Weekly anb08236.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 23-08-2001      PART #6/7

* South Africa. Donald Woods dies  -  The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner 
and journalist Donald Woods, whose fight against injustice was depicted in 
the film "Cry Freedom", has died aged 67. Mr Woods, who had been fighting 
lung, kidney and liver cancer for two years, died at the Royal Marsden 
hospital in Sutton, Surrey, UK, on 19 August.Former South African president 
Nelson Mandela and South Africa's high commissioner in London, Cheryl 
Carolus, were among many who telephoned Mr Woods shortly before his death. 
Ms Carolus described Mr Woods last night as a "truly great son of South 
Africa". She said: "We are greatly saddened at his death but know too that 
it ended a long period of illness which he bore with his usual courage and 
wit. A great life of courage has ended but his spirit lives on with his 
people". Mr Woods' daughter Jane, 38, said on 19 August: "He was continuing 
to work and go on holiday when three weeks ago it was discovered the cancer 
had spread to his liver. The doctors said there was nothing they could do 
and he died at lunchtime. Although he achieved a lot in his lifetime, he 
was very upset that he wasn't going to see his grandchildren grow up." Mr 
Woods was the editor of South Africa's East London Daily Dispatch newspaper 
in the Eastern Cape for 12 years until he was banned by the National party 
government in 1977 for anti-apartheid activities. He achieved worldwide 
renown after exposing the events surrounding the death of 26-year-old black 
campaigner Steve Biko, who was killed in police custody in 1977. He wrote 
an explosive book on Biko, who had become a close friend, which was 
researched under the noses of police and prompted a massive campaign to 
expose racial injustice. The ensuing persecution from police forced Mr 
Woods to flee to England in 1977 via Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia and Tunisia 
with his wife and five children, fearing for his life. He escaped dressed 
as a priest and crouching low in a car to escape detection. He has been 
widely credited with playing a significant role in effecting sanctions 
against South Africa and helping the country to move towards democracy in 
1994.   (The Guardian, UK, 20 August 2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Décès de Donald Woods  -  Le journaliste et écrivain 
sud-africain Donald Woods, célèbre militant contre le régime de 
l'apartheid, est décédé le 19 août au Royaume-Uni. D. Woods avait fondé et 
dirigé le journal Daily Dispatch à East London et était notamment l'ami du 
dirigeant noir Steve Biko, tué en prison en 1977. Il était devenu célèbre 
grâce au film de Richard Attenborough "Cry Freedom". Le président 
sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a salué son courage dans la lutte contre le régime 
de la ségrégation raciale.   (La Libre Belgique, 21 août 2001)

* South Africa. ANC warns on avoiding talks on colonialism  -  South 
Africa's ruling party warned on 20 August that avoiding discussion about 
the damage caused by slavery and colonialism would lead to a deterioration 
in relations between Africa and the rest of the world. In a draft document 
drawn up for submission at next week's United Nations Conference Against 
Racism, the African National Congress says African countries will pursue 
satisfaction for what they consider crimes of humanity and genocide 
perpetrated by more developed nations. "There is no doubt that Africans 
themselves must and will take the lead in addressing the legacy of this 
African Holocaust. There has been a growing demand that some form of 
satisfaction be provided for these serious and grievous wrongs. South 
Africa's experience convinces us that to delay or avoid this discussion 
would not serve the cause of human fraternity." The US has threatened to 
not attend the week-long conference if it feels it is likely to come under 
pressure to apologise for the slave trade or be drawn into a debate about 
the state of Israel. European countries have also expressed concern that 
the wording of an apology could lead to legal demands for financial 
compensation for slavery and colonialism.   (Financial Times, UK, 21 August 
2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Redistribution des terres  -  Le 21 août, l'Alliance 
démocratique (DA, opposition) a lancé un appel au gouvernement lui 
demandant de procéder à une redistribution rapide, aux fermiers noirs, des 
terres appartenant aux Blancs, afin d'assurer la stabilité en Afrique du 
Sud. Selon la DA, la réforme foncière devrait toutefois être basée sur un 
nombre de principes, notamment la protection des droits de la propriété 
privée, le respect de l'Etat de droit, une compensation équitable et des 
politiques durables tenant compte de l'environnement. Le gouvernement 
sud-africain a annoncé qu'il prévoyait de donner 30% des exploitations 
agricoles à des propriétaires noirs d'ici l'an 2009. Il a également annoncé 
qu'environ 669.000 hectares appartenant à l'Etat (environ 5% de toutes les 
terres) seront attribués à des nouveaux fermiers noirs.   (D'après PANA, 
Sénégal, 22 août 2001)

* Soudan. Evêques contre les appuis pétroliers  -  La Commission Justice et 
Paix de l'épiscopat du Soudan vient de protester contre l'accord conclu par 
le Kenya avec le gouvernement de Khartoum pour permettre à ce pays 
d'acheter du pétrole soudanais à bas prix. Pour la Commission, les recettes 
tirées du pétrole servent à financer la guerre du gouvernement de Khartoum 
contre le sud du Soudan. En outre, "le pétrole vendu à bas prix au Kenya va 
chasser les populations des régions pétrolifères au sud du pays et ce 
seront autant de réfugiés". La Commission déplore particulièrement que les 
recettes de la vente du pétrole soient investies dans l'armement. Avec 
l'aide de la Chine, le Soudan a construit trois usines d'armes et de 
munitions dans les environs de Khartoum. La Chine a des intérêts pétroliers 
considérables en Afrique. Le Soudan accueille également des compagnies 
pétrolières canadiennes, malaises et russes et, de façon indirecte, des 
entreprises françaises et italiennes.   (CIP, Belgique, 16 août 2001)

* Sudan. "Let there be a just and durable peace"  -  The Catholic and 
Episcopal Bishops of Sudan, gathered in Nairobi 12-17 August for a seminar 
entitled: "Pastoral Leadership and United Action in a Crisis Situation". 
They appealed for an immediate end to hostilities and the establishment of 
a just and durable peace in Sudan.   (Sudan Focal Point, Kenya, 17 August 2001)

* Sudan. Sudan gets OPEC observer status  -  The Sudanese energy minister, 
Awad Ahmed al-Jaz, has confirmed reports that Opec, the Organisation of 
Petroleum Exporting Countries, has given Sudan observer status. Mr Jaz said 
the invitation to attend Opec meetings from October was recognition of 
Sudan's role as an oil-producing country. He said further oil fields had 
been discovered and urged more oil companies to invest in the country. 
Sudan began oil exports two years ago amid fierce opposition from rebels, 
who say the government uses the revenues for its military campaign against 
them. In recent months, the southern rebels of the Sudan People's 
Liberation Army have stepped up a military campaign aimed at ousting the 
oil companies. Opec has also granted observer status to Egypt and 
Equatorial Guinea.   (BBC News, UK, 20 August 2001)

* Soudan. Statut d'observateur à l'Opep  -  L'organisation des pays 
exportateurs de pétrole a donné au Soudan un statut d'observateur dans ses 
réunions, a déclaré le 20 août le ministre soudanais de l'Energie et des 
Mines, soulignant que l'invitation faite au Soudan était le signe de la 
reconnaissance, par une importante instance internationale du secteur 
pétrolier, du statut d'exportateur de son pays.   (La Croix, France, 21 
août 2001)

* Sudan. Flood fears in Khartoum  -  17 August: In the Sudanese capital, 
Khartoum, residents are bracing themselves for flood waters expected to 
reach the city within days. The Nile, which snakes through the city, is 
swollen, fast-moving and perilously close to the top of its banks. The 
governor of the city, Hashim Haroum, says the next seven days will be 
critical but meteorologists in neighbouring Ethiopia forecast that the 
threat will continue into September. In at least one low-lying part of the 
city, the island of Tuti, residents have mounted an around-the-clock watch. 
There are sand bags to shore up the river bank, but not many and not enough 
to withstand a sudden big surge of flood water. They seem a very fragile 
defence. In one place rising groundwater has already turned a football 
pitch into a lake. Further upstream the Nile has already reached its 
highest level for 20 years, causing widespread destruction. The people who 
live along the Nile are used to seasonal fluctuations in the river, but 
this year exceptionally heavy rain further upstream caused a dramatic rise 
in water level. The Nile is running at a higher level than in August 1988, 
when the river burst its banks, leaving dozens dead and two million 
homeless. Severe flooding this time has already driven thousands of people 
from their homes and destroyed crops and property. A government weather 
station in northern Ethiopia predicts that the Blue Nile will continue to 
swell well into September, bringing floods to Sudan. Summer rains in 
Ethiopia, where the Blue Nile rises in the north-western highlands, have 
been 25% heavier than normal this year, Endalakachew Bekele, a 
meteorologist at the station, explains. 20 August: The International 
Federation of the Red Cross is again asking for more help to cope with the 
thousands of people in Sudan who lost their homes during the Nile floods. 
An international appeal launched in Geneva 10 days ago has so far met with 
a disappointing response. So far only a few boxes of medicine have arrived 
in the capital Khartoum. Children are especially vulnerable. There has 
already been one outbreak of measles. In the past few weeks thousands of 
people living along the Nile have been driven from their homes as the river 
reached its highest level for 20 years. The Sudanese Government and aid 
agencies are now worried about outbreaks of disease among the displaced 
people. The Red Cross says malaria and diarrhoea are the biggest problems. 
21 August: The Sudanese authorities say the level of the Nile in Khartoum 
is dropping rapidly. Along the edges of the Nile, muddy brown earth banks 
are beginning to emerge after days under water. The city authorities have 
been warning that residents should be prepared for widespread flooding 
following heavy rains further upriver, but it seems the immediate danger 
has passed.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 22 August 2001)

* Tchad. Inondations  -  La pluie continue à dévaster le sud du Tchad. Plus 
d'un mètre d'eau a inondé la ville de Sarh dans la nuit du 18 au 19 août. 
De nombreuses habitations ont été évacuées et les communications sont de 
plus en plus difficiles car les routes sont impraticables un peu partout 
dans la région. L'important axe routier qui relie Doba à Sarh est bloqué 
depuis une semaine. Le personnel d'une multinationale pétrolière active 
dans la zone semble vouloir déblayer la boue qui recouvre les routes. En 
revanche, les autorités de N'Djamena n'ont pris aucune mesure d'assistance 
aux sinistrés. Les inondations ont fait déjà une dizaine de 
morts.   (Misna, Italie, 21 août 2001)

* Togo. UN evaluation team in Togo  -  A UN delegation is in Togo to assess 
preparations towards early parliamentary elections. The mission led by 
Mershoug Tayeb has already met with President Eyadema. It plans to meet 
officials of the National Electoral Independent Commission as well as 
leaders of political parties represented in the Joint Follow-up Committee 
set up within a framework agreement on the conduct of the 
elections.   (PANA, Senegal, 19 August 2001)

* Togo. Manifestations  -  Le 18 août à Lomé, la police anti-émeutes a tiré 
des grenades lacrymogènes pour disperser des manifestants qui protestaient 
contre l'incarcération d'un opposant au régime du général Eyadéma. Les 
manifestants avaient érigé des barricades et brûlé des pneus dans divers 
endroits de la capitale. Ils répondaient, pour le deuxième samedi 
consécutif, à l'appel de l'opposition qui exige la libération du président 
du Comité d'action pour le renouveau (CAR), Yawovi Agboyibo, condamné le 3 
août à six mois de prison ferme.   (La Libre Belgique, 20 août 2001)

WEEKLY anb0823.txt - #6/7