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Weekly anb04116.txt #6

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 11-04-2001      PART #6/6
* Sudan. Govt. allegedly encouraging slavery - The Sudanese government is allegedly encouraging slavery by delivering arms to Arab kidnappers in return for their support in the civil war. According to European officials, the Khartoum government has broken its promises to the West that it would address allegations of slavery. Instead, it has hampered efforts by UNICEF and Save the Children UK to win the release of tens of thousands of women and children, mostly from Christian and animist Dinka tribes. The government makes matters worse by shipping arms and supplies to Arabic tribes in the Bahr al-Ghazal province of southern Sudan, say Western sources and Dinka leaders. The Dinkas, an indigenous southern Sudanese tribe, say that Khartoum has dropped all pressure on the Arabs to end the slave trade. James Aguer, head of the Dinka tribal committee, said: "The government has given the green light for more abductions as a gift to the Arabic tribal militias that support the military's war against the Dinka." Until last summer, Mr Aguer's committee, working through the Khartoum government, had helped free more than 350 people held captive in southern Sudan. Mr Aguer made his accusation surrounded by members of the Dinka committee as well as a dozen former captives, boys and girls, who are living in a mud-brick home on the edge of Khartoum awaiting reunions with their families in southern Sudan. He said: "We know where to find the slaves, but we can't work. The government cannot face up to the tribes and demand the slaves be returned because the tribes support the army and the army gives them guns." (Daily Telegraph, UK, 9 April 2001)
* Swaziland. Slow pace of political reforms - The United States said on 5 April it was "dismayed" by Swaziland's failure to effect far-reaching political reforms and warned that its support for programmes in the tiny kingdom depended on it replacing its current political order, under which party politics are banned and the monarchy wields absolute power. The US embassy in Mbabane said Swaziland's commitment to a transition to democratic rule and respect for human rights and the rule of law was "the principle goal of the US mission" in the country. However, the US government was "dismayed" by the slow pace of the reform process and concerned about its possibly limited scope. "We note that the constitutional review commission was established in 1996. Its report is overdue and the US government is dismayed by this delay," embassy public affairs officer Bruce Lohof told IRIN. "My government will not comment on the commission's report until it is made public, but we find it difficult to understand how a new constitution that retains the old order can help Swaziland build strong public institutions and a healthy civil society," he added. He was responding to an announcement made at the weekend by the constitutional review commission that effectively ruled out reforms in the country's political structure beyond the introduction of a Bill of Rights. Commission chairman Mangaliso Dlamini on 1 April told a meeting of the Swaziland Society, a Mbabane-based civic organisation, that the constitution his team had drafted retained the existing power structure. (IRIN, Southern Africa, 5 April 2001)
* Tanzania. Opposition takes to the streets - An unprecedented protest by Tanzanian opposition groups over the weekend highlights growing political tensions in what had hitherto been regarded as one of Africa's most stable countries, diplomats believe. An estimated 60,000 opposition supporters marched through Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania's main city, on 7 April, demanding a new constitution, the establishment of an independent electoral commission and the re-run of last October's controversial elections in Zanzibar. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has held power since independence. After many years as a one-party state, opposition parties were allowed to contest the 1995 and 2000 polls. However, they are poorly resourced and divided, and were soundly beaten. On the islands of Zanzibar, which enjoy a measure of autonomy from the mainland, the Civic United Front claims fraud and rigging robbed it of victory on both occasions. Dozens of Zanzibaris were killed in clashes with security forces in January after demonstrations against the last election. A further 2,000 fled to neighbouring Kenya, where they remain in exile. "We are gaining momentum" John Cheyo, chairman of the United Democratic Party, told the Reuters news agency. "It is our intention to keep up this unity, to keep up the pressure...until the next elections." President Benjamin Mkapa says dialogue is the best way out of the present impasse, an offer officials hope will prove sufficient to ease concerns amongst donors, who provide substantial amounts of aid to one of Africa's poorest countries. (Financial Times, UK, 10 April 2001)
* Tchad. Gouvernement remanié - Le président tchadien, Idriss Déby, a limogé de son gouvernement de coalition tous les ministres issus de l'Union nationale pour le développement et le renouveau (UNDR), a informé l'AFP. Le limogeage fait suite à la décision de l'UNDR de faire du numéro deux du gouvernement, le ministre de l'Agriculture, M. Saleh Kebzabo, son candidat aux présidentielles du 2 mai prochain. Les autres personnalités en lice sont le président de l'Assemblée nationale, M. Wadal Abdelkader Kamougué, et l'ancien Premier ministre M. Kassiré Coumakoye. (IRIN, Abidjan, 9 avril 2001)
* Zambia. Another Kaunda heads UNIP - The opposition United National Independence Party (UNIP) says it has chosen the son of the former president and party leader, Kenneth Kaunda, as its new leader. The spokesman said Tilyeni Kaunda was appointed at a lengthy meeting of the leadership. His predecessor, Francis Nkhoma, was suspended as party president several months ago. (BBC News, UK, 6 April 2001)
* Zambia. Ten miners feared dead in copper mine accident - Ground movement caused a slope in an open-pit copper mine to collapse on 8 April, burying 10 mine workers in sand, a mine spokeswoman said. The miners were feared dead, Anglo American spokeswoman Anne Dunn said in a statement. The accident happened on the afternoon of 8 April at the Konkola Copper Mines in Chingola, some 185 miles north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. (CNN, USA, 8 April 2001)
* Zambie. Kaunda fils à l'UNIP - Tilyenji Kaunda, fils de l'ex-président Kenneth Kaunda, est devenu le nouveau président du Parti unique pour l'indépendance nationale (UNIP), le plus vieux parti de Zambie. Dans son discours inaugural, M. T. Kaunda a promis de rebâtir le parti dans la perspective de l'élection présidentielle et a exhorté les membres de l'UNIP à taire leurs différends et à serrer les rangs. Secrétaire général de l'UNIP, T. Kaunda a pris le contrôle du parti la semaine dernière des mains de Francis Nkoma, qui a été suspendu de son poste à l'issue d'une réunion du comité central tenue le 5 avril. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 avril 2001)
* Zambie. Accident minier - La Zambie a fait appel aux services d'experts sud-africains en vue de retirer les corps de 10 mineurs coincés depuis le 8 avril dans la mine à ciel ouvert de Nchanga, située dans la ville de Chingola. Les 10 mineurs ont été enterrés en même temps que leur lourd matériel dans cet accident considéré comme l'un des pires de l'histoire minière de la Zambie. Les causes de l'accident ne peuvent pas être déterminées immédiatement, mais selon des sources, les fortes précipitations qui sont tombées cette année dans la zone, pourraient être un facteur. (PANA, Sénégal, 10 avril 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Press freedom under attack - 5 April: Three independent Zimbabwean journalists have been charged with criminal defamation for articles implying that President Robert Mugabe is involved in corruption. Daily News Chief Editor Geoff Nyarota and two reporters, Sandra Nyaira and Julius Zava, wrote a series of pieces at the end of last year about the building of a new airport terminal. They alleged that the company that won the tender paid kickbacks to leading politicians and businessmen. The defamation charge comes at a time when the independent media is under increasing pressure. Mr Nyarota said that the newspaper would not be intimidated: "There is nothing criminally defamatory about these stories. Let then sue for civil defamation, if they want, and we believe we are more than prepared to defend ourselves." The journalists face a possible jail sentence if found guilty. The charges against the journalists were made on the same day that Zimbabwe's parliament passed a broadcasting law that could limit criticism of the government. 6 April: The Committee To protect Journalists calls on President Mugabe to drop the defamation charges. 9 April: Opposition Movement for Democratic Change member of Parliament Welshman Ncube says the new Broadcasting Bill is "a ridiculous piece of legislation, to be contested in court of signed by the President". (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 10 April 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Veterans change tactics - Zimbabwe's war veterans are to switch their offensive from white-owned commercial farms to urban areas in preparation for next April's presidential elections, according to the veterans' chairman, Mr Chenjerai Hunzvi. He told an independent newspaper that his group would set up "structures" in every urban constituency to campaign for President Robert Mugabe in next year's poll. In the parliamentary elections last year, Mr Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party was effectively wiped out in urban areas. Mr Hunzvi says the war veterans have "an aggressive plan" to win back the support lost last year. The move coincides with reports that groups of war veterans have been taking the law into their own hands in urban areas intimidating employers and managers and forcing them to reverse retrenchment decisions. In one incident managers were beaten up before being taken to the headquarters of ZANU-PF where after three hours they agreed to reinstate workers who had been dismissed. Following the incident on 2 April, the business was closed for the week. (Financial Times, UK, 5 April 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Civic groups prepare for "mass action" - On 3 April, Thoko Matshe, head of the National Constitutional Assembly said that civic groups in Zimbabwe, demanding a new national Constitution, are willing and able to take on the government. "We're talking mass action and civil disobedience on a wide scale, if government ignores the people", Matshe said. A recent conference organised by a broad coalition of civic groups and attended by hundreds of campaigners called for a new Constitution that lays out a proper bill of rights, limits the presidency, promotes freedom of expression and gives women equal rights. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 April 2001)
* Zimbabwe. Student killed in Harare as violence spreads - Violence in Zimbabwe has spread to the university campus in Harare with the death of a student and clashes with the police on 9 April. The police said the student died in a "stampede" while they were restoring order during disturbances at the University of Zimbabwe campus in Harare over the weekend, but students say their colleague was studying in his room in the early hours of the morning when police stormed the campus. Student leaders say the student was beaten and killed, after which the police took away property from his room covered in bloodstains. Police intervention on the campus followed unrest related to student demands for increased grants from the government. These turned violent when some students stoned motor vehicles, including one belonging to an opposition member of parliament, Learnmore Jongwe, who was visiting the campus. Students blame government supporters on the campus who they say damaged Mr Jongwe's car because they knew he was a leading member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Following the weekend violence, student demonstrators clashed with police on 9 April on the main road from the university to the city. Most of the students were turned back by police using teargas, but some found their way into the city centre. (Financial Times, UK, 10 April 2001) 

Weekly anb0411.txt - #6/6
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