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Weekly ANB0828_4.txt #6
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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 28-08-2003 PART #4/6
* Liberia. Many dead in massacre - 24.: The US Marine rapid reaction
force of 150 troops heads back to warships off Liberia, ending significant
American military deployment on the ground after eleven days. A spokesman
for the Marines says the US forces will wait on the warships for any new
deployment needed to support the West African peace force. The pullback
leaves only about 100 US troops in Liberia. 25 August: Many people have
been killed and villages set on fire in a town in north east Liberia,
according to reports. General Benjamin Yeaten, deputy head of the
government army, said that the attack had taken place in an area north east
of Monrovia. Liberian state radio said rebels from the Movement for
Democracy in Liberia (Model) had carried out the massacre in the town of
Bahn, near the border with Côte d'Ivoire. Liberia Broadcasting System
quoted one source from the area as saying that about 1,000 people had been
killed but there has been no independent confirmation of the deaths.
Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea said he knew nothing about the
incident. Although a three-week-old West African peace-keeping force has
helped stop fighting in the Liberian capital Monrovia, clashes have
persisted in the countryside. General Yeaten said that both the two main
rebel groups, Lurd and Model, had carried out attacks in the Bahn area in
recent days. But he did not attribute the latest killings to them. The
government and rebel groups have accused each other of being behind recent
incidents of fighting in the country. 26 August: Liberia's interim
president has called on West African peacekeepers to deploy outside the
capital, Monrovia, where fighting is continuing despite a ceasefire
agreement. Fresh reports are coming in of rebel attacks on north-eastern
Nimba County, a stronghold of former President Charles Taylor and one of
the few areas still under government control. Aid agencies say that several
thousand people are fleeing the latest fighting around the town of Gbatala,
100km north-east of Monrovia. There are some 1,500 Nigerian troops in
Liberia, with 700 due this week from other West African nations, however a
spokesman for the Ecomil force said this was not enough to venture outside
Monrovia. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 August 2003)
* Libya/France. Impasse over deal - 22 August: France and Libya appear
close to agreeing new compensation for a 1989 bomb attack on a French
airliner over Niger. Paris has been threatening to block a deal reached
between Libya and relatives of victims of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner
bombing after they received a vastly higher settlement. As a member of the
UN Security Council, it has the power to veto the lifting of
Lockerbie-related sanctions on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's state. But senior
officials from both states were hopeful of a new deal as talks were held in
Tripoli between representatives of the French families and Libyan
officials. 24 August: Relatives of French victims of a 1989 airliner
bombing linked to Libya have returned from Tripoli empty-handed after
seeking a compensation deal equal to payments offered in the 1988 Lockerbie
bombing. "There was no progress made," Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, a
spokesman for families of some of the 170 victims of the UTA airliner
bombing over Niger, said. France has indicated that it would oppose the
lifting of United Nations sanctions against Libya if the $34m deal it
accepted for the UTA case were not revised upward sharply. Britain proposed
the lifting of sanctions after Tripoli agreed to pay $2.7 billion in
compensation over Lockerbie. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 August 2003)
* Libye/France. Impasse? - Paris poursuit son bras de fer avec Tripoli,
au risque de raviver les tensions avec Washington et Londres. Le dimanche
24 août, une délégation des familles des 170 victimes de l'attentat contre
le DC 10 d'UTA en 1989, qui négociait des indemnisations, est rentrée
bredouille à Paris. Après trois jours de discussions à Tripoli, aucun
progrès n'a été enregistré. Le jeudi 21 août, la Grande-Bretagne avait
accepté de reporter le vote de l'Onu sur la levée des sanctions contre la
Libye (celle-ci ayant reconnu sa responsabilité dans l'attentat de
Lockerbie et s'étant engagée à verser $2,7 milliards aux familles des
victimes) jusqu'en début de semaine. Paris devrait essayer d'obtenir un
nouveau délai. - Mardi 26 août: nouvelle déception. Alors qu'ils
s'apprêtaient à reprendre l'avion pour la Libye afin de poursuivre les
négociations, les représentants des familles des victimes -- qui avaient
"reçu un message de la fondation Kaddhafi marquant sa disposition à
poursuivre les négociations" -- apprenaient que Tripoli n'autorisait pas le
vol. Les négociations, cependant, reprendront "dans les prochaines heures",
informe l'agence PANA citant une "bonne source" parisienne. (ANB-BIA, de
sources diverses, 27 août 2003)
août 2003)
* Madagascar. Nouvelle loi foncière - Le projet de loi sur la possibilité
offerte aux investisseurs étrangers d'acquérir des terres à Madagascar,
qu'examinaient le Sénat et l'Assemblée nationale malgaches en session
extraordinaire depuis lundi dernier, a été adopté par les députés après
d'intenses débats. Selon la nouvelle loi, tout étranger peut désormais
acquérir des biens immobiliers sur présentation d'un programme
d'investissements minimum de 500.000 dollars américains. Chaque demande
devra être examinée par un organisme spécialement créé à cet effet et
chaque autorisation sera prise en conseil des ministres. Le bénéficiaire ne
peut acheter plus de trois hectares. La loi prévoit que la non-réalisation
du programme d'investissements dans les conditions et les délais impartis
par l'autorisation entraîne la déchéance automatique du droit de propriété
de l'investisseur et le transfert de l'immeuble à l'Etat. (PANA, Sénégal,
22 août 2003)
* Mali. Otages: la Libye aurait payé - Une rançon globale de 5 millions
d'euros a été payée par la Libye, "à sa propre initiative", aux ravisseurs
des quatorze touristes européens détenus pendant plus de cinq mois dans le
Sahara, ont affirmé des sources diplomatiques à Bamako le jeudi 21 août.
L'argent n'a transité "ni entre des mains maliennes, ni entre des mains
allemandes". La Libye avait été citée parmi les pays ayant aidé au
dénouement de l'affaire, dans un discours prononcé mardi soir à Bamako par
le président malien. (La Libre Belgique, 22 août 2003)
* Mali/Germany. Profit warning for freed Sahara hostages - 24 August:
Germany has warned 14 European tourists released from captivity in Mali
against trying to sell their story for profit. Defence Minister Peter
Struck said the costs for securing their release had been "enormous" and
any fees for photos and stories should be given to the states involved.
Speculation has raged about whether Germany or other states paid a
multi-million ransom to secure the hostages' release. Mali's chief
negotiator has said that Germany paid no ransom for the 14. Amadou Baba
Toure, who is governor of the Gao region of eastern Mali, said the team of
mediators had had to win the trust of the kidnappers by praying, eating,
drinking and talking together for two days. He said Germany had refused to
pay money to the captors because it would have encouraged kidnapping around
the world. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 August 2003)
* Mali. Heurts entre groupes musulmans. - Fait plutôt rare au Mali, des
affrontements entre deux groupes musulmans se disputant l'édification d'une
mosquée dans le nord-ouest du pays ont fait au moins dix morts et sept
blessés, ont annoncé mercredi les autorités. Ces incidents sanglants se
sont produits dans le village de Yerere, dans la région de Nioro du Sahel,
après que la communauté wahhabite -- des musulmans intégristes -- eut
repris la construction de l'édifice religieux, à laquelle s'opposait la
majorité sunnite au motif que la localité comptait déjà sept mosquées. Ces
violences ont eu lieu lundi 25 août, mais la nouvelle n'a atteint Bamako,
la capitale, que mercredi. M. Koné a reconnu que ses services ne
disposaient que de peu de détails sur ces affrontements. On sait seulement
que des témoins ont fait état de coups de feu et que 16 personnes ont été
arrêtées. Le pays, qui compte parmi les cinq plus pauvres de la planète,
jouit d'une réputation de modération en matière de politique et de
religion. (D'après AP, USA, 27 août 2003)
* Morocco. Peace orchestra makes debut - On 24 August, the
West-eastern-Divan Orchestra, an orchestra made up of young Israeli and
Arab musicians, played a programme of Mozart and Beethoven pieces in Rabat.
The concert was conducted by the orchestra's co-founder, the Israeli
conductor and pianist, Daniel Barenboim. Despite heavy security surrounding
the event, the concert hall, in the city's Mohammed V Theatre, was full and
the musicians received a standing ovation. Daniel Barenboim introduced his
young orchestra to a Moroccan audience that included King Mohammed's
sisters and the prime minister. He said that Morocco's decision to hold the
concert made it a pioneer in the Middle East. But he added that the full
aim of the orchestra would only be achieved when it could play in all the
countries represented by its musicians (aged 13-26). (ANB-BIA, Belgium,
25 August 2003)
* Maroc. Procès d'un intégriste français - Le procès de Pierre Robert, un
intégriste français accusé d'implication dans les attentats terroristes
perpétrés en mai dernier au Maroc, s'est ouvert le 25 août devant la
chambre criminelle de Rabat. Il est jugé en même temps que 33 "complices"
marocains présumés liés au groupe islamiste de la Salafia Djihadia. Pierre
Robert a récusé l'avocat qui lui avait été commis d'office. Le procès a été
reporté au 29 août. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 26 août 2003)
* Morocco. Drugs gang smashed - 26 August: The authorities in Morocco say
they have uncovered a drugs cartel allegedly operated by senior judges,
police and customs official in the north of the country. Morocco's ministry
of justice said that 18 judicial figures and businessmen are members of the
drug-trafficking gang which exports large quantities of hashish to Europe.
They are now under investigation by the Special Court for Corruption, which
observers say is likely to prove an acid test for the new King, Mohammed
Vl. He has made much of his promise to put an end to the corruption which
tarnished his father's rule. It is an open secret that vast areas of land
in the north of Morocco are used to cultivate hashish, much of which
inevitably finds its way into the European market. But never before, have
the authorities discovered such a well-oiled trafficking gang with links to
such high echelons within the Moroccan establishment. (ANB-BIA, Belgium,
26 August 2003)
* Nigeria. 100 morts à Warri - Les affrontements interethniques entre
Ijaws et Itsekeri qui ont éclaté à Warri, ville du sud du Nigeria et haut
lieu de l'exploitation pétrolière, ont fait près de 100 morts et plus d'un
millier de blessés au cours de la semaine écoulée, a annoncé la Croix-Rouge
nigériane le vendredi 22 août. Ces heurts ont été les plus sanglants dans
le Delta du Niger depuis la révolte des Ijaws de mars dernier. Les Ijaws
considèrent que le pouvoir politique est injustement détourné au profit des
Itsekeri. Ils demandent aussi un plus grand partage des richesses
pétrolières de la région. Des centaines de policiers armés et de soldats
ont été envoyés à Warri. (Reuters, 22 août 2003)
* Nigeria. Volatile Niger Delta - 21 August: A heavy army presence in the
southern Nigerian town of Warri appears to be maintaining an uneasy calm
following days of intense fighting between local militia. More than 30
people have been killed, scores injured and thousands made homeless in the
political and ethnic clashes. The town is unnaturally quiet -- but that the
grievances that led to the crisis remain unresolved. The violence between
the Ijaw and Itsekiri people -- two of the main ethnic groups in the
oil-rich Delta region of Nigeria --has been the worst since March, when
several multi-national oil companies were force to halt their operations.
The Delta State governor James Ibori arrived in Warri on 20 August to try
to resolve the crisis. Following talks with the warring communities he told
reporters he hoped both sides would heed his appeal to lay down their arms.
He said he understood that some communities felt excluded from the economic
benefits of the oil rich delta region but said the solution lay in dialogue
and not armed confrontation. 22 August: The number of casualties from the
recent violence in the Delta port of Warri is much higher than previously
believed, says the Red Cross in Nigeria. After three days of relative calm,
the Nigerian Red Cross says it has been able to assess the situation more
accurately and it believes that about 100 people were killed and 1,000
injured. It says the fighting between militias of the local Ijaw and
Itsekiri people also drove several thousand residents of the city from
their homes. Army troops and riot police were deployed in the city, where
authorities said that they had secured a cease-fire on 21 August between
the warring groups. 25 August: At least eight people have been killed in
fresh clashes involving three ethnic Ijaw villages in the volatile Niger
Delta, Nigerian police say. Police say five men and three women were killed
on 23 August when people from the villages of Ogodobiri and Oboro in Delta
state invaded Ekeremor village in southeastern Bayelsa state. "The
miscreants came in speed boats and burnt stores and houses at the waterside
before they were repelled by Mobile Police," Bayelsa state police
commissioner Oliver Osuchukwu said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 August 2003)
Weekly anb0828.txt - #4/6