Weekly anb05031.txt #5

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 03-05-2001      PART #1/5

* Africa. Diamond dealers tackle illegal Africa trade  -  25 April: With 
illicit diamond profits allegedly funding African wars, gem dealers, today, 
start a three-day conference in Belgium saying they are confident they can 
end the underground trade with a system that tracks each diamond from mine 
to jewellery shop. The meeting has brought 43 nations together with 
industry groups and non-governmental organizations to try set standards for 
certifying that diamonds are exported legally from producer countries and 
are not being sold by rebel groups to fund armed conflicts in Africa. 
"Everyone wants to see that diamonds sold are conflict-free," said Usman 
Boie Kamara, Sierra Leone's deputy director of mines.Annemie 
Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Belgian deputy foreign affairs minister, says at the 
opening of the meeting that participants "will have to deliver concrete 
results to stop the illegal trade. Progress is what is being expected by 
the participating states and by public opinion at large".The United Nations 
has banned diamond exports by rebels in Sierra Leone and in Angola, hoping 
to strangle their ability to finance their wars.   (CNN, USA, 25 April 2001)

* Africa. Vaccine hope for West Nile virus  -  Scientists have developed a 
vaccine against the deadly West Nile virus. At present the vaccine is only 
effective in horses, but researchers hope it will pave the way for a human 
version. West Nile virus was first identified in Uganda in 1937. It can 
cause fever, skin rashes, severe aches and meningitis. Until 1999 it had 
only ever been recorded in Africa, Asia and some Middle Eastern countries. 
But two years ago a wave of infection took New York by surprise, killing 
seven people and making dozens of others sick. Many wild birds succumbed to 
the virus, as did dozens of horses. Last year an outbreak in southern 
France killed about 20 horses. Because there has been no vaccine against 
the virus, public health efforts have focused on controlling mosquitoes, 
which spread the disease. But New Scientist magazine reports that Dr 
Jeffrey Chang of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort 
Collins, Colorado, has now successfully developed a vaccine. West Nile 
virus is part of a family that includes Japanese encephalitis, and Dr 
Chang's team was already designing vaccines against that virus. They were 
able to modify that vaccine to target West Nile virus. The vaccine contains 
genetic material from the West Nile virus. When injected into animals it 
triggers an immune response. Within three months, the researchers had 
showed the vaccine could protect mice from infection, so they moved on to a 
more relevant species. Four horses were given a single injection of the 
DNA. Thirty-nine days later, mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were 
allowed to bite them. None of the horses developed any signs of viral 
replication, fever, infection or sickness.   (BBC News, UK, 26 April 2001)

* Afrique. Mobilisation contre le sida  -  Depuis le 26 avril, plus de la 
moitié des chefs d'Etat africains se sont réunis à Abuja (Nigeria) pour un 
sommet extraordinaire sur les pandémies qui touchent le continent. En 
présence de Bill Clinton comme invité d'honneur, ils se sont prononcés pour 
une mobilisation accrue dans la lutte contre le sida. Les intervenants ont 
insisté sur la nécessité de combattre la discrimination trop fréquente sur 
un continent qui compte plus de 25 millions de séropositifs   (Libération, 
France, 27 avril 2001)

* Afrique. Union africaine proclamée le 26 mai  -  La proclamation 
effective de la naissance de l'Union africaine aura lieu le 26 mai, après 
le dépôt par la majorité obligatoire de 36 Etats sur les 53 que compte 
l'OUA de leurs instruments de ratification. Le Nigeria est en effet devenu 
le 36e membre à déposer son instrument de ratification de l'Acte 
constitutif de l'Union africaine. "Conformément à l'article 28, l'Acte doit 
entrer en vigueur trente jours après le dépôt des instruments de 
ratification des deux-tiers des Etats membres de l'OUA", a déclaré le 
secrétaire général de l'OUA Salim Alim Ahmed Salim, le 27 avril. "Par 
conséquent, l'Acte constitutif de l'Union africaine entrera en vigueur le 
26 mai 2001".   (PANA, Sénégal, 27 avril 2001)

* Afrique. Diamants de la guerre  -  Un certifiact mondial permettant de 
connaître l'origine des diamants bruts verra le jour en novembre, ont 
affirmé, le 27 avril à Bruxelles, les participants au "processus de 
Kimberley" présidé par l'Afrique du Sud et qui rassemble trente-huit pays. 
Ce processus vise à endiguer les trafics illégaux finançant des guerres 
africaines.   (Libération, France, 28 avril 2001)

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Botswana: The head of the TV news 
and current affairs has resigned (on 30 April) because of the government's 
attempts to control news broadcasts. Burkina Faso: In a 30 April letter to 
President Compaoré, the International Federation of Journalists expressed 
its deep concern over the recent arbitrary arrest of a dozen journalists, 
students and private individuals at the Norbert Zongo Press Centre. Côte 
d'Ivoire: In a 30 April letter to the president of the National Press 
Commission, Reporters sans Frontières protested the suspension "until 
further notice" of the publication Solidarité Paalga. Ethiopia: On 27 
April, Rapid Action Network said there is growing concern for the safety of 
reporter Seifu Mekonnen, missing since 21 April, and fellow journalist, 
Asheber Bekele, reportedly arrested on 24 April. Kenya: On 26 April, 
reporters sans Frontières (RSF) said that in a letter addressed to Kenya's 
Minister of Home Affairs, the organisation had protested against the 
crackdown on the private press by the Kenyan police. On 30 April, the 
Network for the Defence of Independent Media in Africa said the Kenyan 
government had given "reasons" for the closure of a private TV/radio 
station. The authorities said the necessary authorizations had not been 
given.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 2 May 2001)

* Africa. International Press Freedom Day  -  African journalists and 
academics are gathering in the Namibian capital, Windoek, for a conference 
to mark International Press Freedom Day. Today is also the tenth 
anniversary of what is known as the Windhoek Declaration -- a statement of 
principles drawn up by African and other journalists which called for free, 
independent media on the continent and throughout the world. The BBC 
southern Africa correspondent says that 10 years on, there have been 
significant strides: for example, South Africa now has a largely free 
press. However, activists complain that some of the optimism of a decade 
ago has not been borne out and that -- despite the spread of political 
democracy -- many African governments still cling to old laws to control 
the media. The Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organisation, Koichiro Matsuura, is among those who will speak at 
the Windhoek conference. Amnesty International says that the few cases of 
relative success in countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Benin, 
Mauritius and South Africa, where the media have played a decisive role in 
the promotion of human rights, are overshadowed by attempts by governments 
and corporate bodies who hound journalists who seek to promote free speech 
and information flow. Amnesty International says some of the most egregious 
violaters of press freedom include Zimbabwe, Liberia, Ethiopia, Burundi, 
Angola, Congo RDC. Journalists have also come under attack in Côte 
d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia, Central African 
Republic and Kenya.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 3 May 2001)

* Algérie. 40 militaires tués  -  Le 26 avril, une quarantaine de 
militaires de l'armée algérienne ont été tués lors d'un accrochage 
particulièrement violent avec un groupe d'islamistes armés, rapportent deux 
quotidiens d'Alger. Selon Le Matin, l'accrochage a fait 40 morts et 38 
blessés parmi les forces de sécurité dans la commune de Chréa (500 km au 
sud-est d'Alger); sept islamistes auraient également été tués. Le quotidien 
d'Oran, lui, fait état d'une quarantaine de soldats tués lors d'un 
guet-apens tendu par un groupe islamiste. Le 28 avril, les autorités 
n'avaient toujours pas confirmé officiellement l'une des opérations les 
plus meurtrières pour l'Armée nationale populaire, majoritairement composée 
de conscrits. - 2 mai. Selon le quotidien Liberté, un violent accrochage au 
mont Djorf, dans la préfecture de Tebessa (600 km à l'est d'Alger), a 
opposé des unités de l'armée et un important groupe armé. Une cinquantaine 
d'islamistes ont été tués et le bilan pourrait s'alourdir si le groupe armé 
ne capitule pas. L'opération a été déclenchée suite au guet-apens du 26 
avril.   (AP, 28 avril et 2 mai 2001)

* Algeria. Berber protests  -  26 April: There's been a renewed appeal by 
the Algerian authorities for calm following more rioting in the mainly 
Berber Kabylia region in the north-east. A government statement urged 
restraint, and expressed regret over the death of a youth in police custody 
on 22 April which sparked the riots. It said the policeman alleged to have 
killed him will be prosecuted. In further unrest on 25 April, youths 
clashed with police and set fire to government offices. 29 April: Algerian 
demonstrators clash with the security forces in an explosion of anger at 
the reported killing of up to 50 people in the Berber-speaking region of 
Kabylia. The death toll follows a week of violence triggered by the 
shooting in custody of a youth who had been arrested by the gendarmerie, 
the force responsible for keeping order in the countryside. Young 
demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans have been attacking 
gendarmerie barracks, setting vehicles on fire, blocking roads and throwing 
stones at government buildings. The security forces have responded with 
live ammunition and tear gas. In some places, demonstrators have called for 
the withdrawal of the gendarmerie and its replacement by another force. The 
demonstrators have also been making a range of social and cultural demands 
from access to housing and jobs to official recognition of the Berber 
language and identity. They want what they describe as an end to hogra, an 
Algeria word meaning being excluded and held in contempt. The region, 
populated by Berbers who are the original inhabitants of North Africa, was 
already tense and the incident coincided with the anniversary of the Berber 
spring in 1980 that marked the start of overt agitation for the recognition 
of Berber language and culture. So far, the authorities have said very 
little about the unrest. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president, delivered a 
five-hour speech at the end of last week, but did not mention it. 30 April: 
President Bouteflika promises an independent commission of inquiry into the 
violence. 1 May: The Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), a Berber-based 
and pro-regime party has pulled out of the government in protest against 
its handling of the violent clashes. 2 May: The Socialist Forces Front 
(FFS), Algeria's largest Berber-based party, calls for a peaceful 
anti-regime protest in Algiers tomorrow.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 3 May 2001)

* Algérie. La Kabylie s'embrase  -  26 avril. Les émeutes qui se sont 
poursuivies en Kabylie, ont fait cinq nouvelles victimes. Trois personnes 
ont été tuées par balles et onze blessées par la police, à El Kseur, où 
plusieurs édifices publics ont été incendiés. A Akbou, deux manifestants 
sont aussi tombés sous les tirs des forces de l'ordre. Chômage, mal vie, 
arbitraire policier et refus des autorités de reconnaître officiellement 
langue et culture berbères suffisent à expliquer le ras-le-bol immense 
exprimé par des milliers de jeunes et provoqué par l'exécution d'un des 
leurs dans la gendarmerie de Ben Douala. Devant l'ampleur des événements, 
le ministre de l'Intérieur s'est rendu en Kabylie, le 25 avril, et a 
annoncé la mise en place d'un programme économique spécial en faveur de 
cette région. - 27 avril. Au lieu de s'apaiser, la situation s'aggrave 
toujours. Dix personnes au moins ont été tuées, le vendredi: 4 à Azazga et 
d'autres à Maatka, Les Ouadia, Bejaïa et Larbaa. Lors de la grande prière, 
les imams ont appelé au calme. Pour le samedi, le Front des forces 
socialistes (FFS, opposition) a appelé à des "marches pacifiques" pour 
tenter de faire baisser la tension. -Le samedi 28 avril, une trentaine de 
personnes ont été tuées dans les émeutes. C'est le bilan le plus lourd 
depuis le début des troubles. Le FFS avait annulé ses marches à Bejaïa et 
Tizi Ouzou pour éviter "des bains de sang". Le dimanche 29, les émeutes se 
sont poursuivies dans toute la Kabylie, mais les affrontements ont été 
nettement moins meurtriers. Les autorités entendent visiblement se 
dédouaner de toute responsabilité dans cette affaire, et ont accusé les 
responsables locaux d'avoir mal géré l'agitation. Première conséquence 
politique: le Rassemblement pour la culture et la démocratie (RCD, 
démocrate, berbère) quittera le gouvernement, a annoncé son président, tout 
en précisant que le conseil national extraordinaire du parti, convoqué pour 
mardi, devra formaliser cette décision. - 1er mai. Après douze jours de 
violentes émeutes, Tizi Ouzou et Bejaïa ont retrouvé un calme précaire. La 
Kabylie compte ses victimes: il y aurait au moins 60 morts et 600 blessés. 
Le discours télévisé du président Bouteflika, le 30 avril au soir, a déçu; 
distant et académique, il n'a pas proposé de solutions concrètes aux 
véritables raisons de la colère de la jeunesse kabyle. Il a cependant 
annoncé une commission d'enquête. Par ailleurs, lors d'une session 
extraordinaire de son conseil national, le RCD a annoncé son retrait du 
gouvernement. - 2 mai. Un calme précaire régnait en Kabylie, mais les 
troubles pourraient se déplacer vers Alger, où le FFS organise, le 3 mai, 
une "marche pacifique" dans le centre de la capitale pour dénoncer 
"l'irréparable" commis en Kabylie par le pouvoir. - 3 mai. Vers 13h 
locales, plusieurs milliers de personnes ont commencé à défiler à Alger, se 
dirigeant vers le palais du gouvernement aux cris de: "pouvoir assasin", 
"Algérie, Kabylie, martyres"...   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 3 mai 2001)

* Algeria. French brutality "backed at the highest level"  -  The frank 
memoirs of a French general involved in torture and assassination during 
Algeria's bloody struggle to gain independence look set to break the last 
great taboo in France's colonial past. The use of torture and deliberate 
killing of guerrilla suspects by the French authorities during the 1954-62 
Algerian war has been widely documented over the years. But successive 
governments have refused to admit such violence was either ordered or 
condoned and various attempts to set up official inquiries have been 
stalled. The admissions of 83-year-old Gen Paul Aussaresses in a book 
published this week, along with extracts in Le Monde, have laid the issue 
so openly on the table that it will now be difficult to avoid. He gives 
chapter and verse on how he operated as a secret interrogator in "Services 
Speciaux Algerie 1955-57", and says his activities were tolerated and known 
at the highest level. His most damaging allegation regards François 
Mitterrand as justice minister under the Fourth Republic in 1957. "As for 
torture, it was tolerated if not recommended. François Mitterrand, the 
justice minister, in fact had an emissary with Massu (the general in charge 
of Algiers) in the person of Jean Berard who covered for us and knew 
exactly what was going on at night (in the torture centre). I had the best 
possible of relations with him and hid nothing from him."   (Financial 
Times, UK, 3 May 2001)

Weekly News - anb0503.txt - End of part 1/5