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Weekly anb0166.txt #8

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 16-01-2003      PART #6/8
* Morocco. Protests over Iraq crisis - Thousands of Moroccans have held a protest in the capital Rabat against a possible US-led war on Iraq. The demonstration, the first such protest allowed by Moroccan authorities since April 2002, was organised by a pro-Iraq grouping of some 50 political parties and associations, most of them linked to Morocco's increasingly popular Islamic movement. Protesters at the head of the march chanted "George Bush assassin, Tony Blair is his dog." The government of moderate Muslim-Arab Morocco supported efforts to resolve the crisis through the United Nations and prodded Iraq to let in UN weapons inspectors. Morocco also worked with Washington last year in breaking up an alleged al-Qaida plot to attack US and British warships in the Strait of Gibraltar that separates the North African nation from Spain. But Islamic groups and politicians claim that US war planners are motivated by a desire to get Iraqi oil, not fears of Saddam's weapons. They vehemently oppose a US attack, particularly when Washington -- in their eyes -- has failed to stay Israel's hand in the Palestinian territories. (CNN, USA, 12 January 2003)
* Maroc. Lèse-majesté - Un militant de la Gauche socialiste unifiée (GSU), Mohamed Loukah, a été condamné à un an de prison pour lèse-majesté à Berkane (nord-est), selon le Journal hebdomadaire. Il avait plaidé, dans le cadre des élections législatives de 2002, en faveur d'une monarchie qui "règne mais ne gouverne pas". (Libération, France, 13 janvier 2003)
* Maroc. 52 immigrés africains arrêtés pour "mendicité et vagabondage". - La police marocaine a arrêté mardi 52 immigrés africains subsahariens à Tanger (nord) pour "mendicité et vagabondage", a indiqué mercredi l'agence marocaine MAP. Les personnes arrêtées, dont 17 femmes, séjournaient "en cachette" dans des pensions de fortune "en attendant de se rendre illégalement en Europe", ajoute la MAP qui cite une source policière à Tanger. La police a arrêté trois autres personnes qui aménageaient leur domicile pour y accueillir des candidats à l'émigration clandestine, a-t-on indiqué de même source. Le Maroc, particulièrement sa zone nord, constitue une voie de passage de nombreux émigrés clandestins africains vers l'Europe. Les autorités marocaines ont arrêté 2.533 candidats à l'émigration clandestine vers l'Europe en 2002 dans les régions de Tanger et d'El Ayoun, au Sahara occidental, parmi lesquels 1.380 Africains subsahariens. (D'après AFP, France, 15 janvier 2003)
* Morocco. Spanish fishing boats return to Morocco - 15 January: Morocco is temporarily lifting its ban on Spanish boats fishing in its waters, as a gesture to the Galician fishermen hit by the oil slick from the Prestige. The move is being seen as a positive sign in the strained relations between the two countries Twenty-six fishing boats from the Galician region of north-western Spain are on their way to Moroccan waters to take advantage of a three-month lift of the fishing ban. The number of vessels allowed to trawl the seas off the coast of Morocco is likely to be increased over the coming weeks. The relaxing of the prohibition could benefit an estimated 250 fishermen who have been unable to work since an oil slick in November polluted hundreds of kilometres of the coastline. The move, initiated by the Moroccan king, is one small, hopeful sign in the turbulent relationship between Morocco and Spain. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003)
* Maroc/Espagne. Pêche dans les eaux marocaines - Le 15 janvier, 21 navires de pêche espagnols entameront leurs activités dans les eaux territoriales marocaines après avoir reçu, la veille, des licences délivrées par le ministère marocain des Pêches. Ces 21 bateaux font partie d'une flottille de 64 navires autorisés à y opérer, suite à un geste du roi Mohammed VI envers les pêcheurs espagnols affectés par le naufrage du pétrolier "Prestige". Les 64 navires sont autorisés à pêcher une seule espèce de poissons (le merlu noir) pendant une période de trois mois, éventuellement renouvelable. (PANA, Sénégal, 15 janvier 2003)
* Mauritius. AGOA Meeting - 9 January: Leaders from almost 40 countries eligible for the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will meet in Mauritius next week for the second US-sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum. The forum, to be held at the University of Mauritius campus from 15-17 January, will see the delegations of up to eight members participating in discussions on trade, conditions for investment and "investing in people". Speakers will include trade and agriculture ministers from the various countries, as well as US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and US Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew Natsios. There will also be a parallel private sector event discussing finance, doing business with the USA, agriculture, trade barriers and bio-technology. NGOs will meet between 13-15 January to discuss AGOA's results. 14 January: Opening of the meeting. The US stresses that it wants to work with Africa in order to boost the poor continent's share of international trade. But the US team, led by Robert Zoellick, is almost certain to face a long list of complaints about the farming subsidies which keep African produce out of US markets. "The African producer is a farmer, he is a guy who suffers extremely as a result of the subsidies that are given to farmers in America," Vijay Makhan, head of trade and industry at the African Union, said ahead of the meeting. 15 January: The United States has told Africa that free trade is the best way to move from poverty to prosperity. The advice came from the senior US trade representative Robert Zoellick during the AGOA conference. He told 38 ministers and hundreds of delegates from across Africa that the United States was committed to increasing trade between the two continents. They are already linked by the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA), a law passed in the US just over two years ago to allow a range of goods from eligible African countries to be given preferential access to the US. Mr Zoellick said exports had increased and huge numbers of jobs had been created. He said he was delighted with the way AGOA had been implemented so far, but warned that there were still many challenges to providing a growth stimulus for African countries. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003)
* Mozambique. The Cardosa murder trial - 15 January: Prosecutors have recommended that the son of President Chissano be investigated for the murder of crusading journalist, Carlos Cardosa, in 2001. As a court in Maputo hears closing arguments in the murder trial, a defendant gives the latest in a series of testimonies implicating Nyimpine Chissano, eldest son of President Joacquim Chissan, as the man behind the murder of Carlos Cardoso. Three of those accused of his murder have implicated Nyimpine Chissano. The defendants startled the nation when they testified that the President's 32-year-old son, a wealthy and flamboyant man, forked out a considerable sum of money to have him assassinated. Nyimpine Chissano, who is not on trial, has vehemently denied organising the murder but he has been subpoenaed to appear in court. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003)
* Nigeria. Dutch firm to run telecoms - 15 January: A Dutch telecoms group, formerly part of KPN, has become the preferred bidder to manage the troubled Nigerian state-run telecoms company Nitel. The Nigerian privatisation agency Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) spokesman Joe Anichebe said that Pentascope International had beaten two other short-listed bidders. "The challenge is first of all is getting the network capacity, both lines and quality, and then you can get the customers in," Pentascope's finance director Josbert Kester, said. Nitel is the monopoly fixed-line telecoms provider in Nigeria but has slipped to third position in the mobile market and has a poor customer relations reputation. "Tackling corruption is another element but you are also looking at debt collection and knowing your financial position, the revenues and costs, so decision making can be made on the right information," Mr Kester said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003)
* Nigeria. Electeurs fictifs - La Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI) a découvert que 2 millions d'électeurs se sont livrés à une double inscription ou des inscriptions multiples durant la campagne d'inscription sur les listes électorales de septembre 2002. Ces inscriptions fictives ont été découvertes grâce au système à image automatique d'identification des empreintes digitales qui compare les empreintes des individus avec celles enregistrées dans une banque de données créée à partir des cartes d'identité. Ce chiffre représente 3,3% des électeurs prévus et risque d'augmenter au fur et à mesure du processus de comparaison des empreintes. Les personnes impliquées seront poursuivies en justice. La CENI a prévu une autre campagne d'inscription du 21 au 23 janvier, en vue des élections générales de mars-avril 2003. (PANA, Sénégal, 15 janvier 2003)
* Rwanda. Rwandan genocide suspects set free - 10 January: The first group of Rwandan genocide suspects has been released as part of a plan to ease chronic prison overcrowding. Up to 40,000 suspects are being freed on bail and the government insists they will still face trial. But some survivors of the 1994 genocide are unhappy at their release, saying they could intimidate witnesses. Rwanda's prisons are currently massively overcrowded with some 120,000 people awaiting trial for genocide. 90% of Rwanda's prisoners are genocide suspects. Those being released must have confessed to their crimes and already served longer in prison than the maximum sentences for their offenses. They are not the alleged ringleaders of the genocide. Or they are either seriously ill, over 70 years old or were under 18 when the crimes were committed. In another attempt to reduce prison overcrowding, the government is using the traditional "Gacaca" justice system, where local communities judge suspects. Genocide survivors group Ibuka has warned that some people might be traumatised by seeing those who had killed their relatives walk free. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 January 2003)
* Rwanda. Détenus libérés - Le 10 janvier, les autorités rwandaises ont remis en liberté provisoire 1.930 détenus dans le cadre d'une campagne concernant notamment les participants au génocide de 1994. Les détenus relâchés jusqu'ici sont gravement malades, étaient alors mineurs ou ont dépassé 70 ans. Ils doivent avoir avoué et passé en prison plus de temps que la peine maximale qui leur serait infligée. En tout, 30.000 à 40.000 prisonniers sont concernés par la mesure. (Le Figaro, France, 13 janvier 2003)
* Sahara occidental. Tournée de James Baker - Le mardi 14 janvier, l'envoyé spécial des Nations unies pour la Sahara occidental, James Baker, a remis au roi Mohammed VI du Maroc des propositions visant à trouver une solution politique au conflit qui dure depuis plus de 27 ans dans ce territoire. Aucune information n'a filtré sur le contenu de ces propositions qui offrent, selon l'Onu, "une possibilité d'autodétermination (des populations sahraouies) comme demandé par la résolution 1429 du 30 juillet dernier du Conseil de sécurité". M. Baker se rendra également à Alger (mercredi), à Tindouf (jeudi) et à Nouakchott (vendredi). Si le Front Polisario s'en tient toujours à l'organisation d'un référendum d'autodétermination, le Maroc a finalement accepté d'accorder au territoire une large autonomie sous sa souveraineté. (PANA, Sénégal, 14 janvier 2003)
* Western Sahara. New push to end Sahara conflict - 14 January: The United Nations is sending a special envoy to North Africa, today, to present new proposals to end the conflict over Western Sahara. Former US Secretary of State James Baker will travel to Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania to meet both government officials and members of the Polisario Independence Movement. Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara in 1975, causing tens of thousands of local Sahari people to flee into Algeria where they still live in refugee camps. With the dispute over Western Sahara dragging on for more than 25 years, James Baker will be hoping this time he has devised a solution he can successfully sell to the interested parties. 15 January: The UN secretary-general's special envoy to the Western Sahara arrives in Algiers hoping to break an impasse in the search for a political settlement to the Western Sahara dispute. He is presenting a new proposal for peace. Baker met Moroccan King Mohammed VI yesterday in Agadir, Morocco and today travels to Tindouf, in southern Algeria, where the Polisario is based. He will also go to Mauritania, which borders the Western Sahara, during his four-day trip. Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem greets Baker on his arrival ahead of talks with Algerian officials. The details of the new initiative are not disclosed. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003)
* Senegal. Senegal loses out on tourism - 15 January: January in Senegal is normally one of the biggest months of the tourist season as thousands of mainly European visitors arrive in the West African country's coastal resorts. One of the main tourism centres is Cap Skirring in the far south western corner of Senegal, but this year numbers are down again. Hotel owners, guides and others involved in the tourism industry say Cap Skirring has suffered because of misconceptions about its location in Casamance, a part of Senegal caught up in a 20-year-old civil war. This January in Cap Skirring some hotels are fully booked with passengers who have arrived on chartered flights from Europe. Others stand virtually empty. The more experienced hotel owners talk appreciatively of the customers who come year in year out. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 15 January 2003) 

Weekly anb0116.txt - #6/8