Weekly anb10316.txt #7



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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 31-10-2002      PART #6/7

* Nigeria/Cameroon. The Bakassi dispute - 25 October: President Obasanjo of Nigeria denies pledging to respect a world court ruling on the disputed Bakassi peninsula. He says that he would never give a "blank cheque" by agreeing to respect a judgement without knowing which way it would go. Commenting on Nigeria's reaction, Cameroon's information minister Jacques Fame Ndongo says that his country believes in the United Nations system and is confident that the rule of law will eventually prevail. 29 October: President Obasanjo says he is ready to meet his Cameroonian counterpart to resolve their dispute over the Bakassi peninsula. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 29 October 2002)

* Nigeria. Le gouvernement et la charia - Le 29 octobre, le gouvernement nigérian s'est engagé à empêcher les tribunaux islamiques du nord du pays d'infliger des peines aussi sévères que la lapidation, l'amputation ou les coups de fouet. Ces peines prévues par la charia (loi islamique) ont provoqué des protestations internationales et notamment de nombreux appels au boycott de la cérémonie de Miss Monde prévue le 7 décembre à Abuja. Cette assurance donnée par le ministre des Affaires étrangères est la plus ferme jamais donnée par le pouvoir central depuis que les tribunaux islamiques ont récemment condamné quatre personnes à être exécutées par lapidation pour adultère ou viol. (AP, 29 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Combattants du FDLR rapatriés - La Mission des Nations unies au Congo (MONUC) a procédé le 24 octobre au rapatriement de 35 combattants des "Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda" (FDLR, mouvement en exil qui combat le régime de Kigali), cantonnés à la base militaire congolaise de Kamina, a indiqué le porte-parole de la MONUC. Ce nouveau rapatriement porte globalement à 212 le nombre de soldats rwandais en exil rapatriés à ce jour. (PANA, Sénégal, 24 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. Sommet sur l'unité - Le 26 octobre, le président Paul Kagamé a procédé, en compagnie de son homologue mozambicain Joachim Chissano, à l'ouverture du deuxième sommet national sur l'unité et la réconciliation. Ce sommet auquel participent environ 900 personnes issues de toutes les couches socio-politiques du pays, de la diaspora rwandaise, ainsi que de personnalités politiques étrangères, permettra, durant trois jours, de faire le point sur le processus de l'unité et de la réconciliation au Rwanda. Les participants examineront divers points, dont des questions liées à la fin de la transition en juillet de l'année prochaine, mais aussi des questions liées à la sécurité du Rwanda et dans la région des Grands Lacs. Le sommet prendra fin le 28 octobre. (PANA, Sénégal, 26 octobre 2002)

* Rwanda. First Rwandan genocide film hits screens - The producers of the first cinema feature film about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda say they are delighted with the results of its first commercial premiere. British and Rwandan producers made the film, called: "100 Days", in an attempt to popularise facts about the genocide by setting them in the dramatic context of one family's experience. The film opened earlier this month in a multi-screen cinema complex in Kampala, Uganda, and has sold more tickets than an American Hollywood import showing alongside it. (BBC News, UK, 28 October 2002)

* Sierra Leone. Remarkable progress in peace process - Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in its peace process and advocates have been able to work on addressing past abuses and violations, advocacy, capacity building, education and institution building, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) has reported. The main remaining challenges in Sierra Leone included redressing present-day violations and developing national capacity to promote and protect human rights. UNHCHR would like to collaborate with the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in responding to the country's human rights needs. "One way of doing this is by deepening working relationships with local State and non-state actors, especially stakeholders within civil society to persuade representatives at the senior level that the consolidation and institutionalization of the human rights agenda is needed". (IRIN, Kenya, 24 October 2002)

* Somalia. Peace talks - 24 October: Somali's President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan has said the ongoing peace conference in Kenya will not end the fighting in Somalia. The talks on the future of Somalia, which are being held in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, are reported to be deadlocked. Most of Somalia's key faction leaders, often called warlords, have gone to the talks, but Mr Salat, head of the Transitional National Government (TNG), has refused to go unless he is accorded the status of a head of state, rather than a faction leader. The TNG was set up in 2000 but only controls parts of the capital, Mogadishu, with the rest of the country divided up between rival warlords. "I am not optimistic the conference would help the Somali peace process," Mr Salat said. No serious discussions have yet taken place, with some warlords insisting that Mr Salat attend in person. He is represented by TNG Prime Minister Hassan Abshir Farah. Tension is said to be rising at the Conference between civil society organisations and leaders of the political groups. 27 October: Warring factions and the transitional government (TNG) in Somalia have signed a ceasefire deal aimed at bringing more than a decade of fighting and anarchy to an end, foreign mediators have said. Twenty-one rival groups and the TNG agreed to end hostilities for the duration of current peace talks and to pave the way for a new federal system of government. But correspondents say the agreement is unlikely to win support from the breakaway northern region of Somaliland, and neither has it been signed by the faction which controls regions in central Somalia. The peace talks have the backing of the international community, which has threatened to impose sanctions on groups opposing an agreement. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 27 October 2002)

* Somalie. Accord de cessez-le-feu - Le 27 octobre, 22 factions armées qui se disputent le contrôle du pays ont signé un accord de cessez-le-feu immédiat, lors de la conférence de réconciliation nationale qui se tient depuis la mi-octobre à Eldoret (Kenya). Par ailleurs, les détails concernant la formation d'un gouvernement central, dont le principe a pourtant été entériné au cours des pourparlers, seront élaborés dans une phase suivante. Déjà, les responsables des factions ont entrepris de créer des structures de gouvernance fédérale, tout en approuvant le principe de la décentralisation. Ils ont aussi promis d'inviter la communauté internationale à entreprendre un contrôle de l'embargo sur les armes et de combattre toutes les formes de terrorisme. -- Mais le 28 octobre, au lendemain de l'accord, d'intenses combats impliquant plusieurs centaines de miliciens ont éclaté à Luq, ville proche de la frontière kényane, et ont fait au moins 15 morts et 30 blessés. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 31 octobre 2002)

* South Africa. Japanese investors scared - South African could be in line for a massive hike in investment from japan -- but only if the country can tackle its reputation for crime. A delegation of Japanese executives from the powerful employers' federation, Keidanren, is spending a week in South African examining investment opportunities. But the leader of the delegation has warned that his fellow Japanese are scared of South Africa's image as a haven for carjackers and other street criminals. Potential investors are also worried about reports of corruption in high placed. (BBC News, UK, 25 October 2002)

* South Africa. Wider access to AIDS drugs - South Africa has threatened to intensify its fight with international pharmaceutical companies over wider access to cheaper medicines against HIV/AIDS. At a meeting of United Nations agencies operating in southern Africa, Aziz Pahad, deputy minister of foreign affairs, said his government would put renewed pressure on drugs companies to assist with the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs. "Our battles with the drugs companies are still not over," said Mr Pahad. "They must not just begin to talk about the supply of drugs but also what the follow-up programmes are in the administering of the drugs." South Africa has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates with about 4.7m HIV-positive people among its 40m population. (Financial Times, UK, 29 October 2002)

* Afrique du Sud. Bombes à Soweto - Le mercredi matin 30 octobre, plusieurs bombes ont explosé dans le township de Soweto, endommageant une mosquée et plusieurs lignes de chemin de fer arrivant dans la ville voisine de Johannesburg, a annoncé la radio. Une personne a été tuée et une autre grièvement blessée. Entre 7 et 9 bombes ont explosé et la police en a désamorcé deux autres. Les détonations ont commencé aux environs de minuit, à la gare. Les forces de sécurité recherchent les responsables. Le président Mbeki a évoqué l'hypothèse d'une action d'un groupe d'extrême droite. (AP, 30 octobre 2002)

* South Africa. Bomb explosions rock Soweto - 30 October: A series of bomb explosions has rocked Soweto township, in South Africa, killing at least one person. Another was badly injured. Police say at least seven bombs exploded and two more have been defused. The blasts began at about midnight, rocking parts of the sprawling township one after the other. Several of the explosions targeted railway lines linking Soweto to Johannesburg. Some train services have been suspended, leaving busy commuter routes in chaos. Another explosion ripped through a mosque, tearing apart one of its walls. Police have been out in full force searching for other explosive devices. The bomb disposal squad has defused at least one other device at a garage. No group has said it carried out the attacks. President Mbeki links the explosions to white right-wingers. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 30 October 2002)

* South Africa. Companies count the cost of AIDS - Vodacom, South Africa's largest mobile telephone network, has estimated that the HIV/AIDS epidemic will cut the country's potential market by about a third. Alan Knott-Craig, Vodacom's chief executive, said the disease would restrict the rapid growth of the South African mobile telephone market to about 19m users as opposed to a potential HIV/AIDS-free market of nearer 30m users. However, he insisted that South Africa offered strong business potential for consumer goods --such as mobile phones -- in spite of the daunting health crisis that its population faces. "HIV/AIDS will result in us not having as good as market as we could have had. But there is no huge dark cloud on the horizon," he said. Many South African companies are assessing the impact HIV/AIDS is likely to have on their businesses. The country has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world with about 4.7m HIV-positive people among a population of 40m people. Infection rates among the economically active adult population are estimated to be as high as 25 per cent. Business leaders have identified HIV/AIDS as post-apartheid South Africa's single greatest challenge. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is encouraging companies to discover the HIV/AIDS infection rates among their employees through voluntary testing and to develop responses for those infected. (Financial Times, UK, 31 October 2002)

* Sudan. Doubt cast over peace talks - 25 October: The Sudanese government has claimed southern rebels have violated an agreed truce, putting in doubt the future of the peace talks to bring an end to the country's civil war. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 October 2002)

* Sudan. Landmark aid deal - 26 October: The Sudanese government and the SPLA, have signed a landmark agreement giving aid agencies unfettered access to hundreds of thousands of victims of countries civil war. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said the deal would allow it to feed an additional 500,000 people. The agency already supplies food to three million civilians in Sudan. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 October 2002)

* Soudan. Aide humanitaire - Le 26 octobre, un accord définissant les procédures d'accès sans entrave de l'aide humanitaire à des centaines de milliers de personnes affectées par la guerre au Soudan a été signé à Nairobi par les représentants du gouvernement, de l'Armée populaire de libération du Soudan (SPLA) et des Nations unies. L'accord démarre le 1er novembre jusqu'à la fin de l'année. Les dates correspondent au calendrier du protocole d'accord dans le cadre duquel des négociations de paix sont organisées à Makachos (Kenya). L'accord aura des répercussions immédiates pour les agences humanitaires de l'Onu et les 41 organisations travaillant dans le cadre de l'OLS. (PANA, Sénégal, 27 octobre 2002)

Weekly anb1031.txt - #6/7