---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 13:18:45 -0800
From: charlotte utting <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [WASAN] FW: ADNA Africa Update: April Africa Update
----------
From: "Nunu Kidane" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 23:17:22 -0800
To: "ADNA E-mail List" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: ADNA Africa Update: April Africa Update
ADNA Update: 020403
Message from: Society of Missionaries of Africa
For contact information see also:
http://www.africapolicy.org/adna
AFRICA UPDATE
Twenty-one African leaders met in Abuja this past week as
members of the implementation committee of NEPAD (New
Partnership for African Development). They met to fine-tune the
agreement in anticipation of the upcoming G-8 meeting where
NEPAD will be discussed. At the top of the agenda was concern
about the effect of the Zimbabwean election fiasco on the chances
of NEPAD being taken seriously. To address that the leaders
decided to endorse the 'African Peer Review Mechanism' which
means to ensure African countries 'comply with benchmarks for
economic and corporate management.' Strong support was given
for a draft declaration on good political governance, committing
leaders to uphold plural democracy, human rights, etc. No overt
mention was made of Zimbabwe.
Elsewhere in Nigeria the now famous Safiya was being released
from her death-by- stoning sentence handed down by a Shari'a
court. This came after widespread international pressure. The same
day, however, another woman was sentenced to the same
punishment. The Justice Minister finally spoke out about the
apparent illegality of such sentencing, using the argument that
Muslims should not be subjected to harsher punishments than
other citizens. He said that it put into question the 'stability, unity
and integrity of the nation.' It was the first official word of opposition
to Shari'a since it started to be administered in the northern states
some two years ago. Human rights and church groups criticized
the government for being so slow in speaking up for the constitution
and the will of the majority of Nigerians.
Although Zimbabwe was not referred to at the NEPAD meeting it
has been referred to everywhere else since the recent elections.
Robert Mugabe was declared the winner in elections that most
observers deemed flawed and unrepresentative. Nearly as soon as
the results were in, the crackdown began within the country.
Supporters of the opposition candidate and the candidate himself
were harassed and even imprisoned. To the horror of western
observers, neighboring African countries announced that the
elections were free and fair. However, some of those same
countries, who happen to be in the Commonwealth, joined with that
group in suspending Zimbabwe's membership for one year. That
means that Zimbabwe will not be able to attend Commonwealth
meetings or receive any new financial aid from the organization
except for programs that intend to restore political stability and the
rule of law.
Another country still reeling after recent elections is Madagascar.
A stalemate persists as the mayor of Antananarivo, the opposition
candidate, declared himself President and appointed ministers.
President Ratsiraka, however, continues to insist that he is the
leader even though his power seems to be slipping. His appointed
governor of the capital area resigned rather than enforce rulings of
the President that he judged would only bring bloodshed. Everyone
seems to be going slowly for now and trying to avoid major violence
and upheaval.
Since the death of Jonas Savimbi hope has been on a rollercoaster
in Angola. A UN report revealed that a number of serious security
incidents have taken place. However talks continue between the
government and rebel army commanders with the blessing of the
political representatives of UNITA. Earlier in the month the
government ordered its forces to cease military activity, offered an
amnesty and, if UNITA disarmed, offered a role in Parliament as
well. As the country tries to extract itself from the long-running civil
war it now has to deal with the underlying problems. Global
Witness published a report alleging that millions of dollars of
Angola's petroleum revenue have been embezzled. The report says
that the war has been used to enrich Angola's ruling elite through
'highly organized economic abuses involving full-scale appropriation
and laundering of state assets.' This is a system that only Enron
execs could love. Oil accounts for 42% of Angola's annual output,
90% of total exports and 80% of government revenues.
After the rebel forces in the Congo moved in and took over the town
of Moliro, the government pulled out of the inter-Congolese dialogue
taking place in South Africa. However, a condemnation of the
takeover by the UN brought the government back to the table and
eventually forced the rebels to give up the town. This week a draft
agreement on an interim economic program was produced. This
was one of five issues that was to be solved before the April 12
deadline. The other four issues are more contentious. In the
political and legal committee delegates were still delivering
statements and had not yet begun negotiating. The biggest
questions yet to resolve concern the new national military forces
and the management of the political transition. The clock is ticking
and the facilitator intends to hold to the April 12 deadline.
In the other Congo (Brazzaville), Denis Sassou Nguesso won an
'overwhelming' victory if you consider taking 90% of the vote to be
so. Who he overwhelmed is another question as his main opponent
withdrew from the race alleging electoral fraud. European observers
said the election was conducted in an acceptable fashion. The last
time President Sassou ran in a real election he was soundly
defeated. European oil interests in Angola played no role in any of
this. Any of it. Believe me. OK, don't.
Since January as many as 80,000 civilians have been displaced in
Burundi by continual outbreaks of fighting, 20,000 of those since
early March. Many of them come from the suburbs of Bujumbura
where most of the violence has taken place. Availability of arms
has contributed to the continuing fighting in spite of the peace
agreement reached nearly two years ago.
Tanzania has decided to fight back. A report last year announced
that the snow fields of Mt. Kilimanjaro will be gone in 15 years. The
government of Tanzania, however, is disputing that with experts of
its own who state that global temperatures are cyclical and that
they will probably go back down again. Part of the concern is that
the approximately one million villagers living at the foot of the
mountain will begin to leave because of fear of drought and thirst for
people, livestock and crops. Mt. Kilimanjaro is also a prime tourist
spot, bringing in up to 20,000 tourists every year. Bad news for the
mountain is bad news for the economy.
In a move called 'the Short stop' (just in time for spring training)
Clare Short, International Development Minister of the British
government delayed 10 million pounds worth of aid to Tanzania.
She charged that Tanzania would use the money to help pay for
military air traffic control system instead of using it to feed the
poor. The British cabinet had earlier argued about the granting of an
export license to a British firm wanting to sell the technology to
Tanzania. Short had disagreed with the granting of the license but
denied that her decision to delay the aid was intended to reopen
the Cabinet argument. Her problem was with Tanzania's
commitment to poverty reduction.
The Kenyans are committed to fighting terrorism so two British
reconnaissance planes have recently arrived in the country. These
planes join three German surveillance planes and a small
contingent of British and German troops, sent to monitor the East
African coast. All are in place to keep an eye on neighboring
Somalia where the American-led antiterrorism coalition wants to
prevent Al-Qaeda from setting up bases.
The female Vice President of Uganda recently made public her
divorce on the grounds that her husband had beaten her even after
she was appointed to office. He countered that he had only beaten
her twice. In the past month two different women retaliated for
beatings by biting off or cutting off their husbands' testicles and
penis. These incidents came on the heel of a survey showing high
levels of domestic violence against women in some parts of
Uganda. Not for long, I bet.
It's time for spring cleaning or something in Cameroon. In a two
week period some three thousand people were arrested in
Yaoundé. Armed police, paramilitary gendarmes and soldiers were
used in the crackdown. Numerous weapons were confiscated,
including knives, pangas and various kinds of fire arms. Three
thousand people? John Ashcroft was seen nowhere in the area.
Insisting their presence does more good than harm, the president
of Lundin Petroleum nevertheless decided to suspend operations in
Sudan until there is a 'sustainable' period of peace in the area of its
oil operations. Recent cease fire agreements have been interpreted
differently by the warring factions as to whether oil sites are civilian
or military installations and thus fair targets. Lundin will restart its
operations after the rainy season if the security situation allows.
Foday Sankoh was brought to trial for murder this month in Sierra
Leone. However, the trial was postponed as the government could
not find a local lawyer willing to represent Sankoh and 49 others.
The Attorney General pleaded with members of the local Bar to rise
up, telling them they 'should not be afraid.' Of the RUF? Why would
they be? Sankoh said, in a statement, that he is innocent of all
charges. Meanwhile, those who are presumably guilty, the
thousands of young people forced into fighting by the RUF are
being given a chance to hand in their guns for computers.
Estimates are that at least half of the 15,000 rebel fighters are
children. A Sierra Leonean entrepreneur is planning to set up a
vocational training center to teach computer and programming
skills to the former rebels. With the help of the Norwegian
government he hopes to have the program up and running by the
fall. Within three years the plan is to have trained enough people for
Sierra Leone to become a center for the outsourcing of software
programming. Such resurrections can be celebrated by people of
any faith. Happy Easter. Happy Passover.
---------------------------
This message from the Society of Missionaries of Africa is
distributed through the Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA) via
IDEX
Nunu Kidane
Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA)
Communications Facilitator for IDEX
International Development Exchange - IDEX
827 Valencia Street, Suite 101
San Francisco, CA 94110
Tel: (415) 824 8384
www.idex.org
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Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, April 24, 2002. Location: Safeco Jackson Street Center, 306 23rd Ave. S @ S. Main St, Suite 200, Seattle (enter parking lot off of S. Main, between 23rd and 24th)
7:00 PM WASAN business meeting
7:30 PM PROGRAM: "Kenya: Development Challenges and Successes form the Grassroots" with Wriko Waita. A free event.
We usually meet the fourth Wednesday of the month. For a calendar of local Africa events see http://www.ibike.org/africamatters/calendar.htm . To post a message: [log in to unmask] To subscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] . All past postings are archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wa-afr-network
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