign manufacturers have dumped millions of defective condoms in the country. The government's campaign was further undermined by the murder of an AIDS activist, who was beaten to death by neighbours last week for publicly admitting she was HIV-positive. The health minister has promised to clarify its procedures for buying and testing the condoms after it was found that shipments from China and India were defective or had deteriorated from poor storage. Tests revealed that nearly a quarter of a sample batch was defective. Millions more are being returned to a Chinese firm. The government which distributes 95% of the almost 200 million condoms used each year, is to introduce regular random testing. AIDS activists are calling for further tightening of procedures. (The Guardian, U.K., 29 December 1998) * South Africa. Anglogold agrees syndicated loan - Anglogold, the world's largest gold producer and part of South Africa's Anglo American conglomerate, has announced it is to use a syndicated bank loan of $350m to help finance its $550m acquisition of the gold mining and exploration interests of its sister company Minorco. Anglogold said the balance would be funded from the company's cash resources. Analysts said the effect of the loan would be to help Minorco, which is listed in Luxembourg, to reduce its debt significantly while Anglogold would for the first time have substantial debt on its balance sheet. Minorco is to be absorbed by Anglo American when it moves its head office and primary listing to London next year. (Financial Times, U.K., 30 December 1998) * South Africa. Protests during Blair's visit - 6 January: Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair flies in, to face protests from white South Africans seeking an apology from Britain for introducing concentration camps during the Boer War and from Muslims angry over last month's bombing of Iraq. The main purpose of Mr Blair's three days in South Africa, his first visit as prime minister, is to establish a rapport with Thabo Mbeki, the deputy president and ANC leader, who is expected to replace Nelson Mandela when he retires in the spring. (The Guardian, U.K., 7 January 1999) * Sudan. Possible famine in 1999 - Operation Lifeline Sudan's 1998 Annual Needs Assessment (ANA) warns of a bleak year ahead for more than 4 million Sudanese who have suffered from famine, fighting and flooding during 1998. According to the ANA, those living in Bahr-el-Ghazal and Upper Nile regions in the south and in the north's Kassala region are particularly vulnerable and will need assistance. (IRIN, Centr.& Eastern Africa, 22 December 1998) * Soudan. Ouverture diplomatique - Le 2 janvier, le ministre soudanais des Affaires etrangeres, Moustafa Osmane Ismail, a fait etat de contacts avec les Etats-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne en vue d'une normalisation des relations avec ces deux pays. Ces relations s'etaient fort deteriorees a la suite du bombardement le 20 aout d'une usine de produits pharmaceutiques a Khartoum. - Par ailleurs, le 6 janvier, sept formations politiques ont demande leur legislation, conformement a une nouvelle loi sur le multipartisme, qui autorise les partis politiques respectant la charia et la Constitution. - D'autre part, les agences de presse ont rapporte que le chef rebelle Kerubino Bol a de nouveau fait defection pour passer aux cotes du gouvernement. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 6 janvier 1999) * Tanzanie. Appel a une aide alimentaire d'urgence - La Tanzanie vient de lancer un appel pour une aide alimentaire d'urgence afin de faire face a ce qu'elle qualifie de graves penuries dans 13 des 20 regions du pays. Selon la presse du 4 janvier, le Premier ministre a declare que d'ici a juillet, la Tanzanie va se trouver confrontee a un deficit alimentaire d'environ 600.000 tonnes. (IRIN, Nairobi, 5 janvier 1999) * Vatican. 37 missionnaires tues en 1998 - Dans son discours de veille de Noel, le pape a rendu hommage, le 22 decembre, aux missionnaires "qui ont paye de leur vie leur fidelite a l'Eglise" en Afrique, en Asie et en Amerique. Selon l'agence Fides, 37 missionnaires ont ete assassines en 1998. La majorite d'entre eux sont originaires du Congo, du Rwanda, de l'Inde et d'Amerique latine. Selon l'agence, plus de 200 millions de chretiens sont persecutes dans le monde et plus de 400 millions subissent des discriminations religieuses. (Le Monde, France, 24 decembre 1998) * Vatican. Message for the end of Ramadan - Addressing Muslims at the end of Ramadan, Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council For Interreligious Dialogue, said in his Message For The End Of Ramadan, entitled Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of God's Love and Mercy: "The great feasts, such as Id al-Fitr which you celebrate at the end of Ramadan, are special times both for God and for humanity. They are a special time for God, reminding us with more force, and in a community fashion, of God's presence and action in human history and in our own personal and family life...There are many ways of showing love, expressions of our faithfulness to the Merciful One: almsgiving -- the alms on the occasion of Id al-Fitr have special importance for you --,care for orphans, the aged, the sick, for strangers...God's love for humanity is universal, going beyond political frontiers, beyond the differences of race, culture or religion...We are therefore invited, on the basis of our belief, to love one another. True love is indeed at the heart of the believer's way of acting." (Vatican City, January 1999) * Zambia. Copper mines to be purchased - South African investors have signed a long-awaited deal to buy Zambia's state-owned copper mines, Zambia's finance minister said. The Anglo-American Corp. of South Africa will take over Nchanga, Nkana and Konkola mines, the remaining major assets of Zambia's sole mining conglomerate, the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, Edith Nawakwi said on 18 December. The new owners are expected to operate most copper mining operations in the central Copperbelt province by 31 March. Final legal touches to the deal will be completed by then, Nawakwi said. Opponents of privatization have estimated that as many as 15,000 jobs are at risk from the sale of the copper mines. (AP, 21 December 1998) * Zambia. Coup charges dropped - A Zambian judge has dropped all charges against two politicians detained for a year without trial after being accused of treason in a failed coup last year against President Chiluba, news organization reported. Dean Mung'omba of the opposition Zambia Democratic Congress and Princess Nakatindi Wina were released on bail last week after Judge Japhet Banda ruled that more than 100 state witnesses had been unable to furnish evidence linking them to the failed coup. The decision to drop charges against the two politicians drew praise from the Lusaka daily The Post, which said it suspected the two had been detained at President Chiluba's insistence. The newspaper praised Judge Banda for his "courageous" decision and called him "an endangered species" of whom "there are very few on the Zambian bench today." (IRIN, Southern Africa, 22 December 1998) * Zambia. Kaunda to campaign for presidency? - Former president Kenneth Kaunda had said he was going to retire from active politics, but a recent Supreme Court decision may encourage him to change his mind and run for the presidency in 2001. In a judgement handed down on 10 November 1998, Chief Justice Mathhews Ngulube said that all those who were living in Zambia at the time of Independence in 1964 automatically qualify for becoming citizens of Zambia. This means that Dr Kaunda qualifies to stand for the presidency. Dr Kaunda was born in April 1924 in Zambia, of Malawian parents. (Justin Mupundu, Zambia, 18 December 1998)