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Weekly anb05316.txt #8

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 31-05-2001      PART #6/8
* Sierra Leone. Désarmement - 25mai. Ce sont à présent 2.500 ex-combattants du RUF et des Forces de défense civile qui ont adhéré au plan de désarmement prévu par les accords de paix d'Abuja et de Freetown. La procédure prévoit qu'ils détruisent eux-mêmes leurs armes au moment de leur remise, en présence de membres de la Minusil. Les ex-combattants sont alors pourvus de documents et emmenés dans des camps où ils reçoivent une assistance en vue de leur réinsertion dans la société. L'opération, qui s'est effectuée dans les districts du nord-ouest, s'étendra à partir de ce 25 mai à la zone de Lunsar. Ce 25 mai encore, plus de 600 enfants soldats âgés de 8 à 15 ans, forcés de combattre dans les rangs du RUF, sont remis au représentant spécial de l'Onu, M. Adeniji. Le 30 mai, a commencé le processus de désarmement et de réinsertion dans le district oriental de Kono. L'opération a été avancée parce que, ces dernières semaines, cette zone a été le théâtre d'escarmouches entre rebelles et milices pro-gouvernementales (Kamajors). D'autre part, à la demande du RUF, l'armée sierra-léonaise a déployé ses formations dans le district septentrional de Kambia, le long de la frontière guinéenne. Les dirigeants du RUF semblent enfin déterminés à éviter de nouveaux incidents. (D'après Misna, Italie, 25-30 mai 2001)
* Sierra Leone. Rebels free child soldiers - Rebels in Sierra Leone have released nearly 600 child soldiers as part of a process of ending the west African country's decade-long civil war. Oluyemi Adeniji, the head of the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone, said the release "clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to the total stoppage of war". It comes a week after the RUF released more than 200 child soldiers -- but thousands of children have been forced or cajoled into the conflict. Children have carried out some of the worst atrocities of the war, including hacking off the limbs of enemies and civilians. The release of the child soldiers is another sign that progress is being made towards ending the civil war in the country, after an announcement ten days ago that rebels and pro-government militias had agreed to start disarming. A joint statement after the talks said both sides had agreed to give up child soldiers who had fought for them after being abducted from, or cajoled, to leave their villages. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 26 May 2001)
* Somalia. Somaliland votes on its future - Ten years after they unilaterally broke away from Somalia, the people of Somaliland vote on 31 May in a referendum on a new constitution that would in effect confirm their independence. The region declared itself a separate state from Somalia when that country was descending into civil war in 1991. The BBC Africa analyst says Somaliland's leaders have achieved a level of stability not seen in the rest of Somalia --but its independence has never been accepted internationally. (BBC News, UK, 31 May 2001)
* Somaliland. Référendum - Les habitants du Somaliland, ce petit territoire au nord-ouest de la Somalie qui a proclamé son indépendance il y a dix ans, sont appelés ce 31 mai à ratifier par référendum leur première Constitution. Le référendum devrait faire avaliser l'indépendance qui n'a jamais été reconnue par la communauté internationale. Le secrétaire général de l'OUA, M. Salim Ahmed Salim, a encore affirmé la semaine dernière que l'organisation panafricaine ne soutient aucune action mettant en cause l'unité et la souveraineté de la Somalie. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 mai 2001)
* South Africa. Inquiry begins into Pretoria arms deal - South African investigators begin public hearings on 28 May into alleged corruption by senior politicians in the hugely controversial purchase of £4bn worth of weapons from European manufacturers. But scepticism about the effectiveness of the public protector's investigation -- one of three by government agencies looking into the accusations of corruption -- has grown as the African National Congress has sought to use its overwhelming majority in parliament to limit the political damage. The public hearings will examine dozens of allegations of financial irregularities, nepotism and other wrongdoing. One part of the deal under scrutiny is how British Aerospace won a £420m contract to supply training planes for fighter pilots. South Africa's air force chiefs selected an Italian aircraft that is cheap and modern, but the politicians later amended the specifications to favour the ageing British Hawks, twice the price of the Italian tender. The government says the changes were made for operational reasons. The air force has quietly derided the claim. The investigators are examining claims of a link between the contract and BAe's funding of overseas trips for cabinet ministers and MPs, and its donation of £500,000 to the ANC's military veterans' association. The weapons deal came under fire even before the contracts were signed. Critics, ranging from the unions to churches, questioned why the country needed to spend twice its housing budget on warships and fighter aircraft. The finance ministry warned that such vast spending could destabilise the economy, particularly if the rand fell sharply against the dollar. The government dismissed such fears, claiming that the deal would create 65,000 jobs and bring in three times the cost of the weapons in foreign investment and trade. (The Guardian, UK, 28 May 2001)
* South Africa. Arms inquiry - 28 May: Public hearings in South Africa into a controversial $6 billion arms deal have been postponed -- after getting bogged down in legal arguments as they get underway, today. The two-week delay is agreed after the Ministry of Defence requests more time to prepare its evidence, and local broadcasters ask for permission to televise the proceedings. The hearings are intended to look into allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding the deal which was signed a year and a half ago. (BBC News, UK, 28 May 2001)
* South Africa. Mbeki blames big business over economy - On 29 May, Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, criticised large corporations for not doing enough to foster economic growth and black empowerment within the economy. He said he intended to intervene to ensure that the large companies that dominate the South African economy played a greater role in achieving economic growth. "I want to engage these large corporations on an individual basis and ask them about their investment plans," he said in interview with the Financial Times. While the government had done all it could to put in place a strong macroeconomic framework, the private sector had lagged behind. "The government has done all it could to create the right climate and to attract investments, but the response from the private sector has not been as good as it could be," he said. Mr Mbeki also laid some of the blame for the perceived failure of black empowerment at the door of large business. "One of the reasons black economic empowerment stalled is that many companies simply did not take it on board as part of their challenges," he said. (Financial Times, UK, 30 May 2001)
* South Africa. Truth Commission closes shop - They came by the thousands: traumatized mothers wanting to know the fate of their children, unapologetic policemen seeking absolution for unspeakable crimes and self-righteous politicians, shunning responsibility for the brutality they presided over. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up following South Africa's first all-race elections in 1994, laid bare the cruelty of the racist apartheid regime and worked to help the country come to terms with its past by granting amnesty to perpetrators willing to tell the whole story behind their crimes. As the commission's last remaining committee prepares to shut down on 31 May, many South Africans are still debating the success of their country's historic exercise in confronting its past. (InfoBeat USA, 30 May 2001)
* Afrique du Sud. Visite de L. Jospin - Le Premier ministre français Lionel Jospin est arrivé au Cap, ce 31 mai peu après 9h., pour une visite officielle de deux jours à l'Afrique du Sud, destinée à resserrer les liens politiques et économiques de la France avec la première puissance du continent africain. M. Jospin est accompagné de ses ministres des Affaires étrangères, de l'Agriculture et du Commerce extérieur. Après un entretien avec le président Mbeki, trois accords seront signés, sur la coopération bilatérale, les opérations de sauvetage en mer et l'entraide judiciaire entre les deux pays. Au cours de l'après-midi, M. Jospin s'adressera aux deux Chambres du Parlement. Le 1er juin, il se rendra à Johannesburg, où il rencontrera Nelson Mandela et participera à un forum de 300 chefs d'entreprises. (AP, USA, 31 mai 2001)
* Sudan. Sudan to halt air strikes - The Sudanese Government says it is halting its air strikes against rebels in the south of the country and in the Nuba mountains. An announcement on state radio said the move is intended to promote peace, and the government hoped for an immediate response from the rebels, and support from the international community. The statement says that the ceasefire will come into force on 25 May. A spokesman for the rebel group the Sudanese People's Liberation Army dismisses the government statement as a lie. The statement does say that the pledge will not violate "the rights of the armed forces to protect its members and their supply lines". Nevertheless the armed forces back the decision to end the bombing. However, on 24 May, the government bombs Tonj in the Bahr el Ghazal region. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 May 2001)
* Soudan. Offensive aux monts Nouba - Depuis le 24 mai, l'armée gouvernementale conduit une offensive dans la zone des monts Nouba (centre du Soudan, Kordofan méridional), rapporte l'agence Misna. L'attaque a été engagée à l'artillerie lourde. Il y aurait des victimes parmi les civils, contraints à fuir les villages et à trouver des abris de fortune. La situation reste confuse et la zone est quasiment isolée. La piste aérienne utilisée par les agences humanitaires, située dans la plaine entre Kauda et Gidel, aurait été conquise par les forces gouvernementales. Les rebelles du SPLA ne sont pas assez nombreux pour contrer l'attaque et ils se trouveraient dans l'impossibilité de recevoir des renforts. Des violents combats sont en effet également en cours dans la zone du Upper Nile, riche région pétrolifère située à quelque 200 km au sud-est des monts Nouba. (Misna, Italie, 28 mai 2001)
* Sudan. Peace talks planned - The Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, and the main rebel leader, John Garang of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA), are to attend a summit aimed at ending the country's 18 year civil war. The peace summit, organised by the regional Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is due to take place in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in June. It will be the first such summit between the two leaders since 1997. They are expected to be joined by leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. (BBC News, UK, 28 May 2001)
* Soudan. Campagne contre l'exploitation pétrolière - Le 28 mai, une cinquantaine d'organisations humanitaires européennes ont lancé une campagne pour la suspension immédiate des activités des compagnies pétrolières au Soudan, pour protester contre la guerre et les violations des droits de l'homme dans ce pays. Elles appellent les compagnies étrangères à s'abstenir de toute activité "jusqu'à ce qu'un accord de paix soit signé, et à dénoncer toute violation des droits humains, tels que les bombardements de cibles civiles et les déplacements forcés". Les organisations demandent aussi à l'Union européenne de promouvoir l'interdiction temporaire de tout investissement d'entreprises européennes dans le secteur pétrolier au Soudan, et aux Etats membres de veiller à ce que les entreprises de leur pays n'investissent pas, tant que la paix ne sera pas revenue. "Les revenus du pétrole alimentent une guerre qui a déjà fait 2 millions de morts", conclut le communiqué. Le groupe TotalFinaElf, mis en cause par le Secours catholique/Caritas France, a affirmé n'avoir aujourd'hui aucune activité industrielle au Soudan et que sa concession dans ce pays était gelée. (D'après AFP, France, 28 mai 2001)
* Soudan. El-Tourabi en résidence surveillée - Le 29 mai, l'opposant islamiste Hassan el-Tourabi a été libéré de prison, après plus de trois mois de détention, et assigné à résidence dans une maison appartenant à l'Etat. M. Tourabi avait été arrêté le 21 février, avec plusieurs cadres de son parti, et maintenu depuis cette date en détention dans la prison de Cooper, à Khartoum. (Le Figaro, France, 31 mai 2001) 

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