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

Weekly anb11225.txt #6

_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 22-11-2001      PART #5/6
* Rwanda. TPIR: Musema condamné - Le 16 novembre à La Haye, la chambre d'appel du Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda a confirmé la condamnation à la prison à vie d'Alfred Musema, 52 ans, un ancien directeur rwandais d'une usine de thé, pour génocide et crimes contre l'humanité. En revanche, il a été acquitté du chef d'inculpation de viol. Jusqu'à présent, le TPIR a condamné 8 personnes, dont 5 à perpétuité, et procédé à un acquittement. Six des condamnations ont été confirmées en appel. 17 personnes sont actuellement jugées, et 53 en détention dans la prison du TPIR à Arusha. (D'après AP, 16 novembre 2001)
* Rwanda. Réduire la pauvreté - Le gouvernement rwandais a besoin d'au moins 250 millions de dollars durant les deux premières années, s'il veut que sa stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté soit dûment exécutée, a dit le 17 novembre le ministre des Finances et de la Planification économique, Donat Kaberuka, à l'issue d'une conférence internationale de quatre jours. La stratégie repose sur le renflouement de l'économie rurale, de l'infrastructure rurale et de l'industrie, et sur la création d'emplois. Le gouvernement, a dit le ministre, injectera 60 millions de dollars dans les zones rurales. Au moins 90% des 8,6 millions d'habitants du Rwanda (dont le nombre s'accroît de 2,9% par an) vivent de l'agriculture de subsistance. 60% de la population ont moins de 20 ans. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 novembre 2001)
* Rwanda. Commission des droits de l'homme - La Commission nationale rwandaise des droits de l'homme a dénoncé des cas fréquents d'arrestations et détentions illégales, dans son dernier rapport annuel pour l'année 2000. "Malgré l'augmentation des agents et cadres judiciaires, et la stabilisation de l'appareil judiciaire en général, des indices flagrants de violations de la procédure en matière de détention préventive apparaissent fréquemment", affirme ce rapport. La commission veut également que "les questions liées aux propriétés des terres des réfugiés rapatriés reçoivent une réponse adéquate". La Commission nationale des droits de l'homme est une commission créée en mars 1999 par le gouvernement, mais indépendante selon son président, Gasana Ndoba. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 novembre 2001)
* Sahara occidental. Baker demande plus de temps - L'ancien secrétaire d'Etat américain James Baker, émissaire de l'Onu au Sahara occidental, a demandé plus de temps pour mener des consultations afin de trouver une solution politique au différend sur le statut de ce territoire. M. Kofi Annan a demandé au Conseil de sécurité une prolongation "technique" de deux mois de la mission de l'Onu, qui tente d'organiser un référendum sur l'avenir du territoire depuis 1991. La mission actuelle expire le 30 novembre. En juin, M. Annan avait demandé aux parties de négocier les termes d'un accord d'autonomie intérimaire, sous peine de voir l'Onu se retirer du jeu. Ce projet donnerait à la population du Sahara occidental le droit d'élire ses propres institutions, qui auraient de nombreuses prérogatives. Le référendum sur le statut final du territoire aurait ensuite lieu dans un délai de cinq ans. (AP, 15 novembre 2001)
* Western Sahara. Clashes in Western Sahara - Reports from Morocco say security forces have clashed with residents of a town in the disputed Moroccan-controlled territory of Western Sahara. The unrest is focused on the oasis settlement of Smara, and is believed to have started when Moroccan police disrupted a sit-down protest taking place at the local government headquarters. The radio station of the Polisario independence movement reported that some demonstrators and police were badly injured and several vehicles set on fire. There has been increased security in the Western Sahara since a tour by King Mohammed last month. His visit to Smara was cancelled, reportedly because of bad weather but Polisario say that trouble was already brewing in the area. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 2001)
* Sahara occidental. Arrestations - Au moins une vingtaine de Sahraouis ont été arrêtés lors d'une manifestation non autorisée, organisée le samedi 17 novembre à Smara, pour demander du travail. Plusieurs d'entre eux auraient été torturés par la police marocaine. Les manifestants avaient organisé un sit-in, jeté des pierres vers les policiers et attaqué quelques bâtiments publics. (Libération, France, 20 novembre 2001)
* Sénégal. Casamance: reprise des hostilités? - La recrudescence des attaques armées achève d'inquiéter les observateurs sur les risques d'une reprise généralisée des hostilités en Casamance. En attaquant la localité de Niaguis (15 km seulement de Ziguinchor), tôt dans la matinée du mercredi 14 novembre, quelques heures à peine après un raid effectué dans la nuit du mardi contre la localité voisine de Mawabe, les éléments armés supposés appartenir au Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance (MFDC) ont apparemment voulu administrer la preuve qu'ils conservaient l'initiative sur le terrain, en dépit de la présence massive des forces armées sénégalaises. Dans une communication, les auteurs de l'attaque contre Nianguis réaffirment leur "détermination à poursuivre le combat pour l'indépendance de la Casamance". (PANA, Sénégal, 17 novembre 2001)
* Sénégal. Plainte contre M. Niasse - Le procureur de la République a officiellement demandé la levée de l'immunité parlementaire de l'ancien Premier ministre M. Moustapha Niasse, leader de l'Alliance des forces du progrès (AFP), a-t-on appris le 19 novembre à Dakar. Le procureur a retenu contre lui le délit de "diffusion de fausses nouvelles". Lors d'un meeting le 11 novembre, M. Niasse avait dit que le Parti démocratique sénégalais (PDS) du président Wade aurait détourné 6 milliards de FCFA (plus de $8 millions) pour la campagne électorale d'avril 2001. Le PDS avait immédiatement annoncé son intention de porter plainte. M. Niasse risque une peine entre un et trois ans de prison ferme, selon le code pénal. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 20 novembre 2001)
* Sierra Leone. Call for fair elections - Politicians, civil activists and ordinary citizens in Sierra Leone have ended three days of discussions on ways to secure peace and prepare for elections due in May next year. Those taking part backed the idea of proportional representation, with a party list system to operate in electoral districts. They also called for disarmament to be speeded up so parties can campaign ahead of the vote. There was also support for efforts to increase the representation of women to at least 30% at all levels. Around 250 delegates and 21 political parties took part in the conference in the capital, Freetown, including members of the political wing of the rebel Revolutionary United Front and government bodies. But whilst the delegates were in the hall composing their statement a group calling itself the Grassroots Awareness organisation was outside protesting the outcome. They said that the block vote system would give the incumbent party of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah an unfair advantage adding that they wanted an interim government in the run up to the elections. (BBC News, UK, 16 November 2001)
* Sierra Leone. Child soldier asks UN for help - A former child soldier from Sierra Leone has addressed the United Nations Security Council, calling on the body to do everything possible to help young people forced to fight in conflict zones around the world. Fourteen-year-old Alhaji Babah Sawane -- the first child ever to speak at the United Nations Security Council -- told the Council that children should be free of the fear of military recruitment and abduction. The UN estimates there are more than 300,000 children in government armies, rebel forces and guerrilla groups in more than 30 countries, including at least 5,000 child soldiers in Sierra Leone. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the Council the situation in Afghanistan had reaffirmed the need to alleviate the plight of children in armed conflict. The Council also heard speeches highlighting the enduring concern from Muslim countries about the suffering of children in the Middle East conflict. The Council later unanimously adopted a resolution urging all member states to ratify a UN treaty prohibiting the recruitment of children under the age of 18 into the armed forces. Alhaji was just 10 years old when Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone abducted, beat and robbed him before teaching him to fire an assault rifle in his new role as soldier for the next two and a half years. "I ask this body on behalf of all the children of Sierra Leone to do all they can to bring our sad story to an end. We want to be able to move about freely in all parts of the country. We want to be able to visit our friends and families without fear of abduction, recruitment and other dangers," Alhaji said. (BBC News, UK, 21 November 2001)
* Somalia. Barakat's telecoms' services cut off - Al-Barakat, the Somali remittance group, accused by the US of financing al-Qaeda, has been forced to suspend its international telecommunications services after Concert Communications -- a joint venture between AT&T and British Telecom -- cut off its international gateway. A spokesman for Concert said: "We have terminated our business with Al-Barakat with immediate effect. We are looking at alternative carrier routes to Somalia where possible". (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 November 2001)
* Somalia. Fierce fighting in Puntland - Fighting has broken out in Garowe, the regional capital of Somalia's breakaway north-eastern region of Puntland. Forces loyal to ousted leader Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed attacked Garowe on 21 November and are now saying they have taken control of the town. The situation is reported to be fluid with no word on the whereabouts of the recently elected president of Puntland, Jama Ali Jama. Political in-fighting has intensified in the self-declared autonomous region in recent months.Things came to a head a week ago, when an influential conference voted for a change in leader. Clan elders elected Jama Ali Jama as the new head of Puntland, but this was immediately rejected by Abdullahi Yusuf, who described the vote as futile and illegal. He accused supporters of the transitional government in Mogadishu of being involved in the conference but correspondents say it is not clear whether Mr Jama is any more sympathetic to Mogadishu than Mr Abdullahi. The north-eastern Somali state was created in 1998, partly to avoid the violence that has plagued Somalia which had been without a central government since 1991.A new interim government came to power in Somalia last year, but has so far been unable to impose its authority on the country. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 November 2001)
* South Africa. Arms report clears government - A long-awaited inquiry into allegations of corruption in a multi-billion dollar arms deal has cleared the South African government of unlawful conduct. But the investigation, by three law enforcement agencies, found a series of irregularities in the awarding of contracts last year in what was the biggest-ever arms deal in South Africa. The inquiry's report said the former defence minister and a senior civil servant were involved in a conflict of interests because they were connected to the companies in Sweden, Britain, Germany and Italy which benefited from the deals. The South African police are to continue their investigation into individuals who are alleged to have accepted favours from the companies. The arms deal, the biggest in South Africa's history, has been under intense scrutiny for more than a year. The South African Government has been criticised for spending billions of dollars on weapons instead of addressing chronic social problems. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 November 2001)
* South Africa. Police on trial for brutality - 19 November: The trial begins today of six white South African policemen charged with assault after they were captured on video setting their dogs on three black men. The broadcasting of the video, following its discovery late last year, provoked an intense public outcry and raised concerns about continuing racism in the South African police force. The video, shot by one of the six white officers, shows them laughing and jeering as their dogs savaged three black men. The dogs bit the legs, arms and faces of the black men who were suspected of being illegal immigrants. They pleaded for mercy but the policemen did not call the dogs off. In fact the policemen joined in the violence, kicking and punching. The pictures are deeply disturbing and there was outrage in South Africa when they were first shown last year. At the bail hearing several hundred angry black people protested. Some carried banners with the anti-white slogan "one settler, one bullet". A senior judge has been put in charge of the trial indicative of the sensitivities around it. Four of the six policemen have pleaded guilty to the assault charges. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 November 2001) 

Weekly anb1122.txt - End oh #5/6