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Weekly anb11285.txt #5
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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 28-11-2002 PART #5/5
* Rwanda. Carla Del Ponte accusée - Carla Del Ponte a-t-elle "diné" avec
des génocidaires rwandais? C'est l'accusation portée par le gouvernement de
Kigali contre la procureur générale du Tribunal pénal international pour le
Rwanda (TPIR), aggravant encore un peu plus la crise larvée entre Kigali et
la cour d'Arusha. Carla Del Ponte a rencontré, le 18 novembre à La Haye,
des représentants de l'opposition rwandaise en exil, qui lui ont demandé
notamment de poursuivre des membres du Front patriotique rwandais (FPR),
aujourd'hui au pouvoir à Kigali. Le groupe politico-militaire FDLR-ALIR,
impliqué d'après le Rwanda dans le génocide, aurait assisté à cette
réunion. Pour Kigali, Del Ponte a "perdu l'autorité morale" nécessaire.
Depuis longtemps, les autorités rwandaises reprochent au TPIR ses
dysfonctionnements et le mauvais traitement qui serait réservé aux témoins,
pour la plupart des rescapés du génocide. Kigali ne veut pas entendre
parler d'éventuelles inculpations de membres du FPR pour des crimes de
guerre, commis lors du conflit qui a mis fin au génocide. (Libération,
France, 23 novembre 2002)
* Rwanda. Genocide courts - 25 November: Rwanda is beginning the process
of setting up a nationwide system of community courts to try more than
100,000 suspects in the mid-1990s genocide. Rwandan Radio says the trials
will help Rwanda to eradicate its culture of denial about the killings and
strengthen national unity. The Gacaca courts are based on a traditional
Rwandan justice system, and will allow residents to deliver testimony
against alleged killers before their communities and locally elected
judges. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 November 2002)
* Rwanda. Une "gacaca" par commune - Le 25 novembre, une juridiction
gacaca, tribunal local chargé de juger les exécutants présumés du génocide
de 1994, a été ouverte dans chacune des 106 communes du Rwanda. 11.000
gacaca doivent être mises en place d'ici fin 2002. Un premier test de ces
tribunaux locaux avait été lancé mi-juin dans douze juridictions. Un jury
populaire de "personnes intègres", élu par la population locale à chaque
échelon administratif, devra se prononcer sur la culpabilité des accusés,
après les déclarations à charge et à décharge des témoins présents dans le
public. (La Libre Belgique, 27 novembre 2002)
* Somalia. Pressure for progress at peace talks - 25 November: Organisers
and sponsors of the peace conference for Somalia in Eldoret, Kenya, have
stepped up pressure for participants to make concrete progress this week.
26 November: The organisers of the peace talks are reported to be in a
buoyant mood after three major clans and minority groups delivered lists of
their participants to the six technical committees. 27 November: The peace
talks are jeopardised by a row between the hotel where they are staying and
the Kenyan authorities. The 800 delegates have not been provided with any
food since 26 November in the morning, and some have threatened to walk
out. The hotel says the Kenyan government, which is responsible for
organising accommodation for the delegates, has not paid for their food for
two weeks. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 27 November 2002)
* Sudan. USA offers Sudan peace talks - Washington has invited Sudan's
government and southern rebels to meet in the United States for discussions
to iron out differences ahead of a new round of peace talks in January, a
Sudanese paper said on 26 November. The latest round of formal peace talks
ended this month with an agreement to extend a cease fire but no
comprehensive deal on the sensitive issue of power-sharing, a key issue for
any pact to end a 19-year civil war. The US, which has been a key player in
the talks between the government and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA),
said last week it would hold seminars to discuss wealth and power-sharing
ahead of full talks in Kenya on January 6. (CNN, USA, 27 November 2002)
* Swaziland. Prosecutor stands firm - 21 November: Swaziland's Director
of Public Prosecution (DPP) has said the government's efforts to remove him
from office are unconstitutional. Lincoln Ng'arua, whose post has been
advertised by the authorities, said the move was an attack on the
independence of the judiciary. Mr Ng'arua has been involved in a dispute
with the government over a court case against the royal family. The case
has gripped public imagination in Swaziland, pitting traditionalists
against those who want change in Africa's last absolute monarchy. It was
brought by a concerned mother alleging that King Mswati's aides had
abducted her daughter whom he wanted as his 10th wife. Mr Ng'arua said he
would not be intimidated into dropping sedition charges against the
attorney-general, who has been accused of ordering the country's chief
justice and two other judges to throw out the case. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 21
November 2002)
* Tanzanie. Enquête à Zanzibar - Une enquête commanditée par le
présidence de la République tanzanienne sur les violences post-électorales
qui se sont produites l'année dernière dans les îles de Zanzibar, a
recommandé d'importantes réformes politiques pour renforcer la démocratie
multipartite dans ce pays. L'enquête demande au gouvernement de revoir son
approche en matière de droits humains, après avoir établi que la police
avait tué 31 personnes et utilisé la force sans modération. Les
investigations font état de 294 blessés, dont 51 gravement, pendant une
marche de protestation de militants du Front civil uni (CUF) contre les
"élections frauduleuses" de 2000. La commission d'enquête qui insiste sur
l'importance d'une gestion courtoise de la politique dans l'intérêt du
peuple et de la nation, a également demandé aux politiciens d'adopter une
culture de tolérance afin de consolider la démocratie. En outre, elle
réaffirme le souhait de la majorité des Tanzaniens de continuer à oeuvrer
ensemble en tant que nation. Depuis l'année dernière, la situation
politique à Zanzibar s'est améliorée, après la signature d'un accord entre
le CUF et le parti au pouvoir, le Chama Cha Mapenduzi (CCM). (D'après
PANA, Sénégal, 25 novembre 2002)
* Uganda. Bounty for rebel leader - 25 November: The Ugandan army has
offered a reward for information leading to the capture or killing of the
chief of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony. The army will
pay $11,000 for information on the whereabouts of the leader of the 15-year
old rebellion. It has also put a price on the heads of the top commanders
of the rebel group, an estimated 38 of them, which is feared for its
brutality and cruelty. Joseph Kony and his commanders are believed to be
hiding in southern Sudan and northern Uganda. But the army statement says a
three-year-old amnesty offer is still open to the rebel
leaders. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 November 2002)
* Ouganda. Electricité sud-africaine - Le 26 novembre, le gouvernement
ougandais et la société sud-africaine Eskom Enterprise ont conclu un
contrat d'une durée de vingt ans. La société s'engage à prendre le contrôle
de la société publique de production électrique du pays et prendra en
charge les stations hydroélectriques des barrages de Nalubale et Kiira.
Eskom, un géant de la production électrique, intervient dans 32 pays
africains. (PANA, Sénégal, 26 novembre 2002)
* Zambia. Chiluba in court - 21 November: Former President Frederick
Chiluba has appeared in court in the capital, Lusaka, to challenge
parliament's decision to lift his immunity from prosecution so he can face
accusations of corruption. The beleaguered former Zambian president
appeared relaxed as he turned up at the High Court for his appeal hearing.
The current president of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, although hand-picked by Mr
Chiluba to succeed him, has aggressively investigated Mr Chiluba for
alleged corruption during his term in office. The Zambian parliament voted
in July to remove Mr Chiluba's immunity to clear the way for investigations
into whether the former president had misappropriated large amounts of
state funds. In court, Mr Chiluba's lawyers argued that the constitution
did not allow for the removal of his immunity on the basis of
allegations. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 21 November 2002)
* Zambia. Sports minister sacked - On 26 November, President Levy
Mwanawasa sacked a government minister who testified in court that he
helped the president use state resources in his election campaign last year
in violation of election rules. Sports Minister Levison Mumba made the
allegations when he gave evidence last week in the Supreme Court, which is
hearing an opposition petition to have the election annulled on the grounds
of bribery and abuse of public funds. "President Mr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa
has terminated the appointment of Honourable Levison A. Mumba as minister
of sport, youth and child development with immediate effect," government
spokesman Arthur Yoyo said in a statement. Mumba told the Supreme Court
last week that he gave Mwanawasa a government car and Mwanawasa's wife
medicines to distribute to rural peasants in the run-up to the polls last
December. Two former ministers have already testified that they were
personally involved in distributing thousands of dollars in government
money to win support for Mwanawasa. But Mumba, who was health minister at
the time, was the first member of the current cabinet to testify in the
case. Zambian laws prohibit the use of state funds for campaigning and the
courts can nullify an election and order a fresh poll if it is proved state
funds were diverted to a political party. Mwanawasa narrowly beat
opposition leader Anderson Mazoka, who is challenging the polls. European
Union observers said the election was marred by serious procedural
irregularities. (CNN, USA, 27 November 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Mugabe holding back food - President Robert Mugabe's
government is withholding food from opposition supporters and prolonging
the Zimbabwean food crisis to keep its grip on power, a human rights group
alleged on 20 November. "The political abuse of food is the most serious
and widespread human rights violation in Zimbabwe at this time," the report
by the Danish group, Physicians for Human Rights, said. The group said
supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were denied the
right to buy government grain in 16 districts and cities, many were thrown
out of public meetings where grain purchases were discussed and the names
of others were left off lists of approved grain buyers. In one district, 27
people accused of being MDC supporters were allegedly forced out of a
food-for-work programme. In another, only ruling party supporters were
allowed to buy grain at the government price. The local ruling party sold
the rest for up to 10 times that price. The group criticised the government
for keeping its monopoly on the import and sale of food, saying the grain
shortage was being drawn out. An estimated 6.7 million people face
starvation after severe drought in Zimbabwe, aggravated by Mr Mugabe's
controversial land reform policy. The report also said international food
aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which supplies the most needy
in Zimbabwe, was being manipulated. One woman was told by community leaders
who make lists of those needing WFP help that she would have to surrender
her MDC card publicly and buy a ruling party card before she could be
added. She agreed, the report said. (Independent, UK, 21 November 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Party test for civil servants - 22 November: The government
is looking at ways in which it can ensure that only "patriotic Zimbabweans"
work for the civil service. According to the country's Public Service
Commission, anyone working for or wanting to join the civil service will be
tested on their level of loyalty to the ruling Zanu-PF party. Perspective
entrants who fail the test will not be employed. Those who are already
employed could be dismissed. This latest move adds to criticism already
levelled at the Zimbabwean Government, which has recently been in the news
for denying food aid to starving opposition supporters. (ANB-BIA,
Belgium, 22 November 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Clash européen - Le 25 novembre, l'Union européenne et les
pays ACP (Afrique, Caraïbes, Pacifique) sont entrés en crise ouverte sur le
Zimbabwe. La réunion de l'Assemblée parlementaire UE-ACP prévue cette
semaine à Bruxelles a été annulée de facto suite au refus européen
d'accueillir deux ministres zimbabwéens. Ils figurent sur la liste de 72
responsables zimbabwéens, dont le président Mugabe, interdits de séjour par
l'UE depuis février en raison de la dérive répressive du régime de Harare.
Les pays ACP, notamment africains, mais aussi quelques députés européens,
ont protesté contre la décision du Parlement européen d'interdire la
participation du Zimbabwe à cette réunion. (Libération, France, 26
novembre 2002)
* Zimbabwe. Le directeur d'AFP doit quitter le pays - Le 26 novembre, le
ministre de l'Information, Jonathan Moyo, a refusé de renouveler le permis
de travail de Stéphane Barbier, directeur du bureau de l'AFP à Harare, sans
préciser les raisons de sa décision. Le ministre avait déjà fait savoir à
l'AFP cet été qu'aux termes de la nouvelle loi sur l'accès à l'information
et la protection de la vie privée, promulguée le 15 mars dernier, aucun
journaliste non zimbabwéen ne serait désormais autorisé à résider et
travailler dans le pays. Les journalistes étrangers ne peuvent désormais se
rendre dans le pays que provisoirement, pour des périodes limitées, et
après avoir reçu l'approbation du ministère. La loi sur l'accès à
l'information donne à Jonathan Moyo le pouvoir de décider qui peut exercer
le métier de journaliste au Zimbabwe. Depuis sa promulgation, le
harcèlement de la presse étrangère s'est intensifié. De nombreux
journalistes se sont vu refuser leur accréditation en début d'année, alors
qu'ils comptaient couvrir l'élection présidentielle début mars. (RSF,
France, 27 novembre 2002)
Weekly anb1128.txt - #5/5 - THE END
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Un homme meurt chaque fois que l'un d'entre nous se tait devant la tyrannie
(W. Soyinka, Prix Nobel litterature)
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Everytime somebody keep silent when faced with tyranny, someone else dies
(Wole Syinka, Nobel Prize for Literature) *
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