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Weekly anb11225.txt #6



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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 22-11-2001      PART #5/6

* Rwanda. TPIR: Musema condamné  -  Le 16 novembre à La Haye, la chambre 
d'appel du Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda a confirmé la 
condamnation à la prison à vie d'Alfred Musema, 52 ans, un ancien directeur 
rwandais d'une usine de thé, pour génocide et crimes contre l'humanité. En 
revanche, il a été acquitté du chef d'inculpation de viol. Jusqu'à présent, 
le TPIR a condamné 8 personnes, dont 5 à perpétuité, et procédé à un 
acquittement. Six des condamnations ont été confirmées en appel. 17 
personnes sont actuellement jugées, et 53 en détention dans la prison du 
TPIR à Arusha.   (D'après AP, 16 novembre 2001)

* Rwanda. Réduire la pauvreté  -  Le gouvernement rwandais a besoin d'au 
moins 250 millions de dollars durant les deux premières années, s'il veut 
que sa stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté soit dûment exécutée, a dit le 
17 novembre le ministre des Finances et de la Planification économique, 
Donat Kaberuka, à l'issue d'une conférence internationale de quatre jours. 
La stratégie repose sur le renflouement de l'économie rurale, de 
l'infrastructure rurale et de l'industrie, et sur la création d'emplois. Le 
gouvernement, a dit le ministre, injectera 60 millions de dollars dans les 
zones rurales. Au moins 90% des 8,6 millions d'habitants du Rwanda (dont le 
nombre s'accroît de 2,9% par an) vivent de l'agriculture de subsistance. 
60% de la population ont moins de 20 ans.   (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 novembre 2001)

* Rwanda. Commission des droits de l'homme  -  La Commission nationale 
rwandaise des droits de l'homme a dénoncé des cas fréquents d'arrestations 
et détentions illégales, dans son dernier rapport annuel pour l'année 2000. 
"Malgré l'augmentation des agents et cadres judiciaires, et la 
stabilisation de l'appareil judiciaire en général, des indices flagrants de 
violations de la procédure en matière de détention préventive apparaissent 
fréquemment", affirme ce rapport. La commission veut également que "les 
questions liées aux propriétés des terres des réfugiés rapatriés reçoivent 
une réponse adéquate". La Commission nationale des droits de l'homme est 
une commission créée en mars 1999 par le gouvernement, mais indépendante 
selon son président, Gasana Ndoba.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 
novembre 2001)

* Sahara occidental. Baker demande plus de temps  -  L'ancien secrétaire 
d'Etat américain James Baker, émissaire de l'Onu au Sahara occidental, a 
demandé plus de temps pour mener des consultations afin de trouver une 
solution politique au différend sur le statut de ce territoire. M. Kofi 
Annan a demandé au Conseil de sécurité une prolongation "technique" de deux 
mois de la mission de l'Onu, qui tente d'organiser un référendum sur 
l'avenir du territoire depuis 1991. La mission actuelle expire le 30 
novembre. En juin, M. Annan avait demandé aux parties de négocier les 
termes d'un accord d'autonomie intérimaire, sous peine de voir l'Onu se 
retirer du jeu. Ce projet donnerait à la population du Sahara occidental le 
droit d'élire ses propres institutions, qui auraient de nombreuses 
prérogatives. Le référendum sur le statut final du territoire aurait 
ensuite lieu dans un délai de cinq ans.   (AP, 15 novembre 2001)

* Western Sahara. Clashes in Western Sahara  -  Reports from Morocco say 
security forces have clashed with residents of a town in the disputed 
Moroccan-controlled territory of Western Sahara. The unrest is focused on 
the oasis settlement of Smara, and is believed to have started when 
Moroccan police disrupted a sit-down protest taking place at the local 
government headquarters. The radio station of the Polisario independence 
movement reported that some demonstrators and police were badly injured and 
several vehicles set on fire. There has been increased security in the 
Western Sahara since a tour by King Mohammed last month. His visit to Smara 
was cancelled, reportedly because of bad weather but Polisario say that 
trouble was already brewing in the area.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 19 November 
2001)

* Sahara occidental. Arrestations  -  Au moins une vingtaine de Sahraouis 
ont été arrêtés lors d'une manifestation non autorisée, organisée le samedi 
17 novembre à Smara, pour demander du travail. Plusieurs d'entre eux 
auraient été torturés par la police marocaine. Les manifestants avaient 
organisé un sit-in, jeté des pierres vers les policiers et attaqué quelques 
bâtiments publics.   (Libération, France, 20 novembre 2001)

* Sénégal. Casamance: reprise des hostilités?  -  La recrudescence des 
attaques armées achève d'inquiéter les observateurs sur les risques d'une 
reprise généralisée des hostilités en Casamance. En attaquant la localité 
de Niaguis (15 km seulement de Ziguinchor), tôt dans la matinée du mercredi 
14 novembre, quelques heures à peine après un raid effectué dans la nuit du 
mardi contre la localité voisine de Mawabe, les éléments armés supposés 
appartenir au Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance (MFDC) ont 
apparemment voulu administrer la preuve qu'ils conservaient l'initiative 
sur le terrain, en dépit de la présence massive des forces armées 
sénégalaises. Dans une communication, les auteurs de l'attaque contre 
Nianguis réaffirment leur "détermination à poursuivre le combat pour 
l'indépendance de la Casamance".   (PANA, Sénégal, 17 novembre 2001)

* Sénégal. Plainte contre M. Niasse  -  Le procureur de la République a 
officiellement demandé la levée de l'immunité parlementaire de l'ancien 
Premier ministre M. Moustapha Niasse, leader de l'Alliance des forces du 
progrès (AFP), a-t-on appris le 19 novembre à Dakar. Le procureur a retenu 
contre lui le délit de "diffusion de fausses nouvelles". Lors d'un meeting 
le 11 novembre, M. Niasse avait dit que le Parti démocratique sénégalais 
(PDS) du président Wade aurait détourné 6 milliards de FCFA (plus de $8 
millions) pour la campagne électorale d'avril 2001. Le PDS avait 
immédiatement annoncé son intention de porter plainte. M. Niasse risque une 
peine entre un et trois ans de prison ferme, selon le code 
pénal.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 20 novembre 2001)

* Sierra Leone. Call for fair elections  -  Politicians, civil activists 
and ordinary citizens in Sierra Leone have ended three days of discussions 
on ways to secure peace and prepare for elections due in May next year. 
Those taking part backed the idea of proportional representation, with a 
party list system to operate in electoral districts. They also called for 
disarmament to be speeded up so parties can campaign ahead of the vote. 
There was also support for efforts to increase the representation of women 
to at least 30% at all levels. Around 250 delegates and 21 political 
parties took part in the conference in the capital, Freetown, including 
members of the political wing of the rebel Revolutionary United Front and 
government bodies. But whilst the delegates were in the hall composing 
their statement a group calling itself the Grassroots Awareness 
organisation was outside protesting the outcome. They said that the block 
vote system would give the incumbent party of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah 
an unfair advantage adding that they wanted an interim government in the 
run up to the elections.   (BBC News, UK, 16 November 2001)

* Sierra Leone. Child soldier asks UN for help  -  A former child soldier 
from Sierra Leone has addressed the United Nations Security Council, 
calling on the body to do everything possible to help young people forced 
to fight in conflict zones around the world. Fourteen-year-old Alhaji Babah 
Sawane -- the first child ever to speak at the United Nations Security 
Council -- told the Council that children should be free of the fear of 
military recruitment and abduction. The UN estimates there are more than 
300,000 children in government armies, rebel forces and guerrilla groups in 
more than 30 countries, including at least 5,000 child soldiers in Sierra 
Leone. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the Council the situation in 
Afghanistan had reaffirmed the need to alleviate the plight of children in 
armed conflict. The Council also heard speeches highlighting the enduring 
concern from Muslim countries about the suffering of children in the Middle 
East conflict. The Council later unanimously adopted a resolution urging 
all member states to ratify a UN treaty prohibiting the recruitment of 
children under the age of 18 into the armed forces. Alhaji was just 10 
years old when Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone abducted, 
beat and robbed him before teaching him to fire an assault rifle in his new 
role as soldier for the next two and a half years. "I ask this body on 
behalf of all the children of Sierra Leone to do all they can to bring our 
sad story to an end. We want to be able to move about freely in all parts 
of the country. We want to be able to visit our friends and families 
without fear of abduction, recruitment and other dangers," Alhaji 
said.   (BBC News, UK, 21 November 2001)

* Somalia. Barakat's telecoms' services cut off  -  Al-Barakat, the Somali 
remittance group, accused by the US of financing al-Qaeda, has been forced 
to suspend its international telecommunications services after Concert 
Communications -- a joint venture between AT&T and British Telecom -- cut 
off its international gateway. A spokesman for Concert said: "We have 
terminated our business with Al-Barakat with immediate effect. We are 
looking at alternative carrier routes to Somalia where 
possible".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 November 2001)

* Somalia. Fierce fighting in Puntland  -  Fighting has broken out in 
Garowe, the regional capital of Somalia's breakaway north-eastern region of 
Puntland. Forces loyal to ousted leader Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed 
attacked Garowe on 21 November and are now saying they have taken control 
of the town. The situation is reported to be fluid with no word on the 
whereabouts of the recently elected president of Puntland, Jama Ali Jama. 
Political in-fighting has intensified in the self-declared autonomous 
region in recent months.Things came to a head a week ago, when an 
influential conference voted for a change in leader. Clan elders elected 
Jama Ali Jama as the new head of Puntland, but this was immediately 
rejected by Abdullahi Yusuf, who described the vote as futile and illegal. 
He accused supporters of the transitional government in Mogadishu of being 
involved in the conference but correspondents say it is not clear whether 
Mr Jama is any more sympathetic to Mogadishu than Mr Abdullahi. The 
north-eastern Somali state was created in 1998, partly to avoid the 
violence that has plagued Somalia which had been without a central 
government since 1991.A new interim government came to power in Somalia 
last year, but has so far been unable to impose its authority on the 
country.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 21 November 2001)

* South Africa. Arms report clears government  -  A long-awaited inquiry 
into allegations of corruption in a multi-billion dollar arms deal has 
cleared the South African government of unlawful conduct. But the 
investigation, by three law enforcement agencies, found a series of 
irregularities in the awarding of contracts last year in what was the 
biggest-ever arms deal in South Africa. The inquiry's report said the 
former defence minister and a senior civil servant were involved in a 
conflict of interests because they were connected to the companies in 
Sweden, Britain, Germany and Italy which benefited from the deals. The 
South African police are to continue their investigation into individuals 
who are alleged to have accepted favours from the companies. The arms deal, 
the biggest in South Africa's history, has been under intense scrutiny for 
more than a year. The South African Government has been criticised for 
spending billions of dollars on weapons instead of addressing chronic 
social problems.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 16 November 2001)

* South Africa. Police on trial for brutality  -  19 November: The trial 
begins today of six white South African policemen charged with assault 
after they were captured on video setting their dogs on three black men. 
The broadcasting of the video, following its discovery late last year, 
provoked an intense public outcry and raised concerns about continuing 
racism in the South African police force. The video, shot by one of the six 
white officers, shows them laughing and jeering as their dogs savaged three 
black men. The dogs bit the legs, arms and faces of the black men who were 
suspected of being illegal immigrants. They pleaded for mercy but the 
policemen did not call the dogs off. In fact the policemen joined in the 
violence, kicking and punching. The pictures are deeply disturbing and 
there was outrage in South Africa when they were first shown last year. At 
the bail hearing several hundred angry black people protested. Some carried 
banners with the anti-white slogan "one settler, one bullet". A senior 
judge has been put in charge of the trial indicative of the sensitivities 
around it. Four of the six policemen have pleaded guilty to the assault 
charges.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 20 November 2001)

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