Weekly anb03206.txt #6

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 20-03-2003      PART #6/6

* Somalia. Terror suspect arrested  -  19 March: A Yemeni man accused of 
involvement in terror attacks in East Africa has been arrested in Somalia 
and flown to Kenya. Kenyan National Security Minister Chris Murungaru said 
the man was suspected of being a member of the al-Qaeda network. Earlier 
reports from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, said that a wounded man had 
been handed over to United States FBI agents. Al-Qaeda was blamed for last 
November's attack on Paradise Hotel near the Kenyan resort of Mombasa, 
which left 15 people dead. It was also blamed for the 1998 attacks on US 
embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam, in which more than 200 people died. 
Somalia has long been seen as a possible haven for al-Qaeda operatives. Its 
Transitional National Government has been accused of being associated with 
Islamic extremists, charges it vigorously denies.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 
March 2003)

* Somalie. Présumé terroriste enlevé  -  Le 18 mars, six Américains en 
tenue civile mais armés, épaulés par des miliciens locaux, ont enlevé dans 
un hôpital de Mogadiscio un homme d'origine yéménite mais porteur d'un 
passeport sud-africain, soupçonné d'appartenir au réseau terroriste 
Al-Qaeda. L'homme a été emmené à bord d'un avion privé vers Nairobi 
(Kenya), où un autre membre présumé d'Al-Qaeda, en garde à vue, est 
interrogé sur plusieurs attentats terroristes en Afrique de l'Est en 
novembre 2002.   (D'après Le Figaro, France, 20 mars 2003)

* Sudan. Footballers in bus crash  -  13 March: Twenty-five people have 
been killed in a bus crash in Sudan, including the coach of one of the 
country's top football clubs. It happened when the Al-Merreikh FC football 
team's bus collided head-on with a minibus, about 60 km southeast of the 
capital, Khartoum. The footballers were on their way back to the capital 
after a first division football match at Kassala, near the border with 
Eritrea. Coach Siddeiq al-Umdah died along with two other players and the 
team's bus driver, according to Sudanese television. The Sudanese news 
agency, Suna, reports that 21 bodies have yet to be identified. Several 
other people from both vehicles were injured. Al-Merreikh FC is the only 
club in Sudan to have won the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.   (BBC 
News, UK, 13 March 2003)

* Sudan. Politician arrested  -  18 March: The authorities in Sudan have 
arrested the chairman of the opposition Justice Party. General Tawfiq Salih 
Abu Kadouk whose party has its stronghold in Darfur -- a region known as 
the "Wild West" for its lawlessness -- is a former general of the Sudanese 
army. A security source said that the general is being investigated in 
connection with a rebellion in Darfur last month against the government of 
President Hassan al-Bashir. The Justice party has strong links with Darfur, 
which borders Chad. The main politician behind the party -- a former state 
minister of justice -- hails from the region. The Justice Party has had 
very bad relationship with the ruling National Congress party in Khartoum. 
Three of its leaders were one time leading members of the government and 
ruling party but resigned last year accusing the National Congress of being 
corrupt and of being "too deformed to be reformed".   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 18 
March 2003)

* Swaziland. Widows banned from being election candidates  -  Widows who 
have been bereaved within the past two years have been banned from running 
as candidates in this year's parliamentary election, enraging women's 
empowerment groups who are already bristling under cultural restrictions 
that regard Swazi women as legal minors. "You can say that when I read that 
widows will not be allowed into parliament, it made me so angry I was 
ashamed of being a Swazi," attorney Fikile Mtembu, former mayor of 
Swaziland's largest urban area Manzini, and a widow, told IRIN. "This is 
persecution of the highest order," she said. Chief Electoral Officer Robert 
Thwala was reported in the local media this week warning: "Widows will not 
be able to stand for elections to parliament. This is in keeping with Swazi 
tradition, where women must respect the proper mourning period." The 
Swaziland branch of the legal advocacy group Women in Law in Southern 
Africa is concerned that not only are thousands of capable women being 
denied the chance to run for office, but they are prevented from even 
casting ballots.   (IRIN, Kenya, 12 March 2003)

* Togo. Exile to run in Togo poll  -  13 March: The main opposition party 
in Togo, The Union for Forces for Change, has elected its exiled leader 
Gilchrist Olympio to contest presidential elections due this year. Mr 
Olympio who lives in France is likely to be pitted against his arch rival 
the long serving president Gnassingbe Eyadema. In 1992 Mr Olympio returned 
to the country, but his campaign motorcade came under fire which left five 
people in his entourage dead and 17 others including himself injured. Mr 
Olympio was prevented from taking part in last October's legislative 
elections because of a law which says candidates must live in the country. 
He says he will go back to Togo to contest this year's polls provided his 
security was assured, especially by the internationally 
community.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 March 2003)

* Togo. Marche interdite  -  Le 15 mars à Lomé, des jeunes de l'opposition 
togolaise, regroupés au sein de la Nouvelle dynamique populaire (NDP), ont 
défié les forces de sécurité en tentant d'organiser une marche de 
protestation interdite par les autorités. Empêchés par un dispositif 
impressionnant, les manifestants ont érigé des barricades et enflammé des 
pneus, mais le calme est revenu dans l'après-midi. Les jeunes voulaient 
réclamer la restauration de la Constitution et du code électoral (modifiés 
récemment), et la liberté d'opinion et d'expression pour tous les partis 
politiques. Créée le 16 janvier, la NDP affirme vouloir oeuvrer pour "une 
véritable démocratie au Togo".   (PANA, Sénégal, 15 mars 2003)

* Tunisie/Soudan. Accord sur la sécurité  -  La Tunisie et le Soudan ont 
signé un accord de coopération en matière de sécurité, à l'occasion d'une 
visite effectuée à Tunis par le ministre soudanais de l"Intérieur, a-t-on 
appris le 18 mars de source officielle tunisienne. Le document porte 
notamment sur la coopération en matière de "lutte contre la criminalité 
sous toutes ses formes et l'échange d'expériences et de données".   (AP, 18 
mars 2003)

* Uganda. Tea industry unprofitable  -  13 March: Uganda's small but 
once-buoyant tea industry has become desperately unprofitable, the Uganda 
Tea Association (UTA) has announced. Over the past decade, Uganda has 
trebled production, in an effort to diversify away from its traditional 
reliance on coffee. But prices at the market in Mombasa, Kenya, where most 
Ugandan tea is sold, have fallen sharply. Now, says UTA head Isaac Munaabi, 
the cost of producing Ugandan tea and transporting it to Mombasa is 23% 
higher than the wholesale selling price. Mr Munaabi laid most of the blame 
for the industry's woes on Ugandan electricity, whose high price and 
erratic supply make producing tea in Uganda more expensive than in 
neighbouring Kenya. But he also acknowledged that the industry had been 
badly run, and was especially starved of investment during the 1970s. 
Ugandan producers have spent over $200m since the 1970s on upgrading their 
production, Mr Munaabi said. But more investment is needed, in particular 
some $56m to reclaim 3,000 hectares of nominally tea-growing land from the 
bush.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 March 2003)

* Ouganda. Nouvel évêque de Kabale  -  Le pape a accepté la démission de 
l'évêque du diocèse de Kabale, Mgr Robert Gay, Canadien, âgé de 76 ans, 
a-t-on appris le 15 mars au Vatican. Jean Paul II a nommé comme son 
successeur Mgr Callistus Rubaramira, prêtre du même diocèse, né en 1950 et 
ordonné prêtre en 1975.   (D'après Misna, Italie, 15 mars 2003)

* Uganda. Ambush in the north  -  17 March: Eight people have died in a 
brutal ambush by suspected Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels near the 
town of Kitgum in northern Uganda. There have been frequent attacks on 
civilians in recent days despite the fact that the LRA has announced a 
ceasefire. But this latest attack is the most serious since their 
announcement and comes just as the two sides are trying to talk peace. At 
1100 local time a pick-up vehicle was ambushed by suspected LRA rebels on 
its way from Agoro, near the Sudanese border, to Kitgum. Ten kilometres 
away from Kitgum they opened fire on the vehicle. According to eyewitnesses 
the passengers were then shot at close range before the vehicle was set 
ablaze. According to the chief superintendent at Kitgum government 
hospital, eight died in the attack - four completely burnt corpses have 
been carried to the hospital while four others remain in the vehicle burnt 
beyond recognition.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 17 March 2003)

* Uganda/Rwanda. Tension mounts  -  17 March: Uganda has warned Rwanda 
against fighting a "proxy war" in Congo RDC. This follows a Rwandan threat 
to send its troops back into unless Uganda also withdrew. Tension has been 
mounting following fighting in and around the north-eastern town of Bunia, 
where Uganda sent reinforcements after driving a small rebel group out of 
the town. The former allies have already clashed on several occasions on 
Congolese territory during the five year DR Congo conflict. The Congolese 
are alarmed that the drums of war are sounding just as the organisers of 
the Congolese peace process announced a "final ceremony" for the end of the 
month. "If Rwanda attacks us directly we shall fight them ourselves," said 
Ugandan Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi in a statement. "If they attack us 
using proxies, we shall fight those proxies," he said.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 
17 March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Commonwealth ban extended  -  16 March: The Commonwealth has 
announced that Zimbabwe's suspension from the organisation which was due to 
expire this week has been extended until the end of the year. Leading 
African members of the Commonwealth had argued in favour of Zimbabwe's 
immediate readmission. Zimbabwe was originally suspended in March last year 
after Commonwealth observers reported violence during the presidential 
elections. The extension of Zimbabwe's suspension for at least another nine 
months is a significant setback to President Robert Mugabe and will 
encourage the opposition. In recent weeks, it has appeared that the 
diplomatic tide has been turning in President Mugabe's favour, despite the 
desperate political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. Two key African 
leaders, South African President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian President 
Olusegun Obasanjo, have argued that sanctions against Zimbabwe should be 
lifted and that it should be allowed back into the 
Commonwealth.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 16 March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Suspension du Commonwealth prolongée?  -  Le Zimbabwe, déjà 
suspendu depuis un an des réunions ministérielles du Commonwealth, le 
restera pour neuf mois supplémentaires, jusqu'en décembre 2003, a annoncé 
le 17 mars le secrétaire général de l'institution, M. McKinnon. Le 
gouvernement du président Robert Mugabe avait été exclu pour un an des 
réunions ministérielles du Commonwealth le 19 mars 2002, à la suite des 
conclusions d'observateurs internationaux mettant en exergue de sérieuses 
anomalies dans les élections qui avaient permis au dirigeant d'être élu. 
Pour la nouvelle mesure, M. McKinnon a dit s'appuyer sur la recommandation 
des trois pays (Australie, Nigeria et Afrique du Sud) chargés de revoir le 
statut de membre du Zimbabwe. Mais les diplomates du Nigeria et de 
l'Afrique du Sud ont indiqué que leurs pays n'étaient pas en faveur du 
renouvellement des sanctions. Le Haut commissaire du Zimbabwe en 
Grande-Bretagne a déclaré que la suspension était nulle et non avenue, et 
que M. McKinnon n'avait pas autorité pour prononcer une telle 
mesure.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 18 mars 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Strike shuts down the main centres  -  18 March: Most factories 
and shops have closed in response to an opposition-called strike. However, 
some banks and government offices have remained open. The army has been 
deployed following some violence in the Harare suburb of Epworth. The 
strike was called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Chance. The 
police, backed by army helicopters and armoured cars, have arrested 63 
protestors nationwide. 19 March: Shops and industries on Zimbabwe's main 
cities remain closed for a second day of the strike. Security is tight 
ahead of a march into central Harare planned for today. 20 March: The MDC 
has vowed to escalate mass action to force President Mugabe's government to 
reform or to leave office.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 March 2003)

* Zimbabwe. L'opposition appelle à l'action  -  Dans des messages publiés 
dans la presse le 16 mars, le principal parti d'opposition, le Mouvement 
pour le changement démocratique (MDC), a appelé à une action pacifique de 
masse contre le gouvernement à partir du 18 mars. La police a cependant 
déclaré illégale la grève générale prévue par l'opposition, arguant que 
celle-ci ne l'en avait pas informé, comme il est requis par la loi. Le pays 
connaît une situation économique catastrophique, avec un fort taux de 
chômage, une inflation record et des pénuries alimentaires et d'essence. Le 
MDC accuse aussi le gouvernement de violer les droits humains et de 
réprimer les opposants. - Le 18 mars, au moins 63 personnes ont été 
arrêtées au premier jour de l'"action de masse". L'appel à la grève du MDC 
a été suivi dans tout le pays. Plusieurs personnes, notamment des 
policiers, ont été blessées lorsque des incidents ont tourné à la violence. 
- Le 19 mars, l'action de masse sous forme d'arrêts de travail est entrée 
dans sa deuxième et dernière journée. La majorité des grandes entreprises, 
supermarchés et banques de la capitale sont restés fermés. Le nombre des 
personnes arrêtées est monté à 120.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 
mars 2003)


Weekly anb0320.txt - #6/6 - 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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