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Weekly anb03146.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-03-2002      PART #6/7
* South Africa. Pivotal decision in AIDS drug availability - On 11 March, the Pretoria High Court granted the government permission to appeal the Court's order to distribute a key AIDS drug at all public hospitals and clinics, but said the drug has to be made available in the meantime. The Constitutional Court, the country's highest court, is not expected to hear the appeal before the end of May. In December, the High Court granted an application by AIDS activists and a group of paediatrician asking the health authorities to be ordered to make the drug, Nevirapine, available to HIV-positive pregnant women countrywide, and to formulate a programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus. The government asked for permission to appeal the ruling, saying the Constitutional Court needed to decide whether courts could intervene in matters of policy. (CNN, USA, 11 March 2002)
* South Africa. Mbeki slams white attitudes within Commonwealth - South Africa's president Thabo Mbeki has reacted angrily to "white supremacist" criticism of the Commonwealth's decision to defer any action against political violence in Zimbabwe until after this week's presidential elections. r Mbeki has challenged the view that the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Australia last week was a failure because it fell short of imposing sanctions and suspension on Zimbabwe. He has also strongly contested that the meeting was split along racial lines between a "white" camp of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK and that of more sympathetic African states. "The final decision on Zimbabwe was, in large measure, proposed by a member of the "white Commonwealth". This was not done to appease a "black Commonwealth", but to contribute to a constructive approach to a just stable and long-term resolution of the situation in Zimbabwe," Mr Mbeki wrote in a ruling African National Congress (ANC) publication, ANC Today. The Commonwealth gave responsibility to Mr Mbeki, Nigeria's president Olesegun Obasanjo and Australia's prime minister John Howard to determine a response to Zimbabwe after considering a report by the group's election observers. (Financial Times, UK, 11 March 2002)
* Sudan. Church groups urge action on three key issues - On 7 March, delegates at last week's Sudan Ecumenical Forum in London, warned that any peace settlement in Sudan "must be just and lasting and not a quick-fix solution". Delegates called for pressure on the government of Sudan to put an end to bombings and other attacks on civilians, a suspension of oil production, and recognition of the right to self-determination of the southern Sudanese and other marginalised people in Sudan. "There are currently the conditions to achieve a peace deal in Sudan and no reason why we should not try," Clare Short, British Secretary of State for International Development, told delegates. "It is fantastically important that we try to end this war". The conference, from 4 to 6 March, brought together religious leaders from Sudan and their worldwide church partners in an effort to promote dialogue and "find solutions to the problems that lie at the heart of Sudan's conflict". (IRIN, Kenya, 11 March 2002)
* Soudan. Ruptures et accords - Sadek el Mahdi, leader du parti Umma, un des principaux partis d'opposition, a annoncé la suspension des contacts avec le gouvernement de Khartoum. A peine rentré dans la capitale soudanaise d'un mois de voyage à l'étranger, l'ancien Premier ministre Mahdi a affirmé avoir constaté que le gouvernement n'était "pas prêt à poursuivre le processus démocratique". Il a imposé comme condition à la reprise du dialogue "la ratification d'une Constitution démocratique et l'annulation des lois qui limitent les libertés". - D'autre part, le 10 mars, grâce à une médiation américaine, le gouvernement soudanais et les combattants du SPLA (Armée populaire de libération du Soudan) ont signé un accord sur la protection des civils dans la guerre qui ensanglante le pays depuis 20 ans. Cet accord devrait notamment mettre fin aux bombardements de civils par les forces soudanaises. Certains observateurs doutent cependant du sérieux de ces engagements. (Misna, Italie, 11-12 mars 2002)
* Sudan. Protecting civilians - 10 March: The Sudanese government and the SPLA sign a US-brokered agreement to protect civilians from "all types of military operations". The accord follows the arrival last week of international monitors to Khartoum, and a US announcement that an agreement was emerging to end government bombings of civilians. 12 March: The United States has given details of plans to deploy the international monitors in Sudan, to ensure compliance with a ceasefire agreed by the government and the SPLA rebel movement in January. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says a team of 15 monitors, together with support staff, will be led by a Norwegian officer, and will be deployed in the Nuba mountains for an initial period of six months. Some two million people have died in the 19-year civil war between the government in Khartoum and southern rebels. The Nuba Mountains --one of the hardest hit areas - have been fought for by both the government and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. Mr Boucher says the SPLA leader, John Garang, will be meeting US officials in Washington this week. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 March 2002)
* Tanzania. Computer students "bridging digital divide" - A group of 38 students has just graduated from an information and communications technology (ICT) course in Dar es Salaam, the focus of which was to promote development by bridging the so-called "digital divide" in least-developed countries like Tanzania. The students earned Cisco Certified Network Associate certificates -- the same as that awarded to students at many US universities and high schools -- after graduating from the University of Dar es Salaam computing centre, according to the United Nations Development Programme which is supporting the programme. The programme, which it is proposed to expand throughout the country, is intended to help Tanzania increase the number of ICT professionals able to solve technical problems in the workplace and help make organisations more efficient. (IRIN, Kanya, 7 March 2002)
* Tanzania. Danish aid comes under scrutiny - Danish MPs have threatened to vote for aid cutbacks to Tanzania should the country forge ahead with plans to purchase a state-of-the-art air traffic control system worth 40 million US dollars from a UK-based aerospace firm. The Danish Association of International Cooperation said in a press release that MPs in that country have petitioned their government to slice Tanzanian aid should the deal, criticised by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) go ahead. However, the Danish embassy in Dar es Salaam said there was currently no change in its government support to Tanzania, which totalled 52.45 billion Tanzanian shillings (Tsh) last year. Tanzania is looking ahead to closing the deal on the radar equipment designed to boost the country's defence and provide modern air security for its sky. Transport minister Mark Mwandosya told Parliament last January when Tanzanian MPs passed a motion in support of the purchase, that the country's present radar system was obsolete and poses "a great risk to national security." Negotiations have been going on for three years without public notice until the British press disclosed the deal, triggering protests. (PANA, Senegal, 7 March 2002)
* Tanzania. World Bank to investigate miners' deaths - The World Bank has promised to investigate allegations that more than 50 small-scale gold miners were buried alive because police wanted to evict them from land to make way for a foreign company, operating with an investment guarantee from the bank. The government has denied accusations that police were to blame for the deaths -- which allegedly occurred when they were evicting the miners from land that had been sold to a foreign mining company. A prominent judge, Justice Mark Bomani, has called on the government to open an investigation into the murder allegations. In 1996 the northern Tanzanian gold mines of Bulyanhulu were sold to a foreign company. To start their mining operation, the company needed to move the small-scale miners who were working in the area. It was during this move that the police allegedly buried alive miners who had either refused to leave or were still in the pits. The government has always refuted the claims and Attorney General Andrew Chenge has asked Justice Bomani to produce proof of the alleged killings -- which the government says did not occur. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002)
* Tunisie. Jugement en appel - La cour d'appel de Tunis a ajourné au 30 mars son jugement dans l'affaire des trois dirigeants du Parti communiste des travailleurs tunisiens, Hamma Hammani, Abdeljaber Madouri et Samir Tamallah, qui avaient été condamnés, en février, à des peines allant jusqu'à onze ans de prison. Par cette décision, annoncée le 9 mars, le tribunal satisfait à l'une des demandes présentées par plus de deux cents avocats de la défense, qui réclamaient plus de temps pour étudier le dossier; mais la Cour a ignoré l'appel répété des avocats en faveur de la libération des détenus. (Le Monde, France, 12 mars 2002)
* Uganda. Selling off sugar works - Uganda's state-owned Kinyara sugar works is to be privatised by the end of the year, the government said on 11 March. Kinyara, the second largest sugar company in Uganda, is managed by UK firm Booker Tate on behalf of the Ugandan Government. It produces 50,000 tonnes of Uganda's 120,000 tonnes per year of sugar. Sugar refining is one of the main industries in Uganda, where more than 80% of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Kinyara owns 7,800 hectares of farmland, as well as receiving cane from out-growers who own a further 3,000 hectares of sugar plantations. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 March 2002)
* Ouganda/UE. Aide aux déplacés - L'Union européenne a accordé une aide humanitaire d'une valeur de 420.000 euros en faveur des personnes déplacées en Ouganda, annonce un communiqué officiel remis à la presse le 11 mars. Plus de 110.000 personnes déplacées dans le district de Gulu à cause des activités de groupes rebelles recevront de l'aide grâce à ces crédits. Les programmes financés par l'UE dans le cadre de cette nouvelle intervention est de 18 mois. (PANA, Sénégal, 11 mars 2002)
* Ouganda. La lutte contre la LRA - Des soldats parlant avec un accent américain prononcé, se trouvent aux côtés des troupes ougandaises entrées au Soudan dans le cadre d'une vaste opération contre les rebelles de la LRA (Armée de résistance du Seigneur), rapporte l'agence Misna le 7 mars. Il s'agirait d'une trentaine de conseillers militaires américains qui doivent assister l'armée ougandaise pour éliminer le gros des forces rebelles guidées par Joseph Kony, dont les camps se trouvent dans quatre villages proches du fleuve Kit, l'un des affluents du Nil Blanc. L'opération ougandaise est menée en étroite collaboration avec le SPLA, le mouvement rebelle sud-soudanais. Le ministre ougandais de la Défense a reconnu que ses troupes ont pénétré à l'intérieur du Sud-Soudan à la poursuite des rebelles de la LRA. Le 11 mars, il a déclaré que l'armée ougandaise patrouillait à 40 km à l'intérieur du Soudan. - D'autre part, dans un rapport annuel rendu public le 12 mars, la Commission ougandaise des droits de l'homme (UHRC) lance un appel au président Museveni pour que soient rétablies de bonnes relations durables entre l'Ouganda et le Soudan, afin de mettre fin aux attaques de la LRA. "Le rétablissement de relations excellentes entre l'Ouganda et le Soudan donnerait plus de chance de priver la LRA du soutien si nécessaire du gouvernement du Soudan", dit l'UHRC. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 mars 2002)
* Uganda. Suspected cult members arrested -- child rescued - Police have arrested 16 members of a suspected religious cult that eschews medical treatment and rescued a dying child, a senior police official said on 12 March. Police raided the headquarters of Believers in God in Akworo, 380 kilometres northwest of Kampala, and rescued a 3-year-old sick child who had been denied medical treatment, district Police Commissioner Samson Onyai said. "This group has been in existence for some time, and we want to establish whether it is a real cult," Onyai said by telephone from his office in Nebbi. "We are holding 16 people, the leader is on the run and the child is in critical condition in hospital." The government New Vision newspaper said on 12 March that at least 10 people had died in the Believers of God camp in Akworo. The private daily Monitor said the bodies of 30 members who died after failing to receive medical treatment had been secretly buried. Onyai said he did not have information on the reports, adding authorities were investigating. (CNN, USA, 13 March 2002
* Western Sahara. Polisario blasts Morocco's Sahara claim - The Polisario Front, the independence movement for Western Sahara, has condemned the latest speech by the king of Morocco claiming sovereignty over the disputed territory. A statement broadcast on Polisario radio described the king's words as "a declaration of war on international legality". In his address on 6 March, King Mohammed said Morocco would not give up an inch of the region. He was speaking during a visit to Western Sahara, his second in four months. The Polisario also accused Morocco of wanting to plunder Western Sahara's resources, which include phosphorous, fish stocks and, perhaps, offshore oil. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002) 

Weekly anb0314.txt -  End of part 6/7