Weekly anb01235.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 23-01-2003      PART #5/7

* Malawi/Mozambique. Inondations  -  Les inondations causées par plusieurs 
semaines de pluies torrentielles dues au cyclone Delfina ont fait au moins 
22 morts et plusieurs milliers de sans-abri au Malawi et au Mozambique, où 
la destruction des cultures aggrave la crise alimentaire. 15 personnes sont 
mortes au Mozambique et au moins 7 au Malawi. Environ 20.000 personnes sont 
déplacées au Malawi, tandis que 60.000 familles ont perdu leur récolte à un 
moment où 14 millions de personnes sont menacées de famine. Le président du 
Malawi, Bakili Muluzi, a déclaré l'état de catastrophe naturelle et a 
demande l'aide internationale.   (AP, 17 janvier 2003)

* Morocco. Women Members of Parliament  -  There are a few jokes going 
around Morocco at the moment about the new female members of parliament. 
For example: when the women get together in committees, instead of 
discussing policy, they will be exchanging recipes and the names of their 
dressmakers. It is the Moroccan male's way of coming to terms with the 
greater public presence of women here, particularly in one of the last male 
bastions -- politics. But the women are not intimidated. The 35 elected MPs 
have a higher level of education than their average male counterpart, and 
most of them have had to work harder than the men to get there. "When I 
started in politics there were very few women," says Nezha Skalli, a new MP 
for the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS). "We fought and fought, and 
tried to explain that our country couldn't become developed without women 
participating in democracy." A dynamic 52-year-old pharmacist, Nezha joined 
Morocco's former communist party at the age of 19. Finding that women had 
particular problems that were not being addressed -- like their legal 
status -- she shifted her focus from equality of the classes to equality of 
the sexes. In 1985 she co-founded the Democratic Association of Moroccan 
Women. It was months of lobbying by associations like hers, and political 
activists, that finally led to an agreement by all the parties to have a 
women's list. For Nezha, who had stood for parliament many times without 
success, it was an historic victory.   (BBC News, UK, 14 January 2003)

* Maroc. Procès al Qaeda  -  Le 17 janvier, le procès de dix membres 
présumés d'al Qaeda (trois Saoudiens et sept Marocains) a repris devant le 
tribunal de Casablanca, où leurs avocats ont dénoncé ce qu'ils considèrent 
comme des violations du code de procédure pénale. Les dix suspects avaient 
été arrêtés en mai et juin sur la présomption d'appartenir aux réseaux 
islamistes al Qaeda d'Oussama Ben Laden. Selon la défense, on aurait 
extorqué des aveux à leurs clients sous la torture et des preuves auraient 
été fabriquées contre eux. Le but aurait été, pour le Maroc, de se faire 
bien voir des Etats-Unis dans sa croisade contre le terrorisme. - Une 
nouvelle audience est fixée au 24 janvier, au cours de laquelle les avocats 
de la défense poursuivront la présentation des vices de forme. Une 
vingtaine de témoins à décharge comparaîtra le 31 janvier.   (ANB-BIA, de 
sources diverses, 18 janvier 2003)

* Morocco. Migrants die trying to reach Europe  -  19 January: At least 16 
people have drowned while trying to enter Spain illegally in an inflatable 
boat, say Moroccan police. The boat is reported to have sunk in bad weather 
near the Moroccan port of Tangiers, while trying to cross the Straits of 
Gibraltar. Morocco's official news agency, MAP, says three people -- two of 
them Moroccans -- were rescued in a major operation involving the Moroccan 
police and coast guards.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 19 January 2002)

* Maroc. Illégaux morts noyés  -  La mer a rejeté sur les côtes du Maroc 
les corps de 18 Africains qui tentaient d'émigrer illégalement en Europe. 
Surpris par une patrouille de la gendarmerie royale sur une plage au sud de 
Tanger, ils ont fui, par gros temps, à bord d'un canot gonflable. 
L'embarcation s'est renversée. Une opération de secours a permis de sauver 
deux Marocains et un Sénégalais.   (La Libre Belgique, 20 janvier 2003)

* Morocco/USA. Aiming for trade deal  -  On 21 January, The US and Morocco 
launched negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement that the US hopes 
will send a positive signal to Arab and Muslim countries even as tensions 
are rising over a looming war in Iraq. The two countries said they wanted 
to wrap up talks on the deal by the end of this year. Robert Zoellick, US 
trade representative, said the negotiations with Morocco "send a powerful 
signal to the rest of the Muslim world that President Bush is committed to 
supporting the development of open, prosperous societies in all regions of 
the world." He said: "Arabs and Muslims can and must be part of the 
widening circle of development, openness and opportunity." The US has 
devoted increasing attention to expanding trade with Arab countries as the 
positive side of an agenda dominated by the possibility of conflict with 
Iraq and the war on terrorism. Mr Zoellick said the US had recently signed 
a trade and investment agreement with Bahrain, and noted the decision to 
launch the current round of global trade talks in Doha, Qatar. Morocco, 
which has opened its doors to foreign investment and has trade deals with 
Europe, was a logical choice for the US in the region. The US exports about 
$475m in goods annually to the country, facing an average tariff of 20 per 
cent.   (Financial Times, UK, 22 January 2003)

* Mauritanie. Famine: plan d'urgence  -  Le gouvernement mauritanien a 
élaboré un plan multisectoriel d'urgence pour assister près d'un million de 
personnes menacées de famine à travers le pays, a-t-on appris le 19 janvier 
auprès du Commissariat à la sécurité alimentaire (CSA). Ce plan, qui 
implique de nombreux départements ministériels, comprend une dimension 
d'aide alimentaire aux personnes, mais aussi un volet d'aliment de bétail 
et de santé, ainsi que des activités à haute intensité de main d'oeuvre. Le 
CSA a commencé à acheminer des céréales vers l'intérieur du pays, dans 
toutes les 208 communes de la Mauritanie. Le plan d'urgence s'étale sur une 
période de 10 mois. La Mauritanie a connu une succession de trois campagnes 
agropastorales déficitaires, en particulier en 2002.   (PANA, Sénégal, 20 
janvier 2003)

* Mauritania. Food agreement signed  -  An agreement to distribute 13,500 
mt of food to thousands of Mauritanians in the Assaba region near the 
Senegal border, and the adjoining Brakna and Tagant regions has been signed 
between World Food Programme (WFP) and World Vision Mauritania. The drought 
relief program valued at US $5.7 million is expected to benefit at least 
88,800 people who are at risk of starvation over nine months, World Vision 
reported on 21 January. "The rations include cereals, beans, oil, 
wheat-soya blend, and sugar. This is the first time in World Vision 
Mauritania's 20 year history that the agency has been awarded such a large 
general food distribution contract from WFP," the NGO said.   (IRIN, Kenya, 
21 January 2003)

* Mozambique. Flood alerts  -  17 January: Heavy rains have been causing 
devastation in much of central and northern Mozambique, and have now spread 
to the northernmost province of Cabo Delgado. Areas already affected 
include western Tete, central Zambezia and northern Nampula provinces. 
Reports from Cabo Delgado say the torrential rains have swollen rivers and 
cut roads in the province, leaving several cars stranded. Radio Mozambique 
said a bridge on the road between Macomia and the Cabo Delgado provincial 
capital, Pemba, collapsed and three vehicles plunged into the waters of the 
River Muaguide. The National Water Board has issued a flood alert for three 
rivers in Cabo Delgado, as well as for the Ligonha, the river that forms 
the boundary between Nampula and Zambezia provinces. Flood alerts are still 
in force for four other rivers in Nampula, Zambezia and Tete. The water 
board is warning that rain is forecast for northern Mozambique over the 
next few days, with more floods possible because of waterlogged soil and 
high water levels. They are urging local authorities to remain on full 
alert, and encourage people to move away from areas liable to 
flooding.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 17 January 2003)

* Nigeria. Obasanjo victory in the primaries challenged  -  20 January: A 
member of President Olusegun Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has 
filed a court case calling for fresh primaries and for Mr Obasanjo to be 
disqualified. Alex Ekwueme said at the time of Mr Obasanjo's election 
earlier this month that the PDP primaries were rigged after Mr Obasanjo won 
more than 70% of the votes. Mr Ekwueme's move coincides with the Nigerian 
vice president's call to Muslims leaders not to mix religion with politics 
ahead of elections in April. Atiku Abubakar made the call to Islamic and 
traditional rulers in the northern city of Kaduna, and a joint committee is 
now scheduled to meet soon.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 20 January 2003)

* Nigeria. Nigerians register to vote  -  21 January: Voter registration is 
taking place across Nigeria ahead of elections in April. Across the 
country, registration centres have opened for business once again. Over the 
next three days, Nigerians who were unable to get their voter's cards the 
first time around, now have a second chance. There are an estimated 60 
million people eligible to vote in the country, and the process of 
identifying them has been dogged by controversy. Last September, the 
electoral commission distributed as many as 70 million registration cards 
to electoral centres, more than enough for every one of the country's 
eligible voters. But, unaccountably, large numbers of these disappeared and 
the process ended in confusion and disarray. Now, with just three months to 
go before the polls, the electoral commission will need to collate all the 
data on their computerised system, from this latest registration process 
and last, into a credible voters' roll.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 21 January 2003)

* Rwanda. Rééducation civique  -  Les quelque 40.000 prisonniers qui ont 
bénéficié de la mesure présidentielle de libération provisoire vont, 
excepté les malades et les vieux, subir durant deux mois un programme de 
rééducation civique avant d'être effectivement remis en liberté. Le 17 
janvier, les actes de mise en liberté de 10.000 prisonniers ont été signés. 
A ceux-ci s'ajouteront 30.000 autres présumés génocidaires qui ont fait des 
aveux et qui seront formellement libérés le 23 janvier. Tous devront 
cependant garder leur cellule jusqu'à fin janvier, quand débutera le 
programme de rééducation. Celui-ci sera axé sur la politique, l'histoire du 
Rwanda, la question ethnique, la démocratie, le développement, la culture 
de la paix, la lutte contre le sida, la pauvreté, etc., soit un corpus de 
43 thèmes qu'ils devront assimiler avant de regagner leurs 
collines.   (PANA, Sénégal, 20 janvier 2003)

* Western Sahara. UN Sahara peace plan rejected  -  20 January: The 
independence movement for Western Sahara, the Polisario Front, has rejected 
the latest United Nations plan for a solution to end more than 25 years of 
conflict. The Algerian-backed Polisario said the latest proposals, put 
forward last week by UN special envoy James Baker, offered nothing new. The 
Polisario Front, which fought a bitter guerrilla war with Morocco from 1976 
until a UN ceasefire in 1991, says it cannot accept any plan which does not 
offer the Saharawi people self-determination. The full details of Mr 
Baker's proposals have not been revealed, but the Polisario says it is no 
different from the one he put forward in 2001. That offered the territory 
autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty for a period of five years, after which 
a referendum would be held on its final status. It was ambiguous what the 
options would be, whether it would include independence or a choice between 
the continuation of autonomy or full integration into Morocco. And a major 
sticking point then for the Polisario was who would be eligible to vote. It 
seems Mr Baker's latest proposals, which are still being studied by 
Morocco, have not offered the Polisario an attractive enough autonomy deal 
to persuade it to abandon its demand for a referendum on independence. But 
that is a difficult option for the UN to pursue, since Morocco has said it 
will never give up the territory which it effectively controls.   (ANB-BIA, 
Belgium, 20 January 2003)

* Sahara occidental. Le non du Polisario  -  Le Front Polisario a rejeté 
les dernières propositions des Nations unies transmises la semaine dernière 
par son envoyé spécial James Baker aux parties en conflit, à l'Algérie et à 
la Mauritanie. Selon le Polisario, le plan en question ne prévoyait rien de 
nouveau en offrant "une autonomie de quatre ans au terme de laquelle un 
corps électoral, constitué à 65% de colons marocains, décidera par 
référendum du statut définitif du territoire" du Sahara occidental.   (Le 
Figaro, France, 21 janvier 2003)

Weekly anb0123.txt - #5/7