[Prec. per data] [Succ. per data] [Prec. per argomento] [Succ. per argomento] [Indice per data] [Indice per argomento]

Weekly anb10186.txt #7

_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 18-10-2001      PART #6/7
* Nigeria. Riots engulf Kano - 14 October: Hundreds of non-Muslims have fled to safety in police and army installations in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after two days of violence between Christians and Muslims left at least 16 people dead. A night-time curfew was imposed on the city, and state police commissioner Yakubu Bello Uba said police had been ordered to "shoot troublemakers on sight". Other reports suggest the death toll in Kano could be much higher. The Reuters news agency quotes fleeing residents as saying that as many as 200 people were killed during the night of 13 October in the suburb of Zangon. Another report said that at least six of the dead were schoolgirls who had been on their way to sit exams. On 12 October, a peaceful protest had been staged against the US attacks on Afghanistan, but violence broke out when youths began setting fire to cars and religious buildings. Although long-running battles between Muslims and Christians in the country have led to thousands of deaths in the past year, officials are playing down religion as the cause of the new violence. Kano state government spokesman Ibrahim Gwawargwa is blaming the rioting on "hoodlums" hijacking the protest and looting shops owned by both Christians and Muslims. 15 October: The Nigerian army is maintaining a heavy presence on the streets of Kano. The situation is very unstable and the scarcity of reliable information is making the situation worse, with rumours of renewed conflicts spreading through the city like wild fire. All have so far proven false. 16 October: Kano is tense. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 October 2001)
* Nigeria. Church leaders decry Kano riots - Christian leaders in Nigeria have today deplored the sectarian clashes going on in the city of Kano as been unfortunate while calling on the federal government to act decisively in seeing the carnage is immediately brought to another. In a Statement signed by Father Gabriel Osu, his Communications' Director, Archbishop Olubumnmi Okogie of the Catholic Diocese of Lagos condemned the non challenging attitudes of the federal government to the wave of the violent clashes that had for some time been rocking different parts of Nigeria. "This attitude by the government gives the impression that it either the government is incapable of effective action or that it is under some kind of pressure." Father Okogie also affirmed that the war against terrorism is not a religious war, but an attempt to make the world a safer place. "It is time for the federal government to curb the excesses of misguided elements who spill blood in the name of religion," he said. Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Catholic diocese of Jos condemned the activities of those who use religion as a tool to foster selfish, economic, political and ethnic interests which often leads to social disharmony and unrest in the country. The prelate lamented that several lives and much property had in the past been destroyed in different parts of the country as a result of the religious unrest. He warned the perpetrators of such acts to desist, in order not to attract the wrath of God. The bishop attributed ethnic conflicts in Nigeria to poverty, ignorance and the feeling of insecurity. "When one tribe wishes to establish superiority over another, when one religion wants to dominate, when one clan wants to outdo others, the result is social unrest",he said. He called on the government to fully implement the poverty eradication programme and not use it as "a political gimmick aimed at lining the pockets of some government functionaries." (...) The Chairman of the World Council of the Methodist Church, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Sunday Mbang, expressed worries at the number of deaths in the Kano riots. (...) (Editor's note: Pope John Paul II has condemned the confrontations between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. He said: "Another episode of cruel violence has been added to the tragic world situation of these days".) (Cath. Secret. of Nigeria, 16 October 2001)
* Rwanda. Lutte contre la pauvreté - Le Fonds monétaire international (FMI) a accordé un prêt de 12 millions de dollars au Rwanda au titre du programme de lutte contre la pauvreté conclu entre le Fonds et Kigali en juin 1998. Le Rwanda a utilisé sur ce programme, d'un total de $92 millions, 67 millions jusqu'à maintenant, a précisé le FMI. (Le Figaro, France, 12 octobre 2001)
* Rwanda. Genocide death sentences - The trial of 17 genocide suspects in the Rwandan province of Gikongoro has ended. This type of group trial is one of several initiatives by the Rwandan Government to speed up justice for genocide suspects. Five of the 17 people tried were sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity. A further seven were given life in prison, and two were acquitted.The remaining three received sentences of seven years. Legal sources in Gikongoro said one of those who had got seven years had his sentence reduced from 12 years initially because he confessed to his crimes. The government attaches great importance to confession in an attempt to heal the scars left by the genocide. Rwanda has so far tried more than 3,000 genocide suspects, and sentenced more than 500 of them to death. But well over 100,000 are still crammed into the country's prisons awaiting trial. The problem of the backlog of cases is worsened by the fact that most of the country's judges perished in the genocide. People calculate that if trials continue at the current rate, tens of thousands of genocide suspects will die in prison before their cases are heard. In an attempt to speed things up, the Rwandan authorities are introducing a system of community justice called "gacaca courts", where judges appointed at community level are given summary training. Suspects are brought before villages, and local people either acquit or condemn their neighbours. The gacaca courts will start functioning next year. (BBC News, UK, 14 October 2001)
* Rwanda. Décompte des jugements - Entre décembre 1996 et juin 2001, il y a eu 5.927 jugements et arrêts rendus par les juridictions rwandaises dans les procès de génocide, selon un décompte de la ligue LIPRODHOR. Le premier procès a commencé en décembre 1996. Depuis, le nombre des procès augmente d'année en année: 346 en 1997, 928 en 1998, 1.318 en 1999, 2.458 en 2000 et 877 dans la première moitié de 2001. LIPRODHOR explique cette accélération notamment par le renforcement des moyens des tribunaux, les procès collectifs et le recours des détenus à la procédure d'aveu. La ligue constate aussi que le nombre de condamnations à mort diminue sensiblement tous les ans. En revanche, le pourcentage des acquittements est globalement constant. (Agence Hirondelle, Arusha, 15 octobre 2001)
* Senegal. African leaders mull anti-terrorist measures - More than ten heads of state and delegates from twenty other African countries have begun a meeting in Senegal to discuss terrorism and security issues. Senegal's President Wade says he will table a draft text for an anti-terrorism pact. He urges the USA to "impose peace" in the Middle East. Senegal's foreign minister says Africa must not allow itself to be the soft underbelly of the international system in countering terrorists. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 17 October 2001)
* Sierra Leone. Faire la paix - Le gouvernement et le Front révolutionnaire uni (RUF) ont convenu d'aplanir leurs différants et d'accélérer le processus de paix dans le pays. Le ministre de la Justice et le président du Conseil pacifique et politique du RUF ont signé, le 11 octobre à Freetown, l'accord instaurant la trêve. Les deux parties ont également convenu d'accélérer le calendrier du processus de désarmement, de la démobilisation et de la réintégration. Une prochaine réunion entre le RUF et le gouvernement est prévue le 8 novembre prochain. (PANA, Sénégal, 12 octobre 2001)
* Somalia. Violence rocks Mogadishu - 13 October: Reports from Somalia say more than 20 people may have been killed in the latest outbreak of fighting between militia groups and forces loyal to the country's fragile new government. The suburbs of Mogadishu have once again exploded into violence, forcing residents of the Somali capital to run for their lives. Mortars and heavy gunfire were heard on the morning of 12 October in the south-east of the city. As usual, local militias were reported to be roaming the streets in their "technicals" -- outlandish battle wagons mounted with anti-aircraft guns. One report quoted a local doctor as saying that three children were among those killed. The violence apparently started on 12 October. 14 October: Fighting continues in Mogadishu. President Hassan's troops are clashing with militiamen loyal to the warlord Muse Sudi Yalahow. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15 October 2001)
* Somalie. Affrontements à Mogadiscio - Selon l'AFP, au moins 22 personnes ont été tuées et un grand nombre d'autres blessées lors d'affrontements entre forces rivales dans la capitale somalienne Mogadiscio, le samedi 13 octobre. La veille, des combats avaient éclaté entre forces loyales au gouvernement national de transition (GNT) somalien et miliciens du chef de guerre Musa Sudi Yalahow. Selon Le Figaro, au moins trois personnes ont encore été tuées et cinq blessées au cours du troisième jour d'affrontements. Le GNT est soutenu par la communauté internationale, mais n'est pas reconnu par la plupart des chefs de faction. - D'autre part, selon l'agence Misna, un convoi du CICR a été pris en embuscade par un groupe d'hommes armés, le 16 octobre, alors qu'il se dirigeait vers deux hôpitaux à Mogadiscio. Un agent de l'escorte a été tué et un autre grièvement blessé. Le Groupe de coordination des secours en Somalie a lancé un appel pour renforcer rapidement les efforts humanitaires en faveur des populations somaliennes; plus de 450.000 seraient en danger de mort suite aux conséquences dramatiques de la sécheresse. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15-18 octobre 2001)
* Somalia. Starvation threat - The World Food Programme (WFP) says there has been a slow response to its appeal for Somalia where more than half a million people are reported to be facing possible starvation. It says the situation is very serious in the south after the rains and the crops failed. The WFP is appealing for 40,000 tonnes of food, without which Somalia will be in serious trouble. The WFP is trying to expand a programme in which people are given food in exchange for work. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 17 October 2001)
* South Africa. Unions reject pay deal - One of the main trade unions in South Africa has rejected the government's imposition of a 5% pay rise for one million civil servants. A spokesman for the Education, Health and Allied Workers Union says his view reflects that of the South African Trade Unions. The government had originally offered an average increase of six-and a -half per cent, but said it was conditional on the unions accepting its right to lay off thousands of workers. Four of the 12 unions involves are reported to have accepted the latest deal but the rest have refused to sign any agreement resulting in job losses. (BBC News, UK, 11 October 2001)
* South Africa. Security investment boost - Foreign companies have been given the green light to continue investing in South African security firms, after the government threw out a controversial plan to block overseas investment in the sector. Fear had existed that a foreign presence in the booming domestic security firm market was a risk, particularly in the light of the recent attacks in the US. By some estimates, the security industry employs almost 300,000 people in South Africa, enjoying strong demand for its services from customers who distrust the local police service and are unnerved by the high crime rate. Foreign companies have invested some 3bn rand or $327m in the sector. Chubb, Securicor Gray, Group Four and ADT are already active in the South African market and had faced the prospect of having to sell their holdings there."It was felt it was a security risk that such a strategic industry was left in the hands of foreign investors," Sven Lunsche, editor of Jonik Online, publisher of Business Day and Sunday Times, said. "They also felt that strong foreign investment would hinder black empowerment." In practice, it could have been difficult for black-controlled companies to make huge-scale investments to buy out foreign investors. The proposal was put forward two weeks ago by members of the African National Congress on the parliamentary committee for safety and security. (BBC News, UK, 11 October 2001)
* Afrique du Sud. Expulsion de Zimbabwéens - Des officiels de l'immigration sud-africaine, aidés par la police et l'armée, vont commencer le 15 octobre à expulser entre 10.000 et 15.000 ressortissants du Zimbabwe voisin, employés dans des fermes du nord du pays. Ces personnes sont soit en situation irrégulière, soit en fin de titre de séjour. Le gouvernement a signé en octobre 2000 un accord avec les fermiers du nord du pays pour mettre un terme, sur une période d'un an, à l'emploi d'ouvriers agricoles étrangers et "commencer à engager des Sud-Africains". La province du nord, où travaillent la plupart de ces Zimbabwéens, est l'une des plus pauvres du pays. (La Libre Belgique, 12 octobre 2001)
* South Africa. Privatisation hit by market turbulence - Poor market conditions have brought South Africa's privatisation programme to a standstill, according to a report on the restructuring of state assets by BusinessMap, an investor strategy consultancy. "Market turbulence this year will not see significant South African privatisations because the two major restructuring moves the market could count on -- Telkom and the state's M-Cell [a cellular telephone company] -- are both in the telecommunications sector, which has lost its sparkle," the report, published on 11 October, said. The government has committed itself to an initial public offering of Telkom before the end of March. A Telkom spokesman said on 11 October that a prospectus was being readied for next month followed by an investor roadshow in January. "Not much has been privatised this year," said Reg Rumney, BusinessMap's director. "In fact, nothing. Telkom is the big one that will be the log-jam breaker. The state should have sold the non-core assets by now." (Financial Times, UK, 12 October 2001) 

Weekly anb1018.txt - End of #6/7