weekly anb05185.txt #6

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 18-05-2000      PART #5/6

* Sierra Leone. Vers un apaisement?  -  11 mai. Selon le porte-parole de la mission de l'Onu
Minusil, les combattants du RUF ont lance la nuit precedente deux attaques contre des positions
des casques bleus a Newton et Port Loko (20 et 40 km de Freetown), mais ont ete repousses. Par
ailleurs, deux unites de casques bleus kenyans, encercles depuis le 2 mai a Makeni et Magburaka
(140 et 150 km a l'est de Freetown) ont rompu ce siege, le 9 mai, avec l'aide de la force
d'intervention rapide indienne de la Minusil, et ont reussi a gagner des positions tenues par des
"anti-RUF". A Freetown, la Minusil continuait ses preparatifs pour la defense de la ville contre
une possible attaque des combattants de Sankoh. D'autre part, a New York, le secretaire general
de l'Onu a laisse entendre que la Minusil pourrait etre renforcee et dotee d'un mandat elargi lui
permettant de combattre les attaques des rebelles et de sauver le processus de paix en peril dans
le pays. Le Conseil de securite a entame des discussions sur une possible modification du mandat
de la Minusil afin de permettre l'envoi de troupes supplementaires. Mais en Sierra Leone,
l'inquietude grandit pour les casques bleus otages des rebelles. - 13-14 mai. L'avancee des forces
du RUF semble avoir ete stoppee. Selon le quotidien londonien The Guardian du 13 mai, les
troupes britanniques assument le commandement de l'operation contre les rebelles, tout en ne
prenant pas "officiellement" part aux combats. Le 14 mai, le secretaire britannique au Foreign
Office, Robin Cook, a encore repete qu'il n'etait pas question que les troupes britanniques
participent aux combats aux cotes des forces de l'Onu. Le 14 mai, l'armee reguliere a repris la
ville strategique de Masiaka (75 km de Freetown), qui etait retombee pendant quelques heures
aux mains des rebelles. Par ailleurs, des informations non confirmees se multiplient faisant etat
de la mort du chef de la rebellion, Foday Sankoh, disparu depuis le 8 mai et qui, selon des
documents retrouves dans sa residence, "preparait un coup d'Etat". Le president Kabbah a appele
les rebelles a deposer les armes et a se joindre au processus de paix. - 15 mai. Le porte-parole
de la Minusil a annonce que 139 casques bleus detenus par le RUF ont ete liberes, grace a
l'intervention du president liberien Charles Taylor, et se trouvent actuellement au Liberia. M.
Taylor s'est dit "optimiste" sur la liberation des autres otages, mais il a appele a cesser les
attaques contre les ravisseurs afin de ne pas mettre leur vie en danger. Selon certaines
informations, des commandos britanniques des forces speciales SAS ont recu pour mission de
s'enfoncer a l'interieur du pays pour y localiser les centaines de membres de l'Onu encore
retenus en otages. - 17 mai. Le chef rebelle Foday Sankoh, qui avait ete vu pour la derniere fois
le 8 mai et que certains croyaient mort, a ete retrouve. Capture la veille au soir dans la capitale
Freetown, il a ete transfere dans la caserne Cockerill appartenant a l'armee sierra-leonaise.
Quelques heures apres, le Liberia a annonce la liberation de 80 casques bleus detenus par les
rebelles; ils ont ete conduits a la ville liberienne de Foya. Il reste encore environ 270 casques
bleus detenus par le RUF.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 mai 2000)

* Sierra Leone. Fighting continues  -  11 May: Six Kenyan peacekeepers are reported to have
been shot and wounded by Sierra Leonean army troops who mistook them for rebels wearing UN
uniforms. The Information Ministry said the incident happened as the beleaguered peacekeepers
arrived in the northern town of Kabala, after breaking through rebel lines near Makeni further
south. Loyalist forces, UN troops and British paras strengthen positions around Freetown. Russia
offers troops to bolster the UN force. Kofi Annan urges UN members not to abandon the people
of Sierra Leone. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Mr Annan calls for
more troops to be sent to Sierra Leone. 12 May: British forces have effectively taken control of
the UN military operation and pro-government forces, in preparation for an assault on the rebel
Revolutionary United Front (RUF)'s heartland. The rebels have been pushed back from positions
near Freetown. There are reported to be 20,000-30,000 newly displaced people in Freetown. 15
May: Human Rights Watch calls for a tightening of the UN arms embargo on the rebels, and
highlights reports of weapons shipments to the RUF over the past year. The UN has confirmed
that rebels have released some of the 500 UN peacekeepers. The spokesman for the UN forces
in Sierra Leone confirmed the release which earlier, had already been announced by President
Charles Taylor of Liberia. The UN urges the Sierra Leonean Government not to go on the
offensive. The UN's special representative in Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, calls on both sides
to return to pre-crisis positions. 16 May: There is growing political pressure on British
commanders in Sierra Leone to rein in the military assault against the RUF because of new
threats against the UN peacekeepers still being held hostage by the rebels or semi-hostage by
President Taylor of Liberia. 17 May: 93 exhausted but relieved UN peacekeepers fly into
Freetown at the end of their kidnap ordeal. The 79 Zambians and 14 Kenyans looked in
reasonable shape although a few were limping and one was on crutches. Foday Sankoh is
captured in Freetown. British paratroopers kill four rebels on a road midway between Port Loko,
north of Freetown, and Lungi Airport. Human Rights Watch urges fair trial for Foday Sankoh. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 18 May 2000)

* Sierra Leone. The "scorpion" captures the "lion"  -  Foday Sankoh was finally captured at the
one place no one thought to look. It was too ludicrous to contemplate that the fugitive leader of
Sierra Leone's monstrous rebel army might return home when virtually the whole of Freetown
was hunting him. But at the crack of dawn on 17 May, a Muslim and his young son on their way
to prayers, stumbled on Mr Sankoh. He was heading towards the very house from which he had
fled 10 days earlier as his guards fired on unarmed demonstrators, killing 19 people. Mr Sankoh
tried to disguise himself with a towel wrapped round his head like an Arab nomad. It didn't
work, Kabbah Sesay knew instantly who stood before him. Mr Sesay said: "I was going to pray
with my son when I saw him in front of me, on the path. I knew who he was but he said: "I am
Foday Sankoh. Don't be scared. Will you help me? I need a taxi to take me to the Nigerian High
Commission". He looked very worried and kept looking around. he asked if there were a lot of
people left in his house. I said it was looted and empty. We went inside and then I said I was
going to call the taxi but I called the army". Mr Sankoh remained in the house for some minutes.
As he was leaving, six Sierra Leonean soldiers arrived. They were led by Mustafah Kamara
because he was the only one with a gun. Mr Kamara goes by the nom de guerre of "Scorpion".
Shooting broke out and Mr Sankoh was hit in tbe leg. Mr Kamara says: "Sankoh fell down and
made too much noise so we stripped him. he is like an animal so he should be naked like an
animal". A mob gathered and some demanded the right to kill him. He was stuffed into a car and
driven off to the house of Johnny Paul Karoma, a former military ruler of Sierra Leone and still
head of a powerful faction fighting on the government side. Eventually the British were called
in to extricate Mr Sankoh. He is now in protective custody near the airport. (Editor's note:
Details are still emerging regarding the circumstances of Foday Sankoh's capture. It seems that
everyone concerned has a story to tell).   (The Guardian, UK, 18 May 2000)

* Somalie. Nouvelle situation d'urgence  -  La Somalie fait face a une nouvelle situation
d'urgence resultant des effets conjugues d'une secheresse persistante et d'une inondation
inattendue cette semaine. Les effets combines ont affecte environ 750.000 personnes habitant
pour la plupart dans le sud-ouest du pays. Les fortes pluies des trois dernieres semaines ont
provoque des morts et endommage les infrastructures dans la region, encore sous le choc de trois
annees de secheresse. Les inondations dans le sud ont force des centaines de familles a chercher
refuge sur les plateaux, ou ils campent sous les arbres et ont cruellement besoin d'abri, de
medicaments et de nourriture.   (PANA, 17 mai 2000)

* South Africa. Troops for Congo RDC  -  South Africa will send troops to Congo as part of an
advance team to facilitate the deployment of the UN peacekeeping force there. President Mbeki
has announced that the South African troops will not be part of the peacekeeping contingent, but
a "headquarters group" to prepare for its deployment. Mbeki said that the UN Secretary-General
had identified a need for personnel to handle things like logistics and communications ahead of
the main force, and the South African Government was "working on the matter with the UN.
Therefore, we will supply these troops".   (James Brew, ANB-BIA, South Africa, 13 May 2000)

* Afrique du Sud. "Le defi de l'inculturation"  -  Acculturer l'Evangile en Afrique du Sud est
une necessite absolue pour l'Eglise. C'est la conclusion d'un congres organise a Pretoria du 9 au
12 mai, auquel ont participe pres de 80 personnes, pretres, religieux, laics, anthropologues et
theologiens. L'initiative a ete promue par les missionnaires comboniens en collaboration avec
l'Unisa (Universite de l'Afrique du Sud) et l'universite de Pretoria. Les debats ont mis en
evidence le besoin d'une acculturation qui tienne compte de la complexite multiethnique sud-
africaine. Mgr Busher, eveque de Bethleem, qui a suivi une partie des travaux, a manifeste
l'interet que porte l'episcopat au theme de l'inculturation.   (Misna, Italie, 15 mai 2000)

* Afrique du Sud. Allan Boesak condamne  -  Le 12 mai, le pasteur Allan Boesak, figure
emblematique de la lutte anti-apartheid, a ete condamne a trois ans de prison ferme par la cour
d'appel de Bloemfontein pour vol et fraude de fonds caritatifs. Peine reduite de moitie par rapport
a celle decidee en mars 1999 par la Haute Cour du Cap. Mais la chute de Boesak est d'autant
plus lourde que l'argent detourne etait destine aux victimes de l'apartheid. Le 14 mai, quelques
heures avant d'entamer sa peine de prison, M. Boesak a encore clame son innocence. Il devait
etre incarcere le lendemain a la prison de Pollsmoor.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 15 mai
2000)

* South Africa. Boesak loses fraud appeal  -  12 May: Former anti-apartheid leader, the Rev.
Allan Boesak, has received a three-year sentence after losing an appeal against fraud charges. The
appeal court in Bloemfontein reduced the six-year sentence he had originally received, but did
not overturn the charge, arising from the misuse of donor funds. The former head of the Geneva-
based World Council of Reformed churches, was found guilty last year of theft of $39,000 and
fraud involving $190,000. The Bloemfontein court was the last stage of appeal available to
Boesak, meaning that jail is now inevitable. 15 May: Warders wait outside Pollsmoor Prison in
Cape Town to welcome Allan Boesak, as he arrives to begin his sentence. "He is our hero. he
won't have a hard time in here," one warder said. But with hours, Boesak is moved to a smaller
jail in Malmesbury outside the city after threats of violence against him.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels,
16 May 2000)

* Tchad. Aide aux paysans  -  Quelque 252.000 Tchadiens, victimes d'inondations et planteurs
ayant connu une mauvaise recolte, recevront une aide alimentaire du PAM, a indique l'agence
de l'Onu. Un accord portant sur la fourniture d'aide aux planteurs pauvres dans les prefectures
de Mayo Kebby, Moyen Chari et Logone oriental, a ete signe le 10 mai a N'Djamena. Selon le
PAM, son aide dissuadera les populations rurales de vendre leurs intrants agricoles, une action
qui perturberait la prochaine saison culturale.   (IRIN, Abidjan, 15 mai 2000)

* Tunisie. Ben Brik met fin a sa greve  -  11 mai. Le journaliste tunisien Taoufik Ben Brik n'a
pas ete autorise a se rendre en Algerie, les autorites algeriennes lui en ayant signifie
l'interdiction. Alors qu'il avait annonce qu'il arreterait sa greve de la faim en Algerie, M. Ben
Brik a decide de la poursuivre en France. Le meme jour au soir, au Maroc, la police a disperse
plusieurs dizaines de manifestants, militants des droits de l'homme, qui exprimaient leur soutien
a Taoufik Ben Brik devant l'ambassade de Tunisie a Rabat. - 15 mai. Jelal Zoghlami, le frere du
journaliste, a ete remis en liberte provisoire par le tribunal correctionnel de Tunis dans l'attente
de son jugement en appel dans trois jours. A Paris, Taoufik a annonce qu'il mettait fin a sa greve
de la faim, apres 42 jours.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 16 mai 2000)

* Uganda. Reducing the number of embassies and diplomatic staff  -  Uganda is closing eight
missions abroad before 30 June. The embassies to be closed are those in Nigeria, France, Cuba,
Russia, Canada, China, Germany and Japan. Honourary consuls are to be appointed to cater for
Uganda's interests in those countries. A decision has not yet been reached on the Cairo and
Rome missions.   (PANA, Dakar, 12 May 2000)

* Uganda National Referendum  -  The Electoral Commission in Uganda has announced that the
national referendum on the country's future political system will take place on 29 June. The
chairman of the Electoral Commission said Ugandans will be able to choose whether their
country continues to be ruled by a political movement or through a multi-party political system. 
 (BBC News, 17 May 2000)

Weekly anb0518.txt - End of part 5/6