Weekly anb03143.txt #7

[anb-bia <anb-bia at village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 14-03-2002      PART #3/7

* Congo (RDC). Le dialogue à Sun City  -  7 mars. D'emblée, les discussions 
à Sun City ont buté sur le statut du gouvernement de Kinshasa et son rôle 
dans la phase de transition. Le gouvernement considère qu'il doit rester en 
place durant cette transition (quitte à partager ses pouvoirs avec ses 
adversaires), alors que les mouvements rebelles veulent que le dialogue de 
Sun City instaure un gouvernement intérimaire menant à des élections. - Le 
samedi 9 mars, les discussions se sont encore poursuivies pour fixer le 
règlement intérieur et l'ordre du jour. Le premier dossier est quasi 
bouclé, à l'exception d'un litige à propos des observateurs. Mais les 
obstacles à l'adoption de l'ordre du jour sont plus fondamentaux, portant 
sur le "nouvel ordre politique" pendant la période de transition. Le 
dimanche cependant, l'optismisme prévalait sur une issue possible le lundi. 
-Lundi 11 mars. Les participants ont lancé les discussions de fond sur 
l'avenir de la RDC, après avoir adopté les derniers articles de l'ordre du 
jour et du règlement intérieur. Finalement, comme observateurs admis à 
suivre les travaux du dialogue, seuls ont été retenus l'ONU, l'OUA, 
l'Afrique du Sud et la Zambie (et donc ni les pays alliés des belligérants, 
ni les parrains occidentaux du processus de paix). Quant au "nouvel ordre 
politque", les délégations ont confié à une commission politique la tâche 
de trouver un terrain d'entente sur le statut du gouvernement lors de la 
phase de transition. -12 mars. Les délégués, répartis en cinq commissions, 
ont commencé à émettre des propositions concrètes. Ils doivent poursuivre 
leurs travaux à huis clos pendant le mois à venir, avec au moins un 
compte-rendu hebdomadaire. Les commissions sont chargées de la paix et la 
réconciliation, la défense et la sécurité, les enjeux politiques et 
juridiques, les questions humanitaires et sociales, l'économie et la 
finance.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 13 mars 2002)

* Côte d'Ivoire. La carte de résident  -  Les ressortissants de la 
Communauté économique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO), installés 
en Côte d'Ivoire, devront désormais payer 35.000 FCFA pour pouvoir 
bénéficier d'une carte de séjour, a annoncé le 8 mars le ministre de 
l'Intérieur. Contrairement à l'ancien titre de séjour qui coûtait 15.000 
FCFA pour une durée d'un an, la nouvelle carte de résidence sera valable 
pour une période de cinq ans. A titre de comparaison, la carte de séjour 
étranger hors CEDEAO, qui coûtait 150.000 FCFA, passe à 300.000. Estimée 
officiellement à 26% des 15 millions d'habitants de la Côte d'Ivoire, la 
population étrangère est composée, pour sa majorité, de ressortissants des 
15 pays membres de la CEDEAO et de la Mauritanie.   (PANA, Sénégal, 12 mars 
2002)

* Djibouti. UN team arrives to assess environmental damage  -  A UN team 
has arrived in Djibouti to assess the environmental and humanitarian 
situation at Djibouti port, where a toxic pesticide began leaking out of 
shipping containers in January. On 5 March, the Djibouti authorities 
announced that the situation had been "brought under control". The 
Environment Minister, Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil, told a news conference 
there has been a phased approach to try and contain the situation. "The 
first phase is an emergency phase and it is almost over," he said. "The 
second phase, which has not yet begun, is linked to an appeal we issued to 
friendly countries, as well as international and regional organisations, to 
help us with the expertise and the finances to tackle the pollution." The 
FAO announced last month that 10 shipping containers in Djibouti port were 
leaking a toxic pesticide -- chromated copper arsenate -- which was causing 
serious health and environmental problems.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 March 2002)

* Egypte. Homosexuels condamnés  -  Le 11 mars, le tribunal correctionnel 
de Damanhour (nord du pays) a condamné cinq Egyptiens à trois ans de 
prison, assortis d'une peine de trois années de mise à l'épreuve, pour 
homosexualité. Les cinq personnes, dont trois fonctionnaires, avaient été 
arrêtées début février par la police des moeurs. Reconnus coupables de 
"pratiques sexuelles contraires à l'islam", les accusés peuvent faire appel 
de la décision. L'homosexualité ne figure par explicitement parmi les 
crimes sexuels évoqués par la loi égyptienne, fondée sur la charia (loi 
islamique). Mais plusieurs textes législatifs peuvent s'appliquer à 
l'homosexualité. C'est la deuxième condamnation de ce type en Egypte en 
moins de six mois.   (Libération, France, 12 mars 2002)

* Eritrea/Ethiopia. Aftermath of the armed conflict  -  7 March: The 
international ruling on fixing the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea has 
again been postponed and will now be announced on Saturday 13 April. 
According to a statement sent to both sides by the international Boundary 
Commission at The Hague, the announcement is set for 10.30 local time and 
should not take longer than one hour. The decision was originally due to be 
announced at the end of February, and was then postponed until the end of 
March for "technical reasons". A UN peacekeeping force was sent in to the 
disputed border area after a bitter war was fought between the two sides 
between 1998 and 2000. In New York, members of the UN Security Council 
urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to desist from any unilateral action, noting 
that the upcoming border ruling was not the end of the peace process. The 
Council met on 6 March to discuss the report of the recent Security Council 
mission to the two countries. 13 March: Displaced children affected by the 
armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea will be reunited with their 
families, the UN special representative for children, Olara Otunna, has 
said. Many families of mixed Ethiopian and Eritrean origin were torn apart 
in the war, as tens of thousands of epople were either deported or 
voluntarily repatriated by both sides.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 13 March 2002)

* Ethiopie. Dernier journaliste libéré  -  Reporters sans frontières (RSF) 
se félicite de la libération de Tamrat Zuma, directeur de publication de 
l'hebdomadaire Atkurot, détenu depuis près de 10 mois. C'est la première 
fois depuis septembre 1993 qu'aucun journaliste n'est emprisonné en 
Ethiopie, a indiqué RSF, tout en rappelant qu'une trentaine de 
professionnels de la presse sont actuellement poursuivis en justice et 
risquent d'être incarcérés à tout moment. L'organisation a appelé les 
autorités éthiopiennes à modifier la loi sur la presse de 1992, 
particulièrement répressive.   (RSF, France, 7 mars 2002)

* The Gambia. Gambians wonder  -  Gambians are still wondering why former 
President Sir Dawda Jawara is still in exile in spite of earlier 
suggestions that he would have been a state guest during the country's 37th 
independence anniversary on 18 February. In January, the Secretary of State 
for Tourism and Culture, had said a red carpet reception was awaiting the 
former President if he should return. Then there's a Member of Parliament 
who is wondering why President Yahya Jammeh has not yet formed a new 
cabinet almost two months after assuming office. Halifa Sallah is wondering 
why Jammeh had not announced his cabinet immediately after assuming office 
following the 18 December 2001 polls.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 March 2002)

* Guinea-Bissau. President imposes new head of Supreme Court  -  President 
Kumba Yala has promised to allow the country's Supreme Court to elect its 
own officers, but has invoked strong protest from opposition parties for 
imposing his choice to head the body. Antonio Sedja Man was appointed 
President of the Supreme Court by presidential decree and took office on 6 
March. It was at Man's inaugural ceremony that Yala announced the court 
would soon be able to elect its own officers, as guaranteed under the 
constitution. The United Opposition, an umbrella of 10 parties, called 
Man's appointment a "violation of the constitution".   (IRIN, 7 March 2002)

* Kenya. Moi's last address to Parliament  -  President Daniel arap Moi of 
Kenya has called on the country's politicians to conduct a peaceful 
election and avoid making outrageous and inflammatory statements which are 
likely to fuel tribal hatred. In his last state address to parliament 
before retiring later this year, Mr Moi also spoke of rampant corruption, 
reviving the ailing economy and the need to continue with peace initiatives 
in the region. He urged all leaders and political activists to pursue peace 
and unity for Kenya's success and prosperity. However, the opposition were 
not impressed with what they called the "usual rhetoric with nothing new to 
offer". "Generally, the president sounded tired. And I think it is time new 
managers took over the running of the country with vigour and new 
energies," said the leader of the Ford Kenya Party, Wamalwa Kijana. Mr Moi, 
who became president under the one party rule in 1978, following the demise 
of Kenya's first President, Jomo Kenyatta, is not allowed to run for 
another term under the constitution.   (BBC News, UK, 12 March 2002)

* Liberia. Une ouverture de Taylor  -  Le président libérien, Charles 
Taylor, a fait des offres de paix aux membres de l'opposition politique, 
promettant de ne rien faire qui puisse obstruer le processus électoral de 
l'année 2003. Au cours d'une réunion organisée avec les leaders des partis 
politiques de l'opposition au palais de la présidence, le président Taylor 
a indiqué qu'il parlerait de paix et de réconciliation avec tous les 
Libériens à Abuja. Des pourparlers de paix devraient réunir le 13 mars à 
Abuja toutes les parties libériennes avec la médiation du président 
nigérian Obasanjo et sous les auspices de la CEDEAO. Toutefois, cette 
ouverture politique du président Taylor intervient à la suite de nouvelles 
menaces de sanctions onusiennes sur l'industrie nationale du bois et de 
nouvelles exigences posées par les Etats-Unis qui souhaitent que Taylor 
respecte les libertés d'expression et de mouvement dans le pays.   (PANA, 
Sénégal, 11 mars 2002)

* Liberia. Hopefully, towards a better understanding  -  11 March: Liberia 
welcomes on the appointment of a four-member panel by UN Secretary-General 
Kofi Annan to verify Monrovia's compliance with a UN resolution to end its 
support to Sierra Leonean dissidents. "We welcome the new composition of 
the panel. We are ready to cooperate with the panel," Robert Lormic, the 
public affairs officer at the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says. 
In a letter to the UN Security Council president, Annan named Atabou Bodian 
(Senegal), Johan Peleman (Belgium), Harjit Singh Sandhu (India) and Alex 
Vines (United Kingdom) to constitute the panel. They will compile "a brief 
independent audit" of the government's adherence to the Council resolution 
of 2001 and report their findings by 8 April latest. 13 March: 
Representatives of the Liberian government and rebels have begun arriving 
in Abuja, Nigeria, for their first direct peace talks since conflict flared 
up in northern Liberia last year. -- Liberia has granted clemency and 
released from Monrovis Central Prison people who attempted to overthrow 
President Taylor's government in 1998.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 14 March 2002)

* Liberia. Human rights group condemns conditions of police cells  -  On 11 
March, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC)'s Director, Frances 
Johnson Morris, said that the conditions of inmates in police cells in 
Monrovia, are "life-threatening". Morris, a former Chief Justice of 
Liberia, said inmates were "inhumanely" treated and living under 
"dehumanising" sanitary conditions. She said the cells were also too small 
for the number of inmates per room, lacked sitting capacity and had no beds 
for detainees to sleep on. "Conditions in these cells are at variance with 
internationally acceptable standards and conditions of detention 
facilities, as well as rules on treatment of inmates," she said. Inmates 
were being treated as though "they are sub-humans, caged like ferocious 
beasts, while others are almost nude". Morris said she had personally 
observed conditions in one of the cells, when she was detained for several 
hours by government early March, on the grounds of "mistaken identity." She 
said she had written to the Justice Minister on 8 March, expressing the 
JPC's willingness to collaborate with the Ministry to help improve 
conditions in the cells.   (PANA, Senegal, 11 March 2002)

* Liberia. Forced recruits  -  Hundreds of former child soldiers are being 
forced to return to the front in Liberia, weeks after President Charles 
Taylor called a state of emergency. Since 1999, the army has been battling 
a mixed assortment of rebels from the 1989-96 civil war, who call 
themselves Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy. On 8 February 
8th, an attack on Klay Junction, just 35 km from the capital, Monrovia, set 
alarm bells ringing. And this appears to be prompting the forcible 
conscription of former child soldiers, who are now sleeping rough on the 
streets. Out of an estimated 15,000 child soldiers who fought during 
Liberia's civil war, only 4,300 have been demobilised. Many boys as young 
as six were forced to fight for Charles Taylor's NPFL (National Patriotic 
Front of Liberia), and other rebel groups. In exchange for their years of 
fighting in the jungle, the former warlord promised them rich rewards when 
they helped him reach the capital. But five years after Mr Taylor was 
elected president, scores of young ex-combatants are on the streets of 
Monrovia, trying to eke a living from cleaning windscreens, begging or 
stealing. Some of them tried to return to their villages when the war was 
over, but they found their houses razed and their families dead or 
missing.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 March 2002)

* Libya. CEN-SAD Summit  -  7 March: The 18-member Community of 
Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), expresses "grave concern at the situation 
in Madagascar". In a declaration at the close of its 4th annual summit in 
the Libyan city of Sirte, CEN-SAD calls on both sides to open up to 
"sincere and constructive dialogue." The declaration, also urged for a 
respect of "the country's constitutional principles," and for the OAU to 
continue the search for peace in Madagascar, and to ward off any external 
interference there. Concerning the Middle East, CEN-SAD expressed sympathy 
with President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian people. It denounced what 
it referred to as "state terrorism perpetrated by Israel against 
defenceless civilian populations." CEN-SAD hailed what it qualified as the 
"the bold position of African delegations in favour of Zimbabwe at the 
recent Commonwealth summit." It expressed total support for President 
Robert Mugabe in his tussle with what the bloc said was "the blatant 
interference of foreign powers in Zimbabwe's internal affairs under the 
guise of election monitoring."   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 8 March 2002)

Weekly anb0314.txt -  End of part 3/7