Weekly anb06216.txt #8

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 21-06-2001      PART #6/8

* Rwanda/Uganda. Internal security problems  -  The implementation of the 
Lusaka peace accord is resulting into serious security problems for Rwanda 
and Uganda as anti-government forces are returning into these countries and 
stepping up an armed struggle. According to security sources, the 
Interahamwe have crossed back into northern Rwanda and have engaged 
government forces at various points in Ruhengeri and Gisenyi prefectures in 
north west Rwanda. Rwandan security forces claim to have killed at least 
300 of them, though the RCD faction supported by Rwanda, claims more are 
assembling near Goma. Uganda also has the problem of increased urban 
terrorism. Bombing campaigns in Kampala are increasing -- the most recent 
one being on 5 June where three bombs exploded at various points in Kampala 
injuring at least 20 people. There have been an increasing number of armed 
robberies in which at least five policemen have died since beginning of 
June. There's also been attacks on diplomats -- the recent shooting at the 
Libyan envoy and the car-jacking of the Egyptian envoy's Mercedes Benz. 
Threats on both US and UK embassies have been issued. Major General Katumba 
Wamala, the new Inspector General of Police suspects it to be handiwork of 
the rebel Allied Democratic Front (ADF) and some soldiers. The police are 
on the point of calling in the military to assist in what looks like a 
deteriorating situation, with security reports speaking of an ADF 
operational base near Kampala.   (Crespo Sebunya, ANB-BIA, Uganda, 14 June 
2001)

* Sahara occidental. Plan marocain rejeté  -  Le Front Polisario a rejeté 
un plan marocain d'autonomie partielle pour le Sahara occidental, dit la 
"troisième voie", transmis par l'envoyé de l'Onu James Baker. Selon des 
sources proches du Polisario, ce projet marocain prévoit de ne déléguer aux 
Sahraouis qu'une partie des affaires locales, essentiellement dans les 
domaines sociaux et culturels. En matière économique, Rabat propose de 
confier aux Sahraouis 20% des recettes prélevées localement par l'Etat. En 
revanche, les Sahraouis ne jouiraient d'aucun élément constitutif d'une 
quelconque souveraineté: la diplomatie, la défense, les douanes seraient du 
seul ressort du Maroc. Le Polisario rejette donc ce projet, et s'en tient à 
un référendum sous l'égide des Nations unies pour clore ce dossier né de la 
colonisation du Sahara espagnol.   (D'après Le Monde, France, 20 juin 2001)

* Sénégal. Les médicaments génériques plébiscités  -  Les pharmaciens 
africains en conclave à Dakar ont prôné le recours aux médicaments 
génériques pour un accès des patients démunis aux soins de santé, lors d'un 
forum consacré à la sécurité et à l'accessibilité du médicament en Afrique. 
Depuis la dévaluation en 1994 du FCFA vis-à-vis du franc français, les 
médicaments "classiques" ont vu leur prix doubler, entraînant une 
diminution des ventes auprès d'une population au pouvoir d'achat réduit. A 
la pharmacie Guigon, un paquet de 16 comprimés de paracétamol coûte 1.200 
FCFA (1,83 euros), alors que le même médicament conditionné en générique 
vaut 446 FCFA (0,68 euros) pour 20 comprimés. Devant la prolifération des 
ventes illicites, avec parfois des complicités à des niveaux 
"insoupçonnés", les pharmaciens africains estiment devoir être les "seuls 
autorisés à distribuer les médicaments", pour briser la chaîne des 
"trafics, de la contrefaçon et des abus". Si les prix des médicaments ne 
baissent pas, beaucoup de gens continueront de se soigner par "analogie", 
utilisant les mêmes produits que ceux absorbés par un voisin ou un parent 
affecté par le même mal, avec le risque de se tromper, notamment sur la 
posologie, avertit un médecin dakarois.   (D'après AFP, France, 20 juin 2001)

* Sénégal. Plan "Omega" pour l'Afrique  -  En visite officielle cette 
semaine en France, le président sénégalais Abdoulaye Wade a présenté un 
plan de sauvetage pour l'économie africaine, baptisé le "plan Omega". 
Omega, déjà cautionné par l'OUA et les pays francophones, est un plan 
d'action destiné à évaluer les besoins du continent africain et à trouver 
des crédits. Les remboursements de ces crédits pourraient s'étaler sur une 
cinquantaine d'années pour moderniser quatre secteurs essentiels: 
infrastructures (routes, ponts, chemins de fer, barrages), éducation, santé 
et agriculture.   (Reuters, 20 juin 2001)

* Somalia. Somali region recognises government  -  The town of Kismayo in 
southern Somalia has become the first in the country to set up a new 
administration supportive of the transitional government that is attempting 
to establish itself throughout the country. Kismayo -- a port 500 
kilometres south of the capital, Mogadishu -- will now be run by an 
11-member council designated after talks between the region's clans. 
Correspondents say the move is designed to build on a process which began 
with the selection at a conference in Djibouti last year of an 
administration aiming to become Somalia's first national government for a 
decade. It is being opposed by several armed factions, as well as the 
secessionist regions of Somaliland and Puntland.   (BBC News, UK, 19 June 2001)

* South Africa. South African high-flyer brought low  -  The career of Saki 
Macozoma, a leading South African businessman, was in jeopardy on 14 June 
after allegations in parliament of serious breaches of corporate governance 
in his management of South African Airways (SAA), the state-owned national 
carrier. Jeff Radebe, the minister of public enterprises, accused Mr 
Macozoma, the former managing director of Transnet, SAA's holding company, 
of flouting rules in the negotiation of a contract with Coleman Andrews, a 
US executive hired as the airline's chief executive. Under the terms of a 
secret contract, Mr Andrews was paid R232m for two and a half years work at 
the airline. Mr Andrews paid R361m for consultants and expatriates with no 
measures of their performance in place, said Mr Radebe. "It has now become 
clear that since 1998 there has been a systematic erosion of corporate 
governance at SAA," said Mr Radebe. "It does appear that this litany of 
breaches of corporate governance was informed by Andrews' belief that he 
could report directly to the former managing director of Transnet in spite 
of the existence of the SAA board."   (Financial Times, UK, 15 June 2001)

* South Africa. Investing in South Africa  -  14 June: A drive to promote 
African economic development will be a "second term priority" of the UK 
government, Tony Blair, the prime minister, said after talks with Thabo 
Mbeki, the South African president. He pledged his support for "a 
partnership between Africa and the developing world...to help Africa 
develop its full potential.I think it is possible to put together an agenda 
which is about good government, proper commercial and legal systems and a 
right climate for investment," he said, promising to back Mr Mbeki's plan 
for an African-led recovery programme. Earlier the South African president 
told British investors that Africa suffered from a host of negative 
perceptions, and that South Africa was seen as part of a "bad 
neighbourhood" in which the economic and political turmoil in Zimbabwe 
played a large part. "It is clear that there are many things that have gone 
wrong in Zimbabwe," he said, in an unusually frank assessment. Referring to 
the rash of land seizures by so-called war veterans in Zimbabwe, he said 
that redistribution of land was necessary, as it was in South Africa, but 
"it needs to be handled correctly...There is a need to observe the law. 
Clearly we do not want a situation of collapse in Zimbabwe. We have to 
engage...to address those matters we believe have been handled wrongly." Mr 
Mbeki urged investors to recognise that "the process of changing South 
Africa for the better is proceeding well". There was an opportunity to turn 
the good potential and good prospects of South Africa "into something that 
will convey a message about the African continent that will be radically 
different." 18 June: Christoph Kopke, Daimler-Chrysler SA's chief executive 
says that "South Africa is not an investor-friendly country and the AIDS 
situation is only making the situation worse". Daimler-Chrysler is the 
single largest foreign investor in South Africa. Mr Kopke says: "AIDS is 
definitely one of the factors inhibiting foreign investments -- on top of 
all the structural issues. When I try to persuade foreign suppliers to 
invest here, they ask about four things -- trade unions, cost of capital, 
crime and AIDS.   (Financial Times, UK, 15&19 June 2001)

* South Africa. Bollywood success for father and son  -  A father and son 
team have scooped top honours at the "Indian Oscars" awards ceremony in 
South Africa. Sun City played host to the Bollywood awards honouring the 
best of the Indian film industry. Heartthrob Hrithik Roshan won best actor 
for his debut film "Kaho Naa Pyar Hai" at the International Indian Film 
Academy Awards. The film, which translates as "Tell Me You Love Me", won 
best picture award and Roshan's father Rakesh took the award for best 
director. As actress Waheeda Rehman picked up a lifetime achievement award 
she said she was proud to be part of "an industry where there is no caste 
or creed". The prolific Bollywood movie industry sees around 800 new films 
made each year, with an estimated turnover of $200m. Last year's inaugural 
event, was held at the Millennium Dome in London. At this year's ceremony 
near Johannesburg the best actress gong was won by Karisma Kapoor for her 
role in "Fiza". The film also received a best supporting actress award for 
Jaya Bachchan. Best supporting actor was Amitabh Bachchan in 
"Mohabbatein".   (BBC News, UK, 17 June 2001)

* South Africa. Charges dropped  -  The High Court in Pretoria has dropped 
15 charges, including murder, against Wouter Basson, the military surgeon 
dubbed "Dr Death" as head of a chemical warfare programme that included 
dreaming up 007-style gadgets to kill opponents of apartheid. His lawyers 
had called for most of the 61 charges against him to be dropped, on the 
basis that there wasn't sufficient evidence to support them.   (ANB-BIA, 
Brussels, 19 June 2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Pénurie de carburant  -  L'Afrique du Sud va réduire de 
moitié ses exportations de carburant vers les pays voisins, à la suite de 
l'importante pénurie de carburant qui sévit dans le pays. Cette réduction 
portera un coup sévère au Zimbabwe dont l'approvisionnement en carburant 
rencontre déjà de considérables difficultés. Le Botswana, le Lesotho, la 
Namibie et le Swaziland seront également affectés par cette décision. Selon 
un porte-parole, l'incendie qui avait éclaté à la raffinerie Natref de 
Sasolburg au début du mois, a rendu nécessaire la fermeture de cette unité 
pour au moins 14 semaines. La fermeture pour maintenance d'une autre 
raffinerie exacerbe le problème. Au début du mois, les prix de l'essence 
vendue au détail en Afrique du Sud ont atteint le chiffre record de 4,01 
rand le litre (8 rands = 1 dollar). Cette hausse va certainement provoquer 
une remontée du taux d'inflation et entraîner une augmentation des prix aux 
consommateurs.   (PANA, Sénégal, 20 juin 2001)

Weekly anb0621.txt - #6/8