Weekly anb11224.txt #6

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 22-11-2001      PART #4/6

* Madagascar. Opposition business shut  -  Authorities in Madagascar have 
closed factories belonging to one of President Didier Ratsiraka's main 
rivals in presidential elections due next month. Officials said they had 
closed the businesses of Marc Ravalomanana because he had a large overdue 
tax bill. Associates of Mr Ravalomanana, who is mayor of the capital 
Antananarivo, said the move to close the mayor's Tiko food business was 
politically motivated. The company employs about 5,000 people across 
Madagascar in factories making dairy products, soft drinks and cooking oil. 
Tax office chief Mamisoa Rakotosalama said the factories were sealed 
because Mr Ravalomanana had not replied to a tax demand sent in September. 
Tiko's managing director, Heriniana Razafimahefa, told reporters that this 
was a "political machination" and that the matter would be taken up by the 
courts.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 2001)

* Madagascar. Candidat inquiété  -  Le 19 novembre, des scellés ont été 
posés sur l'ensemble des usines agro-alimentaires appartenant à Marc 
Ravalomanana, maire d'Antananarivo et candidat à l'élection présidentielle 
du 16 décembre. L'Etat lui reproche des "impayés fiscaux". Le principal 
challenger du président Didier Ratsiraka, lequel refuse le déploiement 
d'observateurs étrangers au prochain scrutin, dénonce "une machination 
politique".   (Le Monde, France, 22 novembre 2001)

* Malawi. Donors suspend aid  -  19 November: At least four of Malawi's 
major donors have suspended aid to the impoverished southern African state 
citing widespread corruption and economic mismanagement. The news emerged 
in a leaked confidential memorandum from Malawi's Finance Minister Mathews 
Chikaonda to President Bakili Muluzi. He says in the letter, that I have 
seen a copy of, that both the European Union and the United States have 
suspended development aid. It says the EU has not only suspended the 
release of 15m Euros ($13m) but has also demanded a refund of seven million 
Euros already disbursed. The EU delegation discovered anomalies while 
carrying out an audit, discovering that funds had been used for projects 
outside any bilateral agreement. The delegation's economic advisor, Theo 
Kaspers, said the EU had written a fresh memorandum of understanding with 
conditions which had to be signed. The United States government, through 
the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has also diverted at 
least $6m of the $7m meant for Malawi to another country. It said the move 
came in response to the Malawi Government's decision to suspend its 
privatisation programme. Other donors, notably Britain, have also put on 
hold development aid to Malawi because of corruption, mismanagement and 
political violence. Denmark, whose envoy Orla Bakdal was forced to leave 
after the Danish embassy questioned how its money was being used, has also 
scaled down sponsored projects in Malawi. The suspensions could not come at 
a worse time for Malawi. The government needs to imports thousands of 
tonnes of maize to offset the worsening food crisis. Mr Chikaonda has 
recommended that the cabinet be informed on the developments to discuss 
other ways of raising money. He has also suggested that President Muluzi 
and himself travel to Brussels to discuss developments with the EU. 20 
November: Malawi's Minister of Finances denies reports that at least four 
major donors have suspended aid to Malawi.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 
November 2001)

* Mali. Ruling party mud slinging  -  The ruling party in Mali, the Adema 
party, has suspended presidential primaries due to be held in January to 
select its candidate for next year's presidential elections, over fears the 
process might divide the party. Party officials admit the political mud 
slinging between the four candidates in the running has become so bad that 
Mali's president, Alpha Oumar Konare, has had to intervene. He's already 
decided to embargo their future public statements. Adema's presidential 
nominees include: Mali's defence minister, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, the 
prime minister, Mande Sidibe; Facilities Minister, Soumaila Cisse -- who's 
also a deputy vice-president of Adema -- as is the mayor of a district of 
the capital, Bamako, Ibrahim N'Diaye.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 2001)

* Mali. Référendum annulé  -  Le 20 novembre, le président malien Alpha 
Oumar Konaré a annoncé le retrait par le gouvernement du projet de révision 
constitutionnelle qui devait être soumis au référendum le 23 décembre 
prochain. M. Konaré a dit avoir pris cette décision en attendant que toutes 
"les conditions optimales soient réunies". Il s'est dit respectueux des 
nombreuses voix discordantes opposées à la modification de la Constitution. 
Parmi les articles contestés, on peut noter la disparition programmée de la 
Cour suprême et la trop grande immunité accordée au président de la 
République.   (PANA, Sénégal, 20 novembre 2001)

* Mali. President shelves plans for referendum  -  President Alpha Oumar 
Konare announced in Bamako on 20 November that his government had shelved 
plans to hold a constitutional referendum on 23 December. In a radio and 
television address, Konare said that he had taken the decision to postpone 
the poll "until all the conditions are ripe for it. We had believed that 
there was a general consensus for the constitutional changes," said the 
Malian President, urging his countrymen to look beyond their political 
differences. He said that he had changed his decision following numerous 
dissenting opinions, adding that a constitutional amendment would only be 
worth its name if it enjoys popular backing. Several social groups, 
particularly opposition political parties and lawyers had objected to the 
proposed referendum. Among the bodies who opposed the constitutional 
revision is the Independent Malian Magistrates' Union, which decided to 
quit the Independent National Election Commission this week. Other 
political parties like the Patriotic Movement for Renewal (MPR) and the 
Rally for Mali of former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar, who broke away 
from the ruling ADEMA, were already campaigning for a "No" vote. Among the 
most contested was article 95 of the constitution, which according to the 
lawyers' trade union, sought to accord too much immunity to the president 
after retirement.   (PANA, Senegal, 20 November 2001)

* Morocco. Human rights activists cleared  -  An appeal court in Morocco 
has acquitted 36 human rights activists who were sentenced in May to three 
months in jail for holding an illegal demonstration and disturbing public 
order. A lawyer for the members of the Moroccan Human Rights Association -- 
or AMDH -- said the court had annulled the verdict and dropped all charges 
against them. The activists --including the head of the association, 
Abderrahmane Benameur --held a march in Rabat in December last year to 
demand an inquiry into human rights abuses by senior Moroccan officials in 
the 1960s and 70s. King Mohammed has set up a multi-million dollar fund to 
compensate some of the victims of those abuses in a move regarded by 
analysts as a tacit admission of state responsibility.   (BBC News, UK, 21 
November 2001)

* Maroc. Droits de l'homme  -  Le 21 novembre, la cour d'appel de Rabat a 
acquitté 36 militants de l'Association marocaine des droits de l'homme 
(indépendante) condamnés en première instance à trois mois de prison pour 
avoir manifesté "sans autorisation" le 9 décembre 2000 dans la capitale. Le 
rassemblement, organisé à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de la Déclaration 
universelle des droits de l'homme, avait été violemment dispersée. - Mais, 
dans le même temps, le directeur de l'hebdomadaire Demain a été condamné à 
quatre mois de prison ferme pour "diffusion de fausses informations". Il 
avait publié que le palais royal de Skhirat pourrait être 
vendu.   (Libération, France, 22 novembre 2001)

* Mozambique. Risque de famine  -  Le danger de famine grandit au 
Mozambique. Selon des sources locales, plus d'un million de personnes sont 
concernées. La cause principale est la destruction des espaces cultivés par 
les inondations de l'hiver dernier. Le gouvernement a lancé un appel à la 
communauté internationale. De plus en plus d'habitants sont contraints à se 
nourrir de fruits sauvages et de racines. Actuellement, le PAM assiste 
environ 220.000 personens.   (Misna, Italie, 22 novembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Remous sur la charia  -  Le gouvernement nigérian n'autorisera 
pas l'application de la condamnation à mort par lapidation pour adultère, 
prononcée par un tribunal islamique de l'Etat de Sokoto (nord-ouest du 
pays) à l'encontre d'une femme enceinte. La jeune femme, actuellement en 
fuite, a fait appel de ce jugement et la cour d'appel de cet Etat se 
prononcera le 27 novembre. Les mouvements de défense des droits de l'homme 
ont assimilé cette condamnation à "une guerre contre la Constitution" de la 
fédération nigériane. Le ministre fédéral de la Justice a qualifié cette 
sentence de "rude et primitive" et regretté l'influence de la charia dans 
les affaires publiques d'une dizaine d'Etats du nord. Par ailleurs, une 
cour islamique de Katsina, dans le nord du pays, a condamné un homme à être 
poignardé à mort pour avoir assassiné une femme et deux enfants à coups de 
couteau.   (Libération, France, 16 novembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Explosion d'un oléoduc  -  Quinze personnes ont été tuées et 
plusieurs autres blessées dans l'explosion d'un oléoduc à Umudike, dans 
l'Etat d'Imo (sud-est du Nigeria). Le gouverneur de l'Etat s'est rendu sur 
les lieux et a promis une aide du gouvernement. Ces trois dernières années, 
des centaines de personnes ont été tuées dans une douzaine d'explosions de 
ce type au Nigeria.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 16 novembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Coups d'Etat rendus illégaux  -  Le 15 novembre, la Haute 
Chambre (Sénat) du Nigeria a adopté une loi pour rendre illégaux les coups 
d'Etat militaires et punir leurs auteurs. Réagissant à une série de coups 
d'Etat manqués ou réussis tout au long de l'histoire du Nigeria, le Sénat a 
adopté ce texte dans un geste d'envergure pour assurer la stabilité de la 
nouvelle démocratie dans le pays. Selon la loi, soumise maintenant à 
l'approbation du président Obasanjo, tout individu qui prend le pouvoir par 
des moyens anticonstitutionnels, parraine ou incite à un tel délit, est 
passible de la prison à vie s'il est reconnu coupable. En outre, tous ceux 
qui servent ces gouvernements illégaux, y compris les fonctionnaires, 
seront passibles de 14 ans de prison s'ils sont reconnus 
coupables.   (PANA, Sénégal, 16 novembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Army "genocide" says Speaker  -  One of Nigeria's most senior 
politicians has strongly condemned the killing last month of more than 200 
unarmed civilians in central Benue state by soldiers. After a visit with a 
parliamentary group to the destroyed towns and villages, the Speaker of the 
House of Assembly, Ghalin Na'Abba, described the attacks as an act of near 
genocide. President Olusegun Obasanjo has justified the army action as part 
of a peace-keeping operation to deal with the conflict between the Tiv and 
the Jukun peoples of the area and rejected calls for the soldiers 
responsible to be punished. Although a judicial inquiry has been ordered 
into the army's action and events that led up to it, it has not yet started 
its work. After inspecting the destroyed town of Zaki Biam and its 
surrounding villages Mr Na'Abba and his parliamentary colleagues said they 
were deeply shocked at the destruction they had witnessed. He said that 
soldiers are supposed to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and 
not shoot fellow Nigerians.   (BBC News, UK, 16 November 2001)

* Nigeria. Réconciliation au Bénoué et Taraba  -  Le 16 novembre, les chefs 
de communauté des peuples Tiv et Junkun, résidant dans les Etats de Bénoué 
et de Taraba (sud-est) ont signé un accord sur le processus de 
réconciliation. L'accord prévoit le désarmement des milices ethniques 
respectives et une collaboration pour faciliter le retour chez eux des 
dizaines de milliers de déplacés. L'entente a aussi immédiatement débouché 
sur une demande au gouvernement fédéral de rappeler ses détachements 
militaires déployés dans les deux Etats. Au cours des dernières semaines, 
les militaires avaient tiré sur les gens et fait au moins 200 victimes, 
après l'assassinat de 19 soldats dans la zone.   (Misna, 17 novembre 2001)

* Nigeria. Nigeria airways takes off for London  -  Nigeria Airways has 
resumed flights from Lagos to London, which were suspended eight months ago 
because of operational and financial difficulties. Flights were due to have 
resumed in August but British aviation authorities withdrew their approval 
over concerns about the safety of aircraft leased by the Nigerian carrier. 
Britain first barred Nigeria Airways in 1997, alleging that its aircraft 
were not insured. The ban was lifted in 1998, but the carrier could no 
longer service the route because of large debts. It ran a service under a 
joint venture with British Airways from late 1998 until March this 
year.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 November 2001)

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