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: 22-04-1999 PART #1/ * Africa. Action against the Media - Angola: On 6 April, William Tonet, director of the Luanda-based weekly newspaper Folha 8, was subjected to interrogation for several hours at the CID, in connection with charges laid by the military attorney's office. Egypt: Four opposition journalists will stand trial for libelling the deputy prime minister by allegedly accusing him of harming Egypt's economy for the sake of Israel. Sierra Leone: The Committee to Protect Journalists says it is gravely concerned for the personal safety of journalist Winston Ojukutu-Macauley who has been publicly attacked by the government. Sudan: On 16 April, RSF protested the arrest of Mohammed Abdel Sid, a correspondent in Khartoum of the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat", He was arrested on 14 April. Zambia: On 16 April, a court ruled that the High Court should hear a case against 12 journalists from The Post charged with espionage. Togo: Police have detained Romain Attiso Kudjodji, editor-in-chief of the New Times Reporter over an article that alleges police tortured an opposition activist. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 April 1999) * Afrique. Penuries alimentaires - Selon le dernier rapport de la FAO, publie le 15 avril, 33 pays dans le monde souffrent de graves penuries alimentaires. Les deux tiers de ceux-ci se situent en Afrique: Angola, Burundi, Cap Vert, Congo-Brazza, Congo-Kinshasa, Erythree, Ethiopie, Guinee-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritanie, Mozambique, Ouganda, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalie, Soudan, Tanzanie, Zambie et Zimbabwe. (La Libre Belgique, 16 avril 1999) * Africa. Children as soldiers - 19 April: A new report on child soldiers in Africa, launched today by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, finds that more than 120,000 children under 18 years of age are being used as soldiers across the continent. Some of these children are no more than 7 years of age. The countries most affected are Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Congo RDC, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Uganda. Speaking at the launch of the report in Maputo, Stuart Maslen, the Coordinator of the Coalition, declared that it represented a catalogue of shocking abuse against African children. He called upon governments to stop recruiting children into their own armed forces and to end all support to rebel groups that used children as soldiers. (Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Geneva, 19 April 1999) * Afrique. Enfants soldats - Du 19 au 22 avril, la coalition internationale pour mettre fin a l'utilisation d'enfants-soldats tient une conference a Maputo, capitale du Mozambique, sur le sort d'au moins 120.000 enfants de moins de 18 ans actuellement utilises comme combattants en Afrique. C'est la premiere reunion de cette coalition creee en mai 1998 et qui regroupe sept organisations non gouvernementales, dont Amnesty International et Human Rights Watch. Trois autres conferences sur le meme theme suivront dans l'annee en Amerique latine, en Asie et en Europe. (La Croix, France, 21 avril 1999) * Afrique. Rapport du PNUD - Le Programme des Nations unies pour le developpement (PNUD) publie, le 22 avril, un rapport sur la situation de l'Afrique et lance un appel pour une reorientation des politiques de developpement sur ce continent. Le PNUD entend rappeler a la communaute internationale "ses responsabilites a cote de celles des Africains" et denonce comme "chiffre de la honte" les 0,22% de leur PNB que les pays riches consacrent en moyenne a l'aide au developpement. La dette exterieure absorbe 80% du PNB de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Le dossier, qui pourrait provoquer une polemique avec la Banque mondiale et le FMI, pourfend les certitudes de deux decennies d'ajustement structurel. "Les politiques d'ajustement structurel des annees 80, fondees sur la croissance, se sont averees fausses et n'ont pas abouti a une reduction de la pauvrete", dit le document. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 avril 1999) * Africa/UK. Africans win London Marathon - Africans led the field in both the womens and the mens race in the London Marathon held on 17 April. For the women, Joyce Chepchumba from Kenya, won the Marathon in a time of 2hrs 23 mins 22 sec. For the men, Abdelkader El Mouaziz won in a time of 2hrs 7mins 58 sec. He produced a superb display of front-running, improving on his second place of last year (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 April 1999) * Algerie. Elections presidentielles - 15 avril. Les Algeriens ont vote, alors qu'il ne restait plus qu'un seul candidat en lice, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Selon les observateurs, les electeurs ont boude le scrutin; selon le communique officiel, publie un peu avant minuit, le taux de participation etait de 60,25%. Au cours de la journee, M. Bouteflika lui-meme a declare: "Je veux que le peuple se prononce avec une grande clarte et une participation massive. Si ce n'est pas le cas, je rentrerai chez moi, serein". Les anciens candidats ont appele a des marches pacifiques a travers le pays, le lendemain des elections. -16 avril. M. Bouteflika a ete proclame vainqueur de l'election, avec 73,79% des suffrages exprimes, et a annonce qu'il acceptait la presidence. Il s'est deja fache avec la France, en se disant profondement choque par les commentaires en provenance de Paris, ou le Quai d'Orsay avait dit esperer que "les aspirations a la democratie du peuple algerien puissent s'exprimer dans un cadre pluraliste". Washington s'est declare "decu" du deroulement du scrutin. La manifestation prevue a l'appel de l'opposition a ete interdite. A Alger, les quelques centaines de personnes qui avaient brave l'interdiction ont ete dispersees; en Kabylie par contre, a Bejaia et a Tizi-Ouzou, deux manifestations ont rassemble chacune quelque dix mille personnes pour protester contre la fraude en faveur de M. Bouteflika. Les six candidats qui se sont retires ont rejete les resultats et ont demande l'annulation du scrutin. - Le 20 janvier, le Conseil constitutionnel a proclame les resultats definitifs du scrutin et proclame Abdelaziz Bouteflika president de la Republique algerienne, confirmant sa victoire. Le meme jour, dans un communique publie a Londres, le Front islamique du salut (FIS) a qualifie d'"illegitime" le resultat de l'election. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 avril 1999) * Algerie. Kabylie: hommage a Lounes Matoub - Le 19 avril, des milliers de Kabyles, jeunes pour la plupart, se pressaient sur la petite route de montagne qui serpente entre Tizi Ouzou et le village de Lounes Matoub, ce chanteur berbere assassine en juin dernier, symbole de la cause kabyle. En ce jour d'anniversaire des emeutes d'avril 1980 marquant la revolte des Kabyles pour obtenir la reconnaissance de leur culture, ils sont venus en masse de toute leur province pour faire ce pelerinage sur les lieux memes de l'assassinat du chanteur berbere qui fut pendant des annees leur porte-parole. Les manifestants denoncaient aussi la "mascarade electorale" qui a porte Abdelaziz Bouteflika au pouvoir, le 15 avril. La Kabylie n'a connu qu'une participation d'environ 6% de ses inscrits a cette election. Dans l'autre grande ville de Kabylie, Bejaia, quelque 10.000 personnes sont egalement descendues dans la rue pour manifester en faveur de l'identite berbere. (AFP, France, 20 avril 1999) * Algeria. Marching for Berber language - Thousands of Berbers took to the streets in Algeria's main Kabilie city of Tizi-Ouzou on 19 April to demand more democracy as well as recognition of their Tamazight language, witnesses said. The annual march, to mark the 19th anniversary of Berber riots which were suppressed by police, turned into a demonstration denouncing last week's one-man presidential election. Earlier on, the government-appointed election watchdog proclaimed army candidate Abdelaziz Bouteflika as the winner in a poll marked by a low turnout and the last-minute withdrawal of his six rivals on charges of ballot-rigging. Tizi- Ouzou, located 90 km east of Algiers, witnessed the lowest turnout with less than 6% casting their ballots in the elections. Algerian journalists said the turnout was zero in some polling stations there. It is a stronghold of opposition secular leader Hocine Ait Ahmed, one of the six candidates who pulled out. (Reuters, 20 April 1999) * Algeria. One-man poll - 15 April: In the Kasbah of Algiers, the presidential ballots were ready and waiting. The only thing missing were voters -- and the six presidential candidates who pulled out of the race the day before, leaving just one, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in the running. At the close of the polls, the Interior Ministry said 65.25% of registered voters had actually voted. The regime claims a "reasonable turnout". The result is expected tomorrow. 16 April: As expected, Abdelaziz Bouteflika is elected to the presidency. Riot police block all access to a main square in Algiers to prevent protests against the presidential elections. Thousands demonstrate in Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia. The government says Mr Bouteflika won nearly 74% of the vote. It now seems that the army remains the dominant force in Algerian politics. 20 April: The FIS refuses to accept the election results. The Constitutional Council confirms the election results. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 April 1999) * Algerie. Moines a Tibhirine? - La communaute cistercienne Notre-Dame de Tibhirine se prepare a renaitre et s'internationalise. En 1996, sept moines avaient ete enleves du monastere et tues par des presumes terroristes islamistes. Les quatre moines candidats et leur nouveau prieur, tributaires de l'evolution politique de l'Algerie, attendent a Alger que le gouvernement donne son feu vert. Les religieux font de courts sejours a Tibhirine et demeurent, le reste du temps, dans l'archeveche d'Alger. La nouvelle communaute compte deux Francais, un Espagnol, un Polonais et un Sud-Americain. (CIP, Bruxelles, 22 avril 1999) * Angola. Conscription drive - The Angolan government has started a two-week conscription drive in an attempt to turn the tide against the renewed offensive by UNITA rebels. During the next two weeks, all Angolan men born in the year 1978 are supposed to register for compulsory military service. The BBC correspondent in Luanda says the move is not popular -- she says several of those affected have told her they're willing to hide for months to avoid being forced into the army. Our correspondent adds that the Angolan army already vastly outnumbers the guerrillas of UNITA and quality -- not quantity -- of fighting men appears to be its main problem. The recruitment campaign is evoking mixed reactions among the targeted sections of the population. In Luanda, where the reality of war is more distant, many men are reluctant to sign up. But, in the provinces, it appears to be the complete opposite. (BBC News, 15 & 17 April 1999) * Comoros. Peace talks in Madagascar - 18 April: Rival factions from the Comoros Islands are due to begin talks in Madagascar today, aimed at resolving a 19-month-old rebellion. Two islands in the Comoros chain, Anjouan and Moheli, declared independence from the main island of Grand Comore in August 1997, but the government has never accepted the move. The talks, scheduled to last four days, will bring together representatives from each of the islands, including rival secessionist factions from Anjouan. (BBC News, 18 April 1999) * Comores. Conference inter-iles sous pression - Le 19 avril, s'est ouverte a Madagascar une conference inter-iles pour trouver une issue a la crise comorienne, ouverte en aout 1997. Pour la premiere fois depuis la declaration unilaterale d'Anjouan, toutes les parties concernees sont presentes a cette conference, sous les auspices de l'OUA, sur le statut futur de l'archipel. Des son ouverture, les huit secessionistes anjouanais ont boycotte le discours du president par interim, Tadjidine Massounde. En quittant la salle ou etaient reunis une centaine de Comoriens de toutes tendances, le chef de la delegation des separatistes anjouais a declare: "les Anjouais sont venus a Antananarivo pour negocier, et non pas pour accepter la continuite du pouvoir en place". Ils sont revenus apres le discours, certains d'entre eux soulignant que la souverainete d'Anjouan ne pouvait etre remise en cause. Les autres intervenants ont rappele tour a tour qu'il ne pouvait y avoir de compromis sur l'integrite des Comores. Pour cinq jours, les participants a la conference se sont lances dans la tache difficile de trouver une formule permettant de rapprocher des positions apparemment inconciliables. (D'apres AFP et R.M.-C, France, 19 avril 1999) * Congo (RDC). Dispute in rebel leadership - Congolese rebel leader Professor Ernest Wamba dia Wamba and the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) chief-of-staff, Brig.James Kazini, flew to Kampala on 13 April for consultations, following a misunderstanding between the armies in Kisangani. Ugandan security sources said the authorities in Kampala were consulting over a "low intensity conflict", which erupted when the UPDF in Kisangani arrested undisciplined rebel soldiers. Sources said a delegation of the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) were also in Kampala, but in another hotel, away from Wamba's group. The United Nation's office for Integrated Regional Information Network on 15 April reported "increased tension in Kisangani on April, which was reportedly prompted by the arrest of an RDC commander by Ugandan soldiers". It said this led schools and markets to close early. IRIN quoted other sources as saying tension was evident between some Ugandan soldiers and the MLC. It said the level of disagreement between the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RDC) and the MLC had intensified in Kisangani. But the RDC leader Prof.Wamba told the New Vision on 15 April that there was no misunderstanding among the armies in Kisangani, the headquarters of UPDF, RDC and MLC. "These are all lies. There are no clashes between us", Wamba, who is accompanied by a large entourage, said. Attempts to contact Kazini were futile. The East African on 12 April reported that Wamba moved from Goma to Kisangani due to a "fresh dispute" within the Movement's leadership. (The New Vision, Uganda, 15 April 1999) * Congo (RDC)-Zambia. Direct talks with rebels - 15 April: Representatives of Congo RDC's president, and representatives from the rebel movements in Congo RDC hold their first direct talks today in Lusaka, Zambia. The meeting, brokered by President Chiluba, is expected to be followed by talks this weekend involving African defense and foreign ministers. If all goes well, a peace summit with heads of state will be held later. 16 April: The second day of talks produces some progress towards a ceasefire. "The talks have reached an advanced stage", says Eric Silwamba, minister of state in President Chiluba's office. 19 April: The rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) delegation has walked out of the meeting. They say their request to meet Kabila face-to-face has been rejected. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 April 1999) * Congo (RDC). Tensions a Kinshasa - La recente devaluation du franc congolais (le 7 avril) a accelere l'inflation au Congo et fait craindre bientot une "explosion sociale", selon le journal Le Potentiel. Durant le week-end du 17-18 avril, il y a presque eu des emeutes a Kinshasa, lorsque des pompes a essence refusaient de vendre leur produit au taux officiel. Quelques jours auparavant, plusieurs centaines d'etudiants, qui scandaient des slogans anti- Kabila, furent disperses par la police; une trentaine ont ete arretes. Le gouverneur de Kinshasa a conjure les 6 millions d'habitants de la capitale a rester calmes. Les syndicats ont annonce une greve de trois jours, a partir du 21 avril, si les autorites ne payaient pas les salaires des fonctionnaires. (D'apres De Standaard, Belgique, 21 avril 1999) * Congo (RDC). Pourparlers - 15 avril. Des representants du president Kabila et de la rebellion ont entame, sous l'egide du president zambien Chiluba, les premieres negociations directes depuis le debut de l'offensive rebelle en aout dernier, ont annonce des responsables zambiens; ces pourparlers devraient se poursuivre durant le week-end a Lusaka. - 17 avril. L'agence libyenne Jana rapporte qu'au terme d'un mini-sommet a Sirte, regroupant le dirigeant libyen Kadhafi et les presidents Kabila du Congo-RDC, Museveni de l'Ouganda, Deby du Tchad et Afeworki de l'Erythree, un accord de cessez-le-feu a ete signe dans la region des Grands Lacs et notamment en RDC. Selon Jana, l'accord y prevoit le deploiement d'une force de paix africaine et le retrait des troupes etrangeres. Le Rwanda a reagi avec scepticisme, indiquant qu'un accord avait peu de sens sans l'implication des rebelles. - A Kinshasa, le ministre de l'Information annonce que des representants de M. Kabila rencontreront le 30 avril a Rome des dirigeants de la rebellion, qui ont ete contactes par la communaute Sant'Egidio et ont donne leur accord. Toutefois, on apprenait par la suite que cet accord demeurait sujet a caution a cause des conditions posees par les divers dirigeants de la rebellion et a cause aussi de l'attitude de leurs allies, l'Ouganda et le Rwanda. Pour ce dernier pays en particulier, la presence de miliciens interahamwe et d'ex- FAR aux cotes des forces gouvernementales congolaises est consideree comme une menace. - 19 avril. M. Kabila confirme que l'Ouganda s'est engage a retirer ses troupes de la RDC. - 20 avril. Un des chefs rebelles, Jean-Pierre Bemba, rejette la treve conclue en Libye: "pour ma part, le combat continue", a-t-il declare. 21 avril. Les rebelles du RCD ont egalement affirme qu'ils continuent la lutte. Pour M. Wamba dia Wamba, toutefois, l'accord de Sirte pourrait constituer un cadre eventuel pour de futures discussions. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 avril 1999) * Cote d'Ivoire. River Blindness a menace in forests - Dr. Pierre Gbayoro, executive director of the Ivorian National Programme Against River Blindness says the devastating disease of River Blindness has now become major health menace in the forest zones of some West African countries, after being chased away from the Savannah regions. "The forest regions in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea are now being menaced by the disease, as former rain forests become grasslands due to climatic changes, and as northern populations carrying the disease, move down south". (Melvis Dzisah, Cote d'Ivoire, 31 March 1999) * Cote d'Ivoire. Bananes: inquietude - Apres la condamnation par l'OMC du systeme d'importation de bananes instaure par l'Union europeenne, les planteurs ivoiriens ont fait part de leur inquietude. Ce systeme octroie aux pays ACP des quotas de bananes exempts de droits de douanes a l'entree du marche europeen. "Une baisse des quotas serait dramatique pour nous", affirme M. N'Goan, president de l'organisation des producteurs-exportateurs. "Nos bananes ne sont pas assez competitives et si nous n'avons plus acces au marche europeen les petits producteurs africains disparaitront ou seront absorbes par les multinationales americaines". Deja, la quasi-totalite des bananeraies camerounaises et une grande partie des exportations de bananes ivoiriennes sont controlees par les grandes societes fruitieres americaines. La Cote d'Ivoire et le Cameroun representent 70% de la production bananiere des ACP. M. N'Goan a emis l'espoir que l'Union europeenne continuera a soutenir les producteurs africains. (Marches Tropicaux, France, 16 avril 1999) * Egypte. Tunnel sous le canal de Suez - L'Egypte va construire un tunnel sous le canal de Suez pour desservir une zone industrielle sur le Golfe de Suez, a annonce le ministre des Transports. Le tunnel sera situe a 20 km de la ville de Port-Said et doit desservir la zone industrielle du port de Tafria-est, a l'est du canal. Les travaux de construction dureront de trois a quatre ans, et leur cout (330 millions de dollars) sera supporte a part egale par les investisseurs de la zone industrielle et la compagnie choisie pour l'execution du projet. (D'apres Marches Tropicaux, France, 16 avril 1999) * Egypt. Subway under the Nile opens - On 18 April, President Mubarak inaugurated a new stage of Cairo's subway, that will take trains under the Nile. He pushed the button to start the first train along a three-mile track from downtown Cairo, through 633- yard tunnel under the river to the city's university in the western suburb of Giza. The line is to be extended by next year to a spot near the pyramids and will eventually be about 12 miles long. The $7 billion subway project has two lines now operating. Its trains carry about 1.7 million passengers a day. (AP, 19 April 1999) * Egypte. Jihad: condamnations et menaces - Le 18 avril, la Haute Cour militaire egyptienne a condamne a mort par contumace neuf dirigeants du groupe islamiste arme Jihad, allie de l'integriste saoudien Oussama Bin Laden. Sur les 107 personnes traduites en justice, 78 ont ete condamnees a des peines de prison; vingt autres ont ete acquittees. Des 107 inculpes, 47 etaient presents au tribunal, 60 sont en fuite. Le Jihad a repondu par des menaces. Un de ses dirigeants, cite le 19 avril par le quotidien Al-Hayat, a affirme que le Jihad "detient des armes chimiques et biologiques qu'il envisage d'utiliser dans des operations contre des cibles americaines et israeliennes". (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 avril 1999) * Eritrea. Draft-dodgers rounded up - 20 April: Reports from Eritrea say police have rounded up hundreds of people for allegedly trying to escape national service during the border war with Ethiopia. Eye-witnesses said police conducted evening raids over the weekend in Asmara. Eritrean law obliges every citizen between the ages of 18 and 40 to do national service. (BBC News, 20 April 1999) * Erythree/Ethiopie. Paix encore lointaine - L'Erythree a accuse l'aviation ethiopienne d'avoir bombarde, le 15 avril, deux villes dans le sud de son territoire, causant la mort de deux enfants lors d'un raid aerien sur Adi Keih, a 60 km de la ville frontaliere contestee de Zalambessa. Mendefera, a 55 km au sud d'Asmara, a egalement ete pilonnee, mais sans qu'on ait signale de victimes. Le gouvernement d'Addis Abeba a dit avoir bombarde des objectifs militaires. Le 14 avril, l'Erythree avait signale qu'elle examinait une nouvelle proposition de cessez-le-feu presentee par l'Ethiopie. - Dans un communique publie le 20 avril, le gouvernement ethiopien a declare qu'une "eventuelle resolution pacifique du conflit n'est pas a l'ordre du jour" et qu'une treve ne sera possible que "si les autorites erythreennes s'engagent sans conditions a retirer leurs troupes de tous les territoires ethiopiens occupes". Une delegation de l'OUA est attendue a Asmara, ne suscitant que scepticisme. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 avril 1999) * Guinea-Bissau. President may be tried - 16 April: Parliament has voted to put President Joao Vieira on trial for failing to prevent arms-smuggling to separatists in neighbouring Senegal. This follows a parliamentary inquiry, which named dozens of senior military officers -- including a former defence minister -- who, it said, were involved in the smuggling. The inquiry cleared the former army chief-of-staff, General Ansumane Mane, who was sacked last year after being accused of selling weapons to the Casamance separatists. (BBC News, 16 April 1999) * Kenya. Peche dans le lac Victoria - Le 14 avril, le ministre kenyan de la Sante, M. Kalweo, a annonce que le Kenya avait leve l'interdiction de peche dans le lac Victoria. Cette interdiction avait ete decretee lorsqu'il avait ete signale que certains pecheurs utilisaient des produits chimiques toxiques. Le 30 mars, l'Union europeenne avait annonce un embargo temporaire sur les importations de poisson de la Tanzanie, de l'Ouganda et du Kenya. Selon M. Kalweo, les echantillons d'eau et de poisson preleves la semaine derniere se sont reveles negatifs de tout produit toxique. Le gouvernement a envoye une delegation a Bruxelles pour convaincre l'UE que le poisson kenyan est sain. L'industrie poissonniere represente plus de 240 millions de dollars de rentrees de devises pour ces pays d'Afrique de l'Est. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 16 avril 1999) * Libya. African summit ends early - A six-nation African summit ended a day earlier than scheduled because of disagreements about the delegation of Niger, whose president was shot dead last week. The summit barred Niger's team, led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, from the meeting of the Sahel and Saharan group held in the Libyan coastal town of Sirte, Libyan Television reported on 15 April. Sirte is 250 miles east of the Libyan capital of Tripoli. President Mainassara, who was assassinated by his presidential guards, was to have attended. The opening session was delayed after participants condemned the assassination in Niger and discussed steps to deal with it. (AP, 15 April 1999) * Libya. Museveni meets Kabila in Libya. - 19 April: Presidents Museveni and Kabila have held talks in Libya. The talks were moderated by President Gaddafi. Museveni, Kabila and their host met in a tent in the Libyan desert.They later went back to their respective residences in Sirte. Both Kabila and Museveni have been frequent visitors to Libya since last year when Libya attempted to mediate in the conflict in the Great Lakes Region. (The New Vision, Uganda, 19 April 1999) * Libye. L'UE suspend ses sanctions - Le 19 avril, l'Union europeenne a suspendu ses sanctions contre la Libye, apres le transfert de deux Libyens accuses dans l'attentat de Lockerbie. L'UE precise toutefois qu'elle se prononcera sur la levee definitive des sanctions apres etude d'un rapport de l'Onu sur le respect par la Libye de toutes les conditions fixees pour mettre fin a ces sanctions. L'UE a fait savoir egalement qu'elle maintenait l'embargo de 1986 sur les exportations d'armes vers la Libye, ainsi que les restrictions imposees a son personnel diplomatique. (Reuters, 20 avril 1999) * Libya. African leaders sign Congo RDC pact - 18 April: The President of Uganda, Congo RDC, Chad, and Eritrea, meeting in Sirte, Libya, for two days, sign an agreement aimed at ending Congo RDC's civil war. The agreement calls for a ceasefire, the installation of African peace-keeping forces in areas of conflict, the withdrawal of foreign troops, and non-interference in Congo RDC's internal affairs. It also encourages the Kabila government to start a dialogue with all sides. The meeting was hosted by President Gaddafi of Libya and marks a further step towards strengthening his ties with Sub-Saharan African countries However, the extent of the Libyan leader's influence as a regional peacemaker in the Congo war will be determined by the response of the non-signatories to the deal. 20 April: Rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba refuses to accept the election results. 21 April: The Rwandan government refuses to accept the peace deal, saying it has not been consulted about the agreement which it describes as null and void. Also, rebel leader Ernest Wamba dia Wamba says the peace accord will not have an immediate effect on the ground. "We will continue fighting". (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 April 1999) * Madagascar. Adhesion au SADC - A l'initiative de l'Ambassade de France a Madagascar, on a tenu a Antananarivo, les 13 et 14 avril derniers, un seminaire sur l'integration economique regionale. Or, les autorites malgaches ont annonce l'intention d'adherer a la SADC (Southern Africa Development Community). Si d'un cote l'insularite de Madagascar preserve le pays de beaucoup d'ennuis dont souffrent leurs freres et voisins africains, de l'autre, elle constitue, a l'ere de la mondialisation, un grave danger d'isolement dans tous les domaines. La SADC est pour Madagascar une grande opportunite "d'integration regionale en Afrique australe" (D'apres Lakroan'i Madagasikara, 22 avril 1999) * Malawi. Bad English dashes political hopefuls - Six aspiring politicians had lifelong hopes uprooted on 14 April when their applications to run in the forthcoming elections were rejected because of poor English. The country's electoral laws say any candidates without a secondary school certificate have to pass an English proficiency test to prove they are capable of taking part in English-only parliamentary debates. (Reuters, 14 April 1999) * Malawi. Pre-election violence - Police in Malawi are reported to have arrested an opposition member of parliament, Green Mamondwe, following disturbances during a visit by President Muluzi to the north of the country on 19 April. Eyewitnesses said the trouble began when police accompanying the president's motorcade removed flags put up by the opposition in advance of next month's presidential elections, replacing them with flags of the ruling party. They said protestors then stoned the police, who responded with gunfire, which injured at least one person. But the Malawian minister of information Sam Mpasu told the BBC that the violence began when opposition party members tried to beat up members of the ruling party. He described it as a deplorable incident. (BBC News, 20 April 1999) * Mauritius. Africa's first human rights conference - 15 April: African foreign ministers are gathering in Grand Baie, Mauritius, to start Africa's first conference devoted to the continents human rights situation. The meeting is the first of its kind to be organised by the OAU on the human rights situation within its 53- member countries. (PANA, Senegal, 15 April 1999) * Maroc. Islamisme aux universites - Des islamistes marocains ont interdit la semaine derniere dans la faculte de Tetouan (nord du Maroc) la projection du film egyptien L'Emigre, estimant qu'il porte prejudice a l'islam, a rapporte la presse marocaine le 19 avril. Cette interdiction a ete imposee au Cine-club de la faculte des sciences de Tetouan sur la base d'une "fatwa" promulguee par des etudiants membres d'une association islamiste radicale. Les partis de gauche ont a plusieurs reprises denonce "la domination de l'islamisme au sein des facultes marocaines" et appele le ministere de l'Interieur, la justice et l'enseignement "a soigner le mal avant qu'il ne soit trop tard". (D'apres AFP, France, 19 avril 1999) * Mozambique. Presidential visit to Portugal - The President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, has begun a six day visit to Portugal, aimed at strengthening economic ties between his country and its former colonial power. Mr.Chissano was met by the Portuguese President, Jorge Sampaio, and is scheduled to hold talks with the Prime Minister, Antonio Guterres. He is also due to address the Portuguese parliament and meet members of the Mozambique community in Portugal. (BBC News, 20 April 1999) * Namibia. Government urged to speed up land reform - Four non- governmental organisations in Namibia have joined forces in an effort to pressurise the government into speeding up the land reform and resettlement process. The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the Namibian National farmers Union (NNFU), the Rural Institute for Social Empowerment (RISE) and the Namibian Non- Government Forum (NANGOF), said the decision to work together was taken after individual efforts had proved ineffective. A spokesman for NNFU in the capital, Windhoek said on 14 April, the organisations' concerns were based on a number of issues. He said one of the biggest complaints was that the process "appeared to be conducted on a haphazard basis." Farms are "being bought, but then are left idle. There is no clear implementation policy, it doesn't seem like there is any planning involved. The process lacks a holistic approach". The spokesman added that the whole process was "a bit paternalistic". He said there was a lack of "broader consultation" with the affected communities and often the land on offer was not fit for agriculture. "We are farmers, we know what is good farming land, we feel that we are wise enough to know when the land won't bear anything". Redistribution was a key aspect of Namibia's liberation war. Most agricultural land is in private hands with 20% of the population owning about 75% of the land. After independence in 1989, the government embarked on a policy of land reform. But, constitutionally, land can only be bought from farmers willing to sell. (IRIN, Southern Africa, 15 April 1999) * Namibie. Deregulation du commerce du diamant - La Namibie prepare la deregulation du commerce du diamant, mesure qui mettrait fin a soixante ans de monopole exerce par la compagnie sud- africaine De Beers, le principal producteur et distributeur mondial de diamant brut. Ce changement rendrait legales la possession et la vente de diamant brut dans ce pays et permettrait la creation de societes de negoce de diamants non tailles et non polis, independant de la Central Selling Organisation, la branche de distribution de De Beers basee a Londres. Dans un rapport publie cette semaine, la Commission parlementaire sur les ressources naturelles a recommande que soient deregules et depenalises la possession, l'achat et la vente, ainsi que la transformation, l'importation et l'exportation du diamant brut. Les recommandations de la Commission doivent etre discutees au Parlement dans quelques semaines et une loi devrait etre votee avant la fin 1999. De Beers et le gouvernement namibien sont co-proprietaires de la Namdeb, la compagnie qui domine l'industrie du diamant en Namibie. De Beers a indique, le 15 avril, qu'il etait favorable a un dialogue avec le gouvernement sur le futur projet de loi. (AFP, France, 16 avril 1999) * Namibia. Swapo faithful must stand firm - President Sam Nujoma has torn into Swapo's newest political foes, lumping them with proponents of apartheid and warning they will meet with resistance. Nujoma was addressing a well-attended 39th Swapo anniversary rally in Katutura at the weekend when he called on the party's rank and file to defend it against those who want to "disunite us and derail" the cause. The President stated Namibia now has freedom and peace because of Swapo. No one is discriminated against because of the colour of her skin, adding that all the achievements are courtesy of Swapo's opposition to vengeance. "It is however, important to remember that the dark forces of the past continue to operate in independent Namibia under different guises and camouflage." He was not specific on who or what guise the "dark forces" of the past are adopting. "They are masquerading under different guises of political bigotry, obscure ideologies, tribalism and ethnicity in the name of democracy and freedom". Nujoma said Swapo has committed itself to open debate, dialogue and consultations, "and this should remain our policy, so that those outside the party structures can partake in the process" of formulating policy. (The Namibian, Namibia, 20 April 1999) * Niger. Pledging November elections - The new military leadership in the West African state of Niger has announced that elections intended to return the country to civilian rule will be held in November. The military leader, Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, who took power after junior officers assassinated the former military leader, said a new president would be sworn in on 31 December. Announcing the details on radio and television, Major Wanke said he would also hold a referendum on a new constitution in June. The major, who came to power promising to stand down in nine months, has already formed a transitional government which includes civilian politicians, technocrats and soldiers. (BBC News, 20 April 1999) * Niger. Apres le coup d'Etat - La veuve du president Mainassara, assassine le 9 avril, et cinq de ses enfants ont recu l'asile politique au Senegal. D'autre part, le putsch a ete condamne par l'ensemble de la communaute internationale. Le gouvernement francais, apres avoir suspendu toute cooperation civile et militaire avec le Niger, a indique qu'il ne reconsidererait sa decision que si le nouveau dirigeant, M. Wanke, montrait sa volonte de tenir sa promesse de remettre le pouvoir a un gouvernement civil apres une periode de transition de neuf mois. En debut de semaine, l'Union europeenne a fermement condamne le coup d'Etat et indique qu'elle reexaminerait sa cooperation avec Niamey. Par ailleurs, la Communaute des Etats du Sahel et du Sahara (COMESSA) a interdit la participation du gouvernement nigerien au sommet qui s'est ouvert le 14 avril a Sirte en Libye. - Le 16 avril, la junte au pouvoir a annonce la composition de son gouvernement, qui compte 20 membres, dont deux seulement sont des officiers de l'armee. Au lendemain de coup d'Etat, le Premier ministre Ibrahim Mayaki avait ete reconduit dans ses fonctions; parmi les membres civils de son gouvernement, on compte des representants de l'ancienne majorite presidentielle et de l'ex-opposition. - Le 19 avril, le commandant Wanke, chef de la junte militaire, a annonce qu'un referendum constitutionnel serait organise en juin, suivi en novembre d'elections legislatives et presidentielles. L'investiture du president de la Republique, qui sera elu au suffrage universel, est fixee au 31 decembre. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 avril 1999) * Nigeria. New Constitution - The ruling military Council says it's approved a new Constitution to take effect when the elected government of General Obasanjo takes power in May. A spokesman for the council says it will be made public in the next few days. he gave no details but said the Council recognised the secular nature of Nigeria and had no plans to impose Islamic law. (BBC News, 16 April 1999) * Nigeria. $1 billion missing - The outgoing military government has been asked to account for up to $1 billion of state funds or risk breaching its recent policy agreement with the IMF. Failure to satisfy the Fund, could precipitate a deepening economic crisis that already confronts the incoming civilian government. An informal meeting of donors in Paris last week. chaired by the World Bank, was told by Ismaila Usman, Nigeria's finance minister, that external reserves had plunged from $6.7 billion at the end of December 1998 to $4 billion at the end of March. (Financial Times, UK, 17 April 1999) * Nigeria. Gouvernement de large base - Le president elu, Olusegun Obasanjo, a laisse entendre qu'il formerait un gouvernement de large base lorsqu'il prendra ses fonctions le 29 mai prochain, ont rapporte les agences de presse le 19 avril. Il a declare qu'il voulait un gouvernement qui regroupe a la fois "les amis et les opposants", laissant entendre que les autres partis politiques pourraient y jouer un role. Il n'a cependant pas encore dit qui pourrait faire partie de ce gouvernement. - D'autre part, le dirigeant militaire, le general Abubakar, pourrait se reunir le 20 avril a Abuja avec les 36 gouverneurs du pays pour discuter de la greve illimitee lancee la semaine passee dans le secteur public pour exiger le respect du salaire minimum. (IRIN, Abidjan, 19 avril 1999) * Nigeria. Querelles sur la terre - Le 19 avril, le quotidien Vanguard a rapporte que des dizaines de personnes ont ete tuees et des milliers deplacees lors d'affrontements entre des communautes au cours des deux dernieres semaines dans l'Etat d'Anambra, a l'est du Nigeria. Depuis le declenchement de la querelle sur la terre en 1995, plus de cent personnes ont trouve la mort dans cet Etat. (La Croix, France, 20 avril 1999) * Rwanda. Apres l'arrestation de Mgr Misago - Le 15 avril, le Vatican a demande aux autorites rwandaises des garanties legales pour Mgr Misago, eveque de Gikongoro, arrete la veille. Dans un communique, le porte-parole du Saint-Siege a affirme que "l'arrestation d'un eveque est un acte extremement grave" et a souhaite que l'innocence de Mgr Misago soit rapidement prouvee, ajoutant que cet incident a "profondement perturbe les rapports entre le Rwanda et le Saint-Siege". En reaction, le porte-parole du gouvernement rwandais a declare: "Nous ne pensons pas que Mgr. Misago ait agi au nom de l'Eglise catholique... mais si l'Eglise pense qu'il a agi en son nom, alors elle devra repondre devant la justice des crimes de genocide qui lui sont reproches". -En France, la conference episcopale a qualifie Mgr. Misago d'"homme dont le travail pastoral n'a cesse d'etre en faveur de la paix et du progres du peuple", en ajoutant que l'Eglise a appris l'arrestation avec "inquietude et stupefaction". -Les eveques du Burundi ont exprime leur soutien moral a l'Eglise rwandaise et l'espoir que la lumiere sera etablie et que Mgr Misago retrouve la liberte. Ce communique a ete publie au moment ou le president rwandais Bizimungu arrivait a Bujumbura pour une premiere visite d'Etat; les eveques burundais et le nonce apostolique ont refuse de le rencontrer. Diverses organisations rwandaises a l'etranger ont egalement denonce cette arrestation, soulignant la campagne de delation du FPR contre l'Eglise catholique. - Le 17 avril, les eveques de la Tanzanie ont aussi pris une position tres dure a l'egard du gouvernement de Kigali, qu'ils accusent de ne pas assumer sa propre responsabilite dans le genocide pour en reporter la honte sur l'Eglise locale et universelle. Dans le communique, signe par le cardinal Pengo, on affirme encore que "lorsque l'accusateur prend egalement le role de juge, on commet toujours de grandes injustices envers l'accuse". - Le 19 avril, la radio rwandaise annoncait que des habitants de Nyamasheke, au sud-ouest du Rwanda, accusaient l'ancien eveque de Cyangugu, Mgr Thaddee Ntihinyurwa, actuel archeveque de Kigali, de complicite au genocide de 1994; il ne se serait pas oppose aux milices interahamwe. Des observateurs s'attendent a une arrestation prochaine de l'archeveque. - Le 20 avril, un tribunal a refuse la remise en liberte provisoire de Mgr Misago, qui doit rester dans la prison centrale de Kigali jusqu'a la fin de l'investigation a son sujet. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 avril 1999) * Rwanda. Reactions to Bishop's arrest - 14 April: The Bishops of Rwanda issue a Message in which they state that Augustin Misago, Bishop of Gikongoro, had been arrested when he came to Kigali to take part in the Bishops' meeting. They expressed the hope that the truth should be established and asked for prayers for the bishop. 15 April: The Vatican describes the bishop's arrest as an extremely serious act which hurts not only the Church in Rwanda but the entire Catholic Church. The Vatican says it hopes that legal proceedings will prove the bishop's innocence. The same day, the Bishops' Conference of Burundi issues a communique expressing solidarity with the Church in Rwanda. 16 April: A spokesman for the Rwandan government, in reply to the Vatican's reaction, says the bishop was arrested "because of his personal involvement in the crimes he committed. We do not believe he acted on behalf of the Catholic Church whether in Rwanda of anywhere else. But if the Catholic Church believes Bishop Misago was acting on its behalf, then it should answer for his charges of genocide in a court of law". The Bishops of Burundi say they will not meet with visiting Rwandan President Bizimungu on an official visit to Burundi since 15 April. 17 April: A statement from the Tanzania Episcopal Conference says: "The Tanzania Episcopal Conference has been saddened by the news of the arrest of Bishop Misago. For that reason, the Tanzania Episcopal Conference wants to express its solidarity with the Rwanda Episcopal Conference and with Bishop Misago in person. It is our hope that the Bishop will be treated justly in a court of law...It is only through such a procedure that the truth of the facts can be established....The use of the arrest of Bishop Misago carries all indications that the government of Rwanda is trying everything possible to avoid taking its responsibility for the 1994 genocide and throws the entire blame on the Catholic Church both local and universal (...)" 18 April: It is announced by Bishop Thadeo Ntihinyurwa of Kigali Diocese that Father Twagirayezu Emmanuel is temporarily replacing Bishop Misago, who still holds the office of Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese, but who cannot perform his services properly following his arrest. Bishop Ntihinyurwa says that it is the Ministry of Justice to tell whether Bishop Misago is guilty or not guilty, but not the Church. He asks Christians to pray for the bishop when he will be facing trial. Following Bishop Misago's arrest, Bishop Ntihinyurwa has himself been publicly cited by residents of Nyamasheke parish of having been involved in the 1994 genocide when he was the bishop of Cyangugu. 20 April: Appearing in court, wearing a standard pink uniform with a metal cross on his chest, Bishop Misago is denied bail and ordered to remain in the Kigali Central Prison for two months, until investigations are completed. He was not asked to enter a plea. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 April 1999) * Senegal. 4th Neuroscience Congress - The 4th International Congress of the African Neuroscience Society opened on 13 April in Dakar, aimed at the possibilities offered by tele-medicine in the treatment of patients living in areas without appropriate neurology of neuro-surgery services. The five-day meeting, with some 300 delegates from Africa, Asia, the USA and Europe participating, is also aimed at searching for how there could be better control of infections such as neuro-malaria, meningitis, poliomyelitis and neuro-AIDS of the nervous system. (PANA, Senegal, 14 April 1999) * Sierra Leone. Sankoh au Togo - Le chef rebelle Foday Sankoh, fondateur du RUF en detention depuis deux ans, est arrive le 18 avril au Togo pour y rencontrer ses hommes et discuter avec eux des moyens de ramener la paix en Sierra Leone. La justice sierra- leonaise l'a autorise a sortir temporairement de prison pour rencontrer ses hommes en terrain neutre. Les combattants du RUF sont attendus le 19 ou le 20 avril; une quinzaine d'entre eux se regroupent au Liberia et seront achemines au Togo par les Nations unies. Ces discussions internes au RUF doivent deboucher sur de veritables pourparlers de paix entre gouvernement et rebelles. Foday Sankoh a accepte de soutenir le processus de paix dans son pays. D'autre part, une delegation du Conseil interreligieux de la Sierra Leone s'est rendue, le 16 avril, a Monrovia pour y rencontrer le secretariat du Conseil interreligieux du Liberia et le president Taylor, dans le but egalement de renforcer le dialogue pour la paix en Sierra Leone. - Le 20 avril, la delegation du mouvement rebelle n'etait toujours pas arrivee au Togo; les autorites togolaises n'avancent desormais plus aucune date pour la tenue des discussions. -Pendant ce temps, en Sierra Leone, a Songo (42 km a l'est de Freetown) des rebelles en fuite ont massacre au moins 125 civils la semaine derniere, ont rapporte le 21 avril des survivants et un porte-parole de l'Ecomog. Le meme jour, un groupe de rebelles, probablement a la recherche de nourriture, a attaque deux localites dans le district de Kambia. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 avril 1999) * Sierra Leone-Togo. Talk of peace with a massacre as background - 19 April: The leader of the Sierra Leonean rebels, Foday Sankoh, has arrived in Lome, following his release from jail to consults his commanders on possible peace talks. On arriving in Togo, he went straight into talks on the peace process, with West African diplomats. Sankoh is due to hold a week of discussions with his military commanders in the Togolese town of Kara -- the home town of the Togolese President, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who is helping to broker the peace initiative. Commanders of the RUF group are still to arrive in Togo as some are in Liberia and others still in the Sierra Leonean bush. The talks are postponed, as part of the RUF delegation will only arrive on 21 April, and the others on 24 April. 20 April: Foday Sankoh meets with President Eyadema. 21 April: While the talks are about to take place, in Sierra Leone, journalists have been shown dozens of bodies left in the wake of a massacre in the Sierra Leonean town of Songo. A spokesman for ECOMOG said more than 100 people had been hacked to death or shot or burned inside their homes by rebels, who fled on the approach of ECOMG troops. The massacre is reported as having taken place on 20 April. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 April 1999) * Somalia. Drought victims - Nomads in north-east Somalia are dying from thirst in a drought that has already wiped out more than half their livestock, aid workers said on 15 April. No rain has fallen in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland since October and authorities have declared a state of emergency, saying tens of thousands are at high risk of death and disease. "The water situation is getting critical", said Semin Abdulla, a Somalian representative for the United Nations World Food Programme. "The rains should have come in March and with each week that goes by it's getting worse". (The Guardian, U.K., 16 April 1999) * Afrique du Sud. Armes a feu - Face a la montee vertigineuse de la criminalite en Afrique du Sud, un groupe de religieux et religieuses, d'hommes d'affaires et de delegues d'ONG, ont recemment rendue publique une charte visant la reglementation de la detention d'armes a feu, elaboree sous l'egide de la "Gun Control Alliance" (GCA). A cette occasion, la GCA a lance un appel au gouvernement sud-africain pour qu'il prescrive des reglementations severes concernant la detention d'armes et rende plus difficile l'achat et la vente des armes a feu. L'Afrique du Sud enregistre un des taux de criminalite les plus eleves du monde. En 1997, 11.190 Sud-Africains ont ete tues par armes a feu, soit une moyenne de 31 victimes par jour. (DIA, Kinshasa, 19 avril 1999) * South Africa. Police charged with assault - Six South African policemen who were filmed by the BBC beating and torturing prisoners are to be charged with assault. The officers were suspended from the Johannesburg flying squad after being filmed hitting a severely injured man with a rifle butt, using a dog to savage handcuffed suspects, and stubbing out a cigarette on a detainee's head. The report for Newsnight by Jeremy Vine has divided South Africans. Many people telephoned radio programmes to say the police should beat up more criminals. Other callers noted the apparent racial over tones of the attacks. In the extracts replayed on South African television, the assaults appear to be led by white policemen against black and mixed-race suspects. The regional police commissioner, Sharma Maharaj, swiftly condemned the behaviour. "It is disturbing to see that in the South African police service there are still some members who engage in despicable acts of lawlessness, thereby making a mockery of our police service", he said. (The Guardian, U.K., 21 April 1999) * Afrique du Sud. Etat afrikaner - Le 21 avril, la communaute afrikaner, qui se presente comme "la tribu blanche" d'Afrique du Sud, a presente ses revendications pour la creation d'un Etat separe (Volksstaat), dont l'idee avait ete avancee avant la chute de l'apartheid. Un rapport officiel, proposant quatre regions possibles, a ete officiellement remis au president Mandela apres trois annees d'etudes menees par le "Volksstaat Council". Sont aussi presentees differentes possibilites d'autonomie administrative, qui vont de l'independance territoriale a l'independance culturelle. Le gouvernement doit etudier le rapport pour voir les suites possibles a y donner. L'an dernier, le ministere des Affaires constitutionnelles avait affirme que la creation d'un Etat independant etait impossible, mais que rien n'empechait les Afrikaners de se regrouper dans une region donnee et d'y faire valoir leurs specificites linguistiques et culturelles. (AFP, France, 21 avril 1999) * Sudan. Journalists arrested - The authorities in Sudan say that three Sudanese journalists who have been arrested in the past six days, are being held on charges of violating national security. The official Sudan News Agency quoted a statement from the ministry of culture and information as saying that the arrest of the journalists, who work for foreign media, has nothing to do with their journalistic activities. But it did not give specific details of the charges. A relative of one of the journalists said the man had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Egypt. An international organisation which campaigns for press freedom the Paris-based group, Reporteurs Sans Frontieres has sent a letter to the Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, urging him to secure the journalists' release. The three journalists are Mohammed Abdel Sid, a correspondent for the Saudi Arabian-owned daily, Asharq al- Awsat; Maha Hassan Ali, an editor for the Sudanese state news agency who also writes for the Egyptian Middle East News Agency; and Abdel Qadar Hafez, a correspondent for the Saudi Arabian newspaper, al-Jazeera. (BBC News, 20 April 1999) * Soudan. Report des pourparlers - Le SPLA s'est declare surpris que le gouvernement soudanais ne se soit pas presente a Nairobi pour les pourparlers de paix qui devaient commencer le 20 avril sous l'egide de l'IGAD (Autorite intergouvernementale pour le developpement). Un porte-parole du gouvernement avait dit que cette absence etait due au meurtre par le SPLA de quatre collaborateurs soudanais de la Croix-Rouge le mois dernier. Le SPLA a indique qu'il n'avait pas de nouvelles de l'IGAD concernant le moment ou les negociations pourraient reprendre, mais que ce report ne remettait pas en cause sa participation aux prochains pourparlers. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 21 avril 1999) * Sudan. Peace talks suspended - 19 April: The government has indefinitely postponed peace talks with the main rebel group, the SPLA, which were supposed to have opened in Nairobi on 20 April. Government officials said the decision was taken because of last month's murder by the SPLA of four Sudanese nationals, working with the Red Cross. 20 April: The SPLA says it is surprised by the government's failure to turn up in Nairobi for the peace talks. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 April 1999) * Soudan. Rachat d'esclaves - Le 20 avril, l'organisation suisse Christian Solidarity International (CSI) a annonce avoir "achete la liberte" de 1.783 esclaves "qui avaient ete captures comme butin par les forces armees du gouvernement du Soudan". Il s'agirait principalement de femmes et d'enfants. Les sommes payees par CSI a un reseau de marchands arabes se monteraient a 50 dollars par tete. CSI affirme avoir ainsi libere 7.725 esclaves depuis 1995. Un enqueteur des Nations unies a accuse le gouvernement de Khartoum de laisser certaines tribus arabes s'emparer de civils dans le sud du pays pour les reduire en esclavage. (Liberation, France, 21 avril 1999) * Ouganda. Referendum? - Le president Museveni a confirme son intention d'organiser un referendum l'an prochain sur la facon dont le pays doit etre gouverne. Toutefois, David Ouma Balikowa, redacteur en chef adjoint du journal independant Monitor de Kampala, a indique, le 14 avril, que la population ne prenait pas au serieux ces declarations et que les partis d'opposition ne croyaient pas a une ouverture de M. Museveni a la democratisation. D'autre part, le parti de Museveni, le National Resistance Mouvement, a annonce le 13 avril un nouveau programme, comprenant notamment l'emission de bons du gouvernement pour "emprunter a la population" et inculquer une culture d'epargne. Cette declaration intervient deux semaines apres la fermeture de la Uganda Greenland Bank, a la demande expresse du FMI qui a adopte une attitude draconienne a l'egard de la corruption et de la mauvaise gestion. Selon M. Balikowa, la plupart des Ougandais n'ont pas les moyens d'epargner et ces strategies sont considerees comme "autant de facons de prendre l'argent des gens". Plus de 100.000 clients ont perdu leur epargne dans la faillite de Greenland; le directeur general de la banque a ete limoge et emprisonne. (D'apres IRIN, Nairobi, 16 avril 1999) * Uganda. Rebels kill 12 people - Rebels of Uganda's Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) hacked and shot to death 12 people, including a policeman, a soldier and an old man and his grandchild, in two raids on Nyakigumba trading centre in western Uganda on 15 April, according to local radio. It said 10 people were slaughtered in a morning raid and the old man and child were killed when rebels returned later. The rebels escaped to their base in the nearby Rwenzoei Mountains. The ADF -- a coalition of Muslim extremists and the former National Army for the Liberation of Uganda -- has stepped up its activities in the area bordering the Congo RDC since the start of the year. At least 80 civilians have been killed. (The Guardian, UK, 16 April 1999) * Uganda. Greenland Bank staff remain unpaid - On 14 April, at least 50 anxious Greenland Bank employees yesterday jammed the main branch on Kampala Road for their terminal benefits in vain. The benefits are expected to be the equivalent of three months salary. An angry staff member, said the general manager last week asked them to assemble at the bank for pay last Friday but failed to fulfil the promise. "They told us to come today and we are waiting to hear from them". On 21 April, it was announced that Greenland Bank depositors will not be paid before June, when the bank audit is expected to be completed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 April 1999) * Uganda. Disarray at leader's arrest - The Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), has been wrecked by internal division and a high-profile resignation in recent weeks. In the latest blow, its leader, Joseph Kony, was on 17 April, reported to have been apprehended by government authorities in Sudan. the Ugandan semi- official newspaper New Vision, reported that Kony was no longer at his base at Jablein in southern Sudan and was under house arrest at an unknown location. Other LRA officials had their passports seized, and another senior member, Yassin O'jwang, had fled to Aden, in Yemen, the paper added. Relations between Khartoum and the LRA soured, according to the New Vision after President Kabila of Congo RDC offered cash and military support to the LRA to destabilise Uganda. Uganda supports RDC rebels fighting Kabila. Kony's direct relationship with Kabila made the LRA's hosts, Sudan, "uneasy" the report said. However, a RDC embassy spokesman in Nairobi denied any contacts with the Ugandan rebels. "We do not have any links whatsoever with the LRA," he said. "We cannot supply anybody with arms, we are fighting our own war". (IRIN, Central Africa, 20 April 1999) * Zimbabwe. Hopes on tobacco sales - Both government and business are hoping Zimbabwe's flue-cured tobacco auctions starting today will help stave off another slump in the Zimbabwe currency. The outlook for the 1999 sales is gloomy, however, due to sluggish global demand, manufacturer determination to cut costs and a smaller than normal crop because of excessive rains early in the year. Tobacco, the country's top export, accounting for 20-25% of total earnings, is a casualty of the world economic slowdown and anti-smoking legislation and litigation, especially in the US. The price on the Harare auction floors -- arguably the world's most free tobacco market -- fell from almost $3 a kilogram in 1996 to $1.7 last year. With consumption forecast to grow only sluggishly, if at all, in 1999 while output falls some 3% prices are expected to remain close to last year's levels. (Financial Times, U.K., 21 April 1999)