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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 11-04-2001

PART #2/4 - From CONGO-RDC to LIBYA

* Congo (RDC). Witness to Kabila shooting, held in prison — The only known witness to the assassination of President Laurent-Désiré Kabila is being held in solitary confinement in a Kinshasa jail and is receiving food only every other day, according to diplomats and sources in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Emile Mota, the late president’s economics adviser, was briefing Mr Kabila on 16 January when an assassin shot Congo’s leader at point-blank range. A week later, a terrified Mr Mota gave The Independent an exclusive account of events. It is understood that Mr Mota, 44, a doctor in mining economics, was arrested on 14 March as part of a security sweep including several other men who were close to Mr Kabila. The country is now being led by his son, Joseph Kabila. According to sources in Zimbabwe, which is an ally of Kinshasa in the war against rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda Mr Mota is being held in Block 1, Cell 5 of the notorious Makala prison in the capital. Another source, which contacted The Independent, from Congo said: «He is being held under the pretext that he is the only witness. During his only contact with the outside, he expressed that his case be known to «The Independent. Congo RDC‘s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Kikaya Bin Karubi, said Mr Mota was being held to facilitate investigations into Mr Kabila’s murder. (The Independent, UK, 9 April 2001)

* Congo (RDC)/Zimbabwe. Energie électrique — La RDC va incessamment exporter 700 Mw supplémentaires d’énergie électrique vers le Zimbabwe, au départ du grand barrage congolais d’Inga, selon un protocole signé entre les deux pays le 3 avril. Cet accord permettra au Zimbabwe de résorber tant soit peu son déficit énergétique estimé entre 800 et 1.000 Mw et, à terme, de porter à 800 Mw les fournitures qu’il reçoit d’Inga, contre 100 Mw actuellement, pour une valeur de $US 800.000. Pour concrétiser l’accord, les compagnies d’électricité des deux pays ont été conviées à améliorer leurs lignes. On rappelle que la RDC détient 35% du potentiel de production annuelle africaine en hydroélectricité et occupe la première place en Afrique où elle alimente déjà son voisin immédiat, le Congo Brazzaville. Cependant, 3% seulement de ce potentiel sont actuellement exploités. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 avril 2001)

* Congo (RDC)/USA. US involvement in Congo RDC — Recently, Congresswoman McKinney of Georgia, USA, wrote to President Bush, following a hearing in the House, on US involvement in Congo RDC. This is the first part of the letter: «I am writing to express my great concern that public comments and policy statements in recent years by your new appointee for Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Walter H. Kansteiner III, could be a harbinger of a nightmarish US foreign policy for the resolution of the tragic war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I hope that this is not the case and I respectfully request your immediate and most forceful assurances that these statements do not reflect your view on the resolution of the current crises in Congo. As you no doubt know Mr. President, the United Nations Security Council has found that the international crisis in the Great Lakes region has been brought about by the illegal invasion of eastern Congo by the armed forces of Rwanda and Uganda, who are the real powers behind various armed Congolese rebel groups. The United Nations has resolved that all parties to the conflict should cease fighting and that Rwanda and Uganda should unilaterally withdraw from the Congo. Mr. Kansteiner’s first statement regarding this crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo which causes me concern was a written view in an Eastern Zaire Issue Brief (10/15/96) for The Forum for International Policy. In this issue he posited an idea for the resolution of the war in Congo that he himself characterized as “radical.” Mr. Kansteiner wrote: “A more radical approach would be to divide territory between the two primary ethnic groups. Creating homogeneous ethnic lands would probably necessitate redrawing international boundaries and would require massive ‘voluntary’ relocation efforts, shifting Tutsis to a newly created Tutsi state and likewise for Hutus.” (...) (The full text of the letter can be obtained from ANB-BIA). (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 April 2001)

* Côte d’Ivoire. Fermeture des cités universitaires — Le 6 avril, le gouvernement ivoirien a décidé de fermer toutes les résidences universitaires d’Abidjan, après la mort d’un étudiant tailladé à la machette. Les étudiants avaient déjà commencé à quitter les lieux. Des affrontements entre étudiants rivaux, le 4 avril, avaient fait un mort et plusieurs blessés graves. Il existe une division au sein de la Fédération estudiantine et scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire (FESCI), deux personnes se proclamant secrétaire général. Leurs partisans ne cessent de s’affronter à la machette. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 6 avril 2001)

* Erythrée. Rapatriement — Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge a rapatrié 226 civils érythréens résidant en Ethiopie, a-t-on appris le 10 avril de source officielle à Addis Abeba. La plupart d’entre eux vivaient à Addis Abeba et ont demandé au CICR d’organiser leur voyage en collaboration avec les autorités éthiopiennes. Il s’agit du quatrième rapatriement organisé par le CICR. 1.572 Erythréens sont déjà retournés dans leur pays, rappelle-t-on. (PANA, Sénégal, 10 avril 2001)

* Eritrea/Ethiopia. UN optimism over Horn peace — The United Nations is close to establishing the buffer zone between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Both countries had agreed the principle of creating a buffer in February but disagreements over its exact borders held back the redeployment of troops.The UN representative, Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, announced on 9 April that «we are talking in terms of days» before a buffer zone is finally created. Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace treaty to end their two-and-a-half year war in December but progress towards its implementation has been slow. (BBC News, UK, 9 April 2001)

* Ethiopia. Naming the war dead — Ethiopia has begun the painstakingly emotional task of releasing the names of tens of thousands of young men who died during the two-and-a-half year border war with Eritrea. Throughout the country, the Ministry of Defence is notifying the families of the dead soldiers, who are considered to be Ethiopia’s national heroes. It has been a long and agonizing wait for the families who watched their sons, fathers and brothers go off to the frontline almost three years ago. The war ended in December last year and a peace process is currently underway. In accordance with Ethiopian tradition, elders and community leaders have been knocking on doors in the early hours of the morning. In the capital, the 28 local district councils known as «woredas» began the painful task of informing families of the dead at the weekend. The government says that the death of these young men is treated with utmost importance as they lost their lives defending their country and their people. Community elders are assigned to inform the families and carry with them letters of condolences from the ministry of defence, and from the local and regional authorities. Many of the young men that fought in the war were the only breadwinners in the family. (BBC News, UK, 5 April 2001)

* Ethiopie. Recrudescence de sida — Le VIH/SIDA serait, à l’heure actuelle, responsable d’environ 50% des hospitalisations à Addis Abeba, où le nombre des victimes de cette maladie aurait également augmenté, a-t-on appris de sources médicales. Sur les quelque 300.000 personnes qui vivent avec le VIH en Ethiopie, 30.000 patients environ ont développé la maladie. A peu près 20.000 enfants sont des orphelins du sida dans le pays, dont la population est estimée à 60 millions d’habitants. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 avril 2001)

* Ethiopie. La dette belge annulée — Le 9 avril, le secrétaire d’Etat belge à la Coopération et le Premier ministre éthiopien ont signé à Addis Abeba un accord portant sur l’annulation de la dette bilatérale entre la Belgique et l’Ethiopie, dette qui s’élève à 711,8 millions de FB. Par ailleurs, les deux pays ont signé un accord général de coopération. L’aide belge portera sur quatre secteurs: l’éducation, la sécurité alimentaire, l’environnement et le sida. (Le Soir, Belgique, 11 avril 2001)

* Guinea. Plight of refugees — In a Press Release on 4 April, Amnesty International said that refugees must not be forced to choose between death in Sierra Leone or death in Guinea. The organisation calls for a vigorous international presence in Guinea to protect hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees and Guinean civilians caught in vicious six-month old insurgency in Guinea. (Amnesty International, UK, 4 April 2001)

* Kenya. Problems in the flower-growing industry — If you’re not a nature lover before you come to Lake Naivasha, you certainly will be after your stay. The beauty is staggering. There’s the lake itself, a smooth, gleaming expanse of water - 150 square kilometres of it. There are the 15,000 hippos in the lake which pop out of the water with alarming frequency. And within only two minutes I spotted a Goliath Heron, two Fish Eagles and a Pied Kingfisher out of the 350 recorded bird species in the area. On shore, not far away, I also saw Colobus monkeys and water buck. Joy Adamson, of «Born Free» fame, used to live on this shore. Elsa the Lion was one of my favourite childhood animals. No wonder Lake Naivasha is an environmental treasure and designated wetlands of international repute. It is situated at the bottom end of the famous Rift Valley in Kenya and is special not only because of its beauty but also because the lake water is fresh and its surrounding soil very fertile. No wonder, too, that it has become the centre of Kenya’s flower growing industry. There has been a drought in Kenya for three years and water is a precious commodity but the lake has plenty. So the growers have located most of the farms on its shores and irrigate them from the lake. And that’s where the trouble begins. I was taken out on the lake by Margaret Otieno, an environmentalist, who works at the Elsamere Conservation Centre which is based in the grounds and house of Joy Adamson’s old home. According to Mrs Otieno, there is a serious over-exploitation of the lake’s water and the levels have gone down. Apparently the lake could disappear if this continues. Also she says, «We are concerned about the fertilizers and pesticides being used by the flower growers they could be using banned substances.» She continues, «it is very difficult for us to penetrate the flower farms. They think we are the police for the environment. They think we are enemies.» And here’s the rub: the flower industry is very profitable. In export and employment terms, it is catching up with Kenya’s main foreign earners, tea and coffee. In fact, most of the roses and carnations grown on the shores of the lake, end up in supermarkets in the UK. (Rosie Goldsmith, BBC News, UK, 5 April 2001

* Kenya. Moi moves on Central Bank — Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi has appointed a new Central Bank governor, just days after the departure as head of the civil service of Richard Leakey, a former opposition activist, who had been asked in 1999 to root out corruption and inefficiency in the public sector. Micah Cheserem, governor since 1993, is not due to retire until July, but has been placed on immediate leave until then. No reason for the decision has been disclosed, although there is speculation that he had fallen out of favour with the president. Widely credited with reviving confidence in Kenya’s battered banking sector, Mr Cheserem was regarded as an outspoken reformer who enjoyed good relations with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Nahason Ngige Nyagah, his replacement, has served at the Central Bank with three previous governors, including Eric Kotut, who left in 1993 amid intense public criticism over the collapse of several commercial banks, hyperinflation and a high-profile corruption case. Mr Nyagah comes from one of Kenya’s most prominent political families. Jeremiah Nyagah, his father, is a former cabinet minister; Joseph Nyagah, his brother, is minister of lands and resettlement, while Norman Nyagah is an MP. Mr Cheserem had earlier denied reports of his imminent departure, telling friends there were tasks he hoped to complete before the expiry in July of his second four-year term. Technically, the post has security of tenure, making his outright dismissal very difficult. With the removal of Mr Cheserem, the three most sensitive administrative positions related to the economy -permanent secretaries at the finance ministry and Treasury and Central Bank governor, are all now in new hands. Publicly, donors say they are anxious to see the process of reform deepen in Kenya, and that they have less interest in the personalities involved. Privately, however, they express concern that some of the very forces that have held back the Kenyan economy are now again the political ascendancy. (Financial Times, UK, 5 April 2001)

* Kenya. Reactions to Leakey’s resignation — Daily Nation: (Issue of 29 March) — «There are at least two possible ways to interpret yesterday’s sweeping civil service changes and the previous days resignation by Dr. Richard Leakey as Head of the Public Service. The first is that President Moi has moved a motion of no confidence in the “Dream Team” of technocrats appointed two years ago to clean up the public service. the there could be that the President is preparing Kenyans psychologically for the final leg of his protracted presidency. The East African: (Issue 2-8 April) — «Dr Richard Leakey’s efforts to “isolate” Kenya’s President Daniel arap Moi from donors apparently led to the decision to drop him from the government five weeks before a public announcement was made last week». (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 6 April 2001)

* Kenya. Maladie mystérieuse: Ebola? — Le 8 avril, la peur et l’appréhension étaient perceptibles dans la ville de Nyeri, au centre du Kenya, où une jeune recrue de l’école de police est décédée des suites d’une affection dont les symptômes rappellent la maladie d’Ebola, tant redoutée. Mlle Onyango est morte à l’hôpital catholique de Mathari, où elle avait été admise une semaine auparavant. Lorsqu’elle a été amenée à l’hôpital, du sang sortait de tous les orifices de son corps. Des échantillons de sang ont été envoyés pour analyses supplémentaires; les résultats devraient sortir vers la fin de ce mois. (PANA, Sénégal, 9 avril 2001)

* Kenya. Boys charged with 67 murders — On 9 April, two Kenyan teenagers were charged on 67 counts of murder in connection with the death of fellow pupils in a fire which destroyed their dormitory block last month. The trial of Felix Mambo Ngumbao (16), and Davies Otieno Onyango (17), was adjourned until 23 April. The head and deputy head of Kyanguli secondary school, David Mutsio Kiilu and Stephen Kasyoka Makau, were charged with failing to prevent the fire. (The Guardian, UK, 10 April 2001)

* Libéria. Le président et la dissidence — Le 7 avril, à la surprise générale, le président libérien Charles Taylor a exprimé sa volonté de dialoguer avec les opposants politiques et les dissidents exilés du Libéria qui combattent son gouvernement dans le nord du pays. “Si Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf de l’opposition veut discuter avec moi, je suis prêt. Quiconque souhaite dialoguer avec moi est le bienvenu. Je suis le président de tous les Libériens, qu’ils le veuillent ou non”, a déclaré le président Taylor. Plusieurs opposants politiques et anciens chefs de factions belligérantes, qui ont combattu Taylor pendant la guerre civile qui a duré sept ans, ont fui le pays depuis son accession au pouvoir. Plus d’une douzaine de ces exilés politiques et anciens chefs de guerre sont également accusés de trahison, un délit passible au Libéria de la réclusion à perpétuité ou la peine de mort. (PANA, Sénégal, 8 avril 2001)

* Liberia. 15,000-strong force called up — President Charles Taylor has ordered a 15,000-strong force mobilized to counter what Liberia says is a cross-border offensive from Guinea. A number of former battlefront commanders in Taylor’s old rebel movement have volunteered, officials told The Associated Press on 8 April, speaking on condition of anonymity. Liberia says Guinea-based Liberian dissidents have been attacking northern border towns in force since Wednesday. Control of at least two embattled towns, Foya and Kolahun, was uncertain on 8 April, according to reports in the capital, Monrovia. Heavy fighting was reported overnight 7-8 April when more dissidents tried to cross over near Foya. Government troops heading for the Kolahun fight also were reportedly attacked. The government has declined to reveal casualties. A deputy government minister, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the fight had been difficult because soldiers there are inexperienced in guerrilla tactics. The retired veterans who are volunteering fought in the area, Lofa County, under Taylor during Liberia’s seven-year civil war. More than 200,000 people were killed in fighting that ended in 1996. Taylor won the presidency in 1997 elections. (CNN, USA, 8 April 2001)

* Libya. Mandela pledges to help end sanctions against Libya — Former South African President Nelson Mandela on 8 April pledged to continue his mediation efforts as Libya seeks to lift the UN sanctions imposed on it after the Lockerbie bombing, Libyan television said. Mandela was instrumental in convincing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to hand over two Libyans suspected of the 1988 bombing of Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland for trial in the Netherlands. Libyan television said Mandela told Gadhafi he would pursue «efforts to make other parties concerned with Lockerbie fulfil their pledges.» It showed footage of Gadhafi greeting Mandela outside a tent in the garden of his official residence in Tripoli before they held talks in the tent. The 15-nation UN Security Council imposed sanctions including an air and arms embargo and a ban on some oil equipment in 1992 and 1993. They were suspended when Libya handed over the suspects in April 1999. Washington and London say the sanctions can be lifted entirely only when Libya accepts responsibility for the bombing and agrees to pay «appropriate» compensation to the victims’ families. (CNN, USA, 8 April 2001)

* Libya. Tripoli to host AIDS conference — The Tripoli-based African Centre for Applied Research and Training in Social Development is organising a two-day meeting beginning on 10 April «AIDS Challenges in North Africa Countries». The gathering is one of the preparatory meetings ahead of the African summit later this month in Abuja, Nigeria, which would focus on the impact of HIV/AIDS on African society. The main focus of the Tripoli meeting will be to examine the impact of the pandemic on the development of North African countries. (PANA, Senegal, 8 April 2001)