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Selected headlines from Pambazuka News 160

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/22551

Comment and Analysis: Ending impunity in the Great Lakes region
Conflicts and Emergencies: How arms exporters are failing development countries
Protocol on the Rights of Women: Ethiopia ratifies protocol
Refugees and Forced Migration: Ugandan rebels raid fourth IDP camp
Elections and Governance: Angolan political and civic forces reject new constitution before elections
Development: Debt relief bread for Iraq, crumbs for Africa
Education: How educating excluded children can break the cycle of poverty
Environment: Governments discuss future of renewable energy

A weapon of war: sexual violence in South Kivu, DRC

Arche d'Alliance

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/22523

For three and a half years, Arche d'Alliance, a human rights organisation, has been involved in a project investigating, monitoring, reporting and offering legal and socio-medical assistance to women victims of sexual violence in the territories of Uvira and Fizi. The project has also been interested in cases of male victims of sexual violence from 2003 to date.

In the large and populated Fizi Territory, situated in southern South Kivu province, the two principal rival armed groups which have been fighting for five years - the army of the RCD-Goma and Mayi-Mayi combatants (FAP) - have all committed grave abuses and human rights violations against the civilian populations. Sexual violence, particularly rape, indecent assault and forced pregnancy have been committed against women and girls on a large scale in Fizi Territory.

However, a particular phenomenon relating to this sexual violence has also occurred in Fizi against many men. Men have been subjected to sexual violence through forced anal sex. In the majority of cases, combatants belonging to foreign armed forces (Burundian and Rwandan) have committed these acts. Forces involved include the Rwandan Interahamwe and elements of the Burundian Front for the Defence of Democracy (Front pour la défense de la démocratie - FDD) who fought with the Congolese Mayi-Mayi (FAP) combatants against the RCD-Goma rebellion, supported by Rwanda and Burundi.

Thousands of male victims of sexual violence were identified especially in the large Ngandja community. Numerous cases were also registered in the community of Mutambala in Fizi Territory. In the majority of cases, investigators limited themselves to identifying the victims, although Arche d'Alliance supported about ten victims who agreed to appear publicly and receive assistance for their basic needs and medical care.

The head of the liaison office in Bakara/Fizi, Ms Marie Mulasi, is responsible, in particular, for assistance to male victims of sodomy or indecent assault. She directs them to the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Baraka for appropriate medical treatment and temporary solutions to their social needs, with the support of office materials from Arche d'Alliance based in Uvira.

Techniques used by perpetrators of sodomy

Perpetrators of sodomy in Fizi use violence and death threats against their victims before imposing sexual acts. Often victims are stabbed and burned before or after sexual aggression, particularly if they tried to resist. In addition, victims have indicated that often they were abused in the presence of their wives and children. In Fizi Territory, men were sometimes gathered in villages by Interahamwe and FDD and subjected to sexual aggression under death threats.

The objective of sexual violence

Men are victims of sodomy in Fizi for various reasons. In the majority of cases, perpetrators of sexual crimes take revenge against men suspected of conspiring with the enemy forces of the RCD-Goma. In addition, the aggressors act to intimidate, humiliate and discourage their victims from collaborating with the enemy.

Consequences

Male sodomy victims are traumatised. They are abandoned by their wives. Raped women are also often renounced by their husbands. In addition, the investigation by Arche d'Alliance reveals the transmission of venereal diseases and particularly HIV/AIDS, as well as the death of several victims who did not receive medical attention. The most common symptoms are anal and generalised pain.

In addition, male sodomy victims suffer social rejection and stigmatisation. The fact that in several impoverished households it is the women who meet the needs of the family by undertaking resourceful activities means that abandoned male sodomy victims face serious socio-economic problems and may not be able to meet their basic needs. In addition, they lose respect in their communities.

Conclusions

Sodomy and indecent assault, of which several men are victim in Fizi, constitutes an attack on their dignity and their physical integrity. The consequences of these inhuman, humiliating, degrading and cruel acts are tragic. They have a decisive impact on the lives of victims, who today are unhappy, at risk of death and without any family support.

The presence today of perpetrators in the communities constitutes a permanent danger for the rest of the population in the area. At the end of March 2004, the association Arche d'Alliance sent its members to several areas of the two communities most affected by the phenomenon. Delegates of the association were responsible for leading an awareness-raising campaign among other sodomy victims in order that they may benefit from medical treatment as a priority.

Recommendations

a.) To the authorities

In addressing this report to the offices of the Ministries of National Defence, Interior, Health and Human Rights, Arche d'Alliance recommends that the Congolese government bring peace to Fizi Territory and the rest of the province so that everyone benefits from security. To the political, administrative and military authorities of Fizi, to whom the association has also sent copies of this report, the association requests that they respond to the social and medical concerns of hundreds of male victims of sodomy in Fizi.

b.) To partners

The association Arche d'Alliance solicits assistance in putting pressure on foreign belligerents who are still present on Congolese territory and continue to occupy their respective positions in Fizi. These groups must stop committing the sexual crime that is sodomy. The association also asks partners to contribute to raising awareness among local communities so that they respect human rights and, in particular, so that the inhuman cases of sodomy are denounced and condemned. Finally, the association requests social, humanitarian and medical assistance from its partners.

* Arche d'Alliance is a local human rights organisation operating in the DRC. This article appeared recently on Kirimba (www.kirimba.org/), a web-site largely dedicated to addressing events in Burundi. Kirimba is coordinated by a member of the extended Africa team of UPEACE, Mr. Athanase Karayenga.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

* For the French version of this report, please click on the link below
Des milliers d'hommes victimes de violences sexuelles au Sud Kivu en RDC
1. LES FAITS Depuis trois ans et demi, et ce dans le cadre d´un projet portant sur la surveillance, l’enquête, la documentation et l’assistance socio-médicale et judiciaire portée aux femmes victimes de violences sexuelles en territoires d’Uvira et Fizi, Arche d´Alliance, une association de défense des droits de l’homme s’est intéressée aussi aux cas des hommes victimes de violences sexuelles depuis 2003 jusqu´à ce jour.

En effet, dans le peuplé et vaste territoire de Fizi, situé au sud de la province du Sud-Kivu, les deux principaux groupes armés rivaux qui s´y affrontent depuis cinq ans, à savoir l’armée du RCD-Goma et celle des combattants Mayi-Mayi (FAP), ont tous commis de graves abus et violations des droits de la personne humaine contre les populations civiles surtout. Parmi ces abus et violations, les violences sexuelles, particulièrement les viols, l’attentat à la pudeur, la grossesse et la maternité forcées ont été commis à grande échelle en territoire de Fizi et ce contre les femmes et les filles.

Cependant, un phénomène particulier en rapport avec ces violences sexuelles s’est produit à Fizi contre plusieurs hommes dont les épouses et les filles ont été aussi violées en leur présence. Des hommes ont subi des violences sexuelles de la part d´autres hommes qui leur ont imposé l’acte sexuel par voie anale. Dans la plupart de cas, ce sont les combattants appartenant aux groupes armés étrangers (burundais et rwandais) qui ont commis ces actes inhumains et dégradants. Il s’agit des Rwandais Interahamwe et des éléments des FDD (Front pour la défense de la démocratie) qui ont combattu avec les combattants Mayi-Mayi (FAP) congolais pour lutter contre la rébellion du RCD/Goma soutenue par le Rwanda et le Burundi.

Des milliers d’hommes victimes de ces violences sexuelles ont été identifiés surtout dans la vaste collectivité de Ngandja. De nombreux cas ont été enregistrés ainsi dans la collectivité de Mutambala en Territoire de Fizi. Dans la plupart des cas, les enquêteurs se sont limités à identifier les victimes. Mais l’association Arche d´Alliance a encadré une dizaine de victimes qui ont accepté d’apparaître publiquement, de recevoir une assistance destinée à subvenir à leurs besoins vitaux et enfin de recevoir des soins médicaux..

La chef du bureau de liaison à Baraka / Fizi, Mme Marie Mulasi, est chargée, en particulier, de l’assistance aux hommes victimes de sodomie ou d´attentat à la pudeur. Elles les oriente vers l’hôpital de ´´ Médecins Sans Frontières´´ de Baraka pour y recevoir des soins médicaux appropriés et trouver des solutions ponctuelles à leurs besoins sociaux et ce avec l’appui matériel du bureau de l´association Arche d´Alliance basé à Uvira. L´association présente ici un rapport qui reprend les différents éléments ou résultats d’enquête portant sur les cas de sodomie enregistrés dans la région de Fizi.


b) Les auteurs de la sodomie à Fizi Comme déjà précisé ci haut, dans les différentes localités des collectivités de Ngandja et de Mutambala en territoire de Fizi, des éléments appartenant à des groupes armés étrangers, rwandais et burundais, à savoir les Interahamwe et les FDD, sont les auteurs principaux de ces actes de sodomie ou d’attentat à la pudeur. Les différentes localités de ces deux collectivités où ces actes ont été commis à grande échelle sont reprises sur la liste des victimes en annexe du présent rapport.

c) Les techniques utilisées par les auteurs de la sodomie Les auteurs des actes de sodomie à Fizi utilisent la violence et les menaces de mort contre leurs victimes avant de leur imposer l’acte sexuel. Souvent les victimes sont poignardées et brûlées avant ou après l’agression sexuelle et surtout lorsqu’elles ont tenté de résister. En outre, les victimes ont indiqué que, souvent, elles étaient maltraitées en présence de leurs épouses et leurs enfants. Dans la région de Fizi, les hommes sont parfois regroupés dans les villages par les Interahamwe et les FDD pour subir l’agression sexuelle et sous la menace de mort.

d) Le but de ces violences sexuelles Les hommes sont victimes de la sodomie à Fizi pour de multiples raisons. Dans la plupart des cas, les auteurs de ces crimes sexuels exercent une vengeance contre les hommes suspectés d’être en connivence avec les forces ennemies du RCD-Goma. En plus, les agresseurs agissent pour intimider, humilier et décourager leurs victimes et les dissuader ainsi à collaborer avec l’ennemi. La méconnaissance des droits humains par les auteurs de ces crimes sexuels entre explique aussi cette dérive morale.

e) Les conséquences Les hommes victimes de la sodomie sont traumatisés. Ils sont abandonnés par leurs épouses à cause de cette humiliation. Les femmes violées sont souvent répudiées par leurs maris aussi. En outre, l´enquête de l´Arche d´Alliance révèle aussi la transmission des maladies vénériennes et du VIH/Sida en particulier ainsi que les décès de plusieurs victimes non soignées. Les pathologies les plus courantes sont les douleurs anales et généralisées lesquelles relèvent du syndrome traumatique de la sodomie.

En outre, les hommes victimes de sodomie souffrent du rejet social et de stigmatisation. Du fait que dans plusieurs foyers démunis, ce sont les femmes qui subviennent aux besoins de la famille grâce à des activités de ´´débrouillardise´´, les hommes victimes de sodomie et abandonnés par leurs épouses et enfants font face aujourd’hui à de sérieux problèmes économiques et sociaux et ne peuvent subvenir à leurs besoins vitaux. En outre, ils perdent l’estime au sein de la communauté.

f) L’assistance socio- médicale et juridique aux hommes victimes de sodomie à Fizi Depuis 2003, l’association Arche d´Alliance mène des activités d´assistance socio-médicale et juridique en faveur d´une dizaine d´hommes victimes de sodomie et regroupés à Baraka / Fizi. Sur le plan médical, Madame Marie Mulasi du bureau de liaison à Baraka, s’occupe de convaincre les hommes victimes de sodomie à prendre courage et à se présenter à son bureau afin qu´elle les conduise à l’hôpital de ´´ Médecins Sans Frontières´´ à Baraka / Fizi.

Au total 160 cas d´hommes victimes de sodomie ont été identifiés en
2002 – 2003 dans dix localités relevant des deux collectivités de Ngandja et de Mutambala. Tandis que 23 personnes courageuses ont accepté d’arriver à Baraka pour y être assistées et soignées. Sur le plan social, l´Arche d´Alliance assiste les hommes victimes de sodomie avec des solutions ponctuelles mais insuffisantes par rapport à leurs besoins quotidiens dans le domaine de l´habillement et de l´alimentation notamment.

Sur le plan juridique, certaines parmi les victimes ont soumis à l´association leurs dossiers relatifs aux droits de leurs propriétés violées, à leur régime patrimonial et à la protection de leur droit à la dignité. En effet, les hommes victimes de sodomie sont souvent injuriés et humiliés pour avoir subi ce sort déplorable. Au début du mois de février 2004, l´association a envoyé à Baraka son avocat, Maître Richard Kikuni, où il s’est saisi de plusieurs dossiers des victimes de sodomie qui revendiquent leurs droits et préparent la saisine de la justice.

3. CONCLUSIONS La sodomie ou l’attentat à la pudeur dont plusieurs hommes sont victimes à Fizi constitue une atteinte à leur dignité humaine et à leur intégrité physique. Les conséquences de ces actes inhumains, humiliants, dégradants et parfois cruels sont tragiques. Ils ont un impact déterminant sur la vie des victimes devenues aujourd’hui malheureuses et exposées au risque de la mort et ce sans aucun soutien familial. Les 23 personnes victimes identifiées et regroupées à Baraka / Fizi sont en difficulté parce qu´elles ne bénéficient d´aucun soutien matériel. Le cas le plus préoccupant est surtout celui de la dizaine de déplacés de guerre réfugiés à Baraka.

La présence, jusqu’à ce jour, des auteurs précités de ces actes ignobles dans les deux collectivités constitue un danger permanent pour le reste de la population de la sous-région. L´association Arche d´Alliance a envoyé à la fin du mois de mars 2004 deux de ses membres dans plusieurs localités relevant des deux collectivités les plus touchées par ce phénomène. Les délégués de l´association étaient chargés de mener une campagne de sensibilisation auprès d’autres victimes de sodomie afin qu’elles puissent bénéficier de soins médicaux en priorité.

4. RECOMMANDATIONS a) Au pouvoir en place :

En adressant ce rapport écrit à Kinshasa, aux cabinets des ministres de la défense nationale, de l’intérieur, de la santé et des droits humains, l´association Arche d´Alliance recommande au gouvernement congolais de pacifier le territoire de Fizi et le reste de la province afin que la sécurité profite à tous. Elle demande aussi que les soins médicaux soient administrés gratuitement aux personnes victimes de la sodomie à Fizi. Aux autorités politiques, administratives et militaires de Fizi à qui l´association a réservé aussi des copies de ce rapport, l´association demande de s’occuper, sur le plan social et médical, de la situation des centaines d´hommes victimes de sodomie à Fizi.

b) Aux partenaires L´association Arche d´Alliance sollicite leur concours pour l´aider à faire pression sur les belligérants étrangers qui sont encore présents sur le territoire congolais et occupent encore leurs positions respectives à Fizi. Ceux-ci doivent cesser de commettre le crime sexuel que constitue la sodomie. L´association demande aux partenaires aussi de contribuer à la sensibilisation des communautés locales pour qu´elles respectent les droits humains et, en particulier, que les cas inhumains de sodomie soient dénoncés et condamnés. Enfin, l´association demande l´assistance sociale, humanitaire et médical de la part de ses partenaires.

Enfin, Arche d´Alliance publie, en annexe, la liste des personnes victimes de sodomie et regroupées à Baraka / Fizi. En février 2004, lors d´une mission d´enquête sur le terrain au cours de laquelle l´association a accompagné une délégation d’Amnesty International à Baraka, les victimes suivantes ont accordé l´autorisation expresse pour que cette liste soit rendue publique.

Apologies to readers

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/22555

Ending impunity in the Great Lakes region

Yav Katshung Joseph

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/22522

On 19th April 2004, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced receipt of the referral of the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The referral, transmitted to the office of ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo in a letter signed by DRC President Joseph Kabila, requests that the Prosecutor investigate allegations of crimes falling within ICC jurisdiction, (namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,) if committed anywhere in the territory of the DRC since the July 1, 2002 date of entry into force of the Rome Statute of the ICC. But the ghost of impunity continues to haunt the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite the referral of the situation to the ICC.

By means of the letter, the DRC asked the Prosecutor to investigate in order to determine if one or more persons should be charged with such crimes, and the authorities committed to cooperate with the ICC. After receiving several communications from individuals and non-governmental organisations, the Prosecutor had announced in July 2003 that he would closely follow the situation in the DRC, indicating that this would be a priority for his Office.

Since then, the Office has continued its work in analyzing the situation in the DRC, especially in Ituri. Following various procedures and in accordance with the Rome Statute, the Prosecutor will now proceed to determine whether there is a reasonable basis to initiate an investigation in respect of the situation referred. The Office of the Prosecutor will therefore assure itself of the basis for an investigation under the Statute and examine the modalities for such an investigation, in order to reach an informed decision.

The Congolese Dilemma

Since 1998, the DRC has experienced horrific armed conflict in which impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity has been, and continues to be, the norm. Attacks against the civilian population, killings, and use of sexual violence continue to be committed in the East. These crimes will not stop as long as those who commit them are not held responsible for their acts. Accountability for those responsible for serious crimes is essential if the DRC and the region are to make a transition to a durable peace. Therefore, we salute the initiative of the DRC to refer its situation to the ICC in order to put an end to impunity.

But although the ICC may be an answer to crimes committed in the DRC, what will happen to crimes committed from 1998 to July 2002, a period that is beyond the scope of the ICC? While the DRC's ratification of the Rome Statute allows the ICC to try crimes committed after July 1, 2002, there is no mechanism to thoroughly investigate and prosecute the gravest crimes committed during the five-year war and put an end to impunity.

The national justice system is unable, due to its current state of disarray, even with massive help, to address past crimes perpetrated in the DRC since 1998. The ICC is also not competent because of lack of jurisdiction to deal with these crimes. Thus the necessity of possible justice mechanisms to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity and war crimes committed prior to the entry into force of the ICC Statute.

Furthermore, the current transitional period in the DRC is particularly marked by the creation of several institutions “purported” to support “democracy”, among which is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). This TRC would consider political, economic, and social crimes committed from 1960 until 2003 in order “to establish truth and help bring individuals and communities to reconciliation.”

But one question remains: Is the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the DRC meant to end impunity or to cover up gross violations of human rights committed in the DRC? The response seems to be known in advance, since one individual suspected of involvement in human rights abuses was appointed to the executive committee of this TRC.
The ghost of impunity continues to haunt the DRC and the important thing now is to look at the challenges in addressing impunity for the horrific crimes that have been committed in the DRC since 1998. If not, the impunity for these atrocities will sends the message that such crimes may be tolerated in the future.

Therefore, the question arises as to how possible it is to establish an International Criminal Tribunal beyond the borders of the DRC, to include the Great Lakes Region for crimes committed in the DRC since 1998?

* Yav Katshung Joseph is executive director of the CERDH (www.cerdh.tk)

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Ronald Reagan and the price of conviction

Gerald Caplan

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/22521

Only the ideologically twisted would deny Ronald Reagan his due. He was a wildly successful president, accomplishing a remarkable amount of his agenda.

He entered office in 1980 determined to block advancement for black Americans, to halt the sluggish march towards equality for American women, to make America walk tall again by beating up tiny poverty-stricken nations, to allow insatiable greed and ruthless personal ambition to reap lavish rewards, to fire up the economy through trillions of dollars in defense expenditures, to invite industry to desecrate the environment, and to legitimate a morality in which any means justified his ends.

Notwithstanding his unparalleled laziness, ignorance and immersion in fantasy, in all these areas his administration triumphed, a splendid role model for conservatism in the modern world.

The new values were never in question. This was conviction politics. One of the very first acts of the Reagan administration was to cast the only vote against the World Health Organization's code of ethics on feeding 3rd world babies with instant formula prepared with contaminated water.

The world was Ronald Reagan's movie set. History will debate his role as the man who ended the cold war. But as president, death was the Gipper's co-pilot. Morning in America meant that the United States could aggress around the world at whim, recklessly flouting both American and international law, disdaining such outmoded liberal constraints as honesty, legality, democracy and resolutions of the United Nations. The multi-faceted immorality of the Iran-contra scandal was one direct consequence.

Under him was assembled a team of bellicose conservative cold warriors---CIA director Bill Casey, Oliver North, and an entire semi-secret team of ex-CIA agents, ex-Pentagon officials, fascist Cuban exiles, professional killers and international drug traffickers. State terrorism was the order of the day. The Reaganites organized a succession of secret wars and open attacks on very small nations who paid an appalling price for the unswerving principles of conservatism.

The first target for violent regime change was Nicaragua (population 3 million), in the process causing unspeakable horror as well to hundreds of thousands of Hondurans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans whose soldiers the Americans trained in the finer points of torture. He then sent the Marines to Lebanon (population 3 million) to demonstrate that Americans could go wherever they damn well chose; 241 of them died in a widely predicted attack on their barracks. A subsequent CIA plot to assassinate a Muslim leader allegedly linked to the attack didn't quite work out; it missed its target but caused collateral damage to 280 dead and wounded Lebanese bystanders.

Two days after the Marines were blown up, needing to show that no one pushed the US around, Reagan ordered 7000 US troops to invade Grenada (population 95,000), a Caribbean island about 3/4 the size of PEI. As in Lebanon, CIA intelligence proved somewhat faulty: 19 American soldiers were killed and 115 injured, some by "friendly fire". For this gallantry and valour, 8612 US army medals were awarded, some to soldiers who never left the States.

In besieged Angola (population 8 million), Bill Casey of the CIA teamed up with the South African apartheid government he so admired and succeeded in making that country, like Nicaragua, a total basket-case, while tens of thousands of Angolans perished miserably. In the Persian Gulf, an American destroyer attacked without provocation or reason a regular commercial Air Iran flight, killing 290 people; no American apology or reparations have ever been offered.

At home too, conservatism worked its magic. Poverty bloomed. 14 million more Americans lived below the poverty line when he retired than when he was elected. Almost one in four American children in 1988 lived in poverty. The enforcement of civil rights for blacks in housing, voting, employment and education almost ground to a halt. Serious reactionaries were appointed to courts at every level to entrench the rights of the privileged for generations to come. The President travelled to Bitburg, Germany, to lay a wreath at the grave of SS soldiers who, he explained, were victims of the Nazis "just as surely as the victims of the concentration camps". He was a great friend of Israel's extremists and the powerful Jewish-American neoconservative elite adored him.

The old Gipper never lost his faith in Gipperish. Almost his last act in office was to ask Congress to increase the swollen defense budget by another $5 billion and cut the same amount from child nutrition programs and medical insurance for the aged and the poor.

His country loved him. The tributes and tears flow. His truths go marching on.

* Gerald Caplan is a commentator on public affairs

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Mourning former presidents

Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/22516

I was going to write this week’s postcard on the passing of Ronald Reagan. He has been described as many things: ‘the man who changed America and the World’ , ‘one of the greatest Presidents’, the ‘conqueror’ of the Soviet Union and the harbinger of the collapse of Socialism. Historical figures are often divisive and depending on where one stood on the issues ‘the Messiah’ may turn out to be ‘the villain’ and the ‘liberator’ becomes a ‘tyrant’. I do not share the effusions on Reagan because his Presidency did not mean anything positive for Africa.

He was a supporter of Apartheid South Africa. His ‘positive engagement’ was a comprehensive destabilization and destruction of many lives and property in the whole of the Frontline states. He showed his contempt for African lives when he compared that Judas of African Liberation, Dr Jonas Savimbi, of Angola, to Abraham Lincoln, who freed the African Slaves in America. He is the ideological father of the current US president who believes in bombing people to freedom. That's why Reagan bombed Tripoli in 1986 against all norms of international law and decency.

These are just to mention but a few things orchestrated by this original Cow Boy president who is now presented as some kind hero. It is not only in Africa that he supported atrocities; he ran amok in Latin America whether in Honduras, El Salvador or Nicaragua. In his war against the Sandinistas, who led a popular revolution against an American puppet governing class, Reagan ignored international law, mined international waters and refused to recognize the authority of the UN or the International Court of Justice. Do all these sound familiar today? So do forgive me if I am not wasting my mourning on Ronald Reagan.

But I am mourning for another former President . Even though he is not dead yet his largely ignored trials and tribulations deserve our sympathies. He is the former President, Pasteur Bizmungu, of Rwanda. He was reportedly sentenced (on Monday) to 15 years imprisonment on a three-count charge of ‘embezzlement’, ‘associating with criminals’ and ‘incitement to civil disobedience’. He got five years for each count to run concurrently.

Human rights organisations have pointed out some of the grave flaws in the trial itself, since the man was first arrested in 2002. There are grounds for criticizing the legality of the process itself and how the charges evolved.
But the legality of the matter aside - even the veracity or otherwise of the case can be put aside - the politics of it is what most people see. Whatever the prosecutors say this has been and will remain a political trial. The initial charges were of threatening national security, but the court has now acquitted him. The other charges of which he was now been found guilty came later.

Would he have faced trial if he was still President? Certainly not! Could he have faced any trials if after resigning he kept his mouth shut and was not trying to organize an opposition party against his former RPF comrades?
These questions beg more questions. His persecutors want the world to believe that his trial is a demonstration of the rule of law and independence of the Rwandese Judiciary. However it is said that ‘it is not enough for Justice to be done it must be seen to have been done’. There is nothing in the circumstances that led to the former President's arrest in 2002 and the various twists and turns and the deliberate humiliation of the man that will persuade any independent observer that he could ever get justice from his former colleagues.

Rwanda is not a ‘normal’ state or society but it has confounded critics by the giant strides it has made in trying to confront its painful history and build a better society since the end of genocide. No doubt the RPF has been the major player in this but it could not have succeeded without the good will of most Rwandese.

The outstanding challenges it faces cannot be surmounted if this cooperation cannot be received voluntarily from its citizens. As an RPF person and its first post genocide president, Bizmungu has certainly been a partner in these struggles. When he felt that he had no more room for contributing through the ruling party and government he resigned and tried to form his own party.

It should not be a crime to form political parties to contest public opinion and canvass for support. Even Uganda - that has continued to dither on this matter - knows that it is tilting against the force of history. While parties are allowed in Rwanda it is obvious that the ruling elite do not want effective parties that can be credible to the populace. That is why they are criminalizing political disagreement. By all means any political party that promotes disaffection between the populations or supports genocide should not be allowed. But the temptation to treat any opposition to the RPF as ‘ethnicity’, ‘divisive’, ‘interahamwe sympathisers’ or a threat to national security must be resisted.

President Paul Kagame and RPF won a decisive victory in the last general election. That mandate does not mean that anybody that did not or does not support the government is an ‘adui’. The mandate should have made the government feel more secure and confident but it seems that they do not trust themselves or the electorate that gave them the mandate. Otherwise why turn a man who was for many years popularly seen as an ineffectual stooge into a martyr?

I know that this line of thinking will not go down well with many of my friends in Kigali but what are friends for if one cannot speak truth to power?

Bizmungu's treatment in the hands of his own former comrades is most appalling and will do the RPF and the government of President Kagame and the people of Rwanda more harm than good. One is not advocating that because he was a former president he should be above the law but this is not about finer points of law because the politics of the trials has compromised the morality of the matter.

* Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is General Secretary of the Global Pan African Movement, based in Kampala, Uganda and also Director of Justice Africa, based in London.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Real issues

Robin Opperman

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/22520

Recognising the rights of women

Vuyiswa Keyi

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/22517

Thank you for taking this initiative (Pambazuka News petition to the AU on the Protocol on the Rights of Women). It is one of the most critical elements in the future viability of all of Africa. Without the recognition of the rights of all especially women and children, Africa is relegating itself to the graveyard of civilization.

Sign the petition at: http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/petition.php?id=1

Recognising the rights of women (2)

Lithur Nana Oye, Ghana

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/22518

We urge member states of the African Union to sign, ratify and inco-operate the protocol into their national laws and ensure women's rights are protected at the national level.

Sign the petition at: http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/petition.php?id=1

Recognising the rights of women (3)

Fateye Aderonke, Nigeria

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/22519

Women should not be neglected or put aside; African women are going through a lot and it is important that our AU Heads of State ratify the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa. Women should not be overlooked as without us humanity is not complete. We are not here to compete with our men but we are here to make this world worth living in. The rights of African women should be the pride of not only the African men but a pride to African governments. African women are rare gems; our rights is all we ask.

Sign the petition at: http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/petition.php?id=1

Africa/Global: Obesity Rising Among Women In Poor Countries, Study Says

2004-06-10

http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20040603/449_24503.asp

A new study shows obesity rates are rising in poor and developing countries, particularly among women, marking a major departure from historical trends and long-held beliefs, Reuters reports. The joint U.S.-Brazilian study included data from 37 countries including Brazil, China and India. "In many poorer nations, obesity has become more prevalent than malnutrition," said Barry Popkin, a researcher at the University of North Carolina. "Worldwide, the burden of obesity increasingly rests on the poor and less educated, even in many developing nations we never thought of as having an obesity problem."

Africa: Ex-practitioners call for tough laws against genital mutilation

2004-06-10

http://allafrica.com/stories/200406090790.html

Former circumcisers have called for the enactment and firm implementation of comprehensive laws against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa. FGM is criminal in only 14 African countries, and in many of those countries the anti-FGM law is often poorly implemented, said the international women's rights group Equality Now.

Ethiopia signs protocol

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/wgender/22549

Almost a year after its adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa on July 11 2003, Maputo Mozambique, The Republic of Ethiopia on June 2, 2004 signed the protocol. Twenty-seven other member states have signed it but are yet to ratify it as at June 7, 2004 . 14 more countries must ratify it in order for the Protocol to come into force.

Liberia: Women central to future development

2004-06-10

http://www.unifem.org/pressreleases.php?f_page_pid=6&f_pritem_pid=167

Speaking at a National Women's Conference on Peace and Socio-Economic Recovery in Liberia, Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) emphasized the centrality of women's participation and leadership in all phases of the country's recovery, including processes of disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation. She described the conference as a celebration of the courage of Liberia's women, of their resilience and capacity for leadership amidst the trauma and devastation of conflict over the past decade.

Sign the petition: Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa

Sign now

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/wgender/22554

On 11 July 2003, the African Union adopted the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, marking a significant step forward in promoting the rights of women within Africa. But almost a year after its adoption, only one member state of the AU, The Comoros, has signed and ratified the Protocol. Twenty-eight member states have signed but are yet to ratify it as at May 12, 2004. This calls for 14 more countries to ratify in order for it to come into force. Oxfam GB, Equality Now, FEMNET, CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights and FAHAMU have started a campaign targeting 14 countries that have already signed with the aim of lobbying them to ratify. A petition has been drafted that will be presented to the AU Summit in July 2004. You can sign up at http://www.pambazuka.org/petition/petition.php?id=1

DRC: Combatants in Bukavu must stop attacks on civilians

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/22484

Amnesty International has strongly condemned continuing serious human rights abuses in the city of Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "General Laurent Nkunda and Colonel Jules Mutebusi, whose forces seized the city, should ensure that combatants under their command uphold international humanitarian law and stop attacking civilians," the organisation urged. Amnesty International is also urging MONUC, the UN peacekeeping force in DRC, which is also present in Bukavu, to do its utmost to protect civilians in the city and its environs.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE


AI Index: AFR 62/013/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 141
3 June 2004


D R Congo: Combatants in Bukavu must stop attacks on civilians
Amnesty International strongly condemns continuing serious human rights abuses in the city of Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"General Laurent Nkunda and Colonel Jules Mutebusi, whose forces seized the city yesterday, should ensure that combatants under their command uphold international humanitarian law and stop attacking civilians," the organization urged.

Amnesty International is also urging MONUC, the UN peacekeeping force in DRC, which is also present in Bukavu, to do its utmost to protect civilians in the city and its environs.

General Nkunda and Colonel Mutebusi took control of the city after driving out forces loyal to the DRC's transitional government. An unconfirmed number of civilians were killed in the course of the fighting, many from indiscriminate gun or shell fire from all forces.

The organization has received reports of killings, rapes and other abuses being committed by Nkunda and Mutebusi's forces. In one case, a trader named "Soleil", was reportedly summarily executed at around 5am this morning in the Ndendere district of the city, after combatants entered his house looking for money and valuables. A member of his family was allegedly raped. According to reports, "Soleil" had already been forced to hand over all his valuables to two preceding groups of combatants who had looted his house.

At least six other people have reportedly been killed in similar circumstances, and further cases of rape are being alleged. Despite reports this morning that forces belonging to Nkunda and Mutebusi had agreed to canton themselves, looting by soldiers in the city is ongoing and extensive.

Other human rights abuses have been reported since the violence first erupted on 26 May. These include the rape of a 19-year-old woman by Mutebusi's soldiers on 27 May in the Nguba area of the city and the reported unlawful killing of civilians by Nkunda's forces as he advanced on Bukavu from the north.

General Nkunda and Colonel Mutebusi have claimed that their assault on Bukavu was to halt killings and other abuses by pro-government forces against the minority Banyamulenge community in Bukavu.To date, Amnesty International has not been able to confirm these reports. An investigation into their claims by MONUC human rights officers has been prevented by the violence. Up to 3,000 civilians, mainly Banyamulenge, have fled to neighbouring Rwanda since last week citing fears of persecution. A further 700 displaced civilians are sheltering inside the MONUC compound in the city.

A number of Amnesty International's sources report that looting is often accompanied by death threats, in which combatants promise to avenge perceived abuses committed against Banyamulenge civilians.

Rwanda, a supporter of the RCD-Goma armed group in which Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebusi are commanders, has denied any involvement in the violence. A number of sources in Bukavu continue to allege the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the city, however.

The transitional power-sharing government came to office in June 2003. Among its most pressing tasks is the integration of the different armed forces in the DRC, including those of the RCD-Goma, into a new national army. Progress towards integration of the army has been slow, however, marked by poor coordination and an apparent reluctance by the various armed groups to surrender control of their forces to central authority. The failure by the transitional government and international community to address integration adequately or promptly is a major factor sustaining the insecurity in eastern DRC.

The violence in Bukavu threatens to derail the DRC's fragile transitional government and process. Violent demonstrations in Kinshasa and other cities have followed yesterday's events. AI is concerned for the safety of people perceived to be of Banyamulenge origin in the capital, who have been forced to seek refuge from demonstrators.

Both Nkunda and Mutebusi and the bulk of the forces under their command are from a dissident wing of the RCD-Goma armed group, which is now represented in the DRC transitional government and occupies one of the four vice-president positions. A return to conflict by dissident RCD-Goma forces in eastern DRC has long been rumoured.



Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org

Rwanda: Government slams door on political life and civil society

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/22548

The sentencing of former Rwandese president Pasteur Bizimungu and seven co-defendants is further proof of the government's willingness to subvert the Rwandese criminal justice system in an attempt to eliminate all potential political opposition, says Amnesty International. The trial and judgment of these men combined with other recent events demonstrate the government's readiness to deny the civil and political rights of individuals and civil society organizations that dare to criticize the RPF-controlled government.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Public Statement

AI Index: AFR 47/012/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 146
9 June 2004


Rwanda: Government slams door on political life and civil society
The sentencing of former Rwandese president Pasteur Bizimungu and seven co-defendants is further proof of the government's willingness to subvert the Rwandese criminal justice system in an attempt to eliminate all potential political opposition.

The trial and judgment of these men combined with other recent events demonstrate the government's readiness to deny the civil and political rights of individuals and civil society organizations that dare to criticize the RPF-controlled government.

"Through these actions, the Rwandese government is closing the door to any form of free and open political debate and discussion," Amnesty International said.

Pasteur Bizimungu was sentenced to fifteen years for inciting civil disobedience (five years), associating with criminal elements (five years) and embezzlement of state funds (five years). Co-defendant and former Minister of Public Works, Charles Ntakirutinka, received a ten-year sentence for inciting civil disobedience and for association with criminal elements.

"Pasteur Bizimungu and Charles Ntakirutinka are political prisoners and possible prisoners of conscience and should therefore either be released or retried promptly and according to international standards for fair trial" Amnesty International urged.

Each of the six remaining co-defendants - Philémon Munyaneza, Valens Munyaneza, Joseph Gasisira, Emmanuel Ngayaberura, Damascène Nsengimana and Grégoire Uzabakiriho - received five-year sentences for criminal association. Amnesty International urges that these individuals receive a fair trial on recognisably criminal charges or be released.

The underlying motive for the trial of Pasteur Bizimungu and his seven co-defendants was Pasteur Bizimungu's launch of a new political party, the Democratic Party for Renewal (PDR-Ubuyanja), Parti Démocratique de Renouveau in May 2001. He and his co-defendants allegedly organized clandestine meetings whose purpose was to disturb public order, provoke civil conflict and target certain government authorities for assassination. To Amnesty International's knowledge, no evidence exists that the six co-defendants participated in any meetings with Mr. Bizimungu.

The conditions of their arrest and detention, and the trial itself, fell far short of international standards of fairness. In spite of the gravity of the alleged offences, the trial of the eight men occurred in a scant 12-days spread out between 20 April and 19 May 2004. The defendants were only allowed to present a limited number of witnesses. The trial was further marred by lack of corroborating evidence against the defendants and by the judges' refusal to allow the defence a full cross-examination of prosecution witnesses. Prosecution witnesses either ignored or were told to ignore questions that the defence posed during their cross-examination.

The defence attorney for Pasteur Bizimungu and Charles Ntakirutinka was detained for 24 hours for "contempt of court" after pointing out that Charles Ntakirutinka had not been allowed to address an issue that had been raised by Pasteur Bizimungu. The court had ruled that once an issue had been discussed it could not be revisited.

"The trial procedures and outcome undermine the Rwandan government's claim that it is fostering an open society and that the judiciary is capable of operating independently from government interests," the organization said.

The standards of evidence in the trial in general appeared to be very low, and witness statements were sometimes reportedly extracted under duress or during torture. The testimony of individual prosecution witnesses contradicted testimony they had previously provided and/or contradicted the testimony of other prosecution witnesses. One prosecution witness told the court that he had lied to the police and Public Prosecutor's office out of fear, because he had been under considerable duress. Another prosecution witness relayed hearsay evidence that he had overheard in a bar.

All five of the defence witnesses reported that none of the six co-defendants who received five-year sentences had undertaken any of the alleged actions against them. They also maintained that the chief prosecution witness had no personal knowledge of Pasteur Bizimungu or Charles Ntakirutinka and could therefore not have been a witness to any of the events that he alleged took place.

Background
In addition to the well-documented crackdown on political opposition, the space for any kind of debate in Rwanda is rapidly diminishing. Civil society organizations are coming under increasing pressure from the government, to the point where they are sometimes forced to curtail their activities in order to avoid being shut down entirely.

LIPRODHOR, one of the few remaining local independent human rights organizations in Rwanda, and a number of other non-governmental organizations were summoned by the Commission for National Unity and Reconciliation and the Ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs to respond to allegations that they were acting against national unity and reconciliation.

Sudan: Incommunicado detentions, unfair trials, torture and ill-treatment - the hidden side of the Darfur conflict

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/22550

While international attention has focussed on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the failure of the legal system which underpins the human rights crisis has gone largely unnoticed, Amnesty International said in a memorandum to the Sudan Government and the recently-appointed Sudanese Commission of Inquiry. The vast majority of detainees in Darfur and those arrested outside Darfur in connection with the conflict are not told the reasons for their arrest and are not allowed access to lawyers, families, and medical assistance. They are denied their right to be brought promptly before a judge or other judicial official; the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention and the right to be treated humanely. Torture is widespread.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE


AI Index: AFR 54/064/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 144
8 June 2004



Sudan: Incommunicado detentions, unfair trials, torture and ill-treatment - the hidden side of the Darfur conflict

While international attention has focussed on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the failure of the legal system which underpins the human rights crisis has gone largely unnoticed, Amnesty International said today in a memorandum to the Sudan Government and the recently-appointed Sudanese Commission of Inquiry.

The vast majority of detainees in Darfur and those arrested outside Darfur in connection with the conflict are not told the reasons for their arrest and are not allowed access to lawyers, families, and medical assistance. They are denied their right to be brought promptly before a judge or other judicial official; the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention and the right to be treated humanely. Torture is widespread.

"The failure of the justice system cannot be ignored. Injustice is not just a consequence of the conflict, it is one of its causes. These abuses, like the fighting, will worsen if immediate preventative measures aren't taken," Amnesty International warned.

"One reason the abuses have been so horrific and widespread in Darfur is that all members of the Janjawid militias who have killed, raped, looted and forcibly displaced people since April 2003 have benefited from complete impunity," Amnesty International said. "This lack of accountability for terrible crimes is a tragedy not only for the thousands who have suffered abuses but for the integrity of the whole Sudanese justice system."

"Members of the Janjawid suspected of serious human rights abuses go free while those suspected of sympathy with the armed opposition are held incommunicado without trial," Amnesty International said.

Those detained include lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and students; many are prisoners of conscience arrested solely for expressing their opinions without advocating or using violence.

Saleh Mahmoud Osman, a well-known human rights lawyer from Nyala has been in detention since 1 February 2004 mostly in Kober Prison without charge or trial. Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, director of a human rights organization with branches in Darfur went on hunger strike five weeks after his arrest in Khartoum on 28 December 2003 demanding to be brought to trial or released. He was then charged with nine offences including some carrying the death penalty. The "evidence" against him includes possessing public documents from Amnesty International. His trial is continuing.

"The detention of those who speak out, defend human rights or work for a solution to the crisis smothers free expression in Sudan and hinders any work towards a solution by Sudanese civil society," Amnesty International said.

Torture is frequently and increasingly reported. Dr Ali Ahmed Daoud, a veterinary surgeon and Ali Hussein Dossa, a member of the South Darfur State Assembly were arrested in Nyala on 15 March with 20 others from the Fur ethnic grouping during a meeting in Ali Dossa's house in which they were reportedly discussing lobbying against Janjawid attacks. Both men were so severely beaten with sticks and cables that a doctor was called in. They remain in detention in Kober Prison without charge or trial.

Most detainees are kept in security or intelligence detention centres often in very poor conditions. One detainee fromTina on the Chad border, was flown to the military intelligence centre in al-Fasher where he stayed for four months. He told Amnesty International that : "I was never charged with any crime and I never saw anyone, not my family, not a lawyer. I was frequently beaten. They also gave me electric shocks to make me tell things. We had only one cup of water a day and the food was little and very bad. I was kept with 25 others in one cell which did not have any toilets. Three persons died in the detention centre while I was there. . ."

Incommunicado detention in centres of different security services provides conditions which facilitate torture and "disappearance". Amnesty International's memorandum calls for the abolition of Articles 31 and 33 of the National Security Forces Act, which allow the security forces to detain people incommunicado without charge and give them immunity from prosecution.

"Whilst we recognise the need for governments to take action to protect its citizens against threats from armed groups, it must be done in such a way which is consistent with international humanitarian and human rights law," Amnesty International said.

"Those detained simply for voicing their opinions should be immediately and unconditionally released," the organization said.

All others detained should be brought promptly to trial on recognizable criminal charges before normal courts in conformity with international standards for fair trial without recourse to the death penalty. "If this is not done they too should be released."

On 8 May 2004 the Sudanese government set up a Commission of Inquiry under former Chief Justice Daf'allah al-Hajj Yusuf to investigate "alleged human rights violations by armed groups in Darfur", the causes of the violations and to establish the facts about the human and material damage.

"The Sudanese government should widen the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry to ensure that its remit includes the investigation of human rights violations by government authorities", Amnesty International said. "The Commission of Inquiry should also have the right to visit all detention centres and report publicly on any human rights violations it finds."

Background
In 2001, the Sudanese government, faced with a growing security problem, including inter-ethnic attacks and a rise in banditry, set up Special Courts in North, South and West Darfur states, after declaring a state of emergency in the region. Trials in the Special Courts are deeply flawed. The presence of members of the security as judges calls into question the independence of the judiciary. Trials in these courts are summary and death sentences have been handed down after trials which lasted only an hour.

Conflict in Darfur has intensified since February 2003 when the SLA and later the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) took up arms against the government. They complained about lack of government protection for agricultural ethnic groups from attacks by nomad militias and the marginalisation and underdevelopment of the region. The Sudan government then gave free rein to the nomadic militias known as the Janjawid to attack the villages of the mainly agricultural ethnic groups, such as the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa. The Janjawid are now supported and funded by the government; they wear uniform and continue to attack, kill, rape and abduct civilians. About a million people have fled from their burnt villages and have taken refuge in towns in Darfur, while more than 120,000 have crossed the border into Chad.




Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org

Africa: Education programme drops HIV infection among African refugees, UN says

2004-06-10

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10971&Cr=aids&Cr1=HIV

Intensively educated about HIV/AIDS, refugees in East Africa have made progress in the fight against the infection by changing their sexual behaviour, according to a HIV/AIDS expert in the UN refugee agency.

Angola/DRC: Forced expulsion of Congolese results in backlash

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41455

The food security situation is desperate for thousands of returning refugees to Angola's northern Malanje province, as their access to markets in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been blocked, IRIN was told on Monday. The World Health Organisation recently reported that the situation had deteriorated to the extent that more than 25 people had died after they resorted to eating poisonous plants.

Ethiopia: UNHCR moves Eritrean refugees away from border zone

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41442&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa

Thousands of Eritrean refugees are being moved away from the contested border with Ethiopia, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Monday. Some 2,400 refugees who had been living in makeshift camps in Ethiopia close to the disputed 1,000-km border began moving last week "further into Ethiopian territory for their own safety", Mahary Maasho, the UNHCR spokesman in Addis Ababa told IRIN.

Libya: Training for officials and police

2004-06-10

http://www.iom.int/en/news/PBN040604.shtml#item5

A Training Session for 50 Libyan officials and police representatives, organized by the International Organisation for Migration and the Libyan People's Committee for Public Security will discuss issues such as border migration management and assisted voluntary return for stranded migrants. Libya is a country of transit and destination for migrants and is therefore engaged in addressing the phenomenon in a comprehensive manner both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Uganda: Rebels kill 19 in fourth raid on IDP camps in a month

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41576

Rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) launched a fourth raid within a month on a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Uganda on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people and burning over 200 huts, the Ugandan army and witnesses said.

Zambia: Congolese refugees would be welcomed

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41449

Zambia is to continue with its "open door policy" towards refugees fleeing renewed fighting in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a senior official said on Monday. "So far there are no confirmed reports that there has been an influx of Congolese [into Zambia] since the renewed violence, but it is still too soon. On average we receive around 20 refugees a week from the DRC because of the general instability in that country. But should we see larger numbers coming in, we will remain welcoming," the Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs Commissioner for Refugees, Jacob Mpepo, told IRIN.

Angola: Angolan political and civic forces reject a new constitution before elections

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/elections/22535

On 8 and 9 June 2004, the Campaign for a Democratic Angola convened Angolan civil society and political parties to discuss the status of elections and electoral reform, as well as plans for Constitutional reform. With over 200 participants in attendance, including key figures from over fifteen political parties and members of civil society organisations, the two-day Conference concluded with the issuing of declarations and recommendations regarding the most appropriate way to proceed with the drafting of a new Constitution, and the imperative nature of holding national elections in 2005. The recommendations also addressed other critical matters of central interest to the Angolan population.
Campaign for a Democratic Angola

PRESS RELEASE



Summit in Luanda of Civil Society and Political Leaders Issues Conclusions, Recommendations on Constitutional, Electoral Issues



LUANDA, 10 June 2004



On 8 and 9 June 2004, the Campaign for a Democratic Angola convened the
Angolan civil society and political parties to discuss the status of elections and electoral reform, as well as plans for Constitutional reform.

With over 200 participants in attendance, including key figures from over fifteen political parties and members of civil society organizations, the two-day Conference concluded with the issuing of declarations and recommendation regarding the most appropriate way to proceed with the drafting of a new Constitution, and the imperative nature of holding national elections in 2005. The recommendations also addressed other critical matters of central interest to the Angolan population.

Regarding the drafting of a new Constitution, the declaration issued by Conference participants stated that the Constitution and Constitutional drafting process belong to the people of Angola. Therefore, any Constitutional revisions need to be carried out by a legitimately elected Legislature in close consultation with the people. The declaration further questioned the authority of the current Legislature, which was elected in 1992 but continues to function despite the expiration of its four-year mandate, to draft and approve a new Constitution.

Regarding the scheduling of elections, Conference participants overwhelmingly agreed that the government should schedule them for 2005, and should immediately start the process of convening an electoral commission. They also acknowledged that any Constitutional crisis could thus be avoided, by having a legitimate Legislature take on that task as one of its initial activities.

Other statements agreed upon by Conference participants included a call to an immediate ceasefire in Cabinda as a necessary condition for the holding of free elections; the dismantling of the Civil Defense Force; the need to revise the country’s national emblems; the immediate start to a disarmament campaign within the civilian population; the separation of partisan representatives from the national media governance bodies; and the respect to the neutrality of traditional meeting places and leader’s homes, by disallowing the placement of any political party flag in those localities.

Conference organizers also held straw polls during the course of the deliberations, both to gauge the attitudes and opinions of participants, and to offer a true exercise in the mechanics of a voting process. The results of the straw polls indicated strong support for the central theses advanced at the Conference: 83% of cast votes favored either postponing the Constitutional revision process until after the election of a new Legislature or at most undertaking a partial revision to address the national emblems issue; and 81% of cast votes called for the convening of an electoral commission in either 2004 or by the first quarter of 2005.

Further information on the recommendations, straw polls and declarations, including copies of the declarations in English, is available upon request.



Contact: Rafael Marques

Coordinator, Campaign for a Democratic Angola
rafael@snet.co.ao Tel: +244 91 331 034 Fax: +244 2 432078

Malawi: MCP joins opposition election challenge

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41570

Malawi's main opposition party, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has thrown its weight behind a legal challenge to last month's presidential elections. The MCP's move bolsters the opposition's case, which took a knock when Gwanda Chakuamba, the head of the seven-party Mgwirizano coalition, and a key opposition leader, signed a post-election cooperation agreement with the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).

Nigeria: "Nigeria's 2003 Elections: The Unacknowledged Violence"

2004-06-10

http://hrw.org/reports/2004/nigeria0604/index.htm

Both Nigeria's federal and state elections in 2003 and its local government elections in 2004 were marred by serious incidents of violence. The scale of the violence and intimidation, much of which went unreported, called into question the credibility of these elections. This report documents cases of electoral violence in 2003. It also refers to incidents of violence reported around the 2004 local government elections, although most of Human Rights Watch's detailed research was undertaken before those elections took place.

Nigeria: Police shoot two protestors during strike

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41612

Police shot and injured two protesters in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as a nationwide general strike against a 20 per cent increase in fuel prices entered its second day, witnesses said. Streets that are normally clogged with traffic in the commercial capital Lagos remained deserted. Schools, offices and businesses stayed closed there and in most other Nigerian cities.

Africa: Manuel slates corruption

2004-06-10

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimes/newsst/newsst1086255910.asp

Corruption is one of the major factors holding back Africa's economic growth, South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel acknowledged last Thursday, adding more needed to be done to both prevent corruption and punish the corruptors.

Cameroon: How can the fight against corruption be enhanced?

2004-06-10

http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=130198

Cameroon has volunteered to be among the first 17 countries programmed to undergo evaluation as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), which is the enforcement component of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). However, the country is far from being prepared particularly in the field of governance - a key component of the NEPAD initiative. There is an acute problem of transparency and accountability in this well endowed sub Saharan African country.

Ghana: WILDAF holds forum on corruption

2004-06-10

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=59434

The success of the anti-corruption crusade in Ghana depended on peoples' willingness to question the actions of people in authority at all levels. Mrs Hilary Gbedemah, Senior Legal Advisor of the Women In Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), made the point at a public forum on how to deal with corruption in Ghana.

Africa: Africa Action Dismisses "Misdirected" G-8 Announcements on Africa

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/22525

As leaders of the "Group of Eight" met with leaders from six African countries on the final day of the G-8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, Africa Action dismissed announcements of new initiatives on debt relief and HIV/AIDS as "wholly inadequate and off-target." It also condemned the failure of the G-8 to call for immediate intervention to stop the unfolding genocide in Darfur, western Sudan, and address the urgent humanitarian crisis, where more than one million people are now at risk as a result of an ongoing government-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan 202-546 7961

Africa Action Dismisses "Misdirected" G-8 Announcements on Africa

Calls AIDS and Debt Relief Plans "Inadequate and Off-Target";
Condemns weak statement on Genocide in Sudan

Thursday, June 10, 2004 (Washington, DC) - As leaders of the "Group of
Eight" met with leaders from six African countries on the final day of
the G-8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, today, Africa Action dismissed
announcements of new initiatives on debt relief and HIV/AIDS as "wholly
inadequate and off-target." It also condemned the failure of the G-8 to
call for immediate intervention to stop the unfolding genocide in
Darfur, western Sudan, and address the urgent humanitarian crisis, where
more than one million people are now at risk as a result of an ongoing
government-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Africa Action’s Executive Salih Booker said this morning, "Africa’s AIDS
crisis and the continent’s debt burden are two urgent life-and-death
priorities for the continent, yet the G-8 today has offered nothing new
or concrete on either one. Once again, the now traditional invitation of
African leaders to participate in the tail-end of the G-8 summit has
only served to highlight the asymmetry of power between rich and poor
nations, and the growing disparity between the world’s wealthy minority
and the impoverished majority."

Africa Action notes that the Global HIV/AIDS Vaccine Initiative
discussed at today’s meeting does little to address the immediate
priority in the global fight against this pandemic. Almost 30 million
Africans are currently living with HIV/AIDS, and only 2% of these people
have access to life-saving treatment. The Global Fund to fight AIDS is
unable to meet the desperate funding needs of African countries because
G-8 leaders still refuse to commit sufficient resources to this crucial
vehicle. In the context of these urgent priorities, Africa Action has
described today’s announcement on AIDS as "a cynical distraction from
the real needs of Africans and the real obligations of the world’s
wealthiest countries."

On the issue of debt relief for African countries and other impoverished
nations, Africa Action has expressed its deep disappointment at the
outcome of today’s G-8 meeting. Salih Booker said today, "The refusal of
the G-8 to move beyond the failed framework of the HIPC initiative
demonstrates the insincerity of their commitments to resolve Africa’s
debt crisis. Washington continues to practice an unacceptable double
standard when it advocates for the cancellation of Iraq’s odious debts,
but refuses to apply the same terms to the illegitimate debts of African
countries. The extension of HIPC is but a shell game. Short of
cancellation, the only steps that would represent progress would be an
immediate moratorium and an inventory of odious debts."

As reports of genocide continue to emerge from Darfur, Sudan, and as a
desperate humanitarian emergency occurs in that region, Africa Action
strongly condemned the complete inadequacy of the G-8 response. Salih
Booker said, "The international community this year remembered Rwanda’s
genocide a decade ago, but it remains unwilling to take the necessary
steps to avert a similar catastrophe in Darfur. We should call this what
it is - "genocide". What is needed is an urgent military intervention to
stop the killing, enforce the cease-fire and provide security for the
delivery of humanitarian assistance. If such killings were happening on
European soil, the response would be very different."

Booker added, "Instead of talking out of their hats about training
50,000 peacekeepers, the G-8 leaders must act NOW to put boots on the
ground in Sudan to halt genocide, as is required by international
convention."

Africa: Debt relief bread for Iraq, crumbs for Africa

2004-06-10

http://www.odiousdebts.org/odiousdebts/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=10598

International development agency, Oxfam New Zealand has welcomed the proposal by the G8 to cancel $NZ145 billion of Iraq’s foreign debt. But Oxfam NZ Executive Director Barry Coates pointed out the deep inconsistency in the G8’s approach. African countries have waited for more than two decades for debt cancellation. Now they are being offered a pittance as a sweetener to persuade other countries to back the US proposal on Iraq debt.

Africa: Mining and the politics of underdevelopment

Statement of the Africa initiative on mining, environment and society

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/22527

"The meeting noted that NEPAD as a regional development framework has already set the stage for excessive exploitation of Africa's mineral resources. The meeting regretted that while NEPAD identifies mining as a critical area for market access for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century it however fails to develop adequate strategies for maximising the returns on mining and mitigating its impact. NEPAD as a regional development framework is fundamentally flawed in a number of respects: a) it lacks an international framework for environmental governance; b) it sets out conditionalities that are a direct replica of the IMF/WBG conditionalities."
STATEMENT OF THE AFRICA INITIATIVE ON MINING, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
(AIMES)

We, members of the Africa Initiative on Mining,
Environment and Society (AIMES) from Angola,
Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique,
Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia in
collaboration with our northern partners from
Canada and the United Kingdom meeting in Accra
Ghana, from April 30 to May 2, 2004 to discuss
the pressing challenges facing Africa's
extractive sector, in particular mining, oil,
gas, and forestry, and concluded thus:

Observations

Participants observed that the extractive sector
activity in its current setting is contradictory
to the interest and concerns of local communities
and the developmental priorities of African
national economies. Although perceived as
catalyst for economic growth and development,
extractive sector activity undermines economic
development and environmental diversity; destroys
community livelihood; violates peoples rights;
and account for civil strives, social
dislocation, and health impact.

The meeting observed that foreign direct
investment in Africa's extractive sector has
significantly increased over the last few
decades. The increase however, has been
inconsistent with poverty reduction, environment
protection, and respect for human rights in
recipient countries.

Impacts

The increased investment has rather resulted in:

1. Increased poverty due to retrenchment,
employment uncertainties, repatriation of
extractive sector wealth, discriminatory tax
regimes, low royalties, and general inequality
regarding benefits sharing.
2. Heightened environmental problems
manifested in deteriorating health conditions,
air and water pollution, dewatering effect, rapid
decline of forest estates and biodiversity
hotspots, land degradation and access to land,
and the increasing externalisation of
environmental cost by corporations.
3. Increased social conflicts including
civil strives of different levels of intensity,
resulting from denial of extractive sector
wealth, destruction of sources of livelihood,
dislocation and displacement.
4. Human rights abuses especially against
rural communities living within the precincts of
extractive sector projects.
5. Diminishing role of the state in
extractive sector governance and citizens'
protection, measured against the increasing power
of transnational corporations, and also the
increasing role of the state in protecting and
promoting the interest of transnational
corporations.

The meeting noted that increased extractive
sector activity has led to increasing debt burden
of African countries and a declining quality of
life for peoples living in extractive communities
and states as nations derive cosmetic, little or
no benefit from the extractive industries. These
problems are reinforced by the attitude,
behaviour and practices of the state and
transnational corporations, and also neo-liberal
regional development frameworks and international
agreements.

The state

The meeting noted that the repressive power of
the state has increased. The attitude and
behaviour of the state and its institutions has
been hostile towards its citizens who are
determined to promote their interest and rights
vis-à-vis that of transnational corporations.
There are instances across Africa where we
witness state repression through the use of
private and state security against communities
and citizens for expressing dissenting views or
making legitimate demands. This attitude and
behaviour of the state inhibits transparency and
participation in extractive sector issues.

Further, it was noted that the political and
administrative structures of the state are so
weak to address extractive sector impacts more so
when these structures are compromised by
corruption and abuse of power.

Regional integration and NEPAD

Although the meeting welcome the principle behind
regional integration initiative, participants
expressed concerns that the institutions and
neo-liberal development frameworks would further
advance globalisation and increase exploitation
of Africa's extractive sector.

The meeting noted that NEPAD as a regional
development framework has already set the stage
for excessive exploitation of Africa's mineral
resources. The meeting regretted that while NEPAD
identifies mining as a critical area for market
access for achieving sustainable development in
the 21st century it however fails to develop
adequate strategies for maximising the returns on
mining and mitigating its impact. NEPAD as a
regional development framework is fundamentally
flawed in a number of respects:
a) it lacks an international framework for environmental governance;
b) it sets out conditionalities that are a direct
replica of the IMF/WBG conditionalities.

Industry

Participants noted that the practices and
behaviour of industry in the extractive sector
has been manipulative as they become more
aggressive in their lobby and influence of
national policy choices for the extractive sector
to serve industry interest. In spite of increased
participation by industry in Africa's extractive
sector there has been virtually very little or no
forward and backward linkages and value-addition
due to high offshore retention and lack of
processing.

Geo-political threat of the US in Africa

The Gulf of Guinea now labelled as the New
Persian Gulf is increasingly becoming a prime
focus for some northern governments especially
the United States of America. Aware of the
implications of oil on conflict and poverty the
meeting expressed concerns about the increasing
interest of the United States in the New Persian
Gulf.

IMF/WBG/WTO

At the international level, participants observed
with concern that the policy prescriptions by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank Group (WBG) and agreements within the WTO
are inconsistent with the development needs and
priorities of African countries.

The policy prescriptions for the extractive
sector are pitching mineral endowed African
countries in a competition for the bottom.
Indeed, under the WTO general agreement on trade
in services, multilateral and bilateral donors
are fragmenting African economies by demanding
services liberalization. This agreement is set to
prise open the extractive sector for the benefit
of transnational corporations at the expense of
national economies, workers, local communities,
the poor and vulnerable groups on the continent.

Demands

1. African governments should respect the
human rights and fundamental freedoms of their
citizens, recognise civil society as partners and
therefore cease any further state repression
against local communities.

2. We demand that African governments should
resist any pressure to commit the extractive
sector in the General Agreements on Trade in
Services (GATS).

3. The meeting welcomes the Extractive
Industries Review (EIR) final report and demand
its full implementation by the World Bank Group,
African Governments and Industry. In particular
the recommendations on respect for human rights,
prior informed consent, revenue management, no-go
areas, and good governance and policy reforms.

4. We denounce the criticisms of the EIR
final report by some African governments as the
report made progressive recommendations that
should be adopted and promoted.

5. We re-affirm our earlier demand for the
World Bank Group (WBG) to stop any financing for
extractive industries until adequate and
transparent mechanisms are established for
lending as well as damages to national economies,
local communities and environment by current
World Bank Group financing, among others, are
addressed.

6. We demand of African governments to
conduct adequate and independent cost-benefit
analysis on the extractive sector.

7. We demand the total cancellation of
African debt. Debt servicing has been and
continues to be one of the major constraints to
African economies. The cancellation of debts
coupled with good governance will allow African
countries to invest in more productive and
sustainable sectors of the economy for the
benefit of the mass of the peoples.

8. We demand of industry and the World Bank
Group to pay reparation for environmental
destruction, pollution, and human rights abuses
caused through extractive sector activity.
Conclusion

In recognition of the foregoing, we re-affirm our
solidarity with local communities affected by
extractive sector activity, and also our
determination to work together, and in solidarity
with our partners in the global south and north,
to building and strengthening a Pan-African
platform for advocacy on extractive sector issues.

List of individuals/Organisations
1. Environmental Rights Action/Oilwatch Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2. MiningWatch Canada
3. CECIDE, Conakry, Guinea
4. Jubilee 2000 and Media XXI, Luanda, Angola
5. Livaningo, Maputo, Muzambique
6. Guamina, Bamako, Mali
7. Institute of Human Rights & Humanitarian Law (IHRHL)
8. Citizens for a Better Environment, Kitwe, Zambia
9. GREENDEV, Antananarivo, Madagascar
10. Mines and Communities (MAC), London
11. Environmental JusticeNetwork Forum (EJNF), Johannesburg, South Africa
12. Lawyers Environmental Action Team (LEAT), Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
13. ABANTU for Development, Accra, Ghana
14. Kwadwo Afriyie, Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
15. Civic Response (CR), Accra, Ghana
16. Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), Accra, Ghana
17. Amansie West Community Group, Obuasi, Ghana
18. Third World Network-Africa, Accra, Ghana
19. Friends of the Nation, Takoradi, Ghana
20. Friends of the Earth-Ghana
21. Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), Tarkwa,
Ghana.

Africa: US rejects Global Strategy on Reproductive Health

2004-06-10

http://www.planetwire.org/details/4801?PHPSESSID=bed573989599048df3bd15fd605166ea

While the United States “dissociated” itself from the consensus, the World Health Organisation's first strategy on reproductive health was adopted by the 57th World Health Assembly (WHA). Reproductive and sexual ill-health accounts for 20% of the global burden of ill-health for women and 14% for men. "Once again, the Bush Administration has shown their true colors by calling for a reproductive health policy that is more about ideology than reality,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA). “We have a moral responsibility to ensure the health and well-being of women and men around the world."

Burkina Faso: WHO calls for yellow fever vaccination campaign

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41591

The World Health Organisation (WHO) called for an immediate yellow fever vaccination campaign in the Burkinabe city of Bobo Dioulasso on Wednesday, saying 89 suspected cases of the mosquito-borne disease had been recorded there so far this year and six of those people had died.

Gabon: Price of AIDS testing and ARV drugs slashed

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41602

The government of Gabon has announced a further cut in the price of anti-retroviral drugs for people living with AIDS and has slashed the price of HIV/AIDS testing for the country's 1.2 million population. Both measures were introduced in April following an announcement by the Global Funds to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that it would grant the West African country US $3 million grant to help fight AIDS.

Great Lakes: Meeting of anti-malaria network opens in Bujumbura

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41474

A meeting of the East African Network for the Monitoring of anti-Malaria Treatment opened on Tuesday in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, with participants calling for the establishment of a system to monitor the use of a new anti-malarial combination therapy. The delegates, from Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya and Uganda, said the Network should play a key role in advocacy for countries to put in place useful and acceptable anti-malaria policies.

Uganda: Partnerships, Political Commitment Important in Fight Against AIDS

2004-06-10

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=24020

Political commitment and partnerships with organisations and governments are key to implementing successful HIV/AIDS prevention programs, Ugandan Health Minister Jim Muhwezi said in an interview with the Washington Times. The Ugandan government in 1986 implemented the "ABC" HIV prevention model - Abstinence, Be faithful, use Condoms - which has helped the country lower its HIV prevalence rate. According to a recent study published in the journal Science, the country's HIV prevalence has dropped 70% since the early 1990s.

Zimbabwe: Clinics in three provinces do not have safe water

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41429

Only half of the health clinics in three Zimbabwean provinces have access to safe water and the majority of districts face shortages of essential drugs, according to an NGO monitoring group, the Food Security Network (FOSENET). Based on information drawn from 52 districts, FOSENET noted that clinics spread across central Zimbabwe - in Mashonaland West, the Midlands and Masvingo - had the poorest access to safe water out of the country's eight provinces.

Africa/Global: Data and country studies of education for children and young people in complex emergencies

2004-06-10

http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Ed_Emerg.pdf

This report presents information gathered by the Global Survey on Education in Emergencies. It attempts to fill a gap in information about how many refugee, displaced and returnee children and youth globally have access to education and the nature of the education they receive.

Africa/Global: How educating excluded children can help break the cycle of poverty

2004-06-10

http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/130685/special/primary-education/

More than 100 million children around the world do not have access to primary school education. Out-of-school children in developing countries are especially vulnerable to poverty, hunger, violence, exploitation and disease, contributing to future generations of people with limited life chances and almost certain poverty. Achieving universal primary education - and its close correlation, gender equality in education - is so important that Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals is dedicated to it. Yet, without government and donor policies that advocate inclusive primary education, the basic human right to education may not be achieved by 2015.

Africa/Global: Using higher learning institutions as agents of social change

2004-06-10

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC14860&Resource=f1educ

This paper explores the potential of Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) as agents of social, institutional and individual change. It argues that while HLIs have a clear role in building the capacity of individuals and organisations to undertake key development initiatives and to practice participation, they are often restricted by internal and external constraints.

Togo: University reopens, but students boycott exams

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41459

Togo's main university has reopened after being closed for most of May following student demonstrations to demand better grants and living conditions, but the students at the University of Lome have now decided to boycott their end of year exams. The protest action is being taken to demand the release of several student leaders jailed after the earlier disturbances.

Zimbabwe: Students stranded as teachers' college closes

2004-06-10

http://allafrica.com/stories/200406071100.html

The 500 students at Morgenster Teacher's College in Masvingo were on Friday left stranded after the indefinite closure of the institution as a result of intermittent strike action by the students. Heavily armed policemen maintained presence at the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe institution where the students were given 30 minutes to pack their belongings and leave.

Africa/UK:Working visa restrictions labelled racist

2004-06-10

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=529021

Black and anti-racist groups have reacted furiously to the revelation that thousands of people from Africa and Asian countries are to be barred from entering Britain. Quotas are to be introduced on the numbers of visitors under the working holiday scheme from countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kenya after Home Office officials detected abuse of the system.

South Africa: FXI warns of dangers in proposed hate speech bill

2004-06-10

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/59374/?PHPSESSID=26b1be8ecf8bf80eedd544b80f26f5ec

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) has sent a written submission to the Department of Justice in response to its draft discussion document for a proposed hate speech bill. The objectives of this proposed law are to, among others, criminalise hate speech and also to give effect to the Constitution as well as South Africa's commitments to international law, including its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Africa/Global: Governments discuss future of renewable energy

2004-06-10

http://www.greenclippings.co.za/gc_main/article.php?story=20040531154431633

As the impacts of climate change caused by energy use becomes more evident to world leaders, more than 1000 delegates from over 100 countries met in Bonn, Germany, to discuss the role that renewable energy will play in the future of the planet. The participants include heads of state, energy ministers, regional leaders, business, public pressure groups, business and youth groups. The 2004 International Conference for Renewable Energies, Bonn was proposed by German Chancellor Gerhand Schroeder after the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg failed to deliver meaningful targets for the implementation of renewable energy.

Africa: World Bank Spins Renewable Energy Conference

2004-06-10

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/world_bank_spins_renewable_03062004.html

Environmentalists and development advocates have decried the World Bank's announcement of support for renewable energy as mere spin. Stating that the proposed increase is marginal at best and does nothing to address the Bank's ongoing bias towards fossil fuels, the groups called on the Bank to adopt the recommendations of its own studies and phase out support for coal and oil while dramatically increasing its support for renewable energy. "Marginally increasing the funding for renewables is not enough because the World Bank's own numbers show that lending for polluting fuels is growing even faster." said Stephan Singer of WWF International.

Zimbabwe: Communities lose out to encroaching game animals

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41610

The tourists come to Zimbabwe's vast Hwange National Park, view its rich collection of big game from the safety of vehicles with armed guards, and then leave. But communities living on the fringes of the park are forced to share their land with the encroaching wildlife, a proximity that leads to inevitable conflict between humans and animals. The communities in this perennially dry region of northwestern Zimbabwe rely on the Gwayi river, as do thirsty animals who have broken out of the game park. Looking for water, they end up terrorising the villages on the edge of Hwange.

Ethiopia: Smallholder farmers battling poverty through cooperatives

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41594

Cooperatives are playing a key role in helping impoverished Ethiopian farmers escape from the cycle of poverty, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said on Wednesday. Ethiopia's cooperatives were vital in helping to promote rural economic development and getting farmers a fairer price for their crops, USAID said in a statement. "Cooperatives are an important means to bring smallholder farmers together to open new markets and receive higher prices for their produce," it said.

Zimbabwe: Farm chaos continues

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/land/22481

A 62 year old widow, Mrs Pat Campbell, was brutally beaten with sticks at her farm, Sutton Estate, in Banket recently, reports the website Sokwanele. Mrs Campbell's "crime" was being on the farm of which she is the lawful owner. In the attack an AK 47 assault rifle was pointed at Mrs Campbell and her son Doug, and they were threatened with instant death if they did not leave the farm at once. To emphasise the point the soldier whose rifle was aimed at their heads, cocked the weapon.


SOKWANELE
Enough is Enough
Zimbabwe
PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY
We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression!
Sokwanele reporter
05 June 2004
A 62 year old widow, Mrs Pat Campbell, was brutally beaten with sticks at her farm, Sutton Estate, in Banket yesterday. Her assailant was the rifle-wielding personal guard of Lt. General P.V. Sibanda. Mrs Campbell’s “crime” was being on the farm of which she is the lawful owner. In the attack the General’s side-kick pointed his AK 47 assault rifle at Mrs Campbell and her son Doug, threatening them both with instant death if they did not leave the farm at once. To emphasise the point the soldier whose rifle was aimed at their heads, cocked the weapon.
Earlier the same day three of Doug Campbell’s employees who had been helping dip Mrs Campbell’s cattle were ordered to kneel down and were severely beaten with sticks by the same assailant. When the beaten and bruised farm employees reported the assault to the local police station, the police refused to take any action. They would not even supply a report reference number.
Tragically Mrs Campbell’s husband, son-in-law and grandson were all killed in a motor accident five years ago. Since that time she has run their crops, game and cattle farm on her own. In August 2003 she won her High Court application challenging the validity of the Sections 5 and 8 notices served on her. Her legal action was unopposed.
In February Lt. General Sibanda posted four of his guards on Sutton Estate, two of whom were to monitor Mrs Campbell’s every move. They pitched their tent next to the fence right outside her bedroom window.
It is understood that Lt. General P.V. Sibanda was already in possession of a number of other farms before he turned his attention to Sutton Estate. How he squares this with the regime’s purported policy of “one man, one farm” is not known.
Following the brutal assault and death threats Mrs Campbell fled the property. She left behind her a number of in-calf cows and the equally vulnerable wild life in the game park. The few farm employees have also now fled for fear of further violent attack.
Pictures available on request.
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Zimbabwe: Govt moves to nationalise all productive land

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41476

Zimbabwe's controversial land reform programme took a significant turn this week when the government announced its intention to nationalise all productive farmland in the country. "In the end all land shall be state land and there will be no such thing called private land," the official Herald newspaper quoted Lands Minister, John Nkomo, as saying on Tuesday.

Africa/Global: UN Population Fund says problem of child marriage is ignored

2004-06-10

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10959&Cr=UNFPA&Cr1=women

More than 100 million girls over the next decade will marry before their 18th birthday, including many aged as young as eight or nine, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned at an international meeting in Washington. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA said: "Married adolescents have been largely ignored in the development and health agenda because of the perception that their married status ensures them a safe passage to adulthood," adding "nothing could be further from the truth."

Angola: Over 100.000 children might become orphans by 2005 – minister

2004-06-10

http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=40bee12f7&page=news

Over 100.000 children might become orphans by the year 2005, due to the growing proliferation of HIV/Aids, said the Angolan Minister of Welfare and Social Reintegration, Joao Baptista Kussumua. According to the minister, three decades of the war have left a "serious humanitarian legacy", which continues to cause the death of more than 180.000 children aged between 0 and 5 years old, due to difficulties in accessing health services and water, and poor food, personal and family hygiene, and housing conditions.

Liberia: Child soldiers too scared to go home - relief agencies

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41477

Child soldiers, uprooted from their families and plunged into Liberia's civil war, are lingering in temporary camps because they are too scared to return home and insufficient facilities have been created to cater for them, child protection agencies and a government commission said. After turning over their weapons, the young ex-combatants are entitled to a three-month stay in care centres, which offer medical aid, counselling, reading lessons and help tracing families. But the stop-gap is turning more permanent for many.

Uganda: Rising numbers of rescued children

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41445

Childcare agencies working with former captives of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in war-ravaged northern Uganda are getting overwhelmed by the increasing number of children rescued or escaping from rebel captivity, a relief worker said. Michael Oruni, the coordinator of a programme run by the Christian charity, World Vision, to rehabilitate and reintegrate former child captives into society in the northern region, said the capacity of the childcare centres had been stretched thin.

Africa: Guns but no bread - how arms exporters are failing developing countries

2004-06-10

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights50/insights-iss50-art04.html

It is a commonly held belief that developing countries rely primarily on small arms - which, being relatively cheap, should not be a huge financial burden to the country. But in fact, the countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East own 51% of the world's heavy weapons and in 2002 they imported two thirds of all arms deliveries worldwide, at a value of nearly US$17 billion.

DRC: Coup attempt foiled in Kinshasa

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41619

A coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by a section of the presidential guard has been foiled, Foreign Affairs Minister Antoine Ghonda told IRIN on Friday. "The government has resumed control of the situation,” he said. Officers from the presidential guard had announced on state radio and television, at 2:40 am local time [1:40 GMT] in the capital, Kinshasa, that they had neutralised the institutions of the transitional government of President Joseph Kabila.

Sudan: Peace unsustainable without democratisation

2004-06-10

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41617

Sudan will fail to enjoy the fruits of peace if it does not democratise both its peace process and its political system during the six-year transitional period following the signing of a comprehensive agreement, according to the South Africa-based think-tank, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). "A sustainable peace is unlikely unless a government is established that enjoys the confidence of the Sudanese masses and demonstrates an unqualified commitment to peace," said ISS in a report issued this week.

Sudan: World Leaders Must Act on Darfur, says ICG

2004-06-10

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/conflict/22480

The International Crisis Group urged G-8 leaders meeting in Sea Island, Georgia, on 8-10 June 2004 to push for immediate and strong action to protect hundreds of thousands of lives now at risk in Darfur in western Sudan. In a letter to heads of government and foreign ministers of the G-8 and the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and in a similar letter to the UN ambassadors of all fifteen members of the Security Council, ICG called for determined international leadership to prevent the impending disaster in Darfur. The crisis in Darfur has been developing over the past fifteen months, during which time government-backed militias have conducted a scorched-earth campaign in the region, killing many thousands of civilians and forcing over one million from their homes.
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP – NEW RELEASE

World Leaders Must Act on Darfur

Brussels, 6 June 2004: The International Crisis Group urges G-8 leaders meeting in Sea Island, Georgia, on 8-10 June 2004 to push for immediate and strong action to protect hundreds of thousands of lives now at risk in Darfur in western Sudan.

In a letter (full text below) to heads of government and foreign ministers of the G-8 and the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and in a similar letter to the UN ambassadors of all fifteen members of the Security Council, ICG has called for determined international leadership to prevent the impending disaster in Darfur.

The crisis in Darfur has been developing over the past fifteen months, during which time government-backed militias have conducted a scorched-earth campaign in the region, killing many thousands of civilians and forcing over one million from their homes. The majority of the latter are in poorly-run government-controlled camps for internally displaced persons within Darfur, where they remain vulnerable to attack by the "Janjaweed" militias and have inadequate access to desperately needed relief supplies.

In the letter, ICG President Gareth Evans calls for a Security Council resolution demanding that Khartoum at once implement its promise to provide immediate and full access for aid operations, taking measures to stop further fighting and atrocities, and supporting political negotiations. It also asks the Council to start considering tough further measures to concentrate the Sudan Government’s attention.

The letter also requests G-8 Heads of Government to consider Darfur at Sea Island this week, and adopt a strong statement in their closing declaration making clear their determination to ensure that sufficient resources are available for relief of the victims of ethnic cleansing, that the relief will reach the victims, that the ethnic cleansing will not stand and that the Government of Sudan will be held accountable.

The time for action by world leaders is now. Hundreds of thousands of lives are already at risk and every week’s delay has ever more deadly consequences.


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To find out more about the Darfur crisis, go to our Darfur page (http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=2700&l=1). This page has details of ICG's reports and opinion pieces on the conflict, details of our advocacy efforts to date, information on what you can do to support ICG's efforts, and links to ther resources on the conflict.


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Contacts: Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) 32 (0) 485 555 946
Jennifer Leonard (Washington) 1-202-785 1601
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2 June 2004

[To Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers of the G-8 and permanent members of the UN Security Council]

I am writing to urge your Government to use its position on the Security Council and as a member of the G8 to push for immediate and strong action to protect hundreds of thousands of lives now at risk in Darfur in western Sudan. If the promises of the international community since the Rwandan genocide a decade ago are to have meaning, the international community must act now to protect these people.

The crisis in Darfur has been developing over the past fifteen months, during which time government-backed militias have conducted a scorched-earth campaign in the region, killing many thousands of civilians and forcing over one million from their homes. The majority of the latter are in poorly-run government-controlled camps for internally displaced persons within Darfur, where they remain vulnerable to attack by the "Janjaweed" militias and have inadequate access to relief supplies.

The international community must recognize that the Government of Sudan bears primary responsibility for this crisis. If that government fails to take immediate steps to rein in the militias and facilitate relief, the international community, through the Security Council and the G8, must make it clear it will act. As the Security Council has acknowledged in a Presidential Statement on 25 May, over the coming months, "hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of dying" from starvation and disease. More will die if the direct killing is not stopped.

The signing on 26 May 2004 of the last three protocols necessary for a peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and the southern SPLA rebel group will hopefully mark a turn from the past violence in the south, but this will require continued international monitoring and support to implement. However, this development does not in any way alter the real threat of massive numbers of dead in western Sudan if there are not fundamental changes in the policies of the Government of Sudan in Darfur, if international humanitarian access is not guaranteed to that region and if there is not movement toward a negotiated peace there as well. There is much that still can be done to try and avoid the worst consequences of the ethnic cleansing which already has occurred.

It is imperative that the Security Council, and the G8 at its 8 June Summit, build on the momentum generated by signing of the protocols. The opportunity exists -- if adequate leverage and leadership are exercised -- to bring that process to closure, to construct a similarly serious effort to resolve the political issues driving the Darfur crisis, and to create a diplomatic and military strategy to end the insurgency in Northern Uganda. All three objectives require international pressure on the Khartoum government.

The International Crisis Group believes that a rapid and robust international response is needed to address the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and its causes. Accordingly, we urge the Security Council to:

1. Prevent Starvation

The Security Council should pass a resolution demanding that Khartoum at once implement its promise to provide immediate and full access for aid operations. Time and again the Government has allowed full access only in response to multilateral, public pressure. As a last resort, if the government continues to manipulate humanitarian access in Darfur, more robust measures must be considered. The Security Council should authorize planning now for the deployment of military assets in support of the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

2. Stop Further Fighting and Atrocities

The Security Council should urge the deployment of additional observers to both monitor the ceasefire and provide protection for internally displaced populations that wish to return home, thus reversing the ethnic cleansing campaign. Sixty African Union observers are inadequate to cover a land mass the size of France. If government bombing recurs, a no-fly zone should be considered urgently by the Council, and if the Janjaweed militias are not neutralised, military force should be authorized to achieve this objective.

3. Press for Sustainable Peace

The momentum of last week's Naivasha signing should be built upon, with the Security Council supporting internationally facilitated political negotiations between government and rebels in Darfur. Concerted international attention is necessary to end once and for all the inter-related wars in the south and west of Sudan and in Northern Uganda.

4. Build Leverage for the Achievement of these Objectives

The Security Council should consider imposing targeted sanctions against officials in the government most responsible for the ethnic cleansing campaign, sending a high level panel to investigate the commission of war crimes in Darfur, deploying human rights monitors, and authorizing an arms embargo. Multilateral pressure is needed now if Khartoum is going to move on the peace and humanitarian access fronts.

In addition to your support for Security Council action, ICG requests that you place Darfur on the agenda at Sea Island and ensure that the G-8 adopt a strong statement in their closing declaration reflecting their determination to ensure that sufficient resources are available for relief of the victims of ethnic cleansing, that the relief will reach the victims, that the ethnic cleansing will not stand and that the Government of Sudan will be held accountable.

As the UN itself has noted, Darfur represents the most acute humanitarian crisis in the world today. ICG urges you to act immediately to prevent possibly hundreds of thousands of deaths over the coming months.

Yours sincerely,


GARETH EVANS

President, International Crisis Group

Fahamu