weekly anb04195.txt #7

[anb-bia <anb-bia at village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 19-04-2000      PART #5/7

* Morocco. Human rights  -  16 April: The UN Commissioner for Human
Rights, Mary Robinson, has launched the Arab world's first centre
for human rights training and information in the Moroccan capital,
Rabat. The half-a-million dollar centre, jointly funded by the
Moroccan Ministry for Human Rights and the United Nations, will
train prion warders, judges, policemen and teachers. Speaking at
the inaugural ceremony, Mrs Robinson said the centre reflected what
she called Morocco's remarkable evolution on human rights. "It
reflects the determination of Morocco to make substantial progress,
and there is a willingness to reach out to victims of human rights
violations", Mrs Robinson said. 17 April: The government has begun
compensating people who were unjustly imprisoned in detention camps
during the reign of King Hassan II. The first victims to receive
compensation were 40 people, mainly political opponents of the late
king, who had been detained in the hard labour camp at Tazmamart,
in the Atlas Mountains.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 April 2000)

* Maroc. Dirigeants de la TV limoges  -  Le directeur general de la
deuxieme chaine de television publique marocaine "M2", Larbi
Belarbi, a ete limoge, en compagnie du directeur des programmes,
Mustapha Mellouk, et du redacteur en chef, Mohammed Mamad, a
annonce le 17 avril le ministre de la communication Mohamed Larbi
Messari sur la premiere chaine RTM. Lors d'une revue de presse du
14 avril, un journaliste avait presente la "une" sur le Sahara
occidental de l'hebdomadaire Le Journal, interdit le lendemain sur
decision du Premier ministre pour avoir publie un entretien avec le
president du Polisario, Mohammed Abdelaziz.   (La Croix, France, 19
avril 2000)

* Nigeria. Tension in Ogoniland  -  In a Press Release issued on 13
April, Amnesty International says that violence may be returning to
Ogoniland, south-east Nigeria. the organisation has received
reports that police shot dead at least one person -- possibly more
-- and burned down homes. More police have been sent into the area
and access to journalists is barred. (...) "It is clear that
pressure from some local authorities to invite Shell's involvement
in a development project in the oil-rich Gokana local government
area, has aroused tensions between local residents and those
employed on, or profiting from the project".   (Amnesty
International, 13 April 2000)

* Nigeria. Jet controversy -- Part 2  -  (Editor's note: Cf: the
Weekly News, 13 April for part 1 of this story). President Olusegun
Obasanjo returned home on 17 April from a week-long foreign trip on
a commercial flight, into a national controversy provoked by his
request for a new jet to replace the ageing one in the presidential
fleet. Obasanjo was obliged to travel to Havana, Cuba last week on
a British Airways flight to attend the G-77 summit, following the
rejection of that request by the parliament. This was after he had
declined, for reasons of national pride, an offer by Cuban leader
Fidel Castro, to fly a Cuban plane to the summit. Obasanjo had
informed Nigeria's federal legislature that the 20-year-old Boeing
727 aircraft in his fleet had not only aged, but had fallen into
the category of planes banned from over-flying European and
American airspace from the beginning of April because of its high
noise level. In turning down Obasanjo's request, the National
Assembly cited economic reasons, and instead approved money for him
to refurbish the old jet. But the public show made of the
President's departure, by the state-run Nigerian Television
Authority, where he was shown with his wife boarding the commercial
flight, has evoked mixed reactions in the country. Parliamentarians
have slammed the television footage as a propaganda stunt, designed
to blackmail the National Assembly, a charge denied by the
presidency. (...) Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigeria's former foreign
minister, says the "tug-of-war" between the executive and
legislature is unnecessary. According to him, "Nigeria can afford
a new presidential jet," so there was no point going for a
"tokunbo" or refurbished one. To worsen matters, some
parliamentarians have alleged that the 80-million US dollar price
quoted by the presidency for the proposed aircraft may have been
inflated by up to 30 million dollars. Presidential spokesman Doyin
Okupe has promptly denied this allegation, explaining that his
boss, an avowed anti-corruption crusader, would not support any
deal that is not above board.   (Paul Ejime, PANA, 17 April 2000)

* Rwanda. Membres d'une secte arretes  -  Dix membres d'une secte
basee au nord du Rwanda, denommee Minevam, ont ete emprisonnes dans
la prefecture de Byumba, a rapporte le 12 avril l'agence de presse
rwandaise RNA. Le commandant de la police de Byumba a declare que
les fideles avaient ete arretes a cause de leur "mode de
fonctionnement illegal". Certains d'entre eux sont convaincus que
Dieu arrivera bientot, et des eleves ont abandonne l'ecole,
d'autres ont quitte leur emploi, selon RNA. La secte aurait heberge
des gens de differentes regions du Rwanda et de l'Ouganda, sans en
informer les autorites locales, en contravention avec la loi. Le
ministre rwandais de la Justice, M. Mucyo, a declare que "les
sectes religieuses non enregistrees ne doivent pas etre autorisees
a fonctionner parce que ce sont ces memes sectes qui propagent des
enseignements douteux bases sur le profit personnel".   (IRIN,
Nairobi, 13 avril 2000)

* Rwanda. L'Onu reconnait sa responsabilite  -  Le 14 avril, le
Conseil de securite de l'Onu a reconnu sa responsabilite dans la
faillite des Nations unies a empecher le genocide au Rwanda de
800.000 Tutsi et Hutu moderes au printemps 1994. "L'ensemble de la
communaute internationale doit reconnaitre sa part de
responsabilite", a dit l'ambassadeur des Pays-Bas, Peter van
Walsum. La faillite de l'Onu en general, du Conseil de securite et
des grandes puissances en particulier, a prevenir et a arreter le
genocide a ete mise en lumiere dans le rapport d'une commission
d'enquete independante, dirigee par l'ancien Premier ministre
suedois Ingvar Carlsson. Les membres du Conseil se sont engages a
faire plus et mieux pour eviter de nouveaux massacres a grande
echelle, en particulier en Afrique centrale.   (Liberation, France,
15 avril 2000)

* Rwanda. UN admits failure  -  The UN Security Council has
explicitly accepted responsibility for the failure to prevent the
1994 genocide in Rwanda. In the first formal response to a report
critical of the UN's role, Council members acknowledged its main
finding that their governments lacked the political will to stop
the massacres. At a Council debate, the Canadian Foreign Minister
said none present could look back without remorse and sadness at
the failure to help the people of Rwanda in their time of need.  
(BBC News, 15 April 2000)

* Rwanda. Choosing a new President  -  16 April: Rwanda's
government and parliament meet tomorrow to choose a new President
following the resignation last month of Pasteur Bizimungu. The
choice of candidates is between acting President Paul Kagame and
Defence Minister Charles Muligande. Both men hold senior positions
in the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which has dominated Rwandan
politics since the genocide of 1994. 17 April: Paul Kagame is
elected President, winning an overwhelming mandate from government
ministers and parliamentarians who voted in a secret ballot. He
beat the rival candidate, Charles Muligande by 81 votes to 5.  
(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 17 April 2000)

* Rwanda. Kagame president  -  Le 17 avril, les membres du
Parlement et du gouvernement reunis ont elu a la presidence de la
Republique rwandaise Paul Kagame, avec 81 voix contre 5 en faveur
de Charles Muligande. M. Kagame, 42 ans, confirme ainsi son statut
de numero un du regime dont il a ete l'homme fort pendant six ans.
Conformement a la loi fondamentale, il va devoir demissionner de
l'Armee patriotique rwandaise et abandonner le ministere de la
Defense qu'il occupait depuis 1994; mais en tant que chef de
l'Etat, il est automatiquement commandant en chef de l'armee. Le
nouveau president devrait preter serment le 22 avril. Il deviendra
alors le premier president tutsi du Rwanda depuis l'independance.
Le nouveau chef de l'Etat aura d'immenses defis a relever. Le
Rwanda n'est pas encore pacifie. Les evictions repetees d'hommes
politiques hutu depuis 1994 temoignent de l'incapacite de l'equipe
dirigeante a oeuvrer aune reconciliation avec la classe politique
qui n'a pas ete melee au genocide.   (D'apres La Libre Belgique, 18
avril 2000)

* Rwanda. Mgr Misago  -  La derniere phase du proces de Mgr Misago,
deja renvoyee du 12 au 17 avril a la demande de la partie civile,
a ete une nouvelle fois reportee a la demande du president de la
Chambre specialisee sur le genocide du tribunal de Nyamirambo, pour
raisons de "disponibilite". La prochaine audience a ete fixee au 24
avril prochain, jour ou commenceront le requisitoire et les
plaidoiries, qui prendront plusieurs jours. Mgr Misago, 57 ans, qui
souffre depuis des annees d'hypertension, est affecte depuis une
semaine par un oedeme, des problemes de circulation du sang au
niveau des membres inferieurs.   (D'apres l'agence Hirondelle,
Arusha, 17 avril 2000)

Weekly anb0419 - end of part 5/7