[Prec. per data] [Succ. per data] [Prec. per argomento] [Succ. per argomento] [Indice per data] [Indice per argomento]

Weekly anb02271.txt #7

ANB-BIA - Av. Charles Woeste 184 - 1090 Bruxelles - Belg
TEL **.32.2/420 34 36 fax /420 05 49 E-Mail: editor at anb-bia.org
_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-02-2003      PART #1/7
* Africa. Action against the Media - Central African Republic: On 21 February, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) reported that Mathurin Momet, publications' director of the private daily Le Confident, was arrested by plainclothes police officers at his newspaper's offices on 20 February 2003. RSF condemns this unwarranted arrest. The organisation urges the authorities to do everything in their power to ensure that the journalist is released without delay and that those responsible for his arrest are punished. Congo RDC: On 18 February, the organisation, Journaliste en Danger, (JED) sent a letter to Vital Kamhere, commissioner-general in charge of the peace process in the Great Lakes region protesting the ban on journalists' travel to Gbadolite. The letter stated: "You, personally, intervened to prevent four journalists from travelling to Gbadolite. The Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC) rebel movement had invited the journalists to visit the city. According to information published in Kinshasa-based newspapers on 18 February, journalists Lolo Luasu, of the newspaper Le Révélateur, Rombaut Kasongo, of Mosaïque, Elali Ikoko, of La Tempête des tropiques, and Vicky Kazumba, of Canal Kin, had expected to travel to Gbadolite on a United Nations aircraft in order to cover the trial of 27 MLC officers who are accused of carrying out acts of cannibalism and war crimes in Ituri. Five minutes before takeoff, an otherwise unidentified National Intelligence Agency agent prohibited the journalists from travelling on the flight to Gbadolite. He said he was acting on your orders". -- On 20 February, JED reported that in an official letter dated 17 December 2002, a copy of which was sent to Journaliste en danger (JED), Mr. Delphin Paluku, provincial director of the Congolese Intelligence Agency (ACR) the RCD/ML rebel movement's intelligence services, based in Beni, North-Kivu province, announced the imposition of advance censorship of all newspapers. The letter states: "...we hereby inform you that as of this date, each new issue of your respective newspapers must be sent to the ACR North-Kivu Bureau prior to publication. The newspapers will be subject to advance censorship prior to their delivery to readers. Your failure to respect this order will lead to prosecution." Three Congolese newspapers -- Les Coulisses, Le Millénaire and La Colombe Plus, are printed in Kampala and distributed in Beni. -- On 25 February, JED reported that Raymond Kabala, managing editor of Alerte Plus, remains imprisoned even though he finished serving his seven-month sentence on 19 February. Malawi: On 19 February, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said that on 14 February, suspected members of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party's youth wing beat up vendors who were selling the Daily Times newspaper in the capital, Lilongwe. The Daily Times's 10 February edition reported that the Young Democrats, as members of the UDF's youth wing are known, allegedly responded to a call by a UDF Women's Desk official and praise singer for President Bakili Muluzi, who was incensed by a Daily Times headline that read that the president would not push for another term in office. The newspaper based its story on a speech delivered by President Muluzi at a public rally in southern Malawi. In his speech, Muluzi criticised anti-third term campaigners and declared that he was "too senior a politician to be taught politics." He further stated that the constitution was clear on the issue of presidential terms and there was no need for him to clarify his stand. Niger: On 25 February, RSF said that Abdoulaye Tiémogo, managing editor of the weekly newspaper Le Canard Déchaîné, was released from prison after completing his eight-month sentence. Rwanda: On 25 February, RSF protested against the unjustified detention for more than a month of Ismael Mboigaba, editor of the newspaper, Umuseso. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 25 February 2003)
* Afrique. Pour une alliance aérienne - A Maputo (Mozambique) se tient une réunion de l'Association des compagnies aériennes africaines (AFRAA, créée en 1968). Le directeur technique de l'association, Elijah Chinhosho, a demandé aux compagnies aériennes du continent de former une "alliance stratégique" afin de renforcer leur capacité à concurrencer les grandes compagnies internationales. 75% des transporteurs aériens qui opèrent en Afrique sont actuellement basés à l'extérieur du continent, a-t-il déclaré le 25 février, mais il est possible, pour les compagnies africaines, de réduire ce pourcentage et d'opérer de façon plus compétitive. Pour cela, elles doivent renforcer leur coopération. Treize pays africains prennent part à la réunion de Maputo, qui prendra fin le 28 février. (D'après PANA, Sénégal, 25 février 2003)
* Africa. Africa and the Iraqi crisis - How is Africa responding to the current crisis? Mauritania: The private weekly Akhbar Nouakchott reports (26 February) that a delegation comprising representatives of several Mauritanian opposition parties has left Nouakchott for Baghdad on a solidarity visit to Iraq. Mauritius: On 25 February, Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth said that only the UN Security Council could authorise any military intervention in Iraq. South Africa: South African experts have met with Iraqi officials in Baghdad (25 February) in an attempt to avert war by sharing expertise from their own country's disarmament programme. -- President Thabo Mbeki joins leaders of the developing world in Malaysia to oppose war in Iraq and urge Baghdad to disarm itself. Sudan: On 26 February, thousands of Sudanese from all walks of life stage a peaceful march through Khartoum to condemn the US and British govts. in their desire to wage war on Iraq. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 February 2003)
* Africa. Bishops to meet in Lisbon - Catholic Bishops from Africa (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar [SECAM]) and the European Union (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community [COMEC]) will meet in Lisbon, Portugal, on 27-28 February 2003, to promote the human dimension of the Africa-Europe partnership. The seminar entitled: "Africa and the European Union -- Partners in Solidarity: Contribution of the Church", will bring together over sixty Catholic bishops and lay experts from the two continents, to examine the challenges facing the Africa-Europe partnership, with high-level representatives from the political world. (SECAM/COMEC, 25 February 2003)
* Afrique centrale. Cri d'alarme des évêques - Le Conseil permanent de l'Association des Conférences épiscopales de la région d'Afrique centrale (ACERAC) s'est tenu il y a quelques jours à Brazzaville. A l'issue de cette rencontre, les membres du conseil ont lancé un cri d'alarme. "Nous sommes les témoins indignés de la situation de violences, de viols, de déplacements forcés, d'humiliations, qui prévaut dans les pays de notre région à cause des conflits armés", écrivent les évêques, citant en particulier le Centrafrique, le Congo-Brazza et le Tchad. "Dans les autres pays, même s'il n'y a pas de conflits armés, existent tout de même des situations d'insécurité et des violations flagrantes des droits humains dans l'impunité la plus totale", déplorent les signataires, qui constatent avec regret que "le dialogue ou la recherche de dialogue ne se fait pas dans la vérité et la sincérité, mais dans la duplicité, le mensonge et le sadisme". (D'après Misna, Italie, 25 février 2003)
* Afrique/France. Sommet à Paris - 20 février. En ouvrant le 22e sommet franco-africain à Paris, le président français Jacques Chirac a mis en garde les dirigeants du continent africain en décrétant la "fin de l'impunité" pour ceux qui ne respecteraient pas les droits de l'homme. Les questions de paix et de sécurité (notamment au Burundi, en Centrafrique, en Somalie et au Congo) ont dominé la première journée de la réunion. Le secrétaire général de l'Onu, Kofi Annan, a exhorté "tous les Ivoiriens, en particulier le président Gbagbo, pour qu'ils fassent de l'accord qu'ils ont signé un premier pas concret vers la paix". L'après-midi, les 52 pays africains représentés ont apporté leur soutien à la France sur le dossier irakien, publiant un communiqué affirmant qu'il existe une alternative à la guerre. Dans la soirée, M. Chirac a eu un entretien en tête-à-tête avec le président zimbabwéen, M. Mugabe. -- 21 février. Le président Chirac a affirmé que les relations entre la France et l'Afrique étaient désormais sorties "du système de l'assistance pour entrer dans le système du partenariat", lequel se définit, selon lui, par "une relation d'égal à égal". Il a présenté un certain nombre de propositions destinées à soutenir le développement durable du continent, notamment en matière agricole. Il a proposé que les pays riches gèlent jusqu'en 2005 les subsides accordés à leurs exportations agricoles qui "déstabilisent" l'économie des pays africains. La France soumettra cette mesure au prochain sommet des G8 et aux négociations de l'OMC. Le sommet a également permis d'évoquer le combat contre le terrorisme et le crime organisé, ainsi que de revenir sur la pandémie du sida. Le prochain sommet se tiendra dans deux ans à Bamako, au Mali. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 22 février 2003)
* Africa/France. Franco-African Summit - 20 February: Leaders from 52 African countries have backed France's opposition to a military intervention aimed at disarming Iraq. At their annual Franco-African summit in Paris, they endorsed a statement saying: "There is an alternative to war." Three African states -- Guinea, Cameroon and Angola -- sit as non-permanent members on the 15-nation United Nations Security Council. The White House says the new resolution demanding the disarmament of Iraq will be offered for discussion by the Council next week. Correspondents say the votes of its three African members could prove decisive. "The use of force, which entails serious risks of destabilisation for the region, for Africa and for the world, should only be a last resort," the summit said in a joint declaration. The document called for the continuation of UN weapons inspections as an alternative to war. "The disarmament of Iraq is the shared goal of the international community," the declaration said. -- President Chirac pledges to raise his concern over the deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe, with President Mugabe, during a special meeting in the margins of the Summit. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chirac warns African leaders: "The days of impunity are over and violence must be denounced wherever it comes from". 21 February: In the run-up to the one-and-a-half day Franco-African summit, French officials were confidently predicting that -- whatever the British press and politicians might say -- the presence of Robert Mugabe in Paris would not spoil the party. Zimbabwe, after all, is largely seen in France as a post-colonial, British problem. The suffering of the expelled white farmers is viewed with pity, but not anger. But when he opened today's edition of Le Monde, the French leader would have read an editorial that could have easily come from one of the more moderate sections of the British press. "Mugabe's presence in Paris for this summit is an insult to all the victims of his regime. Did Jacques Chirac really think that ticking him off -- in a corridor --about democracy and human rights, would really change the mind of this ageing autocrat?" And if the rest of the French media has been less explicit in its criticism of the president, it has been noticeable that most newspapers -- including the pro-Chirac Le Figaro -- have filed reports this week about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. 22 February: The Summit has closed with a statement by President Chirac: "I will be the tireless lawyer of Africa". (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 22 February 2003)
* Afrique/France. Un clandestin tombé d'un avion - Le 25 février au matin, les policiers ont retrouvé le corps sans vie d'un Africain dans la véranda d'un pavillon à Groslay (Val d'Oise, France). L'homme, âgé de 20 à 25 ans, sans papiers d'identité, est tombé d'un avion. Les vols en provenance d'Afrique sont nombreux à arriver à l'aéroport de Roissy vers 6 heures. D'après les premiers éléments de l'enquête, l'homme se serait caché dans le train d'atterrissage et serait tombé au moment même où l'avion atterrissait. Deux ou trois corps sont ainsi retrouvés chaque année. Il s'agit de clandestins qui réussissent à embarquer depuis leur pays d'origine en se cachant. (La Croix, France, 26 février 2003)
* Africa/UK. UK's junior Foreign Minister on tour - On 25 February, Baroness Amos, the junior Foreign Office minister, embarked on a three-day African tour as part of an intensive US-British diplomatic drive to secure the votes of six wavering security council members. Washington has ordered its diplomatic corps to pull out all the stops, and the Foreign Office has followed suit. "The order from the White House was to use "all diplomatic means necessary"," one US diplomat said. "And that really means everything." A round of meetings and telephone calls by the US president, George Bush, and the prime minister, Tony Blair, are being replicated at the state department and the Foreign Office. Baroness Amos was dispatched from Britain hours before the new resolution was tabled on Monday and she was due to see the president of Guinea, Lansana Conté, last night. She is scheduled to hold talks today or tomorrow morning in Angola with the president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and in Cameroon with the president, Paul Biya, tomorrow. All three countries are on the security council. The three, along with Pakistan, Mexico and Chile, are regarded by the US and Britain as persuadable. With the US, Britain, Spain and Bulgaria already supporting the resolution, they need only a further five to have the necessary majority on the 15-member council. Germany and France yesterday met the 10 non-permanent members of the security council, including the three African ones, in New York. The British and Americans are scheduled to hold a similar meeting today to make their case. (The Guardian, UK, 26 February 2003) 

WEEKLY anb0227.txt - 1/7