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Weekly anb11224.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 22-11-2001      PART #4/6
* Madagascar. Opposition business shut - Authorities in Madagascar have closed factories belonging to one of President Didier Ratsiraka's main rivals in presidential elections due next month. Officials said they had closed the businesses of Marc Ravalomanana because he had a large overdue tax bill. Associates of Mr Ravalomanana, who is mayor of the capital Antananarivo, said the move to close the mayor's Tiko food business was politically motivated. The company employs about 5,000 people across Madagascar in factories making dairy products, soft drinks and cooking oil. Tax office chief Mamisoa Rakotosalama said the factories were sealed because Mr Ravalomanana had not replied to a tax demand sent in September. Tiko's managing director, Heriniana Razafimahefa, told reporters that this was a "political machination" and that the matter would be taken up by the courts. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 2001)
* Madagascar. Candidat inquiété - Le 19 novembre, des scellés ont été posés sur l'ensemble des usines agro-alimentaires appartenant à Marc Ravalomanana, maire d'Antananarivo et candidat à l'élection présidentielle du 16 décembre. L'Etat lui reproche des "impayés fiscaux". Le principal challenger du président Didier Ratsiraka, lequel refuse le déploiement d'observateurs étrangers au prochain scrutin, dénonce "une machination politique". (Le Monde, France, 22 novembre 2001)
* Malawi. Donors suspend aid - 19 November: At least four of Malawi's major donors have suspended aid to the impoverished southern African state citing widespread corruption and economic mismanagement. The news emerged in a leaked confidential memorandum from Malawi's Finance Minister Mathews Chikaonda to President Bakili Muluzi. He says in the letter, that I have seen a copy of, that both the European Union and the United States have suspended development aid. It says the EU has not only suspended the release of 15m Euros ($13m) but has also demanded a refund of seven million Euros already disbursed. The EU delegation discovered anomalies while carrying out an audit, discovering that funds had been used for projects outside any bilateral agreement. The delegation's economic advisor, Theo Kaspers, said the EU had written a fresh memorandum of understanding with conditions which had to be signed. The United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has also diverted at least $6m of the $7m meant for Malawi to another country. It said the move came in response to the Malawi Government's decision to suspend its privatisation programme. Other donors, notably Britain, have also put on hold development aid to Malawi because of corruption, mismanagement and political violence. Denmark, whose envoy Orla Bakdal was forced to leave after the Danish embassy questioned how its money was being used, has also scaled down sponsored projects in Malawi. The suspensions could not come at a worse time for Malawi. The government needs to imports thousands of tonnes of maize to offset the worsening food crisis. Mr Chikaonda has recommended that the cabinet be informed on the developments to discuss other ways of raising money. He has also suggested that President Muluzi and himself travel to Brussels to discuss developments with the EU. 20 November: Malawi's Minister of Finances denies reports that at least four major donors have suspended aid to Malawi. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 November 2001)
* Mali. Ruling party mud slinging - The ruling party in Mali, the Adema party, has suspended presidential primaries due to be held in January to select its candidate for next year's presidential elections, over fears the process might divide the party. Party officials admit the political mud slinging between the four candidates in the running has become so bad that Mali's president, Alpha Oumar Konare, has had to intervene. He's already decided to embargo their future public statements. Adema's presidential nominees include: Mali's defence minister, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, the prime minister, Mande Sidibe; Facilities Minister, Soumaila Cisse -- who's also a deputy vice-president of Adema -- as is the mayor of a district of the capital, Bamako, Ibrahim N'Diaye. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 2001)
* Mali. Référendum annulé - Le 20 novembre, le président malien Alpha Oumar Konaré a annoncé le retrait par le gouvernement du projet de révision constitutionnelle qui devait être soumis au référendum le 23 décembre prochain. M. Konaré a dit avoir pris cette décision en attendant que toutes "les conditions optimales soient réunies". Il s'est dit respectueux des nombreuses voix discordantes opposées à la modification de la Constitution. Parmi les articles contestés, on peut noter la disparition programmée de la Cour suprême et la trop grande immunité accordée au président de la République. (PANA, Sénégal, 20 novembre 2001)
* Mali. President shelves plans for referendum - President Alpha Oumar Konare announced in Bamako on 20 November that his government had shelved plans to hold a constitutional referendum on 23 December. In a radio and television address, Konare said that he had taken the decision to postpone the poll "until all the conditions are ripe for it. We had believed that there was a general consensus for the constitutional changes," said the Malian President, urging his countrymen to look beyond their political differences. He said that he had changed his decision following numerous dissenting opinions, adding that a constitutional amendment would only be worth its name if it enjoys popular backing. Several social groups, particularly opposition political parties and lawyers had objected to the proposed referendum. Among the bodies who opposed the constitutional revision is the Independent Malian Magistrates' Union, which decided to quit the Independent National Election Commission this week. Other political parties like the Patriotic Movement for Renewal (MPR) and the Rally for Mali of former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar, who broke away from the ruling ADEMA, were already campaigning for a "No" vote. Among the most contested was article 95 of the constitution, which according to the lawyers' trade union, sought to accord too much immunity to the president after retirement. (PANA, Senegal, 20 November 2001)
* Morocco. Human rights activists cleared - An appeal court in Morocco has acquitted 36 human rights activists who were sentenced in May to three months in jail for holding an illegal demonstration and disturbing public order. A lawyer for the members of the Moroccan Human Rights Association -- or AMDH -- said the court had annulled the verdict and dropped all charges against them. The activists --including the head of the association, Abderrahmane Benameur --held a march in Rabat in December last year to demand an inquiry into human rights abuses by senior Moroccan officials in the 1960s and 70s. King Mohammed has set up a multi-million dollar fund to compensate some of the victims of those abuses in a move regarded by analysts as a tacit admission of state responsibility. (BBC News, UK, 21 November 2001)
* Maroc. Droits de l'homme - Le 21 novembre, la cour d'appel de Rabat a acquitté 36 militants de l'Association marocaine des droits de l'homme (indépendante) condamnés en première instance à trois mois de prison pour avoir manifesté "sans autorisation" le 9 décembre 2000 dans la capitale. Le rassemblement, organisé à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme, avait été violemment dispersée. - Mais, dans le même temps, le directeur de l'hebdomadaire Demain a été condamné à quatre mois de prison ferme pour "diffusion de fausses informations". Il avait publié que le palais royal de Skhirat pourrait être vendu. (Libération, France, 22 novembre 2001)
* Mozambique. Risque de famine - Le danger de famine grandit au Mozambique. Selon des sources locales, plus d'un million de personnes sont concernées. La cause principale est la destruction des espaces cultivés par les inondations de l'hiver dernier. Le gouvernement a lancé un appel à la communauté internationale. De plus en plus d'habitants sont contraints à se nourrir de fruits sauvages et de racines. Actuellement, le PAM assiste environ 220.000 personens. (Misna, Italie, 22 novembre 2001)
* Nigeria. Remous sur la charia - Le gouvernement nigérian n'autorisera pas l'application de la condamnation à mort par lapidation pour adultère, prononcée par un tribunal islamique de l'Etat de Sokoto (nord-ouest du pays) à l'encontre d'une femme enceinte. La jeune femme, actuellement en fuite, a fait appel de ce jugement et la cour d'appel de cet Etat se prononcera le 27 novembre. Les mouvements de défense des droits de l'homme ont assimilé cette condamnation à "une guerre contre la Constitution" de la fédération nigériane. Le ministre fédéral de la Justice a qualifié cette sentence de "rude et primitive" et regretté l'influence de la charia dans les affaires publiques d'une dizaine d'Etats du nord. Par ailleurs, une cour islamique de Katsina, dans le nord du pays, a condamné un homme à être poignardé à mort pour avoir assassiné une femme et deux enfants à coups de couteau. (Libération, France, 16 novembre 2001)
* Nigeria. Explosion d'un oléoduc - Quinze personnes ont été tuées et plusieurs autres blessées dans l'explosion d'un oléoduc à Umudike, dans l'Etat d'Imo (sud-est du Nigeria). Le gouverneur de l'Etat s'est rendu sur les lieux et a promis une aide du gouvernement. Ces trois dernières années, des centaines de personnes ont été tuées dans une douzaine d'explosions de ce type au Nigeria. (Le Soir, Belgique, 16 novembre 2001)
* Nigeria. Coups d'Etat rendus illégaux - Le 15 novembre, la Haute Chambre (Sénat) du Nigeria a adopté une loi pour rendre illégaux les coups d'Etat militaires et punir leurs auteurs. Réagissant à une série de coups d'Etat manqués ou réussis tout au long de l'histoire du Nigeria, le Sénat a adopté ce texte dans un geste d'envergure pour assurer la stabilité de la nouvelle démocratie dans le pays. Selon la loi, soumise maintenant à l'approbation du président Obasanjo, tout individu qui prend le pouvoir par des moyens anticonstitutionnels, parraine ou incite à un tel délit, est passible de la prison à vie s'il est reconnu coupable. En outre, tous ceux qui servent ces gouvernements illégaux, y compris les fonctionnaires, seront passibles de 14 ans de prison s'ils sont reconnus coupables. (PANA, Sénégal, 16 novembre 2001)
* Nigeria. Army "genocide" says Speaker - One of Nigeria's most senior politicians has strongly condemned the killing last month of more than 200 unarmed civilians in central Benue state by soldiers. After a visit with a parliamentary group to the destroyed towns and villages, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ghalin Na'Abba, described the attacks as an act of near genocide. President Olusegun Obasanjo has justified the army action as part of a peace-keeping operation to deal with the conflict between the Tiv and the Jukun peoples of the area and rejected calls for the soldiers responsible to be punished. Although a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the army's action and events that led up to it, it has not yet started its work. After inspecting the destroyed town of Zaki Biam and its surrounding villages Mr Na'Abba and his parliamentary colleagues said they were deeply shocked at the destruction they had witnessed. He said that soldiers are supposed to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and not shoot fellow Nigerians. (BBC News, UK, 16 November 2001)
* Nigeria. Réconciliation au Bénoué et Taraba - Le 16 novembre, les chefs de communauté des peuples Tiv et Junkun, résidant dans les Etats de Bénoué et de Taraba (sud-est) ont signé un accord sur le processus de réconciliation. L'accord prévoit le désarmement des milices ethniques respectives et une collaboration pour faciliter le retour chez eux des dizaines de milliers de déplacés. L'entente a aussi immédiatement débouché sur une demande au gouvernement fédéral de rappeler ses détachements militaires déployés dans les deux Etats. Au cours des dernières semaines, les militaires avaient tiré sur les gens et fait au moins 200 victimes, après l'assassinat de 19 soldats dans la zone. (Misna, 17 novembre 2001)
* Nigeria. Nigeria airways takes off for London - Nigeria Airways has resumed flights from Lagos to London, which were suspended eight months ago because of operational and financial difficulties. Flights were due to have resumed in August but British aviation authorities withdrew their approval over concerns about the safety of aircraft leased by the Nigerian carrier. Britain first barred Nigeria Airways in 1997, alleging that its aircraft were not insured. The ban was lifted in 1998, but the carrier could no longer service the route because of large debts. It ran a service under a joint venture with British Airways from late 1998 until March this year. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 November 2001) 

Weekly anb1122.txt - End oh #4/6