Corr.: Weekly anb03013.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 01-03-2001  PART #3/7

* Congo (RDC). Accord de désengagement - Le 22 février, le Conseil de 
sécurité de l'Onu a approuvé un plan de désengagement partiel des armées en 
guerre au Congo et l'envoi d'un contingent de casques bleus, limité pour le 
moment à 3.000 hommes, dont 500 observateurs militaires. Les observateurs 
de l'Onu ne se déploieront que lorsque les armées présentes auront effectué 
un retrait de 15 km de part et d'autre du front. Les belligérants devront 
en outre soumettre au Conseil de sécurité, d'ici le 15 mai, un plan complet 
de retrait et présenter des propositions afin d'assurer la sécurité des 
frontières du Rwanda, menacées par les milices hutu. Après discussion, les 
membres du Conseil ont accepté d'examiner la possibilité d'accroître le 
nombre de casques bleus en cas de besoin. - Le 23 février, un observateur 
militaire de la mission de l'Onu (Monuc) a quitté Kinshasa pour se rendre à 
Pweto (sud-ouest) afin de préparer le déploiement des observateurs qui 
surveilleront le désengagement des troupes rwandaises. (ANB-BIA, de sources 
diverses, 24 février 2001)

* Congo (RDC). Volcan en éruption - L'éruption du volcan Nyamuragira, qui a 
commencé au début du mois, est loin de s'arrêter, rapporte une équipe de 
volcanologues le 25 février. En plus de trois coulées observées 
antérieurement, deux autres se sont formées à partir d'un cône situé sur le 
flanc sud. Les cinq coulées de lave continuent à s'avancer inexorablement 
vers les voies d'accès de Goma, qui a commencé à souffrir des effets de la 
pollution de l'air. Mais la plus grande crainte des habitants de Goma vient 
du volcan voisin, le Nyiragongo, dont l'éveil pourrait causer des dégâts 
considérables dans leur ville et pour tous les habitants de la région. Ce 
volcan se trouve sur la même fissure volcanique que le Nyamuragira et son 
cratère a commencé à émettre des fumées. (PANA, Sénégal, 25 février 2001)

* Congo (RDC). La coopération de l'UE - Le 26 février, l'Union européenne, 
encouragée par les ouvertures apparues en RDC, s'est engagée à reprendre à 
terme sa coopération au développement avec le Congo, à la suite des 
promesses exprimées par le nouveau président J. Kabila d'engager des 
réformes économiques. Mais il faudra que ces intentions 'se traduisent dans 
les faits", ont dit les ministres des Affaires étrangères de l'UE réunis à 
Bruxelles, avant que l'Union soit disposée à engager avec la RDC un débat 
de fond sur une reprise progressive de la coopération au développement 
interrompue depuis 1992. (La Libre Belgique, 27 février 2001)

* Congo (RDC). Le colonel Kapend arrêté - L'interpellation, le 24 février, 
du colonel Eddy Kapend, aide de camp et chef d'état-major particulier du 
défunt président Kabila, a été confirmée le 27 février: il a été placé en 
résidence surveillée. Selon le journal Le Monde, la commission d'enquête 
(sur l'assassinat de Kabila) mise en place avec la participation des alliés 
militaires de Kinshasa (Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibie) serait à l'origine de 
cette décision. Selon La Libre Belgique, cette interpellation met en 
exergue une lutte des clans au sein du pouvoir à Kinshasa, entre 
réformateurs (dont E. Kapend était une des figures de proue) et 
conservateurs. Elle tendrait à démontrer que ces derniers l'ont emporté, ce 
qui pourrait remettre en question les gestes d'ouverture posés par le 
nouveau président. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 28 février 2001)

* Congo (RDC). Pull-back plan welcomed - 23 February: Supporters of both 
the government and rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have welcomed 
a United Nations plan for warring troops to pull back from the front lines. 
The Zimbabwean Defence Minister, Stanislaus Mudenge, whose country backs 
the Congolese government, said the UN resolution was an important first 
step. At the end of a three-day meeting on Congo RDC, the United Nations 
Security Council set a new timetable for the pull back of the different 
factions. Representatives from the six warring countries and the three main 
rebel groups were all present at the discussions. Efforts to end the 
two-and-a-half year conflict have come to a head recently following the 
death of former DR Congo President Laurent Kabila. In a resolution 
negotiated with all the parties, the council has demanded that the forces 
start an initial 15km pull-back by 15 March. They should then plan for a 
complete withdrawal by 15 May. "Of course it's only the beginning of a long 
journey, but it's a good beginning," said French Ambassador Jean-David 
Levitte. The UN has plans to deploy 3,000 troops in Congo to monitor the 
withdrawals. The Namibian President, Sam Nujoma, speaking after talks with 
President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa, said: "We want to give the Congolese 
people the opportunity to free themselves and to commence the expected 
democratisation process so as to freely choose their leaders." 24 February: 
A group of UN military observers has left Kinshasa for Pweto, to verify the 
promised 200 km pull-back of Rwandan forces in that area. 28 February: The 
Ugandan army has begun withdrawing about 1,500 troops from Congo. Rwanda 
has also begun a troop pull back from Pweto. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 1 March 2001)

* Congo (RDC). Replis rwandais et ougandais - Dans la nuit du 27 au 28 
février, les troupes rwandaises ont commencé à quitter leurs positions sur 
la ligne de front dans la région de Pweto, en présence d'observateurs de 
l'Onu. Selon le colonel Karake Karenzi, chef des opérations, environ 3.000 
soldats quitteront la ville et se replieront en cinq jours sur Pepa (200 km 
au nord-est). Pweto restera sous le contrôle du RCD, un des groupes 
rebelles, et les Rwandais reviendront si les forces gouvernementales ou 
leurs alliés tentaient de s'emparer de la ville. Ce retrait rwandais est le 
plus important geste de paix à ce jour depuis la signature des accords de 
paix de Lusaka. - Du côté ougandais, le 28 février, un premier groupe de 
147 militaires a quitté la ville de Buta en avion, pour se poser à Gulu 
dans le nord de l'Ouganda. Au total, 1.500 hommes, soit deux bataillons, 
doivent se retirer de Buta et Gemena avant la fin de la semaine. (ANB-BIA, 
de sources diverses, 1er mars 2001)

* Congo (RDC). Two close aides of Laurent Kabila arrested - Two close aides 
of Laurent Kabila have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the 
late President's assassination. Colonel Eddy Kapend, who played a key role 
in ensuring a smoorth transition, which handed the presidency to Mr 
Kabila's son, Joseph, is being held in a secret location. It was also 
reported on 28 February, that General Nawej Yav, commander of the Kinshasa 
military region and a close associate of Col. Kapend, was being held on 
suspicion of complicity in the murder. Both Col. Kapend, who was Mr 
Kabila;s chief of staff, and General Yav, belong to the Lunda ethnic group, 
which has close links to neighbouring Angola, one of Kinshasa's allies in 
the war. (Independent, UK, 1 March 2001)

* Egypt. D8 meeting - Leaders and representatives of eight developing 
Muslim countries (D8) have agreed to boost economic co-operation. The 
global trade regime benefits mainly the rich countries. At the D8 meeting 
in Cairo, they agreed on a series of steps to help increase the volume of 
trade between their countries and boost their collective clout in the 
global economy. Delegates called for a fairer global economic system and 
expressed concern over the negative impact of globalisation on developing 
countries. Under the plans agreed at the summit, visa restrictions for 
businessmen will be eased and a special company will be set up to help 
member states market their goods. The aim is to double the amount of trade 
between D8 states -- Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, 
Indonesia and Malaysia -- over the next five years. The eight countries are 
home to about 13% of the world's population, but account for only 4% of 
world trade. General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan summed up the concerns of 
the summit participants. "The global trade regime benefits mainly the rich 
and technologically advanced countries," he said. "Besides, external debt 
burden is stifling economic growth in most developing countries, including 
Pakistan." General Musharraf said the debt problem had reached alarming 
proportions. The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, described the debt 
burden as strangulating and called on developed countries to show the 
political courage and will to tackle it. Poverty, he said, was a man-made, 
not a God given, condition. President Mubarak has taken over chairmanship 
of the Group. Leaders of the D8, set up in 1997, recognize the "critical 
and major role of the private sector in achieving the group's cooperation 
targets in all fields", said a final draft communique from the meeting. 
(ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 February 2001)

* Eritrea. Aid sought for recovery - Eritrea has appealed to the 
international community to help the country meet its humanitarian needs. 
The vast majority of the $223m appeal is for food aid. In a recent survey 
around half of Eritrea's population was identified as needing assistance 
due to the effects of war and regional drought. The appeal comes at a time 
when Ethiopian and Eritrean troops are pulling back from their disputed 
border in order to create a temporary security zone. For the Eritreans the 
pull back means that they can return to their farmland and begin work 
improving the country's food security situation. Last year, huge swathes of 
Eritrean territory, which included the best farmland, were occupied by 
Ethiopian forces. The occupation displaced over one million people. Largely 
as a result, Eritrean food production fell by 75% and the country only 
survived because of a swift response from the international community. 
There are still several hundred thousand Eritreans, mostly women and 
children, who live in displacement camps and are waiting to go home. Now, 
with the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territory their 
chance to return is approaching. The timing is crucial as the planting 
season is due in the next few months. The resettlement of people in the 
buffer zone will be a major humanitarian challenge. Most Eritrean civilians 
lost everything when they fled their homes, some villages have been 
destroyed and many looted. Once they have returned people will also face 
the threat of landmines. Even though there is peace, repairing the damage 
wrought by years of war and drought will take Eritrea many years. (BBC 
News, 23 February 2001)

* Eritrea-Ethiopia. Horn buffer zone hits snag - Eritrea is reported to 
have raised objections to the boundaries of a buffer zone being established 
under UN supervision to separate its forces from those of Ethiopia. Sources 
close to the Eritrean Government say it will now delay withdrawing all its 
forces from the disputed area until its objections are resolved. The 
Eritrean Government says the UN map is an inaccurate interpretation of a 
political map. It says it unfairly gives land to Ethiopia which it never 
controlled before. The United Nations is aware of the problem, but has not 
commented so far. Under a peace agreement signed by the sides to end their 
costly border war, UN peacekeepers will monitor the 25km buffer zone. 
Ethiopia said it completed its withdrawal from the zone by the 26 February 
deadline. The two governments had agreed earlier in the month on the new 
boundaries, which the UN was to translate into an operational map. (BBC 
News, 28 February 2001)

* Ethiopie. Retrait achevé - L'Ethiopie a annoncé avoir achevé le retrait 
de ses troupes postées en Erythrée aux termes de l'accord de paix signé en 
décembre 2000 entre les deux pays, rendant ainsi possible le déploiement de 
casques bleus le long de la frontière. L'Ethiopie a fait savoir à l'Onu que 
ses soldats postés dans la région de Senafe avaient reculé jusqu'aux 
positions qu'ils occupaient avant le début du conflit entre les deux pays. 
(Le Figaro, France, 27 février 2001)

Weekly - anb0301.txt - End of #3/7