weekly anb06157.txt #8

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 15-06-2000      PART #7/8

* Sierra Leone. A continuing nightmare  -  A Sierra Leonean
journalist gives this testimony from his shattered country:
"Despite Sierra Leone's continuing nightmare, ordinary people
are struggling to maintain both their survival and their
dignity, and are trying hard to achieve much in the face of
calamity. The will to survive is still there. Nature has
endowed Sierra Leone with numerous resources ranging from
diamonds and gold to fertile land. However, considerable
damage has been done to the country's economy. Many Sierra
Leoneans are living in abject poverty but they are
strengthened by both courage and determination to "carry on".
The way things are at present, it is difficult for parents to
plan for their childrens' future. They cannot say with any
degree of certainty that "Fatu" will surely inherit the family
estate, or "Abdul" will go to school or "John" will continue
on into college. Many of today's evils must be laid at the
door of our country's politicians who in the past, seemed
unable to channel the nation's resources for realistic
purposes. Sierra Leoneans have witnessed an enormous amount of
deprivation and misery. But could it be they're as much to
blame as anyone for what's happening now? Ideals such as
personal responsibility for the country's well-being, and
personal initiative were notions foreign to many of our people
and their leaders. Nobody seemed to know what was happening
"at the top"; inadequate food and housing, poor health
services, low salaries and inappropriate education were the
order of the day. Little wonder our country is suffering now!" 
 (Ernest Mason, Sierra Leone, 7 June 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Fin de guerre pour des enfants-soldats  -  La
guerre civile, qui a repris en Sierra Leone, a pris fin le 12
juin pour 215 enfants-soldats - dont certains n'ont que 4 ou 5
ans - remis par des forces pro-gouvernementales a des
organisations humanitaires internationales, a Masiaka (50 km a
l'est de Freetown). Dans le camp ou ils ont ete accueillis,
Fatama, agee de 11 ans, murmure: "oui", quand on lui demande
si elle a combattu, murmure plus bas: "oui", quand on lui
demande si elle a tue, et murmure: "morts", quand on lui
demande ou sont ses parents. Des milliers d'enfants ont ete
enroles de force par les deux camps durant les huit ans de
l'atroce guerre civile sierra-leonaise (1991-1999) qui a eu
comme autre specialite les amputations. Les enfants-soldats
traumatises accueillis a Masiaka ont combattu pour les forces
gouvernementales mais aussi pour les rebelles du Front
revolutionnaire uni (RUF).   (D'apres AFP, France, 12 juin
2000)

* Sierra Leone. Au fil des jours  -  8 juin. Des milliers de
civils, redoutant les combats, errent dans la brousse fuyant
les trois principales villes du nord, tandis que l'Onu evacue
la majorite de ses casques bleus de la zone. Un des principaux
chefs du RUF, Sesay Issa, a promis de liberer 21 casques bleus
indiens pris en otage le 6 juin a Kuiva, dans l'est du pays,
et de mettre fin aux affrontements eclates dans la region de
Kabala (nord), ou se trouvent les casques bleus kenyans et ou
10.000 civils ont fui les combats. Selon MSF, pres d'un
million de personnes ne beneficient plus d'aucune
infrastructure medicale dans le nord du pays, depuis que le
seul hopital encore en activite a ferme ses portes apres la
reprise des combats. A Freetown, ou il est en visite, le
secretaire au Foreign Office, Robin Cook, a assure que la
Grande-Bretagne allait s'engager a long terme pour le retour
de la paix dans le pays. - 11 juin. 200 soldats britanniques
arrivent a Freetown pour assurer pendant 6 semaines
l'entrainement des forces loyalistes sierra-leonaises. Deux
cent quarante cinq autres soldats de l'ONU, en majorite
indiens, sont encercles par le RUF a Kailahun, non loin de
Pendembu, mais ne sont pas encore consideres comme detenus. -
12 juin. Attaque d'une position tenue par des casques bleus
jordaniens a Rokel Bridge, a une cinquantaine de kilometres au
nord-est de la capitale Freetown, par quelque 200 combattants
du RUF - 13 juin. Affrontements entre rebelles et forces
gouvernementales, pres de Lunsar, ville dont se sont empares
la semaine derniere les fideles du president Ahmad Tejan
Kabbah qui se dirigent vers le bastion rebelle de Makeni. Un
medecin militaire indien a pu examiner 21 casques bleus
indiens retenus en otage par le RUF a Pendembu (pres de la
frontiere liberienne). - 14 juin. Les derniers soldats de la
force d'intervention britannique ont commence a se retirer de
Sierra Leone. L'operation intitulee Pallister devrait
officiellement prendre fin a minuit.   (ANB-BIA, de sources
diverses, 15 juin 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Foreign interest  -  8 June: Britain's Foreign
Secretary, Robin Cook, says that two British warships and up
to 135 military personnel will remain in Sierra Leone to
protect 65 UK military advisers after the Marine forces leave
next week. The UK military commitment to Sierra Leone is
intended to dispel fears that the departure of the 600-strong
Royal Marines force, which replaced a paratroop contingent
sent to the country to evacuate foreigners a month ago, may
lead to an escalation of attacks by rebels of the
Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The UN is reportedly putting
the final touches on a resolution that lays out a "framework"
for peace in Sierra Leone, without the involvement of rebel
leader Foday Sankoh. Medecins Sans Frontieres has accused UN
troops of failing to protect civilians in Sierra Leone. 10
June: Britain is trying to block an European aid package to
Liberia because it believes President Charles Taylor is
actively supporting the rebel campaign in Sierra Leone.
However, the USA refuses to agree to the extension of an
embargo on diamond exports to Liberia from Sierra Leone. 13
June: Britain succeeds in blocking the aid package to Liberia.
15 June: The last British Royal Marines are leaving Sierra
Leone, today. Re-training the Sierra Leonean army will be the
responsibility of 200 soldiers from the 2nd Anglian Regiment
who are remaining in Sierra Leone.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 15
June 2000)

* Somalia. Prices soar on news of banknote shipment  -  A
shipment of Somali shillings with a market value of US $4
million is expected to arrive in the country within the coming
week, causing prices of imported commodities to soar and the
shilling to plummet even further against foreign currencies.
The banknotes were printed by an Indonesian company and are
being imported by a group of Somalia businessmen for a fee of
$200,000, according to the Mogadishu newspaper Xog-Ogaal.
Somalia has no central bank or financial institution to
regulate the currency market since the collapse of the central
government in 1991. Since then, several powerful warlords and
businessmen have taken the opportunity to print large
quantities of banknotes abroad and release them on the Somali
market, earning themselves huge profits, but invariably
causing great waves of inflation on each occasion.   (IRIN, 12
June 2000)

* South Africa. Cute government deal?  -  How's this for a
cute government deal? South Africa sells 1.5 billion dollars
worth of G-6 mobile guns, at a discount, to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia pays with surplus oil, at a discount, and a
promise to build an oil refinery in South Africa. Which,
incidentally, South Africa does not need now because it
already has four. South Africa is confident of clinching an 8
billion rand arms deal with Saudi Arabia. The deal holds the
prospects of cheaper oil, industrial participation packages
worth millions, and jobs for thousands. The integrated
artillery systems which the Saudis want to buy include 78 of
the high-mobility, self propelled G-6 guns. The G-6 is one of
the most sophisticated artillery systems in the world. It
holds the greatest potential for South African sales. South
Africa authorities are tight-lipped about the deal. Flip
Botha, acting chief executive for state-owned arms
manufacturer Denel, would say only that he was "extremely
optimistic" about the deal. Denel has also confirmed that
India has expressed interest in buying a large number of G-6
guns. In the next few months South Africa will also find out
whether Kuwait is to take up an offer to buy 36 of the G-6
units. In 1997, deals with both countries were scuppered by
what South Africa authorities considered to be premature
disclosures in the media. The two countries had insisted on
total confidentiality.   (James Brew, ANB-BIA, South Africa, 9
June 2000)

* South Africa. Cronje ready to reveal all  -  Hansie Cronje
is expected to reveal today (15 June) that he received
thousands of rand and a leather jacket to ensure a positive
result in the Centurion Park test match against England last
year. After weeks of allegation and innuendo, Cronje will
finally take the stand at the King inquiry where he will
explain the extend of the extraordinary double life he has led
since 1995. It is understood he will admit taking his first
payment from a bookmaker that year to provide information. But
interest will be focused more around the Centurion test that
is a central element of the commission's inquiry. It is
believed that Cronje will admit that he was paid for "making a
game" of the cricket match, which England won by two wickets
after the South Africa captain's surprise last-day
declaration, to save bookmakers a fortune after huge bets on a
draw following three days of rain.   (The Guardian, UK, 15
June 2000)

* Sudan. Aid for Eritrean refugees  -  On 13 June, The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, pledged emergency aid
to thousands of Eritrean refugees who have been forced by the
fighting in their country to cross into eastern Sudan. She
said: "We have decided to dispatch emergency aid to the
refugees in the domains of shelter, clean water and
environmental health. We will contact donors for the prompt
delivery of aid so that we can overcome the crisis".   (PANA,
Dakar, 13 June 2000)

Weekly anb0615.txt - End of part 7/8