Weekly ANB0911_04.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 11-09-2003      PART #4/7

* Lesotho. Queen Mother dies  -  Mamohato Bereng Seeiso, the queen mother 
of the tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho, died after collapsing in a church 
outside the capital. She was 62. No cause of death was immediately 
released, but she had reportedly complained of fatigue shortly before she 
died on 7 September. The mother of King Letsie III collapsed at the Roman 
Catholic Church in Mantsoenyane, outside Maseru, and later died at a nearby 
hospital, a member of the Basotho royal family announced, the South African 
Press Association reported. Lesotho has 2.1 million people and its borders 
are encompassed by South Africa. South African President Thabo Mbeki 
conveyed his country's condolences. "Our thoughts and prayers are with your 
majesty and your family, as well as the government and people of the 
Kingdom of Lesotho during this time of mourning," said Mbeki in a 
statement. Queen Mamohato is survived by her two sons, King Letsie III and 
Prince Bereng Seeiso Seeiso and by two grandchildren. No immediate funeral 
plans were given.   (CNN, USA, 8 September 2003)

* Liberia. Flag of convenience  -  Liberia, once the shipping world's 
number one flag of convenience, is coming under international pressure to 
clean up its maritime business as part of efforts to rebuild the country 
after more than a decade of civil war. United Nations experts have raised 
concerns about how Liberia spends earnings from the registry, now the 
world's second-largest register of ships, behind Panama. The signing of a 
UN-brokered peace deal last month has strengthened calls for a full audit 
of maritime revenues. "This is the time for a new approach, meeting the 
requirements of the UN Security Council," says Hans-Heinrich Noll, general 
secretary of Verband Deutscher Reeder, the German shipowners' association. 
"I think there is an obligation to set up appropriate measures to see how 
the money is spent." Liberia's maritime operations are run by the US-owned 
Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR). It took over in 
2000 after the previous managers, International Registries, fell out with 
the government of former president Charles Taylor, who went into exile in 
Nigeria last month. LISCR is based in the US, reflecting the links between 
the US and Liberia, which was founded by freed US slaves more than 150 
years ago. The Liberian registry had its origins during the second world 
war. Washington wanted to register US controlled ships outside the country, 
allowing the government of President Franklin Roosevelt to supply Britain 
without violating a US neutrality act. Revenues remitted from LISCR to the 
Liberian government amount to a modest $18m a year, but as war has 
disrupted other sources of income, the earnings generated by the registry 
have become increasingly important. Liberian central bank figures suggest 
maritime business accounted for about one-sixth of total official revenues 
during the second half of last year.   (Financial Times, UK, 8 September 2003)

* Liberia. Taylor allegedly took $3 million  -  8 September: The US press 
is reporting that former president Charles Taylor who is now in exile in 
Nigeria, took with him $3 million donated for disarming and demobilizing 
thousands of armed combatants. A senior UN official, describes the theft 
and says the donor has been an Asian nation. Other government officials 
said it was Taiwan. Taiwan is the only Asian country with both an embassy 
in Monrovia and with close ties to the former Taylor administration. 
Taiwanese officials could not be reached for comment in Monrovia; nor could 
Taylor in Nigeria.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 8 September 2003)

* Liberia. Déploiement des forces de paix  -  8 septembre. Les militaires 
de l'opération ECOMIL, dépêchés par la Communauté des Etats de l'Afrique de 
l'Ouest, pourront quitter la capitale Monrovia ce lundi, pour escorter les 
secours humanitaires et sécuriser d'autres zones du pays, a annoncé le 
ministre de la Défense, Daniel Chea. 600 soldats bissau-guinéens étaient 
prêts à partir samedi dernier, mais la mission avait été reportée à cause 
de "problèmes de coordination" entre les forces gouvernementales et celles 
de l'ECOMIL. Le ministre a indiqué que les soldats libériens avaient reçu 
l'ordre de se retirer de la principale route qui relie la capitale aux 
régions du centre. Les incursions de bandes armées entravent toujours le 
travail des agences humanitaires. A Monrovia, on attend l'arrivée de 450 
soldats ghanéens pour renforcer la mission de paix africaine, qui comptera 
alors 3.500 hommes, rapporte l'agence Misna. -- Selon des religieuses, 
citées par l'agence Fides le 5 septembre, la situation à Buchanan, le 
principal port du pays à 90 km de Monrovia, reste dramatique par manque de 
nourriture. "Il n'est pas possible d'arriver à cette localité, car il faut 
traverser des postes de contrôle tenus par l'armée gouvernementale, par les 
rebelles du MODEL et par des milices nées de la dissolution des groupes 
armés de l'ancien président Taylor. Ces derniers sont les plus danguereux. 
Il s'agit des plus fidèles partisans de Taylor qui, lorsqu'il a quitté le 
pays, se sont divisés en mille groupes répandus sur tout le territoire. 
Pour la plus grande partie, il s'agit de très jeunes gens dirigés par un 
chef à peine plus âgé qu'eux. Ces jeunes assaillent les villages en pillant 
les gens et en se livrant à des violences contre les femmes". -- 9 
septembre. Les rebelles du LURD (Libériens unis pour la réconciliation et 
la démocratie) se sont emparés de la province de Kakata dans le comté de 
Margibi, à 45 km au nord de Monrovia, avant que l'ECOMIL ait pu se 
déployer. La veille, des combats entre l'armée et les rebelles du LURD dans 
la ville de Todee, à 40 km de la capitale, près de la route menant à 
Kakata, avaient différé les plans de déploiement du contingent. Malgré 
l'accord de paix, le LURD se bat et gagne du terrain. L'avancée des 
rebelles a isolé au moins 80.000 civils.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 9 
septembre 2003)

* Liberia. Large numbers of peacekeepers needed  -  5 September: Killings, 
rape and looting will continue unless peacekeepers are deployed in large 
numbers, says the United Nations representative to Liberia. Jacques Klein 
said that 15,000 troops were needed to make last month's ceasefire 
agreement work. "Unless we, this time, do this thing correctly, it 
potentially destabilises West Africa," he told a news conference in the 
capital, Monrovia. It seems likely that this will be approved by the UN, 
making it the world's largest peacekeeping operation. The UN envoy 
described Liberia as the key to the stability of the whole of West Africa. 
"I think there's a clear understanding by the region that this, this time, 
has to work," he said. He also urged the United States to stay beyond its 
planned withdrawal of forces at the beginning of October. Mr Klein has 
already named countries that may contribute troops, including Nigeria, 
Ireland, South Africa and several Asian states. The West African 
peacekeeping force in Liberia now has 3,050 soldiers and is expected to 
reach its full force of 3,500 African troops by 10 September. 7 September: 
Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea says agreement has been reached 
clearing the way for a first major deployment of West African peacekeepers 
outside the capital, Monrovia. Mr Chea said government troops would be 
withdrawn from the main road from Monrovia into central Liberia to allow 
the West African force, known as ECOMIL, to move in tomorrow. ECOMIL wants 
to put its troops between government soldiers and two rebel groups to 
ensure they all respect the ceasefire they have signed, to enable 
humanitarian aid to reach hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The 
deployment of 600 soldiers from Guinea-Bissau had been planned for 6 
September but the move was delayed at the last minute because of what the 
peacekeepers described as a "co-ordination problem" between them and the 
Liberian Government. The Guinea-Bissau troops, looking well equipped and 
disciplined, had boarded their convoy and were about to leave Monrovia when 
the order came to disembark. Today, Mr Chea says he has given orders for 
the withdrawal of "over 3,000 (soldiers) from the main road". 8 September: 
The first big deployment of ECOMIL peacekeepers outside Monrovia has again 
been delayed. -- A fact finding team has been sent by ECOMIL, to 
investigate reports of fighting on the main road to central Liberia. 9 
September: Serious fighting has broken out between Liberian government 
forces and soldiers from the Lurd rebels. The clashes in the town of 
Kakata, north-east of Monrovia, are the most significant since the arrival 
of the ECOMIL forces. However, West African peacekeepers in Kakata say they 
now have the situation under control. This is the first time soldiers of 
the Nigerian-led peacekeeping force, known as Ecomil, have successfully 
deployed outside the capital, Monrovia. The peacekeepers are now in the 
process of removing both sides from Kakata.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 9 
September 2003)

* Liberia. Displaced urged to leave schools so classes can resume  -  3 
September: IRIN reports that the Liberian government has asked thousands of 
displaced civilians sheltering in school compounds in the capital, 
Monrovia, to leave by mid-September so that classes can resume in November. 
The Ministry of Education says that people should vacate all the primary 
schools in the city by 15 September. The normal school-year runs from 
September to June. There are more than 110 temporary shelters for people 
displaced from their homes by recent fighting in and around Monrovia, of 
which 47 are schools. Relief workers estimate that these schools and the 
Ministry of Education headquarters together host 47,000 people. Some relief 
agencies, such as the International Rescue Committee, have attempted to 
locate a few teachers and resume makeshift classes for the children of 
displaced families, but all formal education has been suspended since 
rebels launched their first attack on the city in early June. 10 September: 
The first groups from among at least 35,000 displaced people currently 
living at schools in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, are to begin returning 
to camps outside the city, the UN in Monrovia has said. The departure of 
the refugees from schools and public premises will free up the buildings 
for their proper use ahead of the school new term, a statement from the 
Special Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Monrovia says. The decision to move 
the displaced people comes after West African peacekeepers in the town of 
Kakata -- about 50 kilometres north-east of Monrovia -- announce they have 
the situation under control, following clashes between government troops 
and rebels. The World Food Programme (WFP) is considering the use of 
food-for-work payments for teachers, who are expected to resume work in 
October, when new school term begins. Overall, an estimated 300,000 people 
fled the camps outside the capital after the most recent fighting between 
rival factions. And looting from war-displaced people by government and 
rebel militias is so widespread that some hungry civilians pleaded with aid 
agencies on 9 September not to give them stockpiles of food for fear that 
it will encourage attacks.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 September 2003)

* Libya. Medics did not spread AIDS  -  4 September: The French doctor who 
first isolated the HIV virus has said a hospital AIDS epidemic in Libya was 
probably caused by poor hygiene, and not by the seven medical workers who 
are on trial on charges of deliberately spreading the disease. A Bulgarian 
doctor and five nurses, as well as a Palestinian doctor, are accused of 
infecting about 400 children with HIV, the virus which can lead to AIDS, at 
a hospital in Benghazi. The case was dismissed last year for lack of 
evidence, but the prosecution refiled charges. Diplomats have suggested the 
case could be an attempt to divert attention from the conditions in Libya's 
state-run hospitals. There are also suggestions that Libya might be trying 
to pressure Bulgaria into forgiving its debts, estimated at $300m. On the 
first day of the hearing, Professor Luc Montagnier presented a report he 
had made on the case, showing the infection had already begun before those 
accused started working at the hospital, and continued to spread after they 
were arrested. "This can happen not only in this hospital, but in many 
others, particularly paediatric hospitals, because children are more 
vulnerable to infection, even by very small quantities of blood," he told 
Bulgarian radio after testifying in court. Professor Montagnier and Italian 
Aids scholar Vittorio Collizzi have studied the case, following a Bulgarian 
request for an independent international assessment. The seven accused were 
working at the al-Fateh children's hospital in Benghazi in 1998, when 
several children died without any immediately apparent cause. The case 
became a major international incident between Libya and Bulgaria, which 
called on the help of a number of Arab, African and Western countries to 
intercede on its behalf to ensure a fair trial. At the trial, the 
defendants pleaded not guilty, with two of the nurses saying they had been 
tortured to extract false confessions. The seven defendants have remained 
in custody, pending a referral to an ordinary criminal court. The charges 
they now face in Benghazi still carry the death penalty. 8 September: 
Libyan prosecutors have now demanded the death sentence.   (ANB-BIA, 
Belgium, 8 September 2003)

* Libye. DC-10: les familles lâchent du lest  -  8 septembre. Les familles 
des victimes de l'attentat contre le DC-10 d'UTA en 1989 n'excluent plus 
que les négociations sur leur indemnisation par la Libye se poursuivent 
après la levée des sanctions contre Tripoli lors du vote prévu mardi, 9 
septembre, à l'Onu, a déclaré l'un de ses représentants. "C'est un choix de 
pragmatisme et d'ouverture", a-t-il dit. Initialement, la France avait 
menacé d'opposer son veto à la levée des sanctions, tant que le dossier des 
indemnisations des victimes du DC-10 n'était pas réglé. La Grande-Bretagne, 
qui a réglé de son côté avec la Libye l'indemnisation des victimes de 
Lockerbie, a fixé le vote du Conseil de sécurité sur la levée des sanctions 
à mardi, après plusieurs reports. - 9 septembre. Après une matinée confuse, 
l'Onu a décidé de repousser à nouveau les discussions sur la levée des 
sanctions au vendredi 12 septembre.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 10 
septembre 2003)

* Libya. France's threat to UN vote  -  9 September: 9 September: The UN 
Security Council resolution to lift a decade of sanctions against Libya is 
delayed after the French government threatens to veto the move until French 
families have reached an agreement with Libya for increased compensation 
for the bombing of a French airliner. Intense last-minute talks in closed 
session looked set to give French families until the weekend to conclude 
protracted negotiations with the Libyan government over increased payments 
for the victims in the 1989 bombing of a UTA airliner which exploded over 
sub-Saharan Africa. "The mood around the table is that everyone wants to 
lift sanctions but not to have a vetoed resolution just for the sake of 
it," a Security Council source close to the talks said last night. "The 
question is if you give the French more time will that make any difference 
or will be just in the same place further down the road? There was a 
feeling that a time limit might be helpful to push the talks with the 
French families forward."   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 9 September 2003)

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