Weekly anb05168.txt #8

[anb-bia <anb-bia at village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 16-05-2002      PART #8/8

* Soudan/Ethiopie. Coopération renforcée  -  Le Soudan et l'Ethiopie ont 
convenu de renforcer leur coopération dans les domaines politique, 
économique et militaire, a annoncé le 13 mai le ministre soudanais des 
Affaires étrangères, M. Osman. Après des entretiens avec son homoloque 
éthiopien, M. Seyoum, et une tournée commune le long de la frontière entre 
les deux pays, M. Osman a affirmé que les deux parties avaient décidé de 
trouver, avant la fin de ce mois, une solution aux problèmes frontaliers en 
suspens. De son côté, M. Seyoum a prédit un renforcement des relations 
bilatérales dans un proche avenir. Dans un communiqué conjoint rendu public 
le 11 mai, les deux parties affirmaient avoir signé des accords de 
coopération dans les secteurs de l'agriculture, des ressources animales et 
du tourisme.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 13 mai 2002)

* Swaziland. King pushes AIDS testing  -  10 May: King Mswati III, has 
urged all the subjects of his AIDS-ravaged southern African kingdom to take 
an HIV test. "I expect all Swazis to take a blood test, to know our own HIV 
status so that we can take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and to 
live in a responsible and healthy manner," the 34-year-old monarch said in 
the foreword to a book about Swazis living with HIV/AIDS that was launched 
today. The British-educated Mswati, who has eight wives and two fiancees, 
has long been a vocal campaigner against the scourge but this is the first 
time he has urged all of his subjects to take an HIV test. Palace sources 
say Mswati himself takes such a test every six months. But many of the 
country's people live below the poverty line or in remote rural areas and 
Mswati did not say who would pay to have all of his subjects tested. 
Between 20 and 25 percent of Swaziland's roughly one million people are 
infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The landlocked nation borders 
Mozambique and South Africa, which has an estimated 4.7 million 
HIV-positive cases and is the worst affected country in the world.   (CNN, 
USA, 11 May 2002)

* Togo. Project against child labour  -  Togo's office of the International 
Catholic Child Bureau, using a US $343,000 contribution from the French 
government, has launched a three-year project to combat child labour across 
the country.The project, which was launched on 10 May in the main market of 
the capital Lome, aims to take off the streets, children less than 15 years 
who have been working as porters and helpers and to enrol them into 
schools. The organisation, in partnership with the International Labour 
Organization, would also conduct information and education campaigns 
targeting the civil society, parents and others. Togo, like many countries 
in West Africa, is struggling to contain the spread of child labour seen as 
a new form of criminality. Its spread is facilitated by poverty, 
traditional beliefs and culture, illiteracy and discrimination against 
women and girls.   (IRIN, 13 May 2002)

* Tunisie. Campagne référendaire  -  Le dimanche 12 mai, le président Ben 
Ali a lancé la campagne du référendum pour la réforme de la Constitution, 
le premier à être organisé dans l'histoire du pays. La consultation, prévue 
le 26 mai, devrait notamment permettre au président Ben Ali de briguer un 
4ème mandat de cinq ans. Actuellement, les dispositions constitutionnelles 
limitent à trois le nombre de mandats d'un président. Les amendements 
prévoient le renouvellement sans limite des candidatures à la magistrature 
suprême et repoussent de 70 à 75 ans l'âge limite du candidat, ce qui donne 
la possibilité à l'actuel chef de l'Etat, âgé aujourd'hui de 65 ans, de 
postuler deux autres mandats. Lors d'un meeting lançant la campagne, M. Ben 
Ali a soutenu que la réforme envisagée permettra de "moderniser la 
structure du pouvoir législatif" en instaurant un Parlement bicaméral et 
"consacrera le multipartisme, à travers un scrutin à deux tours pour 
l'élection présidentielle". Des opposants se sont déclarés hostiles aux 
amendements préconisés qui visent, selon eux, à "ouvrir la voie à la 
présidence à vie" Ils ont aussi dénoncé la nouvelle disposition prévoyant 
l'immunisté du président de la République pendant et après l'exercice de 
ses fonctions. Ils ont réclamé une "véritable réforme" pour la démocratie, 
notamment l'adoption du principe de l'alternance du pouvoir, une amnistie 
générale et la garantie de l'indépendance des pouvoirs exécutif, législatif 
et judiciaire.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 12 mai 2002)

* Uganda. Loosing restrictions on opposition  -  Uganda has passed a law 
which partially lifts long-standing restrictions on opposition parties. 
However, 60 members of parliament left the chamber in protest before the 
vote, saying that the legislation violated the spirit of the Constitution. 
Under the new rules, opposition parties will be allowed to hold an annual 
conference to elect their leaders. President Yoweri Museveni's National 
Resistance Movement remains the only party that can put forward candidates 
for election or hold political rallies. New parties can be established, but 
only if they meet strict conditions set by the Ugandan Government. 
Opposition parties are still banned from holding office or campaigning 
outside the capital, Kampala. Opposition supporters, including the Ugandan 
People's Congress of Milton Obote, currently stand for election as 
non-affiliated independent candidates   (BBC News, UK, 10 May 2002)

* Uganda/Sudan. Ugandan rebels massacre Sudanese villagers  -  11 May: 
Ugandan rebels from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have killed several 
hundred Sudanese civilians in the past week, Ugandan army and Sudan 
Catholic Church officials have said. Army spokesman, Major Shaban Bantariza 
said the killings occurred in several villages in the Imotong mountains of 
southern Sudan while the rebels were fleeing from a Ugandan army offensive 
which began last month. Officials from the Catholic Church in Sudan said 
the LRA rebels had killed more than 470 civilians and displaced hundreds 
from their homes. The LRA insurgents raped and abducted girls and women, 
and burnt down six villages, a statement from the church's diocese of Torit 
in southern Sudan said. Another 500 people were forced to flee the area to 
escape the violence. The auxiliary bishop of Torit diocese, Akio Johnson 
Mutek, has appealed to the international community "to come to the aid of 
these destitute people who are forced to desert their villages as they had 
just begun cultivating their crops," the statement said. "Bishop Akio fears 
that if the situation continues unabated many civil populations who are 
currently scattered in the bushes might become vulnerable to all kind of 
dangers and diseases," the statement added. In a separate statement on 10 
May, the Church said that LRA rebels had raided a further three villages in 
the area on 8 May.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 May 2002)

* Zambia. Economic promise  -  The story on the effect of used clothing 
imports in Zambia (published in ANB-BIA, 434) distorted that country's 
recent history. As Zambia's minister of finance said at a press conference 
in Washington recently, "The world is a better place with IMF and World 
Bank than without." Yet the article gives no indication why a Zambian would 
say that. Much of Zambia's economic troubles from the 1970s through the 
'90s reflected not liberalization but poor economic policies and inept 
management of the dominant state-owned mining company. Zambia almost 
invariably flouted, rather than followed, International Monetary Fund 
advice. The result: near hyperinflation and economic stagnation, along with 
trade protection that discouraged exports. This is really what was behind 
the demise of the Zambian textile industry. Zambia's vastly improved 
economic prospects come not from a new protectionism but from economic 
policies designed to encourage production and investment. New exports such 
as floriculture and horticulture are growing, and tourism is accelerating. 
For the first time in recent history, per capita incomes have risen for two 
consecutive years and inflation has fallen substantially. The current 
government's "New Deal," with its increased attention to social concerns, 
is taking place with the advice and financial support of the 
IMF.   (Washington Post, USA, 7 May 2002)

* Zambia. Opposition leader acquitted  -  The leader of the opposition, 
Michael Sata, has been freed by a court. He had been accused of stealing 
two government vehicles. Sata said that his arrest had been politically 
motivated and that President Mwanawasa had instructed police to arrest him. 
He pledged to go on denouncing "all the wrongs", or else there would be "no 
Zambia left".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 May 2002)

* Zambia. $4m for Zambian air crash families  -  The Zambian government has 
agreed to pay an estimated $4m in compensation to the families of players 
and officials who died in the 1993 Gabon air crash. It follows a High Court 
hearing between the victims families and the attorney general earlier this 
month. 30 people died -- 18 of them players -- when a Zambian air force 
plane crashed into the sea off Gabon while carrying the team to a World Cup 
qualifier. The amount of $4m was decided using a complicated formula. It 
took account of the earnings each of the victims could have expected during 
their careers. Players were assumed to have continued playing to the age of 
32. But the compensation package also includes their potential income as 
coaches up to an age of 55. Officials were assumed to have remained in 
office until a similar age, with Football Association of Zambia president 
Michael Mwape expected to continue until 65.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Media law challenged  -  8 May: Foreign correspondents in 
Zimbabwe have launched a challenge in the Supreme Court against a 
controversial media law which they say is unconstitutional. The journalists 
argue that the legislation, which was introduced in March, violates freedom 
of expression. A total of eight journalists have so far been charged under 
the law, which the government insists is necessary to tackle a collapse in 
journalistic standards. One of those behind the challenge has been charged 
under the media law, and could face a penalty of up to two years in jail. 
He is Andrew Meldrum, a US citizen writing for Britain's Guardian 
newspaper. The other two, Peta Thornycroft and Jan Raath, are also 
correspondents for British papers -- the Daily Telegraph and The Times 
respectively.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Baisse sévère de l'économie  -  La croissance de l'économie 
zimbabwéenne, bloquée depuis trois ans par les sanctions internationales 
officielles et non officielles, a baissé de 7,3% l'année dernière et de 
4,2% en 2000, a annoncé le ministre des Finances. Dans un rapport, M. 
Makoni a dit que l'inflation élevée et les pénuries en devises étrangères 
sont les principaux responsables de ce déclin qui a aussi vu les 
exportations s'effondrer de 4,3% durant l'année. Selon lui, la plupart des 
secteurs de l'économie, y compris les filières clés que sont l'agriculture, 
les mines et le tourisme, ont diminué durant l'année, principalement en 
raison du taux élevé de l'inflation, de la faiblesse des prix des matières 
premières sur les marchés internationaux et des pénuries de devises 
étrangères pour approvisionner les intrants. Le gel de l'aide extérieure a 
provoqué depuis 1999 la chute libre de l'économie zimbabwéenne. L'année 
dernière, l'agriculture a baissé de 12,2%, l'industrie de 10,1%, les mines 
de 6,8% et le tourisme de 38%. En décembre dernier, les arriérés du 
Zimbabwe au titre de sa dette extérieure s'élevaient à 760 millions de 
dollars.   (PANA, Sénégal, 9 mai 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Mugabe tightens grip on land  -  9 May: Zimbabwe's parliament 
has passed changes to the law on acquiring land giving the state almost 
immediate control of white-owned farms targeted for seizure. President 
Robert Mugabe's government, which says it is seeking to correct imbalances 
in land ownership created by British colonialism, has listed thousands of 
white-owned farms for redistribution to poor black farmers. Mr Mugabe, who 
is accused by the opposition and many Western countries of using fraud and 
violence to win the poll, says he wants to finish his programme of land 
redistribution by August.Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the 
changes to the law were designed to help advance Zimbabwe's "land 
revolution". He said objections by the main opposition Movement for 
Democratic Change (MDC) were meant to serve the white minority at the 
expense of the black majority. "There must be no doubt about our commitment 
to the land redistribution programme, and there must be no doubt at all 
that the train is moving and those who do not get into the train will be 
left behind," said Mr Chinamasa. The MDC accuses the government of using 
land as an electoral bribe, while the "fast track"programme is wrecking the 
economy.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Nearing economic collapse  -  9 May: With Zimbabwe nearing 
economic collapse, Anglican Bishop Sebastien Bakare of Manicaland, has 
appealed for calm, and has expressed concern for those who are suffering, 
especially the ordinary citizens.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 May 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Interparty talks halted  -  11 May: Interparty talks designed 
to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis following President Robert Mugabe's 
disputed election victory in March have been shelved. The government 
delegation led by Patrick Chinamasa, justice minister, wants the talks 
delayed because the opposition Movement for Democratic Change is 
challenging the election result in the courts. In a letter to the Nigerian 
and South African facilitators of the talks, Mr Chinamasa said the ruling 
party could not continue the dialogue because of the legal challenge and 
the alleged publication of inflammatory statements and planting of false 
stories alleging Zanu-PF violence in the media by the MDC. The Mugabe 
government's decision is surprising as it is bound to anger its backers in 
South Africa and Nigeria. 14 May: South African and Nigerian mediators to 
Zimbabwe's political crisis are trying to persuade Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF 
to renew talks with the MDC.   (Financial Times, UK, 11 & 14 May 2002)


Weekly anb0516.txt - #8/8 - THE END


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Un homme meurt chaque fois que l'un d'entre nous se tait devant la tyrannie 
(W. Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature) - Everytime somebody keep silent when 
faced with tyranny, someone else dies (Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize for 
Literature) *
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