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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 10-06-1999      PART #2/2

* Lesotho. Craintes d'instabilite  -  Dans les milieux
diplomatiques, on declarait, le 2 juin, craindre un regain de
tensions politiques suite a la mise aux arrets cette semaine de
militaires accuses d'avoir, il y a cinq ans, assassine le vice-
premier ministre du pays, Selometsi Baholo. La radio d'Etat a
annonce que 14 militaires ont ete apprehendes en liaison avec cette
affaire. Par ailleurs, 41 autres militaires sont actuellement aux
arrets sous l'inculpation de complot en liaison avec la crise
politique qui, l'an dernier, avait declenche l'intervention armee
de l'Afrique du Sud et du Botswana, ajoutait la station.   (IRIN,
Afrique australe, 4 juin 1999)

* Liberia. Arms to be destroyed  -  4 June: The UN Peace-Building
Office in Monrovia has welcomed the Liberian government's decision
on 2 June to destroy arms kept on the former ECOMOG base. The UN
Special Representative said the decision would help reduce
suspicion in the sub-region about the arms. Ambassador Felix
Downes-Thomas said his office would observe how the process will go
on. He said ECOWAS and the UN hold joint custody of the arms and
ammunition and he hopes they will be involved in the disposal
process. 7 June: Liberia has asked the UN and ECOWAS for assistance
to destroy arms and ammunition surrendered by former rebels.  
(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 June 1999)

* Libye. Relations exterieures  -  Le president francais Jacques
Chirac a adresse un message au colonel libyen Mouammar Kadhafi, a
rapporte le 3 juin la radio libyenne. "Le message a trait a
l'amelioration des relations bilaterales et au soutien de la France
aux efforts du colonel Kadhafi pour assurer la paix et la stabilite
sur le continent africain", a precise la radio. Le colonel Kadhafi
a parraine un accord de paix en Republique democratique du Congo,
conclu en avril. Le message a ete remis par le conseiller francais
aux affaires africaines, qui se trouve en Libye accompagne d'une
delegation. - D'autre part, on apprenait le 4 juin de sources
diplomatiques, que les Etats-Unis et la Libye auront des entretiens
bilateraux la semaine prochaine, un premier pas visant a retablir
des contacts officiels apres la rupture de leurs relations
diplomatiques il y a 18 ans. La rencontre a ete organisee par le
secretaire general des Nations unies a la demande de Washington, et
devrait avoir lieu le 11 juin a New-York.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 4 juin 1999)

* Libya. Lockerbie trial to be delayed  -  7 June: The trial of the
two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie bombing case will be delayed
until February, to give defense lawyers more time to prepare.
Scottish High Court Judge Lord Sutherland agreed to grant the
extension after meeting privately with the suspects and their
attorneys. His ruling means the bombing trail won't get under way
until 4 February 2000 at the latest, and could be further delayed
if the lawyers ask for a second extension, which is allowed under
Scottish law.   (CNN, 7 June 1999)

* Libye. Proces de Lockerbie reporte  -  Le 7 juin, la Haute Cour
ecossaise, lors de sa premiere session tenue a huis clos a Zeist
aux Pays-Bas, a accepte un report de six mois du proces de
Lockerbie a la demande des avocats des deux suspects libyens. Ce
proces, qui aurait du normalement debuter le 1er aout au plus tard,
a l'expiration du delai normal de 110 jours apres la convocation
pour jugement, devrait donc commencer au plus tard le 4 fevrier
2000.   (D'apres La Libre Belgique, 8 juin 1999)

* Malawi. Rumeurs de devaluation  -  Le gouvernement du Malawi a
dementi les informations parues dans la presse selon lesquelles la
monnaie du pays, le kwacha, serait devaluee apres le scrutin du 15
juin. Aleke Banda, ministre de l'Agriculture et president du Comite
interministeriel sur l'economie, a declare que l'appui des
bailleurs de fonds, la maitrise et la prudence des depenses
publiques et les bonnes rentrees de devises liees aux exportations
de tabac, vont se combiner pour stabiliser le cours du kwacha dans
un proche avenir.   (IRIN, Afrique australe, 7 juin 1999)

* Malawi. Election news  -  3 June: Malawi's High Court in Blantyre
rules that prisoners be allowed to vote in all future elections.
The presiding judge, Justice Eric Kumitsonyo, says the prisoners,
except those on death row, have a right to participate in the
country's civic duties, including voting. He says prisoners are
residents and therefore have unfettered rights to vote. He,
however, says it may not be possible for the prisoners, estimated
to be 5,500, to be able to vote in the 15 June elections, due to
logistical hurdles. 4 June: The government has dismissed as
"unfounded", fears that the Kwacha is going to be devalued after
the 15 June elections. 9 June: The OAU has sent a 10-member team to
observe Malawi's elections.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 June 1999)

* Mozambique. Next elections within the year..?  -  9 June:
Mozambique is still planning to hold general elections this year in
November or December, but not as planned, in October, the election
authority has said. The last multi-party elections were held in
1994 and under the Constitution the elected government has a five-
year term. But a series of delays in parliament have left the
National Electoral Commission with the options of November or
December.   (Reuters, 9 June 1999)

* Namibia. New Gem Bill  -  2 June: The National Assembly yesterday
passed a new "refined" diamond law that will block indiscriminate
trade in precious gems as proposed by a parliamentary standing
committee on natural resources. The new law will prevent the
deregulation and decriminalisation of the diamond trade in the
country, but includes several recommendations from the standing
committee's report. "What we are going to have is a refined Bill.
It will be one of the laws that every Namibian will be proud of.
While we must continue to relax the diamond industry, we can't
afford to lose what we have", said Mines and Energy Minister Jesaya
Nyamu.   (The Namibian, Namibia, 2 June 1999)

* Niger. Projet de Constitution  -  Un comite mis en place par la
junte militaire au pouvoir, pour choisir entre deux projets de
constitution, a vote en faveur du maintien d'un systeme qui prevoit
un partage du pouvoir entre le president et le Premier ministre. Le
texte du projet de constitution, approuve par une majorite de 42
contre 38, a ete publie le 3 juin. La decision du comite sera
soumise a referendum par le regime militaire, sans qu'une date ait
ete indiquee.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 4 juin 1999)

* Niger. Presidential system  -  4 June: A Constitutional Committee
has narrowly adopted a semi-presidential system of government for
the country. The Committee rejected a full presidential system of
government for the country by three votes. Its decision is subject
to approval by the military regime that seized power in April,
after President Mainassara was killed. A constitutional referendum
is scheduled for September with promised elections in November. 5
June: Reports from Niger say the ruling military government has
given more powers to the civilian prime minister, Ibrahim Assane
Mayaki. 9 June: The army junta says it has ordered an investigation
into the killing in April of President Mainassara. Mainassara's
family have filed for judicial proceedings in the form of a
"complaint against persons unknown" in a bid to get to the bottom
of the 9 April incident.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 June 1999)

* Nigeria. Assainir l'economie  -  Un tribunal londonien a ordonne
le gel des comptes bancaires de l'ancien dirigeant militaire du
Nigeria, le general Sani Abacha, ainsi que certains de ceux de ses
collaborateurs. La decision fait suite a une procedure entamee au
mois de mai par une compagnie commerciale basee a Zurich a propos
d'une affaire de corruption qui porterait sur un montant de 2,5
millions de dollars. - D'autre part, une commission a ete designee,
chargee d'enqueter sur les violations des droits de l'homme
commises ces cinq dernieres annees, a annonce le chef de cabinet du
president le 4 juin. La commission comprendra un certain nombre de
militants connus, dont l'avocat Tunji Abayomi, a-t-il precise. -
Dans un discours prononce le 4 juin, le president Obasanjo a promis
de restructurer les secteurs cles de l'economie et de lutter contre
la corruption. Il a vivement critique la gestion du pays par ses
pairs et note que son predecesseur Abubakar avait accumule un
deficit budgetaire de 2,7 milliards de dollars. Par ailleurs, il a
transmis pour approbation au president du Senat la liste des
membres de son futur cabinet, mais leurs noms n'ont pas encore ete
rendus publics.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 5 juin 1999)

* Nigeria. Violences ethniques a Warri  -  Warri, la principale
ville de la region petrolifere du sud du Nigeria, est dechiree a
nouveau depuis plusieurs jours par des affrontements
intercommunautaires. Des jeunes, armes d'armes automatiques, se
sont empares du centre de la ville. Depuis le 4 juin, au moins 14
personnes ont ete tuees, apres que des membres de la communaute
Urhobo se soient joints aux Ijaws qui combattent leurs rivaux
Itsekiri. D'autres parlent d'une centaine de morts. Un veritable
exode de la population est en cours. A la fin du mois de mai, pres
de 200 personnes ont ete tuees au cours de combats dans une ville
au sud de Warri. La raison principale de ces affrontements est la
demande de redefinir les limites des zones tribales, afin de
controler les territoires productifs, et la lutte pour
l'emplacement du siege du gouvernement local, source de creation
d'emplois. Selon un correspondant de l'AFP, les jeunes Ijaws, dont
la communaute est majoritaire, profiteraient de la passation des
pouvoirs a un gouvernement civil pour s'emparer des terres des
autres communautes.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 juin 1999)

* Nigeria. First days of the new President  -  1 June: President
Obasanjo announces the sacking of no fewer than 99 high ranking
customs officers including assistant controller generals of the
service. No formal reasons have been given for the sackings but
reports have it that the 99 officers are among those allegedly
accused of involvement in corrupt activities in the past. The
President approves the promotion of 22 other customs officers to
senior ranks in the Nigeria Customs Service. 3 June: Nigeria's
first parliament in more than 15 years opens in Abuja. Thousands of
political supporters, well-wishers and onlookers pack the new
building housing the Senate and the House of Representatives. "It's
a turning point", said one onlooker. "Everyone is in love with
democracy". Signals emerging from the seat of power indicate that
no fewer than 40 officers of two-star general rank across the three
armed services, have been earmarked for early retirement. 4 June:
The President submits a list of his nominees for ministerial posts,
to a joint session of the country's 469-member National Assembly
and says he plans to cut government spending by $1.1 billion in
1999, and pass new laws to curb wasteful corruption. He has also
set up a panel to investigate human rights abuses over the past
five years and has promised to introduce an anti-corruption Bill to
parliament within two weeks. 6 June: Fresh ethnic fighting erupts
near the centre of Warri. 7 June: In Warri, troops are given orders
to shoot curfew breakers. Many buildings in Warri have been set
alight and eyewitnesses say there has been constant gunfire. 8
June: 1) Troops are attempting to establish control of Warri. Oil
production has so far been unaffected although Royal Dutch Shell
and Chevron, the two main producers around Warri, have been forced
to stop all maintenance work in areas where the oil is pumped.
About two-thirds of Nigeria's 2 million barrel daily production
comes from inland wells, mainly in the Niger Delta. 2) The leaders
of the Nigerian bank workers' union says a two-week strike over pay
and conditions has been suspended. 3) A group of 11 senior military
officers are "retired". 9 June: 1) The Nigeria Immigration Service
has taken steps to ensure immediate implementation of a government
directive that entry visas are granted to business people with 72
hours following their application. 2) Local people in Warri venture
cautiously onto the streets, while troops are keeping a firm grip
on the oil town. President Obasanjo meets with leaders of the
competing factions from the Niger Delta.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10
June 1999)

* Nigeria. Nouvelles mesures  -  Le porte-parole presidentiel a
annonce que le president Obasanjo a contraint 29 officiers a une
"retraite obligatoire". Aucune raison n'a ete donnee a cette purge,
mais selon des observateurs politiques, les hommes ecartes etaient
pour la plupart des officiers jeunes et ambitieux, reputes pour
leurs comportements agressifs et corrompus, et qui constituaient
des menaces potentielles pour le pouvoir civil. D'autre part, le
gouvernement a saisi plus de 420 millions de dollars d'actions de
la raffinerie petroliere publique de la Sierra Leone, ainsi que des
dizaines de millions de dollars en biens et argent detenus par des
proches et des membres de la famille de Sani Abacha.   (AP, 10 juin
1999)

* Rwanda. Genocide convicts to serve time in Mali  -  7 June: The
UN court trying the chief suspects of Rwanda's 1994 genocide, says
suspects convicted and sentenced to prison terms, can expect to be
jailed in Mali, Zambia, Madagascar or Benin. The court has already
signed an agreement with Mali and expected similar deals with the
others by the end of the year. "The choice of the accused does not
play a part in this", said the legal advisor to the International
Tribunal for Rwanda. "The accused cannot say where he or she wants
to be taken to".   (CNN, 7 June 1999)

* Rwanda. Agreement with ICTR  -  The Rwandan government has signed
a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Genocide
Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), UN court officials say, signalling a
step towards normalizing a long-embittered relationship. The
memorandum, which will regulate relations between the Rwandan
government and the court, was signed on June 4th, over a year after
the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs failed to reply to UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan's request for such an agreement. It is
standard procedure for every international organisation to sign an
agreement with its "host country", giving foreign nationals freedom
of movement and the right to operate within its borders. But for
years the UN court's prosecutors office continued without a legal
agreement, court officials say, operating under only tacit and
informal permissions from the Rwandan government. Relations between
Rwanda and the ICTR, established by the Security Council to try top
genocide suspects, have been cold since the UN refused to locate
the court in Rwanda, and in the face of overwhelming evidence that
high-ranking UN officials ignored the early warning signs of
genocide. Rwandan justice ministry officials have also criticized
the court for long delays in the trials.   (Hirondelle Press
Agency, 8 June 1999)

* Rwanda. Government extends its mandate  -  10 June: The eight
parties making up the Rwanda transitional government have said they
will stay in power for a further five years. Their mandate was due
to expire in a week's time. A spokesman for the Rwandan Patriotic
Front said they had decided at a meeting in Kigali on 8 June that
they needed more time to prepare for national elections, draft a
new Constitution and do more to promote national reconciliation and
justice.   (BBC News, 10 June 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Confrontation between Press and Government  - 
Confrontation between, the Press and the government is a common
occurrence, with the government becoming hypersensitive to
criticism. So it was no surprise when, at the end of May, the
Minister of Information, Communications and Broadcasting, Dr.
Julius Spencer, ordered that newspaper publishers should pay their
taxes and regularise the registration of their newspapers within
one week. Many editors ignored him and went ahead publishing,
despite repeated warnings that "all newspaper publishers who have
not regularised their registration, should cease publishing
immediately". It seems that some three-quarters of the newspapers
in circulation were not registered. The Minister's order did not go
down well with the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ)
who said the Minister's order was an attempt to muzzle the Press.
They also complained about the exorbitant taxes levied on the
newspapers. SLAJ's secretary-general said: "We were surprised by
the fact that certain media houses were exempted from their tax
obligations", referring no doubt to the government-owned Daily
Mail; the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service; the 98.1 FM radio
station owned by Dr. Spencer. By way of reply, Dr. Spencer said:
"These particular media houses are performing essential services
for the government". He also told the journalists that the
"government is cash-strapped and they should assist the government
by paying their tax obligations".   (Alpha Jalloh, Sierra Leone, 2
June 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Guerre et paix  -  2 juin. Aux pourparlers de Lome,
le gouvernement de Sierra Leone et les rebelles se sont mis
d'accord sur le principe de cantonnement, desarmement et
demobilisation de leurs troupes, ainsi que sur la reorganisation et
la reunification de l'armee, mais les modalites de l'accord doivent
encore etre determinees. Ils se sont egalement mis d'accord pour
"garantir la securite d'acces" aux organisations humanitaires. - 6
juin. Alors que les pourparlers de paix sont toujours en cours, le
sud de la Guinee, dans la region frontaliere de Forecariah, est
menace par la rebellion sierra-leonaise, dont un millier d'hommes
se sont regroupes autour de Kambia, dans l'extreme nord de la
Sierra-Leone, selon des sources militaires guineennes. Des
dissidents du RUF et de l'ex-junte militaire ont cree une nouvelle
faction armee, la Sierra-leonian People's Army (SPA) qui effectue
depuis la mi-avril des raids sanglants en terrtitoire guineen pour
voler de la nourriture et du betail.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 7 juin 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Talks enter final stretch  -  3 June: Peace talks
being held in Lome, Togo, to end Sierra Leone's eight-year
conflict, have moved into meetings by technical committees, and
mediators say an accord could be ready by next week. The talks have
yet to deal with the thorny issue of a transitional government in
which the RUF wants to be represented. 4 June: UN peacekeepers have
begun to deploy outside Freetown, to help monitor the ceasefire. 7
June: The Liberian president Charles Taylor, has been having talks
in Cote d'Ivoire as part of a regional tour aimed at ending the
conflict in Sierra Leone. MISNA reports that Bishop Biguzzi has
stated that the "peace talks are proceeding on a positive note". 8
June: The WFP says it has delivered the first shipment of food aid
to the interior of Sierra Leone.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 June 1999)

* Somalia. Cash arrives by air  -  A plane full of Somali bank-
notes, worth about five million American dollars, has arrived in
Somalia and the money has been escorted under heavy guard to the
capital, Mogadishu. It was ordered from a Canadian firm by local
businessmen. Previous consignments of cash have led to disputes
between militiamen loyal to the businessmen and the main faction
leader in Mogadishu, Hussein Aideed. This time, the two sides are
reported to have reached agreement in advance, on how to distribute
the money. Correspondents say its insertion into the economy is
likely to lead to a further devaluation of the Somali shilling.
Meanwhile, frightened civilians are still arriving in Mogadishu
from the area surrounding the central town of Baidoa, which fell to
militiamen of the Rahanwein Resistance Army on 6 June after several
days of heavy fighting. Hussein Aideed admits his forces have lost
Baidoa to the RRA but says Ethiopian tanks and heavy weapons were
responsible for his defeat. Ethiopia has strongly denied arming any
militias or sending in its own armed forces. There has been no
independent confirmation of the situation in Baidoa. The BBC's
Cathy Jenkins, who is in Mogadishu, says Ethiopia and Eritrea,
which are involved in a border conflict, appear to be waging a
proxy was in Somalia. She says Ethiopia is concerned that rebel
Ethiopian groups -- such as the Oromo Liberation Front -- are being
armed by Eritrea, and that weapons are being channelled through
Hussein Aideed.   (BBC News, 8 June 1999)

* Afrique du Sud. Resultats des elections  -  4 juin. Une erreur
d'un million de voix, attribuees par erreur puis retirees, a
entache le decompte des elections, sans remettre en cause l'ampleur
de la victoire de l'ANC. La Commission electorale independante a
constate qu'un petit district electoral du KwaZulu-Natal avait
envoye par erreur un score de 863.833 voix, au lieu de 883, pour
l'ANC, et de 281.246 voix au lieu de 246 pour l'Inkhata. Plusieurs
partis d'opposition ont proteste et demande un audit independant
des resultats. Les resultats definitifs ne sont pas attendus avant
le 6 juin au soir. - 6 juin. Les resultats de 170 des 14.650
bureaux de vote n'avaient toujours pas ete transmis au centre de la
Commission electorale, mais le rapport des forces restait
sensiblement le meme depuis 48 heures: ANC 66,41% des voix, Parti
democrate 9,56%, Inkhata 8,52% et le Nouveau parti national 6,88%.
Deja les partis ont engage des contacts en vue d'alliances
provinciales. -7 juin. Resultats officiels: sur les 400 sieges a
l'Assemblee nationale, l'ANC en obtient 266 (manquant donc d'un
siege la majorite des deux tiers, qui lui aurait permis de modifier
la Constitution); viennent ensuite le Parti democratique avec 38
sieges, le Parti de la liberte Inkhata avec 34 sieges, le Nouveau
parti national avec 28 et le Mouvement uni democrate avec 14
sieges. Le reste est reparti entre d'autres petits partis. Quant
aux provinces, au Cap occidental l'ANC detient une legere avance
sur le Nouveau parti national, sans que l'on sache qui prendra la
tete du gouvernement; au KwaZulu-Natal, l'ANC arrive legerement
derriere l'Inkhata. Dans ces deux provinces un gouvernement de
coalition sera necessaire.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 juin
1999)

* South Africa. "The people have spoken"  -  3 June: President-
elect Thabo Mbeki vows to move ahead with a programme of racial
reconciliation and development. he tells a crowd of supporters: "In
a very clear voice, the people have said democracy is alive and
well in South Africa.They've directed us to move ahead, first with
our programme of reconciliation and development, so the goal for a
better life for all, is achieved sooner than later". 4 June:
Supporters of the ANC take to the streets to celebrate the party's
overwhelming victory in the elections. Official results have still
to be announced but the ANC are well ahead. The Democratic Party
led by Tony Leon looks like being the official parliamentary
opposition. But, later on in the day, uncertainty about the
apparent two-thirds majority gained by the ANC has emerged, as the
count continues. The Independent Electoral Commission has admitted
making a typing blunder by an error crediting the ANC with nearly
900,000 votes before it noticed the mistake. They have now been
removed, reducing the ANC's share of the vote to less than the
desired two-thirds majority. Inkatha now believes it has taken
second place. 5 June: A group of opposition parties launch an
independent review of election results. 6 June: The Electoral
Commission promises it will have the final results by the evening
of 7 June at the very latest. Commission officials say they are
still trying to get hold of results from a number of outlying rural
voting stations. <P9%-2>7 June: Election final results -- the ANC
falls one seat short of a two-thirds majority in parliament, taking
66.5% of the vote (266 of the 400 seats in parliament). The
opposition leader with 38 seats is the Democratic Party. Inkatha
comes third with 34 seats. 9 June: 1) At least 96 government
delegations and 30 Presidents will attend Thabo Mbeki's
inauguration on 16 June. 2) Nelson Mandela bids farewell to his
Cabinet. 3) The Minority Front, which represents many Indian voters
and which has just one seat in the National Assembly, says it will
vote with the ANC.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 June 1999)

* Soudan. Accord humanitaire  -  Le gouvernement et les rebelles du
SPLM ont confirme, la semaine derniere lors d'une reunion a Oslo,
leur adhesion a la treve humanitaire dans le Bahr el-Ghazal. Les
deux bords ont confirme le maintien de la treve en attendant
qu'aboutissent les pourparlers de paix sous l'egide de l'IGAD,
ainsi que les protocoles d'accord sur la securite et les normes
minimales de fonctionnement dont beneficiera l'"Operation ligne de
vie" concernant le rail et les couloirs routiers a travers les
lignes de front. - D'autre part, le leader libyen Kadhafi cherchera
a reconcilier le gouvernement soudanais et les groupes d'opposition
lors d'une conference de paix prevue pour la fin du mois, selon des
informations des medias soudanais.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 7 juin 1999)

* Soudan. Rachat d'esclaves  -  L'organisation Christian Solidarity
International (CSI), au centre d'une polemique sur le rachat
d'esclaves au Soudan, a declare, le 1er juin, avoir obtenu ainsi la
liberte de 1.400 nouvelles personnes le mois dernier (et 9.112
depuis 1995). L'Unicef estime que cette methode entretient le
trafic d'esclaves et ne s'attaque pas a la cause, la guerre civile.
-A la suite d'un article sur l'esclavage au Soudan, paru dans La
Libre Belgique, l'ambassade du Soudan a Bruxelles a reagi affirmant
que CSI a "deliberement presente comme de l'esclavage ce qui est en
realite le rapt, l'enlevement et le ranconnement d'individus,
pratiques qui surviennent inevitablement dans les guerres
intertribales qui se deroulent dans des regions auxquelles le
gouvernement n'a pas acces". Mais dans un document publie en mars
dernier, Human Rights Watch accusait notamment le gouvernement de
"deliberement armer, transporter et aider la milice qui pratique
des raids esclavagistes". L'organisation faisait egalement
remarquer que dans le Code criminel soudanais de 1991 il n'y a pas
d'interdiction d'esclavage.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 juin
1999)
* Soudan. Sortir de l'isolement  -  Visiblement soucieux de briser
son isolement diplomatique, le gouvernement soudanais multiplie ses
contacts avec l'etranger. Son ministre des Affaires etrangeres
devait avoir, le 7 juin a Paris, des entretiens avec son homologue
francais, dans le cadre d'une tournee qui le mene egalement a Rome,
Madrid et Bonn. Par ailleurs, le Soudan vient de conclure avec
l'Egypte un accord pour la restitution des biens meubles saisis il
y a quelques annees. Il a retabli les relations avec l'Algerie, qui
l'accusait de soutenir les GIA. Debut mai, par l'entremise du
Qatar, le president soudanais a conclu avec son homologue erythreen
un accord cadre pour regler le conflit qui oppose leurs deux pays.
Et les autorites soudanaises ont recemment annonce qu'elles etaient
disposees a signer le traite d'interdiction des armes chimiques.
Bien que la situation au Soudan soit loin d'etre idyllique, il
parait evident que les autorites soudanaises sont soucieuses de
mettre fin a la guerre civile et de se consacrer au developpement
d'un pays potentiellement riche mais saigne a blanc.   (D'apres Le
Monde, France, 8 juin 1999)

* Sudan. Roundup of news  -  3 June: The press agency MISNA reports
that new talks are scheduled to take place 16-17 June in Nairobi
between delegations of the Sudanese government and the SPLA. 4
June: 1) A military plane has crashed near Khartoum killing all 50
people on board. 2) A major new split has opened in the ranks of
the South Sudan Defence Force (SSDF), the combined group of
southern rebel factions which signed a peace deal with the
government in 1997. Willis Wal, a senior aide to Riek Machar, has
challenged his leadership, accusing him of presiding over a
worsening of security in areas of southern Sudan, and failure to
implement the 1997 peace agreement. 6 June: The official Sudanese
media has reported a ceremony at which the two sides in a land
dispute in the west of the country exchanged documents to end their
feud. The Sudanese vice-president, Ali Othman Mohammad Taha,
attended the ceremony in the town of Junaynah, to witness the
cessation of hostilities between the Massaleit farming community
and local Arab herdsmen. 7 June: Prosecutors have charged 11
opposition politicians with holdings an illegal meeting. 9 June:
Reports from rebel-held southern Sudan speak of mounting tension
between ethnic Dinkas and the smaller Dadinga people around the
town of Chukudum.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 June 1999)

* Tanzanie. Reconciliation a Zanzibar  -  Le 9 juin, a Zanzibar, le
parti Chama Cha Mapizundi au pouvoir et le Civic United Front
d'opposition ont signe un accord de reconciliation qui doit mettre
fin a pres de quatre ans de demeles politiques. Parmi les
principaux points de l'accord figurent la reforme de la commission
electorale de Zanzibar, le reexamen de la Constitution et de la
legislation electorale et l'indemnisation des degats causes tout au
long de la crise politique. L'accord prevoit egalement la
designation de deux nouveaux membres du parti d'opposition CUF a la
Chambre des representants de Zanzibar.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 9 juin
1999)

* Tanzania. Anyaoku oversees Zanzibar settlement  -  The
Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has arrived in
Zanzibar to attend the signing of an agreement to end four years of
political deadlock. The deadlock began in 1995 after Zanzibar's
first multi-party elections, which were won by the ruling Chama Cha
Mapinduzi party. But the polls were widely believed to have been
rigged and opposition MPs from the Civic United Front have
boycotted parliament ever since. Western aid to Zanzibar -- which
has a semi-autonomous status within a union with Tanzania -- was
suspended following the 1995 election. Zanzibaris are now hoping
the agreement will help reverse the economic decline of the once-
fabled Spice Isles.   (BBC News, 9 June 1999)

* Tchad. Menace rebelle  -  Dans un entretien publie par
l'hebdomadaire Jeune Afrique dans son edition du 8-14 juin, le chef
rebelle tchadien, Youssouf Togoimi, du Mouvement pour la democratie
et la justice au Tchad, declare que ses forces seront dans la
capitale N'Djamena avant la fin de l'annee. Selon M. Togoimi, un
ancien ministre du president Deby, ses forces controlent deja tous
les acces a la region du Tibesti (nord) et pourraient prendre les
villes de Bardai et Zouar. Mais le ministre des Communications a
declare, le 8 juin a l'agence IRIN, que son gouvernement "n'etait
pas inquiet, car M. Togoimi a deja fait plusieurs declarations
similaires dans le passe".   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 9 juin
1999)

* Togo. Amnesty member tortured by security forces  -  9 June: In
a Public Statement, Amnesty International says it has just learned
that one of its members from the Nigerian section was detained,
tortured and threatened with execution by Togolese security forces
between 19-27 May 1999. Ameen Ayodele was travelling from Ghana to
Nigeria via Togo on 19 May. At the border post of Aflao between
Ghana and Togo, he presented his Amnesty International membership
card to the Togolese security forces as a means of identification,
because all his other documents, including his passport, had been
stolen. The border police arrested Ayodele on suspicion of being a
spy for Amnesty International in advance of Amnesty's secretary-
general Pierre Sane's scheduled visit to Lome on 21 May and which
was subsequently cancelled by the Togolese authorities. Ayodele
spent the next 9 days in a confined cell, naked and deprived of
food. He was beaten and tortured every day as the Togolese
authorities interrogated him about his involvement with Amnesty
International in Togo. He had no information to give them.  
(Amnesty International, 9 June 1999)

* Tunisie. Militant des droits de l'homme inculpe  -  Moncef
Marzouki, ancien president de la Ligue tunisienne des droits de
l'homme et porte-parole du Conseil national pour les libertes en
Tunisie (CNLT), a ete porte disparu depuis le 5 juin, selon ses
proches qui soupconnaient un enlevement de la part de la police
politique. En fait, il a ete intercepte en plein centre de Tunis et
conduit au ministere de l'Interieur. Apres avoir passe 48 heures au
secret dans une cellule, il a ete libere le 7 juin. Ancien candidat
a la presidence de la Republique, il passera devant un juge
d'instruction le 5 juillet pour: maintien d'une association non
reconnue, distribution de tracts de nature a troubler l'ordre
public et diffusion de fausses nouvelles. De quoi lui valoir...
seize ans de prison. Cree en decembre 1998, le CNLT, a qui le
ministre de l'Interieur refuse toujours son agrement mais qui a
beaucoup gagne en credibilite, gene visiblement un president Ben
Ali particulierement soucieux de "son image". "L'indignation est
desormais generale, a dit M. Marzouki, le pouvoir doit comprendre
que sa pretention a regner par l'intimidation et la repression ne
marche plus".   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 8 juin 1999)

* Uganda. Bishop attacks government corruption  -  On 3 June, the
Catholic Bishop of Lira Diocese, Bishop Joseph Oyang, attacked
corruption in government circles, saying it had eaten into the
country. He also attacked rebel activities in northern and western
Uganda, in which so many people have lost their lives and property.
The Bishop said that corruption in the government has made a few
Ugandans very rich, while the majority are very poor. Speaking at
Namugongo during celebrations marking the 113th anniversary of the
Uganda Martyrs, the Bishop also attacked Catholic politicians who
shy away from their Christian faith when they attain bigger
government posts.   (The New Vision, Uganda, 4 June 1999)

* Zimbabwe. Fermeture d'une mine de platine  -  Un nouveau coup a
ete porte au moral des milieux d'affaires zimbabweens avec
l'annonce cette semaine de la fermeture de la Hartley Platinum
Mine, la plus grosse affaire privee du pays, ont indique des
analystes financiers. Il etait prevu que la mine produirait 15.000
onces de platine par an, mais elle n'a meme pas atteint la moitie
de cet objectif. On discute actuellement du sort des quelque 3.500
employes licencies.   (IRIN, Afrique australe, 4 juin 1999)

END OF PART #2/2 - THE END