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Weekly ANB0821_2.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 21-08-2003      PART #2/6
* Congo (RDC). Former warlords disarm and become diplomats - 19 August: MISNA says that disarmament, quartering in precise locations and successive integration of the armed groups of the strife-torn Ituri region (north-east Congo RDC) were the main decisions taken in the past two days following a meeting held in the capital of Kinshasa between the armed groups active in the zone of Bunia (regional capital of Ituri), representatives of MONUC (United Nations Mission in Congo) and delegates of the transition government. MISNA sources in Kinshasa indicate further decisions taken: 1) The establishment of a permanent communications office in Bunia, which will include representatives of all the armed groups of Ituri and MONUC officials. The new "bureau" will ensure a regular exchange of information on what is occurring on the different fronts in the zone, and guarantee the UN forces free and unhindered access to the areas. 2) MONUC will be able to utilise its helicopters unrestricted, to conduct inquiries into reported ceasefire violations and to prevent violence against the civil population. 3) The various armed groups will have to notify MONUC of their positions, given that they have agreed to end the hostilities. In the meeting they also addressed the possible integration of the leaders of the armed factions of Ituri into the transition government. Defence Minister Jean-Pierre Ondekane, however, said they will not be able to be included in the government. Instead, he suggesting the possibility that they hold posts in the local administration or as diplomats. -- Militia groups in Congo have agreed to the deployment of national police and army forces in the troubled north-eastern Ituri province. The leaders of five militia groups also reaffirmed their commitment to a peace agreement signed in the town of Bunia in March. The militia leaders issued their statement after the Kinshasa meeting. 20 August: Agreement has been reached on creating a post-war unified armed forces command in Congo RDC after months of talks. According to a list released by President Joseph Kabila, former rebel commanders have been appointed to run the army and navy. But the post of overall armed forces chief of staff is retained by Lieutenant General Liwanga Maata, who also served as navy chief of staff under President Kabila's late father Laurent. The appointments are part of the military deal reached in late June, removing another obstacle that had been preventing the new government from functioning properly. The new power-sharing army is to be led by General Sylvain Buki, who led the military wing of the Rwandan-backed rebel movement, the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD). The former commander of the Ugandan-backed militia, Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), Amuli Bahigwa, is the new chief of the navy and John Numbi, a high-ranking general in Congo's army is to head the air force. President Kabila has also named commanders for each of the country's 10 military regions. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 August 2003)
* Congo (RDC). La nouvelle armée nationale - Le 19 août, le président Kabila a promulgué un décret contenant les noms des plus hauts dirigeants des forces armées sous le gouvernement de transition. Liwanga Maata Nyamunyobo est nommé chef de l'état-major, qui compte neuf officiers. Le chef des forces terrestres sera Sylvain Buki (RDC-Goma), celui des forces navales Amuli Bahigwa (MLC) et celui des forces aériennes John Numbi, un proche de Kabila. Dix régions militaires ont été équitablement distribuées entre les divers groupes qui composent le gouvernement d'unité nationale. Toutefois, une organisation de défense des droits de l'homme basée à Kinshasa, le Rodhecic, a dénoncé la présence dans cette armée d'officiers impliqués dans le massacre de Kisangani en mai 2002. Les généraux Laurent Nkunda et Gabriel Amisi, qui paraissent sur la liste dressée par les Nations unies mentionnant les principaux commanditaires de ce massacre, font partie des officiers appelés à diriger les régions militaires qui ont été attribuées au RCD. Rodhecic se dit indigné de ces nominations et demande qu'ils soient remplacés. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 août 2003)
* Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan: grève des transporteurs - Le lundi 18 août, Abidjan, la capitale économique ivoirienne, était toujours paralysée par la grève des transporteurs et des chauffeurs qui protestent contre le meurtre d'un chauffeur de minibus, tué jeudi dernier par un policier. Beaucoup d'habitants n'ont pu se rendre à leur travail, faute de transport. Les transporteurs et chauffeurs, qui ont entamé leur mouvement le vendredi, ont décidé de durcir le ton si le gouvernement ne prenait pas de mesures fermes pour faire arrêter les bavures policières. Selon les estimations du Syndicat des transporteurs, depuis 1993, au moins 23 chauffeurs et conducteurs de taxis et de minibus ont été abattus à Abidjan par la police. Transporteurs et chauffeurs ne cessent d'ailleurs de se plaindre des nombreux rackets dont ils sont victimes de la part des forces de l'ordre, en pleine journée, au vu et au su de tous. Comme condition à toute reprise de leurs activités, les grévistes exigent une rencontre avec le Premier ministre Diarra ou le président Gbagbo. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 18 août 2003)
* Côte d'Ivoire. Ivorian leader laments deadlock - 20 August: Côte d'Ivoire's prime minister has admitted his interim government faces deadlock over key unfilled ministerial posts seven months after a peace deal was signed. Speaking on national television, Seydou Diarra warned the peace process would be at risk if the new National Security Council --set up under an accord signed in Accra in March -- failed to fill the defence and security portfolios. "We have to acknowledge we are in a blocked situation that can be resolved only by resumption of the work of the National Security Council and by the Council members accepting minimal criteria for consensus," he said in his first such address since his appointment. Mr Diarra also repeated the government would accept back into the army soldiers who deserted during the civil conflict under the terms of a national amnesty agreed in the peace deal. "I am urgently calling on the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI) and the New Forces, to search for and dismantle the militias and any other armed groups of whatever nature, throughout the national territory," said Mr Diarra. The defence minister, Assoa Adou, said on 19 August that no disciplinary action would be taken against an estimated 200 officers and men who abandoned their units. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 August 2003)
* Côte d'Ivoire. Démanteler les milices - Dans un message télévisé le mardi soir, 19 août, le Premier ministre Seydou Diarra a demandé aux forces armées ivoiriennes de démanteler les milices dans l'ensemble du pays. Dans son premier message à la nation, cinq mois après la formation du gouvernement de réconciliation, Diarra a reconnu un blocage du processus de paix lié à la non-désignation des titulaires des trois portefeuilles ministériels de la Défense, de la Sécurité, et de la Famille, la Femme et l'Enfant. (Le Figaro, France, 21 août 2003)
* Egypt. Liberal Eyptian editor missing - 17 August: Police in Egypt are investigating the disappearance of a prominent journalist, Reda Hilal. The Egyptian Union of Journalists says it is very concerned about the disappearance of Mr Hilal, the deputy editor of the daily newspaper, Al-Ahram. The BBC Arabic service says Mr Hilal was known for his liberal views, his criticism of the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, and his support for improved relations between Egypt and Israel. (BBC, UK, 17 August 2003)
* Ghana. Competition take over gold mine - 11 August: The competition to take over Ghana's biggest gold mine hots up as London-listed Randgold confirms reports that it is entering the race with an initial bid worth almost $1.5bn. The new offer jumps well ahead of the main one currently on the table, which sees South Africa's AngloGold - part of Anglo American, the world's third largest mining concern -offering shares worth $1.1bn. Randgold is offering one share for every two Ashanti shares, while AngloGold's bid offers 26 of its shares for every 100 Ashanti shares. "Because we are not as large as the other interested party, it retains the independence of [Ashanti through] any possible merger," Randgold chief executive says. Anglo was quick to pour cold water on its rival's offer, saying that Randgold's relatively small size might lead to problems if the cost of the bid left too few resources to invest in improving Ashanti's operations. "I will not surprise you by saying that I think we are overwhelmingly the right partner for Ashanti," AngloGold chief executive Bobby Godsell says. "Our immediate reaction is that (Randgold) will have to increase their share capital very substantially and wonder what their existing shareholders will have to say about this," says Jonathan Best, AngloGold's Chief Financial Officer. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 August 2003)
* Kenya. Police fire tear gas at minister's backers - On 18 August, Kenyan police fired tear gas and made 14 arrests to disperse demonstrators calling for cabinet minister Raila Odinga to be made prime minister amid a deepening rift in the coalition government. The protest outside a conference debating changes to Kenya's constitution highlighted emerging tribally tinged factionalism in the East African country's ruling National Rainbow Coalition that analysts say could threaten foreign investment. Supporters of Odinga, who enjoys strong support among his Luo tribe and slum dwellers in the capital Nairobi, accuse President Mwai Kibaki, from the Kikuyu tribe, of being scared to promote the former firebrand leftist in case he poses a threat. A police spokesman said the 14 people arrested had "wanted to disrupt" the conference, at which one of the major issues is whether a president or a prime minister should wield power. "All we want is (Odinga) to be given his right as prime minister," said protester John Odongo. Kibaki promised the post to Odinga after he helped end 24 years of mostly one-party rule by President Daniel arap Moi at a general election last December when Kenyans voted for change in the hope it would give the country a much-needed economic boost. But Odinga, jailed for eight years by Moi for campaigning against one-party rule, remains public works, roads and housing minister. (CNN, USA, 19 August 2003)
* Kenya. Destruction des mines - D'ici la fin du mois d'août, le Kenya aura détruit la totalité de ses réserves de mines antipersonnel, soit 35.774 engins, à l'exception de 3.000 exemplaires destinés à la "recherche", a annoncé le ministre de la Sécurité nationale, Chris Murungaru. "Le gouvernement kényan, en accord avec le traité d'Ottawa, aura détruit ces mines, d'une valeur de 400.000 dollars, d'ici le 26 août", a-t-il précisé, soulignant que Nairobi "a pris d'importantes mesures pour éviter le développement futur de ce type d'armes". Le traité d'Ottawa de 1997 interdit l'utilisation, le stockage, la production et le transfert des mines antipersonnel. Plus de 130 pays, à l'exception notable des Etats-Unis, de la Russie, de la Chine, de l'Inde et du Pakistan, l'ont jusqu'à présent ratifié. (Le Soir, Belgique, 21 août 2003) 

Weekly anb0821.txt - #2/6