Weekly ANB0828_4.txt #6



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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 28-08-2003      PART #4/6

* Liberia. Many dead in massacre - 24.: The US Marine rapid reaction force of 150 troops heads back to warships off Liberia, ending significant American military deployment on the ground after eleven days. A spokesman for the Marines says the US forces will wait on the warships for any new deployment needed to support the West African peace force. The pullback leaves only about 100 US troops in Liberia. 25 August: Many people have been killed and villages set on fire in a town in north east Liberia, according to reports. General Benjamin Yeaten, deputy head of the government army, said that the attack had taken place in an area north east of Monrovia. Liberian state radio said rebels from the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (Model) had carried out the massacre in the town of Bahn, near the border with Côte d'Ivoire. Liberia Broadcasting System quoted one source from the area as saying that about 1,000 people had been killed but there has been no independent confirmation of the deaths. Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea said he knew nothing about the incident. Although a three-week-old West African peace-keeping force has helped stop fighting in the Liberian capital Monrovia, clashes have persisted in the countryside. General Yeaten said that both the two main rebel groups, Lurd and Model, had carried out attacks in the Bahn area in recent days. But he did not attribute the latest killings to them. The government and rebel groups have accused each other of being behind recent incidents of fighting in the country. 26 August: Liberia's interim president has called on West African peacekeepers to deploy outside the capital, Monrovia, where fighting is continuing despite a ceasefire agreement. Fresh reports are coming in of rebel attacks on north-eastern Nimba County, a stronghold of former President Charles Taylor and one of the few areas still under government control. Aid agencies say that several thousand people are fleeing the latest fighting around the town of Gbatala, 100km north-east of Monrovia. There are some 1,500 Nigerian troops in Liberia, with 700 due this week from other West African nations, however a spokesman for the Ecomil force said this was not enough to venture outside Monrovia. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 August 2003)

* Libya/France. Impasse over deal - 22 August: France and Libya appear close to agreeing new compensation for a 1989 bomb attack on a French airliner over Niger. Paris has been threatening to block a deal reached between Libya and relatives of victims of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing after they received a vastly higher settlement. As a member of the UN Security Council, it has the power to veto the lifting of Lockerbie-related sanctions on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's state. But senior officials from both states were hopeful of a new deal as talks were held in Tripoli between representatives of the French families and Libyan officials. 24 August: Relatives of French victims of a 1989 airliner bombing linked to Libya have returned from Tripoli empty-handed after seeking a compensation deal equal to payments offered in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. "There was no progress made," Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, a spokesman for families of some of the 170 victims of the UTA airliner bombing over Niger, said. France has indicated that it would oppose the lifting of United Nations sanctions against Libya if the $34m deal it accepted for the UTA case were not revised upward sharply. Britain proposed the lifting of sanctions after Tripoli agreed to pay $2.7 billion in compensation over Lockerbie. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 August 2003)

* Libye/France. Impasse? - Paris poursuit son bras de fer avec Tripoli, au risque de raviver les tensions avec Washington et Londres. Le dimanche 24 août, une délégation des familles des 170 victimes de l'attentat contre le DC 10 d'UTA en 1989, qui négociait des indemnisations, est rentrée bredouille à Paris. Après trois jours de discussions à Tripoli, aucun progrès n'a été enregistré. Le jeudi 21 août, la Grande-Bretagne avait accepté de reporter le vote de l'Onu sur la levée des sanctions contre la Libye (celle-ci ayant reconnu sa responsabilité dans l'attentat de Lockerbie et s'étant engagée à verser $2,7 milliards aux familles des victimes) jusqu'en début de semaine. Paris devrait essayer d'obtenir un nouveau délai. - Mardi 26 août: nouvelle déception. Alors qu'ils s'apprêtaient à reprendre l'avion pour la Libye afin de poursuivre les négociations, les représentants des familles des victimes -- qui avaient "reçu un message de la fondation Kaddhafi marquant sa disposition à poursuivre les négociations" -- apprenaient que Tripoli n'autorisait pas le vol. Les négociations, cependant, reprendront "dans les prochaines heures", informe l'agence PANA citant une "bonne source" parisienne. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 27 août 2003)
août 2003)

* Madagascar. Nouvelle loi foncière - Le projet de loi sur la possibilité offerte aux investisseurs étrangers d'acquérir des terres à Madagascar, qu'examinaient le Sénat et l'Assemblée nationale malgaches en session extraordinaire depuis lundi dernier, a été adopté par les députés après d'intenses débats. Selon la nouvelle loi, tout étranger peut désormais acquérir des biens immobiliers sur présentation d'un programme d'investissements minimum de 500.000 dollars américains. Chaque demande devra être examinée par un organisme spécialement créé à cet effet et chaque autorisation sera prise en conseil des ministres. Le bénéficiaire ne peut acheter plus de trois hectares. La loi prévoit que la non-réalisation du programme d'investissements dans les conditions et les délais impartis par l'autorisation entraîne la déchéance automatique du droit de propriété de l'investisseur et le transfert de l'immeuble à l'Etat. (PANA, Sénégal, 22 août 2003)

* Mali. Otages: la Libye aurait payé - Une rançon globale de 5 millions d'euros a été payée par la Libye, "à sa propre initiative", aux ravisseurs des quatorze touristes européens détenus pendant plus de cinq mois dans le Sahara, ont affirmé des sources diplomatiques à Bamako le jeudi 21 août. L'argent n'a transité "ni entre des mains maliennes, ni entre des mains allemandes". La Libye avait été citée parmi les pays ayant aidé au dénouement de l'affaire, dans un discours prononcé mardi soir à Bamako par le président malien. (La Libre Belgique, 22 août 2003)

* Mali/Germany. Profit warning for freed Sahara hostages - 24 August: Germany has warned 14 European tourists released from captivity in Mali against trying to sell their story for profit. Defence Minister Peter Struck said the costs for securing their release had been "enormous" and any fees for photos and stories should be given to the states involved. Speculation has raged about whether Germany or other states paid a multi-million ransom to secure the hostages' release. Mali's chief negotiator has said that Germany paid no ransom for the 14. Amadou Baba Toure, who is governor of the Gao region of eastern Mali, said the team of mediators had had to win the trust of the kidnappers by praying, eating, drinking and talking together for two days. He said Germany had refused to pay money to the captors because it would have encouraged kidnapping around the world. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 August 2003)

* Mali. Heurts entre groupes musulmans. - Fait plutôt rare au Mali, des affrontements entre deux groupes musulmans se disputant l'édification d'une mosquée dans le nord-ouest du pays ont fait au moins dix morts et sept blessés, ont annoncé mercredi les autorités. Ces incidents sanglants se sont produits dans le village de Yerere, dans la région de Nioro du Sahel, après que la communauté wahhabite -- des musulmans intégristes -- eut repris la construction de l'édifice religieux, à laquelle s'opposait la majorité sunnite au motif que la localité comptait déjà sept mosquées. Ces violences ont eu lieu lundi 25 août, mais la nouvelle n'a atteint Bamako, la capitale, que mercredi. M. Koné a reconnu que ses services ne disposaient que de peu de détails sur ces affrontements. On sait seulement que des témoins ont fait état de coups de feu et que 16 personnes ont été arrêtées. Le pays, qui compte parmi les cinq plus pauvres de la planète, jouit d'une réputation de modération en matière de politique et de religion. (D'après AP, USA, 27 août 2003)

* Morocco. Peace orchestra makes debut - On 24 August, the West-eastern-Divan Orchestra, an orchestra made up of young Israeli and Arab musicians, played a programme of Mozart and Beethoven pieces in Rabat. The concert was conducted by the orchestra's co-founder, the Israeli conductor and pianist, Daniel Barenboim. Despite heavy security surrounding the event, the concert hall, in the city's Mohammed V Theatre, was full and the musicians received a standing ovation. Daniel Barenboim introduced his young orchestra to a Moroccan audience that included King Mohammed's sisters and the prime minister. He said that Morocco's decision to hold the concert made it a pioneer in the Middle East. But he added that the full aim of the orchestra would only be achieved when it could play in all the countries represented by its musicians (aged 13-26). (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 August 2003)

* Maroc. Procès d'un intégriste français - Le procès de Pierre Robert, un intégriste français accusé d'implication dans les attentats terroristes perpétrés en mai dernier au Maroc, s'est ouvert le 25 août devant la chambre criminelle de Rabat. Il est jugé en même temps que 33 "complices" marocains présumés liés au groupe islamiste de la Salafia Djihadia. Pierre Robert a récusé l'avocat qui lui avait été commis d'office. Le procès a été reporté au 29 août. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 26 août 2003)

* Morocco. Drugs gang smashed - 26 August: The authorities in Morocco say they have uncovered a drugs cartel allegedly operated by senior judges, police and customs official in the north of the country. Morocco's ministry of justice said that 18 judicial figures and businessmen are members of the drug-trafficking gang which exports large quantities of hashish to Europe. They are now under investigation by the Special Court for Corruption, which observers say is likely to prove an acid test for the new King, Mohammed Vl. He has made much of his promise to put an end to the corruption which tarnished his father's rule. It is an open secret that vast areas of land in the north of Morocco are used to cultivate hashish, much of which inevitably finds its way into the European market. But never before, have the authorities discovered such a well-oiled trafficking gang with links to such high echelons within the Moroccan establishment. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 August 2003)

* Nigeria. 100 morts à Warri - Les affrontements interethniques entre Ijaws et Itsekeri qui ont éclaté à Warri, ville du sud du Nigeria et haut lieu de l'exploitation pétrolière, ont fait près de 100 morts et plus d'un millier de blessés au cours de la semaine écoulée, a annoncé la Croix-Rouge nigériane le vendredi 22 août. Ces heurts ont été les plus sanglants dans le Delta du Niger depuis la révolte des Ijaws de mars dernier. Les Ijaws considèrent que le pouvoir politique est injustement détourné au profit des Itsekeri. Ils demandent aussi un plus grand partage des richesses pétrolières de la région. Des centaines de policiers armés et de soldats ont été envoyés à Warri. (Reuters, 22 août 2003)

* Nigeria. Volatile Niger Delta - 21 August: A heavy army presence in the southern Nigerian town of Warri appears to be maintaining an uneasy calm following days of intense fighting between local militia. More than 30 people have been killed, scores injured and thousands made homeless in the political and ethnic clashes. The town is unnaturally quiet -- but that the grievances that led to the crisis remain unresolved. The violence between the Ijaw and Itsekiri people -- two of the main ethnic groups in the oil-rich Delta region of Nigeria --has been the worst since March, when several multi-national oil companies were force to halt their operations. The Delta State governor James Ibori arrived in Warri on 20 August to try to resolve the crisis. Following talks with the warring communities he told reporters he hoped both sides would heed his appeal to lay down their arms. He said he understood that some communities felt excluded from the economic benefits of the oil rich delta region but said the solution lay in dialogue and not armed confrontation. 22 August: The number of casualties from the recent violence in the Delta port of Warri is much higher than previously believed, says the Red Cross in Nigeria. After three days of relative calm, the Nigerian Red Cross says it has been able to assess the situation more accurately and it believes that about 100 people were killed and 1,000 injured. It says the fighting between militias of the local Ijaw and Itsekiri people also drove several thousand residents of the city from their homes. Army troops and riot police were deployed in the city, where authorities said that they had secured a cease-fire on 21 August between the warring groups. 25 August: At least eight people have been killed in fresh clashes involving three ethnic Ijaw villages in the volatile Niger Delta, Nigerian police say. Police say five men and three women were killed on 23 August when people from the villages of Ogodobiri and Oboro in Delta state invaded Ekeremor village in southeastern Bayelsa state. "The miscreants came in speed boats and burnt stores and houses at the waterside before they were repelled by Mobile Police," Bayelsa state police commissioner Oliver Osuchukwu said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 August 2003)

Weekly anb0828.txt - #4/6