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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 30-06-1999      PART #1/  

* Afrique. Ambassades americaines menacees  -  Le jeudi 24 juin, le
departement d'Etat americain a decide pour des raisons de securite
de fermer provisoirement ses ambassades dans six capitales
africaines (en Gambie, au Togo, a Madagascar, au Liberia, en
Namibie et au Senegal). Il n'a pas precise pendant combien de temps
les ambassades resteraient fermees, mais a indique que les cas
seraient examines durant le week-end et le lundi 28 juin. Le 16
juin, la chaine americaine ABC avait affirme que le milliardaire
islamiste Oussama ben Laden, cerveau presume des attentats contre
les ambassades americaines de Nairobi et Dar-es-Salaam en aout
1998, semblait etre dans un "stade avance de preparatifs" d'une
autre attaque. Le 25 juin, la Grande-Bretagne annoncait a son tour
la fermeture de quatre de ses representations en Afrique (Gambie,
Namibie, Madagascar et Senegal). - Le 28 juin, un haut responsable
du departement d'Etat americain a annonce que 5 des 6 ambassades
ont ete reouvertes; seule celle de Madagascar restera fermee
jusqu'a nouvel ordre.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 juin
1999)

* Africa. Refugees  -  The OAU Commission on Refugees has made a
fervent appeal to the international community to give equal
attention to refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa as
it is being done in other parts of the world. The commission, which
is the OAU's policy organ on matters pertaining to refugees in
Africa, made the plea following a one-day session on 23 June in
Addis Ababa. It described the desperate situation of internally
displaced persons on the continent, especially in Angola, Sierra
Leone, the Congo RDC and the Republic of Congo as "very critical
and pathetic". It said the refugees needed urgent emergency relief
assistance in food, medicine and clothing, and urged donors to rush
emergency assistance to the affected countries. Meanwhile, the
Commission has decided to launch an OAU award to honour deserving
Africans or any African organization which meets the criteria. It
said the award would commemorate the 30th anniversary of the
signing of the 1969 OAU convention governing the specific aspects
of the refugee problems in Africa, and also serve as appreciation
for outstanding contributions and commitments to refugees in
Africa.   (PANA, 28 June 1999)

* Afrique. Micro-credits  -  600 institutions de micro-credits sont
actuellement reunies a Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), en presence du
vice-president de la Banque mondiale, pour la 3e rencontre annuelle
de la campagne lancee a Washington en fevrier 1997. L'objectif est
d'avoir accorde des credits pour des activites de travail autonomes
a 100 millions de familles parmi les plus pauvres du monde. La
CNUCED estime qu'il existe 500 millions de micro-entreprises dans
le monde qui tentent de survivre aux processus d'exclusion de
l'economie mondiale. Ce sont elles qui sont les destinataires des
programmes des banques ethiques et des institutions de micro-
financement. Les programmes de micro-credits, qui s'elevent a 7
milliards de dollars, s'adressent actuellement a environ 15
millions de personnes, dont 1,3 million en Afrique. 97% des credits
sont restitues. La reunion d'Abidjan est centree sur l'impact
social des programmes, ainsi que sur la politique des donnateurs. 
 (D'apres Zenit, Rome, 29 juin 1999)

* Afrique de l'Est. Menace de famine  -  Le 22 juin, le Programme
alimentaire mondial (PAM) a averti, dans un communique publie au
Kenya, qu'une grande partie de l'Afrique de l'Est etait menacee par
la famine. En effet, les recoltes attendues cette annee devraient
subir le contrecoup des pluies exceptionnellement faibles
enregistrees dans la region. La Somalie et le Kenya sont concernes.
L'Ethiopie devrait etre particulierement touchee. Le PAM a d'ores
et deja debloque une aide d'urgence de 250 millions de FF pour
quelque 1,2 million de personnes touchees par la famine, suite a la
secheresse qui a frappe six regions ethiopiennes.   (La Croix,
France, 24 juin 1999)

* Algeria. Police fire on protestors  -  Riot police in Algeria
have fired tear gas at crowd marking the anniversary of the murder
last year of a popular Berber signer. The violence broke out in
Tizi-Ouzou east of Algiers, a stronghold of Berber-speaking
Algerians. The protestors shouted slogans alleging that the
government was involved in the death of Lounes Matoub who was shot
in June 1998. The government says he was killed in an ambush by
Muslim militants -- a claim confirmed by dissident members of the
Armed Islamic Group (GIA). The death of Matoub provoked widespread
protests and mourning, especially in his native Kabyle region which
is dominated by Berbers. He was one of the most famous Berber
language singers and his songs asserted berber cultural rights,
often criticising the then government and islamic militants.   (BBC
News, 24 June 1999)

* Algerie. Manifestation en Kabylie  -  Le 24 juin, des incidents
ont emaille le premier anniversaire du meurtre du chanteur Matoub
Lounes. Les forces de l'ordre ont lance des gaz lacrymogenes sur
les manifestants qui, par milliers, commemoraient a Tizi-Ouzou le
souvenir de leur idole, apres que des provocateurs eurent commence
a saccager les abords du tribunal, ou une lettre reclamant une
"enquete impartiale" sur sa mort avait ete remise. Celle-ci n'a
toujours pas ete elucidee.   (Liberation, France, 25 juin 1999)

* Algerie. Menaces du GIA  -  Le Groupe islamique arme (GIA)
d'Antar Zouabri menace d'intensifier ses attentats en Algerie et a
l'etranger. Dans un communique publie le 22 juin par le quotidien
londonien El Hayat, le lieutenant de Zouabri denonce egalement
l'Armee islamique du salut, le bras arme de l'ex-FIS, pour avoir
"prete allegeance a la junte militaire" en acceptant de deposer les
armes. Quelques jours plus tot, quatre dirigeants du FIS, dont
Abdelkader Hachani, ont approuve le geste de l'AIS tout en
demandant la liberation de tous les detenus, le retour des disparus
et l'ouverture d'un dialogue avec toutes les forces politiques et
ce sans exclusive. - Le 27 juin, dans un nouveau communique publie
dans El Hayat, le GIA menace en particulier la Belgique, ou en mai
dernier un proces a condamne notamment deux activistes islamiques
de premier plan. Le communique "donne vingt jours a la Belgique
pour cesser la torture contre les Moudjahidines emprisonnes et les
liberer". Sinon, le GIA promet "une mer de sang".   (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 28 juin 1999)

* Algerie. Projet d'amnistie  -  Le 26 juin, le president
Bouteflika, en visite en Suisse, a declare que les violences en
Algerie avaient fait 100.000 morts depuis 1992 et un million de
"victimes". Jusqu'a present, les autorites d'Alger avaient toujours
affirme que ce chiffre de 100.000 morts, deja cite par des sources
occidentales, etait tres exagere. Cette reconnaissance de l'ampleur
du bilan des sept annees de troubles s'inscrit dans la demarche de
paix que le president algerien a promis de suivre. Le 27 juin, le
gouvernement a approuve un projet de loi d'amnistie pour les
rebelles islamistes, premiere etape concrete du plan de reglement.
Le projet vise a amnistier "des milliers de personnes actuellement
detenues pour leur soutien aux terroristes", tout en excluant "ceux
qui ont les mains tachees de sang". Elles beneficieront d'une
amnistie presidentielle a l'occasion du 37e anniversaire de
l'independance de l'Algerie le 5 juillet prochain. Le president
Bouteflika, pour sa part, a declare dans une interview qu'il
demissionnerait si le peuple rejetait le plan de paix qu'il entend
lui soumettre par referendum.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28
juin 1999)

* Algeria. Political prisoners to be freed  -  The Algerian
government will free thousands of political prisoners when the
country celebrates 37 years of independence on 5th July, according
to the official Algerian press agency. The release of prisoners is
part of a deal between the Algerian army and the armed wing of the
Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), the party which had been set to win
the aborted 1992 elections. The FIS armed wing has announced a
permanent end to armed struggle, but more radical groups continue
to fight the military-backed regime. President Bouteflika said at
the weekend the country's crisis had cost 100,000 lives since 1992
and left 1m victims -- people who were wounded or who were
materially affected by the violence.   (Financial Times, U.K., 28
June 1999)

* Algiers. Urban poverty  -  Mayors from across Africa are meeting
in Algiers to discuss how to combat urban poverty and provide basic
social services to city dwellers. The three-day conference has been
organized by the city of Algiers, and sponsored by UNDP. Its
recommendations will be forwarded to a summit meeting of the OAU
next month. UNDP says African cities are growing at a rate of 6% a
year, with the result that more and more people now live in urban
poverty.   (BBC News, 29 June 1999)

* Botswana. Is this democracy?  -  Law-makers form the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) countries met in Gaborone this
week at a conference which aimed at strengthening democracy in the
region. A good effort, one would have liked to believe -- except
that not a single voice was heard speaking against the excesses
that are common-place in a number of countries in the region. In
Zimbabwe, an autocratic leader who has over-stayed his welcome
holds the whole country hostage. Without regard for the courts of
the land, Robert Mugabe allowed the kidnapping, unlawful detention
and brutal assault of two journalists earlier this year. It was a
barbarous act which any self-respecting individual would not want
to be associated with. By failing to speak out against this serious
violation of democracy, the SADC officials who met in Gaborone this
week are accomplices to the crime. In Zambia, a leader who came to
power under the rallying call of democracy is taking everyone for
a ride. We have lost count of the occasions where journalists from
The Post have been made guests of the state against their will; a
serious violation of democracy. By failing to speak out against
this evil, the SADC officials who met in Gaborone are accomplices
to the crime.   (PANA, 25 june 1999)

* Burkina Faso. Islamic conference meeting  -  Foreign ministers
from member-states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
(OIC) open their annual meeting in Burkina Faso. They are expected
to discuss compensation for Libya following United Nations
sanctions, Iraq and Iran and the latest crisis in Kashmir. An OIC
statement said the ministers would also look at ways to prepare the
worldwide Islamic group for the third millennium. Burkina Faso is
the second African country after Guinea to host the organization's
meeting.   (BBC News, 28 June 1999)

* Burkina Faso. Strike action  -  29 June: Burkina Faso has been
paralysed by a two-day general strike called to protest at low
wages and alleged human rights abuses by the government. The strike
has cut off electricity and phone services in many areas, closed
down factories and shops, and led to the cancellation of commercial
flights to Ouagadougou. However, it was business as usual in
Ouagadougou's central market and in the other markets. The
strikers, represented by several trade unions are demanding more
pay and investigations into the murders last year of a prominent
journalist and the former driver of President Compaore's brother.
30 June: Workers are due to stop work for a second day. The strike
is taking place during the five-day conference of Islamic countries
attended by at least 35 foreign Cabinet ministers, and 600 other
participants from around the world.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 June
1999)

* Burundi. Les attaques augmentent  -  Le 26 juin, au moins 18
personnes ont trouve la mort lorsque des rebelles ont pris en
embuscade et incendie un autocar sur la route de Bujumbura a Ijenda
en Bujumbura rural. Par ailleurs, une recrudescence "importante"
d'attaques rebelles a ete signalee pendant la premiere quinzaine de
juin, particulierement en Bujumbura rural, Bururi et Makamba, selon
le dernier etat de la securite dresse par OCHA-Burundi, qui signale
egalement des incidents dans les provinces de Rutana et Muramvya. 
 (IRIN, Nairobi, 28 juin 1999)

* Burundi. Le retour des refugies de Tanzanie  -  Le haut
commissaire de l'ONU aux refugies, Mme Sadako Ogata, a indique
jeudi 24 juin qu'un retour massif de 270.000 Burundais refugies en
Tanzanie etait lie a un reglement politique entre le gouvernement
du president Pierre Buyoya et les rebelles burundais. "Nous sommes
prets pour un retour a large echelle lorsque cela se produira. Et
j'espere que la paix viendra afin que les gens puissent rentrer",
a dit Mme Ogata, qui achevait une visite de 24 heures au Burundi.
Des incursions regulieres de rebelles hutu ont lieu depuis la
Tanzanie. Bujumbura s'est plaint a plusieurs reprises aupres de Dar
es-Salam. Selon des sources humanitaires, pres de 300.000 refugies
burundais se trouvent dans des camps a moins de 50 km de la
frontiere. Quelque 170.000 refugies sont rentres depuis 1996 de
Tanzanie, mais les retours se sont reduits depuis le debut de
l'annee avec 6.000 retours seulement.   (D'apres AZANIA, Bujumbura,
28 juin 1999)

* Congo-Brazza. Over 140 killed  -  A least 140 people, mostly
rebels, died in battles this week between guerrillas and government
forces in Congo-Brazza, state radio said. The flareup in fighting
has put in peril the government's hope of rebuilding the capital
Brazzaville and key infrastructure ravaged by civil war and
recurring violence since 1997. The radio said the death toll was
from fighting since 21 June in regions southwest and northwest of
Brazzaville and near the oil centre and main port of Pointe Noire.
Much of the fighting was for control of the Congo-Ocean Railway
linking Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Traffic on the railway has
been disrupted by rebels for nine months and the government has
launched an offensive to reopen the link, crucial for the revival
of Brazzaville. The rebels have targeted other infrastructure,
seizing dams and power generation facilities. Pointe-Noire has been
without regular electricity and water supply for months, residents
say.   (Reuters, 24 June 1999)

* Congo-Brazza. Deplaces en danger de mort  -  Plus de 100.000
personnes deplacees par les combats de decembre a Brazzaville "sont
actuellement en danger de mort dans la prefecture du Pool" a
proximite de la capitale congolaise, a affirme, le 24 juin, l'ONG
francaise Action contre la faim, qui precise que "la population
meurt de faim dans la foret, mais elle hesite a en sortir de peur
des exactions".   (Liberation, France, 25 juin 1999)

* Congo (RDC). Plaintes a La Haye  -  La Republique democratique du
Congo a introduit, le 23 juin, devant la Cour internationale de
justice de La Haye des recours contre le Burundi, le Rwanda et
l'Ouganda en raison d'actes d'agression armee, en violation
flagrante des chartes des Nations unies et de l'Organisation de
l'unite africaine. Les trois pays sont aussi accuses de violations
du droit international humanitaire et violations massives des
droits de l'homme, y compris des massacres de civils. Les requetes
demandent en outre a la Cour d'ordonner le depart sans condition
des agresseurs et d'affirmer le droit de Kinshasa a reclamer des
dedommagements.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 juin 1999)

* Congo (RDC). Le sommet de Lusaka  -  25 juin. Atmosphere
defaitiste dans les couloirs du sommet de Lusaka, qui devait
accueillir le lendemain les chefs d'Etat des pays impliques dans le
conflit. Un report de la rencontre n'est pas exclu. Les reunions
preparatoires progressaient difficilement et l'on pensait qu'elles
ne seraient pas terminees a temps. Il y a trois projets sur table:
un de la Zambie, un de l'Afrique du Sud et un du Rwanda; mais le
president Kabila exige toujours l'application immediate de la
resolution 1234 de l'Onu qui ordonne le retrait des forces "non
invitees", le Rwanda et l'Ouganda. Pendant ce temps, la guerilla et
ses allies continuent leur pression militaire, alors que les
autorites de Kinshasa ont recu le renfort de 3.000 militaires
zimbaweens (qui totalisent ainsi 11.000 hommes au Congo). -26-27
juin. En depit d'un vaste deploiement diplomatique, le rendez-vous
regional africain n'a pas encore debouche sur un accord de cessez-
le-feu. Les experts discutent toujours, mais les chefs d'Etat ont
refuse de faire le deplacement en l'absence de resultat tangible.
Malgre la profonde mefiance qui subsiste entre les parties, les
experts peaufinent une proposition de cessez-le-feu qui
comprendrait les points suivants: arret des hostilites et
immobilisation de toutes les forces etrangeres, mise sur pied d'une
commission militaire conjointe qui etablirait la liaison avec la
force d'interposition internationale, consultations politiques
devant mener a un processus democratique au Congo. Cependant, on
ignore toujours quels sont les pays qui, en plus de l'Afrique du
Sud, pourraient envoyer une force d'interposition. Une pierre
d'achopement reste egalement la neutralisation des milices hutu,
exigee par le Rwanda. Le sommet de Lusaka a ete reporte a la
semaine prochaine, a une date non encore fixee, a indique le vice-
president zambien M. Tembo. Le 27 juin, 190 Tutsi, detenus en
raison de leur ethnie, ont ete liberes par Kinshasa et amenes a
Kigali; quelque 500 Tutsi devraient etre liberes au total. 29 juin.
Les representants des parties impliquees dans le conflit se sont a
nouveau reunis. Les craintes montrent que trop de divergences
subsistent et que trop peu de modalites pratiques ont ete fixees
pour qu'un accord durable prenne forme. Pour les observateurs, une
difficulte particuliere dans les tractations tient a l'extreme
imprecision du texte d'accord. D'autre part, il apparait que le
Rwanda, s'il parle de paix a Lusaka, a renforce sa presence sur le
terrain, envoyant plusieurs milliers de soldats a l'interieur du
Congo (7.000 selon certaines sources), et qu'il aurait l'intention
de porter un coup spectaculaire aux forces congolaises.   (ANB-BIA,
de sources diverses, 30 juin 1999)

* Congo (RDC). End to civil war?  -  27 June: An end to the 11-
month civil war in the Congo-RDC seems in reach as officials at the
peace talks in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, conclude a draft accord
for an internationally monitored ceasefire. If approved by African
defence and foreign ministers from the 17 countries attending the
talks, a peace summit of African heads of state is expected to take
place in the capital today or tomorrow. A spokesman in Kinshasa for
Laurent Kabila, Congo's president says the peace process was
"looking positive". The draft calls for deployment of a monitoring
force from the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unite
within 20 days of its signing. 28 June: The talks aimed at
negotiating the draft ceasefire agreement break up after less than
an hour. Representatives from Congo RDC and Zimbabwe say they are
not satisfied with several points in the draft. 29 June: Ministers
take a break from talks aimed at ending Congo RDC's civil war, as
hopes dim for a quick breakthrough. Participants have indicated
that there are signs of progress but snags remain. When work does
resume, the ministers continue with working on the ceasefire
document but informed sources say the remaining sticking points are
details of the ceasefire and modalities for its implementation, as
well as the ceasefire's timetable. Amnesty International urges the
peace negotiators to place the protection of Congo RDC's human
rights defenders on their agenda.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 June
1999)

* Erythree/Ethiopie. La guerre continue  -  Le 26 juin, l'Ethiopie
a annonce que son aviation avait bombarde "avec succes" l'aerodrome
du port erythreen d'Assab (560 km au sud-est d'Asmara) sur la mer
Rouge. La semaine derniere, les Erythreens ont lance une offensive
pour reconquerir les positions perdues.   (La Croix, France, 28
juin 1999)

* Ethiopia/Eritrea. Renewed bombing  -  28 June: Ethiopia says that
for the second day running it has bombed the airport at the Eritrea
town of Assab, causing extensive damage. A similar assertion made
after the attack was rejected by Eritrea. Meanwhile, fighting is
continuing for a third day on the western Mereb River front. Both
sides say they have beaten off attacks and inflicted thousands of
casualties in these latest clashes in their year-long border war.
Eritrea says it has killed, wounded or captured almost four
thousand Ethiopian soldiers in the last three days; Ethiopia says
almost six thousand Eritrean troops have been put out of action. A
BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa says there's no sigh of an end to
the fighting, but its likely to stop with the onset of the rainy
season due in coming weeks.   (BBC News, 28 June 1999)

* Guinee-Bissau. Prisonniers liberes  -  Le 23 juin, la Guinee-
Bissau a libere 177 prisonniers de guerre, tous de rangs
subalternes, dans un geste de reconciliation. Selon des
responsables, d'autres prisonniers seront liberes les prochains
jours, mais cela ne concernera pas les hauts grades fideles a M.
Vieira, qui sont detenus loin de la capitale.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 24
juin 1999)

* Libye. Gazoduc vers l'Italie  -  Longtemps suspendu pour cause
d'embargo, le projet de gazoduc libyo-italien est maintenant sur
les rails. L'accord vient d'etre finalise entre la societe
italienne ENI et la libyenne NOC. Le gazoduc reliera les gisements
du Sud libyen aux ports de Sabatra ou Zouara, puis a la Sicile. A
partir de la cote, un troncon d'une centaine de kilometres
permettra de raccorder le pipeline au reseau tunisien.   (Jeune
Afrique, France, 29 juin 1999)

* Malawi. Opposition demands unity government  -  The Opposition in
Malawi has called on President Muluzi to consider working with it,
in order to defuse the current upsurge of violence in the wake of
the disputed 15 June elections. Heatherwick Ntaba, political
secretary of the opposition alliance of the Malawi Congress Party
and the Alliance for Democracy, said Muluzi should call for peace
talks among all political parties, and fashion out a working
relationship.   (PANA, Dakar, 29 June 1999)

* Mali. Bamako hosting Third Forum  -  The third forum on
governance in Africa, aimed at entrenching good governance and
peace on the continent in order to ensure sustainable development,
is scheduled to take place from 28 to 30 June in Bamako, officials
announce. The forum, organised by the UNDP and ECA under the UN's
special initiative for Africa, is the result of consultation on
governance in Africa, initiated in July 1997 in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. The second forum, which was held in June 1998 in Accra,
Ghana, focused on accountability and transparency in Africa. The
Bamako meeting will be attended by representatives of African
countries, development partners, NGOs, international organisations
and inter-state organisations.   (PANA, 24 June 1999)

* Maroc/Algerie. Frontieres rouvertes  -  Le 23 juin, le ministre
marocain de l'Interieur, Driss Basri, a evoque sur Radio France
Internationale la prochaine reouverture des frontieres entre son
pays et l'Algerie, fermees depuis 1994. Driss Basri avait eu un
entretien, le 21 juin a Alger, avec le president algerien
Bouteflika, premier contact officiel a haut niveau depuis 1994.  
(Liberation, France, 24 juin 1999)

* Morocco. Permission withdraws  -  Amnesty International says that
the Moroccan government has withdrawn permission for the human
rights group to hold a conference in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
Amnesty delegates had been due to meet in the city in August, the
first time that an Arab state had agreed to host the pressure
group's bi-annual meeting. Amnesty, which has in the past
criticised human rights in Morocco, said it had been given no clear
reason for the cancellation.   (BBC News, 24 June 1999)

* Maroc. Pas de congres d'Amnesty  -  Les autorites marocaines ont
interdit le congres d'Amnesty International qui devait reunir, en
aout a Rabat, quelque 500 delegues de l'organisation venus du monde
entier. La decision a ete transmise verbalement par l'ambassade du
Maroc a Londres, sans donner de raisons officielles. Un
hebdomadaire proche du ministre de l'Interieur indique cependant
que le Maroc deplore qu'Amnesty "tienne a organiser en marge de son
congres des manifestations sur les droits de l'homme chez nous". Le
Sahara et les relations orageuses entre le ministre de l'Interieur
et AI paraissent surtout etre a l'origine de l'interdiction. Le
Maroc refuse de considerer les prisonniers ou les "disparus"
sahraouis comme des detenus politiques.   (D'apres Liberation,
France, 25 juin 1999)

* Mozambique. Mozambique Island  -  28 June: A donor's conference
opens in Maputo on 30 June with the objective of raising an
estimated 40 million US dollars to rehabilitate Mozambique Island,
located off the coast of the northern province of Nampula. The
island was declared a world cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1991.
This amount includes the 11 million US dollars necessary to
rehabilitate the bridge linking the island to the mainland.  
(PANA, 28 June 1999)

* Niger. Parties want separate elections  -  Reports from Niger say
the political parties have rejected a timetable set by the new
government for holding future presidential and legislative
elections. They said they disagreed with a plan to couple the
parliamentary poll with the second round of presidential elections.
A spokesman for the party leaders said MPs should be elected before
the president, so that parties could forge alliances before the
presidential vote. The military government took power in a coup in
April, and immediately pledged a return to civilian government.  
(BBC News, 24 June 1999)

* Nigeria. Seven dead in market riot  -  At least seven people have
been killed in a riot at a cattle market in the Nigerian city of
Ibadan, local media have reported. Dozens of shops and cars are
said to have been destroyed in the riot, which shock the south-
western city on 25 June. The clash between cattle ranchers and
market traders is said to have started when traders found that a
rancher had been released by police after he allegedly killed a
trader in a dispute over a goat. Newspapers say the riot was
between ethnic Yoruba traders and Hausa cattle dealers -- Nigeria's
two largest ethnic group. The Yorubas make up most of Ibadan's
population. The dispute appears to have taken on an ethnic
character as war songs were sung, and traders and ranchers began
attacking one another.   (BBC News, 26 June 1999)

* Nigeria. Nouvelle explosion d'un pipeline  -  Le 25 juin, dans le
sud du Nigeria, quinze personnes ont ete brulees vives dans
l'explosion d'un pipeline alors qu'elles tentaient de siphoner du
carburant. Pour se procurer gratuitement le carburant, ces
personnes avaient sabote la conduite d'Akute-Odo. Une etincelle a
suffi pour provoquer le drame. En octobre dernier, pres de 700
personnes avaient peri brulees vives dans des circonstances
similaires a Atiworo.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 28 juin 1999)

* Nigeria. Assassination attempt  -  The governor of the Nigerian
state of Anambra, in the south east, has ordered an investigation
into the attempted assassination of his deputy. Prince Umedu
Emeka's car was fired on by unknown assailants in the capital Awka,
over the weekend. He escaped unharmed, but his bodyguard was killed
in the attack. Anambra state has been in crisis following a dispute
between the governor and his deputy over the election of a speaker
of the House of Assembly, the election was organised at dawn with
only the governor's supporters present. The deputy has been locked
out of his office since the election. A group of senior political
figures from across the country are going to Anambra to resolve the
crisis. Also Fifteen people have been burned to death by a blazing
fuel from a ruptured oil pipeline. The fire broke out after the
pipeline was deliberately punctured to enable people to drain off
fuel. The affected line runs from Akute to Odo, in south-west
Nigeria. A spokesman for the state-owned company that runs it said
more than one-hundred thousand litres of oil had spilled out. Last
year, about six-hundred people died trying to take fuel from a
ruptured pipeline in another part of Nigeria.   (BBC News, 28 June
1999)

* Nigeria. Code d'ethique  -  Les 42 ministres designes et les 12
conseillers presidentiels approuves jusqu'a ce jour par le Senat
nigerian ont adopte un code de conduite visant a garantir la
probite, la transparence et la responsabilite du gouvernement. Le
code inclut le desinteressement, l'objectivite, l'ouverture,
l'honnetete et le leadership. Il s'ajoute a un code de conduite des
fonctionnaires contenu dans la nouvelle constitution. - D'autre
part, l'Organisation de defense des libertes civiques a invite le
gouvernement a ratifier la convention des Nations unies contre la
torture, et a demande que toute personne inculpee pour faits de
torture soit traduite en justice.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 28 juin 1999)

* Rwanda. La dette  -  Le FMI, selon un porte-parole, a commence
une analyse detaillee de l'economie et de l'endettement du Rwanda,
et s'attend que le pays puisse voir sa dette allegee notablement au
titre de l'initiative en faveur des pays pauvres lourdement
endettes. L'economie rwandaise s'est bien comportee ces deux
dernieres annees. Le FMI n'a pas precise la mesure exacte de
l'allegement prevu de la dette, mais d'apres des responsables de la
campagne internationale Jubile 2000, le Rwanda pourrait voir le
service de sa dette allege de la moitie aux deux tiers.   (D'apres
IRIN, Nairobi, 29 juin 1999)

* Senegal. Casamance: vers la negociation  -  Le 25 juin, a l'issue
d'une rencontre dans la capitale gambienne Banjul, les
independantistes du Mouvement des forces democratiques de Casamance
(MFDC) ont affirme leur "determination a aller a la table des
negociations". L'abbe Diamacoune, le chef historique du MFDC s'est
felicite de la volonte exprimee par le president senegalais de
parvenir a la paix et a affirme "la determination du MFDC de voir
la Casamance retrouver la paix par le silence total des armes". La
revendication d'independance, probleme central, ne figure pas dans
la resolution finale. La mouvement pose toutefois comme prealable
aux negociations la liberte de circulation pour son secretaire
general et exige le retrait immediat des forces militaires
senegalaises qui n'etaient pas presentes avant le declenchement de
la lutte armee.   (D'apres Liberation, France, 28 juin 1999)

* Senegal. Greve generale  -  Le 28 juin, les travailleurs
senegalais ont fait une premiere journee de greve generale, prevue
pour 48 heures, decidee par l'ensemble des syndicats apres l'echec
de negociations pour une augmentation des salaires et des
allocations familiales, la retraite a 60 ans et la creation d'une
caisse nationale d'assurance-maladie. La greve semble avoir ete
bien suivie, surtout a Dakar.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29
juin 1999)
* Senegal. General strike  -  Trade unions officials in Senegal
have called for a two-day strike beginning today (28 June). The
move follows a breakdown in negotiations with the government and
employers over pay and welfare. The unions are seeking wage rises,
tax cuts and a legal retirement age of sixty. They also want a
national security fund to be set up and family benefits enhanced.
A government statement said employers had already agreed to pay
rises in some sectors, and the government had an open mind to help
reach a consensus with the unions. The same day it was reported
that all flights in and out od Dakar's international airport have
been cancelled. 29 June: Some Senegalese trade unions called off
their two-day general strike on 29 June, after a meeting between
employers' representatives, five trade unions and the Senegalese
government, ending with the signing of a protocol agreement in
Dakar. Three of the unions rejected the accord.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 30 June 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Worse than Kosovo  -  The United Nation Human
Rights commissioner Mary Robinson has said the scale of human
rights abuses in Sierra Leone is greater than in Kosovo. On a visit
to the West African state, she said the international community
must act to stop the killing and torture. As her helicopter arrived
in the capital, Freetown, nearby streets were thronged with
displaced civilians who had fled rebel atrocities in rural areas.
Many of them showed terrible wounds or had limbs hacked off.
Mrs.Robinson said she wanted to emphasise the need for justice and
stressed that her visit was not a one-off trip but part of a
greater commitment to Sierra Leone by the international community.
she said it was for others to judge whether the world was
exercising double standards by reacting firmly to Kosovo, while
paying less attention to Sierra Leone. Mary Robinson's visit
coincided with a report saying atrocities committed in Sierra Leone
were among the worst violations of human rights in the world.  
(BBC News, 25 June 1999)

* Sierra Leone. La paix apres les atrocites  -  L'organisation
Human Rights Watch a publie le 25 juin un rapport accablant sur les
exactions commises en Sierra Leone par le Front revolutionnaire uni
(RUF), sous le titre "Rester impunis malgre des meurtres, des
mutilations et des viols". Le rapport detaille les atrocites
commises par le mouvement rebelle et appelle la communaute
internationale et le gouvernement sierra-leonais a traduire les
responsables en justice, alors que des negociations entre les
belligerants sont en cours sur un partage du pouvoir. Le
gouvernement et le RUF ont cependant convenu qu'il etait necessaire
que les negociations en cours etablissent des mecanismes propres a
garantir que toutes les personnes qui se sont rendues coupables des
violations les plus graves soient traduites en justice et punies
conformement au droit national et international. - Le 25 juin
aussi, le Haut Commissaire des Nations unies pour les droits de
l'homme, Mme Robinson, a l'issue d'une visite de deux jours au
pays, a declare que, les pourparlers de paix a Lome etant arrives
a un stade crucial, le soutien de la communaute internationale a la
Sierra Leone etait vital pour aider le pays a surmonter le
traumatisme des atrocites recentes. - Le 27 juin, on apprenait que
le gouvernement et la rebellion avaient conclu un accord, ouvrant
la voie au retour de la paix. Une derniere proposition du president
Kabbah d'accorder au RUF quatre postes de ministres et quatre de
vice-ministres aurait ete acceptee par les representants du RUF. 28
juin. Les negociateurs du RUF se sont rendus au Liberia pour
consulter les commandants rebelles sur le terrain pour determiner
s'ils accepteront l'accord de paix, dont on ne connait pas les
details.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 juin 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Rebels agree peace accord  -  Reports from Togo say
Sierra Leonean rebels -- who have been fighting a civil war for
eight years -- have reached a peace agreement with the government.
Rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) have been seeking a
power-sharing arrangement in a government of national unity during
month-long talks in Togo. The negotiations had become deadlocked
over the number of cabinet positions being offered to the rebels
and the period of a transitional administration. Mediators at the
talks are believed to have convinced the government to increase the
offer from three to seven ministerial posts -- four at cabinet
level and three deputies. Togo, which chairs the Economic Community
of West African States, brokered the talks.   (BBC News, 28 June
1999)

* Sierra Leone. Agreement near  -  28 June: Negotiators meeting in
Togo say they have come to an agreement ending eight years of civil
war in Sierra Leone. Part of the peace accord calls for a special
Mineral Resources Commission including two members of the RUF. One
of the two commissioners would be rebel leader Foday Sankoh.  
(CNN, 29 June 1999)

* Afrique du Sud. Discours sur l'etat de la Nation  -  Le 25 juin,
dans son premier discours sur l'etat de la Nation, le nouveau
president sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a expose son objectif d'une
Afrique du Sud plus "humaine" et moins en proie au crime, a la
pauvrete et aux inegalites. Il a aussi promis un role actif de
l'Afrique du Sud sur le continent, en contribuant de toutes les
facons possibles a la resolution des conflits et a la renaissance
africaine. Dans ce cadre, il a predit une retraite active pour son
predecesseur, Nelson Mandela.   (La Libre Belgique, 26 juin 1999)

* South Africa. Swissair to take SAA stake  -  President Thabo
Mbeki of South Africa signalled his determination to speed economic
reforms with an unexpectedly swift announcement that Swissair had
won the bidding for 20% of South African Airways (SAA) for R1.4bn
($235m). Mr.Mbeki said in a speech opening parliament that the
partial privatisation of the airline was only one of several
economic transactions he wanted to complete in the first few months
of his administration. He said discussions on which company would
run a national lottery would be completed within 14 days, and the
government would finalise talks with neighbouring Mozambique on a
proposed gas pipeline from Mozambique gas fields to South Africa.
Mr.Mbeki's priority is to boost economic growth in post-apartheid
South Africa and revive the country, plagued by poverty and
warfare, with an "African Renaissance".   (Financial Times, U.K.,
28 june 1999)

* Afrique du Sud. L'or du FMI  -  Le plan du Fonds monetaire
international de vendre une partie de sa reserve d'or pour financer
une remise de la dette des pays les plus pauvres, provoque
l'inquietude des pays producteurs d'or. Pour l'Afrique du Sud en
particulier, cette vente risque d'avoir des consequences graves. Le
syndicat des mineurs NUM prevoit qu'elle provoquerait la perte de
100.000 emplois. Selon le sous-secretaire du NUM, Archie Palena,
200.000 Sud-Africains seraient meme touches par cette vente. Le
directeur de la mine AngloGold et le president du NUM sont alles a
Washington pour avertir le FMI des dangers de leur plan. Le 23
juin, le gouvernement ghaneen avait egalement declare que la
decision du FMI pourrait avoir un effet devastateur pour les pays
producteurs d'or, qui souffrent deja de la recente chute des cours
mondiaux et ne pourraient supporter une nouvelle chute des prix.  
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 juin 1999)

* Afrique du Sud. Des troupes sud-africaines en RDC  -  Le
president sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a officiellement annonce
mercredi 30 juin que des troupes sud-africaines seront envoyees en
RDC , en cas de cessez-le-feu et d'un accord de paix issu des
negociations de Lusaka. "Le gouvernement prendra toutes les mesures
pour s'assurer que tout deploiement de nos troupes soit
correctement gere", a precise le president sud-africain sans donner
de details sur les modalites de la contribution sud-africaine.
Selon les experts de l'Institut sud-africain d'etudes de securite
(ISS), l'application d'un cessez-le-feu en RDC pourrait necessiter
une force de paix forte de 25.000 a 30.000 soldats pour au moins 12
mois. Le cout d'un tel deploiement avoisinerait les 1,6 milliard de
dollars. Si des troupes sud-africaines sont envoyees en RDC, ce
serait la premiere participation de l'Afrique du Sud post-apartheid
a un conflit international sur le continent.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 30 juin 1999)

* Soudan. Menaces sur les ecoles catholiques  -  Les ecoles
catholiques de l'archidiocese de Khartoum sont de nouveau dans le
collimateur des autorites soudanaises. Le gouverneur local a
declare: "Les etudiants qui frequentent les ecoles catholiques
perdent leur temps; ils ont un niveau scolaire au-dessous des
standards exiges par le gouvernement. Il s'impose donc une
intervention resolutive". Depuis quelque temps, on est en train de
programmer la demolition des instituts catholiques dans la banlieue
de la capitale, formellement ordonnee par le plan d'urbanisme.
L'objectif reel est l'integration des etudiants dans les nouvelles
ecoles du gouvernement financees par des organismes missionnaires
islamiques.   (Misna, Italie, 28 juin 1999)

* Sudan. Catholic schools threatened  -  The news agency MISNA
reports that the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Khartoum
have been targeted once again by the Sudanese authorities. The
local governor is reported as saying: "All students of Catholic
schools waste too much time and have failed to achieve the
scholastic standards required by the government. Drastic measures
are therefore necessary". The main concern is that many Catholic
schools, such as those of Jebel Aulia, Mayo and Kalaklat, risk
being closed at any moment.   (MISNA, Rome, 28 June 1999)

* Tanzania. Refugees flood into the country  -  There has been a
sudden upsurge of refugees into Tanzania from Congo RDC. The exodus
has been prompted by the deteriorating situation in the province of
South Kivu. The UNHCR says civilians are being caught up in
fighting not only between the rebels and pro-government Mai Mai
fighters, but also between different Mai Mai factions. It says the
stream of refugees into Tanzania is probably the most regular flow
of refugees anywhere in Africa at the moment.   (BBC News, 29 June
1999)

* Uganda. UK envoy appeals on referendum  -  The British High
Commissioner to Uganda, Mr.Michael Cook, has said political parties
should be allowed to organise and canvass for support in the forth
coming referendum. He was meeting the Young Parliamentary
Association on the referendum and the Great Lakes region. The
meeting was chaired by Naome Kabasharira (Woman, Ntungamo). Cook
was flanked by his deputy Philip Rouse and the Third Secretary-in-
charge of Political/Press and Public Relations, Simon Bond. He
said, "It is important for political parties to be given a proper
platform to explain their cause before the referendum. People
should not be deprived of the right to determine how they want to
be ruled in future". The debate on the Referendum Bill in
Parliament started this week. The committee on legal and
parliamentary affairs chaired by Wandera Ogalo had recommended that
the Political Organisations Bill precede the one on the referendum.
The report also recommended that the government should fund and
facilitate all sides to canvass for support in the referendum.  
(The New Vision, Uganda, 25 June 1999)

* Zimbabwe. Constitution confrontation  -  The Zimbabwe
government's Constitutional Commission began its meetings on 18
June, amid appeals for donors funding and signs of haste. On the
same day, the non-government National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
opened its first national convention. The NCA, 18 months after its
launching, filled the hall at the sports complex in Harare's
dormitory city of Chitungwiza, without the feared interruption by
the ruling ZANU (PF's) youth wing or the police, but with a lot of
militant rhetoric. The grassroots participants form all over the
country and from all the mushrooming opposition parties, decided to
continue on the course on which the NCA had already set out, namely
a process of consulting as widely as possible on the shape of a new
constitution? this will require a considerable educational effort
before the public can feel confident in the value of their own
conclusions. People are dissatisfied with the way the present
constitution has been amended, 15 times in 19 years, often merely
to overrule the courts when they have used their power to restrict
the use of the President's executive powers. However, they are
aware they need some help to understand the possibilities for
change and its modalities.   (Magari Madebvu, Zimbabwe, 24 June
1999)