Weekly anb01095.txt #9

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 09-01-2003      PART #5/9

* Ethiopia. Importing oil from Sudan  -  Ethiopia is to import oil from 
Sudan which could save the country up to US $7 million per year, the 
Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise has announced. The imports -- which should 
help reduce the massive cost of oil imports to the country -- are expected 
to start this month. Some 50 percent of Ethiopia's export earnings are 
spent on serving the nation's demands from fuel. The Ethiopian Petroleum 
Enterprise is the only organisation that supplies oil in Ethiopia, storing 
the oil in Djibouti. General Manager Yigzaw Mekonnen said the country must 
to look at diversifying from relying on a single port like Djibouti. 
Ethiopia used to operate its own refinery in Eritrea but both countries 
have been at loggerheads since their two-year border war which flared up in 
1998. Some 85 percent of Ethiopia's demand for benzene will be imported 
from Sudan. Mekonnen announced that Ethiopia would begin importing 10,000 
mt of benzene monthly and 120,000 mt annually from its neighbour. A further 
3,000 mt of diesel fuel each month will be shipped in, the petroleum 
official said. The diesel fuel import is expected to cover about 20 percent 
of the country's consumption.   (IRIN, Kenya, 7 January 2003)

* Ethiopia. Drought cuts coffee crop  -  7 January: Drought could see 
Ethiopian coffee production could fall by 30%, undermining the country's 
main cash crop on which almost 15 million people depend. "In coffee 
producing areas in western, southwestern and eastern parts of the country, 
the coffee harvest is estimated to have declined by 30% in 2002/03 due to 
drought," the US Famine Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet) said. The 
report follows estimates by a leading Ethiopian academic showing the 
country has lost $300m in export revenues over the last two years because 
of a international slump in coffee prices. Ethiopia normally produces about 
300,000 tonnes of coffee, about half of which is consumed domestically. As 
Africa's third largest coffee exporter behind Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda, 
Ethiopia had raised its coffee exports by 14% in the year ending June 2002 
to 129,095 tonnes worth $184.1m.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 7 January 2003)

* Gabon. Economies  -  Le Gabon a décidé, à la demande du FMI, de réduire 
les indemnités de fonction des ministres, parlementaires et présidents des 
hautes institutions de l'Etat, a annoncé le 3 janvier le chef de l'Etat 
gabonais. Les militaires, les fonctionnaires et autres agents de l'Etat ne 
sont pas concernés par la mesure, indique l'agence PANA. Les personnalités 
concernées par la réduction font partie, selon toute vraisemblance, des 2% 
du personnel de l'administration publique, reconnus par les statistiques du 
ministère du Plan comme étant les détenteurs de 80% de la masse salariale 
du pays. - D'autre part, selon le journal pro-gouvernemental L'Union, le 
président Bongo a également annoncé qu'il allait "prendre des mesures 
impopulaires vis-à-vis des partis qui n'ont aucune représentativité sur 
l'échiquier national et local", indiquant qu'il pensait réduire le nombre 
de formations politiques "sans réelle assise". Le Gabon compte environ 36 
partis avec moins de huit représentants au Parlement. L'opposition a déjà 
réagi, estimant que le président violait ainsi la Constitution.   (ANB-BIA, 
de sources diverses, 4 janvier 2003)

* Gabon. Résultats des élections locales  -  Selon les résultats 
provisoires des élections locales du 29 décembre, publiés par le ministre 
de l'Intérieur le 6 janvier, le Parti démocratique gabonais (PDG, au 
pouvoir) remporte les élections locales à Libreville, dans une moindre 
mesure à Port Gentil (la capitale économique), et dans la plupart des 
localités à l'intérieur du pays. La publication de ces résultats étant 
faite par circonscription, il est difficile à l'heure actuelle de 
déterminer le taux de participation qui constitue, aux yeux des 
observateurs, l'un des enjeux de ce scrutin. Selon la loi électorale, les 
résultats définitifs sont publiés par la Cour constitutionnelle.   (PANA, 
Sénégal, 6 janvier 2003)

* Gabon. Prolifération des sectes  -  Des intellectuels gabonais partent en 
guerre contre la prolifération des sectes dans leur pays. En tout, 1.100 
groupes "religieux" y sont actuellement recensés, un record pour une 
population estimée à moins de 1,2 million d'habitants. Ces intellectuels 
viennent de créer une organisation pour lutter contre ce phénomène: le 
"Collectif de défense et de formation individuelle" (CDFI). Selon ses 
initiateurs, "n'importe qui peut se proclamer pasteur" au Gabon. Ces 
groupes se multiplient sous l'influence des milieux des Etats-Unis, du 
Brésil et du Nigeria. Les sectes promettent des prodiges, mais brisent les 
familles et prélèvent des sommes d'argent considérables à leurs fidèles. 
Selon Steve Deh, cofondateur du CDFI, "il faut éduquer les Gabonais à la 
vigilance, au discernement et à la critique".   (DIA, Kinshasa, 8 janvier 2003)

* Ghana. Ghana battles with Telekom Malaysia  -  6 January: The authorities 
in Ghana are locked in a bitter dispute with Telekom Malaysia (TM), which 
promised to modernise and improve the African country's crumbling telephone 
network. Telekom Malaysia poured millions of dollars into Ghana Telecom 
after it was privatised and tripled the number of Ghana's telephone lines. 
But a currency devaluation and a change of government in Ghana means that 
TM is now facing losses of $100m. The end result is that TM has sued the 
Ghanaian government, with the case now awaiting international arbitration. 
TM paid $38m for a 30% stake in Ghana Telecom when it was privatised in 
1997. As part of the deal, TM was awarded the management of the company and 
promised to install 40,000 landlines by 2002. At the beginning of 2000, TM 
then paid up half of a pledged $100m to purchase a further 15% stake in the 
African company. But that same year, TM's management of Ghana Telecom 
became a thorny issue in the election. And, when president John Kufuor came 
to power, he showed a new hostility to TM. TM is now demanding back its 
latest investment, and insists there is still hope of reaching an amicable 
agreement.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 January 2003)

* Kenya. Life without Moi  -  30 December: The young man at the Kenya 
Airways counter at Mombasa airport seems quite friendly. With a smile, he 
lets my Somali colleague carry his huge radio set onto the plane. I am 
leaving behind a town nursing a massive hangover and in a deep slumber 
after the opposition's clean sweep in the 28 December poll. It's a rather 
jerky flight from Mombasa to Nairobi -- but my thoughts are elsewhere. At 
27,000 ft above sea level, I can pretend to have a bird's eye view of this 
nation, which is on the verge of re-inventing itself. A young, handsome man 
who promised so much, lost because he was in the wrong party. On the way to 
State House is a rather old man who was reduced to a wheelchair in the 
final days of the run-up to the election by a freak car accident. Both men 
represent what's old and what's new in Kenya -- the old repackaged as the 
new and the truly new tainted by a horrible past. In the shadows, a man 
destined for his rocking chair at his home in the Rift Valley. Three men 
making history in their own way -- Uhuru Kenyatta conceding defeat; Mwai 
Kibaki taking over majestically; and Daniel Toroitich arap Moi stepping 
down almost gracefully.  -  Touchdown. Moi's official portrait still stares 
down coldly in the arrival section. A chatty taxi driver rambles on about 
the Rainbow Coalition's victory and what a great future Kenya now has. 
Amazingly, other motorists on Uhuru Highway seem more composed than usual. 
But in that period, Nairobi has managed to shed its old Moi image and 
embrace a new, gentle Kibaki face. As they now say here -- everything is 
possible without Moi.   (BBC News, UK, 30 December 2002)

* Kenya. New leader announces his government  -  3 January: The new Kenyan 
President, Mwai Kibaki, has announced his new government after being sworn 
in earlier this week. The new cabinet includes three women ministers. He 
was the candidate of a coalition of opposition parties and had to balance 
their demands for jobs in appointing his new team. (Parliamentary election 
results -- Narc: 125 seats; Kanu: 64 seats; Other parties: 21 seats. 
Presidential elections -- Kibaki: 62.2% of the vote; Kenyatta: 31.3% Ford's 
Simeon Nyachae was credited with 6% of the vote). David Mwiraria is 
appointed as the new finance minister, with the key job of restoring 
relations with the International Monetary Fund, which were suspended in 
2000 over corruption allegations. Kalonzo Musyoka, who defected from former 
ruling party Kanu just before the elections, is the new foreign minister. 
Lawyer Michael Wamalwa is named vice-president. Earlier, the electoral 
commission announced the definitive election results, giving Mr Kibaki's 
National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) a commanding majority in parliament. Narc 
has 125 seats in the new parliament, while the party of outgoing President 
Daniel arap Moi, Kanu, gets only 64 seats. It took the commission several 
days to collect results from all 18,366 polling stations, many of which 
were in isolated areas. The Ford party came third in the 27 December 
general elections, with 14 seats in parliament, while four small parties 
won the remaining seven seats. In spite of the enthusiasm generated by the 
polls, which saw the demise of Kanu after nearly 40 years in power, turnout 
was lower than expected. Just under 56% of registered voters cast their 
ballot, compared to 69% in the 1997 election.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 3 
January 2003)

* Kenya. Mwai Kibaki président  -  M. Mwai Kibaki, qui a recueilli 63% des 
suffrages dès le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle du 27 décembre 
(contre 31% à Uhuru Kenyatta, le candidat de la KANU), a prêté serment le 
30 décembre devant des centaines de milliers de sympathisants (plus d'un 
million selon la police) qui s'étaient réunis dans le grand parc Uhuru de 
Nairobi. Son prédécesseur Daniel arap Moi a été hué. M. Kibaki s'est engagé 
à éradiquer la corruption, tout en écartant une "chasse aux sorcières". Son 
parti dispose d'une majorité absolue au Parlement, avec 125 sièges sur 210. 
Le 3 janvier, il a présenté son nouveau gouvernement, qui compte nombre de 
ministres ayant déjà occupé de hautes fonctions sous l'ère Moi. Un des 
premiers engagements de Kibaki est de finaliser la réforme de la 
Constitution, bloquée par Moi. Le texte, qui prévoit une révision radicale 
du pouvoir exécutif et judiciaire, est presque prêt. D'autre part, 
conformément à ses promesses électorales, M. Kibaki a rendu l'éducation 
primaire gratuite et obligatoire. Il a également révélé que les bailleurs 
de fonds, qui avaient suspendu leur assistance au Kenya depuis une 
décennie, ont signalé leur intention de reprendre cette 
assistance.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 6 janvier 2003)

* Kenya. Scores dead in street clashes  -  6 January: At least 22 people 
have been killed in clashes in Kenya between members of the banned Mungiki 
sect and public service minibus touts over the control of routes. The 
violence broke after the sect followers invaded several houses in Nakuru 
town, about 200 kilometres of the capital, Nairobi. The attackers started 
slashing people indiscriminately, killing 15 people and injuring 20 others, 
some of whom are in critical condition. This is not the first time the sect 
has been engaged in battles with touts, who accuse the sect of running 
protection rackets and demanding money from minibus operators. The latest 
outbreak of violence follows last week's clashes in which six people are 
believed to have been killed by the sect.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 6 January 2003)

* Kenya. Kenyans rush to take up free primary education  -  There was hope, 
confusion and despair in Kenya's primary schools on 6 January when pupils 
were admitted free for the first time under a campaign pledge by the new 
President Mwai Kibaki. In one incident, angry parents previously unable to 
afford fees tried to enrol their children at a school near Kibera, 
Nairobi's largest slum, then threatened to set the principal's office on 
fire when told there was no more room. School officials took down names for 
enrolment next year to placate them. "The government declaration that 
primary education is free and compulsory does not help us when it has not 
made preparations for its implementation," said Andrew Otieno Oyawo, 36, 
who was trying to enrol his son. Mr Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition won 
a landslide in December's elections, sweeping the ruling party from power 
after 39 years. The education minister, George Saitoti, said the state 
would meet all costs, save for buying uniforms.   (The Guardian, UK, 7 
January 2003)

* Kenya. Attaques de conducteurs de minibus  -  Depuis le dimanche 5 
janvier, des affrontements pour le contrôle de routes dans le centre du 
Kenya ont fait douze morts, a-t-on appris de sources officielles kényanes. 
Les violences ont débuté lorsque des membres de la secte Mungiki, déclarée 
hors-la-loi depuis le mois de mars, ont attaqué dimanche des conducteurs de 
minibus dans la ville de Nakuru, à environ 135 km au nord-ouest de Nairobi. 
Les assaillants ont tué 9 personnes. La police, elle, a abattu deux membres 
de la secte. Une douzième victime a été recensée lundi après une attaque 
d'autres conducteurs de minibus dans la ville de Muranga, à 60 km au nord 
de Nairobi. Les minibus sont le principal moyen de transport au Kenya. Par 
le passé, les membres de la secte Mungiki ont affronté les propriétaires de 
ces camionnettes pour le contrôle des arrêts de bus, et donc des routes, 
dans de nombreuses villes kényanes. Une opération de police a conduit à 
l'arrestation de 38 membres de la secte, a indiqué lundi le ministre de la 
Sécurité nationale.   (AP, 7 janvier 2003)

Weekly anb0109.txt - #5/9