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Weekly anb03137.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-03-2003      PART #7/7
* South Africa. Tourism booms - South Africa is the fastest growing tourist destination in the world, the country's tourism ministry has claimed. The number of overseas arrivals to South Africa rose by 1.8 million -- or 20% -- last year, the ministry said. This growth defied continuing fears among key European and American customers of longhaul travel, and bad press over South African crime statistics. The head of South African Tourism, Cheryl Carolus, said that hosting the Cricket World Cup had boosted the sector, and helped showcase some areas less well known than the holiday hotspots of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The 2002, the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg also helped promote South Africa as a destination. South Africa's landscape, wildlife, culture and heritage helped attract 6.4 million holiday makers last year in total, making tourism South Africa's best performing sector, Ms Carolus said. "Our cabinet has, for the third year running, identified tourism as one of our top five economic sectors from which we expect economic growth," she said. (BBC News, UK, 10 March 2003)
* South Africa. A consultant who rules out AIDS/HIV link - The South African government was embroiled in a fresh row over its Aids policy on 10 March when the health ministry confirmed hiring a controversial scientist who disputes the link between HIV and AIDS. Roberto Giraldo, a leader of the so-called AIDS dissidents, has been included in a team of experts to advise the government on how to combat the virus, which infects 4.7 million South Africans. AIDS activists renewed accusations that the authorities could not be serious about tackling the pandemic while listening to those who argued against the provision of life-extending medicine. Dr Giraldo reportedly believes that the anti-retroviral drugs available in the west induce rather than treat AIDS, and that the disease is caused by nutritional deficiencies -- a belief apparently shared by President Thabo Mbeki, who has linked AIDS to poverty. Critics said he was reluctant to accept a link with sexual behaviour. Earlier this year Dr Giraldo was invited by the South African government to brief a meeting of African experts on how to tackle the pandemic. News that the US-based dissident would be consulted on a regular basis prompted opposition calls for the resignation of the health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, a close ally of the president. In interviews yesterday she played down the significance of the appointment, saying the scientist would not be an official adviser but one of many consultants, and that he would offer advice solely on how to boost immune systems with food. Ms Tshabalala-Msimang said that she was not interested in Dr Giraldo's controversial views on the link between HIV and AIDS, a link the cabinet publicly accepted last year. (The Guardian, UK, 11 March 2003)
* South Africa. Hunt for white right-wing militants - 12 March: Police have conducted raids on homes in six of South Africa's nine provinces in a hunt for white right-wing militants. One person was arrested for illegal possession of explosives, with police saying they expect more arrests to follow. There have been several similar raids over the past few months, following a series of bomb attacks, which killed one person in Soweto. Twenty-three right-wingers are due to face trial in Pretoria in May for trying to overthrow the government through violence. Another 24 people have been arrested for contravening firearms legislation. Police spokeswoman Sally de Beer says the swoop is the fourth such operation, code-named Hopper, since November last year. "The focus of Hopper IV is on people about whom the police have received information during the course of our investigation into a plan to overthrow the government". Since the end of apartheid, a small group of conservative whites has remained opposed to democratic rule. Police have linked a group called the Boeremag, or Boer Force, to the blasts. President Thabo Mbeki says government information has indicated "that the right wing have the intention to conduct a campaign" to destabilise South Africa. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 March 2003)
* Soudan. Khartoum accusé - Alors que les pourparlers de paix au Soudan reprennent au Kenya, Khartoum continue de violer l'accord de cessez-le-feu signé avec l'Armée populaire de libération du Soudan (SPLA), a affirmé l'ONG International Crisis Group basée à Bruxelles. Selon l'ONG, les forces gouvernementales ainsi que des milices soutenues par Khartoum sont en train d'attaquer les régions pétrolifères de l'ouest du Haut Nil, dans le but de déloger la SPLA et d'étendre l'exploitation du pétrole, avec comme premières victimes les civils. Ces accusations ont réchauffé l'atmosphère de la reprise des pourparlers de paix au Kenya, où les parties doivent finaliser les questions relatives à l'autodétermination, au pouvoir et au partage des richesses. Un problème épineux concerne le contrôle des trois régions riches en pétrole se situant dans la zone ouest du Haut Nil et du Kordofan. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 8 mars 2003)
* Sudan. Talisman pulls out of Sudan - 10 March: Canadian energy group Talisman has sold its stake in a controversial oil project in Sudan for $750m to India's national oil company. The 25% stake in the Greater Nile Oil production and pipeline project had attracted heavy criticism from human rights groups. They accused Talisman of providing the Islamist Sudanese government with oil revenues which were used to finance the two decade old civil war with mostly Christian and animist separatists in the south. "We say welcome to the Indian company," Sudanese Energy Minister Awad al-Jaz told reporters. "This deal was done with the consent of all and everybody is happy." The sale was originally due to have been concluded in December. The Indian company ONGC Videsh also operates in Russia, Vietnam, Iran and Libya. Talisman promised to return to Sudan once a peace agreement is signed. "It has been very difficult for us to operate (in Sudan)," said Talisman's chief executive Jim Buckee. "In the event of signing a peace agreement, we will come back to Sudan," he said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 March 2003)
* Tanzanie. Expulsion de Rwandais - Le gouvernement rwandais a décidé d'interpeller l'ambassadeur de la Tanzanie à Kigali au sujet des expulsions de ses ressortissants établis dans ce pays depuis 1959, a-t-on appris le 8 mars. Depuis la semaine dernière, plus de 300 ressortissants rwandais ont été expulsés de Tanzanie et attendent dans un centre d'accueil près de la frontière à Rusemo. Il s'agit pour la plupart d'anciens réfugiés ou descendants de réfugiés, qui avaient fui le Rwanda en 1959. Ces expulsions surviennent à la suite de la fermeture, fin 2002, de tous les camps de réfugiés rwandais en Tanzanie, où vivaient depuis 1994 quelque 20.000 réfugiés rwandais. Beaucoup d'entre eux sont retournés au Rwanda, d'autres ont préféré s'enfuir vers des pays voisins. (PANA, Sénégal, 8 mars 2003)
* Tunisie. Saisie de faux billets - Le 6 mars, deux Maliens ont été arrêtés en Tunisie en possession de 51 millions de dollars en faux billets de 100 dollars. Les deux faussaires, se présentant comme des hommes d'affaires, ont reconnu avoir acheté les faux dollars à Bamako. Ils étaient également en possession de plusieurs faux passeports. Soupçonnés d'être impliqués dans plusieurs autres affaires du même genre en France et aux Etats-Unis, ils seront traduits devant la justice tunisienne pour escroquerie et trafic de fausse monnaie. (Le Figaro, France, 7 mars 2003)
* Uganda. Soldiers executed after unfair trial - On 6 March, Amnesty International strongly condemned the execution of three Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers on 3 March. The executions confirmed fears by Amnesty International, following the execution of two other UPDF soldiers in March 2002, that the Ugandan army has adopted the use of the death penalty as an expedient form of punishment. (Amnesty International, 6 March 2003)
* Uganda. Museveni offers rebels five-day cease-fire - President Yoweri Museveni has offered the northern rebel Lords Resistance Army (LRA) a five-day cease-fire paving the way for possible peace talks to begin. The cease-fire, coming after last week's failure by the government to reach the LRA leadership for preliminary talks last week, will be effective from 10-15 March. However, the partial cease-fire does not cover all parts of Gulu, Pader, Kitgum, Lira and Apac districts in northern Uganda, where the LRA has been particularly active. The LRA has fought President Museveni's government for the past 17 years. (PANA, Senegal, 10 March 2003)
* Ouganda. Cessez-le-feu de 5 jours - Le président Museveni a accordé à l'Armée de résistance du Seigneur (LRA, rébellion), qui opère dans le nord du pays, un cessez-le-feu de cinq jours pour faciliter d'éventuelles négociations de paix. Une réunion entre une délégation gouvernementale et les dirigeants de la LRA, prévue la semaine dernière à l'initiative des autorités religieuses, n'a pu avoir lieu. Le cessez-le-feu proposé par Museveni sera effectif du 10 au 15 mars. Il se limitera cependant aux sous-comtés de Wipolo et Koyo Lagoli, dans les districts de Pader et de Kitgum. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 10 mars 2003)
* Uganda. Human trial of AIDS vaccine starts - Ugandan researchers have begun injecting volunteers with one of the world's few prototype HIV/AIDS vaccines aimed at the strain of the virus ravaging East Africa, the research team said today. The trial will involve uninfected volunteers in Uganda considered to be at low risk of HIV infection. The trial will determine whether the vaccine is safe and creates immunity. "The trials will go on for about two years after which we hope we can move it to the next phase," said the principal researcher, Dr. Pontiano Kaleebu. About half a million people have died in Uganda from AIDS, and it is estimated that about 1.5 million are infected with HIV, the virus that causes the deadly disease. The vaccine being tested does not contain HIV and cannot cause HIV infection, Dr. Kaleebu said. Researchers said the vaccine is the only one being tested on humans that is tailored to the virus common in Uganda and other East African countries, HIV subtype A. Most vaccines being tested on humans are for subtypes other than A, the researchers said. It is possible that different vaccines may have to be developed to treat different subtypes prevalent in various regions, they added. Making a vaccine against HIV is difficult because the virus integrates itself into cells and attacks the very immune cells that are normally stimulated by a vaccine. (New York Times, USA, 12 March 2003)
* Zambie. Grève et menaces de grève - Les fonctionnaires zambiens menacent d'aller en grève à la fin de ce mois, si le gouvernement n'augmente pas les salaires minimum jusqu'à 1,5 million de kwachas (environ 300 dollars). Le 9 mars, le président Mwanawasa a rejeté ces demandes, arguant que son gouvernement n'avait pas les moyens de les payer. Il a critiqué ceux qui l'accusent d'accorder de "gros salaires" à lui-même et à son cabinet, soulignant qu'il était le président le moins bien payé de toute l'Afrique australe. D'autre part, l'université de Zambie, à Lusaka, a été fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre après que la direction ait échoué de trouver un accord avec les enseignants en grève, qui réclament de meilleurs salaires et conditions de travail. Tous les étudiants ont été renvoyés chez eux, et se préparaient, le 9 mars, à quitter le campus. Le gouvernement doit aux enseignants, aux chercheurs et au reste du personnel universitaire un total de 16 milliards de kwachas (environ 3 millions de dollars) d'arriérés d'augmentation de salaires. Le 7 mars, il a versé 2 milliards de kwachas à l'université dans une tentative de résorber cette dette. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 9 mars 2003)
* Zambia. Party plot alleged - 10 March: President Levy Mwanawasa has accused members of his Movement for Multi-Party Democracy party of plotting to undermine the government. Speaking at a meeting in the copper mining town of Mufulira, Mr Mwanawasa also said his opponents were trying to prevent his efforts to investigate alleged corruption under his predecessor, Frederick Chiluba. Sympathisers of President Chiluba are reportedly trying to campaign against President Mwanawasa in the Copperbelt province. Mr Chiluba was arrested two weeks ago and was charged with 66 counts of corruption. He was released on bail of 1.5 billion kwacha ($300,000) and had to surrender his passport. Mr Chiluba was stripped of his immunity by parliament after being accused by President Mwanawasa of misusing millions of dollars of government money. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 March 2003)
* Zimbabwe. US sanctions target Mugabe - 7 March: The United States has announced it is imposing economic sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and 76 other government officials in Zimbabwe. Washington accuses them of undermining democracy and using violence to stifle political opposition. The executive order signed by US President George W Bush freezes the assets of those involved, and bars Americans from having any financial dealings with them. The US sanctions mark an escalation of the visa restrictions on officials announced by President Bush last March following Mr Mugabe's controversial re-election last year. America's actions complement a similar move by the European Union to freeze the assets of the leadership, the White House said. The EU renewed its year-old sanctions -- including travel restrictions on the country's leaders, an arms embargo and a freeze of assets -- against Mr Mugabe and 71 of his associates in mid-February. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 7 March 2003)
* Zimbabwe. Sanctions américaines - Les Etats-Unis ont décidé de geler des avoirs appartenant au président Robert Mugabe et à 76 ressortissants zimbabwéens en raison des mesures antidémocratiques prises par les autorités de Harare, a annoncé la Maison Blanche le 7 mars. Cette décision, adoptée par décret présidentiel, "gèle toutes les propriétés et les actifs financiers des individus visés" et interdit aux citoyens américains "de mener toute transaction ou opération avec les personnes concernées". M. Mugabe et les 76 autres personnes sont accusées d'avoir "formulé, appliqué ou soutenu des politiques qui ont sapé les institutions démocratiques" du pays. L'Union européenne avait décidé à la mi-février de prolonger pour un an des sanctions en vigueur contre le Zimbabwe, qui interdisent de séjour dans l'UE et gèlent les avoirs de M. Mugabe et de 71 dignitaires de son régime. (Le Monde, France, 9 mars 2003)
* Zimbabwe. Opposition arrests - 10 March: There have been more opposition arrests in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, over the weekend. The state-run Herald newspaper said 21 members of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were detained for allegedly holding an illegal meeting. Police told the newspaper that the group had not sought official clearance for their gathering. Political tensions are reported to be running high in the capital ahead of two key by-elections due to take place in opposition strongholds at the end of the month. Police representative Bothwell Mugariri told the Herald that police officers who came to break up the meeting were stoned leaving four officers injured and two vehicles damaged. "The group was violent and as a result the police called for reinforcements before they managed to arrest 21 people," Mugariri told the paper. Six other MDC members were detained in a separate incident after allegedly attacking ruling party supporters. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 March 2003)
* Zimbabwe. Opposants arrêtés - Pendant le week-end du 8-9 mars, 28 membres du Mouvement pour le changement démocratique (MDC), principal parti d'opposition, ont été arrêtés à Harare, alors que la tension politique croît dans la capitale à l'approche de deux élections législatives partielles. Par ailleurs, le 10 mars, des femmes du MDC ont annoncé leur intention de porter plainte contre la police, qui a violemment dispersé une manifestation pour la Journée internationale de la femme, samedi à Bulawayo. (Le Figaro, France, 11 mars 2003) 

Weekly anb0313.txt - #7/7
THE END

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Un homme meurt chaque fois que l'un d'entre nous se tait devant la tyrannie (W. Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature) 
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Everytime somebody keep silent when faced with tyranny, someone else dies (Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize for Literature) * 
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