Weekly anb01109.txt #9

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 10-01-2002      PART #9/9

* Uganda. Disarming the cheerful cattle-rustlers  -  Not long ago, 
Karamajong cattle-herders typically went about their business with AK-47s 
slung casually over their shoulders. Now, they carry sticks instead. Barely 
a month since the Ugandan government launched a programme to rid Karamoja 
of its estimated 40,000 guns, the dusty roads of this remote north-eastern 
region already seem safer. And about time, too. Modern firearms have 
grievously disrupted the Karamajong people's ancient, pastoral way of life. 
Like so many tribes in the region, the Karamajong measure wealth in cows: a 
man cannot marry without paying a bovine dowry. Cattle-rustling has long 
been common, but has grown dramatically more bloody in recent decades. 
Before the gun came to Karamoja, young rustlers carried spears and killed 
only sporadically. But in the late 1970s some cattle-keepers attacked an 
army barracks in Moroto, and seized the arsenal. Since then, cattle raids 
have turned into miniature wars. Two years ago, 500 people died in a single 
skirmish. The government used to turn a blind eye to Karamajong gun-toting. 
Some politicians argued that they needed their weapons for protection, not 
only from each other, but also from cross-border cattle raids by well-armed 
groups, such as the Turkana of Kenya or Dinka of Sudan. Civil war in 
southern Sudan has ensured a steady influx of smuggled weapons. The 
resulting violence has scared off all but the bravest businessmen. The 
region remains the poorest in Uganda, with the highest rate of infant 
mortality, a pitiful level of literacy and virtually no commerce. Until 
recently, Yoweri Museveni, Uganda's president since 1986, was not terribly 
concerned. Karamoja was too remote for its problems to affect the rest of 
the country. Besides, Mr Museveni's troops were busy quelling internal 
rebellions and taking part in the war in Congo. But over the past 18 
months, after most Ugandan troops had been withdrawn from Congo, Mr 
Museveni has started to take an interest. The violence is spilling over. 
While watering their cattle in settled neighbouring districts, Karamajong 
nomads have also shot, raped and looted. At least 80,000 people have been 
forced to flee their homes. About a month ago Mr Museveni began a 
determined effort to disarm the Karamajong, launching the campaign in 
person and camping out in Karamoja for two weeks. The results have been 
encouraging: over 6,000 guns have so far been surrendered, and hospitals 
say admissions from gunshot wounds have fallen. Drunken husbands are now 
apparently less likely to settle domestic brawls with bullets. To police 
the borders and protect Karamajong kraals, a number of "local defence 
units" have been set up, staffed by volunteers but under army control. 
Several thousand Karamajong have joined. The government has promised to 
build a road along the Kenyan border, to make it easier to catch invaders. 
But the obstacles remain. The government has had to extend its deadline for 
the surrender of weapons, because it needs more time to deliver the tools, 
oxen and small loans it has promised to those who have already handed in 
their guns. And though the Karamajong like Mr Museveni, they do not 
necessarily trust his army to keep them safe. The border is long, 
underpopulated and difficult to police. The defence volunteers are keen, 
but may become less so when they realise they will have to be away from 
their cattle for long periods. And so long as Kenyan and Sudanese raiders 
have guns, many Karamajong will want to keep theirs. Many are thought to be 
wrapping their Kalashnikovs in plastic and burying them, just in 
case.   (The Economist, UK, 5-11 January 2002)

* Zambie. Elections  -  Le jeudi 27 décembre, les Zambiens ont voté pour 
des élections présidentielle, législatives et municipales. Selon les 
analystes, elles pourraient déboucher sur un gouvernement de coalition pour 
la première fois depuis l'indépendance en 1964. Pour la présidence, onze 
candidats sont en lice, mais on estime que le scrutin se jouera entre trois 
hommes: Levy Mwanawasa, dauphin désigné par le président sortant Chiluba, 
et deux candidats de l'opposition, le général Christian Tembo et Anderson 
Mazoka, un homme d'affaires. Un sondage publié le 24 décembre, donne une 
courte victoire à ce dernier, qui peut se targuer du récent soutien de 
l'ancien président Kenneth Kaunda. La même étude fait aussi présager 
qu'aucun parti n'obtiendra la majorité au Parlement et qu'un gouvernement 
de coalition semble inévitable. - 31 décembre. Pour l'élection 
présidentielle, la commission électorale a donné gagnant d'une courte tête 
Levy Mwanawasa, talonné par Anderson Mazoka; Christian Tembo arrivait en 
troisième position. Les observateurs de l'Union européenne ont fait état de 
"nombreux indices de graves défauts dans cette élection, avant, pendant et 
après le scrutin". - Le 1er janvier, des milliers de personnes ont 
participé à Lusaka à une manifestation organisée par sept partis 
d'opposition qui contestent les résultats et ont demandé à la Haute Cour et 
à la Cour suprême d'en bloquer la proclamation. La Haute Cour s'est accordé 
un court répit. - Le 2 janvier, la Haute Cour a autorisé la proclamation 
des résultats. En vertu du scrutin majoritaire à un tour, Levy Mwanawasa a 
été déclaré vainqueur avec 28,7% des voix, contre 26,7 à Anderson Mazoka. 
Sous haute surveillance policière, M. Mwanawasa a prêté serment comme 
nouveau président de la Zambie. - Le 7 janvier, le président Mwanawasa a 
nommé un gouvernement de 21 membres, au sein duquel il occupe lui-même le 
poste de ministre de la Défense. Il a conservé dans son gouvernement 7 
anciens ministres de celui de son prédécesseur, Fréderick 
Chiluba.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 7 janvier 2002)

* Zambia. Concern mounts over poll  -  3 January: Zambia's main local 
monitoring organisation has expressed serious doubts about the conduct of 
general elections. This has raised serious questions regarding the 
legitimacy and credibility of the election results. The ruling party's Levy 
Mwanawasa narrowly won the presidential election held on 27 December, but 
opposition parties have claimed that fraud and ballot rigging swayed the 
result. The Foundation for Democratic Process (Fodep), which deployed 
monitors in every polling station, was unable to provide any specific 
evidence of wrongdoing. But the organisation's head, Dr Alfred Chanda, 
admitted that some figures from their monitors did not tally with the 
electoral commission's official figures."The 2001 elections were not 
efficiently and successfully conducted. As a result this has raised serious 
questions regarding the legitimacy and credibility of the election 
results." Their concerns echo comments from EU monitors, who announced they 
were investigating "a number of anomalies" surrounding the elections. 
"There are a large number of discrepancies between the parliamentary and 
the presidential elections," said Michael Meadowcroft, the head of an EU 
delegation monitoring the elections. Since being sworn into office on 2 
January, Mr Mwanawasa has been seeking to establish some distance from his 
predecessor, former president Frederick Chiluba. At the ceremony, which was 
boycotted by the opposition, he vowed to make the fight against Aids a 
national priority. Mr Mwanawasa said he would personally lead the campaign 
against the disease and work towards securing cheaper drugs. According to 
government figures, 200 Zambians die of Aids every day, and one in five has 
HIV, the virus that causes Aids, or has already developed the disease. 7 
January: A new cabinet has been chosen by President Mwanawasa, but there is 
a familiar look to his first 19-member cabinet. This may revive accusations 
that he is still being strongly influenced by Mr Chiluba. 8 January: Police 
disperse hundreds of mainly women opposition supporters marching in Lusaka 
to protest Levy Mwanawasa's election.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 January 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Un 5e juge blanc démissionne  -  Le 3 janvier, un cinquième 
juge blanc a démissionné au Zimbabwe, alors que le gouvernement poursuit sa 
réforme controversée du système judiciaire qui a vu, ces derniers mois, une 
série de départs de juges du tribunal de grande instance et de la Cour 
suprême en signe de protestation, indique l'agence PANA. Le juge David 
Bartlett a écrit une lettre au président Mugabe, lui annonçant sa 
démission, sans donner de raisons, se contentant d'indiquer qu'il quittera 
ses fonctions le 31 mars 2002. Avec ce départ, il ne reste que deux juges 
blancs au barreau du tribunal de grande instance du Zimbabwe. Le système 
judiciaire zimbabwéen est instable depuis avril dernier, date à laquelle le 
gouvernement a entamé une réforme dans laquelle les juges considérés comme 
politiquement et "racialement" partisans sont poussés à la démission. Les 
critiques ont accusé le gouvernement d'utiliser le prétexte de la réforme 
judiciaire pour remplir le corps judiciaire de juges conciliants qui, selon 
eux, ont compromis son indépendance. - D'autre part, selon l'agence Misna, 
une première liste d'environ 100.000 personnes qui recevront de la terre en 
vertu de la réforme agraire, sera communiquée d'ici quelques jours, a fait 
savoir le porte-parole présidentiel, George Charamba. La liste serait 
publiée dans les journaux locaux.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 3 
janvier 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Security forces receive pay boost  -  Reports from Zimbabwe say 
members of the country's uniformed forces, including the army and police, 
are to receive a 100% pay rise. The move comes ahead of presidential 
elections, due within three months, and a new bill which will give police 
sweeping powers to control opposition electioneering. The report in the 
Financial Gazette newspaper says President Mugabe, who is commander in 
chief of the defence forces, personally sanctioned the pay increase. 
Members of the civil service in Zimbabwe are poorly paid, and police 
spokesman Wayne Buzevegina said he felt officers deserved a pay rise. "I'm 
not so sure as to the figures. We have been under-paid for a long time and, 
if there are any increases, they are due to these officers." He would not 
confirm the amount, but said he expected the rise to be implemented next 
week.   (BBC News, UK, 5 January 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Escalade de la violence  -  Selon l'hebdomadaire zimbabwéen 
Financial Gazette, les élections municipales à Harare, prévues le 11 
février, seront reportées et fixées après le mois de juin, indique l'agence 
Misna le 5 janvier. La décision, prise par le président Mugabe, serait 
officialisée la semaine prochaine. Le parti au pouvoir, le ZANU-PF, craint 
probablement une défaite aux dépens du Mouvement pour le changement 
démocratique (MDC), à la veille des élections présidentielles prévues en 
mars. Pendant ce temps, les violences politiques se poursuivent dans le 
pays. Le 3 janvier, des sympathisants du ZANU-PF ont saccagé la maison d'un 
ancien candidat du MDC. Au cours des derniers jours, quatre sympathisants 
du MDC ont été tués et un proche du ZANU-PF assassiné. L'escalade de la 
violence fait craindre le pire. Le 4 janvier, le leader du MDC, Morgan 
Tsvangirai, a déclaré que le pays vacillait "dangereusement au bord d'une 
guerre civile". - D'autre part, le 8 janvier, le ministre britannique des 
Affaires étrangères, Jack Straw, a annoncé que Londres demandera la 
suspension de l'appartenance du Zimbabwe au Commonwealth, lors de la 
réunion de cette organisation en mars, "si la situation continue à se 
détériorer".   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 9 janvier 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Nothing has changed -- drama in Parliament  -  4 January: 
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says 
the country is heading towards "a low- intensity civil war" because of 
violence by President Robert Mugabe's party youth militia, which has killed 
four MDC members in the past ten days. Several officials of the President's 
ZANU-PF party have been named as beneficiaries of his programme to 
redistribute land from white farmers. 6 January: ZANU-PF has launched a 
media blitz for President Mugabe's re-election bid, with a date expected 
for the March poll to be announced soon. 8 January: Parliament is 
reconvening to consider a package of controversial bills ahead of the 
presidential election. The bills include: a Media Bill banning foreign 
correspondents from the country; a Public Order Bill; an Election 
Regulations Bill which proposes a ban on local independent monitors. The 
same day, the government suffers a shock defeat when the MDC blocks a bill 
outlawing independent monitors from the March presidential elections. The 
MDC outvotes ZANU-PF by 36 votes to 22 when many government Members are 
absent from the House. The Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa tells 
parliament that the bill will be forced through anyway. -- The British 
government announces for the first time that it favours punitive action 
against Zimbabwe. -- Hundreds of Mugabe's youth militia seal off three 
towns, Bindura, Chinhoyi and Karoi, as political violence grows. The youths 
demand that residents either produce or buy ZANU-PF membership cards 
immediately. 9 January: ZANU-PF summons its 93 members to Parliament to 
vote on two further bills. President Mugabe announces the elections date -- 
9 and 10 March. Hours before this announcement, Zimbabwe's military chief 
warns that the army will not accept a president "who reverses the gains of 
the revolution".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 January 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Elections en mars  -  Le 9 janvier, le président Mugabe a 
annoncé que les élections présidentielles auront lieu les 9 et 10 mars 
prochain. Par ailleurs, le général Vitalis Zvinavashe, chef des forces 
armées, a déclaré que l'armée n'acceptera personne n'ayant pas participé à 
la guerre de libération et qui ne défend pas les valeurs zimbabwéennes. 
Ceci constitue une intimidation directe vis-à-vis de Morgan Tsvangirai, 
candidat de l'opposition,qui n'a pas pris part à la guérilla contre le 
régime blanc dans les années 70. D'autre part, le parti de Mugabe amplifie 
les lois permettant aux forces de sécurité d'agir contre l'opposition. 
Cette législation devrait aussi interdire aux journalistes étrangers de 
travailler au Zimbabwe et museler la presse locale. La Fédération 
internationale des journalistes a appelé, le 9 janvier, l'Union européenne 
à "condamner, isoler et placer en quarantaine politique" le 
Zimbabwe.   (D'après De Standaard, Belgique, 10 janvier 2002)

WEEKLY anb0110.txt - End of #9/9 - THE END

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(W. Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature) - Everytime somebody keep silent when 
faced with tyranny, someone else dies (Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize for 
Literature) *
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