Weekly ANB0821_2.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 21-08-2003      PART #2/6

* Congo (RDC). Former warlords disarm and become diplomats  -  19 August: 
MISNA says that disarmament, quartering in precise locations and successive 
integration of the armed groups of the strife-torn Ituri region (north-east 
Congo RDC) were the main decisions taken in the past two days following a 
meeting held in the capital of Kinshasa between the armed groups active in 
the zone of Bunia (regional capital of Ituri), representatives of MONUC 
(United Nations Mission in Congo) and delegates of the transition 
government. MISNA sources in Kinshasa indicate further decisions taken: 1) 
The establishment of a permanent communications office in Bunia, which will 
include representatives of all the armed groups of Ituri and MONUC 
officials. The new "bureau" will ensure a regular exchange of information 
on what is occurring on the different fronts in the zone, and guarantee the 
UN forces free and unhindered access to the areas. 2) MONUC will be able to 
utilise its helicopters unrestricted, to conduct inquiries into reported 
ceasefire violations and to prevent violence against the civil population. 
3) The various armed groups will have to notify MONUC of their positions, 
given that they have agreed to end the hostilities. In the meeting they 
also addressed the possible integration of the leaders of the armed 
factions of Ituri into the transition government. Defence Minister 
Jean-Pierre Ondekane, however, said they will not be able to be included in 
the government. Instead, he suggesting the possibility that they hold posts 
in the local administration or as diplomats. -- Militia groups in Congo 
have agreed to the deployment of national police and army forces in the 
troubled north-eastern Ituri province. The leaders of five militia groups 
also reaffirmed their commitment to a peace agreement signed in the town of 
Bunia in March. The militia leaders issued their statement after the 
Kinshasa meeting. 20 August: Agreement has been reached on creating a 
post-war unified armed forces command in Congo RDC after months of talks. 
According to a list released by President Joseph Kabila, former rebel 
commanders have been appointed to run the army and navy. But the post of 
overall armed forces chief of staff is retained by Lieutenant General 
Liwanga Maata, who also served as navy chief of staff under President 
Kabila's late father Laurent. The appointments are part of the military 
deal reached in late June, removing another obstacle that had been 
preventing the new government from functioning properly. The new 
power-sharing army is to be led by General Sylvain Buki, who led the 
military wing of the Rwandan-backed rebel movement, the Rally for Congolese 
Democracy (RCD). The former commander of the Ugandan-backed militia, 
Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), Amuli Bahigwa, is the new chief of the 
navy and John Numbi, a high-ranking general in Congo's army is to head the 
air force. President Kabila has also named commanders for each of the 
country's 10 military regions.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 August 2003)

* Congo (RDC). La nouvelle armée nationale  -  Le 19 août, le président 
Kabila a promulgué un décret contenant les noms des plus hauts dirigeants 
des forces armées sous le gouvernement de transition. Liwanga Maata 
Nyamunyobo est nommé chef de l'état-major, qui compte neuf officiers. Le 
chef des forces terrestres sera Sylvain Buki (RDC-Goma), celui des forces 
navales Amuli Bahigwa (MLC) et celui des forces aériennes John Numbi, un 
proche de Kabila. Dix régions militaires ont été équitablement distribuées 
entre les divers groupes qui composent le gouvernement d'unité nationale. 
Toutefois, une organisation de défense des droits de l'homme basée à 
Kinshasa, le Rodhecic, a dénoncé la présence dans cette armée d'officiers 
impliqués dans le massacre de Kisangani en mai 2002. Les généraux Laurent 
Nkunda et Gabriel Amisi, qui paraissent sur la liste dressée par les 
Nations unies mentionnant les principaux commanditaires de ce massacre, 
font partie des officiers appelés à diriger les régions militaires qui ont 
été attribuées au RCD. Rodhecic se dit indigné de ces nominations et 
demande qu'ils soient remplacés.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 20 août 2003)

* Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan: grève des transporteurs  -  Le lundi 18 août, 
Abidjan, la capitale économique ivoirienne, était toujours paralysée par la 
grève des transporteurs et des chauffeurs qui protestent contre le meurtre 
d'un chauffeur de minibus, tué jeudi dernier par un policier. Beaucoup 
d'habitants n'ont pu se rendre à leur travail, faute de transport. Les 
transporteurs et chauffeurs, qui ont entamé leur mouvement le vendredi, ont 
décidé de durcir le ton si le gouvernement ne prenait pas de mesures fermes 
pour faire arrêter les bavures policières. Selon les estimations du 
Syndicat des transporteurs, depuis 1993, au moins 23 chauffeurs et 
conducteurs de taxis et de minibus ont été abattus à Abidjan par la police. 
Transporteurs et chauffeurs ne cessent d'ailleurs de se plaindre des 
nombreux rackets dont ils sont victimes de la part des forces de l'ordre, 
en pleine journée, au vu et au su de tous. Comme condition à toute reprise 
de leurs activités, les grévistes exigent une rencontre avec le Premier 
ministre Diarra ou le président Gbagbo.   (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 18 août 2003)

* Côte d'Ivoire. Ivorian leader laments deadlock  -  20 August: Côte 
d'Ivoire's prime minister has admitted his interim government faces 
deadlock over key unfilled ministerial posts seven months after a peace 
deal was signed. Speaking on national television, Seydou Diarra warned the 
peace process would be at risk if the new National Security Council --set 
up under an accord signed in Accra in March -- failed to fill the defence 
and security portfolios. "We have to acknowledge we are in a blocked 
situation that can be resolved only by resumption of the work of the 
National Security Council and by the Council members accepting minimal 
criteria for consensus," he said in his first such address since his 
appointment. Mr Diarra also repeated the government would accept back into 
the army soldiers who deserted during the civil conflict under the terms of 
a national amnesty agreed in the peace deal. "I am urgently calling on the 
Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI) and the New Forces, to search for and 
dismantle the militias and any other armed groups of whatever nature, 
throughout the national territory," said Mr Diarra. The defence minister, 
Assoa Adou, said on 19 August that no disciplinary action would be taken 
against an estimated 200 officers and men who abandoned their 
units.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 August 2003)

* Côte d'Ivoire. Démanteler les milices  -  Dans un message télévisé le 
mardi soir, 19 août, le Premier ministre Seydou Diarra a demandé aux forces 
armées ivoiriennes de démanteler les milices dans l'ensemble du pays. Dans 
son premier message à la nation, cinq mois après la formation du 
gouvernement de réconciliation, Diarra a reconnu un blocage du processus de 
paix lié à la non-désignation des titulaires des trois portefeuilles 
ministériels de la Défense, de la Sécurité, et de la Famille, la Femme et 
l'Enfant.   (Le Figaro, France, 21 août 2003)

* Egypt. Liberal Eyptian editor missing  -  17 August: Police in Egypt are 
investigating the disappearance of a prominent journalist, Reda Hilal. The 
Egyptian Union of Journalists says it is very concerned about the 
disappearance of Mr Hilal, the deputy editor of the daily newspaper, 
Al-Ahram. The BBC Arabic service says Mr Hilal was known for his liberal 
views, his criticism of the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, and his 
support for improved relations between Egypt and Israel.   (BBC, UK, 17 
August 2003)

* Ghana. Competition take over gold mine  -  11 August: The competition to 
take over Ghana's biggest gold mine hots up as London-listed Randgold 
confirms reports that it is entering the race with an initial bid worth 
almost $1.5bn. The new offer jumps well ahead of the main one currently on 
the table, which sees South Africa's AngloGold - part of Anglo American, 
the world's third largest mining concern -offering shares worth $1.1bn. 
Randgold is offering one share for every two Ashanti shares, while 
AngloGold's bid offers 26 of its shares for every 100 Ashanti shares. 
"Because we are not as large as the other interested party, it retains the 
independence of [Ashanti through] any possible merger," Randgold chief 
executive says. Anglo was quick to pour cold water on its rival's offer, 
saying that Randgold's relatively small size might lead to problems if the 
cost of the bid left too few resources to invest in improving Ashanti's 
operations. "I will not surprise you by saying that I think we are 
overwhelmingly the right partner for Ashanti," AngloGold chief executive 
Bobby Godsell says. "Our immediate reaction is that (Randgold) will have to 
increase their share capital very substantially and wonder what their 
existing shareholders will have to say about this," says Jonathan Best, 
AngloGold's Chief Financial Officer.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 August 2003)

* Kenya. Police fire tear gas at minister's backers  -  On 18 August, 
Kenyan police fired tear gas and made 14 arrests to disperse demonstrators 
calling for cabinet minister Raila Odinga to be made prime minister amid a 
deepening rift in the coalition government. The protest outside a 
conference debating changes to Kenya's constitution highlighted emerging 
tribally tinged factionalism in the East African country's ruling National 
Rainbow Coalition that analysts say could threaten foreign investment. 
Supporters of Odinga, who enjoys strong support among his Luo tribe and 
slum dwellers in the capital Nairobi, accuse President Mwai Kibaki, from 
the Kikuyu tribe, of being scared to promote the former firebrand leftist 
in case he poses a threat. A police spokesman said the 14 people arrested 
had "wanted to disrupt" the conference, at which one of the major issues is 
whether a president or a prime minister should wield power. "All we want is 
(Odinga) to be given his right as prime minister," said protester John 
Odongo. Kibaki promised the post to Odinga after he helped end 24 years of 
mostly one-party rule by President Daniel arap Moi at a general election 
last December when Kenyans voted for change in the hope it would give the 
country a much-needed economic boost. But Odinga, jailed for eight years by 
Moi for campaigning against one-party rule, remains public works, roads and 
housing minister.   (CNN, USA, 19 August 2003)

* Kenya. Destruction des mines  -  D'ici la fin du mois d'août, le Kenya 
aura détruit la totalité de ses réserves de mines antipersonnel, soit 
35.774 engins, à l'exception de 3.000 exemplaires destinés à la 
"recherche", a annoncé le ministre de la Sécurité nationale, Chris 
Murungaru. "Le gouvernement kényan, en accord avec le traité d'Ottawa, aura 
détruit ces mines, d'une valeur de 400.000 dollars, d'ici le 26 août", 
a-t-il précisé, soulignant que Nairobi "a pris d'importantes mesures pour 
éviter le développement futur de ce type d'armes". Le traité d'Ottawa de 
1997 interdit l'utilisation, le stockage, la production et le transfert des 
mines antipersonnel. Plus de 130 pays, à l'exception notable des 
Etats-Unis, de la Russie, de la Chine, de l'Inde et du Pakistan, l'ont 
jusqu'à présent ratifié.   (Le Soir, Belgique, 21 août 2003)

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