Weekly anb03275.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-03-2003      PART #5/6

* Rwanda. Government calls for help on demobilisation, 
reintegration  -  The Rwandan government is appealing to NGOs and public 
and private institutions to help thousands of former soldiers and 
militiamen needing advice on how to reintegrate themselves into their 
communities after demobilisation. Under a government demobilisation scheme, 
former fighters are given money to start earning a living through a project 
of their choice. The projects have to be approved by Community Development 
Committees (CDC)s, which check that they are financially viable, 
environmentally friendly and socially acceptable. But the government is 
concerned that the committees are not up to the task. So far, the response 
from NGOs to the appeal had been limited, and that the government was 
advertising for their help. The ex-fighters who can benefit from the 
demobilisation package fall into three categories -- soldiers from the 
Rwanda Defence Force (formerly the Rwanda Patriotic Army), soldiers of the 
former Rwandan armed forces, and members of former armed groups, including 
militiamen who fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo after the 1994 
genocide. When they demobilise, they can qualify for a variety of financial 
packages, including a reintegration grant of about US $360. Most of them 
come from rural areas and choose to start an agricultural project such as 
livestock rearing. About 20 per cent tend to choose a business such as 
carpentry or masonry.   (IRIN, Kenya, 20 March 2003)

* Rwanda/Uganda. Plots and prisoners  -  25 March: At the end of last week, 
22 men were paraded in front of the press at a military barracks in 
north-west Uganda. They sat on the ground in dirty tattered clothes, some 
with gunshot wounds. The Ugandan military say they are a rebel force set up 
by dissident Ugandan soldiers called the People's Redemption Army. They say 
this is conclusive proof that the authorities in neighbouring Rwanda have 
been harbouring and training dissident Ugandans with the aim of 
destabilizing the country. But Rwanda has vigorously denied accusations 
that it is involved, and is accusing Uganda of linking up with enemy forces 
of Rwanda. What is clear is that tension is increasing between the two 
countries.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 March 2003)

* Rwanda/Ouganda. Inquiétudes  -  Dans un communiqué rendu public le 26 
mars, à Addis-Abeba, M. Amara Essy, président de la Commission de l'Union 
africaine, a appelé le Rwanda et l'Ouganda à s'abstenir de toute action 
susceptible de compromettre le processus de paix en cours au Congo-RDC. "La 
tension qui couve entre les deux pays est inopportune et très alarmante", 
a-t-il affirmé. La tension entre le Rwanda et l'Ouganda s'est accrue début 
mars, quand les troupes ougandaises se sont déployées dans la province 
congolaise de l'Ituri. Le Rwanda accuse l'Ouganda de chercher à l'attaquer 
sous couvert des forces présentes dans l'est du Congo et qui lui sont 
hostiles, et parle d'un plan pour déstabiliser son régime. Par ailleurs, au 
Rwanda, de nombreux habitants craignent pour la sécurité de leurs proches 
vivant en Ouganda, si la tension actuelle devait évoluer vers un 
affrontement armé. On estime à 30.000 le nombre de Rwandais vivant à ce 
jour en Ouganda. La plupart d'entre eux sont des anciens réfugiés établis 
sur place depuis 1959. L'inquiétude règne aussi chez la plupart des 
commerçants rwandais qui font la navette entre les deux pays pour importer 
leur marchandise, l'Ouganda étant la voie de transit pour 80% des 
exportations et importations du Rwanda.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 26 mars 2003)

* Sahara occidental. Plan sans réponse  -  Le 25 mars, le Conseil de 
sécurité a décidé de proroger jusqu'au 31 mai le mandat de la mission de 
l'Onu au Sahara occidental (Minurso), qui devait expirer le 31 mars, "afin 
de donner aux parties le temps d'examiner les termes d'une proposition qui 
leur a été présentée par James Baker", envoyé de Kofi Annan. Le Conseil a 
aussi révélé que, jusqu'à présent, aucune des parties concernées par ce 
conflit (Maroc, Algérie, Front Polisario et Mauritanie) n'a soumis sa 
réponse à cette proposition, intitulée "Plan de paix pour 
l'autodétermination du peuple du Sahara occidental", présentée en janvier 
dernier.   (PANA, Sénégal, 26 mars 2003)

* Western Sahara. Security Council extends MINURSO's mandate  -  The UN 
Security Council has extended by two months the mandate of its Mission in 
Western Sahara, to allow the parties more time to consider its proposal on 
the political solution to the dispute on the territory. The Mission has the 
responsibility of organising a referendum in the former Spanish territory 
clamouring for self-determination from Moroccan domination. The Council's 
unanimous decision on 25 March to extend to May 31, the mandate of the UN 
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), followed a request 
by Secretary General Kofi Annan last week, seeking more time for the 
exercise.   (PANA, Senegal, 26 March 2003)

* Sierra Leone. Retrait "progressif" de la Minusil  -  Dans son dernier 
rapport au Conseil de sécurité, M. Kofi Annan a recommandé un retrait 
progressif des casques bleus en Sierra Leone et une prolongation de six 
mois de leur mandat, soulignant que ce pays n'est pas encore en mesure 
d'assurer sa sécurité sans l'aide des Nations unies. Le rapport a aussi 
souligné certains éléments essentiels pour une paix durable en Sierra 
Leone: notamment, empêcher les jeunes gens de se sentir exclus, contrôler 
l'exploitation diamantifère et créer des opportunités de réintégration pour 
les ex-combattants. M. Annan a encore insisté sur le fait que "la sécurité 
en Sierra Leone ne peut être totalement assurée alors que le conflit au 
Liberia persiste", appelant la communauté internationale à contribuer à 
mettre fin à ce conflit.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 22 mars 2003)

* Sierra Leone. EU reiterates its support for Special Court  -  26 March: 
The European Union hails the Special Court for Sierra Leone for its speedy 
operation, saying its performance was an important stage in the achievement 
of peace, justice and national reconciliation in the country. In a 
statement issued in Brussels, the EU emphasises "firm support" to the 
special court in its essential task of bringing to justice persons accused 
of serious violations of international humanitarian law during the civil 
war in Sierra Leone.   (PANA, Senegal, 26 March 2003)

* South Africa. Cardinal Napier meets Swiss Foreign Minister  -  The 
President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC), 
Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, today met with the Swiss Foreign Minister, Ms 
Calmy-Rey, in Berne, Switzerland. The meeting addressed the current social, 
political, and economic situation in South Africa, including the campaign 
for apartheid debt cancellation and reparations from Swiss banks and 
businesses. Cardinal Napier is currently on a two-week visit to Switzerland 
at the invitation of the Catholic Church development agency Fastenopfer for 
the annual Swiss Lenten Campaign organised by the Swiss churches. The 
Cardinal will: Address several church and public gatherings; meet civil 
society and government development agencies such as Fastenopfer, Swiss 
Inter-Church Aid, Bread for All, the Swiss Coalition of NGOs, the official 
Swiss Development Cooperation agency, and others; meet members of the Swiss 
parliament; meet church leaders from the Swiss Catholic Bishops' Conference 
and other churches, and church structures such as Justice & Peace; meet 
government representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the 
State Secretariat for Foreign Economic Affairs; and give several media 
interviews.   (SACBC, 19 March 2003)

* South Africa. "Reparation is key to reconciliation"  -  The Southern 
African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) welcomes the hand-over of the 
Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) final report to President Thabo 
Mbeki in Pretoria, the SACBC said in a statement issued today. "This point 
in the TRC's work marks the beginning of a new chapter in South Africa's 
transformation from apartheid to a new society," said SACBC spokesperson 
Archbishop Buti Tlhagale. "The report has been the focus of many deeply 
emotional challenges that have tested the resolve of our society to come to 
terms with its past. However, the delivery of the report to the President 
today marks the beginning of the equally important challenge of ensuring 
reparation for the communities and individuals who suffered severe damage 
as a result of apartheid abuses. Since the delivery of the first TRC 
report, the question of reparations has remained unresolved. Our society 
will be reconciled to the extent that the perpetrators and beneficiaries of 
apartheid crimes open their hearts to ensuring that apartheid's social and 
economic imbalances are overcome through reparations programmes for the 
reconstruction and development of poor communities. While significant 
progress has been made in regard to the provision of housing and education, 
more effective programmes must be implemented for job creation, land 
reform, and the treatment of people with HIV and AIDS. When that happens, 
then the work of Truth and Reconciliation will be complete," he said. 
"While the government must play a strong role in guaranteeing reparations 
in the spirit of the TRC, this is not the responsibility of the government 
alone. Private companies, banks, and individuals who made huge profits 
under apartheid must also be held accountable for reparations, both within 
South Africa and internationally".   (SACB, 21 March 2003)

* South Africa. AIDS protesters accuse ministers of manslaughter  -  On 20 
March, hundreds of AIDS activists gathered illegally and marched into South 
African police stations to begin a campaign of civil disobedience against 
the government for its refusal to provide life-extending drugs to those 
with HIV. Chanting, singing and waving banners, they laid accusations of 
manslaughter against two cabinet ministers they say are letting 600 people 
die every day by denying the medicine to South Africa's 4.7 million 
infected people, more than any other country. They blame the health 
minister, Manto Tshabalala Msimang, for denying anti-retrovirals to state 
hospitals and clinics, and trade and industry minister, Alec Erwin, for 
blocking production of the drugs in South Africa. The accusations relate to 
16 specific deaths. The government continued to recommend people infected 
with the virus to boost their immune systems with garlic, onions, olive oil 
and "African potato", an African corm, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, used in 
traditional healing with has attracted medical attention in recent years as 
a protection against the onset of AIDS. The activists vowed to revive the 
African National Congress's tactic against apartheid, of committing 
peaceful but illegal acts which prompt mass arrests and result in police 
detention cells overflowing.   (The Guardian, UK, 21 March 2003)

* South Africa. Mining groups suffer tax blow  -  On 20 March, South Africa 
unveiled a new tax regime which will force mining companies to pay 
royalties of 8 per cent of gross sales. Some within the industry said the 
move was excessive and would deter investment. However, De Beers, the 
world's largest diamond producer, announced it would invest more than $150m 
in the country this year. The long-awaited Mineral and Petroleum Royalty 
Bill ends a decades-long virtual tax holiday for mining companies in South 
Africa. It proposes a sliding scale of royalties on gross sales, ranging 
from 1 per cent for deep-water oil and gas to 8 per cent for diamond 
producers. Royalties on gold and platinum are respectively 3 and 4 per 
cent. The provisions will be phased in over four years and the full royalty 
regime will be in place by 2007. "The rates are eminently reasonable," 
Trevor Manuel, the finance minister, said yesterday. Royalties will be 
deductible against income tax but will significantly boost fiscal revenue. 
"If they had been introduced last year they would have brought in R4.2bn 
($518m)," he said. However, disappointed mining executives warned that the 
royalties were at the high end of internationally competitive ranges and 
would result in significant additional costs for miners in South Africa. 
Analysts said the discounts at which South African companies trade would 
likely be reinforced. "This bill makes investing in Chile a hell of a lot 
more attractive," a Johannesburg-based mining executive said yesterday. 
Chile does not impose mining royalties. The bill gives effect to the 
Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act -- approved last year -- 
and transfers all mineral rights from the private sector to the State. The 
accompanying Mining Charter, which sought to promote black economic 
empowerment, or affirmative action, caused panic among investors last year 
when a first draft suggested a 51 per cent black ownership target for the 
sector within 10 years. A revised and more industry-friendly charter was 
approved last October, but mining shares have yet to recover fully from 
last year's selling spree.   (Financial Times, UK, 21 March 2003)

* Afrique du Sud. Commission vérité et réconciliation  -  Le 21 mars, Mgr 
Tutu a remis au président sud-africain Thabo Mbeki le rapport final de la 
Commission Vérité et Réconciliation (TRC), cinq ans après la fin des 
audiences. Si le rapport final a été rendu si tard, c'est qu'il a fallu du 
temps pour calmer les esprits et empêcher les antagonismes de ressurgir. 
Des personnalités encore dotées d'un énorme poids politique, comme Winnie 
Mandela et Buthelezi (chef de l'Inkhata), ont en effet été reconnues 
"responsables" par la TRC de violations des droits de l'homme pendant 
l'apartheid. Faute d'avoir demandé l'amnistie, elles devraient en principe 
encourir des poursuites pénales. Il en va de même pour 5.000 personnes, 
d'anciens tortionnaires blancs pour la plupart. Mais "s'ils devaient tous 
être poursuivis, le fardeau pour notre système serait insupportable et le 
coût astronomique", a commenté Mgr Tutu. C'est surtout pour préserver le 
statu quo politique qu'aucun procès ne sera intenté. Pour beaucoup de 
Sud-Africains, la TRC aura laissé un goût amer. L'absence de remords des 
anciens responsables politiques de l'apartheid reste difficile à admettre 
pour la majorité noire. Des reproches sont aussi adressés au Congrès 
national africain (ANC), qui n'a pas commencé à verser des réparations 
pourtant promises aux victimes. Sur le front de la réconciliation, beaucoup 
reste à faire.   (D'après Libération, France, 22 mars 2003)

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