Weekly anb10104.txt #7

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 10-10-2002  PART #4/7

* Côte d'Ivoire. Inside Bouake - 8 October: A local source has told the 
Fides Service (Vatican City) that the "situation in Bouake is one of 
confusion. There are reports of fighting between government troops and 
rebels but it is difficult to ascertain the truth. What we know for certain 
is that the missionaries are still there with the people. We have been told 
that a few have left the eastern part of the city where there are more 
rebel troops, but the Cathedral is still open thanks to the Missionaries of 
Africa (White Fathers) who have remained at their post. All the 
missionaries are fully involved in helping the thousands of displaced 
persons". -- 9 October: MISNA has received reports of massacres conducted 
in at least two neighbourhoods of Bouake. During a temporary retreat, some 
rebels were attacked and in some cases even burned alive by local citizens. 
In a few hours, the rebels had regained control of the zones and unleashed 
all their fury on the residents, indiscriminately killing and beating them 
and devastating homes. After the uncertainty of the past days, it is clear 
that Bouake is firmly held by the rebels and the humanitarian situation is 
giving rise to serious concerns. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 October 2002)

* Egypte. Frères musulmans libérés - Le 8 octobre, douze membres des Frères 
musulmans, un groupe islamiste interdit, ont été libérés après une décision 
de justice faisant jurisprudence, donnant aux prisonniers politiques la 
même chance de libération anticipée que les autres détenus. En Egypte, les 
détenus peuvent bénéficier d'une libération anticipée pour bonne conduite 
après avoir purgé trois-quarts de leur peine. Les douze hommes avaient été 
condamnés en novembre 2000 à trois ans de prison pour leur appartenance aux 
Frères musulmans. Parmi les personnes relâchées, figure l'un des chefs du 
mouvement, Mokhtar Nouh, ancien membre du Parlement et membre du conseil 
consultatif des Frères musulmans. (AP, 9 octobre 2002)

* Egypt. USA accused of rewriting the rule book - On 8 October, Egypt 
accused the US of rewriting the rule book to make it more difficult for 
Iraq to comply with United Nations demands. Ahmed Mahar, Egyptian foreign 
minister, called for UN weapons inspectors to be sent back into Iraq as 
soon as possible and for Saddam Hussein's defiance of UN demands to be 
resolved peacefully. But he warned that the inspectors' return should not 
be "impeded" by US-led efforts to impose tougher conditions on Iraq. 
Egypt's support for any military action against Iraq by an American-led 
force will be essential if action is to have any chance of wider backing 
across the Middle East, but President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's leader, 
remains opposed. Mr Mahar criticised a speech by George W Bush, US 
president on 7 October, in which he appeared to set out wider conditions 
for Saddam Hussein. Rewriting the rules in the middle of the game may not 
be the best solution," he said in Cairo after meeting Jack Straw, Britain's 
foreign secretary. (Financial Times, UK, 9 October 2002)

* Erythrée. Menace de crise alimentaire - Plus d'un million d'Erythréens 
sont menacés par une crise alimentaire provoquée par la sécheresse 
prolongée dans leur pays. Tel est le signal d'alarme lancé par la FAO et le 
PAM dans un rapport conjoint publié cette semaine. Selon les deux agences, 
la récolte céréalière de cette année ne couvre qu'environ 15% des besoins 
alimentaires de l'Erythrée, au lieu des 40 à 50% dans une année normale. La 
communauté des donateurs devrait prévoir une aide de l'ordre de 280.000 
tonnes de vivres pour combler le déficit. Cette crise survient alors que le 
pays se remet lentement de sa guerre avec l'Ethiopie: de nombreux 
agriculteurs se trouvent encore déplacés dans le pays et les opérations de 
rapatriement des réfugiés grèvent les ressources du pays. (Centre des 
nouvelles de l'Onu, 3 octobre 2002)

* Ethiopia. Coffee prices bitter for Ethiopia - 3 October: The decline in 
world coffee prices has led to a crisis for growers in Ethiopia, who 
describe it as the birthplace of coffee. More than one million Ethiopian 
coffee farmers, accounting for nearly 15 million households, have been 
affected by the continuing fall in the price paid to coffee producers 
globally. The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) says world coffee 
prices have fallen by 70% since 1997. Some Ethiopian farmers are now 
looking at alternative crops as they can no longer support their families 
on the meagre income from coffee. Some farmers have turned to begging to 
survive. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 3 October 2002)

* Ethiopie. Crise humanitaire - Le 8 octobre, le PAM a appelé à une 
réaction immédiate afin de juguler la grave crise humanitaire qui se 
profile en Ethiopie. Selon l'agence onusienne, le nombre de personnes ayant 
besoin d'une aide alimentaire pourrait passer des 6 millions actuels à 
10-14 millions l'année prochaine. Les récentes missions d'évaluations 
conjointes, effectuées dans tout le pays par le PAM, les donateurs et le 
gouvernement, révèlent d'importantes pertes en ce qui concerne les cultures 
de céréales et de sorgho, ainsi qu'un rétrécissement des aires de pacage et 
la réduction des sources d'eau du fait de la sécheresse qui perdure. (PANA, 
Sénégal, 8 octobre 2002)

* Ghana. L'or brille à nouveau - Grâce à la hausse des cours de l'or sur 
les marchés internationaux et à des mesures de contrôle des dépenses et 
frais de production, Ashanti Goldfiels, le géant ghanéen de l'or, est en 
voie de récupération. En effet, Ashanti, qui en 1999 était au seuil de la 
banqueroute, vient d'annoncer un profit net de 18,8 millions de dollars 
pour le deuxième trimestre de cette année. Son avenir semble assuré. (Al 
Ahram Hebdo, Egypte, 2-8 octobre 2002)

* Kenya. Uhuru presents nomination papers - 7 October: The battle for the 
successor of the retiring President Moi took on a more serious complexion 
when his preferred choice, Uhuru Kenyatta, submitted his nomination papers 
to Kanu headquarters in Nairobi today. Escorted by a huge crowd to the 
Kenyatta International Conference Centre that houses the party offices, the 
Local Government minister called on his rivals in the Rainbow Alliance to 
back him for the presidency. The event was characterised by confusion as a 
number of pro-Kenyatta Cabinet ministers, MPs, other leaders and 
journalists were locked out the venue where the Kanu executive director 
Mbaria Maina received the papers. The latter certified the papers, saying 
the candidate had met the mandatory requirement. These include a national 
identity card, a Kanu life membership card, and evidence of support from at 
least 12 branches in five provinces. A notable absentee from the escort 
that included ten Cabinet ministers and seven assistants and thousands of 
supporters, was President Moi, who, at the time, was in Kakamega to promote 
the Uhuru-for-President Project that has met stiff opposition especially in 
parts of the Rift Valley Province and most of Western Kenya. Mr Kenyatta 
has been in most of presidential entourages that have controversially 
criss-crossed the country in Moi's bid to market him. (Daily Nation, Kenya, 
7 October 2002)

* Kenya. Meeting to decide on constitution reforms - 7 October: 
Constitution review commissioners and MPs start a crucial meeting today in 
Mombasa to decide whether the terms of Parliament and the President should 
be extended. The team will scrutinise each of the 299 clauses in the draft 
constitution and is expected to come up with recommendations to be put 
before Parliament. The members of the Ghai Commission and the Raila 
Odinga-led Parliamentary Select Committee will decide on whether to go into 
the General Election with minimum reforms or an entirely new constitution. 
The commission team will include Secretary Patrick Lumumba, Prof Yash Pal 
Ghai, Prof Okoth-Ogendo and Attorney-General Amos Wako. "We will be taking 
them through the draft and how we arrived at it," Mr Lumumba said. "If 
there is any other matter on the agenda, we will deal with as it comes." 
The meeting is being held against a backdrop of pressure from various 
groups, including the Law Society of Kenya, which is locked in a tussle 
with two judges who went to court seeking orders to stop the Constitution 
of Kenya Review Commission and the public from debating the draft document. 
(Daily Nation, Kenya, 7 October 2002)

* Kenya. La grève des enseignants - La grève des enseignants kényans entre 
dans sa troisième semaine, menaçant de perturber les examens nationaux 
prévus dans deux semaines. Le puissant syndicat national des enseignants 
(KNUT), fort de 240.000 membres, a appelé à la grève suite à un conflit 
salarial. Le conflit remonte à 1997, lorsque le gouvernement a accordé une 
hausse salariale de 150 à 200% à appliquer en cinq phases, mais seule la 
première phase a été exécutée. En vue d'assurer la tenue des examens comme 
prévu, le gouvernement réfléchit à des mesures alternatives, comme le 
rappel d'enseignants à la retraite, pour les superviser. Le 8 octobre, le 
ministre de l'Education a eu des discussions avec les responsables du KNUT, 
mais le ministre des Finances a affirmé avec force que les paiements 
réclamés par les enseignants rendraient le gouvernement à court de 
liquidités. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 octobre 2002)

* Kenya. Courts paralysed by strike - 9 October: Kenya's court system has 
ground to a halt. Courts across the country have been paralysed after 
lawyers went on an unprecedented one-day strike. Hundreds of lawyers 
marched through the streets of Nairobi waving banners, and sporting yellow 
ribbons of protest. In downtown Nairobi, a large crowd gathered. It was a 
protest unlike any other. Many had on their long advocates' robes, one or 
two wore their grey legal wigs. They waved placards emblazoned with the 
slogan: "Why Hire a Lawyer When You Can Buy a Judge?" The lawyers are 
protesting against legal moves to prevent constitutional reform of the 
judiciary. A new draft constitution recommended sweeping changes, including 
early retirement, and a tribunal to hear cases of judicial corruption. Not 
surprisingly, the proposals have not gone down well with the judges. Two of 
them have lodged a suit to block the changes. But most Kenyans support the 
reforms, believing their judges to be corrupt and open to bribes. The new 
draft constitution has been drawn up after months of painstaking public 
consultation. If the judges succeed in their case, the fear is that the 
entire constitutional review process will collapse. As the lawyers marched 
through the streets, members of the public shouted out: "Keep up the good 
work". (BBC News, UK, 9 October 2002)

* Libya/Lebanon. Shi'ite group threatens Gadhafi - A shadowy Lebanese 
Shi'ite Muslim group threatened vengeance on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi 
and his country on 6 October over the disappearance of a charismatic cleric 
24 years ago. Lebanese Shi'ites have long believed Libya kidnapped and 
killed Imam Musa al-Sadr, who organized Lebanon's 1.2 million dispossessed 
Shi'ites, during a visit to Libya in 1978. Libya says Sadr, founder of the 
pro-Syrian Shi'ite Amal movement, left the country safely. But Lebanese 
Shi'ites have demanded that Tripoli explain his fate. The Shi'ite Sadr 
Brigades said proof of Libya's involvement had reached them recently from 
Iran. "The killing of the leader imam and his companions was confirmed to 
us through reliable news that reached our brothers in Iran a long time ago 
and we were able to get a few weeks ago," the statement said. "We shall 
avenge the blood of the martyred imam...in the appropriate way and at the 
appropriate time. We shall strike without mercy the interests of Gadhafi 
and his men in every place on the face of the earth in revenge," it said. 
It called on Lebanon to sever diplomatic ties with Libya. Libya sent out a 
call in August for information on the fate of Sadr, after the issue 
resurfaced several months ago at an Arab summit in Beirut. Shi'ites had 
protested against allowing Gadhafi to attend the summit and the Sadr 
Brigades warned they would take unspecified action if he did. (CNN, USA, 6 
October 2002)

* Malawi. New party created - 7 October: Several Malawian professionals and 
businessmen have formed a political movement which they say is aimed at 
institutionalising democracy and human development in the southern African 
nation. The Progressive People's Movement (PPM) has since July this year 
been offering training to people at grassroots levels on democracy, human 
rights and good governance. Leading personalities associated with the group 
include Malawian lawyers Ralph Kasambara, Modecai Msiska, Temwa Nyirenda 
and Masauko Msungama. Malawi Chambers of Commerce and Industry's president 
Jimmy Koreia - Mpatsa, prominent businessmen and professionals Patrick 
Khembo, Chokani Mhango, Saulosi Chilima and Martin Kansichi are also in the 
movement. (PANA, Senegal, 7 October 2002)

Weekly anb1010.txt - #4/7