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Weekly anb02148.txt #8

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-02-2002      PART #8/8
* Tchad/UE. Nouvel accord de coopération - Le 11 février, l'Union européenne et le Tchad ont signé un accord de coopération portant sur la période 2002-2007 pour un montant de 202 millions d'euros. Le nouvel accord vise à appuyer les efforts du gouvernement tchadien dans la mise en oeuvre de sa politique globale de réduction de la pauvreté. Les crédits non remboursables accordés dans le cadre de cet accord sont destinés à la réalisation de plusieurs objectifs dans le secteur routier et l'eau, l'appui à la société civile, au programme d'appui à la bonne gouvernance et à l'Etat de droit. L'aide financière servira aussi d'appui au secteur macro-économique afin d'assurer la compensation de la diminution des recettes d'exportation du Tchad après l'abandon du système de stabilisation des recettes d'exportations agricoles (Stabex). (PANA, Sénégal, 11 février 2002)
* Tunisie. Grève massive des avocats - La parodie de procès qui a abouti à la condamnation à neuf ans de prison de l'opposant Hamma Hammani, le 2 février, a eu de sévères répercussions pour le régime de Zine Ben Ali. Le 7 février, les avocats tunisiens ont, selon leur conseil de l'ordre, "massivement" observé la grève décidée pour protester contre les conditions de ce procès, au cours duquel la police a fait brutalement irruption pour arrêter les prévenus. Sur plus de 2.000 inscrits dans le Grand Tunis, 24 avocats seulement n'ont pas suivi le mouvement. La grève aurait en outre été suivie à 100% dans les villes de Beja, de Gabès et de Sfax. Les autorités ont qualifié ce mouvement d'"illégal" et annoncé un recours en justice contre la grève. (Libération, France, 8 février 2002)
* Tunisie. Référendum constitutionnel - Le mercredi soir, 13 février, le président Ben Ali a annoncé, dans une déclaration radio-télévisée, l'organisation prochaine d'un référendum sur la réforme de la Constitution, qu'il avait initiée le 7 novembre dernier, date marquant l'anniversaire de son accession au pouvoir en 1987. M. Ben Ali a assuré que la réforme envisagée "confère aux libertés et aux droits de l'homme une place privilégiée". Il s'agira notamment de renforcer les garanties judiciaires. Au plan législatif, il est prévu d'instituer un système bicaméral. Mais l'axe important de l'amendement proposé est celui relatif aux élections présidentielles, où serait introduit un scrutin à deux tours. La réforme stipule aussi "la possibilité de renouvellement de la candidature à la présidence de la République, tout en maintenant la clause de l'âge maximum pour l'égilibilté", à savoir 70 ans. M. Ben Ali aura 68 ans à la date des prochaines élections présidentielles, prévues en 2004. Il aura alors achevé son troisième et dernier mandat selon les dispositions actuelles de la Constitution. (D'après AP, 14 février 2002)
* Uganda. The Bujagali Dam - The two American groups opposed to the construction of the Bujagali Dam say that the groundbreaking for the project on 24 January does not mark the end of their campaign. "We'll follow the impact of the project and we'll hold the funders accountable for the promises they made to the local people," says Ms Carol Welch, acting director of international programmes for Friends of the Earth. Ms Lori Pottinger, Africa programmes director for the International Rivers Network, says the group will monitor construction of the dam and its eventual operation. Ugandan officials say the dam will generate 10,000 jobs and alleviate chronic energy shortages that are said to cost the country 90 working days per year. (The East African, Kenya, 4-10 February 2002)
* Uganda. Uganda blamed for on-going war in Congo RDC - 7 February: The United Nations has blamed Uganda for the ongoing war in a north-eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. UN Congo representative Amos Namanga Ngongi said Uganda had failed to contain clashes in Ituri province, which is under its control. Mr Ngongi told a news conference in Kinshasa that it was up to Uganda to restore peace in the area, where a power struggle between two Ugandan-backed rebel factions has led to violent ethnic clashes in the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, troops loyal to Jean Pierre Bemba captured the town of Isiro and the gold mine of Bafwasende -- some 350 kilometres west of the Ugandan border - from another rebel group. Both groups have been armed and trained by the Ugandan army. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 February 2002)
* Zambia. Newspaper editor arrested - The editor of Zambia's only privately owned newspaper has been briefly detained by police and charged with defaming President Levy Mwanawasa. The arrest of Fred M'membe, editor of The Post, followed the publication last week of a story which quoted an opposition lawmaker as saying Mr Mwanawasa was a "cabbage." The police have also issued a summons for Dipak Patel, the opposition lawmaker quoted in the Post article. The description of the president became commonplace among opposition leaders during the run up to December's elections, which they say were rigged. The president is prone to verbal slip-ups and suffered from poor health following a road accident 10 years ago. The Post reported that Mr M'membe told the arresting officer that the charge was a "sheer waste of his time. Such a stupid charge can only be originated by senseless people with nothing, or very little, to do," he was quoted as saying. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 February 2002)
* Zimbabwe. MPs tortured in new wave of terror - Three Zimbabwean opposition MPs campaigning for next month's elections have been abducted, beaten and tortured for two days by supporters of President Robert Mugabe in a remote town, according to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The three were paraded, injured and bleeding, wearing handcuffs in front of the police station in Nkayi yesterday while 37 other opposition party officials and supporters were also held, the MDC says. The attack marks an escalation of political violence in the run-up to the poll. Until now, the ruling Zanu-PF's militia has reserved its attacks for less prominent opponents. The MDC also says at least four party supporters have been beaten to death this week, and a new wave of political terror is sweeping through Matabeleland in southern Zimbabwe, a key area of opposition support. The three politicians -- Abednico Bhebhe, MP for Nkayi, Peter Nyoni, MP for Victoria Falls, and Joel Gabuza, MP for Binga -- led a convoy to distribute leaflets for Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader who is challenging Mr Mugabe in the presidential poll on March 9 and 10. The tires of their cars were shot at by soldiers and they were attacked by Mr Mugabe's youth militia working with the army, according to local residents. Mr Bhebhe was among those seriously injured, said the residents. The MPs and other MDC officials were eventually taken to the Nkayi police station where they were interrogated and held overnight on Wednesday. Some of the MDC members were taken to the local hospital yesterday and returned to the police station, say the residents. (The Guardian, UK, 8 February 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Vers la présidentielle - 10 février. L'Union européenne a placé le Zimbabwe devant le fait accompli en envoyant à Harare M. Pierre Schori, le chef suédois de ses observateurs à la présidentielle des 9 et 10 mars, malgré le veto du président Mugabe à la présence d'observateurs de la Suède, de la Finlande, du Danemark, de la Grande-Bretagne, d'Allemagne et des Pays-Bas, pays accusés de soutenir l'opposition. M. Schori est arrivé le dimanche soir, 10 février, mais n'a pas été accrédité par les autorités. Si Harare décidait d'expulser l'envoyé suédois, les Quinze pourraient décider d'imposer les "sanctions ciblées" dont ils menacent depuis fin janvier le régime de Mugabe. -11 février. Le lundi matin, des cocktails Molotov ont été lancés sur un bureau provincial du seul quotidien privé zimbabwéen, le Daily News, et sur les locaux d'une entreprise qui a imprimé du matériel de campagne de l'opposition. Il n'y a pas eu de victimes. - Le 12 février, le président Mugabe a déclaré à Gutu (sud) son intention de se retirer du pouvoir après avoir distribué les terres aux paysans noirs. Il a dit avoir changé ses projets de départ à la retraite pour assurer aux Noirs sans terres des moyens économiques. Le vieux leader (78 ans dans une semaine) n'a pas précisé la date de son départ. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 février 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Lead-up to poll - 11 February: The head of a team of European Union election monitors has arrived in Zimbabwe despite warnings from the government there that he could be barred from observing next month's vote. Pierre Schori, a former Swedish Government minister, flew into Harare after Zimbabwe's announcement last week that it would not accept observers from six EU countries, including Sweden. The EU has threatened sanctions against Zimbabwe if its monitors are not granted full access to the elections. Mr Schori arrived saying he expected to carry out his work despite the objections from President Robert Mugabe's government. "I intend to do my job properly, together with my team here, which is highly professional and will work in an unbiased manner," Mr Schori said. His first task will be to seek accreditation from the authorities. If he is denied that, or if he or his team are barred access to parts of the country or parts of the campaign, the EU has said it will impose sanctions. 12 February: A team of 30 election observers from the European Union is due in Zimbabwe, today, but it is still not clear if they will have a role to play. Nine European countries had been told they could come to observe the presidential election next month, but only in an individual capacity. 13 February: The much-hyped confrontation between the Zimbabwe government and the European Union observer mission seems destined to end in a soggy compromise. Zimbabwe government officials were yesterday holding fast to their demand that delegates from six "hostile" EU countries be barred from the mission. In theory, this includes Pierre Schori, the chairman, a former Swedish government minister who is already in the country but who has not yet managed to accredit himself with the authorities. After a day of what an EU spokesman called "intense contacts" with the Zimbabwe government, the EU appeared to be in retreat. On 11 February, Mr Schori had insisted that composition of the EU observer mission was not negotiable. But on 12 February, the unofficial word was that with the exception of Mr Schori himself, none of the 30 long-term observers would come from the six "biased" countries -- the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. -- The head of the Commonwealth observer mission for the elections, Nigeria's Abdusalami Abubakar, says his mission is there to assist Zimbabwe, not to tell it what to do. --The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has joined other civic bodies in condemning the violence that has gripped the country in the run-up to the general elections. 14 February: A significant number of white Zimbabweans are receiving letters from the registrar-general telling them they cannot vote in the presidential elections because they have renounced their citizenship. The most high profile casualty is Garfield Todd, the 93-year-old former prime minister of Southern Rhodesia in the 1950s. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 February 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Harare reporter accused of lying - The following report appeared in "The Guardian" on 12 February: "Africa's leading press freedom organisation has accused The Independent's correspondent in Zimbabwe of fabricating an account of a "terrifying" night in a police cell after his arrest last week under the country's draconian new security laws. Basildon Peta's story generated international protests and prompted the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, to warn it could trigger sanctions against Harare. But the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) says Peta did not spend a night in the cells and that his account in The Independent was false. Yesterday, Peta admitted he was allowed home for several hours on the night he was detained, but said he was still in custody for more than 12 hours and that he withheld his temporary release from his account in order to protect the policemen involved. MISA said it has drawn attention to irregularities in Peta's account because Harare uses untruthful stories to justify media curbs. "In our struggle, it is of utter importance that we remain truthful and faithful so that we do not open ourselves to unnecessary criticism and give grounds and justification for further repression," it said. Peta, who chairs the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), was questioned by police after he led a protest by journalists against new curbs on the media. Under the new security law, police must have four days' notice before a public gathering. In The Independent, he described what the paper called his "terrifying" night in a cell. (...) MISA said Peta was not held in the cells at all, but arrived voluntarily at the police station at 2pm where his lawyer argued that the ZUJ had not needed permission for the journalists' demonstration. MISA says Peta was released at around 7pm. The next day, Peta and his lawyer visited the attorney general, who said he would not be pressing charges. MISA spokesman Raashweat Mukundu said: "We wanted to correct a misrepresentation because it was becoming the subject of a lot of other issues. The EU, Jack Straw, were deciding policy based on this. If there is to be any policy toward the government, it must be on the basis of the truth." (...) The Independent's foreign editor, Leonard Doyle, yesterday defended Peta's account". On 13 February, "The Independent" replied with an article by Basildon Peta asserting that basically, his account of what happened to him when arrested, was true.: "The last thing I expected in my fight for press freedom in Zimbabwe was to trigger a media meltdown in London that would hand ammunition to the Harare government for its persecution of independent journalists". Peta goes on to explain that he had persuaded the detectives assigned to his case to take him home so that he could pick up medication he needed for his stomach ulcers. At their request he agreed not to disclose that they had accompanied him home. He was back at the police station at 3.a.m. "I do not need either to exaggerate or fabricate anything about the sorry state of affairs in Zimbabwe, about the difficult circumstances within which the press in my country is operating, or indeed about my own situation". (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 February 2002) 

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