Weekly anb06204.txt #5

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 20-06-2002      PART #4/5

* Mali. Nouveau gouvernement  -  Le 14 juin, le nouveau Premier ministre 
malien, Ahmed Mohamed Ag Hamani, nommé le 9 juin, a formé son gouvernement 
composé de 21 personnalités. Les ministères des Affaires étrangères et des 
Maliens de l'extérieur, de l'Administration territoriale, de la Sécurité 
intérieure et de la Protection civile sont détenus par des proches du 
nouveau président Touré. Trois portefeuilles sont détenus par des ministres 
de l'ancienne équipe, les autres sont confiés à des responsables de partis 
politiques et de la société civile.   (PANA, Sénégal, 14 juin 2002)

* Morocco. Jobless left adrift  -  It sounded too good to be true. When 
Saed, 25, heard on the grapevine that Gulf-based Al-Najat Marine Shipping 
wanted to hire 30,000 Moroccans to work on cruise ships, it was a chance 
not to be missed. With thousands of other young Moroccans, he filled out a 
form and travelled to Casablanca for a pre-employment medical check-up for 
which he was charged 900 dirhams -- almost $80 and more than the weekly 
wage at his last job, as a car salesman. That was in April. Now Saed, along 
with thousands of other hopefuls nationwide, is on tenterhooks over whether 
the promised jobs exist. He has heard it might be a scam. "I have signed a 
contract. Do you think the company has to stand by the contract?" he asks 
anyone who looks knowledgeable. The London-based International Transport 
Workers' Federation thinks the jobs are a mirage. Federation general 
secretary David Cockroft, says: "There is simply no possibility that these 
jobs are out there." Even before the downturn in the holiday cruise 
business after 11 September "there would only have been a maximum of 1,000 
new jobs available on cruise ships", Mr Cockroft adds. Another doubter is 
Moroccan union boss Noubir Amaoui who, when calling a general strike 
earlier this month, said that one of the triggers for the action was 
government spin over the Al-Najat job offer. Moroccan officials are 
standing by the scheme. If confirmed, it will prove an electoral bonanza 
ahead of the September parliamentary election.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 
June 2002)

* Morocco. New al-Qaeda insight  -  16 June: The interrogation of three 
suspected Saudi members of al-Qaeda and their accomplices is under way in 
Morocco. The Saudi government has sent its own investigators to the North 
African country and doubtless the CIA and Britain's SIS (Secret 
Intelligence Service) are taking a keen interest in the questioning. Their 
trial, for an alleged plot to attack US and British warships, is yet to 
begin. But already reports are emerging of what al-Qaeda has been up to 
since it was driven out of its Afghan mountain strongholds late last year. 
According to The Washington Post, the Saudi detainees have revealed to 
their interrogators how they and other al-Qaeda members were ordered to 
escape from Afghanistan, move back to the countries they came from, 
re-establish themselves and then launch terrorist attacks when ready. 
Information gleaned from the latest interviews shows how certain al-Qaeda 
members fanned out westwards from Pakistan, crossing the Gulf, then moving 
on to Europe and North Africa. The aim appears to be to establish new bases 
for operations now that al-Qaeda's Afghan refuge has been made largely 
inoperable. In Washington, US intelligence experts say there is mounting 
evidence that al-Qaeda cells are now functioning largely independently of 
their leadership. 19 June: Moroccan authorities have arrested a man alleged 
to be a leading member of al-Qaeda. The Saudi national, Abu Zubair, is 
suspected of planning attacks against Western interests in Morocco. Another 
senior al-Qaeda agent, German citizen Mohammed Haydar Zammar, who was also 
arrested in Morocco, has been handed over to Syria where he is being 
interrogated.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 June 2002)

* Maroc. Réseau Al Qaida  -  Le 13 juin, cinq membres présumés d'un réseau 
islamiste lié à Al Qaida ont été présentés devant un juge de Casablanca, a 
indiqué un haut représentant des services de sécurité. Le lundi soir, 10 
juin, les autorités marocaines avaient annoncé l'arrestation d'un commando 
de cinq personnes soupçonné de préparer des attentats contre des cibles de 
l'OTAN, en particulier contre des navires britanniques et américains dans 
le détroit de Gibraltar. Il s'agit de trois Saoudiens et de deux de leurs 
épouses marocaines, soupçonnées d'avoir été utilisées comme messagères 
entre les dirigeants d'Al Qaida et les membres du réseau au Maroc. - 19 
juin. Selon la chaîne de télévision américaine ABC, un haut responsable du 
réseau Al Qaida, qui connaîtrait le lieu d'implantation de nouvelles 
cellules terroristes, se trouve en détention au Maroc, où il a été arrêté 
il y a moins de deux semaines. Abou Zoubair el-Haili, Saoudien de 
naissance, pourrait être le plus important membre d'Al Qaida tombé entre 
les mains des Américains ou de leurs alliés. Il aurait aidé le réseau à se 
reformer après l'offensive américaine en Afghanistan.   (ANB-BIA, de 
sources diverses, 20 juin 2002)

* Niger/Chine. Ministre en visite  -  Le vice-ministre chinois des Affaires 
étrangères, Yang Wenchang, est arrivé le 14 juin à Niamey pour une visite 
de travail. Cette visite, qui s'incrit dans le cadre du renforcement des 
relations entre les deux pays, sera l'occasion de faire le point des 
différents domaines d'intervention, souligne un communiqué. Le dernier 
accord, signé en mai 2000, porte sur les infrastructures hydrauliques de 
Zinder. Les interventions de la Chine au Niger concernent également les 
domaines de la santé, de l'éducation, de la jeunesse, des infrastructures 
et de l'agriculture.   (PANA, Sénégal, 14 juin 2002)

* Nigeria. 18 tués dans une université  -  Le 15 juin, au moins 18 
personnes ont été tuées dans une université du Nigeria, à Nsukka, près de 
la ville d'Enugu, rapporte le journal indépendant Vanguard. Les auteurs de 
l'attaque, des étudiants appartenant à une société secrète, se sont rendus 
sur le campus à bord de voitures volées et ont ouvert le feu. L'université, 
l'une des plus importantes du pays avec 10.000 étudiants, a été fermée 
après la fusillade. L'attaque aurait été motivée par la rivalité entre 
différentes sociétés secrètes, selon le journal. Plusieurs centaines 
d'étudiants ont péri dans des violences entre bandes rivales depuis leur 
apparition dans les années 80.   (Reuters, USA, 19 juin 2002)

* Nigeria. Senate confronts President  -  18 June: A major confrontation is 
expected in the Nigerian Senate between supporters and opponents of 
President Olusegun Obasanjo. A motion is being debated which challenges the 
government's handling of the country's finances, questioning the 
whereabouts of millions of dollars of public funds, including money 
recovered from associates of the late military dictator, General Sani 
Abacha. Opponents of the president say that, if passed, this motion could 
mark the first stage in possible impeachment proceedings against him. 
Although such an outcome is unlikely, the motion reveals a deep frustration 
within the Nigerian parliament over the president's autocratic style of 
government. This is, in effect, a straight political fight between the 
Senate and the presidency over who controls Nigeria's finances: should the 
president be able to disregard parliament's demands for greater 
accountability, or -as the President sees it - should he be able to curb 
the irresponsible spending excesses of parliament? 19 June: A behind the 
scenes deal between senators has derailed an opposition attempt to force 
President Obasanjo to give details of the whereabouts of the public funds. 
The issue of the funds will now be discussed by a senate committee before 
there is any further discussion in the National Assembly.   (ANB-BIA, 
Brussels, 19 June 2002)

* Rwanda. Les juridictions gacaca  -  Le Rwanda inaugure une formule 
inédite de justice en matière de crime contre l'humanité. Inspirées des 
anciennes assemblées villageoises qui réglaient autrefois les différends 
locaux, les juridictions traditionnelles gacaca vont entrer en vigueur afin 
de juger les exécutants du génocide de 1994 (115.000 détenus croupissent 
toujours dans les prisons rwandaises). Elles ne jugeront toutefois pas les 
détenus accusés d'avoir organisé ou planifié le génocide, et qui encourent 
la peine de mort; ceux-ci relèvent du système juridique classique. Près de 
250.000 juges des tribunaux gacaca élus en octobre dernier, ont suivi une 
formation d'un mois, et ils siégeront dans les 11.000 juridictions du pays. 
Le procureur général a déclaré qu'une première série de douze tribunaux 
gacaca, un par province, siégera à partir du 19 juin. L'exercice, encore 
limité, aura valeur de test. - D'autre part, le 17 juin, le procès de 
l'ancien ministre rwandais de l'Information, Eliezer Niyitegeka, accusé 
d'avoir personnellement pris part au génocide, s'est ouvert devant le 
Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR) à Arusha.   (ANB-BIA, de 
sources diverses, 18 juin 2002)

* Rwanda. "Crimes de guerre"  -  Le président Paul Kagamé reconnaît que des 
exactions ont été commises par les hommes qu'il commandait, et de nombreux 
civils innocents en ont été victimes durant et après la guerre d'avril à 
juillet 1994. Ces bavures militaires et actes isolés de vengeance ne sont 
cependant pas à mettre en parallèle avec les crimes de génocide, a-t-il 
insisté dans un discours prononcé le 18 juin. "De nombreux innocents ont 
été tués durant la guerre pour arrêter le génocide. Certains auteurs de ces 
crimes ont été traduits devant la justice et condamnés. Et tout autre qui 
en sera coupable, subira le même sort. Mais il convient de bien distinguer 
les crimes du génocide des crimes de guerre ou de toute autre exaction", 
a-t-il affirmé.   (PANA, Sénégal, 18 juin 2002)

* Rwanda. Rwanda launches village courts  -  18 June: A new court system 
has been launched in Rwanda, designed to clear the huge backlog of cases 
resulting from the genocide eight years ago. Speaking at a ceremony to mark 
the launch, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said the success of the system 
depended on the participation of ordinary people. Under the quick justice 
of the gacaca system, suspects in the killing of up to one million people 
in 100 days in 1994 will be taken back to where it is said they committed 
their crimes and tried by a panel of judges chosen by local people. 
President Paul Kagame said the gacaca courts would not be perfect but were 
critical to the future of the country. "If we all rise up and support that 
gacaca process we will have shown our love for our country and our fellow 
Rwandans," he said. "Reconciliatory justice will be the basis for unity and 
the foundation for progress." Several thousand people have gone on trial 
for their alleged roles in the slaughter of Tutsis and Hutus, but around 
115,000 still await justice, sitting in overcrowded jails. Gacaca -- 
meaning grass -- courts were traditionally used by village communities who 
would gather on a patch of grass to resolve conflicts between two families, 
employing the heads of each household as judges. 19 June: Amnesty 
International says that "the Gacaca system of community tribunals may 
represent an opportunity for genocide survivors, defendants and witnesses 
to present their cases in an open and participatory environment...However, 
the extrajudicial nature of Gacaca and the inadequate preparation for its 
start, coupled with the present government's intolerance of dissent and 
unwillingness to address its own poor human rights record, risk subverting 
the new system".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 June 2002)

* Sahara occidental. Prisonniers marocains libérés  -  Le 18 juin, le 
Polisario a annoncé la libération de cent prisonniers de guerre marocains. 
Le mouvement qui revendique l'indépendance du Sahara occidental, a précisé 
qu'il avait pris cette mesure "strictement humanitaire" à la suite 
d'entretiens menés avec le secrétaire d'Etat allemand aux Affaires 
étrangères, en visite à Alger. Avec ce geste, qui porte à mille le nombre 
de prisonniers marocains libérés, le Polisario compte "démontrer une 
nouvelle fois sa bonne volonté à contribuer à l'avènement d'une solution 
juste au conflit avec le Maroc", affirme un communiqué. Il reste 1.262 
prisonniers de guerre, capturés entre 1975 et 1991 lors d'affrontements 
entre l'armée marocaine et le Polisario. - D'autre part, la Commission 
européenne a adopté un plan d'aide humanitaire de 14,34 millions d'euros, 
destiné à plus de 150.000 réfugiés du Sahara occidental vivant dans la 
région de Tindouf (Algérie).   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 19 juin 2002)

* Senegal. Senegal revels in World Cup win  -  16 June: Sweden 1 -- Senegal 
2. "They all said we couldn't do it, but you know what they say: Man 
proposes, God disposes and we are not finished yet." Businessman Maktar 
Diop could barely make himself heard against a background of blaring car 
horns and screaming children. "Senegal qui gagne, Senegal qui gagne," was 
the chant: "It's Senegal that wins."The slogan running across Senegalese 
television screens was slightly different: "Senegal: winning for Africa." 
While the biggest crowds once again descended on the presidential palace 
and the national television centre, every street had its own party or 
procession. Anyone not wearing the now obligatory red, green and yellow was 
singled out for attention. "Are you listening? We beat the French and now 
we can beat anyone. The Cup is coming here." Fans thumped playfully on the 
backs of cars. Some demanded spare change. "You should be paying us road 
tolls today."   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 June 2002)

* Sénégal. Quarts de finale  -  Dans la coupe mondiale du football, le 
Sénégal est la seule équipe africaine à avoir accédé aux huitièmes de 
finale. Le 16 juin, grâce à sa victoire contre la Suède, elle s'est 
qualifiée pour les quarts de finale. Parmi les pays africains, seul le 
Cameroun, en 1990, avait réussi un tel exploit. Le Sénégal jouera son match 
des quarts de finale le samedi 22 juin contre la Turquie.   (ANB-BIA, de 
sources diverses, 18 juin 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Amputees turn to art  -  "Amputee" and "Art" are not two 
words one might expect to find together. But in Sierra Leone, a country 
where the people have learnt the hard way that anything is possible, that 
is exactly what you will find. An afternoon visit to Aberdeen amputee camp 
satisfied my curiosity. In a rundown shack at the back of this makeshift 
village, I found the artists hard at work. One's immediate impression is of 
how colourful this small, dusky room is. Colourful, not only in comparison 
with the dirty brown of the surrounding camp, but colourful because of the 
smiles. Not all the artists are amputees -- many of them are children of 
amputees. But all of them are victims of war. During Sierra Leone's 10-year 
civil war, thousands of innocent civilians had their limbs hacked off. The 
rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) were the main perpetrators, 
but many of those maimed by machetes will accuse government soldiers. 
Between fighting forces it was, the amputees say, like for like. But the 
end result is the same. There is an overwhelming feeling of depression in 
the camp. On previous visits numerous amputees had told me that they would 
rather be dead. "What use am I now?" they ask in frustration, waving a 
severed limb as if to illustrate the point. "How can I help my children 
grow up and have a decent life?" A very simple project has now brought some 
light into their lives. Some of the children, as well as their disabled 
parents, have found something to focus on. It all started out of guilt. 
"Guilt", because some United Nations staff who had been carrying out 
research with the amputees felt that it was all take and no give. They were 
looking for a way to give something back to the amputees. Then Hillary 
Ravenscroft arrived in Sierra Leone, joining her husband on a business 
trip. As a teacher and an artist she was able to take up the mantle for the 
frustrated UN staff, and started the art project. Its impact, she says, has 
been remarkable. The act of recreating their memories as a shared image has 
become part of a healing process for the amputees.   (Tom McKinley, BBC, 14 
June 2002)

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