Weekly ANB1211_04.txt #6



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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 11-12-2003      PART #4/6

* Ethiopia. Farmers turn to khat as world coffee prices tumble - Farmers in Ethiopia, where the drinking of coffee originated 3,000 years ago, have begun cutting down coffee bushes and replacing them with the drug khat, according to research by Oxfam, the British aid group, which says the slump in world coffee prices is boosting the global drugs trade. The research --published to coincide with a crisis meeting of coffee farmers, industry officials and international institutions in Geneva --says production has dropped by 17 per cent since 1998 in the Ethiopian province of Harar, an area reputed by tasters to produce some of the world's finest Arabica beans. According to Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's prime minister, the trend is spreading, although industry officials say favourable climactic conditions have kept the overall crop steady this year. In the past five years coffee's contribution to Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings has fallen from 70 to below 40 per cent, while earnings from khat doubled to $58m. When chewed for hours, khat produces an amphetamine-like high. It is popular with African truck drivers and is used by 50 per cent of militiamen in Somalia, according to a recent United Nations survey. Oxfam argues that khat will overtake coffee as Ethiopia's primary export commodity within a decade if world coffee prices do not rebound. Coffee is central to Ethiopia's economy, which is among the world's poorest, providing work for some 700,000 farmers. (Financial Times, UK, 9 December 2003)

* Gabon. Contre l'enrichissement illicite - Le 4 décembre à Libreville, des hauts cadres de l'administration gabonaise et des représentants des syndicats et de la société civile ont décidé de la création d'une commission nationale de lutte contre l'enrichissement illicite au Gabon. Cette création est une réponse des autorités gabonaises aux pressions du FMI, soucieux d'une gestion rationnelle des ressources de l'Etat avant la signature d'un accord avec le gouvernement. Les responsables ont révélé que les services des douanes, des impôts et des travaux publics sont les secteurs les plus corrompus au Gabon. Les chefs de ces administrations exigeraient systématiquement des pots-de-vin représentant 10 à 20% de la valeur totale d'une transaction économique. (PANA, Sénégal, 4 décembre 2003)

* Gabon. Visite d'Omar Bongo en France - Le président gabonais Omar Bongo entame, le lundi 8 décembre, une visite de deux jours à Paris. Il devrait surtout tenter d'attirer de nouveaux investisseurs. Le Gabon doit faire face au déclin inexorable de sa production pétrolière. M. Bongo espère signer, début 2004, un accord avec le FMI qui insufflerait un peu d'oxygène à ses finances publiques et redonnerait confiance aux opérateurs étrangers, auxquels il propose d'investir dans une vingtaine de projets, notamment dans la transformation du bois, la création d'un tour-opérateur ou l'établissement d'une zone franche à Port-Gentil. (D'après Le Figaro, France, 8 décembre 2003)

* Kenya. Economic aid pledges for Kenya - 4 December: International donors have pledged $4.1 bn in 2004-2006 to help with economic recovery, Kenya says. It claims a further $50m and 40m euros will be disbursed immediately in 2003. Finance Minister David Mwiraria says: "Nearly 60 percent of all that money will be in grants and 40 percent is in concessionary loans." The news comes two weeks after The International Monetary Fund resumed aid to Kenya after a three-year gap and approved a loan of $250m. Mr Mwiraria says the amount is beyond his expectations. "It definitely will reduce the current budget deficit but I cannot reveal by how much at the moment". He said more than 90% of the pledged $4.1 billion to help mainly development and budgetary support would go directly to the government, while the rest would be channelled through various aid agencies. Donor agencies and 25 countries attended the east African country's first donor conference in seven years, where the money was pledged. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 4 December 2003)

* Kenya. Minister in carjack terror - 7 December: A Kenyan Government minister and a priest were bundled into the boot of their car by carjackers, reports say. Water Resources Minister Martha Karua was robbed of money, a mobile phone and her golden earrings. A five-man gang abandoned the pair unhurt on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Sunday Standard newspaper said. Earlier this year, Ms Karua was badly injured in a plane crash in western Kenya that killed Labour Minister Ahmed Khalif and two pilots. Ms Karua and University of Nairobi chaplain Fr Dominic Wamugunda had been waiting to enter a compound in the Kabete area at around 0100 on 6 December (2200 GMT 5 December) when they were attacked, said Kenyan KTN TV. "They were waiting for the gate to be opened, that's when they were confronted by the carjackers," said police spokesman Jesse Mituki. The gang commandeered the car and drove around the city before finally dropping the minister and the priest in the Waithaka suburb. Ms Karua was robbed of $171, a mobile phone and her gold earrings, said KTN TV. (BBC News, UK, 7 December 2003)

* Kenya. Lighting and Power head accused of orchestrating a power shortage - 10 December: The head of Kenya's state-owned power company plundered the institution for nearly two decades, according to an official Government investigation. Samuel Gichuru, the managing director of Kenya Lighting and Power for 19 years, is said to have stolen millions of Kenyan shillings. He also created an artificial power shortage, said the report. The investigating committee has called for Mr Gichuru to have his property seized and face prosecution. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 December 2003)

* Kenya. Alternative press" shut down - 10 December: Kenya's newspaper vendors have stopped selling unlicensed, sensational publications for fear of arrest. The papers often contain lurid reports about Kenya's rich and famous. On 9 December, the attorney-general said the "alternative press" was illegal and said he would apply the law against it. However, the vendors say the law should target those who write the papers, not those who sell them on the pavements. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 December 2003)

* Liberia. Taylor recherché par Interpol - Depuis le 4 décembre, l'ancien président libérien Charles Taylor est sous le coup d'un avis de recherche international d'Interpol. Cet avis, baptisé "notice rouge", fait suite à la requête de la Cour spéciale sur la Sierra Leone, qui a inculpé Taylor pour crimes de guerre et crimes contre l'humanité en raison de son soutien aux rebelles sierra-léonais du RUF et de son implication dans la guerre civile qui a fait 200.000 morts entre 1991 et 2001. Taylor est réfugié au Nigeria depuis le 11 août dernier. Le président nigérian Obasanjo refuse de l'extrader vers la Sierra Leone. Le 5 décembre, le Nigeria a déclaré de nouveau qu'il ne livrerait pas M. Taylor, sauf si une telle requête vient du gouvernement du Liberia. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 5 décembre 2003)

* Liberia. Bishops blame warring factions for Liberia's ruin - Pointing to the rebels and former supporters of deposed President Charles Taylor, the Catholic bishops of Liberia blamed the warring factions for the suffering of the people over the past 14 years. The bishops said the warring factions, which last week walked out of a meeting on disarmament with the UN Mission in Liberia, should realize that the Liberian people have suffered enormously from their "callous dehumanizing behaviour, violating their fundamental rights, killing, injuring, raping and sodomizing". The bishops also blamed the warring factions for "looting and destroying our country for selfish motives," and called them to return immediately to the disarmament talks. The bishops appealed to Liberians to stand up peacefully in protest against the factions. "All of us have a co-responsibility for the safety and security of our country," they said. (Zenit, Italy, 5 December 2003)

* Liberia. Soldiers hand over guns - 7 December: Hundreds of soldiers hand in their weapons at the official launch of a UN-sponsored disarmament programme in Liberia. More than 1,000 soldiers of ousted President Charles Taylor lay down their weapons. UN forces are expected to oversee the disarmament of around 40,000 troops, including child soldiers. As part of the programme, the soldiers will be given $300, counselling and vocational training. But when handing over their weapons, the former government fighters stage angry protests to demand immediate payment for disarming. They fire their guns into the air and beat passers-by near a United Nations-run disarmament camp. The fighters will be paid $300 but only half has been paid upfront. "This gun is my life, if I don't get money I won't hand in any weapons," says Lieutenant Paul Dust, a rocket-propelled grenade in his hands and a pistol tucked in his trousers. 10 December: A nighttime curfew comes into force in Monrovia to try and curb rioting by militiamen. President Bryant says the curfew will continue indefinitely. However, in spite of the curfew, a number of people are reported to have been killed in overnight fighting in Monrovia. The clashes were between UN peacekeepers and former government fighters. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 December 2003)

* Liberia. Début de désarmement - Troubles - Le dimanche 7 décembre, plusieurs centaines de combattants libériens pro-gouvernementaux ont été acheminés vers un centre de désarmement pour rendre leurs armes, conformément à l'accord de paix conclu le 18 août à Accra pour mettre un terme à 14 années d'anarchie, indique l'agence Reuters. Equipés de kalachnikovs, de grenades, d'obus de mortiers, ces combattants (parmi lesquels de nombreux enfants) se sont rassemblés à un carrefour en périphérie de Monrovia, où ils ont été pris en charge par des camions de l'Onu. Selon l'agence AP, plus d'un millier de soldats du président évincé Charles Taylor ont déjà déposé leurs armes. L'opération doit conduire au désarmement et la réintégration de quelque 40.000 soldats du gouvernement et combattants rebelles dans le pays. -8 décembre. Le calme est revenu graduellement à Paynesville, banlieue de Monrovia, après des troubles causés par un groupe d'anciens combattants du gouvernement. Ceux-ci avaient tiré des coups de feu en l'air, exigeant de l'argent contre la remise de leurs armes, au second jour du démarrage du programme de désarmement. Aux cris de "pas d'argent, pas d'armes", ils s'attendaient à recevoir immédiatement la moitié des 300 dollars promis à chacun deux par la MINUL. Lundi, un communiqué de la présidence a spécifié: "Nous avons convenu que les anciens combattants recevront chacun 75 dollars dès la remise de leurs armes, et 75 dollars supplémentaires au bout de sept jours. A l'issue de trois semaines, ils recevront le solde de 150 dollars". -- 9 décembre. Des miliciens gouvernementaux qui réclament de l'argent en échange de la restitution de leurs armes ont semé le trouble ce mardi soir dans les rues de Monrovia, en détruisant des véhicules et en tirant des coups de feu en l'air. La radio nationale a rapporté qu'une femme avait été tuée par balles par ces miliciens, fidèles à l'ancien président Charles Taylor. Le président par intérim, Gyude Bryant, a instauré un couvre-feu en vigueur de 23h00 à 07h30. Par ailleurs, la Chine vient d'envoyer un premier contingent de 60 Casques bleus, deux mois après le rétablissement des relations diplomatiques entre ces deux pays. Au terme, 550 soldats chinois devraient intervenir au Liberia. -- 10 décembre. Des émeutes provoquées par les combattants de Taylor ont fait au moins douze morts dans la capitale. Neuf miliciens surpris en train de piller ont notamment été tués dans des échanges de tirs avec les Casques bleus. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 11 décembre 2003)

* Liberia. Charles Taylor wanted by Interpol - 4 December: International police body Interpol issues a global notice for the arrest of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Mr Taylor has been indicted for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by a UN-backed court in Sierra Leone. Interpol's "red notice" is not an arrest warrant but national police can use it to make a provisional arrest. It is posted on Interpol's website with a photo of Mr Taylor in suit and a warning that he "may be dangerous". 5 December: Nigeria says it will not hand over Charles Taylor for trial by the Special Court in Sierra Leone, unless such a request comes from the Liberian govt. 11 December: A report published by the BBC News says that a private UK-based military firm says it is looking for an investor to fund an operation to seize Charles Taylor. Northbridge Services Group says it has people ready to kidnap the former president to claim a $2 million reward allegedly offered by the US Congress. However, Washington has said it opposes any violent action to seize Mr Taylor. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 11 December 2003)

* Malawi. Churchgoers see off yobs - Police are investigating an attack on cars belonging to the leader of the opposition, Brown Mpinganjira. The incident happened while Mr Mpinganjira was at a church service in Machinga, north of Blantyre on 7 December. Some 20 youths belonging to the ruling party threw stones at the cars. The worshippers left the service, chased the youths and gave them a beating before handing three of them over to the police, he said. Reverend Daniel Gunya, of Malawi's second largest church, the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), said while his sermon was in progress worshippers heard the sound of breaking glass and steel. He said that worshippers "abandoned their prayers" and gave chase with other villagers. Police in Machinga say the three young men they captured are being charged with malicious damage and are expected to appear in court this week after investigations. (BBC News, UK, 8 December 2003)

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