weekly anb05186.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 18-05-2000      PART #6/6

* Zambia. Tensions with Angola  -  Angolan fighter aircrafts bombed a village near Jimbe in
Zambia's North-Western province, and the Zambian government suspects both UNITA and the
Angolan government could be involved in insecurity surrounding the Zambian areas bordering
Angola. Zambia's Defence Minister, Chitalu Sampa, told journalists that the incident happened
on 25 April when two incendiary bombs were dropped. The Zambian government says the
Angolan airforce planes violated Zambia's airspace, and three Zambians were killed and three
others injured. Sampa said Zambia has since expressed its concern to Angola through its embassy
in Lusaka and the Government hopes Angola will take steps to stop the hostilities. He said that
if the hostilities do not stop, then the Zambian government will have no option but to take
measures to protect its citizens.   (Gideon Thole, ANB-BIA, Zambia, 11 May 2000)

* Zambia. Copper mines privatisation  -  Britain said it welcomes Zambia's decision to privatise
the copper mines and would, therefore, provide 50 million pounds to assist the process. Foreign
minister of state Peter Hain told reporters in Lusaka on 11 May at the end of his two-day official
visit, that Britain stands ready to assist Zambia with the privatisation process now that all the
mines have been privatised. Hain said Britain would work closely with the Zambian government
to ensure that Zambia qualifies for international debt relief under highly indebted poor countries
programme. "There are millions of pounds of debt relief available to Zambia if we can get in
place a joint anti-poverty programme that can be agreed with the IMF and World Bank. And
Britain is ready to provide expertise and assistance to help Zambia meet those conditions and put
in place a programme," Hain said. He added that London was committed to a 100-percent debt
relief for Zambia. He expressed the hope that Britain would shortly provide the 20 million
pounds it is withholding for the balance of payment support, now that Zambia has met some of
the conditions after the completion of the privatisation of the copper mines, as well as launching
a good governance programme. Britain had pledged 85 million pounds worth of development aid
to Zambia, with 50 million pounds going to the copper mines privatisation, 20 million for balance
of payment support and 15 million that was already provided for health and education projects.
Hain, however, warned that more progress be made on tackling corruption in order to enhance
transparency.   (PANA, Dakar, 11 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Elections annoncees sur fond de crise  -  11 mai. Fermiers blancs et anciens
combattants ont eu une nouvelle seance de pourparlers afin de mettre un terme a la crise qui
secoue le pays. De nouvelles fermes ont ete envahies. D'autre part, la Commission de supervision
des elections (ESC), nommee par le gouvernement, a estime que les conditions pour la tenue
d'elections legislatives "libres et honnetes" n'existaient pas en raison du climat de tension actuel.
"L'ESC est gravement preoccupee par la vague de violences politiques et d'intimidations qui a
caracterise la periode pre-electorale", a-t-elle dit dans un communique. En faisant du probleme
de la terre le theme dominant de sa campagne, le president Mugabe tente de contrecarrer le
principal parti d'opposition, le Mouvement pour le changement democratique (MDC) qui insiste
sur la crise economique. Le MDC a deja annonce qu'il pourrait entrevoir un boycottage des
elections, mais il est revenu plus tard sur cette declaration. - 12 mai. Le president Mugabe, les
fermiers blancs et les anciens combattants ont convenu de creer une commission des terres,
chargee de superviser la redistribution des terres des Blancs au Noirs, a annonce le syndicat des
fermiers CFU. Des pourparlers s'ouvriront le 15 mai. M. Mugabe s'est prononce contre la
violence dont sont victimes les fermiers blancs. La veille, un autre d'entre eux avait ete blesse
par balle (il succombera trois jours apres a ses blessures). - 13 mai. Le gouvernement a annonce
que 86.000 Britanniques ayant la double nationalite doivent abandonner leur passeport
zimbabween. La double nationalite est interdite par la loi zimbabweenne depuis 1984. Par
consequent, ces personnes "sont considerees comme des residents et non des citoyens du
Zimbabwe". Par ailleurs, une cinquantaine d'anciens combattants se sont attaques a un symbole
de la minorite blanche, en occupant la ferme de l'ex-Premier ministre Ian Smith, dans le centre
du pays. - 15 mai. Des emissaires de l'Union europeenne et du Commonwealth sont arrives a
Harare pour s'entretenir avec le gouvernement et l'opposition des violences politiques qui
menacent l'organisation des prochaines elections legislatives. Dans la soiree, le president Mugabe
a fixe ces elections aux 24 et 25 juin.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 mai 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Veterans hold more talks  -  11 May: White farmers and veterans hold more talks,
today, aimed at ending a growing political and land crisis, amid reports of fresh farm invasions
overnight. A spokesman for the Commercial Farmers' Union (CUF) says the talks are going on
at two levels, local and national, "and they are going to go on until we get some kind of
agreement". Representatives of the two sides are due to meet President Mugabe tomorrow as part
of a drive to end the crisis. 12 May: Morgan Tsvangirai makes it clear that his party, the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), does not intend to boycott the parliamentary elections.
President Mugabe has begun talks with the farmers and the veterans. 12 May: President Mugabe
calls for an end to government-sponsored violence against white commercial farmers. He makes
his call only after farmers agree to hand over some of their land to black settlers. The President
has agreed to set up a land commission to oversee the peaceful transfer of white-owned land to
blacks. 14 May: Dozens of angry supporters of President Mugabe invade the 6,000-acre cattle
ranch of former white ruler, Ian Smith. About 50 government supporters are now occupying Mr
Smith's Gwenoro farm near the southern town of Shurugwe. Another white farmer dies from
gun-shot wounds. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, is expected tomorrow
in Zimbabwe. 15 May: The general election is to be held on 24-25 June. 16 May: Don McKinnon
is to meet with President Mugabe today. The World Bank has suspended new loan payments to
Zimbabwe. The move is in response to Zimbabwe's failure to pay its arrears on money it
borrowed from the Bank for infrastructure projects. Armed supporters of President Mugabe
invade the third-biggest lumber company in southern Africa, Borders Timbers, and demand the
replacement of all white managers. 17 May: South Africa's President Mbeki arrives in London
on an official visit, with the political crisis in Zimbabwe high on the agenda.   (ANB-BIA,
Brussels, 17 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Towards the elections  -  16 May: The Commonwealth secretary-general promises
to send more than 40 observers to monitor next month's parliamentary elections. Amid concerns
over delays to the long-awaited report from the country's electoral boundary commission, Don
McKinnon says: "I believe it is possible to have free elections here. President Mugabe gave his
assurances that he would like to see a de-escalation of the political violence". Mr Mugabe
cancelled his meeting with Mr McKinnon on 15 May, then make him wait for hours today.
Opposition leaders say an election next month is pointless because Zimbabwe's voting districts
still haven't been formally set. In a Press Release, Amnesty International says peaceful elections
are necessary for a stable democracy. 17 May: ZANU-PF has been given exclusive access to
details of electoral constituencies ahead of the June election, prompting protests from opposition
parties.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 May 2000)

Weekly anb0518.txt - End of part 6/6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 18-05-2000      DOCUMENT 

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*  "La liberation sociale?                                            *
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