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Weekly anb11296.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 29-11-2001      PART #6/7
* Afrique du Sud. La politique anti-sida - Le 26 novembre, l'association d'aide aux malades du sida, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) attaque devant un tribunal de Pretoria le gouvernement sud-africain pour le contraindre à fournir aux services publics de santé les traitements "bon marché" limitant la transmission du virus VIH de la mère à l'enfant. Le président Mbeki a récemment jugé que ces médicaments étaient "aussi dangeureux que la maladie". En avril dernier, la TAC était pourtant aux côtés du gouvernement pour célébrer une victoire commune contre 39 groupes pharmaceutiques refusant les médicaments génériques bon marché. (La Croix, France, 26 novembre 2001)
* South Africa. Rivals do deal - South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, has reached a cooperation agreement with the party which brought apartheid to South Africa. The deal paves the way for the New National Party (NNP) to return to government at all levels as well as giving the ANC a foothold in the Western Cape, a key province where it had no governing role before. The predecessor of the NNP, the National Party, created and operated apartheid from the late 1940s until it began dismantling the system in 1990. After all-race elections swept the ANC to power in 1994, it participated in a national unity government, until pulling out in 1996. The two parties said in a joint statement: "The ANC and the NNP will cooperate in all areas of South Africa's political life. The spirit of participatory governance will also be reflected in appointments in national government, parliamentary and other appropriate structures," the statement said. They also said they would rule the Western Cape province in an equally divided coalition. Earlier this month, the NNP withdrew from the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, and began talks with the ANC. (BBC News, UK, 27 November 2001)
* Afrique du Sud. Accord au Cap entre ANC et NNP - Le 27 novembre, le Congrès national africain (ANC) au pouvoir et le Nouveau Parti national (NNP, ancien parti de l'apartheid, ont scellé un rapprochement historique, par un accord qui les verra gouverner ensemble dans la province du Cap. Résultat d'un mois de négociations depuis l'éclatement de l'alliance d'opposition de droite (qui gouvernait le Cap depuis 1999 -seule province qui échappait au pouvoir de l'ANC), l'accord prévoit six portefeuilles pour chaque parti au cabinet provincial, dont le poste de Premier ministre pour le NNP. Il indique aussi que le NNP devrait obtenir un ou plusieurs postes ministériels au niveau national lors d'un prochain remaniement. Au sein de l'ANC, seule Winnie Mandela, en conflit ouvert avec le président Mbeki, a publiquement exprimé sa réprobation. La puissante centrale syndicale Cosatu, principal allié de l'ANC, a dans un premier temps qualifié l'accord d'"opportuniste", avant de se rallier à l'idée d'un "bloc temporaire et tactique" dans la province du Cap. "Mais nous n'accepterons pas que la même chose se produise au niveau national", a prévenu le président du Cosatu. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 novembre 2001)
* South Africa. Requesting help in hosting Earth Summit - The South African government will ask companies to help foot the bill for the United Nations Earth Summit, to be held in Johannesburg next year, Valli Moosa, the minister of environment, said on 27 November. Mr Moosa said hosting the World Summit on Sustainable Development would cost about $55m. He warned the international community that the South African taxpayer could only be expected to pay for less than half of this amount. The summit was previously held in Rio de Janeiro. South Africa has invested heavily in conference infrastructure over the past five years as a means to boost tourism and promote the country on the international stage. It has built the International Conference Centre in Durban and another facility in Johannesburg. A conference centre in Cape Town is also under consideration. But the country has struggled to find the resources for large inter-governmental conferences. The Earth Summit will cost five times more than the UN Conference Against Racism in Durban. The government had difficulty raising the funds for the Durban conference and is still finalising the cost. (Financial Times, UK, 28 November 2001)
* Afrique du Sud. Mbeki dénonce les erreurs du Zimbabwe - Le président sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a dénoncé, le 27 novembre, les "mauvaises politiques économiques menées depuis deux décennies" au Zimbabwe, à l'origine selon lui de sa crise actuelle. Ces propos constituent l'une des plus vives critiques publiques du président sud-africain à l'encontre des autorités du Zimbabwe. (La Libre Belgique, 29 novembre 2001)
* South Africa. Joe Modise - Johannes (Joe) Modise died on 26 November 2001 at his home in Pretoria, aged 72. He trod a familiar career path in the African National Congress (ANC), from low-paid truck driver to liberation activist to high-ranking leader. As the ANC's military commander, Joe Modise presided over the setting up of detention camps in Tanzania, and the Quattro camp in Angola, where suspected informers and dissidents were incarcerated. When the ANC came into office in 1994, President Nelson Mandela appointed him Minister of Defence. As minister, he presided over the initially bumpy, but eventually successful integration of the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation, or MK), the ANC's armed wing with the apartheid army, along with various black ex-homeland guerrilla formations. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 29 November 2001)
* South Africa/Belgium. SAB soars on merger report - South African Breweries (SAB), the world's fifth-largest brewer, saw it stock soar after the FT said Interbrew was preparing an acquisition. Interbrew, the brewer of Stella Artois, said on 28 November it had undertaken a preliminary study of SAB that may or may not lead to a takeover. The Belgian brewer said no approach had been made. The acquisition would create the world's second-largest brewer, the Financial Times said, citing documents that indicated an all-stock offer could be made by December 3 at a price of about $5.6 billion. SABwas valued at about $4.8 billion at the close of London trading on 27 November. The company's stock rose more than 9 percent to 483 pence in midday London trading on 28 November. Interbrew's stock dropped 5.1 percent to 27.90 on concerns it may overpay for SAB and could be forced to issue shares to pay for any acquisition. "There is fear of overpayment," Gerard Rijk, beverages analyst at ING Barings, told Reuters. SAB would have a price tag of $5.5 billion to $6 billion but Interbrew does not have enough cash and would need to carry out a new share issue or a share exchange, diluting the value of its existing stock, Rijk said. Interbrew is still involved in a wrangle with British competition authorities over its $3.3 billion acquisition of Bass Brewers and has been told to sell the Carling brand in Britain. It recently bought German brewer Beck's. (CNN, USA, 29 November 2001)
* Sudan. Nuba welcomes food aid - A United Nations-brokered four week ceasefire has allowed much-needed emergency supplies to get through to Sudan's Nuba mountains. Until last week, they had been cut off by the 18-year civil war between the Khartoum government and the southern SPLA rebels. Hundreds of men, women and children waited patiently for their share of the food aid to be doled out by officials. Some had travelled for days to get to the distribution point. Many looked gaunt and exhausted. One woman told me children were dying in her village because there was not enough food for them. The widespread hunger in the Nuba mountains is man-made. The Nuba mountains have some of the most fertile lands in Sudan. In better years a food surplus is produced here. But a major government offensive earlier this year drove farmers from their fields and thousands from their homes. It was the latest blow to a people whose unique heritage, a mixture of over 50 different tribal groups, has been under threat in recent years. Murder, abduction and rape are widespread, as the government attempts to exert its control over this remote area. Some have described the wholesale assault on the Nubians as nothing less than genocide.The airdrop by the World Food Programme offers a glimmer of hope to this beleaguered people. (BBC News, UK, 23 November 2001)
* Soudan. Cessez-le-feu dans les zones pétrolifères? - Le gouvernement soudanais serait sur le point de proposer un cessez-le-feu dans les zones proches des monts Nouba, rapportent des sources journalistiques internationales, qui précisent que l'initiative est le résultat d'un accord convenu entre le président soudanais et l'envoyé spécial des Etats-Unis, John Danforth. L'offensive diplomatique entend ramener la paix dans la zone pétrolifère de l'Etat de Ouahda, dans le Sud-Soudan, où interviennent de nombreuses entreprises pétrolières. Toutefois, selon des sources au Sud-Soudan, l'acceptation d'un tel cessez-le-feu par le SPLA (armée de libération populaire du Soudan) s'avérera fort difficile. D'après les observateurs, les recettes provenant de l'exploitation du pétrole sont investies par Khartoum dans son arsenal militaire. (MISNA, Italie, 27 novembre 2001)
* Tanzania. Boosting the tourism industry - The 11 September bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, have effected Tanzania's tourism industry. Tanzania's efforts to boost the industry had attained significant successes. Receipts from tourism had started increasing, employment opportunities, either directly or indirectly had also increased. In recent years, the tourism industry accounted for about 16% of the GDP, and nearly 25% of total export earnings. But now, what's happening? Local tour operators, travel agents and others connected with the industry say the consequences of 11 September have started to bite hard. The poor performance has been blamed on two things: the bombings in the USA and concentration and dependence on the western market for tourism growth. Those working in Tanzania's tourism industry now say the government should start wooing tourists from the Far East, such as from China and Japan, among others and efforts should be made to improve Tanzania's infrastructure and international access. (Perege Gumbo, ANB-BIA, Tanzania, 7 November 2001)
* Tanzania. $3bn debt relief - After four years of effort, Tanzania has finally won $3bn in debt relief from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The agreement by the Bank and Fund makes Tanzania the fourth country of a list of more than 36 to have got to this point. The relief means that by next fiscal year Dar es Salaam should see its interest payments fall to $116m a year from $193m in 1999-2000. By 2010, the Bank said, the debt repayment should be down to an average of $87m a year. (BBC News, UK, 28 November 2001)
* Uganda. Reform Agenda. - The World Bank has drafted a $125m blueprint for 18 war ridden districts in Northern and Eastern Uganda to allow them catch up with the rest of the country, Government officials say. The Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) is a five-year programme, to rehabilitate infrastructures, stimulate economic activity and strengthen the on-going peace process. It targets 2.5m people i.e. 30% of the northern population. USAF will work with NGOs, Community Service Organisations, traditional rulers and the local government. (Crespo Sebunya, ANB-BIA, Uganda, 21 November 2001)
* Ouganda. Prêtre soudanais assassiné - L'abbé Peter Obore, prêtre soudanais du diocèse de Torit, a été assassiné le 24 novembre par des rebelles de "l'armée de résistance du Seigneur" (LRA) sur la route de Atiak à Bibia. Il voyageait en fourgonnette avec d'autres personnes. On ne sait pas ce que sont devenus les autres passagers. Le véhicule a été incendié. Le prêtre sera enterré dans son village natal dans le comté de Torit, a fait savoir son évêque, Mgr Paride Taban. Les rebelles du LRA sont responsables de toute une série d'assassinats et d'enlèvements. (Fides, Rome, 26 novembre 2001)
* Uganda. Sudanese priest killed by LRA rebels) - A Sudanese priest was killed on 24 November by rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. According to MISNA sources, Father Peter Obore of the Catholic diocese of Torit, parish priest of Loa/Nimule (South Sudan), was killed in an ambush along the road from Atiak to Bibia (Gulu district), on return in his vehicle to Nimule, after attending a Seminar in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. There are no details concerning the fate of the other passengers in his vehicle. On receiving the news, Torit Bishop Paride Taban immediately made arrangements for the transfer of the priest's body to Ikotos. The funeral will be held at his home village of Tirangore in Torit County. Fr. Obore was ordained priest in 1987 by Bishop Taban. He was the third Catholic priest to be killed by armed men along the Ugandan border. The other two were Fr. Saturnino Ohure, assassinated 22 January 1967 and Fr. Leopoldo Anywar, killed 9 November 1968. The latest LRA rebel attack against Catholic church personnel occurred in September, when a Catholic Relief Service vehicle was ambushed and five people killed. (MISNA, Italy, 26 November 2001)
* Ouganda. Les Turkana retournent au Kenya - Les pasteurs Turkana quittent le Karamoja (nord-est de l'Ouganda) pour retourner au Kenya. Selon des sources locales, 60.000 têtes de bétail ont traversé la frontière ces derniers jours. Les Turkana ont décidé d'abandonner l'Ouganda où, pendant une trentaine d'années, ils ont fait paître leurs animaux, pour fuir le programme de désarmement décidé par le gouvernement de Kampala. La mesure entrera en vigueur à partir du 2 décembre et concernera tout le Karamoja, où circulent quelque 100.000 armes légères. De cette façon, les Turkana conserveront leur armement. (Misna, Italie, 29 novembre 2001) 

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