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Weekly anb02201.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 20-02-2003      PART #1/7
* Afrique. Soutien au NEPAD - Le Programme des Nations unies pour le développement (PNUD) a décidé de mobiliser une enveloppe de 1,9 million de dollars pour soutenir le Nouveau partenariat pour le développement de l'Afrique (NEPAD). Cette contribution entre dans le cadre d'un projet plus large d'une valeur de $3,5 millions, qui devrait bénéficier de financements de la part des partenaires internationaux. Le NEPAD est un programme africain conçu pour relever le niveau de vie des habitants du continent par l'amélioration de la gouvernance locale, un meilleur commerce mondial, des conditions financières plus satisfaisantes, ainsi qu'une attention plus soutenue aux priorités telles que l'éducation et les soins de santé. Outre l'assistance au secrétariat du NEPAD, le financement du PNUD sera consacré à la mise en place de certains mécanismes pour réaliser les objectifs du partenariat. (PANA, Sénégal, 13 février 2003)
* Afrique. Manifestations contre la guerre en Irak - Comme un peu partout dans le monde, des manifestations contre la guerre en Irak se sont déroulées dans divers pays africains. Ainsi, le 15 février, des dizaines de milliers de militants de la paix ont marché dans la plupart des villes sud-africaines pour dénoncer la guerre que les Etats-Unis se préparent à mener. Organisées par la Coalition contre la guerre, une organisation qui réunit plusieurs groupements de la société civile, ces marches de protestation ont reçu le soutien de l'ANC, le parti au pouvoir. A La Réunion, les organisations politiques, socioprofessionnelles et religieuses ont manifesté à Saint-Denis. En Mauritanie, les partis d'opposition ont condamné l'attitude belliqueuse des Etats-Unis et dénoncé la guerre. Toutefois, au Maroc, une manifestation de soutien à l'Irak s'est transformée en querelle entre divers sympathisants. Et en Egypte, deux manifestations ont vu la présence, dans les rues du Caire, de plus de membres des forces de sécurité que de manifestants... (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 février 2003)
* Africa. UN renews African food appeal - An appeal for money to help southern Africa in its struggle with food shortages and AIDS has yielded less than half than of what is necessary. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a call last July for $25 million. So far, just over $10 million has come in -- mainly from European countries and the United States. The FAO says unfavourable weather for crops and an AIDS epidemic, which has severely reduced the harvesting force, are combining to threaten the lives of 15 million people scattered throughout Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho. The FAO says that with more donated funds it will be possible to improve the self-reliance of southern African households by increasing their supplies of tools and seeds and improving their agricultural know-how. (CNN, USA, 17 February 2003)
* Afrique. Pas d'accord à l'OMC - Le 16 février, la réunion de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC) à Tokyo s'est achevée sur un constat de désaccord. Pendant trois jours d'entretiens, les délégués de 22 des 145 pays membres se sont divisés sur la proposition de Stuart Harbison, président des négociations agricoles, de réduire les droits de douane de 60% sur cinq ans, d'abaisser les aides à l'agriculture et de remonter les quotas d'importation. Toutefois, la ministre japonaise des Affaires étrangères, qui présidait les discussions, a estimé que la rencontre avait eu le mérite de clarifier les positions. En ce qui concerne l'accès aux médicaments, le Brésil a émis une proposition de compromis, mettant l'accent sur la capacité de production de médicaments spécifiques et non plus sur l'existence d'une crise sanitaire liée à une maladie particulière. (La Libre Belgique, 17 février 2003)
* Afrique. Sida: un virus résistant à la névirapine - Une étude menée en Afrique sur des femmes séropositives auxquelles une dose du médicament névirapine a été donnée durant l'accouchement pour prévenir la transmission du virus du sida à l'enfant, a montré que le lait maternel pouvait ensuite contenir une forme résistante du virus à ce médicament transmissible au bébé. Cette étude, menée sur 33 femmes au Zimbabwe, a été présentée lors d'une conférence à Boston. 65% d'entre elles ont développé un virus résistant à la névirapine présent dans leur lait. Néanmoins, ces résultats ne justifient pas de modifier l'usage de ce médicament, ont estimé plusieurs spécialistes. (Le Figaro, France, 17 février 2003)
* Africa. Action against the Media-1 - Congo RDC: On 18 February, Journalistes en danger (JED) reported that on 14 February, National Intelligence Agency (ANR) agents arrested Bamporiki Chamira, a journalist with the Kinshasa-based daily La Tempête des Tropiques, and his wife at their Kinshasa/Ngaliema home. They are being held at the ANR prison on Avenue ex-3Z in Kinshasa/Gombe. According to ANR officials, the arrest of the journalist and his wife is linked to "subversive activities" in which the couple and their eldest daughter are allegedly involved. Chamira's daughter, who is currently on the run, reportedly orchestrated her husband's escape from prison. Her husband, Commander Doris Mbenge, had been jailed since October 2002. The ANR officials also claim that during their search of Chamira's home, which they carried out on the afternoon of 14 February, "damning documents" were found. The officials did not wish to elaborate further on the nature of the documents they found. Egypt: On 17 February, Human Rights Watch expressed concern that recent arrests of demonstrators in Egypt may signal increasing repression of public dissent. In recent weeks, state security forces have used Egypt's state of emergency law to administratively detain individuals who took part in peaceful demonstrations expressing opposition to a possible war in Iraq or support for the Palestinian uprising. Activists have expressed strong fears that others have been specifically targeted for arrest in the coming days to prevent them from participating in an upcoming demonstration planned for February 15, 2003. "Egyptian citizens have every right to peacefully express their opposition to war in Iraq, or to anything else," said Hanny Megally, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. "The right to free expression is enshrined in international law and the Egyptian constitution." Ethiopia: On 13 February, the organisation, Article 19, released a report on the current legal framework for freedom of expression in Ethiopia. Article 19 believes that the report will inform the ongoing dialogue in Ethiopia on the new draft press law. The Report presents an independent assessment of the current legal framework for freedom of expression in Ethiopia and identifies the key areas of concern in relation to freedom of expression. The Report seeks to provide guidance and recommendations for consideration by the government of Ethiopia and other concerned parties with a view to prospective law reform or the enactment of new laws. -- On 17 February, the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA) reported that vendors of Ethiopian free press publications have told the EFJA that they are being hunted down and detained, and their newspapers are being snatched from them by police. The police are engaged in such acts at a time when local and foreign journalists, publishers and media professionals have strongly protested against the new draft press law that has been made public by the Ministry of Information. The police action infringes upon human rights and the right of citizens to earn their living by working. Guinea-Bissau: On 17 February, IRIN said that the government has ordered the closure of the country's main private radio station, barely two months before the general elections on 20 April. The State Secretariat for Information ordered Radio Bombolom closed, saying it was "guilty of repeated wrongdoing" and jeopardizing the country's independence. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 February 2003)
* Africa. Action against the Media-2 - Niger: On 18 February, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) condemned the government's closure of the privately-owned radio station Nomade FM, describing it as "a serious threat to press freedom and the growth of independent and pluralistic information in the region." The station, which broadcasts in the Agadez region, 1,000 kilometres northeast of the capital, Niamey, was shut down on 11 February 2003 for "inciting rebellion". The move followed programme director Ismaghil Iltinin's invitation to two former anti-government rebels to join a debate on a local-language talk show on 5 February to discuss "peace, security and development" in northern Niger. Tunisia: On 14 February, RSF said that Hamadi Jebali, editor of the weekly Al Fajr, who went on a hunger strike on 13 January 2003, was rushed to Habib Bougafta Hospital in Bizerte on 12 February. "If the authorities continue to show their indifference towards the journalist's legitimate demands, they will bear full responsibility for what could happen to him. We again ask President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali for Hamadi Jebali's immediate and unconditional release," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. On 12 February, Jebali, who is one month into a hunger strike, was transferred from Nador Prison to Habib Bougafta Hospital, in Bizerte (northern Tunisia). Jebali has been jailed since 1991 in a private cell. -- On 18 February, the BBC said that twenty young men, many of them students, have been arrested in Tunisia for looking at banned websites. The Tunisian Government is believed to censor the internet more tightly than any other country in the world, with the possible exception of China. A lawyer for the men, told the French news agency AFP that they are suspected of carrying out subversive activities on the internet. He said during their arrest last week in the southern coastal city of Zarsis, the police found and confiscated computer equipment used by the men. The International Association for Support of Political Prisoners said police were interrogating the men in the capital, Tunis, and refusing family visits. Lawyers say the arrested men browsed sites including one from the banned Tunisian Islamist Nahda party. Zambia: On 17 February, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said that Chali Nondo, a journalist from The Monitor newspaper, was released on police bond on 10 February, after spending about three hours in police custody. On 5 February, Nondo was detained at Woodlands police station on a charge of "publishing false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public". Zimbabwe: On 18 February, The Independent said that foreign correspondents in Zimbabwe are having to fulfil bizarre conditions before being given accreditation under President Robert Mugabe's draconian media laws. Tafataona Mahoso, the chairman of a government-appointed media commission, wrote to journalists recently to say that before they could get licences, the correspondents must "demonstrate professional authority" based on academic knowledge, or "originality and having an acute sense of what is significant or profound in a situation or event". Other criteria include the "publication of ground-breaking books, a long and consistent record of accuracy, integrity, diligence and respect for sources and readers" and proof that they are "first providers of the first draft of history... not fly-by-night mercenaries". Mr Mahoso, a staunch Mugabe supporter, also said the correspondents must "demonstrate excellence consistent with the role of a national correspondent educating other nations about our nation". At least 25 Zimbabwean journalists working in the private media have been denied accreditation because their newspapers have refused to register with the commission. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 February 2003)
* Africa. Franco-African Summit - 20 February: The annual Franco-African summit is due to open in Paris, with continuing violence in Côte d'Ivoire and controversy over the attendance of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe expected to dominate the event. Representatives and leaders from 52 African countries are attending the summit, the official theme of which stresses the importance of the two sides coming together "in a new partnership". However the presence of the Zimbabwean president led to several protesters demonstrating outside the hotel in parts of Paris. Gay rights activists held a protest on 19 February outside Mr Mugabe's hotel, while others demonstrated outside the French Justice Ministry, calling on Mr Mugabe to be arrested. "Mugabe should not be wined and dined at the (presidential) Elysee Palace. He should be put on trial for the crime of torture," British-based campaigner Peter Tatchell said. France was allowed to make an exception to an EU ban on visits to members countries by Mr Mugabe and other senior Zimbabwean officials. In return, Paris gave its backing to the renewal of EU sanctions against Mr Mugabe, his wife and other government officials. But France's stance has provoked fury from several European countries and the USA. The French Government says other African countries had threatened to boycott the meeting unless Mr Mugabe was there, but argues that the summit is a chance to engage in dialogue with the Zimbabwean president over the situation in his country. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 February 2003)
* Afrique/France. Sommet à Paris - Les représentants de 52 pays africains, dont 37 chefs d'Etat ou de gouvernement, sont attendus les 20 et 21 février à Paris pour le 22e sommet France-Afrique placé sous le signe d'un "nouveau partenariat". On s'attend cependant à ce que la Côte d'Ivoire et le Zimbabwe soient au coeur des discussions. Le président ivoirien Laurent Gbagbo, qui refuse de céder au "diktat" de la France, n'y sera pas présent. Par contre, l'arrivée du président zimbabwéen Robert Mugabe constitue un point chaud de la rencontre. En contrepoint du sommet officiel, des associations organisent "un autre sommet pour l'Afrique". Le 19 février, plus de 2.000 manifestants ont protesté contre la "Françafrique" et la présence de dictateurs à Paris. Et une vingtaine de manifestants ainsi que quatre journalistes ont été arrêtés lors d'actions de protestation contre la venue du président du Zimbabwe. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 février 2003)
* Afrique australe. Cri d'alarme de la FAO - 15 millions de dollars sont nécessaires pour aider plus d'un demi-million de familles vulnérables en Afrique australe, a affirmé l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'agriculture et l'alimentation (FAO). Dans un appel lancé à Rome, l'agence humanitaire a rappelé "la gravité de la situation dans cette partie du monde menacée par la crise alimentaire et le sida". Lors d'une mission d'évaluation effectuée en décembre et janvier afin d'évaluer les progrès réalisés face à cette crise, il est apparu que celle-ci pourrait empirer au cours des prochains mois du fait des conditions climatiques et de l'impact du sida sur la productivité agricole. (Le Soir, Belgique, 18 février 2003)
* Algérie. La violence continue - En Algérie, la violence continue au fil des jours. Ainsi par exemple, selon la presse locale du samedi 14 février, huit personnes ont trouvé la mort dans des violences en 48 heures. Le mercredi, deux femmes ont été tuées par un groupe armé dans la localité de Bouzghaia (département de Chlef, à 250 km à l'ouest d'Alger). Le jeudi, un islamiste a été tué par les forces de sécurité à Ben Mezrouga (préfecture de Moumerdès, 50 km à l'est d'Alger). Le mardi, le corps d'un repenti (islamiste qui a déposé les armes) a été découvert à Sendjas (préfecture de Chlef). Le lundi, un homme a été assassiné à Ouled-El Kaid (préfecture d'Aïn-Defla, 180 km à l'ouest d'Alger). Par ailleurs, trois policiers ont été tués par des islamistes armés, deux près de Tizi-Ouzou et un à Alger. D'autre part, le ratissage déclenché le 4 février dans la dense forêt d'Akfadou par des unités de l'armée algérienne, se poursuit. Pour le moment, aucun bilan officiel ni officieux n'a été communiqué sur cette vaste opération qui cible un des hauts lieux du Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (GSPC) en Kabylie. (D'après AP, 15 février 2003)
* Algeria. Ben Youssef Ben Khedda - On 18 March 1962, Ben Youssef Ben Khedda, who died on 4 February this year, aged 82, broadcast the news of a victory for the people of Algeria. Negotiations with the French had concluded. Algeria had gained its independence, and the war with France was to end. Ben Khedda spoke these words as president of the provisional government of the Algerian Republic. He was only 42, and since his student days he had supported Algerian nationalist movements, so independence was a personal triumph. But within a few months he had been ousted by his colleagues. It is an indication of the divisions that have marked independent Algeria's history that he never held governmental office again. Ben Khedda was a quiet, thoughtful man. He believed in independence as the only way of improving the life of the Algerian people. He spent his last years in the outskirts of Algiers, the owner of a chemist's shop, writing his memoirs and practising his religion. (The Guardian, UK, 18 February 2003)
* Algérie. Grève générale - Le 17 février, l'Union générale des travailleurs algériens a appelé à une grève générale les 25 et 26 février. Depuis plusieurs semaines, des grèves et des "mouvements de protestation" touchent la fonction publique, notamment les secteurs de la santé, de l'enseignement, des finances et des hydrocarbures. (Libération, France, 18 février 2003)
* Algérie. Appel au dialogue en Kabylie - Dans un discours prononcé le 18 février à Tebessa, le président Bouteflika a réitéré son appel aux délégués des comités de villages kabyles pour renouer le dialogue, seul moyen, à ses yeux, de se mettre d'accord et de régler les différends. Bouteflika a plaidé pour l'unité du territoire, avant de souligner que "chaque période a ses revendications et ses données" et de lancer un appel au dialogue à l'adresse des "radicaux". On rappelle cependant que de nombreux dirigeants du mouvement de protestation en Kabylie demeurent en prison. (PANA, Sénégal, 18 février 2003) 

Weekly anb0220.txt - #1/7