Weekly anb02276.txt #7



_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-02-2003      PART #6/7

* Liberia. Human rights group criticises introduction of exit visa - Liberia's Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) has criticized the reintroduction by the Liberian government of a compulsory exit visa for anyone -- nationals as well as foreigners -- wishing to leave the country. The government introduced the visa requirement on 18 February. According to the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, the move is aimed at "having a complete data base of those leaving Liberia". However, the Commission said on 25 February that it was a violation of the right to freedom of movement. The measure "contravenes Article 13(b) of the Liberian constitution which guarantees citizens the right to leave and enter Liberia at any time without precondition," it said. The JPC called on the government to reconsider its decision. (IRIN, Kenya, 26 February 2003)

* Malawi. Many Malawians need food aid - 21 February: The Malawian Government has been defending its decision to sell off 20% of its grain reserves. The Southern African country has been seriously hit by drought and severe food shortages. In February, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) distributed food to 3.6 million Malawians. But Chief Technical Advisor at Malawi's Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Allard Malindi, said Malawi is being responsible in seeking to sell off the grain because they were expecting a good harvest in three months' time. "We seem to have a surplus at the moment in the country. Right now the crop looks very good in the field," he said. Mr Malindi said that their decision was backed by donors, including the European Union, even though donors say the delivery of food aid will have to continue for some time. "The maize which is being sold is that which the Malawi Government bought to be sold commercially in the country," he said. "Government would like to recover some of the money used to buy the maize. That's why the decision has been made to sell a small proportion of the commercial maize." Aid officials say it is important for grain not to flood the market at cheap prices before the harvest begins. A 50 kg bag of maize currently costs about $10 in Malawi, but the average monthly income is only $18. The food crisis in Malawi was partly blamed on a sale by the government of 60,000 tonnes of maize to Kenya two years ago. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 21 February 2003)

* Maroc. 3 Saoudiens condamnés pour terrorisme - Le 21 février, trois Saoudiens, accusés d'appartenir à une "cellule" d'Al-Qaïda, ont été condamnés à dix ans de prison par la chambre criminelle de Casablanca. Ils étaient accusés d'avoir préparé des attentats terroristes dans le détroit de Gibraltar et au Maroc contre des navires occidentaux et des cafés de la place Djema El-Fna de Marrakech. Six "complices" marocains se sont vu infliger des peines allant de quatre mois à un an de prison. Soulignant l'absence de preuve matérielle et dénonçant un "procès politique", la défense a décidé de se pourvoir en cassation. (Le Monde, France, 23 février 2003)

* Namibia. Nujoma to step down - 20 February: Namibia's ruling party has confirmed that President Sam Nujoma will not stand for a fourth term, despite calls from some traditional leaders for him to stay on. Head of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, said the decision taken at their congress last year, when Mr Nujoma announced his intention to leave office at the end of his third term in 2005, would not be changed. "The congress decision still stands. It is one thing for people to demonstrate and it is another thing how politicians and the country will act," he said. The latest reports may finally end speculation over whether the 73 year old president really intends to leave office. Speculation has been fuelled by the fact that the president has said he would stand down before and that a successor has still not been nominated. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 February 2003)

* Namibia. Targeting land owned by white farmers - The Government of Namibia has taken the first step towards a Mugabe-style seizure of land owned by white farmers.Farmers who fail to disclose details of the number of farms they own by 28 February have been warned that they face five-year jail sentences. Data verification forms were distributed as the government, under President Sam Nujoma, prepares to introduce a land tax in April aimed at farmers owning "excessive" land. But farmers' representatives say Mr Nujoma, who has threatened to seize white farms in the past, also wants to use the data for his plan to force some farmers to give up their land for resettlement. President Nujoma is the staunchest ally of the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, and his government appears to be copying the chaotic reforms that have forced most of Zimbabwe's 4,500 white farmers from their land. Namibia, which became independent from South Africa in 1990, has 4,045 white farmers. The main difference in the two countries' land reform schemes is that Mr Nujoma, who like Mr Mugabe came to power after leading the fight against white rule, is paying the farmers whose land is acquired for resettlement. Mr Mugabe has flatly refused to do that, saying the British taxpayer must pay to compensate for "colonial settler robbery". The Namibian government says less than a quarter of the country's white farmers have returned the land data forms. (The Independent, UK, 24 February 2003)

* Nigeria. Bad start for ID scheme - 20 February: Major problems have been reported on he first day of registration for the national identity scheme. Lack of equipment and publicity are blamed by some. Others say some centres do not have the equipment to register them. The identity cards will include fingerprints and photographs, as well as the name, address, occupation, state of origin and height of the bearer. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 February 2003)

* Nigeria. Oil strike halted - 20 February: Nigerian oil workers have called off a six day strike after talks with the government. Nigeria's oil strike has not affected exports as replacement staff have been used to load supplies. But the government feared a long-running strike would damage the country's economy. Oil exports account for more than 80% of Nigerian government revenue and more than 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources said it had thrashed out a deal in Lagos with member of the senior staff union, Pengassan. Pengassan staff walked out on 22 February in support of demands including greater autonomy, higher pay, and payment of allowances arrears, some dating back to 2000. The union's national secretary-general Kenneth Narebor said: "We have finished and worked on a communique which has been signed and we have agreed to suspend the action." (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 February 2003)

* Nigeria. Delta: nouveaux affrontements - Le 25 février à Wari (Etat du Delta, au sud du Nigeria), au moins six personnes ont été tuées dans une nouvelle explosion de violence entre des membres des ethnies locales Itsekiri et Urhobo. D'après les autorités locales, un grand nombre de personnes ont été blessées et de très nombreuses habitations incendiées. Les heurts ont suivi une polémique liée aux contrats et aux travaux que les deux communautés cherchent à passer avec la compagnie pétrolière Royal Dutch/Shell qui opère dans la zone. Au début du mois de février, des affrontements entre les deux groupes avaient fait 20 morts. (Misna, Italie, 26 février 2003)

* Nigeria. Radioactive material missing - Nigeria has asked the world nuclear agency to help in tracking down radioactive material that has disappeared from the country's oil industry. "We have... informed the International Atomic Energy Agency in case somebody stole it and wants to take it outside Nigeria," Shams Elegba, the head of the country's nuclear regulatory agency, said on 25 February. Mr Elegba gave no further details of the missing material or the circumstances behind its loss. But he said his agency was working hard to recover it. Nigeria alerted the public in a statement broadcast last week that an unidentified oil company had reported the loss of the radioactive material used in its operations in the southern Niger delta. It urged caution on the part of anyone who might have come into contact with the material, saying nausea or vomiting might be signs of radioactive poisoning. It was not clear what function the missing material played in oil production. Radioactive material used in the industry includes caesium-137, used in rock surveying equipment and other devices. Severe burns, and even death, can result from handling an industrial source of caesium-137, a US environmental protection agency warned in a factsheet. The Nigerian authorities are worried that the material could fall into the hands of terrorists and have put all the security agencies on the alert, according to Mr Elegba. Nigeria is the world's sixth largest oil exporter, and nearly all of the oil comes from the impoverished Niger delta. But it has no known nuclear programme. Multinational oil companies' facilities in the delta are the object of frequent attacks by saboteurs and thieves. Residents accuse the companies of polluting the land and returning little of their profits to the area. (The Guardian, UK, 26 February 2003)

* Nigeria. Petrol supply sabotage - The Nigerian Government has blamed recent petrol shortages on political sabotage. Information Minister Jerry Gana said it was no coincidence that traffic had been paralysed by a lack of petrol in the run-up to general elections in April. Petrol has become scarce in Lagos and some other parts of Nigeria, prompting a return to the long petrol queues common during the military rule, which ended in 1999. Correspondents say that President Olusegun Obasanjo had been citing the end of fuel queues as one of the key dividends of his rule during his re-election campaign. "For three years, we resolved the (fuel shortage) problem and then suddenly because we are now campaigning, some people thought they could make some subterranean moves just to discredit us," Mr Gana said. Oil officials have provided a raft of other reasons for the sudden shortage of petrol: Panic-buying; Petrol hoarding; Striking oil workers; Broken-down refineries; Fears of war in Iraq; World oil markets. Nigeria is a major oil exporter but most petrol is imported. During the military era, corruption, smuggling and mismanagement led to massive petrol queues and some of those caught in Lagos traffic jams felt a sense of deja vu. "It is like the Abacha dark days are here again," civil servant Celestine Orji said sadly, remembering the regime of late military ruler General Sani Abacha. (BBC News, UK, 27 February 2003)

* Rwanda. Kagame au sommet France-Afrique - Le président Rwandais Paul Kagame, venu assister pour la première fois à un sommet France-Afrique, est resté sur des aigreurs. Il a affirmé ne pas avoir été consulté au sujet de la déclaration sur l'Irak et en a profité pour expliquer qu'il était plutôt favorable à une guerre (un "moindre mal") face à un Saddam Hussein possédant des armes de destruction massive. Quant à la réconciliation avec la France, il a eu ce commentaire: "On nous a donné des conseils pour nous réconcilier entre Rwandais. Nous espérons que les donneurs de leçons comprendront comment se réconcilier avec nous...". (Le Monde, France, 23 février 2003)

* Rwanda. Détention d'un journaliste - Le 25 février, l'organisation Reporters sans frontières a protesté contre la détention abusive, depuis le 24 janvier, du directeur de publication d'un journal indépendant au Rwanda, Ismaël Mbonigaba, accusé d'"incitation à la division et à la discrimination". Les autorités judiciaires rwandaises doivent statuer, le 27 février, sur le maintien ou non en prison de ce journaliste. Il lui est reproché la publication d'un article relatif à la prochaine élection présidentielle, prévue au cours du deuxième semestre de cette année. L'article était accompagné d'une caricature du chef de l'Etat, Paul Kagame. (Le Figaro, France, 26 février 2003)

* Sahara occidental. 100 Marocains libérés - Le 26 février, les cent prisonniers marocains que le Front Polisario avait décidé de libérer le 11 février, ont été rapatriés au Maroc par le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge. Le Front Polisario, qui revendique l'indépendance du Sahara occidental occupé et annexé par le Maroc en 1975, avait indiqué qu'il avait fait ce geste suite à l'intervention du Premier ministre espagnol José Maria Aznar, lors de la fête musulmane de l'Aïd el-Khébir. Selon Rabat, plus de 1.100 soldats marocains sont encore détenus par le mouvement indépendantiste. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 27 février 2003)

* Sierra Leone. Militaires britanniques - La Grande-Bretagne a dépêché 300 éléments de Ghurka pour soutenir l'armée sierra-léonaise suite à des actes de déstabilisation menés par des rebelles qui luttent contre le troupes gouvernementales. Selon un communiqué publié par le ministère de la Défense le lundi 24 février à Freetown, les soldats britanniques, arrivés durant le week-end, vont entreprendre une série d'exercices militaires avec les forces sierra-léonaises. Un navire de guerre britannique, l'Iron Duke, est attendu incessamment pour prendre part aux exercices. (PANA, Sénégal, 24 février 2003)

* Sierra Leone. UK strengthens force - 25 February: Three hundred Gurkha troops have been deployed in Sierra Leone to help counter insecurity in neighbouring Liberia, according to the British Defence Ministry. The recent arrival of the Nepali soldiers is the first time the British army has substantially reinforced its positions in Sierra Leone since it began reducing its presence two years ago. "Over the last few weeks there have been elements of rebel activity over the Liberian border which may destabilise the situation, but there was no specific or dramatic development last week itself to trigger the deployment," an army spokesman said. Rebels in Liberia have recently been making advances against government troops. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 February 2003)

* Somalia. Key issue is "survival" - The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that the survival and protection of children and women will remain key issues in Somalia over the next five years. In a press statement, it says UNICEF will also continue to support basic health education and water services. "This is essential to ensuring that children grow up in a society where they will be able to reap the long-term benefits of development initiatives whose foundations are currently being laid. UNICEF-Somalia Representative Jesper Morch says the programme will continue to be guided by basic human rights principles, chief among which is that of non-discrimination. "UNICEF-Somalia's goal is to build on progress achieved over the last few years to uplift the status of women and children. In this, UNICEF will continue to fulfil its mandate to enhance the survival needs of children and women, and at the same time will assist in preparing for a future in which civil conflict will no longer prevail." (IRIN, Kenya, 20 February 2003)

* Somalie. Négociations en difficulté - L'Alliance de la Vallée de Jubba (JVA) s'est retirée de la conférence sur la réconciliation en Somalie, actuellement en cours à Nairobi, soulignant le manque de sincérité de certains membres de l'Autorité inter-gouvernementale pour le développement (IGAD) qui parraine les négociations. Le dirigeant de la JVA, le colonel Barre Hilale et son entourage ont quitté Nairobi ce week-end, pour rejoindre leur base de Kismayo au sud de la Somalie. Ce retrait est le second après celui d'une autre faction, le Congrès uni de Somalie, dirigé par Musa Yalahow. Selon le porte-parole de la JVA, certains membres de l'IGAD, en raison d'intérêts personnels, ne tiennent pas au retour de la paix en Somalie. Il a cité l'Ethiopie et Djibouti, et a averti que les négociations ne progresseraient pas tant que ces deux pays ne seraient pas considérés comme de simples observateurs. (PANA, Sénégal, 24 février 2003)

* Somalia. Talks in crisis - 25 February: The Transitional National Government (TNG) delegation from Mogadishu has decided not to participate in the second phase of the Somali peace talks which have opened in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The delegation says it will however remain at the deliberations. It says that it was not consulted nor has their delegation been given adequate accommodation for the talks. The talks were moved earlier this month from the north-western town of Eldoret to the outskirts of Nairobi after mediators complained that delegates had run up huge hotel bills. The venue was then switched again when delegates complained about wild pigs running about at the proposed venue. Warlords allied to the TNG have protested in recent days over the influence wielded by Ethiopia which is one of the mediators. Many key warlords have already pulled out prompting speculation that the talks are near collapse. Of those who signed a ceasefire accord in October, fewer than half were present at today's session. But Kenyan mediator Bethwell Kiplagat is remaining upbeat. "We are here to establish a united Somalia, a peaceful and prosperous nation through reconciliation," he told the opening session of the conference. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 February 2003)

WEEKLY anb0227.txt - 6/7