Weekly anb02011.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 01-02-2001      PART #1/7

* Afrique. Nouveaux cardinaux  -  Le 28 janvier, le pape Jean Paul II a 
annoncé la nomination de sept nouveaux cardinaux, dont Mgr Wilfrid Fox 
Napier, archevêque de Durban (Afrique du Sud). Mgr Napier est le premier 
Sud-Africain à être nommé cardinal. Il y a une semaine le pape avait déjà 
nommé 37 cardinaux, parmi lesquels Mgr Bernard Agré, archevêque d'Abidjan 
(Côte d'Ivoire), et S. B. Stephanos II Ghattas, patriarche copte-catholique 
d'Alexandrie (Egypte),   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 29 janvier 2001)

* Afrique. Séminaire sur la démocratie et l'armée  -  Le 29 janvier, un 
séminaire international sur la démocratie et l'armée, à l'intention de 
hauts responsables africains (décideurs politiques civils et officiers 
généraux) s'est ouvert à Libreville (Gabon). La rencontre, initiée par le 
Centre d'études stratégiques de l'Afrique, regroupe des participants issus 
de 47 pays africains, de 3 Etats européens, de 5 organisations 
internationales et régionales y compris les Nations unies, et de 10 ONG. 
Pendant dix jours, ils discuteront notamment des relations 
civilo-militaires en démocratie, de l'économie en matière de défense et du 
rôle et de la mission des armées dans une démocratie.   (PANA, Sénégal, 29 
janvier 2001)

* Africa. World Economic Forum  -  26 January: Africa has gained an 
unusually high profile in Davos as organisers have strained to blunt 
criticism that they have not taken seriously enough the inequalities in the 
world's economy. President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania was one of 
the few Africans among the many movers and shakers in Davos invited to 
speak at the opening ceremony. He voiced Africa's frustration over the 
shortcomings of globalisation. "The evidence points to exclusion rather 
than integration, deprivation rather than benefit," he declared in a fiery 
speech. The inability of Africa to gain much from globalisation - and anger 
over some of the obstacles - has been a recurrent complaint among African 
politicians, businessmen and academics at Davos. But a striking feature 
among these same people has been the strong recognition that Africa must 
look to itself to make progress as much as seek outside help. Tomorrow 
Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and 
Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal combine to present "A Plan for Africa". Their 
initiative stresses the need for African governments to transform the 
continent by their own efforts. Even so, there is no mistaking African 
anger at the external barriers they confront, despite US preferential trade 
terms for Africa and the Lome Convention trade concessions from the 
European Union. 28 January: Thabo Mbeki appeals for an international summit 
on the civil war in Congo RDC to be held as soon as possible.   (Financial 
Times, UK, 29 January 2001)

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Angola: The Media Institute of 
Southern Africa (MISA) has reported that on 24 January, six members of the 
Party for Democracy and Progress in Angola (PADPA) were arrested and 
detained in Luanda. Tanzania: On 22 January, the Minister of State in the 
Prime Minister's Office (Information and Political Affairs), called upon 
publishers in Tanzania to work closely with the Media Council of Tanzania 
to enhance professional ethics in the Media. Tunisia: In a letter (29 
January) to the Minister of the Interior, Reporters sans Frontières 
protested the surrounding of Taoufik Ben Brik's home during the launch of a 
newspaper by his brother, Jalel Zoghlami. Zimbabwe: On 24 January, the 
independent newspaper, the Daily News reported that on the previous day, 
hundreds of ZANU-PF supporters and war veterans marched through Harare 
shouting profanities and insults at the newspaper. On 28 January, a bomb 
exploded in the printing plant of a privately-owned newspaper, the Daily 
News, which has been critical of the government. The chief executive of 
Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe said the explosion caused extensive 
damage to equipment but no one was injured. The Daily News "hit the 
streets" just 24 hours after the bombing. Political analysts in Zimbabwe 
have said the explosion is likely to have been the work of the military. 
The Zimbabwe Chapter of MISA strongly condemned the attack on the Daily 
News. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 30 January 2001)

* Afrique. Davos: Plan pour la renaissance de l'Afrique  -  "Aidez-nous à 
nous aider nous-mêmes", c'est en substance le message qu'a lancé, le 28 
janvier, le président sud-africain Thabo Mbeki aux patrons des 
multinationales présents à Davos et à la communauté internationale tout 
entière. Le "Plan pour la renaissance de l'Afrique" pose pour principes que 
la paix, la bonne gouvernance et le développement économique et social vont 
de pair et qu'un seul pays ne peut y parvenir seul. Ce plan se veut, à 
l'instar de celui qui a aidé l'Europe après la seconde guerre mondiale, une 
stratégie coordonnant les efforts africains en matière de dette, de 
recherche ou d'infrastructures. Pour réussir, l'Afrique doit être libérée 
de certaines contraintes. "Si nous ne bénéficions pas de la suppression de 
la dette, aucun des éléments du plan ne pourra être mis en oeuvre", a 
déclaré le président nigérian Obasanjo, coauteur de ce plan, avec le 
président algérien Bouteflika. Ces trois dirigeants africains avaient été 
mandatés par leurs pairs, au sommet de La Havanne en 2000, pour réfléchir 
aux moyens de "projeter une image de l'Afrique qui attirera les 
investissements, les échanges et les talents".   (D'après Le Monde, France, 
30 janvier 2001)

* Africa. Human rights issues  -  Congo RDC & Rwanda: In a press release 
issued on 1 February, Human Rights Watch said that President Joseph Kabila 
(Congo RDC and President Paul Kagame (Rwanda) are fighting a war that has 
caused massive civilian casulaties, and US officials meeting them should 
make that the focus of their dialogue. Both Presidents command troops in 
the war in Congo RDC, where as many as 1.7 million civilians have died 
through combat-related casualties as well as through deprivation of water, 
food, and health care. The two African leaders are participating at a 
Congressional prayer breakast this morning. Egypt: In a report issued on 31 
January, Human Rights Watch says children as young as seven are enduring 
near-slave conditions to harvest Egyptian cotton. Its report says the 
children work 11 hours a day seven days a week are routinely beaten by 
foremen and exposed to toxic pesticides. Tanzania: In a Press Release dated 
30 January, Amnesty International called on the authorities to respect the 
freedom of assembly. "The excessive force used by the Tanzanian police over 
the last four days in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam in an attempt to prevent 
freedom of assembly is appalling". The following day, 31 January, Human 
Rights Watch returned to the same subject. The organisation said that the 
Tanzanian police and army are using unrestrained force to shoot, injure and 
kill people on Pemba and Zanzibar islands. Uganda: On 30 January, on 
launching the "Human Rights Manifesto for Uganda", Amnesty International 
said in a Press Release that "Human rights are essential to Uganda's future 
political and social development". The Manifesto, produced by Amnesty 
International with the support of 12 other Ugandan NGOs, calls for ensuring 
that every Ugandan has the right to live in a society where basic rights 
are respected in law and in practice. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 1 February 2001)

* Afrique de l'Ouest. Vaccination contre la polio  -  L'objectif de la 
campagne de vaccination contre la polio dans 18 pays de l'Afrique de 
l'Ouest en l'an 2000 a été dépassé de 14% dès novembre, selon des 
informations publiées le 26 janvier par l'Unicef. Au total, 76,9 millions 
d'enfants ont été vaccinés entre janvier et novembre 2000 pour une 
population-cible estimée à 67,4 millions. - D'autre part, la troisième 
journée de vaccination la semaine passée au Nigeria, s'est heurtée à une 
certaine résistance dans plusieurs régions du nord, notamment à Kano. 
Certaines familles soupçonnaient les vaccins contre la polio de contenir le 
virus du VIH et des agents contraceptifs, de sorte qu'un certain nombre 
d'enfants n'a pu être vacciné. Toutefois, selon les chiffres de l'Unicef, 
46,86 millions d'enfants ont été vaccinés au Nigeria entre 1999 et 
2000.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 29 janvier 2001)

* West Africa. Parliament to intervene in trouble spots  -  The Speaker of 
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Ali 
Nouhoum Diallo, says his priority would be the maintenance of peace and 
security in the sub-region. "We are doing something fast about achieving 
peace and security," said Diallo, who at 63, is the oldest member of the 
newly inaugurated 120-member Parliament. He said in line with the priority, 
"We will have to go to Cote d'Ivoire to pacify the northern and southern 
population. Next is Liberia and Guinea. There is also no security in 
Liberia and Sierra Leone. These are the priorities." Diallo, a Malian, 
spoke in Abuja venue of the first plenary session of the ECOWAS Parliament, 
which ended in the Nigerian capital at the weekend. Thirteen Standing 
Committees were set up to take charge of all the aspects of the 
Parliament's mandate. A statement from the ECOWAS Secretariat listed the 
committees, each with a Chairman and three other members, to include those 
on Foreign Affairs, Co-operation, Defence and Security as well as Laws, 
Regulations, Legal and Judicial Affair, Human rights and free movement of 
persons. Others are Rural Development, Transport and Communications, 
Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Social Affairs, Education, 
Training, Employment, Youth and Sports and Economy, Finance and Trade. The 
remaining Committees are Industry and Mines, Energy, Technology and 
Scientific Research, Women's and Children's Rights, Tourism, Culture and 
Handicraft and Budget control and Accounts. Highlights of the week-long 
session of the sub-regional Parliament, inaugurated in Bamako, Mali, 16 
November 2000, included the election of a 15-member Bureau. It comprises a 
Speaker, six Deputy Speakers, three Treasurers and five Parliamentary 
Secretaries as well as a General Secretary and an Assistant.   (PANA, 
Senegal, 29 January 2001)

* Afrique de l'Ouest. Harmoniser les programmes CEDEAO-UEMOA  -  Une 
réunion de concertation sur la mise en oeuvre et le suivi de l'accélération 
de l'intégration ouest-africaine, adoptée en janvier 2000, se tient à 
Bamako les 29 et 30 janvier. Le chef d'Etat malien Alpha Oumar Konaré, 
président en exercice de la CEDEAO (Communauté économique des Etats 
d'Afrique occidentale) et de l'UEMOA (Union économique et monétaire 
ouest-africaine) a souligné la nécessité de clarifier les rapports entre 
les deux organisations, tout en affirmant qu'il ne pouvait y avoir 
d'opposition entre elles. Mais il faut "beaucoup de coordination", a-t-il 
déclaré. Les discussions devaient porter sur l'évaluation du processus 
d'intégration monétaire et sur les questions institutionnelles, comme la 
coopération entre les Parlements et les Cours de justice. -D'autre part, la 
première session plénière du Parlement de la CEDEAO, qui compte 120 
membres, s'est terminé ce week-end (27-28 janvier) à Abuja (Nigeria) sur 
l'établissement de 13 commissions permanentes pour prendre en charge tous 
les aspects du mandat de cette institution. Par ailleurs, le président a 
indiqué que sa priorité serait le maintien de la paix et de la sécurité 
dans la sous-région.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 30 janvier 2001)

* Horn of Africa. UN renews drought appeal  -  The United Nations has 
appealed for $353 million in new relief aid to help people in the Horn of 
Africa rebuild their lives after last year's drought. The crisis is not 
over yet. Millions of people are still at risk. UN special envoy to the 
region Catherine Bertini said famine had so far been averted, but millions 
of people in the region were still at risk if rains in April and May 
failed. "Don't stop the flow of assistance to the Horn," Mrs Bertini told 
representatives of donor countries in Geneva. She said new funds were 
needed to provide clean water, health care and to help rebuild livestock 
herds in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania and Djibouti. The 
already-fragile region has a chronic food shortage after three consecutive 
years of poor rains and total failure of rains last April. "Together in 
2000, we achieved a grand objective: We averted a famine. Every government, 
every person who made a contribution to this amazing and successful effort 
must be thanked and congratulated," said Mrs Bertini, who is also the head 
of the World Food Programme (WFP). "But the crisis is not over yet. 
Millions of people are still at risk".   (BBC News, 31 January 2001)

* Corne de l'Afrique. Sécheresse  -  L'envoyée spéciale de l'Onu pour 
l'aide aux victimes de la sécheresse dans la Corne de l'Afrique, Catherine 
Bertini, a lancé à Genève un appel à lever 353 millions de dollars pour 13 
millions de personnes de cinq pays affectés par la sécheresse. "La crise 
n'est pas terminée. Les six prochains mois seront particulièrement 
critiques", a déclaré Mme Bertini, également directrice exécutive du PAM. 
Selon les prévisions météorologiques, l'Ethiopie et la Somalie pourraient 
voir la situation s'améliorer, mais de vastes régions du Kenya, d'Erythrée, 
de Tanzanie et Djibouti attendent encore les signes avant-coureurs des 
premières pluies. Des pluies insuffisantes pourraient avoir un impact 
catastrophique sur des populations déjà fragilisées, estime l'Onu.   (La 
Libre Belgique, 1er février 2001)

Weekly anb0201.txt - End of part 1/7