weekly anb05118.txt #8

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 11-05-2000      PART #8/8

* Tunisie. Affaire Ben Brik - suite  -  Le 5 mai, au lendemain de
son arrivee en France, Taoufik Ben Brik a poursuivi son jeune a
l'hopital de la Salpetriere, tandis que son frere, detenu a Tunis,
en faisait de meme. L'Elysee a oppose une fin de non-recevoir
implicite a sa demande d'audience, tandis que le Quai d'Orsay
l'invitait a cesser son action. Ce qu'il semble envisager,
puisqu'il affirme vouloir rentrer a Tunis "avant le 28 mai" pour
les municipales. Estimant avoir "remporte une victoire sur Ben
Ali", il a appele l'opposition a "s'engager dans la breche" qu'il
a ouverte. -6-7 mai. A Tunis, une forte mobilisation s'est
organisee pour obtenir la liberation de Jelal Zoghlami, le frere du
journaliste. Condamne a trois mois de prison, Jelal observe lui
aussi une greve de la faim depuis une semaine. Un comite de soutien
a ete constitue, tandis que plusieurs associations tunisiennes de
droits de l'homme ont demande sa liberation. - 8 mai. Ses amis ont
exhorte Taoufik Ben Brik a cesser sa greve de la faim. Il compte
quitter Paris le 11 mai pour Alger, ou il restera quelques jours,
avant de retourner en Tunisie. Il compte cesser son mouvement en
Algerie. - 10 mai. Le proces en appel de Jelal Zoghlami aura lieu
le 15 mai, a annonce son avocat. La rapidite de la procedure est
exceptionnelle et synonyme d'une volonte d'apaisement, a-t-il
estime.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 mai 2000)

* Uganda. Media offers a one-sided picture of referendum campaign 
-  The Uganda Journalists Safety Committee (UJSC), an independent
press freedom watchdog, reports that the Uganda Television (UTV),
Radio Uganda, and Star FM 100, all taxpayer funded electronic
media, have failed to provide their viewers and listeners with a
balanced and impartial news coverage in this year's referendum on
political systems in April 2000. Over 78% of the news items on Star
FM and 66% of the news on Radio Uganda was devoted solely to the
Movement campaign. UJSC noted that the side advocating
multipartyism received less than 4% of news coverage on both
taxpayer-funded radio stations. Uganda Television News (UTV) was
equally biased, devoting 73% of its time to the Movement campaign,
whilst giving the Multiparty campaign only 2% of its prime time
news coverage. The coverage on the private TV channel Wavah
Broadcasting Services (WBS) by comparison was more balanced,
devoting 48% of its coverage to the Movement campaign and 21% to
the Multiparty campaign. Although all three national daily papers -
-The New Vision, The Monitor and Bukedde -- had more coverage of
the Movement side (39%, 40% and 48% respectively) than the
Multiparty side (8%, 5% and 4% respectively), their coverage was
more critical, and therefor provided their readers with a critique
of the Movement campaign.   (Peter Bahemuka, ANB-BIA, Uganda, 9 May
2000)

* Zambia. Angola accused of border raids  -  Zambia's Defence
Minister has accused (on 10 May) Angola of launching cross-border
air and ground attacks in Zambia's Western and North Western
Provinces. He said that the attacks kad included the dropping of
incendiary bombs on a Zambian village and the killing of a Zambian
soldier by Angolan troops who had crossed into the country.  
(IRIN, 10 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Pressions sud-africaines  -  5 mai. Arrive a Bulawayo,
le chef d'Etat sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a presse le president
Mugabe de rechercher une issue pacifique a la crise du Zimbabwe. Il
a incite Mugabe a favoriser un accord fonde sur la "cooperation et
le non-affrontement" entre Blancs et Noirs afin de resoudre le
probleme des terres et d'envisager une redistribution aux retombees
productives. La visite de Mbeki a coincide avec de nouvelles
violences et de nouvelles occupations de fermes. L'agitation
actuelle, outre 18 morts (fermiers blancs, travailleurs noirs et
opposants politiques), a cause un exode de quelque 30.000 ruraux
qui affecte les recoltes et laisse presager de futures penuries. -
6-7 mai. Lors d'un meeting du parti ZANU-PF, le leader des anciens
combattants, Hunzvi, a appele ses adherents a chasser du pays tous
les Zimbabweens qui ont encore un passeport britannique. Ceux qui
veulent rester doivent demander la citoyennete zimbabweenne et
partager leurs terres avec les Noirs, a-t-il dit. Le 7 mai, un
autre fermier blanc a succombe a ses blessures. Quatre nouvelles
fermes ont ete occupees. Par ailleurs, les ministres des Affaires
etrangeres de l'Union europeenne ont decide d'envoyer une mission
au Zimbabwe. - 10 mai. Le principal parti d'opposition, le
Mouvement pour le changement democratique (MDC) a menace de
boycotter les elections legislatives et de lancer une greve
generale contre la "tyrannie" du president Mugabe. Dans le meme
temps, anciens combattants et fermiers blancs ont negocie a Harare
pour tenter de parvenir a une normalisation de la situation dans
les fermes occupees. Les negociations se seraient terminees sur une
note positive, selon les responsables, qui n'ont pas donne d'autres
precisions.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 mai 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Continuing violence kills confidence  -  4 May: The
leader of the wave of invasions of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe,
Chenjerai Hunzvi, has been touring the country by helicopter as
part of efforts to reduce escalating tensions. Mr Hunzvi's move
comes as international pressure mounts against President Mugabe for
failing to curb the land occupations. Farmers representatives have
accompanied Mr Hunzvi, as he travelled. The South African Chamber
of Business has encouraged its members to maintain commercial links
with Zimbabwe. 5 May: The Commercial Farmers Union (CUF) deputy
director Jerry Grant tells a meeting of businessmen that he fears
Chenjerai Hunzvi can no longer contain the situation even if he
wanted to. Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
supporters are being advised to put away their T-shirts, posters
and other outward signs of their affiliation. South Africa's
President Mbeki is in Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade
Fair. He calls on President Mugabe to seek a peaceful resolution to
the nation's violent dispute over land reform. The leader of the
opposition MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, is detained for four hours at a
police road block after holding a campaign rally at Chiredzi, 480
km from Harare. 7 May: Another white farmer has been beaten to
death by suspected government supporters. Alan Dunn was the first
white farmer to be attacked in two weeks and the third to die since
the so-called war veterans began invading farms. Mr Dunn died in
hospital. He was a regional executive committee member of the
opposition MDC which said he had been attacked by ruling party
activists for his political beliefs. Four more white-owned farms
are invaded by veterans and opposition supporters beat two men
wearing shirts with the logo of President Mugabe's ZANU-PF. 8 May:
Chenjerai Hunzvi has served notice that the invasions of white-
owned farms will be stepped up. He has urged his followers to seek
out British passport holders -- whom he denounced as ruthless
cunning people -- and force them to leave the country. He says he
is setting up a committee to redistribute the land, as politicians
could not be relied upon to do the job. 9 May: Supporters of land
occupation have invaded a school farm, forcing pupils to stay away.
The squatters are demanding the use of half of the buildings at the
Rydings primary school near Karoi, in the north-west. The Rydings
school sits on a 1,100-acre farm, run by a non-profit-making
organisation, which uses the farm's activities to subsidise school
fees for children from neighbouring Zambia and Malawi. White
farmers meet with black war veterans but fail to win any assurance
that violence will end. 10 May: The opposition MDC says it would
review its electoral strategy in the wake of continuing political
violence in the country. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced his
party's policy-making body would meet on 13 May to review its
options. Earlier he had told reporters that pulling out of the
elections was a possibility but later said: "A boycott is not an
option". is considering a boycott of the forthcoming parliamentary
elections because of a campaign of violence against its members. At
least 12 MDC activists have been killed in attacks blamed on
government supporters. Shares on the Zimbabwe stock exchange
plummet 13.5% -- the largest single loss in the market's history. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 11 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Artistes join in the election fray  -  Zimbabwe's
playwrights and musicians have joined in the fray for the
forthcoming parliamentary elections, agreeing that Zimbabwe needs
rejuvenating economically. Over the years, Mr Mugabe's government
has echoed the slogan of "housing for all by the year 2000".
Realising that many of ZANU-PF's promises have not been fulfilled,
provocative titles critical of the authorities are now being
composed and sung in public -- to the chagrin of the leadership.
Currently, a drama series: "Toita sei --What shall we do?",
portrays the housing problems many middle-class citizens are having
to face up to -- with no solution in sight. Also, one of Zimbabwe's
top musicians, Thomas Mapfumo, has composed lyrics that bluntly
criticise the government's misrule. His latest offering which
openly lambasts the authorities for corruption and mismanagement of
the economy, among other things, has been banned from the airways.
He has also blasted the government in the local and overseas press.
Because of this, Mapfumo has been warned by ZANU-PF and the Central
Intelligence Organisation that they are planning to take
unspecified action to silence him.   (Stan Dongo, ANB-BIA,
Zimbabwe, 3 May 2000)

Weekly anb0511 - End of part 8/8
THE END

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