Weekly anb09191.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 19-09-2002      PART #1/7

* Africa. Coffee growers in crisis  -  Millions of small coffee growers 
worldwide are in a crisis due to a rapid decrease of prices offered for the 
commodity on the world market, says Oxfam International in a report 
released on 12 September. The crisis threatens the livelihoods of the 
farmers and their stay on the land. Unable to cover costs of production, 
small farmers fail to earn enough income to feed their families, send 
children to school and purchase essential medicines, Oxfam International 
adds. The price of coffee has plummeted 70 percent on the world market 
since 1997, resulting in a widespread humanitarian crisis for 25 million 
coffee growers in over 50 developing countries. (...) Ethiopia's export 
revenues from coffee have slumped from $257 million to $149 million in just 
one year. That loss, Oxfam International observes in its statement, "is 
nearly double the country's 2002 projected savings from debt relief." 
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi will, on 23 September, open a one-day 
conference at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, for 
discussion about the state of the coffee industry. (Editor's note: The 
charity Oxfam is launching a "Coffee Rescue Plan" urging political and 
business leaders to take immediate action, such as destroying surplus 
stocks and guaranteeing a fair price to farmers.)   (PANA, Senegal, 12 
September 2002)

* Africa. African nations ratify anti-terrorism pact  -  On 12 September, a 
group of African nations pledged cooperation in rooting out terrorism and 
vowed to refuse safe havens, visas and other forms of assistance to 
terrorists. At a four-day conference of the African Union, Sudan, Ghana and 
South Africa ratified an anti-terrorism pact, giving the final signatures 
needed to push through a convention adopted in 1999, said Algerian Minister 
for African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel. Until now, only 12 of the 53 
members of the African Union had ratified the document that calls on 
signatories to beef-up anti-terrorism laws and to "prevent their 
territories from being used as a base for the planning of terrorist acts." 
It needed ratification by 15 members to take effect. Among the members that 
had already ratified it were: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, 
Lesotho, Libya, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia and Western Sahara. 
Officials said Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda were 
the next nations expected to ratify the pact, called the Convention on the 
Prevention and Combatting of Terrorism. The document also calls for better 
exchange of information and cooperation among signatories of police and 
other authorities in the pursuit of terror suspects. The conference was 
held in Algiers, and Algeria's President Bouteflika vowed he was committed 
to continuing the international fight against terrorism. He proposed 
opening in Algeria a centre for study and research for the fight against 
terrorism.   (CNN, USA, 12 September 2002)

* Afrique. Assemblée générale de l'Onu  -  A la deuxième journée de 
l'Assemblée générale de l'Onu, les dirigeants africains se sont engagés à 
piloter les progrès du continent. La constitution de l'Union africaine et 
l'adoption du Nouveau partenariat pour le développement de l'Afrique 
(Nepad) illustrent la détermination du continent de sortir de la pauvreté, 
mais l'aide internationale reste nécessaire pour assurer le succès de ces 
intiatives, ont souligné en substance plusieurs dirigeants africains. Le 
président Kufuor du Ghana a affirmé que les investisseurs étrangers 
devraient être attirés par les conditions économiques favorables en 
Afrique. Le président de Madagascar, M. Ravalomanana, a remercié l'Onu 
d'avoir aidé au règlement de la crise dans son pays. Madagascar est disposé 
à redoubler d'efforts pour reprendre la voie du développement, a-t-il 
lancé. Le président Buyoya du Burundi a affirmé que le climat politique 
s'était considérablement amélioré dans son pays, mais d'autres défis 
doivent être surmontés, notamment la violence. Le président du 
Congo-Brazzaville a souligné l'établissement de nouvelles institutions 
démocratiques, et déclaré qu'avec cinq de ses voisins le Congo avait lancé 
une campagne destinée à la préservation des ressources naturelles du bassin 
du fleuve Congo, une intiative qui devrait inciter d'autres efforts au 
niveau régional.   (Centre de nouvelles de l'Onu, 13 septembre 2002)

* Africa. Action against the Media  -  Congo RDC: On 11 September, the 
International Freedom of Expression Community (IFEX) expressed concern that 
publisher Delly Bonsange and publication director Raymond Kabala of the 
Kinshasa-based newspaper Alerte-Plus, had received prison sentences and 
fined. The two journalists were convicted of making "written falsehoods" 
and "harmful accusations" after publishing information about the Security 
and Public Order Minister's health. Côte d'Ivoire: Reporters sans 
Frontières (RSF) expresses concern (13 September) over a raid on 9 
September by ten policemen at Mayama Editions, publishers of two daily 
newspapers, Le Patriote and Tassouman. Eritrea: On 17 September, RSF called 
on the international community to take sanctions against the rulers of 
Eritrea to force them to lift their year-old ban on all privately-owned 
media and to free 18 journalists. Sierra Leone: On 13 September, RSF 
expressed concern about a worsening of press freedom in Sierra 
Leone.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 17 September 2002)

* Africa. African Union  -  The newly-formed African Union (AU) has set out 
its first ever policy to tackle corruption which, it says, is costing the 
continent at least US $148 billion a year. A high-level meeting is being 
held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa this week to adopt a 
comprehensive draft policy that has been a year in the making. Ministers 
from the AU are expected to adopt a series of tough proposals which aim to 
tackle the graft that has blighted the continent. It is the first time that 
countries in Africa have drawn up a universal policy, to be called the AU 
Convention on Combating Corruption --designed to tackle its insidious 
effects. It calls on all public officials to declare their assets when they 
take office and train them on ethics. The bill also urges the private 
sector to fight and highlight unfair competition.   (IRIN, Kenya, 17 
September 2002)

* Africa. People in need  -  Southern Africa: The UN says (16 September) 
that the food crisis in southern Africa is worsening, and that almost 14.5 
million people in the region are in urgent need of food aid. A senior UN 
official says the intensity of the crisis is increasing faster than 
expected and says the situation has deteriorated most in Zambia and 
Zimbabwe. Burundi: The Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) of the 
Arusha peace accord has urged donors and the international community to 
alleviate "the unbearable suffering" of the Burundian people by releasing 
funds to the country. In a statement, the IMC congratulated the World Bank 
for its decision to immediately grant an economic rehabilitation loan 
amounting to US $54 million. It added that Burundi's "dire economic and 
social situation" was -- after the ceasefire negotiations -- the IMC's main 
area of concern. The IMC recommended the immediate release of political 
prisoners and those being held without proper legal procedures, in 
accordance with the spirit of the Arusha agreement. Central African 
Republic: The World Food Programme (WFP) is to provide three months' worth 
of food to 9,166 households of internally displaced persons (IDP)s in 
Bangui. Up to 55,000 people will receive maize meal, pulses, vegetable oil, 
iodized salt and corn soya blend in an operation scheduled to start by the 
end of this month. The food will be shared among the IDPs as well as some 
Congolese refugees and their host communities. Ethiopia: It is estimated 
that almost half the cattle in Afar have been wiped out during the severe 
drought that has hit the region. (UN report on 16 September). Somalia: A 
camp for internally displaced people in the self-declared autonomous region 
of Freq was razed to the ground when a fire broke out there earlier this 
month. The fire swept through the Boqolka Bush camp -- on the outskirts of 
Bosaso -- on 3 September, destroying the personal belongings and household 
items of about 400 families living there. The cause of the fire has not yet 
been established and no casualties were reported. Uganda: The rebel Lord's 
Resistance Army (LRA) on 9 September attacked another refugee camp in 
northern Uganda -- the third such attack in just over two months - looting 
and displacing more than 6,000 Sudanese refugees. The attack on the camp at 
Maaji in Adjumani District, followed an earlier raid on the same camp in 
July. On 5 August, the LRA attacked the Acholi-Pii camp in neighbouring 
Pader District, putting all its 24,000 resident Sudanese refugees to 
flight. The Ugandan authorities and UNHCR this week said they were 
finalising plans to resettle the Acholi-Pii refugees at safer sites in 
western and northern Uganda. Zambia: On 16 September, the UN warned that 
its emergency relief operation in Zambia will come to a halt in two weeks 
unless the government can overcome its objections to GM food. Zimbabwe: On 
12 September, UNICEF said that malnutrition rates are increasing at an 
alarming rate. "All the assessments show that it is actually getting worse. 
As we move away from the harvest season towards the new planting season, 
things have got worse".   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 17 September 2002)

* Africa. Human rights  -  United Nations: MISNA reports that on 12 
September, Sergio Vieira de Mello (Brazil), former head of the UN 
Transition Administration in East Timor, inaugurated his mandate as the new 
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He replaces Mary Robinson in this 
post. He announced that his first objective will be to transform the human 
rights theme into a source of unity, not division. 54-year-old De Mello, 
has wide experience in crisis zones such as Bosnia, The Great Lakes 
(Central Africa). Mozambique, Bangladesh and Peru. Eritrea: On 18 
September, the Eritrean Government was severely criticised by Amnesty 
International for unlawfully detaining dozens of political prisoners and 
journalists.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 18 September 2002)

* Africa. NEPAD  -  16 September: The UN General Assembly is debating 
Africa's new plan for economic development in a special, all-day session. 
The world leaders are discussing Africa's recovery plan (NEPAD). which 
targets increased foreign investment and better economic growth. Ten 
African heads of state are amongst the representatives of 80 nations 
thrashing out the key issues surrounding the effective implementation of 
NEPAD. Kofi Annan urges Africa to make combating AIDS and promoting girls' 
education the priorities of its new plan for development. The same day, 
Human Rights Watch says that General Assembly member states should 
emphasize political reform and respect for human rights over traditional 
economic development issues. 18 September: The World Health Organisation 
pledges to intensify its efforts to ensure NEPAD's success.   (ANB-BIA, 
Belgium, 18 September 2002)

* Afrique. Le désert perd du terrain  -  Une équipe de géographes européens 
a constaté, en rassemblant quinze ans de photos-satellites du Sahel, un net 
verdissement de la zone, signe que les terres cultivables regagnent 
progressivement du terrain sur le désert. Ce phénomène, à l'oeuvre depuis 
le milieu des années 1980 mais remarqué seulement aujourd'hui, concerne le 
sud de la Mauritanie, le nord-ouest du Niger, le centre du Tchad, une 
grande partie du Soudan et une partie de l'Erythrée. Le recul le plus net 
concerne le nord du Burkina Faso, qui voit en conséquence le retour de 
familles entières d'agriculteurs dans la région, selon la revue New 
Scientist.   (La Croix, France, 19 septembre 2002)

* Africa/USA. Bush meets with 11 African leaders  -  13 September: Against 
a backdrop of promised peace in Africa and possible war in the Persian 
Gulf, President Bush is meeting with 11 African leaders in the thick of 
that continent's oil production. Bush was to meet privately with the 
leaders of West and Central African nations before returning to Washington 
from the UN General Assembly. A senior administration official who briefed 
reporters on Bush's agenda for today's talks said he wanted to try to shore 
up the fragile peace agreement between Rwanda and Congo, and more broadly 
encourage "responsible African leadership to pursue the political and 
economic and social well being of their people." Bush is also laying the 
groundwork for his first trip to Africa, which is planned for early in the 
new year. Divided among three separate sessions, the leaders of these 
countries were meeting with the president: Republic of Congo, Burundi, 
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, South Africa, and Sao Tome and Principe. 
The countries on Bush's guest list for Friday are either already steady oil 
producers or in the heart of West Africa's oil exploration boom, which now 
provides the United States with 15 percent of its oil. Their leaders' 
audiences with Bush come as the Bush administration seeks secure oil ahead 
of a threatened conflict with Iraq, a major exporter.   (Washington Post, 
USA, 13 September 2002)

* West Africa. Peace caravan planned in Mano River Union  -  Security 
ministers from the Mano River Union countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra 
Leone on 11 September renewed efforts to build peace in the sub-region by 
making operational decisions taken at a sub-regional meeting in Morocco in 
April, according to officials. They agreed, among other things, that a 
peace caravan comprising about 20 high-level officials from each of the 
three countries should tour their common borders, "from Guinea to Sierra 
Leone to Liberia, and from Liberia to Sierra Leone to Guinea" -- in 
December. The ministers held a two-day meeting together with other 
top-level government officials in Freetown. The meeting, which ended on 11 
September, was a follow-up of the Morocco initiative that was convened by 
King Mohammed VI in Rabat to help mend relations between their countries. 
The 11 September meeting was attended by ministers and officials of the 
Mano River Union. It was called by Sierra Leone, which was mandated in 
Morocco to organise it.   (IRIN, Kenya, 12 September 2002)

* Afrique de l'Ouest. Sécheresse au Sahel occidental  -  Les pluies 
inadéquates et imprévisibles assombrissent les perspectives agricoles dans 
plusieurs parties de la région du Sahel, en Afrique de l'Ouest. Plusieurs 
pays seront confrontés à de sérieux problèmes en matière de sécurité 
alimentaire dans les prochains mois. Dans le Sahel occidental, le CILSS 
(Comité inter-Etats de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel) relève que "les 
pays vivent dans la crainte d'une crise alimentaire". La Mauritanie est en 
butte à un déficit en céréales de 205.000 tonnes. Le Cap-Vert a fait savoir 
qu'au moins 30.000 de ses habitants sont déjà confrontés à des graves 
pénuries alimentaires. En Gambie, la récolte de riz a été sévèrement 
affectée, tandis que 60% de la récolte de millet et 40% de celle du maïs 
risquent d'être perdus cette année. Au Sénégal, le gouvernement a récemment 
minimisé les informations faisant état de pénuries alimentaires imminentes, 
mais les inquiétudes demeurent. En Guinée-Bissau, la situation est 
préoccupante dans diverses régions. Toutefois, la situation agricole au 
Burkina Faso, au Tchad, au Mali et au Niger est globalement meilleure cette 
année: l'apport accumulé des céréales dans ces pays pourrait être de 24% 
supérieur à la moyenne des cinq années précédentes.   (D'après IRIN, 
Abidjan, 16 septembre 2002)

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