Weekly anb03137.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 13-03-2003      PART #7/7

* South Africa. Tourism booms  -  South Africa is the fastest growing 
tourist destination in the world, the country's tourism ministry has 
claimed. The number of overseas arrivals to South Africa rose by 1.8 
million -- or 20% -- last year, the ministry said. This growth defied 
continuing fears among key European and American customers of longhaul 
travel, and bad press over South African crime statistics. The head of 
South African Tourism, Cheryl Carolus, said that hosting the Cricket World 
Cup had boosted the sector, and helped showcase some areas less well known 
than the holiday hotspots of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The 2002, 
the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 
also helped promote South Africa as a destination. South Africa's 
landscape, wildlife, culture and heritage helped attract 6.4 million 
holiday makers last year in total, making tourism South Africa's best 
performing sector, Ms Carolus said. "Our cabinet has, for the third year 
running, identified tourism as one of our top five economic sectors from 
which we expect economic growth," she said.   (BBC News, UK, 10 March 2003)

* South Africa. A consultant who rules out AIDS/HIV link  -  The South 
African government was embroiled in a fresh row over its Aids policy on 10 
March when the health ministry confirmed hiring a controversial scientist 
who disputes the link between HIV and AIDS. Roberto Giraldo, a leader of 
the so-called AIDS dissidents, has been included in a team of experts to 
advise the government on how to combat the virus, which infects 4.7 million 
South Africans. AIDS activists renewed accusations that the authorities 
could not be serious about tackling the pandemic while listening to those 
who argued against the provision of life-extending medicine. Dr Giraldo 
reportedly believes that the anti-retroviral drugs available in the west 
induce rather than treat AIDS, and that the disease is caused by 
nutritional deficiencies -- a belief apparently shared by President Thabo 
Mbeki, who has linked AIDS to poverty. Critics said he was reluctant to 
accept a link with sexual behaviour. Earlier this year Dr Giraldo was 
invited by the South African government to brief a meeting of African 
experts on how to tackle the pandemic. News that the US-based dissident 
would be consulted on a regular basis prompted opposition calls for the 
resignation of the health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, a close ally 
of the president. In interviews yesterday she played down the significance 
of the appointment, saying the scientist would not be an official adviser 
but one of many consultants, and that he would offer advice solely on how 
to boost immune systems with food. Ms Tshabalala-Msimang said that she was 
not interested in Dr Giraldo's controversial views on the link between HIV 
and AIDS, a link the cabinet publicly accepted last year.   (The Guardian, 
UK, 11 March 2003)

* South Africa. Hunt for white right-wing militants  -  12 March: Police 
have conducted raids on homes in six of South Africa's nine provinces in a 
hunt for white right-wing militants. One person was arrested for illegal 
possession of explosives, with police saying they expect more arrests to 
follow. There have been several similar raids over the past few months, 
following a series of bomb attacks, which killed one person in Soweto. 
Twenty-three right-wingers are due to face trial in Pretoria in May for 
trying to overthrow the government through violence. Another 24 people have 
been arrested for contravening firearms legislation. Police spokeswoman 
Sally de Beer says the swoop is the fourth such operation, code-named 
Hopper, since November last year. "The focus of Hopper IV is on people 
about whom the police have received information during the course of our 
investigation into a plan to overthrow the government". Since the end of 
apartheid, a small group of conservative whites has remained opposed to 
democratic rule. Police have linked a group called the Boeremag, or Boer 
Force, to the blasts. President Thabo Mbeki says government information has 
indicated "that the right wing have the intention to conduct a campaign" to 
destabilise South Africa.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 March 2003)

* Soudan. Khartoum accusé  -  Alors que les pourparlers de paix au Soudan 
reprennent au Kenya, Khartoum continue de violer l'accord de cessez-le-feu 
signé avec l'Armée populaire de libération du Soudan (SPLA), a affirmé 
l'ONG International Crisis Group basée à Bruxelles. Selon l'ONG, les forces 
gouvernementales ainsi que des milices soutenues par Khartoum sont en train 
d'attaquer les régions pétrolifères de l'ouest du Haut Nil, dans le but de 
déloger la SPLA et d'étendre l'exploitation du pétrole, avec comme 
premières victimes les civils. Ces accusations ont réchauffé l'atmosphère 
de la reprise des pourparlers de paix au Kenya, où les parties doivent 
finaliser les questions relatives à l'autodétermination, au pouvoir et au 
partage des richesses. Un problème épineux concerne le contrôle des trois 
régions riches en pétrole se situant dans la zone ouest du Haut Nil et du 
Kordofan.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 8 mars 2003)

* Sudan. Talisman pulls out of Sudan  -  10 March: Canadian energy group 
Talisman has sold its stake in a controversial oil project in Sudan for 
$750m to India's national oil company. The 25% stake in the Greater Nile 
Oil production and pipeline project had attracted heavy criticism from 
human rights groups. They accused Talisman of providing the Islamist 
Sudanese government with oil revenues which were used to finance the two 
decade old civil war with mostly Christian and animist separatists in the 
south. "We say welcome to the Indian company," Sudanese Energy Minister 
Awad al-Jaz told reporters. "This deal was done with the consent of all and 
everybody is happy." The sale was originally due to have been concluded in 
December. The Indian company ONGC Videsh also operates in Russia, Vietnam, 
Iran and Libya. Talisman promised to return to Sudan once a peace agreement 
is signed. "It has been very difficult for us to operate (in Sudan)," said 
Talisman's chief executive Jim Buckee. "In the event of signing a peace 
agreement, we will come back to Sudan," he said.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 
March 2003)

* Tanzanie. Expulsion de Rwandais  -  Le gouvernement rwandais a décidé 
d'interpeller l'ambassadeur de la Tanzanie à Kigali au sujet des expulsions 
de ses ressortissants établis dans ce pays depuis 1959, a-t-on appris le 8 
mars. Depuis la semaine dernière, plus de 300 ressortissants rwandais ont 
été expulsés de Tanzanie et attendent dans un centre d'accueil près de la 
frontière à Rusemo. Il s'agit pour la plupart d'anciens réfugiés ou 
descendants de réfugiés, qui avaient fui le Rwanda en 1959. Ces expulsions 
surviennent à la suite de la fermeture, fin 2002, de tous les camps de 
réfugiés rwandais en Tanzanie, où vivaient depuis 1994 quelque 20.000 
réfugiés rwandais. Beaucoup d'entre eux sont retournés au Rwanda, d'autres 
ont préféré s'enfuir vers des pays voisins.   (PANA, Sénégal, 8 mars 2003)

* Tunisie. Saisie de faux billets  -  Le 6 mars, deux Maliens ont été 
arrêtés en Tunisie en possession de 51 millions de dollars en faux billets 
de 100 dollars. Les deux faussaires, se présentant comme des hommes 
d'affaires, ont reconnu avoir acheté les faux dollars à Bamako. Ils étaient 
également en possession de plusieurs faux passeports. Soupçonnés d'être 
impliqués dans plusieurs autres affaires du même genre en France et aux 
Etats-Unis, ils seront traduits devant la justice tunisienne pour 
escroquerie et trafic de fausse monnaie.   (Le Figaro, France, 7 mars 2003)

* Uganda. Soldiers executed after unfair trial  -  On 6 March, Amnesty 
International strongly condemned the execution of three Uganda Peoples 
Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers on 3 March. The executions confirmed fears by 
Amnesty International, following the execution of two other UPDF soldiers 
in March 2002, that the Ugandan army has adopted the use of the death 
penalty as an expedient form of punishment.   (Amnesty International, 6 
March 2003)

* Uganda. Museveni offers rebels five-day cease-fire  -  President Yoweri 
Museveni has offered the northern rebel Lords Resistance Army (LRA) a 
five-day cease-fire paving the way for possible peace talks to begin. The 
cease-fire, coming after last week's failure by the government to reach the 
LRA leadership for preliminary talks last week, will be effective from 
10-15 March. However, the partial cease-fire does not cover all parts of 
Gulu, Pader, Kitgum, Lira and Apac districts in northern Uganda, where the 
LRA has been particularly active. The LRA has fought President Museveni's 
government for the past 17 years.   (PANA, Senegal, 10 March 2003)

* Ouganda. Cessez-le-feu de 5 jours  -  Le président Museveni a accordé à 
l'Armée de résistance du Seigneur (LRA, rébellion), qui opère dans le nord 
du pays, un cessez-le-feu de cinq jours pour faciliter d'éventuelles 
négociations de paix. Une réunion entre une délégation gouvernementale et 
les dirigeants de la LRA, prévue la semaine dernière à l'initiative des 
autorités religieuses, n'a pu avoir lieu. Le cessez-le-feu proposé par 
Museveni sera effectif du 10 au 15 mars. Il se limitera cependant aux 
sous-comtés de Wipolo et Koyo Lagoli, dans les districts de Pader et de 
Kitgum.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 10 mars 2003)

* Uganda. Human trial of AIDS vaccine starts  -  Ugandan researchers have 
begun injecting volunteers with one of the world's few prototype HIV/AIDS 
vaccines aimed at the strain of the virus ravaging East Africa, the 
research team said today. The trial will involve uninfected volunteers in 
Uganda considered to be at low risk of HIV infection. The trial will 
determine whether the vaccine is safe and creates immunity. "The trials 
will go on for about two years after which we hope we can move it to the 
next phase," said the principal researcher, Dr. Pontiano Kaleebu. About 
half a million people have died in Uganda from AIDS, and it is estimated 
that about 1.5 million are infected with HIV, the virus that causes the 
deadly disease. The vaccine being tested does not contain HIV and cannot 
cause HIV infection, Dr. Kaleebu said. Researchers said the vaccine is the 
only one being tested on humans that is tailored to the virus common in 
Uganda and other East African countries, HIV subtype A. Most vaccines being 
tested on humans are for subtypes other than A, the researchers said. It is 
possible that different vaccines may have to be developed to treat 
different subtypes prevalent in various regions, they added. Making a 
vaccine against HIV is difficult because the virus integrates itself into 
cells and attacks the very immune cells that are normally stimulated by a 
vaccine.   (New York Times, USA, 12 March 2003)

* Zambie. Grève et menaces de grève  -  Les fonctionnaires zambiens 
menacent d'aller en grève à la fin de ce mois, si le gouvernement 
n'augmente pas les salaires minimum jusqu'à 1,5 million de kwachas (environ 
300 dollars). Le 9 mars, le président Mwanawasa a rejeté ces demandes, 
arguant que son gouvernement n'avait pas les moyens de les payer. Il a 
critiqué ceux qui l'accusent d'accorder de "gros salaires" à lui-même et à 
son cabinet, soulignant qu'il était le président le moins bien payé de 
toute l'Afrique australe. D'autre part, l'université de Zambie, à Lusaka, a 
été fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre après que la direction ait échoué de 
trouver un accord avec les enseignants en grève, qui réclament de meilleurs 
salaires et conditions de travail. Tous les étudiants ont été renvoyés chez 
eux, et se préparaient, le 9 mars, à quitter le campus. Le gouvernement 
doit aux enseignants, aux chercheurs et au reste du personnel universitaire 
un total de 16 milliards de kwachas (environ 3 millions de dollars) 
d'arriérés d'augmentation de salaires. Le 7 mars, il a versé 2 milliards de 
kwachas à l'université dans une tentative de résorber cette 
dette.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 9 mars 2003)

* Zambia. Party plot alleged  -  10 March: President Levy Mwanawasa has 
accused members of his Movement for Multi-Party Democracy party of plotting 
to undermine the government. Speaking at a meeting in the copper mining 
town of Mufulira, Mr Mwanawasa also said his opponents were trying to 
prevent his efforts to investigate alleged corruption under his 
predecessor, Frederick Chiluba. Sympathisers of President Chiluba are 
reportedly trying to campaign against President Mwanawasa in the Copperbelt 
province. Mr Chiluba was arrested two weeks ago and was charged with 66 
counts of corruption. He was released on bail of 1.5 billion kwacha 
($300,000) and had to surrender his passport. Mr Chiluba was stripped of 
his immunity by parliament after being accused by President Mwanawasa of 
misusing millions of dollars of government money.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 
March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. US sanctions target Mugabe  -  7 March: The United States has 
announced it is imposing economic sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and 
76 other government officials in Zimbabwe. Washington accuses them of 
undermining democracy and using violence to stifle political opposition. 
The executive order signed by US President George W Bush freezes the assets 
of those involved, and bars Americans from having any financial dealings 
with them. The US sanctions mark an escalation of the visa restrictions on 
officials announced by President Bush last March following Mr Mugabe's 
controversial re-election last year. America's actions complement a similar 
move by the European Union to freeze the assets of the leadership, the 
White House said. The EU renewed its year-old sanctions -- including travel 
restrictions on the country's leaders, an arms embargo and a freeze of 
assets -- against Mr Mugabe and 71 of his associates in 
mid-February.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 7 March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Sanctions américaines  -  Les Etats-Unis ont décidé de geler 
des avoirs appartenant au président Robert Mugabe et à 76 ressortissants 
zimbabwéens en raison des mesures antidémocratiques prises par les 
autorités de Harare, a annoncé la Maison Blanche le 7 mars. Cette décision, 
adoptée par décret présidentiel, "gèle toutes les propriétés et les actifs 
financiers des individus visés" et interdit aux citoyens américains "de 
mener toute transaction ou opération avec les personnes concernées". M. 
Mugabe et les 76 autres personnes sont accusées d'avoir "formulé, appliqué 
ou soutenu des politiques qui ont sapé les institutions démocratiques" du 
pays. L'Union européenne avait décidé à la mi-février de prolonger pour un 
an des sanctions en vigueur contre le Zimbabwe, qui interdisent de séjour 
dans l'UE et gèlent les avoirs de M. Mugabe et de 71 dignitaires de son 
régime.   (Le Monde, France, 9 mars 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Opposition arrests  -  10 March: There have been more 
opposition arrests in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, over the weekend. The 
state-run Herald newspaper said 21 members of the main opposition party, 
the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were detained for allegedly 
holding an illegal meeting. Police told the newspaper that the group had 
not sought official clearance for their gathering. Political tensions are 
reported to be running high in the capital ahead of two key by-elections 
due to take place in opposition strongholds at the end of the month. Police 
representative Bothwell Mugariri told the Herald that police officers who 
came to break up the meeting were stoned leaving four officers injured and 
two vehicles damaged. "The group was violent and as a result the police 
called for reinforcements before they managed to arrest 21 people," 
Mugariri told the paper. Six other MDC members were detained in a separate 
incident after allegedly attacking ruling party supporters.   (ANB-BIA, 
Belgium, 10 March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Opposants arrêtés  -  Pendant le week-end du 8-9 mars, 28 
membres du Mouvement pour le changement démocratique (MDC), principal parti 
d'opposition, ont été arrêtés à Harare, alors que la tension politique 
croît dans la capitale à l'approche de deux élections législatives 
partielles. Par ailleurs, le 10 mars, des femmes du MDC ont annoncé leur 
intention de porter plainte contre la police, qui a violemment dispersé une 
manifestation pour la Journée internationale de la femme, samedi à 
Bulawayo.   (Le Figaro, France, 11 mars 2003)

Weekly anb0313.txt - #7/7
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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