Weekly anb09121.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 12-09-2002      PART #1/7

* Africa. The "Summit of lost opportunity"  -  They called it the summit of 
stagnation and of lost opportunity; proof that the era of global summits 
was over; a triumph of platitudes over commitment. Few newspapers had much 
good to say about the Earth Summit. "The World Summit has left more 
grumbles than smiles," wrote Gulf Today from the United Arab Emirates. "The 
65-page action plan is far short of what the world needs now." The 
Netherlands' NRCHandelsblad agreed: "Although Johannesburg has resulted in 
a plan of action, it is nothing more than that: a call that makes almost 
everybody feel comfortable, a promise that can be broken without incurring 
a fine." Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the action program agreed in 
Johannesburg, full of "vague declarations binding to no one," was not worth 
its name. Under the headline "The Summit of Lost Opportunity," the Irish 
Times commented: "This meeting was most useful and valuable for the way it 
reinforced the determination of non-governmental expert and campaigning 
groups to press ahead with their activities and improve their networks. 
What was missing in Johannesburg was the political will to take the strong, 
concerted action so urgently required to save the planet." "Johannesburg 
became the summit of stagnation. Most participants acknowledge that the 
excess of participants, documents and goals have a suffocating effect," 
wrote the Dutch Volkskrant. France's Liberation was one of several papers 
that criticized the United States -- which successfully opposed the setting 
of targets for the introduction of renewable energy and whose failure to 
send President George W. Bush was seen by many as a sign of indifference to 
development and the environment. (Editor's update: On 10 September, "The 
Independent" reported that no more summits are planned by the United 
Nations on environment and development, until governments put into practice 
what they have decided to do. Instead of high-profile summits, the United 
Nations will set up an unprecedented operation to report on how governments 
are performing -- naming and shaming those that do not do well -- and 
campaigning for change.)   (CNN, USA, 5 September 2002)

* Afrique. Programme de coopération monétaire  -  Le 5 septembre, les 
gouverneurs des banques centrales africaines, réunis à Alger, ont adopté un 
programme de coopération pour la création d'une zone monétaire en Afrique. 
Celui-ci définit les étapes successives en vue d'aboutir à la mise en place 
d'une banque centrale et d'une monnaie unique africaines, selon le 
président de l'Association des banques centrales africaines (ABCA), Mohamed 
Laksici, gouverneur de la Banque d'Algérie.   (Le Figaro, France, 6 
septembre 2002)

* Afrique. Lutte contre la pauvreté  -  Un rapport publié le 9 septembre 
par les Nations unies constate que l'Afrique prend du retard dans la 
réalisation de l'objectif prioritaire de l'Onu en matière de lutte contre 
la pauvreté, qui est de réduire de moitié d'ici à 2015 les niveaux de 
pauvreté dans le monde. Se fondant sur les statistiques de la Banque 
mondiale, ce document affirme que de 1990 à 1999, le nombre de personnes 
qui vivaient dans l'extrême pauvreté avait diminué de 125 millions, à 
l'exception notable de l'Afrique, "où leur nombre continue d'augmenter". 
L'étude estime que les meilleurs moyens pour atteindre les objectifs de 
l'Onu sont de promouvoir l'égalité des sexes dans le domaine du travail et 
d'offrir aux femmes les droits et responsabilités indispensables pour 
contribuer efficacement aux efforts en ce sens. L'envoyé de l'Onu en 
Afrique australe dénonce le rôle du sida dans la détérioration de la 
situation alimentaire.   (Centre de nouvelles de l'Onu, 9 septembre 2002)

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Congo RDC: On 9 September, the 
organisation Journalistes en Danger (Kinshasa) reported that Delly Bonsange 
and Raymond Kabala, publisher and publications director respectively of 
Alerte-Plus, have been detained illegally at Kinshasa's Penitentiary and 
Re-Education Centre since 31 August. Gabon: Gabon's National Communications 
Council has (on 6 September) suspended two weeklies, the Misamu and Gabaon 
for three months, for publishing information that aimed to "discredit the 
state and dignity of the members of the institutions of the republic". 
Liberia: On 4 September, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) expressed its 
serious concern about the fate of Hassan Bility, editor-in-chief of the 
privately-owned weekly newspaper "The Analyst. This journalist has been 
accused by the government of plotting with LURD rebels to kill President 
Taylor. Mauritania: On 9 September, The International Press Institute wrote 
to the President of Mauritania expressing disquiet at the seizure of issue 
number 219 of El Qalem, an Arabic-language weekly newspaper. Mozambique: 
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said (on 3 September) it is 
gravely concerned about the recent escape from maximum-security detention 
of Anibal Antonio dos Santos Junior ("Anibalzinho"). "We urge Mozambique's 
leaders to ensure the fugitive is speedily arrested and that preparations 
begin for a fair and public trial". He is a leading suspect in the murder 
of Mozambican investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso on 22 November 2000. 
Niger: In a 4 September letter to the prime minister, the CPJ expressed 
deep concern about the climate for independent journalists in Niger, 
following the recent arrest of two journalists and a presidential decree 
restructuring the Media. Sudan: In a 4 September letter to President 
al-Bashir, the CPJ protested the detention of journalist Osman Merghani, a 
columnist for the Khartoum-based daily Al-Rai Al-Aaam newspaper.--On 11 
September, Human Rights Watch said the government of Sudan should end its 
recent crackdown on the press. Tanzania: On 5 September, The Media 
Institute of Southern Africa said the Tanzanian Government has issued a 
stern warning against "unethical" news media, saying that such conduct has 
contributed to the fall of moral standards in the country. Togo: Opposition 
leader Claude Ameganvi and the publishing editor of the newspaper Nouvel 
Echo, Julien Ayi, could be sentenced to four years imprisonment each for 
"defamation" following the publication of articles saying President Eyadema 
is one of the world's richest men. Zimbabwe: In a letter to President 
Mugabe on 2 September, the World Association of Newspapers and the World 
Editors Forum expressed serious concern at the bombing on 28 August of the 
offices of the Voice of the People Communications Trust, an independent 
radio production company. -- On 6 Sept, RSF protested against the 
Government's refusal to renew the work permit of AFP's journalist Griffin 
Shea.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 September 2002)

* Africa. Up-date on food/drought/economic crises  -  East Africa: On 9 
September, The East African reported that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, 
Rwanda and Ethiopia are struggling to stem a deepening crisis in the 
region's coffee sector. Cape Verde: The Government has created an 
inter-ministerial committee to help minimise the anticipated impact of a 
bad food harvest this year. Congo-Brazzaville: A major nationwide food 
security programme is to be launched this month. Lesotho: The UN Deputy 
Emergency Relief Coordinator urges donors to help Lesotho overcome a food 
crisis that affects one-in-five of the country's people. Madagascar: 
International donors have granted Madagascar close to US $600 million in 
aid to help rebuild the island's battered economy. Zimbabwe: An acceptance 
by Zimbabwe of food aid containing GM maize comes as humanitarian officials 
warn that the country's food crisis is set to worsen.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 
10 September 2002)

* Afrique. Commémoration du 11/9  -  En Afrique, l'anniversaire des 
attentats du 11 septembre est passé inaperçu ou presque, écrit le quotidien 
français Libération. Ironie du sort, le président libérien Charles Taylor, 
l'une des bêtes noires des Américains sur le continent, est l'un des rares 
à avoir présenté ses "sincères condoléances" aux Etats-Unis. L'office 
religieux célébré à l'ambassade des Etats-Unis à Nairobi -- la capitale du 
Kenya, durement touchée par un attentat d'Al-Qaeda qui avait fait plus de 
200 morts en août 1998 -- n'a attiré que 200 officiels. La presse africaine 
ne s'est pas privée de critiquer la diplomatie américaine. "Nous ne pouvons 
pas soutenir les yeux fermés une campagne menée sans rime ni raison comme 
le sont les plans du président George Bush de renverser le président 
irakien Saddam Hussein", s'insurge The Nation, le plus important quotidien 
kényan. Même scepticisme teinté d'hostilité en Afrique de l'Ouest, où les 
tee-shirts Ben Laden connaissent un certain succès. Au Sénégal, la plupart 
des quotidiens estiment que l'Amérique n'a "pas compris les leçons" qu'elle 
aurait dû tirer du 11 septembre. Même Nelson Mandela, la "conscience" du 
continent noir, dresse un bilan pessimiste des Etats-Unis dans le monde: 
"Si vous prenez en considération ces problèmes, vous en arriverez à la 
conclusion que l'attitude des Etats-Unis est une menace pour la paix 
mondiale". (Ndlr.: Cette appréciation de Libération semble quelque peu 
sévère. Ainsi par ex., en Tunisie, une cérémonie officielle a été organisée 
à Carthage; au Bénin, une cérémonie de commémoration était tenue à Cotonou; 
en RDC, une célébration oecuménique a eu lieu à Kinshasa; au Gabon, une 
cérémonie du souvenir était organisée à Libreville; au Ghana, tous les 
drapeaux ont été mis en berne; le Premier ministre capverdien a rendu 
hommage aux victimes; le Parlement ougandais a exprimé sa 
solidarité...)   (Libération, France, 12 septembre 2002)

* Africa. Africa marks 11 September attacks  -  The anniversary of the 
attacks on New York and Washington has been marked across Africa, while 
some newspapers have used the occasion to warn the United States against 
attacking Iraq. A ceremony has been held in Nairobi, Kenya, the scene of an 
attack by al-Qaeda in 1998 which killed 213 people, mostly Kenyans. 
Wednesday was declared a public holiday in both Liberia and The Gambia. 
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, a devout Muslim, condemned those who use 
religion as a cover for acts of violence. Two Gambians were killed in the 
attacks on the World Trade Centre. Mozambique's President Joaquim Chissano 
repeated his country's sympathies for the victims of the 11 September 
attacks. But he urged the US to continue its war on terror "within the 
framework of the United Nations". Several South African newspapers echoed 
Nelson Mandela's call on the US not to take unilateral action against Iraq. 
Newspapers in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda have also used the 
anniversary of the 11 September attacks to urge restraint on George 
Bush.   (BBC News, UK, 12 September 2002)

* Africa. Africa asks for mass retaliation in trade rows  -  African 
countries have asked for poorer states in the World Trade Organization 
(WTO) to be given the right to retaliate collectively against rich powers 
in disputes, trade sources said on 11 September. And India has called for 
new rules under which advanced economies who lose dispute cases against 
developing countries in the WTO would be ordered to contribute toward the 
legal costs of the defense, according to the sources. The proposals came in 
discussions in the 144-member WTO on how to improve the dispute settlement 
system which has been hailed by some officials as the "jewel in the crown" 
of the 8-year-old trade body. "The means provided for enforcement of 
(dispute panel) findings and recommendations -- trade retaliation -- are 
skewed against, and disadvantage, developing countries," Kenya's envoy 
Amina Chawahir Mohammed told the session. Presenting a paper on behalf of 
the African Group in the WTO, she said the system should "provide for and 
recognize the possibility of collective retaliation by all WTO members" 
against any rich power found breaking the rules.   (CNN, USA, 12 September 
2002)

* Africa/USA. Powell promotes peace, sustainable development in 
Africa  -  Secretary of State Colin Powell took a break from the frenzied 
debate on Iraq on 5 September to focus on peace in Angola and environmental 
conservation in Gabon. During a brief stop in the Angolan capital of 
Luanda, Powell urged the government in the war-torn country to stop 
siphoning the country's vast wealth and start spending money on 
reconciliation. Angola is facing the daunting task of recovering from 
nearly 27 years of civil war, which ended with a cease-fire and a peace 
agreement signed in April between the government and UNITA rebels, after 
the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi. Powell, only on the ground for 
four hours, sent a powerful message that although the war is over, much 
work remains to heal the country's wounds and maintain the peace. Powell 
then travelled to Gabon, where he took a helicopter tour of a rainforest 
and then stopped for a roundtable discussion with Gabonese officials and 
environmental leaders. They reviewed a new US partnership with 
non-governmental organizations and Congo River basin countries to promote 
conservation of forests and wildlife resources. President Omar Bongo 
recently declared 13 national parks covering more than 10 percent of Gabon 
-- a move Powell said is an example to all of Africa and to the 
world.   (CNN, USA, 5 September 2002)

* Algérie. 7 morts dans deux attaques  -  Dans la nuit du 5 au 6 septembre, 
des rebelles islamistes présumés ont tué sept personnes lors de deux 
attaques dans l'ouest de l'Algérie, dans la province de Chlef et le secteur 
d'Aïn Defla, rapporte l'agence algérienne APS. Deux jeunes filles ont été 
enlevées. Le gouvernement accuse les rebelles d'avoir enlevé des centaines 
de filles au cours des quatre dernières années pour les réduire à l'état 
d'esclaves sexuelles. Ces morts portent à plus de 1.000 le nombre 
d'Algériens tués au cours de raids de la rébellion et lors d'opérations 
militaires contre elles, depuis le début de l'année.   (AP, 6 septembre 2002)

Weekly News anb0912.txt - #1/7