Weekly anb10316.txt #7

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 31-10-2002      PART #6/7

* Nigeria/Cameroon. The Bakassi dispute  -  25 October: President Obasanjo 
of Nigeria denies pledging to respect a world court ruling on the disputed 
Bakassi peninsula. He says that he would never give a "blank cheque" by 
agreeing to respect a judgement without knowing which way it would go. 
Commenting on Nigeria's reaction, Cameroon's information minister Jacques 
Fame Ndongo says that his country believes in the United Nations system and 
is confident that the rule of law will eventually prevail. 29 October: 
President Obasanjo says he is ready to meet his Cameroonian counterpart to 
resolve their dispute over the Bakassi peninsula.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 29 
October 2002)

* Nigeria. Le gouvernement et la charia  -  Le 29 octobre, le gouvernement 
nigérian s'est engagé à empêcher les tribunaux islamiques du nord du pays 
d'infliger des peines aussi sévères que la lapidation, l'amputation ou les 
coups de fouet. Ces peines prévues par la charia (loi islamique) ont 
provoqué des protestations internationales et notamment de nombreux appels 
au boycott de la cérémonie de Miss Monde prévue le 7 décembre à Abuja. 
Cette assurance donnée par le ministre des Affaires étrangères est la plus 
ferme jamais donnée par le pouvoir central depuis que les tribunaux 
islamiques ont récemment condamné quatre personnes à être exécutées par 
lapidation pour adultère ou viol.   (AP, 29 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Combattants du FDLR rapatriés  -  La Mission des Nations unies au 
Congo (MONUC) a procédé le 24 octobre au rapatriement de 35 combattants des 
"Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda" (FDLR, mouvement en 
exil qui combat le régime de Kigali), cantonnés à la base militaire 
congolaise de Kamina, a indiqué le porte-parole de la MONUC. Ce nouveau 
rapatriement porte globalement à 212 le nombre de soldats rwandais en exil 
rapatriés à ce jour.   (PANA, Sénégal, 24 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Sommet sur l'unité  -  Le 26 octobre, le président Paul Kagamé a 
procédé, en compagnie de son homologue mozambicain Joachim Chissano, à 
l'ouverture du deuxième sommet national sur l'unité et la réconciliation. 
Ce sommet auquel participent environ 900 personnes issues de toutes les 
couches socio-politiques du pays, de la diaspora rwandaise, ainsi que de 
personnalités politiques étrangères, permettra, durant trois jours, de 
faire le point sur le processus de l'unité et de la réconciliation au 
Rwanda. Les participants examineront divers points, dont des questions 
liées à la fin de la transition en juillet de l'année prochaine, mais aussi 
des questions liées à la sécurité du Rwanda et dans la région des Grands 
Lacs. Le sommet prendra fin le 28 octobre.   (PANA, Sénégal, 26 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. First Rwandan genocide film hits screens  -  The producers of the 
first cinema feature film about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda say they are 
delighted with the results of its first commercial premiere. British and 
Rwandan producers made the film, called: "100 Days", in an attempt to 
popularise facts about the genocide by setting them in the dramatic context 
of one family's experience. The film opened earlier this month in a 
multi-screen cinema complex in Kampala, Uganda, and has sold more tickets 
than an American Hollywood import showing alongside it.   (BBC News, UK, 28 
October 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Remarkable progress in peace process  -  Sierra Leone has 
made remarkable progress in its peace process and advocates have been able 
to work on addressing past abuses and violations, advocacy, capacity 
building, education and institution building, the UN High Commissioner for 
Human Rights (UNHCHR) has reported. The main remaining challenges in Sierra 
Leone included redressing present-day violations and developing national 
capacity to promote and protect human rights. UNHCHR would like to 
collaborate with the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in responding to 
the country's human rights needs. "One way of doing this is by deepening 
working relationships with local State and non-state actors, especially 
stakeholders within civil society to persuade representatives at the senior 
level that the consolidation and institutionalization of the human rights 
agenda is needed".   (IRIN, Kenya, 24 October 2002)

* Somalia. Peace talks  -  24 October: Somali's President Abdulkassim Salat 
Hassan has said the ongoing peace conference in Kenya will not end the 
fighting in Somalia. The talks on the future of Somalia, which are being 
held in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, are reported to be deadlocked. Most of 
Somalia's key faction leaders, often called warlords, have gone to the 
talks, but Mr Salat, head of the Transitional National Government (TNG), 
has refused to go unless he is accorded the status of a head of state, 
rather than a faction leader. The TNG was set up in 2000 but only controls 
parts of the capital, Mogadishu, with the rest of the country divided up 
between rival warlords. "I am not optimistic the conference would help the 
Somali peace process," Mr Salat said. No serious discussions have yet taken 
place, with some warlords insisting that Mr Salat attend in person. He is 
represented by TNG Prime Minister Hassan Abshir Farah. Tension is said to 
be rising at the Conference between civil society organisations and leaders 
of the political groups. 27 October: Warring factions and the transitional 
government (TNG) in Somalia have signed a ceasefire deal aimed at bringing 
more than a decade of fighting and anarchy to an end, foreign mediators 
have said. Twenty-one rival groups and the TNG agreed to end hostilities 
for the duration of current peace talks and to pave the way for a new 
federal system of government. But correspondents say the agreement is 
unlikely to win support from the breakaway northern region of Somaliland, 
and neither has it been signed by the faction which controls regions in 
central Somalia. The peace talks have the backing of the international 
community, which has threatened to impose sanctions on groups opposing an 
agreement.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 27 October 2002)

* Somalie. Accord de cessez-le-feu  -  Le 27 octobre, 22 factions armées 
qui se disputent le contrôle du pays ont signé un accord de cessez-le-feu 
immédiat, lors de la conférence de réconciliation nationale qui se tient 
depuis la mi-octobre à Eldoret (Kenya). Par ailleurs, les détails 
concernant la formation d'un gouvernement central, dont le principe a 
pourtant été entériné au cours des pourparlers, seront élaborés dans une 
phase suivante. Déjà, les responsables des factions ont entrepris de créer 
des structures de gouvernance fédérale, tout en approuvant le principe de 
la décentralisation. Ils ont aussi promis d'inviter la communauté 
internationale à entreprendre un contrôle de l'embargo sur les armes et de 
combattre toutes les formes de terrorisme. -- Mais le 28 octobre, au 
lendemain de l'accord, d'intenses combats impliquant plusieurs centaines de 
miliciens ont éclaté à Luq, ville proche de la frontière kényane, et ont 
fait au moins 15 morts et 30 blessés.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 
octobre 2002)

* South Africa. Japanese investors scared  -  South African could be in 
line for a massive hike in investment from japan -- but only if the country 
can tackle its reputation for crime. A delegation of Japanese executives 
from the powerful employers' federation, Keidanren, is spending a week in 
South African examining investment opportunities. But the leader of the 
delegation has warned that his fellow Japanese are scared of South Africa's 
image as a haven for carjackers and other street criminals. Potential 
investors are also worried about reports of corruption in high 
placed.   (BBC News, UK, 25 October 2002)

* South Africa. Wider access to AIDS drugs  -  South Africa has threatened 
to intensify its fight with international pharmaceutical companies over 
wider access to cheaper medicines against HIV/AIDS. At a meeting of United 
Nations agencies operating in southern Africa, Aziz Pahad, deputy minister 
of foreign affairs, said his government would put renewed pressure on drugs 
companies to assist with the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs. "Our 
battles with the drugs companies are still not over," said Mr Pahad. "They 
must not just begin to talk about the supply of drugs but also what the 
follow-up programmes are in the administering of the drugs." South Africa 
has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates with about 4.7m 
HIV-positive people among its 40m population.   (Financial Times, UK, 29 
October 2002)

* Afrique du Sud. Bombes à Soweto  -  Le mercredi matin 30 octobre, 
plusieurs bombes ont explosé dans le township de Soweto, endommageant une 
mosquée et plusieurs lignes de chemin de fer arrivant dans la ville voisine 
de Johannesburg, a annoncé la radio. Une personne a été tuée et une autre 
grièvement blessée. Entre 7 et 9 bombes ont explosé et la police en a 
désamorcé deux autres. Les détonations ont commencé aux environs de minuit, 
à la gare. Les forces de sécurité recherchent les responsables. Le 
président Mbeki a évoqué l'hypothèse d'une action d'un groupe d'extrême 
droite.   (AP, 30 octobre 2002)

* South Africa. Bomb explosions rock Soweto  -  30 October: A series of 
bomb explosions has rocked Soweto township, in South Africa, killing at 
least one person. Another was badly injured. Police say at least seven 
bombs exploded and two more have been defused. The blasts began at about 
midnight, rocking parts of the sprawling township one after the other. 
Several of the explosions targeted railway lines linking Soweto to 
Johannesburg. Some train services have been suspended, leaving busy 
commuter routes in chaos. Another explosion ripped through a mosque, 
tearing apart one of its walls. Police have been out in full force 
searching for other explosive devices. The bomb disposal squad has defused 
at least one other device at a garage. No group has said it carried out the 
attacks. President Mbeki links the explosions to white 
right-wingers.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 30 October 2002)

* South Africa. Companies count the cost of AIDS  -  Vodacom, South 
Africa's largest mobile telephone network, has estimated that the HIV/AIDS 
epidemic will cut the country's potential market by about a third. Alan 
Knott-Craig, Vodacom's chief executive, said the disease would restrict the 
rapid growth of the South African mobile telephone market to about 19m 
users as opposed to a potential HIV/AIDS-free market of nearer 30m users. 
However, he insisted that South Africa offered strong business potential 
for consumer goods --such as mobile phones -- in spite of the daunting 
health crisis that its population faces. "HIV/AIDS will result in us not 
having as good as market as we could have had. But there is no huge dark 
cloud on the horizon," he said. Many South African companies are assessing 
the impact HIV/AIDS is likely to have on their businesses. The country has 
one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world with about 4.7m 
HIV-positive people among a population of 40m people. Infection rates among 
the economically active adult population are estimated to be as high as 25 
per cent. Business leaders have identified HIV/AIDS as post-apartheid South 
Africa's single greatest challenge. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is 
encouraging companies to discover the HIV/AIDS infection rates among their 
employees through voluntary testing and to develop responses for those 
infected.   (Financial Times, UK, 31 October 2002)

* Sudan. Doubt cast over peace talks  -  25 October: The Sudanese 
government has claimed southern rebels have violated an agreed truce, 
putting in doubt the future of the peace talks to bring an end to the 
country's civil war.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 October 2002)

* Sudan. Landmark aid deal  -  26 October: The Sudanese government and the 
SPLA, have signed a landmark agreement giving aid agencies unfettered 
access to hundreds of thousands of victims of countries civil war. The 
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said the deal would allow it to 
feed an additional 500,000 people. The agency already supplies food to 
three million civilians in Sudan.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 October 2002)

* Soudan. Aide humanitaire  -  Le 26 octobre, un accord définissant les 
procédures d'accès sans entrave de l'aide humanitaire à des centaines de 
milliers de personnes affectées par la guerre au Soudan a été signé à 
Nairobi par les représentants du gouvernement, de l'Armée populaire de 
libération du Soudan (SPLA) et des Nations unies. L'accord démarre le 1er 
novembre jusqu'à la fin de l'année. Les dates correspondent au calendrier 
du protocole d'accord dans le cadre duquel des négociations de paix sont 
organisées à Makachos (Kenya). L'accord aura des répercussions immédiates 
pour les agences humanitaires de l'Onu et les 41 organisations travaillant 
dans le cadre de l'OLS.   (PANA, Sénégal, 27 octobre 2002)

Weekly anb1031.txt - #6/7