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Weekly anb05309.txt #9

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 30-05-2002  PART #9/9
* Tunisia. Huge win for Ben Ali - 27 May: First official results from a referendum in Tunisia show massive support for constitutional changes which would allow President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to stay in power. The Interior Ministry said more than 99% of people had voted to abolish the three-term limit for incumbent presidents and raise the age limit of a sitting president from 70 to 75. The president was due to retire in 2004 after 15 years in office but the proposed constitutional amendments would allow him to stand for a further two terms. Several opposition figures had called for a boycott of the referendum, fearing any change would reintroduce the system of a president for life. Mr Ben Ali has said the referendum is about democratic reform, including a second parliamentary chamber and better human rights protection. But human rights groups speak of a climate of fear in Tunisia, with dissent quickly squashed. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 27 May 2002)
* Tunisie. Référendum constitutionnel - 26 mai. Près de 3,6 millions de Tunisiens étaient appelés à se prononcer sur un projet de réforme fondamentale de la Constitution, par le biais d'un référendum, le premier du genre en Tunisie. La réforme vise essentiellement à permettre au président Ben Ali de briguer un 4ème mandat de cinq ans lors des élections de 2004. Les amendements proposés prévoient le renouvellement sans limite des candidatures à la magistrature suprême et repoussent l'âge limite à 75 ans. Elles accordent aussi au président une immunité pénale pendant et après l'exercice de sa fonction. Touchant près de la moitié des 78 articles de la Constitution, la réforme prévoit en outre la création d'une deuxième chambre parlementaire et des élections présidentielles à deux tours. Selon le pouvoir, la réforme vise aussi à "conforter les droits de l'homme et les libertés" en apportant des garanties judiciaires à la garde à vue et la détention préventive. De nombreuses figures de l'opposition se sont déclarées hostiles à cette réforme et ont appelé au boycott. Le 24 avril, huit associations actives dans la défense des droits de l'homme et des libertés avaient encore affirmé leur opposition à la réforme et dénoncé l'absence de libertés dans leur pays. -27 mai. Résultats: la réforme de la Constitution a été approuvée à 99,52%. Le taux de participation a atteint 95%, malgré l'appel au boycottage. Les opposants parlent de "simulacre", voire de "mascarade". On peut cependant difficilement nier l'adhésion quasiment unanime des Tunisiens au projet de leur président. (ANB-BIA, 28 mai 2002)
* Tunisie. Hammami: état de santé inquiétant - La Fédération internationale des droits de l'homme (FIDH) exprime son extrême préoccupation concernant le sort de M. Hamma Hammami, porte-parole du Parti communiste des ouvriers de Tunisie (PCOT, parti non autorisé) et directeur du journal interdit Al Badil. M. Hammami a entamé depuis le 10 mai une grève de la faim pour protester contre ses conditions de détention à la prison civile de Tunis et contre les mauvais traitements subis. Depuis son incarcération le 2 février, il avait été enfermé dans une cellule sans fenêtres dans le pavillon des condamnés à mort. Ce n'est qu'après une première grève de la faim qu'il a été transféré dans une autre cellule. Actuellement, il passe 22 heures par jour enfermé dans sa cellule. Son état de santé s'est aggravé de façon alarmante ces derniers jours. De plus, la FIDH est vivement préoccupée par les intimidations et les agressions policières dont est victime l'entourage de Hammami, en particulier sa femme et sa fille de 13 ans. La FIDH dénonce la persistance de la torture et des mauvais traitements subis par les détenus dans les prisons tunisiennes. (News Press, France, 28 mai 2002) * Uganda. Boot camp for boozing police - The Ugandan police force is trying to clear drunkards out of its ranks. Hundreds of officers have been sent to the capital Kampala in an attempt to get them off the booze. It was immediately clear these policemen were in for a tough time. "Jump up and down like a rabbit," an instructor from the riot police yelled at the officers. The 351 have been brought to Kibuli police training school in Kampala from all over the country. In order to make them more effective in their jobs, the officers are being put through a strict regime. After being woken up at 0400, they are sent on a road-run before returning for a variety of physical tasks. These include weight-lifting, crawling on the ground, wrestling and hours of drills. "Those who fall below the required standard will definitely have to go because you can't perform when you are a drunkard," warns senior superintendent Gabriel Amgbu. Clearing drunks out of the police force is one of the promises made by the Inspector General of Police, Major General Katumba Wamala. Many Ugandans are pleased that the problem is being admitted and tackled so publicly. (BBC News, UK, 27 May 2002)
* Ouganda. Campagne de désarmement - En décembre 2001, le président ougandais Yoweri Museveni promettait une amnistie aux populations pastorales du nord-est de l'Ouganda qui rendraient volontairement leurs armes. La période de grâce a expiré le 21 mai dernier, et l'armée ougandaise est entrée en action pour récupérer l'arsenal détenu illégalement par les populations karamajongs. A ce jour, sur les 40.000 armes attendues, seules 9.800 ont été récupérées, et l'armée rencontre des difficultés avec les Jies, un groupe de Karamajongs qui refuse de déposer fusils et munitions. Les Jies n'hésitent pas à ouvrir le feu sur les soldats. Quinze personnes ont déjà trouvé la mort lors de ces échauffourées, dont deux soldats. Les combats entre tribus pour le bétail sont devenues très meurtrières en raison du trafic d'armes légères en provenance du Sud-Soudan ou d'éléments corrompus de l'armée ougandaise. (JA/L'Intelligent, France, 27 mai 2002)
* Uganda. Uganda can absorb more aid - Paul O'Neill, the US Treasury secretary, intervened on 28 May in a dispute dividing the Ugandan government, rejecting an argument that the country could not absorb more overseas aid as "baloney". The Ugandan ministry of finance is at odds with other ministries over the issue, and the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Jeffrey Sachs, the Harvard economics professor, have also become embroiled. Mr O'Neill's remarks were the latest in a series of interventions on aid issues during his tour of Africa with the rock star and development campaigner Bono. Mr O'Neill visited an Aids clinic on 28 May where a health ministry official complained that the finance ministry was setting limits that prevented a large increase in spending. The health ministry wants to triple health spending from its current levels of around $120m a year and use anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to treat Aids, paid for by new aid from abroad. At a meeting of ministries, the IMF, World Bank, and non-governmental organisations last week, the finance ministry argued that the large influx of aid could push up the currency or increase inflation, hurting economic growth elsewhere. (Financial Times, UK, 29 May 2002)
* Western Sahara. Energy deal with Polisario - On 27 May, Fusion, the Anglo-Australian oil and gas company, signed a technical co-operation agreement with Polisario, the Western Saharan independence movement, covering territorial waters controlled by its neighbour Morocco. Over the next 12-16 months, it will provide Polisario's putative Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic with an analysis of the oil potential of the Western Sahara's 210,000sq km of territorial waters.The Atlantic coast of North Africa is drawing increasing interest from oil companies. (Financial Times, UK, 28 May 2002)
* Zambia. Zambia restarts bank privatisation - 23 May: Zambia is to privatise 51% of the troubled Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco), after an attempt to sell a smaller stake was ignored by investors. Zanaco has had its own problems. Last year, the government put up the "for sale" sign at Zanaco, but the offer of 35% stake attracted little interest, according to the privatisation agency. Mr Fundanga said he now expected more interest because the new offer gave management control. Zanaco's privatisation is a key condition for Zambia to gain full debt relief under the World Bank's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) programme. For lenders to Zambia to write-off half of its $7.3bn debt, the government must show sustained economic restructuring for 12 months by the December 2003 deadline. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 23 May 2002)
* Zimbabwe. "Political cleansing" worsen human rights violations - The Amani Trust, a NGO in Zimbabwe which helps survivors of organised violence, says human rights violations in Zimbabwe are continuing three months after the presidential poll. "Amani has continued to monitor the human rights situation in the post election period, issuing frequent reports on the human rights violations that continue. It is evident that there is no improvement in the human rights climate in Zimbabwe and indeed the evidence indicates a further deterioration," the NGO said in its latest report. The organisation notes that a campaign of retribution against perceived members of the opposition Movement for the Democratic Change (MDC) is still taking place. This has been largely witnessed in areas that experienced pre-election violence. "The nature of this violence, as well as the partisan distribution of food relief, makes the current violence akin to political cleansing. Amani calls on the international community to carry out impartial and independent investigations into Zimbabwe's human rights violations". Amani cites the youth brigades, the police, ZANU-PF supporters, the Cental Intelligence Organisations and the army, as those responsible for persisting violations. (Munyaradzi Makoni, Moto Magazine, Zimbabwe, 21 May 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Plume d'or 2002 - Le 27 mai, Geoffrey Nyarota, rédacteur en chef du Daily News au Zimbabwe, s'est vu décerner la Plume d'or 2002 de la Liberté de la presse, à l'occasion du 9e Forum mondial des rédacteurs en chef qui se tient à Bruges (Belgique). "Geoffrey Nyarota a résisté aux nombreuses tentatives menées pour le réduire au silence, lui et son journal. Il a été arrêté, emprisonné et menacé de mort; les rotatives de son journal ont été soufflées par une bombe et les locaux saccagés. Mais M. Nyarota a refusé de céder à cette campagne d'intimidation", précise le conseil de l'Association mondiale des journaux, qui décerne ce prix annuel. (Le Soir, Belgique, 28 mai 2002)
* Zimbabwe. White farmers' union warned - 28 May: The government of Zimbabwe says it is considering banning the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), which represents the interests of the country's white farmers. Agriculture Minister Joseph Made told state television that the behaviour of some of the 4,500 members of the organisation was contrary to the land reform programme. The minister did not specify what the alleged wrongdoing was, but over the last two years the government has accused white farmers of funding the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, in part to try to stop the land redistribution programme. A CFU official said would meet today to consider its response to a possible ban. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 28 May 2002)
* Zimbabwe. AIDS emergency - The Zimbabwean government has declared a six-month emergency period to deal with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infections in the world. In a notice published in the government's weekly gazette made available on 27 May, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the emergency order would allow people with HIV or AIDS to use generic drugs. Health officials say an average 2,500 people die from AIDS every week in Zimbabwe, and that at least 20 percent of the state's 14 million people have HIV, the virus that causes the killer disease. "In view of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among the population of Zimbabwe, the minister hereby declares an emergency for a period of six months, with effect from the promulgation of this notice for the purpose of enabling the state or a person authorised...to make or use any patented drug," Chinamasa said in the notice issued on 24 May. The minister said the declaration would also allow President Robert Mugabe's government and other authorised people "to import any generic drug used in the treatment of persons suffering from HIV/AIDS or HIV/AIDS-related conditions." Zimbabwe has permitted the use of anti-retrovivals, especially for pregnant mothers, since last year. Mugabe's critics say the 78-year-old Zimbabwean leader -- who is battling a severe economic and political crisis blamed on his controversial policies -- is not paying adequate attention to the AIDS problem. But the government denies the charge, saying Mugabe is one of the few leaders in the region to have established an AIDS levy to deal with the epidemic. (CNN, USA, 29 May 2002) 

Weekly anb05309.txt - #9/9 - THE END