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TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: anb-
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_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 21-12-1999      PART #1/ 

Nota bene 
^^^^^^^^^^
==> Ceci est le dernier envoi des Weekly News avant la Noel. Le
prochain envoi aura lieu apres le 5 janvier 2000.
Nos voeux les meilleurs a tous nos lecteurs pour une bonne fete de
Noel et une nouvelle annee 2000 de paix

==>> The next Weekly News will be dispatched after 5th January 2000
A very happy Christmas and our best wishes for the New Year 2000

***********************************************************
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* Africa. Italy to pay for new AIDS centre  -  The Italian
government has agreed to finance a new centre to combat AIDS in
Africa. The project, which will cost $60 million over the next four
years, is aimed at dealing with the high cost of treating AIDS in
the African continent. One of the discoverers of the HIV virus,
which leads to AIDS, Professor Luc Montagnier, said the new scheme
would follow a cost-effective maintenance treatment which combats
the disease by stimulating the affected person's immune system. the
news AIDS centre will be based in Mozambique.   (BBC News, 16
December 1999)

* Africa. African Nations Cup  -  The 22nd edition of the African
Nations Cup, co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, kicks off in Accra,
Ghana, on 22 January 2000. The final game will be in Lagos, Nigeria
on 13 February 2000. The opening game will feature Ghana vs
Cameroon. The accent will be firmly placed on quality as the
competition breaks new ground with the introduction of co-hosting
shared between Ghana and Nigeria. There are four venues: Accra and
Kumasi in Ghana; Lagos and Kano in Nigeria. The Groups are as
follows: Group A: (Accra) -- Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo.
Group B: (Kumasi) -- South Africa, Congo RDC, Gabon. Algeria. Group
C: (Kano) -- Egypt, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Senegal. Group D: (Lagos)
-- Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Congo-Brazza.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels,
17 December 1999)

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Angola: On 10 December,
police forced two weekly independent newspapers to drop their cover
stories which criticised the government's use of oil revenues to
fund the civil war in Angola. The papers are: Folha 8 and Agora.
The Supreme Court is to decide whether the case against journalist
Rafael Marques, who is accused of defaming the President, is to
proceed. Congo RDC: On 10 December, the organisation Journalists in
Danger (JED), launched its 1999 report on the state of press
freedom in Congo RDC. The report stated that in 1999, a good number
of liberties were curtailed, with the war often used as an excuse.
There were many violations of press freedom. The same organisation
reported that in a second letter to the State Prosecutor, dated 13
December, JED had condemned the fact that Polycarpe Honsek Hokwoy,
editor of the weekly La Solidarite remains imprisoned. On 14
December, JED reported that journalist Mbakulu had appeared before
the Court of Military Order the same day. Guinea: In a letter to
the Security Minister, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) has
protested the arrest on 15 December, of Saliou Samb, editor-in-
chief of the newspaper L'Independant Plus in Conakry. Mozambique:
On 8 December, two reporters from the Noticias newspaper were
assaulted by some 100 polling station monitors in Maputo.   (ANB-
BIA, Brussels, 18 December 1999)

* Africa. Britain ends Third World Debt  -  Britain is to write off
all debts owed by the world's most impoverished countries, the
British Chancellor Gordon Brown will announce in the coming days.
The Chancellor wants to kick-start the international drive to get
much needed financial help flowing to more than two dozen countries
by the end of next year. Despite a ground-breaking initiative by
wealthy countries in the autumn to write off more than 60 billion
pounds sterling owed by 41 Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC),
not one has seen its payments reduced. What the Chancellor is
saying is that once any of these countries starts receiving help
from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund under the
HIPC scheme, all its debts to Britain will be scrapped. Mr Brown is
to call for four countries -- Uganda, Mozambique, Bolivia and
Mauritania -- to be fast tracked so they can qualify for HIPC
relief by the end of January, for 11 to be included by Easter and
for at least 26 to qualify by the end of next year.   (The
Guardian, U.K., 18 December 1999)

* Afrique. Remise de la dette par Paris et Londres  -  Durant le
week-end du 18-19 decembre, la France et la Grande-Bretagne ont
annonce qu'elles remettront la dette d'un certain nombre des pays
les plus pauvres. Selon une communication du ministere francais de
l'Economie et des Finances, Paris remettrait, durant les deux
annees a venir, quelque 40 milliards de FF dont beneficieraient 28
pays. Le ministre britannique des Finances a declare que Londres
remettrait les dettes d'au moins 25 pays, pour plusieurs centaines
de millions de livres sterling. Pour certains pays, il s'agirait
d'une remise de la totalite de leur dette. Paris et Londres
voudraient ainsi concretiser et relancer la decision du G7 de juin
dernier concernant la dette des pays les plus pauvres.   (D'apres
De Standaard, Belgique, 20 decembre 1999)

* Africa. Amnesty International  -  On 17 December, Amnesty
International issued two News Releases: Liberia: Amnesty
International said the detention and prosecution for sedition of
James Torh, a Liberian human rights defender, violates the
fundamental right to freedom of expression. Police arrested James
Torh -- the executive director of Forerunners of Universal Rights
for Growth and Development -- on 15 December in Monrovia. Women: On
the 20th anniversary of The Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women, Amnesty International said
it is time to take women's human rights seriously. The organisation
said that "despite the commitment to achieve universal ratification
of The Women's Convention by the year 2000 -- made by governments
in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women -- many countries,
including the USA have not yet ratified the Convention".   (ANB-
BIA, Brussels, 21 December 1999)

* East Africa. Weevils in Lake Victoria  -  Scientists are claiming
a success against water hyacinth that was choking the economic life
from Lake Victoria. Weevils released three years ago by Kenya,
Uganda and Tanzania, are said to have wiped out 60% of the water
hyacinth on Lake Victoria. While other methods of control such as
physical removal are still being used, the weevils are said to be
the most effective. After Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania finally agreed
a joint approach, weevils were imported from South Africa,
Australia and West Africa.   (BBC News, 16 December 1999)

* Famine. "Cliquer" pour la faire reculer...  -  Radio Vatican a
signale a ses auditeurs que le Programme mondial contre la faim des
Nations unies a ouvert un site, maintenant visite par un million de
personnes par jour. Il s'agit du "hungersite" (www.hungersite.com),
sur lequel des sponsors s'engagent a faire parvenir de la
nourriture a des pays ou les populations souffrent et meurent de la
faim, a chaque fois que vous "cliquez". Toutes les 3,6 secondes,
une personne meurt de faim dans le monde. Trois fois sur quatre, il
s'agit d'un enfant de moins de cinq ans. Or, les richesses du monde
sont largement suffisantes pour nourrir toute la population
actuelle, mais elles sont inegalement reparties. Souvent, les
particuliers se sentent impuissants. Le Programme des Nations unies
propose aujourd'hui aux internautes de venir cliquer sur le site de
la faim, une fois par jour: a chaque fois, les sponsors s'engagent
a payer 2,5 tasses de nourriture aux populations affamees. Les
ressources ainsi degagees reviennent a 100% au Programme des
Nations unies. -- Pour sa part, dans son Message pour la Journee
mondiale de la paix, le 1er janvier 2000, le pape Jean-Paul II
invite a "trouver des solutions definitives au vieux probleme de la
dette internationale des pays pauvres, en garantissant en meme
temps les financements necessaires a la lutte contre la faim, la
malnutrition, les maladies, l'analphabetisme, et la deterioration
de l'environnement".   (D'apres Zenit, Italie, 20 decembre 1999)

* Algerie. L'AIS rend les armes  -  Les premiers groupes de l'Armee
islamique du salut (AIS) a se rendre aux forces de securite
devaient quitter le 16 decembre, et au plus tard le 17, leurs
differents campements dans la region du Jijel, a 360 km a l'est
d'Alger. Ces premiers groupes seraient composes de 200 a 300
elements (femmes, enfants, personnes agees et blesses) et d'une
quarantaine de membres des GIA qui ont rejoint la treve decretee en
octobre 1997 par l'AIS. Selon le quotidien El Watan, il est prevu
que d'autres elements de l'AIS, aptes a participer a la lutte
antiterroriste, se rendent avant la fin du ramadan et soient
cantonnes dans les camps eriges pres des casernes. Toujours avant
la fin du mois de jeune, Madani Mezrag, le chef de l'AIS, devrait
rendre publique une declaration dans laquelle il annonce la
dissolution de son organisation dans le but d'eviter que d'autres
parlent en son nom. - Le 17 decembre, une des branches du FIS
installee a l'etranger a exhorte les combattants de l'AIS a ne pas
s'engager aux cotes de l'armee algerienne pour combattre les
groupes armes qui persistent dans leur refus du projet de "concorde
civile".   (AP, 16-17 decembre 1999)

* Algerie. Massacres et menaces  -  A Alger, la tension est montee
d'un cran apres l'annonce de menaces de mort recues par des
personnalites du clan des "reconciliateurs" (pour la paix), comme
l'avocat Ali-Yayia Abdennour, president de la Ligue algerienne de
defense des droits de l'homme, l'ex-Premier ministre Mouloud
Hamrouche ou encore l'ancien chef de la diplomatie Taleb Ibrahimi.
- Le 16 decembre, quinze personnes ont ete assassinees et plusieurs
autres blesses en debut de soiree, lors de la rupture de jeune, par
un groupe terroriste a Bou Ismail, une localite cotiere a 60 km a
l'ouest d'Alger.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 decembre 1999)

* Algerie. Nouveau parti islamiste  -  Le 17 decembre a Alger,
l'ancien ministre des Affaires etrangeres, Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi a
ete elu president du mouvement pro-islamiste Wafa (Fidelite), qu'il
avait fonde apres l'election presidentielle d'avril. Il a ete
designe a l'unanimite par les delegues presents au congres
constitutif du parti. Candidat a l'election presidentielle d'avril,
M. Taleb Ibrahimi devrait recuperer une partie des anciens
militants et des sympathisants de l'ex-Front islamique du salut
(FIS).   (Le Monde, France, 20 decembre 1999)

* Angola. Attaques a partir de la Namibie  -  Selon des temoins
oculaires, l'armee angolaise attaque les positions de l'Unita en
Angola a partir de la Namibie. La semaine derniere, Luanda avait
demande l'appui de la Namibie dans sa campagne contre l'Unita et
celle-ci lui a permis d'utiliser ses aeroports. Certains analystes
craignent que cet appui namibien fasse encore s'etendre le conflit
dans la region. Cependant, un diplomate occidental a declare a
l'agence Reuters que, selon lui, l'affaiblissement de l'Unita
augmentait les chances d'une paix negociee.   (D'apres De
Standaard, Belgique, 20 decembre 1999)

* Angola/Namibia. Angolan war spills into Namibia  -  Angola's
border with Namibia has seen increased military activity in the
last week, with Angolan Government troops operating from bases in
both countries to try to stop UNITA rebels from leaving Angolan
territory. Since 14 December, more than 10 civilians have been
killed and one Namibian soldier shot dead by UNITA troops inside
Namibia. The Namibian Government recently stepped up assistance to
Angola by calling on its own troops to fight alongside the Angolan
army. Other reports say that Angolan government troops who swept
through a rural area along the Namibia-Angola border, left in their
wake burned huts and the bodies of men who had apparently been
executed.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 December 1999)

* Burkina Faso. Responsables du collectif inculpes  -  Le 15
decembre a Ouagadougou, six membres du bureau du collectif des
organisations democratiques de masse et de partis politiques (qui
a organise les manifestations lors de l'anniversaire de la mort de
Norbert Zongo, ndlr.) ont ete inculpes pour appel a la sedition des
forces armees. Ils avaient ete interpelles le 3 decembre, suite a
la signature d'une declaration jugee par le pouvoir comme etant un
appel a la sedition, alors que pour les signataires le texte etait
une invitation au respect des droits et libertes par les forces de
l'ordre. Les directeurs de publication des differents journaux
ayant publie la declaration ont ete egalement interpelles. Le
proces des six leaders politiques doit s'ouvrir le 27 decembre.  
(PANA, 16 decembre 1999)

* Burundi. Mass resettlements "right for security"  -  17 December:
The government in Burundi has restated its belief in a programme of
mass relocations of people in the west of the country which has
been strongly criticised by the UN and the EU. A spokesman for the
Burundian military said that camps now holding more than 300,000
people had been set up at the request of the local population, who
wanted protection from violence and intimidation by rebel groups.
the government says the camps will be dismantled and the people
allowed to return home when the rebel threat has been eliminated
and security restored to the western region of Bujumbura Rural.  
(BBC News, 17 December 1999)

* Burundi. Assassinats a Bujumbura  -  Le 17 decembre, le dirigeant
de la Caritas diocesaine d'Uvira (RDC), M. Armand Thamba Vangu, a
ete tue vers 13h a Bujumbura, alors qu'il entrait au Centre
culturel francais. Les agresseurs, dont on ignore l'identite, ont
ouvert le feu a partir d'une voiture. On ne connait pas les raisons
de l'attentat. - Le 20 decembre a Bujumbura, vers 8h du soir, le
depute du Frodebu Gabriel Gisabwamana a ete assassine. Rentrant
chez lui dans le quartier de Gasenyi, a Kamenge, il a ete arrete
devant un barrage militaire. On a entendu des coups de feu.   (ANB-
BIA, de sources diverses, 21 decembre 1999)

* Centrafrique. Mission du FMI  -  Une delegation du Fonds
monetaire international sejourne depuis plusieurs jours a Bangui,
capitale de la RCA, pour une mission destinee a ameliorer les
recettes fiscales du pays. Cette mission est destinee a remettre
aux autorites le rapport du FMI sur les douanes et impots et de
preparer la mise en place d'une taxe sur la valeur ajoutee.   (La
Croix, France, 20 decembre 1999)

* Congo (RDC). Agence de presse privee  -  Alors que l'Agence
congolaise de presse (ACP, gouvernementale), heritiere de l'Agence
zairoise de presse (AZAP), a cesse d'emettre pour des raisons
financieres, un groupe de journalistes professionnels congolais et
etrangers vient de lancer une nouvelle agence de presse congolaise,
privee celle-ci, l'Agence de presse associee (APA). Elle s'est
constituee comme une ONG, dont les journalistes seront payes
lorsqu'il y aura des benefices. L'APA dispose pour l'instant d'une
redaction a Kinshasa et de redacteurs a Lubumbashi et Matadi. Elle
fera parvenir sa production par le biais du reseau Internet.   (La
Libre Belgique, 18 decembre 1999)
* Congo (RDC). Rebels agree on common position  -  Three rival
rebel groups have agreed to speak with one voice during forthcoming
negotiations with President Kabila. However, the three groups --
the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), a splinter group called
the RCD-Liberation Movement, and the Movement for Liberation of
Congo (MLC) -- fell short of banding together into one movement.
Under the peace accord completed in August between Kabila and the
rebels, a national dialogue is to be held, to set a timetable for
democratic elections and discuss how to organize power in Congo
RDC.   (CNN, 20 December 1999)

* Congo (RDC). Liberations et negociations  -  15 decembre. Le
gouvernement de Kinshasa a annonce la liberation de 156 prisonniers
sur ordre du president Kabila. Parmi eux figurent quatre membres de
l'UDPS (parti de Tshisekedi), ainsi que des membres du parti
lumumbiste unifie de Gizenga. D'autre part, les trois mouvements de
rebellion armee sont reunis en Ouganda pour tenter de fusionner ou,
a defaut, d'unifier leur action. - 16 decembre. Une delegation
speciale de la Commission militaire mixte doit se rendre en RDC
pour negocier le desengagement des rebelles qui encerclent 700
militaires zimbabweens et namibiens dans la localite d'Ikela, dans
le centre-nord du pays. - 17 decembre. Sous la pression de
l'Ouganda et du Rwanda, les trois groupes rebelles ont entame a
Kabale (Ouganda) des discussions visant a definir une strategie
commune pour les negociations avec le president Kabila et former
eventuellement une organisation qui serait unie politiquement et
militairement. - 20 decembre. Les trois groupes rebelles n'ont pas
pu s'accorder; ils ont decide d'abandonner l'idee de fusion pour se
rabattre sur celle d'une simple coordination. Un bureau de
coordination devra "discuter les politiques des differents
mouvements et coordonner les actions militaires". Mais meme cet
objectif reduit semble difficile a atteindre. D'autre part, le
president Kabila s'est rendu en Libye, ou il a eu des entretiens
avec le colonel Kadhafi, en sa qualite de coordinateur du processus
de paix dans la region des Grands Lacs.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 21 decembre 1999)

* Guinea-Bissau. Election run-off  -  16 December: The Electoral
Commission says that a run-off in the presidential election will
now be held on 16 January as foreign donors have agreed to pay for
it. The two contenders are the opposition leader Kumba Yalla, who
won the first round in late November, and the interim President,
Malam Bacai Sanha.   (BBC News, 16 December 1999)

* Guinee. Conde detenu depuis un an  -  Ce 17 decembre, cela fait
un an que l'opposant Alpha Conde, ancien candidat aux elections
presidentielles de decembre 1998, se trouve en detention
provisoire. Arrete au lendemain du scrutin, il est accuse de
"tentative de destabilisation du regime". La date du proces n'est
toujours pas fixee. De plus en plus de voix s'elevent pour exiger
sa liberation. Les avocats de M. Conde affirment qu'ils n'ont
toujours pas recu tous les details des charges qui pesent sur lui,
et que ni sa famille ni ses amis n'ont ete autorises a le voir. Les
partis d'opposition guineens et africains denoncent "l'habillage
juridique" du proces, avec le soutien d'Amnesty International. Le
president Lansana Conte invoque le principe de non-ingerence.  
(ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 17 decembre 1999)

* Malawi. Highest road accidents in SADC region  -  Malawi has
recorded the highest rates in road accidents in the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) region, according to official
records. In 1994 alone, according to figures of the Ministry of
Transport and Public Works, Malawi recorded 200 deaths per 10 000
vehicles compared to SADC's average of 33 deaths per 10 000
vehicles and 62 deaths per 10 000 vehicles for sub-Sahara Africa.
Another survey, funded by the European Union in 1995, revealed that
road accidents cost the country's economy US $80,000 every year in
repairs of vehicles, compensation and deaths of economically active
people. In a paper to delegates of a workshop on the negative
impact of road accidents, a World Bank program officer Moffat
Chitimbe said the socio-economic consequences of road accidents in
Malawi were devastating "since they translate into annual cost of
at least two to three per cent of the gross national product (GDP).
The workshop, held in the lakeshore resort district of Mangochi,
suggested that poor law enforcement resulting from corruption among
traffic officers and the Road Traffic Commission personnel were to
blame for the high rates of accidents. The delegates observed that
owners and drivers of unroadworthy vehicles bribe traffic officers
to let them go scot-free while officials from the road traffic
commission accept money to issue roadworthy certificates or
drivers' licenses. The World Bank promised to assist setting up a
road safety project to campaign for road safety via the media to
discourage corruption within the traffic police and road traffic
commission.   (Africa Press Bureau, Johannesburg, 17 Dec. 1999)

* Maroc. Demandes d'indemnisation  -  Plus de 1.800 dossiers ont
ete deposes aupres de la commission d'arbitrage chargee de
l'indemnisation des victimes de la repression au Maroc, a annonce
le ministre des Droits de l'homme le 15 decembre. Creee recemment
par le roi Mohammed VI, cette commission commencera a les examiner
a partir de janvier.   (Liberation, France, 16 decembre 1999)

* Mozambique. Opposition disputes election results  -  17 December:
Mozambique's largest opposition party refuses to recognise
preliminary results from the presidential and parliamentary
elections, that show the president and his ruling party won a
second term. According to the National Elections Committee, the
ruling FRELIMO party won 48.9% of the 3-5 December vote, while a
coalition headed by the opposition RENAMO party received 38.6%. In
the presidential poll, President Chissano had 52% of the
preliminary count, and RENAMO leader Afonso Dhlakama took 48%. The
election commission must decide what to do about 450,000
parliamentary votes that were declared invalid by polling stations
or rejected by counting stations because of mathematical
discrepancies. 20 December: The Electoral Commission says there
will be a delay in the announcement of official election results. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 December 1999)

* Nigeria. Tensions ethniques  -  Le 15 decembre, une organisation
de defense des droits des ethnies haoussa et fulani, le Northern
People's Congress (NPC), a ete officiellement presentee dans la
ville de Kano. Selon M.J., un representant modere de la communaute
musulmane qui a demande de garder l'anonymat, cette organisation
"represente l'enieme menace a la stabilite socio-politique du pays.
Elle est a la recherche d'adherents pour combattre les groupes
ethniques du sud et de s'opposer a une organisation analogue
appartenant a l'ethnie yorouba, l'Odua People's Congress, en grande
partie responsable des affrontements qui ont recemment ensanglante
la peripherie de Lagos". L'objectif du NPC serait de former une
milice populaire. "Avec le retour cette annee de la democratie et
l'election du president Obasanjo, certains lobbies occultes tentent
de destabiliser le pays en utilisant le tribalisme a des fins de
pouvoir et d'argent", a conclu M.J.   (Misna, Italie, 16 decembre
1999)

* Nigeria. Sharia: calmer le jeu  -  Le 15 decembre, les
legislateurs de l'Etat de Kano ont ajourne un debat sur une
proposition d'introduire la sharia, qui rencontre une opposition
croissante parmi les chretiens et les groupes de laics du pays. Ce
projet de loi avait ete enterine la semaine derniere par une
commission mixte. La troisieme et derniere lecture etait prevue
pour le 14 decembre. Mais un membre de l'assemblee a declare que le
gouverneur de l'Etat et d'autres responsables souhaitaient "calmer
le jeu", apres que les dignitaires de la minorite chretienne de
Kano se soient declares preoccupes par le projet. - Par ailleurs,
les femmes du Nigeria ont manifeste leur opposition aux tentatives
de certains Etats d'introduire des lois se presentant comme
musulmanes ou chretiennes. En novembre, des groupes locaux de
defense des droits de l'homme se sont eleves contre l'introduction
de la sharia dans l'Etat de Zamfara et ont menace d'appliquer des
lois chretiennes dans l'Etat de Cross River. Une coalition de
femmes a declare que l'interdiction pour les femmes d'utiliser les
memes transports que les hommes a Zamfara etait une atteinte a
leurs droits. Leurs preoccupations ont recu le soutien de femmes de
pays musulmans qui se sont reunies au Nigeria. - Durant le week-end
du 18-19 decembre, plusieurs centaines de jeunes musulmans armes
ont detruit quatorze eglises dans la ville d'Ilorin, au centre du
Nigeria, heureusement sans faire de victimes, a rapporte la presse
nigeriane.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 21 decembre 1999)

* Rwanda. UN admits failure  -  The United Nations has accepted the
findings of a damning report which accuses it of failing to prevent
the genocide in Rwanda more than five years ago. An independent
inquiry -- headed by former Swedish Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson
-- said the UN had ignored evidence that genocide was planned and
had refused to act once it had started. The inquiry concluded that
the UN should apologise to the Rwandan people. In response, UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed bitter regret and promised
action to prevent another such disaster. The report highlights the
role of Mr Annan who was head of UN peacekeeping at the time,
sharply criticising his failure to act on a warning of the risk of
genocide sent by the head of the UN peacekeepers in Rwanda. It also
criticises Belgium for unilaterally withdrawing its peacekeepers
after the murder of 10 of its soldiers. The inquiry makes a number
of policy recommendations.   (BBC News, 16 December 1999)

* Rwanda. Rapport de l'Onu sur le genocide  -  Apres huit mois de
travaux, la commission d'enquete independante de l'Onu sur le
Rwanda a demande que la communaute internationale presente de
claires excuses au gouvernement de Kigali pour s'etre montre
incapable de prevenir le genocide de 1994. Dans un rapport publie
le 16 decembre, les enqueteurs menes par l'ancien Premier ministre
suedois Ingvar Carlsson, estiment que "la responsabilite pour les
erreurs des Nations unies [...] incombent a differents acteurs, en
particulier le secretaire general, le secretariat, le Conseil de
securite, la Minuar et en large partie des membres de
l'organisation". Un terrible constat d'echec detaille en 61 pages.
Kofi Annan a reconnu cet echec et exprime "son profond remords".  
(Liberation, France, 17 decembre 1999)

* Sahara occidental. Manoeuvres militaires du Polisario  -  Le 19
decembre, le Front Polisario a procede a des manoeuvres miltaires
a Mijik, fief de la 3e region militaire situee a environ 400 km au
sud d'El Ayoun. Selon le commandant de la region, ces manoeuvres
s'inscrivent dans le cadre des preparatifs des combattants
sahraouis pour un retour aux armes si le Maroc persiste dans sa
politique d'obstruction du plan de reglement onusien. Le Polisario
affirme que le grand nombre d'appels presentes a la Minurso par la
partie marocaine ne contribue pas a renforcer la confiance de la
population sahraouie en l'Onu, chargee d'organiser un referendum
libre, juste et impartial. -D'autre part, trois ressortissants
marocains d'origine sahraouie, soupconnes d'intelligence avec le
Polisario, ont ete interpelles par la police marocaine et sont
susceptibles d'etre juges pour atteinte a la surete de l'Etat, a-t-
on appris le 20 decembre. Revelees par l'Association marocaine des
droits de l'homme qui parle "d'enlevements", ces interpellations
ont ete effectuees le 6 decembre dans trois villes du sud: El
Ayoun, Tan-Tan et Agadir.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20
decembre 1999)

* Sierra Leone. Otages liberes  -  Le 16 decembre, deux membres de
Medecins sans frontieres, un Allemand et un Belge, qui avaient ete
enleves il y a plus d'une semaine par des rebelles du Front
revolutionnaire uni (RUF) dans la region diamantifere de l'est du
pays, ont ete liberes. Les deux hommes, un medecin et un
logisticien, avaient ete enleves dans une zone controlee par le
chef de guerre Sam Bockarie, qui conteste les modalites
d'application des accords de desarmement signes entre gouvernement
et rebellion.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 decembre 1999)

* South Africa. Threats to World Cup bid  -  15 December: One of
the most prominent men in South African football has been shot dead
in an attempted car hijacking outside his home in Soweto. Clarence
Mlokoti, 69, died from gunshot wounds after robbers shot him four
times while he was in his car. His killing is the latest in a
series of incidents associated with football in South Africa which
may damage the country's bid to host the World Cup finals in 2006.
Earlier this month, the head of the South African football
association, Joe Ndhlela, was charged with fraud, involving the
alleged disappearance of almost $500,000 from a state-owned
transport company where he once worked. This came at a time when
leading clubs were refusing to play cup matches because of a
dispute over a suspended player. In the midst of the chaos,
supporters of one of the country's leading clubs briefly kidnapped
their team's coach after a string of bad results.   (BBC News, 15
December 1999)

* Sudan. Commentary on "the palace coup"  -  The army general who
took control of Sudan in a coup 10 years ago has reasserted his
authority by dismissing his Islamic fundamentalist mentor as
legislative leader and dismantling the parliament his former ally
was using to challenge him. Interviews with residents of the
capital, Khartoum, indicate widespread public approval of Lt. Gen.
Omar Hassan Bashir's abrupt moves against Hassan Turabi, an
academic who was poised to strip Bashir of much of the power he
holds as self-appointed president. The two men are fighting to lead
the governing National Islamic Front, also called the National
Congress Party, which remains widely unpopular. But given the
choice, most northern Sudanese are said to prefer the military man
who has spent the past year talking up peace in a country that is
politically isolated and deeply weary of a 16-year civil war with
Christian and animist factions of southern Sudan. "There is general
contentment that there has finally been a divorce in the house, but
as in any divorce there's concern about what's going to happen
next," said one Khartoum resident, who asked not to be identified.
"I would say that people are genuinely happy but apprehensive,
because I don't think our friend [Turabi] will go away very
easily." (...) Residents said the streets of Khartoum appeared
normal today, with none of the huge military presence seen earlier
in the week. Local newspapers contained full accounts of the rift,
including Turabi's denunciations of Bashir's actions, which he
called a coup and an assault on "the people's constitution." But
several observers said the momentum appeared to be with Bashir, who
has apparently cemented relationships with at least two prominent
hard-liners formerly allied with Turabi.   (The Washington Post
Company, USA, 14 Dec. 1999)

* Soudan. Reconciliation peu probable  -  Le conflit continue entre
le president El-Bechir et Hassan El-Tourabi, president du Parlement
et du parti au pouvoir, huit jours apres la proclamation de l'etat
d'urgence et la dissolution du Parlement. Le 19 decembre, El-
Tourabi a declare qu'El-Bechir serait exclu du parti en meme temps
que ses partisans si, avant le 27 decembre, il ne revenait pas sur
ses decisions. Soucieux de demontrer que la crise au sein du
pouvoir central n'a pas perturbe le fonctionnement de l'Etat, le
president El-Bechir a annonce que des elections legislatives
auraient lieu vers le milieu de l'an 2000, et a demande a un comite
ad hoc d'engager des consultations sur des amendements
constitutionnels en vue de la reintegration des opposants dans la
vie politique. Au sein de l'opposition, seul l'ancien Premier
ministre Sadek El Mahdi, chef du parti Oumma, a estime que le coup
de force devrait faciliter la reconciliation nationale.   (D'apres
Le Monde, France, 21 decembre 1999)

* Ouganda. La LRA quittera le Soudan  -  Joseph Kony et sept autres
dirigeants de l'Armee de resistance du Seigneur (LRA) quitteront le
Soudan, a rapporte le quotidien ougandais New Vision. L'annonce
fait suite a la rencontre du 8 decembre entre les presidents de
l'Ouganda et du Soudan, qui se sont engages a mettre fin a tout
soutien aux rebelles actifs dans leurs pays respectifs. D'apres le
quotidien, les leaders rebelles seraient encore a Khartoum, en
attente d'etre transferes dans un autre pays dispose a les
accueillir. On se rappelera que les hommes de Kony ont seme la mort
et la destruction ces dernieres annees dans de nombreuses localites
de l'Ouganda septentrional, grace a l'appui logistique soudanais. 
 (Misna, Italie, 16 decembre 1999)

* Uganda/Angola. Ugandan help for UNITA  -  A Human Rights Watch
Report suggests links between Uganda and the Angolan rebel movement
UNITA. A table in the report (issued on 16 December) list 20
aircraft which, during 1998, flew into rebel controlled areas
without giving prior notification. One of the aircraft piloted by
a South African, was leased to the Ugandan airforce in 1998. What
the aircraft was doing that year in UNITA areas remains to be seen.
Another plane which as impounded in Lusaka this year, was also
flown into UNITA areas. Investigations by the author of the report,
Alex Vines, have revealed that senior Ugandan officials are linked
to the plane. Equally intriguing are the four Angolan aircraft at
the top of the list. Two belong to the state-owned oil company
Sonangola and another to the Angolan government.   (BBC News, 16
December 1999)

* Zambia. Burgers and chips  -  Zambia's national football team are
cutting short a tour of the Americas after a humiliating 7-1 defeat
raised questions about the squad's "junk food" diet. The tour was
to have formed part of Zambia's preparations for next month's
Africa Nations' Cup finals in Nigeria and Ghana. But, after their
defeat at the hands of Honduras, the Football Association of Zambia
announced the tour had been called off. The tour has been severely
criticised by the Zambian press who called it a "farce" following
complaints from the squad about food, accommodation and training
facilities. Players repeatedly complained that their training pitch
in Miami was in bad condition and they were fed a diet consisting
mainly of "junk food" hamburgers and chips.   (BBC News, 19
December 1999)

* Zimbabwe. Stark warning for the economy  -  Zimbabwe's foreign
exchange reserves have reportedly dwindled to the point that they
now cover only a few days' imports. A UK Government report which
was leaked to the Financial Times says Zimbabwe's substantial debt
arrears could worsen significantly if its economic policies are not
changed. The report says Zimbabwe registered an outflow of nearly
$430 million between January and October this year, leading to the
desperate shortage of forex.   (BBC News, 16 December 1999)
* Zimbabwe. A defiant Mugabe  -  16 December: A defiant President
Robert Mugabe tells his ZANU-PF convention that he plans to stay in
power "for a long, long time" and blames foreigners -- whom he
compared to the devil -- for wrecking Zimbabwe's economy. Mostly
ignoring a 19-page written speech, the 75-year-old leader berated
foreign banks for suspending loans, saying they created shortages
of gasoline and other imports. He claimed the banks were part of a
conspiracy to sabotage the five-day convention by engineering this
week's gas shortages to prevent delegates from travelling to the
convention. Mugabe also lashed out at Britain for opposing plans to
nationalise farms owned by descendants of British settlers, and
said other foreign governments are trying to use their leverage
against Zimbabwe's national and economic interests. "Beware of the
enemy. His ways are the subtle ways of the devil", Mugabe said in
a two-hour address to party followers. 19 December: At the
convention, President Mugabe vows to seize lands from whites and
not pay them anything for it, as the government had previously
promised. "We have waited long enough and now is the time to take
it back", he said.   (CNN, 16 & 20 December 1999)