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EQUATORIAL GUINEA THIRTY-FOUR YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Dr. Adolfo Obiang Biko

2002-05-16

http://www.equatorialguinea-monalige.com

On the west coast of Africa a small country about the size of Belgium was blessed by God with a wealth of natural resources. It had fertile soil, ample rainfall, an abundance of fish in its rivers and the ocean, and mineral deposits, including the recently discovered oil. With a very small population of only 500,000 people there should have been no limit to the well-being and prosperity of its citizens.

But nature and history are often at odds with each other. There are misunderstandings and missed opportunities which affect the rise and fall of an aspiring population.

Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish colony for over two centuries. It grew into a thriving economic center with trade dominated by its superb cacao and fruit and exotic wood species which were much desired in Europe and beyond. The Spanish colonialists were the masters and the native inhabitants were the workers who toiled in conditions of slavery and abuse. The introduction of Catholicism and the education of children under the auspices of the church was a strong institution bonding masters and slaves.

In the 1950s the concept of freedom and self-government was sweeping across Africa. The liberation movement of former Spanish Guinea came to fruition in 1968 after negotiations in the United Nations. I am proud to have been a participant in the struggle and a signer of the Articles of Independence at the U. N.

As a result of unfortunate political manipulations at the time Francisco Macias Nguema became the first native ruler of our new country. It was the start of a barbaric tyranny parallel to the regime of despot Idi Amin Dada in Uganda. In Guinea, in addition to the assassination of 80,000 innocent civilians, Nguema's regime declared war on religion and desecrated the Holy Sacrament publicly. It jailed and executed priests and religious men and women, closed all churches, transforming some into cacao warehouses and others into dancing saloons. It banned any religious worshipping and officially declared Nguema God and "Creator of Equatorial Guinea". The colonial structure, cruel as it was, had broken down and was replaced by selfish and malicious tyranny.

Macias Nguema dedicated himself to pagan practices and traditional voodoo rituals, including cannibalistic practices, and ended up in mental and physical deterioration and eventual "disappearance" choreographed by a "family arrangement". Following the undemocratic tradition of his Mongomo tribe, succession was determined by declaration of the Mongomonos for Macias's nephew Teodoro rather than by public voting. His qualifications and prerequisites for the job: malicious murderer-executioner and chief enforcer of Macias' perverted practices.

A third of the Guinean population lives in exile still today, afraid of the tyrannical regime which has continued under the leadership of Nguema's nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema. In Uganda and some other African former colonies there have been some changes in rulership, but the people of Equatorial Guinea still suffer under the family regime which began thirty-four years ago. As the people say with rage, "The same dogs with different collars".

Seeking to sanctify his reign Teodoro Obiang Nguema arranged pseudo-elections, which violated his own erratic Fundamental Law of the country. In the 1996 "election", competing alone, he was victorious with 99.00% of those voting.

Teodoro has been industrious and lucky. He, with the conspiracy of family members, developed relationships with drug producing countries, especially those of southwestern Asia, leading to Guinea's predominance as a major world drug transshipment center. From Guinea's strategic location on the coast with numerous islands it has open-water access to Europe and the United States. The income from this lucrative businesshas maintained him in comfort.

In the recent half-decade the discovery and extraction of oil onshore and offshore has led to the nickname "the new Kuwait". ExxonMobil, Trident and other world-class oil companies have invested billions in exploration and extraction rights. It has provided a leap in income for the extended ruling family, but the bounty has not trickled down to its citizens who remain subject to torture and execution. The situation of the oil companies is a ticklish one since they want the business rights but don't want to appear to be supporting a corrupt regime. Regarding recent inhuman condition Amnesty International stated in April, 2002:

"International monitoring in Equatorial Guinea is essential, especially now when human violations are still being perpetrated, including the incomunicado detention for a month of more than fifty suspects who are at risk of being tortured to death...The fact that the families are being denied access to their relatives and that nobody knows where they are currently being held has led to fears that some of them may already have died under torture. The relatives have publicly expressed their fears that these persons might have been killed while in detention".

Mr. Gustavo Gallon, the Special Representative of the UN Commission on Human Rights, wrote in his January 2002 report:

"The human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea has been a matter of concern to the Commission on Human Rights for longer than that of any other country. The situation of rights in that country should continue to be monitored in order to ensure the implement the recommendations repeatedly made by the Commission over the last 20 years".

Despite numerous visits to the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. Teodoro has been in failing health for years and the question of his successor is now an urgent one for the country. His sons have already assumed major duties. The possibility of a free and fair democratic election seems remote without pressures from and international governments and human rights institutions.

The history and current situation of my country, outlined briefly above, are dealt with in detail in my recent book, Equatorial Guinea: From Spanish Colonialism to the Discovery of Oil, which is my legacy to my beloved people. My hopes for my country are strong and I will continue to expose and plead and educate so that Equatorial Guinea will one day have the future nature seems to have intended for it.

Dr. Adolfo Obiang Biko is President of MONALIGE, author of the book Equatorial Guinea: from Spanish Colonialism to the Discovery of Oil, and the presidential candidate for MONALIGE in the forthcoming elections in Equatorial Guinea in 2003.

Amnesty International Report: Equatorial Guinea: The UN Commission on Human rights must act in the interest of human rights, April 2002. http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/AFR240042002?OpenDocument&of=COUNTRIESEQUATORIAL+GUINEA

Malawi and southern African food emergency

2002-05-16

http://www.anglia.ac.uk/geography/radix/malawi.htm

RADIX has just begun to develop a page devoted to the current food emergency in southern Africa. We would welcome any materials (brief comments, reports on work-in-progress, suggestions of web links, electronic reprints of good background essays, etc.) from anyone and everyone. We are particularly interested, from both scholarly and humanitarian points of view, in the differences between 1991 and 2002. The earlier event amounts to a 'success story' in drought mitigation and prevention of famine. A preliminary analysis suggests three sets of differences:
Stresses: more numerous and severe in their interactions this time (HIV-AIDS, cholera, flood followed by drought, standing crops damaged by hungry mega fauna/ stolen by hungry thieves, mismanagement of stored food reserves, deterioration of democratic governance, level of corruption) Regional cooperation: possibly less vigorous SADC level activity (could this be because of tensions due to members taking different sides in the conflict in Congo?)
International response: slower (?) (Are there signs of 'compassion fatigue'? or distraction by Afghanistan and the Middle East? or reluctance to provide aid to regimes seen as corrupt?).
Among the countries currently included in WFP bulletins on the food emergency (Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique), there are very great differences in terms of history, political economy, political ecology, regime stability and credibility. Nevertheless, the composite factors give rise to concern that this time around more lives could be lost (400% rise in the price of maize in Malawi in the face of which many of the rural poor who have already sold off all assets simply starve). Another question is why Botswana appears to be escaping the current crisis. We are also particularly interested in what happened to the large number on NGO initiatives in this region in the early 1990s that were designed to build local capacity to cope with drought and other hazards. Have some been successful? Is the current crisis simply too large for these to provide much protection or resilience? Are women faring much better this time around? (Megan Vaughan's book on the 1949-50 famine in Malawi -- then Nyasaland -- provides an excellent baseline study of gender and famine: The Story of an African Famine, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987). We invite comments in this discussion list and also contributions of documents for posting on the RADIX web site addresses to bwisner@igc.org or m.h.fordham@anglia.ac.uk

Re: LAGOS BOMB EXPLOSION

Tola Olujuwon

2002-05-16

Good day to you.I saw this in pambazuka's edition and I decide to react toit.I am a Nigerian based in Lagos and I am aware of efforts of Government and agencies on the bomb explosion in Lagos.The only co-ordinating groups known is the office of the Secretary to the Government of Nigeria and the Governor of Lagos State.However some agencies like the Nigerian Red Cross Society,the Salvation Army and Some Major Newspapers and TV stations,got some relief materials which I believe were handed over to Govt and the Red Cross and these were in the news.Some NGOs set up rehabilitation and counselling services at the camps provided by govt.

The below organisation could be another scam and it should be disregarded in its entirety.All donations if any should be addressed to The Federal Government of Nigeria or the Governor of Lagos State.I am not aware of any agency being set up by Govt apart from the existing ones and I have not seen or hear any NGO soliciting for funds for the victims.

Please disregard these jokers.

WEST AFRICA: ICRC and artists to raise rights awareness

2002-05-16

The regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and seven West African artists have launched a music album titled 'Man is Man's remedy' that aims to raise awareness of basic principles of humanitarian law. The 8-track, non-commercial album, launched on Wednesday in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, was a collaborative work of four artists from Cote d'Ivoire, Assy Kywah of Benin, Sonia Carre d'as of Burkina Faso and Dama Damwuzan of Togo. Apart from a plea "to give back a little humanity to those who have lost it" in the title track, they also sing of child-soldiers, anti-personnel mines, small arms trafficking, women in war, prisoners, displacement, and respect for civilians during conflict.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

WEST AFRICA: ICRC and artists to raise rights awareness

ABIDJAN, 9 May (IRIN) - The regional delegation of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and seven West African artists have
launched a music album titled 'Man is Man's remedy' that aims to raise
awareness of basic principles of humanitarian law.

The 8-track, non-commercial album, launched on Wednesday in Abidjan, Cote
d'Ivoire, was a collaborative work of four artists from Cote d'Ivoire, Assy
Kywah of Benin, Sonia Carre d'as of Burkina Faso and Dama Damwuzan of Togo.
Apart from a plea "to give back a little humanity to those who have lost it"
in the title track, they also sing of child-soldiers, anti-personnel mines,
small arms trafficking, women in war, prisoners, displacement, and respect
for civilians during conflict.

The ICRC project coordinator, Simon Pluess, said music was chosen because of
the region's strong oral tradition and because musicians were "mouth-pieces"
of their communities. The artists were also known to highlight social issues
in their respective careers.

The album, an arrangement of popular West African rhythms and beats, and
sang in French and other traditional dialects, will first target West
Africa. ICRC plans to eventually avail the album to other francophone
countries, Pluess told IRIN.

Ivorian reggae singer Kajeem who has taken part in other pro-bono projects,
said he joined the project because musicians, and artists in general, have a
greater responsibility than making people dance and earning money. Artists,
he told IRIN, can contribute to Africa's peace and development.

The album will shortly be launched in Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin. Its
original French title is 'L'Homme, un remede pour l'Homme'.



[ENDS]

IRIN-WA
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Fax: +225 22-41-9339
Email: IRIN-WA@irin.ci
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Women Build Africa 2002

Traveling Exhibition - West Africa

2002-05-16

http://www.africancolours.com/?content/womenbuilders.html

Women Build Africa is a narrative of women organizing for change. The exhibit, 200 m2 in dimension is divided into three zones. The introductory zone The Thousand Faces of Women provides a perspective on the intricate role played by women with regards to the values and practices of their society and the way in which women preserve and pass down their knowledge and know-how from generation to generation. The zone Nurturers and Innovators showcases the nature, diversity and importance of women's involvement in economic development. In the third zone Building the Future visitors are invited to reflect on the progress that must be accomplished in order to enable women in Africa to achieve political, economic and social emancipation. The exhibition underlines the importance of education, central to any strategy promoting women's rights and economic development, and their contribution to peace building. It advocates for mutually empoweing gender relations and increased efforts to create a legislative environment that provides women with acces to key assets such as land and credit. It ends on a positive note by highlighting networks of solidarity that are created between women world-wide and efforts at capacity building and empowerment.

Call for Articles for Women in Action

2002-05-16

Isis International-Manila is coming out with the second issue for 2002 of its magazine, Women in Action, with the theme, "Women and Communication." Deadline for submissions for Issue No. 2-2002 is June 30, 2002.
Call for Articles for Women in Action (WIA) No. 2, 2002

Isis International-Manila is coming out with the second issue for 2002 of
its magazine, Women in Action, with the theme, "Women and Communication."

We welcome articles on any of the following topics:
1. Debates on digitalisation of media - Is digital technology a parasite
because it can not stand alone and is attached to other media like print,
radio, TV? Can digital technology be considered a new medium?

2. How are the new information and communication technologies (ICT) used by
civil society? Success stories on the use of the new ICTs in pushing
forward the agenda of civil society

3. Access to communication as a human rights/development index issue

4. Issues and debates on the right to communicate being integral to human
rights

5. Issues and debates on internet rights

6. Women's access and participation in ICT

7. What is the Southern perspective and/or analysis on women and
communication?

8. Examination or investigation of who is funding communication projects
with civil society

9. How can Internet Service or Access Providers, software and hardware
developers, computer dealers, operators of Internet cafes and other
computer-related businesses incorporate social responsibility in their
operations?

10. Case studies of alternative communication models (ex. telecentres,
community radio)

11. Models of convergence of mainstream communication technologies and new
ICTs

You may also suggest topics related to the ones enumerated above.

Articles should be within 1,500 - 2,000 word range. Deadline for
submissions
for Issue No. 2-2002 is June 30, 2002. We provide a modest honorarium for
articles that get published.

You may submit your articles by regular post, fax or e-mail to:

Irene R. Chia
Media and InfoCom Services Programme Associate
Isis International-Manila
Street address: 3 Marunong St., Bgy. Central, Quezon City 1100, Philippines
Fax: (63-2) 924-1065
E-mail: irene@isiswomen.org, cc: communications@isiswomen.org

and/or

Lalaine Viado
Issue Co-coordinator
Women in Action
E-mail: lalaine@isiswomen.org






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Call for materials: Information Access for Rural Women

2002-05-16

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) invites you to participate in an online
conference on Information Access for Rural Women and contribute material you may have that is relevant to the subject of information access for rural women. This material could be in the form of reports or articles on your activities in the area or links to relevant sections of your website. Information, communication and entertainment are as critical for rural living as they are for urban living, and indeed there is increasing demand for information and communication equipment and services in rural areas.
Subject: [wougnet] Call for materials: Information Access for Rural Women

Hi everyone,

In preparation for the online conference on Information Access for Rural
Women,
I would like to invite you to contribute material you may have that is
relevant
to the subject of information access for rural women. This material could be
in
the form of reports or articles on your activities in the area or links to
relevant sections of your website, and can address issues such as:
- rural women sharing/disseminating their knowledge
- information needs for rural women
- means of information exchange/dissemination, eg. radio, rural information
centers
- setup and management of rural information centers
- impacts of ICTs on rural women
- engaging women in rural ICT initiatives

Material submitted will be made available online via the Conference webpage
at
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/iarw.html

I would also like to encourage everyone's participation at the conference.
If
you have not registered already, below is information about the conference
as
well as a conference registration form.

Happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Regards,

Dorothy


===============================

Online Conference: Information Access for Rural Women
June 3 - 21, 2002


Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) invites you to participate in an online
conference on Information Access for Rural Women. Information, communication
and entertainment are as critical for rural living as they are for urban
living, and indeed there is increasing demand for information and
communication
equipment and services in rural areas. However, major challenges exist in
terms
of available means of information access and dissemination as well as how to
operate the audio-visual systems used in rural areas.


Conference Objective:
Facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences on information access for
rural women.


Conference Participation:
Participation in the online conference is open to everyone. The conference
will
be email-based.


Conference Language:
The primary language of the conference is English. Limited English/French
translation will be available, including translation of conference
facilitation
messages as well as translation of the weekly summaries and final report of
the
conference.


Conference Outline:

Week 1: June 3-7
Rural information centers: Description/components of centers. What channels
are
used to distribute information. Goal/objectives for the setup of the rural
information centers. Size of target audience for information center.
Experience
in setting up of information centers. What is used to power equipment -
electricity, solar power, etc.

Week 2: June 10-14
Challenges/Difficulties of setting up and maintaining rural information
centers: Access to/dissemination of relevant information. Usage of center by
target audience. How is center staffed - paid staff, volunteers, etc. How
information dissemination has helped local organisations and community
groups
achieve their goals.

Week 3: June 17-21
Lessons learnt/Best practices and recommendations.



Conference Output:
1. Weekly summaries of the conference proceedings
2. Report on the conference proceedings to be presented at the KnowHow
Conference Kampala. For more information about the KnowHow Conference, visit
http://knowhow.isis.or.ug


Contact information:
For additional information, contact ruralwomen@wougnet.org or visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/iarw.html (English)
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/iarw_fr.html (French)


Thank you.

Dorothy Okello
Coordinator, WOUGNET


########################

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

To register for the conference, complete all fields of the form below. Send
completed form to ruralwomen@wougnet.org


First Name:

Last Name:

Sex:

Email Address :

Country:

Reasons for wanting to participate in this conference:



###############################




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Draft protocol on Women's Rights

2002-05-16

The Experts/Ministerial meeting on the Draft Protocol women's human rights to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights has been postponed for the second time because only 4 Ministers had confirmed their participation. We need to continue lobbying our governments at national level especially ministries of gender and justice and gender desks of regional economic communities and encourage them to participate to ensure that it is postponed again.
Hi everyone,

Following is a message from FEMNET regarding the Draft Protocol women's
human
rights to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. As mentioned in
the
note below, a number of documents are available:
- Amendments to the protocol by Florence Butegwa, UNIFEM and Chidi Odinkalu,
Interights
- Comments to the protocol from different groups and individuals (about 7
separate documents)

If you are interested in receiving copies, please send me a note at
dokello@wougnet.org

Regards,

Dorothy



----- Forwarded message from FEMNET <femnet@africaonline.co.ke> -----
Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 18:19:08 +0300
From: FEMNET <femnet@africaonline.co.ke>
Subject: Draft protocol on Women's Rights


Dear Colleagues,

The Experts/Ministerial meeting on the Draft Protocol women's human rights
to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights has been postponed for
the second time because only 4 Ministers had confirmed their participation.
We need to continue lobbying our governments at national level especially
ministries of gender and justice and gender desks of regional economic
communities and encourage them to participate to ensure that it is postponed
again.

A discussion has been going on electronically and some concrete decisions
have been reached so far. We would like to share this with you so that you
can use it in lobbying and also send in your comments.

Our efforts are directed at achieving a strong protocol that will protect
the human rights of women in Africa.

Attached, please find the amendments reached summarised by Florence Butegwa,
UNIFEM and Chidi Odinkalu, Interights. Their efforts and commitment in
streghening women's human rights in Africa are highly appreciated.

I will forward comments from which they were derived in the next mail to
avoid clogging your mail. For those who have already received them before
please bear with me.

Thank you.

Sincerely

Mary Wandia

Advocacy Officer

African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET)
P. O. Box 54562, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: +254 2 3741301/20
Fax: +254 2 3742927
E-mail: femnet@africaonline.co.ke
Website: http://www.africaonline.co.ke/femnet


FEMNET aims to strengthen the role and contribution of African NGO's
focussing on women's development equality and other human rights, through
communications, networking, training and advocacy.





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Global: Gender Equity Takes Center Stage at UN "Children's Summit"

2002-05-16

http://www.learningchannel.org/front.shtml

Ensuring equal opportunities for girls in education is the key to achieving social and economic gains in developing countries, delegates declared on the opening day of the United Nations "Children's Summit" in New York Wednesday.

HIV/Aids Crisis Caused by Gender Imbalance

2002-05-16

GENDER inequality is the root of the AIDS crisis, a conference on HIV/AIDS held in Kampala over the weekend, was told. The recent trends show more women becoming infected at a very early age. The conference also heard that HIV/AIDS will surpass the bubonic plague as history's worst pandemic.
HIV/Aids Crisis Caused by Gender Imbalance / By Milton Olupot.

* ?Crisis de VIH/SIDA causada por desigualdad de género / por: Milton
Olupot.
Voir: http://ww2.aegis.org/news/nv/2002/NV020311.html

* « Crise de VIH/SIDA causée par inégalités entre les sexes » / par : Milton
Olupot. Voir: http://ww2.aegis.org/news/nv/2002/NV020311.html


New Vision (Kampala) - March 13, 2002
GENDER inequality is the root of the AIDS crisis, a conference on HIV/AIDS
held in Kampala over the weekend, was told. The recent trends show more
women
becoming infected at a very early age. The conference also heard that
HIV/AIDS will surpass the bubonic plague as history's worst pandemic. The
Hunger Project chief, Ms. Joan Holmes, said if the 40 million people living
with HIV or AIDS do not get life-prolonging drugs, AIDS will surpass the
bubonic plague. Presenting the basic facts on AIDS at the two-day meeting at
the International Conference Centre, Holmes said AIDS has become the most
devastating disease humankind has ever faced and experts predict that the
worst is still to come. She said the cumulative number of people estimated
to
be infected with HIV worldwide is over 60 million since the beginning of the
pandemic and almost 50% of them got infected before the age of 25. The
report
says most of the infected people will die before their 35th birthday, while
95% of the new infections are in the world's poorest countries where the
ability to provide prevention and care is limited. Eight African countries
took part in the conference, under the theme, "AIDS and gender inequality:
Action at the grassroots." They included Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi,
Mozambique, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Source: AEGIS March 13, 2002 http://ww2.aegis.org/news/nv/2002/NV020311.html

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International: Always a 'Lose-Lose' Situation for Women in a Male Dominated Society

2002-05-16

http://www2.womensnet.org.za/news/show.cfm?news_id=939

Women in many Asian, African and may be in Europe and America, have similar never ending stories, full of pain and sorrows. The more women compromise, the more men take advantage of them. The more they give, the more men take from them physically, mentally and spiritually. This is the never-ending situation for women of a male dominating society.

International: Call for Gender Parity at the ICC

2002-05-16

http://www.iccwomen.org/icc/60ratifications/index.htm

Women's Caucus for Gender Justice is appealing to all concerned groups and individuals to join the campaign for women&#8217;s equal representation in the elected judges of the International Criminal Court, which is due to be operational on 1st of July 2002.

Kenya: Sect Denies It Plans Forced Circumcision

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205060019.html

Members of the controversial Tent of the Living God sect have denied claims that they planned to circumcise women by force. They termed the allegations as malicious.

Kenya: What About Battered Husbands?

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205130432.html

The first reaction upon hearing about the topic of battered men, for many people, is that of incredulity. Author David Gross writes, "Battered husbands are a topic for jokes - such as the cartoon image of a woman chasing her husband with a rolling-pin."

Nigeria: Sheikh Warns Muslim Women Against Politics

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205120177.html

As more women clamour for political offices in the forthcoming elections, an Islamic scholar in Bauchi has warned muslim women against participating in partisan politics.

The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls

2002-05-16

The nature of armed conflicts changed dramatically during the latter half of the twentieth century, with casualties among civilians increasingly outnumbering those of military personnel. Women and girls became especially vulnerable in such conflicts. Because of this, significant ethical, analytical and operational challenges have emerged for the United Nations system, not least for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). One of the most critical challenges is the need to develop integrated, gender-sensitive strategies and programme interventions for addressing conflict situations.
Conference Report: "Women and Conflict - The Impact of Armed Conflict on
Women and Girls".

* Informe de Conferencia (en inglés): ?Mujeres y el Conflicto - El Impacto
de
Conflicto Armado sobre Mujeres y Niñas?. Visite la página Web siguiente:
http://www.unfpa.org/publications/armedconflict_women.pdf

* Rapport de conférence (en anglais): « Femmes et conflit - l?impacte des
conflits armés sur femmes et filles ». Veuillez visiter la page Web :
http://www.unfpa.org/publications/armedconflict_women.pdf


A Consultative Meeting on Mainstreaming Gender in Areas of Conflict and
Reconstruction Bratislava, Slovakia 13-15 November 2001. The nature of armed
conflicts changed dramatically during the latter half of the twentieth
century, with casualties among civilians increasingly outnumbering those of
military personnel. Women and girls became especially vulnerable in such
conflicts. Because of this, significant ethical, analytical and
operational challenges have emerged for the United Nations system, not least
for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). One of the most critical
challenges is the need to develop integrated, gender-sensitive strategies
and
programme interventions for addressing conflict situations.

For the full report, please visit:
http://www.unfpa.org/publications/armedconflict_women.pdf


* Cross-posted from Gensalud:
http://listserv.paho.org/archives/gensalud.html

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Malawi: Kapito's threat draws fire

2002-05-16

Leader of the National Assembly Harry Thomson has said nobody in the United Democratic Front [ UDF] can force the party's MPs to support a bid to change the Constitution to allow an incumbent President to run for more than two term. He described UDF Regional Governor John Kapito statement that the party would fire MPs who did not support the amendment in Parliament as "emotional."
Thomson, who also noted that MPs have a right to speak their mind, was speaking in an interview. "I think it [Kapito's ] was an emotional statement. MPs will have to do their own soul searching and make their own decisions. You can say anything but you can't force everyone to think the same way," said Thomson.
Kapito's threat draws fire The Nation Wednesday, 15 May, 2002 By Pilirani Semu - Banda and Ephraim Munthali Leader of the National Assembly Harry Thomson has said nobody in the United Democratic Front [ UDF] can force the party's MPs to support a bid to change the Constitution to allow an incumbent President to run for more than two term. He described UDF Regional Governor John Kapito statement that the party would fire MPs who did not support the amendment in Parliament as "emotional."
Thomson, who also noted that MPs have a right to speak their mind, was speaking in an interview. "I think it [Kapito's ] was an emotional statement. MPs will have to do their own soul searching and make their own decisions. You can say anything but you can't force everyone to think the same way," said Thomson.

Thomson said the issue of extending terms of Office for the President has "not yet been discussed " at the Party's National Executive. He also said it cannot be discussed at Cabinet evil because it has nothing to do with Government. Constitutional Lawyer Edge Kanyongolo said in a separate interview Kapito's statement was incorrect and unconstitutional. Kanyongola said according to the Constitution, the only time an MP could be fired is when he has crossed the floor or is associating with another political body.

"MPs don't need to fear. They are free to vote any way they want to," said Kanyongolo. Civil Liberties Committee Executive Director Emme Chanika said people should be allowed to speak on the third term without threats from Leaders. She added that if MPs are threatened they should make dishonest choices that would the President. "Why don't they just leave the people and MPs to debate the issue freely and make free choices?" Queried Chanika. Director of Livingstonia CCAP Synod's Church and Society Programme Moses Mkandawire said MPS should be left to act independently and called Kapito's statement "dictatorial."

At the rally, which was broadcast on MBC, Kapito warned all UDF MPs to support the bid to amend the Constitution to allow the President to run for more than two terms of Office or face the chop." When this issue goes to Parliament all UDF MPs should vote for it or they will be fired from the Party," said Kapito.
said Kapito. But yesterday Kapito backtracked on his rally statement, saying he did not mean to threaten the MPs. "You and I both know that according to Law, a political party cannot fire an MP so how could I have said such a thing? All I said was that UDF Mps are supposed to follow what their Constituents urge them on amending the Constitution to increase terms of Office," said Kapito Kapito, however, said he stood by his declaration that President Bakili Muluzi is the UDF 2004 Candidate, adding that he will repeat that at every Rally he will address.

More...

MALAWI: Third term controversy heats up

2002-05-16

President Bakili Muluzi has maintained an official
silence over a controversial campaign to change the constitution to allow
him to run for a third term in 2004, but opposition leaders are demanding
that he make his position known.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

MALAWI: Third term controversy heats up

BLANTYRE, 9 May (IRIN) - President Bakili Muluzi has maintained an official
silence over a controversial campaign to change the constitution to allow
him to run for a third term in 2004, but opposition leaders are demanding
that he make his position known.

Since January, Muluzi has held a series of country-wide rallies doling out
development funds, which he describes as "coming to see you to listen to
your problems" visits. Apart from alluding to future plans for the
betterment of the country, he has not referred directly to the hotly
disputed issue of whether he intends to stand for an unconstitutional third
term.

Newly-appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General Henry Phoya,
recently said there would be no government bill to amend the constitution to
provide for a third term. But some members of the ruling United Democratic
Front (UDF) party have been less reticent. A private members bill is
expected in the next sitting of parliament on 31 May.

Local chiefs, who have been put on the government's payroll, are being
lobbied by the UDF to support a third term. Regional governors, appointed by
Muluzi, have also weighed in with their support for the president.

Over the weekend Southern Malawi governor Davis Kapito told Muluzi at a
rally he addressed in Mulanje, 60 km east of Blantyre, that the country
wanted him to continue as president. "Whether you like it or not, you will
stand again," Kapito told the president in front of thousands of supporters
who attended the rally.

Kapito said members of parliament were free to amend the constitution
because they represented the people. "After all, the people who framed the
constitution were just picked from here and there. They did not represent
the people," he argued.

The UDF has 92 seats in the 193-member parliament, well short of the
two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments. However, the two
major opposition parties - the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the Alliance
for Democracy (AFORD) - are split. Both have factions that are working with
the government.

The third term issue is debated almost daily in the media. On Tuesday during
a phone-in programme on independent Capital FM radio, nine callers out of 10
said the president should step down at the end of his term of office. Some
said the argument that there was no one better qualified than the incumbent
was the same used by the praise singers during the single party dictatorship
of Kamazu Banda.

The Catholic and Anglican churches, Muslim clerics and several other
organisations have all publically opposed a third term.

Opposition strongman Brown Mpinganjira, who heads the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) pressure group, has called for a constitutional conference to
discuss the matter.

Mpinganjira, a powerful former minister who was dropped from cabinet last
year on corruption charges, has also suggested that not everybody in the UDF
would like to see Muluzi stand again after his second five-year term expires
in 2004.

"Most curious has been the silence by some UDF heavyweights such as
Vice-President Justin Malewezi, UDF Party Vice-President Aleke Banda [also
agriculture minister], minister Harry Thompson and National Assembly Speaker
Sam Mpasu," Mpinganjira reportedly wrote in a letter to Muluzi on 3 May.

"These four have not voiced out any support for the third term. It may not
be far fetched to conclude that their silence means opposition of the third
term issue," read the letter in part.

Recently, the British High Commission, representing Malawi's biggest single
bilateral donor, warned against rushing to amend the constitution before
wider consultation.


[ENDS]

IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

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Nigeria: Sharia court hands out tough punishment

2002-05-16

http://www.africanconflict.org/article.php?sid=404&mode=&order=0

The BBC is reporting that a man has been condemned to death by stoning by an Islamic (or Sharia) court in northern Nigeria. He was convicted of rape in the northern State of Jigawa. This comes on the heels of the cases of two women who were recently sentenced to death by stoning for adultery but had their sentences reduced largely due to outcry from the international community.

SA and Zimbabwe may clash over unity talks

2002-05-16

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=4293

Pretoria and Harare seemed to be on a collision course last night after the Zimbabwean government unilaterally postponed unity talks between the ruling Zanu PF party and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Sierre Leone: All Sides Satisfied with Peaceful, Transparent Poll

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205150291.html

"Free and fair and free of fear and violence," appears to be the consensus on the general elections in Sierra Leone, after Tuesday's enthusiastic voting for a new president, a new parliament and peace after more than ten years of civil war. Sierra Leoneans are congratulating themselves, the United Nations, the British and all those who helped them reach the day when they were able to put a bitter conflict behind them and take the country forward.

Sierre Leone: Voters Look for Landmark Change at the Ballot Box

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205130882.html

With this week's elections, Sierra Leoneans are hoping to put behind them the bitter memories and atrocities of more than a decade of brutal civil war. They want to close a page that has sullied their reputation and tarnished their history. It will not be easy. Though fighting has stopped, the political battle continues.

SWAZILAND: Tradition of labour tribute draws fire

2002-05-16

By tradition, Swazis of all generations and genders show their devotion to their monarchs and fealty to their chiefs by providing labour for chores both practical and symbolic. Recently, the custom has drawn fire from pro-democracy groups, who claim the practice of tribute labour violates human rights.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

SWAZILAND: Tradition of labour tribute draws fire

MBABANE, 9 May (IRIN) - By tradition, Swazis of all generations and genders
show their devotion to their monarchs and fealty to their chiefs by
providing labour for chores both practical and symbolic. Recently, the
custom has drawn fire from pro-democracy groups, who claim the practice of
tribute labour violates human rights.

"It is a form of slave labour," Jan Sithole, secretary-general of the
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions has told the International Labour
Organisation (ILO).

"Nonsense," replies Prince Mguciso Dlamini, older brother of King Mswati,
sub-Saharan Africa's last hereditary monarch. "The tradition of kuhlehla,
where Swazis participate in a royal project, is being distorted for
political purposes. It is made to seem something that it is not to
outsiders. But Swazis understand and accept the practice."

At the annual ILO conferences in Geneva, Swaziland's labour federation
reported that workers were forced to labour for the palace without
compensation, in violation of international labour protocols signed by the
Swazi government.

"The word is out that in Swaziland the subjects of the king are forced to do
work for the palace," said attorney Fikile Mthembu, who joins Swazi
delegations to international conferences. "I think this is a distortion of a
misunderstood tradition."

"Simply put, kuhlehla, or 'tribute labour', is a way for Swazi warriors to
show their loyalty to His Majesty. They can't die in battle anymore,"
explained Prince Mguciso.

In Swaziland, the state is embodied in the person of the sovereign himself,
King Mswati III, the 16th king from the House of Dlamini that has ruled the
Swazis since the 1500s. Swazis do not distinguish between the nation and the
man, and while the king is not considered divine, he is the central figure
of the month-long sacred Incwala (kingship/harvest) ceremonies held when the
first fruits ripen in summer.

Tens of thousands of Swazis in traditional attire converge on the Queen
Mother's village, and petition the national ancestral spirits to endow the
king with wisdom, and the nation with good rains and fortune.

The semi-religious character of Swazi acceptance of their monarchical system
is reflected in the kuhlehla labour tradition. It is seen as devotional duty
to the ancestral spirits as much as making a political statement in support
of the king.

"I do not believe in the ancestors, because I am a Christian, but there is a
sacred part to warrior duty, the tradition of it," said Samson Mkhonta, a 25
year-old electrician who has undergone the ritual initiation to become a
member of the warrior regiments. "We learn the old skills, like making
cow-hide shields and carving fighting sticks. This is passed down from
generation to generation. To me, that is a sacred thing."

For Chuchuza Dube, a 19 year-old warrior when he is not a university
student: "I feel like a real Swazi when I put on the warrior outfit."

Tribute labour comes in several forms. The majority of Swazis participating
do so voluntarily, countering pro-democracy groups' contention that coercion
is involved. But there are some instances of chiefs forcing their subjects
to attend national ceremonies, which may be justified by custom but lends
support to the critics' assertions.

Twice a year, the warrior regiments assemble at Engabezweni royal residence
to weed the royal sorghum field in January, and harvest the crop in May.
Actual work comprises three hours in the morning, and the rest of the day is
devoted to warrior dances and songs, maintaining the regimental barracks
that are large circular log enclosures fitted with domed grass huts where
the men sleep, and initiating new recruits.

"The warriors last fought in 1879, against the Pedi tribe. Today, the
regiments are like a social club," maintained Balolonja Simelane, a
regimental official whose sons have joined the units of their age mates.

Swazi "maidens" participate in an overnight trek at winter's end to fetch
the eponymous reed umhlanga, that lends its name to the Reed Dance
(Umhlanga) held in tribute to the Queen Mother. Last year, a record 50,000
young women, who by tradition must be unmarried, participated.

"The Reed Dance is particularly important in the age of AIDS because it is
intended to reinforce cultural values like the preservation of virginity,"
said Khosi Dlamini, a counsellor for HIV-positive Swazis.

However, some of Swaziland's 350 chiefs do compel their subjects to do
tribute labour. Northeast of Mbabane, Chief Malume demanded fines of cattle,
the Swazis' traditional currency, from subjects who did not participate in
this year's Incwala pageant.

"There is pressure on the chiefs to deliver a sizable turnout of their
people at national pageants," said one palace observer. "The pro-democracy
pressure groups are not the only ones who are politicising the issue. Some
officials in the royal government want to use large turnouts at national
pageants to show widespread support for the monarchy."

The workers federation in particular objects to compulsory labour at the
chiefs' residences. Chiefs' subjects must build their huts, and weed and
harvest their fields. The federation has listed this duty with the ILO as a
violation of human rights.

Chief's runner (aide) Mandla Hlatwayo defends the tradition. "Swazis are
given free land to homestead under chiefs, and free grazing land for their
cattle. All that is asked is they devote some time to the chief's residence,
which is used for the weekly meetings of the area residents and is the focal
point of the community. But some people are lazy, and they do not wish to
give back to the community. It is right to fine them a goat or a chicken."

Said attorney Mthembu: "An understanding of the subtleties of Swazi tribute
labour is necessary before the system can be condemned wholesale. There are
some localised abuses, but most people volunteer on these community or
nation-building or cultural preservation projects, as a way to show they are
Swazis."

[ENDS]

IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002

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US: Bush's Renunciation of War Crimes Court Assailed

2002-05-16

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/64

The Bush administration's nullification of the United States signature to the 1998 Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC) has drawn heavy fire from major U.S. human rights, church, and peace groups as a potentially disastrous precedent certain to alienate Washington's closest allies.

US: Secretary Rumsfeld's statement on the ICC treaty

2002-05-16

"This administration announced the president's decision to formally notify the United Nations that the United States will not become a party to International Criminal Court treaty. The U.S. declaration, which was delivered to the secretary general this morning, effectively reverses the previous U.S. government decision to become a signatory. The ICC's entry into force on July 1st means that our men and women in uniform-as well as current and future U.S. officials-could be at risk of prosecution by the ICC. We want to make clear that the United States rejects the purported jurisdictional claims of the ICC-and the United States will regard as illegitimate any attempt by the court, or state parties to the treaty, to assert the ICC's jurisdiction over American citizens."
M2 PRESSWIRE
May 8, 2002

Secretary Rumsfeld statement on the ICC treaty

Earlier today, this administration announced the president's
decision to formally notify the United Nations that the United States
will not become a party to International Criminal Court treaty. The
U.S. declaration, which was delivered to the secretary general this
morning, effectively reverses the previous U.S. government decision
to become a signatory.
The ICC's entry into force on July 1st means that our men and women
in uniform-as well as current and future U.S. officials-could be at
risk of prosecution by the ICC. We want to make clear that the United
States rejects the purported jurisdictional claims of the ICC-and the
United States will regard as illegitimate any attempt by the court,
or state parties to the treaty, to assert the ICC's jurisdiction over
American citizens.
The United States has a number of serious objections to the
ICC-among them, the lack of adequate checks and balances on powers of
the ICC prosecutor and judges; the dilution of the U.N. Security
Council's authority over international criminal prosecutions; and the
lack of any effective mechanism to prevent politicized prosecutions
of American servicemembers and officials.
These flaws would be of concern at any time, but they are
particularly troubling in the midst of a difficult, dangerous war on
terrorism. There is the risk that the ICC could attempt to assert
jurisdiction over U.S. servicemembers, as well as civilians, involved
in counter-terrorist and other military operations-something we
cannot allow.
Notwithstanding these objections to the treaty, the United States
respects the decision of those nations that have chosen to join the
ICC. But they, in turn, will need to respect our decision not to join
the ICC or to place our citizens under the jurisdiction of the court.
Unfortunately, the ICC will not respect the U.S. decision to stay
out of the treaty. To the contrary, the ICC provisions claim the
authority to detain and try American citizens-U.S.
soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, as well as current and future
officials-even though the United States has not given its consent to
be bound by the treaty. When the ICC treaty enters into force this
summer, U.S. citizens will be exposed to the risk of prosecution by a
court that is unaccountable to the American people, and that has no
obligation to respect the Constitutional rights of our citizens. The
United States understandably finds that troubling and unacceptable.
Clearly the existence of an International Criminal Court, which
attempts to claim jurisdiction over our men and women in uniform
stationed around the world, will necessarily complicate U.S. military
cooperation with countries that are parties to the ICC treaty-because
those countries may now incur a treaty obligation to hand over U.S.
nationals to the court, even over U.S. objections. The United States
would consider any such action to be illegitimate.
We obviously intend to avoid such actions. Fortunately there maybe
mechanisms within the treaty by which we can work bilaterally with
friends and allies, to the extent they are willing, to prevent the
jurisdiction of the treaty and thus avoid complications in our
military cooperation. Obviously, countries that have not ratified the
treaty would be under no such obligation to cooperate with the court.
By putting U.S. men and women in uniform at risk of politicized
prosecutions, the ICC could well create a powerful disincentive for
U.S. military engagement in the world. If so, it could be a recipe
for isolationism-something that would be unfortunate for the world,
given that our country is committed to engagement in the world and to
contributing to a more peaceful and stable world.
For a strong deterrent, it is critical that the U.S. be leaning
forward, not back. We must be ready to defend our people, our
interests, and our way of life. We have an obligation to protect our
men and women in uniform from this court and to preserve America's
ability to remain engaged in the world. And we intend to do so.
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information
provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties.
Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at
http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to
info@m2.com)).

--
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Ms. Shantha Rau
Information Services Coordinator
NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court

777 UN Plaza 12th Floor
New York, New York 10017
USA
Telephone +1 212 687 2176 Faxsimile +1 212 599 1332
Email cicc4@iccnow.org
Web http://www.iccnow.org
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ZAMBIA: Police slammed in new human rights report

2002-05-16

Zambia's human rights record has been slammed in a new report by a local human rights NGO, with the police coming in for particular criticism. Afronet executive director Ngande Mwanajiti told IRIN their newly released report, entitled 'Zambia Human Rights 2001', found abuses in freedom of association, freedom of expression and misconduct over the organisation of last year's election.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

ZAMBIA: Police slammed in new human rights report

JOHANNESBURG, 9 May (IRIN) - Zambia's human rights record has been slammed
in a new report by a local human rights NGO, with the police coming in for
particular criticism.

Afronet executive director Ngande Mwanajiti told IRIN their newly released
report, entitled 'Zambia Human Rights 2001', found abuses in freedom of
association, freedom of expression and misconduct over the organisation of
last year's election.

It also alleged there was a pattern of political assassinations, and
documented grave human rights abuses by the police.

The report, which covers the period between January and December 2001,
documented at least 20 cases of individuals who had been shot by police or
of people dying in suspicious circumstances in police custody.

It focused on the government's rejection of the recommendations of a
commission into torture by Judge Japhet Banda that was critical of the
police.

Banda had investigated allegations of the torture of soldiers arrested after
a failed coup attempt in 1997. He recommended compensation for victims and
that senior police officers retire. The government of then president
Frederick Chiluba rejected both suggestions. Mwanajiti said the fact that
those implicated remained in public office made it difficult to eliminate
police brutality.

"We are also alarmed at the pattern of political assassinations. Last year
Paul Tembo was shot dead in the early hours of the day he was due to testify
in a misappropriation case which had already found one cabinet minister and
two other people guilty," Mwanajiti said.

Tembo was a former campaign manager for Chiluba but had defected to the
opposition Forum for Democracy and Development shortly before his death.

"Zambians also want to reduce the powers of the president," he said. The
current president [Levy Mwanawasa] is the Minister of Defence and the
Commander in Chief of all the armed forced making him the boss of all
government departments that control law and order."

Freedom of expression and the media was a perennial problem, Mwanajiti
added. Despite a lively independent press, the government tried to cripple
the private media by not advertising in their publications and keeping taxes
high.

The reported also cited lack of access to the media during December's
general election.

"Though the government keeps saying it is committed to improving the
situation of the media it seems reluctant to introduce an Information Act
which will guarantee access to information. At the moment draconian rules
and regulations make it difficult for journalists to operate. Currently they
are demoted or threatened if they don't toe the party line," the Afronet
director alleged.

The report slated the 2001 election which brought Mwanawasa to power. "The
Zambian Electoral Commission was extremely hostile to civic organisations.
One of the main concerns was that at least 200,000 people were excluded
because they didn't have the green citizenship card required to register to
vote," said Mwanajiti.

The European Union and the Carter Centre also condemned the 27 December
election as flawed.

"We are going to use the report to challenge the new government to respond
to issues," Mwanajiti said.

[ENDS]

IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002

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Zimbabwe ruling party to resume talks with opposition

2002-05-16

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=4292

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party has canceled negotiations with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), mediated by Nigeria and South Africa. But the MDC has been told by South African and Nigerian diplomats that the dialogue will resume Monday, as planned. Zanu-PF said last week it was postponing talks with the MDC until the outcome of the opposition's challenge to the High Court, alleging widescale vote-rigging in the presidential elections.

Zimbabwe: Mbeki in Last Bid to Save Party Talks

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205160146.html

FACILITATORS of talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF and the opposition MDC are now consulting South African President Thabo Mbeki and his Nigerian counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo in a desperate bid to try to save the negotiations from collapse, it was established Wednesday.

Zimbabwe: This is what we do

2002-05-16

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=4283

Zimbabwe is now a country of islands. In some courtrooms, in some businesses, on farms, in some churches, even in the quiet corners of some barracks, decent people do what they can to resist the regime.

Cote d'ivore: Government, UNHCR to Conduct Refugee Census

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205100702.html

The government of Cote d'Ivoire and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will begin on Saturday their latest census of the country's refugee population. Apart from UNHCR, various UN agencies- UNICEF, WFP, WHO- and the National Statistics Institute are participating in the project, it was announced on Friday.

ERITREA: UNHCR ends refugee status for Eritreans

2002-05-16

The United Nations is to end the refugee status of hundreds of thousands of Eritreans who have fled decades of fighting in their country, the UN said on Wednesday. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said they were no longer at risk from war – which has blighted the country for more than 30 years.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

ERITREA: UNHCR ends refugee status for Eritreans

NAIROBI, 9 May (IRIN) - The United Nations is to end the refugee status of
hundreds of thousands of Eritreans who have fled decades of fighting in
their country, the UN said on Wednesday.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said they were no
longer at risk from war – which has blighted the country for more than 30
years. Refugee status was first granted to fleeing Eritreans in the early
1960s during their bitter war for independence, which was finally achieved
in 1993. Then the war with Ethiopia broke out in May 1998 prompted more
Eritreans to flee, until it ended in December 2000 after the two countries
signed the Algiers peace agreement.

"I believe that these two groups of refugees from Eritrea should no longer
have a fear of persecution or other reasons to continue to be regarded as
refugees," said Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "They will
therefore cease to be regarded as refugees by my Office with effect from the
end of this year."

The largest number of the remaining Eritrean refugees are in neighbouring
Sudan. UNHCR is helping 140,000 of them in camps in eastern Sudan, while
thousands of others have spontaneously settled in urban centres. More than
44,000 Eritrean refugees have been repatriated from Sudan with UNHCR
assistance. About 5,000 Eritrean refugees also remain in Ethiopia and Yemen.
A statement issued from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva said: "The worldwide
cessation will take effect on 31 December and will affect hundreds of
thousands of Eritreans in neighbouring countries.

"The root causes of the Eritrean refugee problem no longer exist, as
fundamental and durable changes have occurred with the end of the
30-year-old war with Ethiopia in 1991 and Eritrean independence in 1993.
Similarly, peace has returned with the signing of a ceasefire agreement
between Ethiopia and Eritrea in June 2000 and the establishment of a
UN-supervised
security buffer zone between the two countries. The acceptance of the recent
decision of the International Border Commission by both countries has
contributed further to confidence-building," the statement said.

More than 100,000 Eritreans have already gone home, either on their own or
under a continuing voluntary repatriation operation launched in May 2001.
UNHCR said it would continue to assess the claims of individuals who came
forward to seek continued asylum beyond 2002. "Those found to be still in
need of international protection will be able to remain in their current
host country as refugees, the statement said, adding: "Those who do not
qualify for asylum after 2002, but do not wish to return home because of
strong family, social or economic links with the host country will be
expected to legalise their stay there."


[ENDS]

IRIN-CEA
Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
Email: IRIN@ocha.unon.org

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
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KENYA-SOMALIA: Somali refugees in Mandera to be relocated

2002-05-16

The Kenyan authorities have asked the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to relocate about
10,000 Somali refugees who have been living in the northeastern Kenyan
border town of Mandera, the Nairobi-based Sunday Standard reported on 12
May. The Mandera district commissioner, Jamleck Baruga, was quoted by the
paper as saying he had met UNHCR officials, who told him they would comply.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

KENYA-SOMALIA: Somali refugees in Mandera to be relocated

NAIROBI, 13 May (IRIN) - The Kenyan authorities have asked the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to relocate about
10,000 Somali refugees who have been living in the northeastern Kenyan
border town of Mandera, the Nairobi-based Sunday Standard reported on 12
May. The Mandera district commissioner, Jamleck Baruga, was quoted by the
paper as saying he had met UNHCR officials, who told him they would comply.

The UNHCR regional spokesman, Jonathan Clayton, told IRIN that the agency
and the Kenyan government were "exploring the possibility of relocating the
refugees away from the border point". Most of the refugees were said to be
just 500 metres from the border. Clayton said the government was fully
cooperating with UNHCR on this matter. "It is providing asylum to the
refugees, and has indicated willingness to continue doing so," he said.

The refugees fled inter-clan fighting in the border town of Bulo Hawa in the
north of Gedo Region, southwestern Somalia, last month after fighting broke
out there among rival factions of the Marehan clan. Humanitarian sources in
Mandera said the situation in Bulo Hawa was not yet conducive to a return of
the refugees. "The town is still insecure, with a lot of militia roaming
around," one of them said.

According to UNHCR, 80 percent of the refugees are women and children,
currently settled in temporary shelters in Mandera or staying with relatives
or friends there.

The humanitarian source said a temporary camp would be set up "in and around
Mandera for a two-month period", and the refugees currently sheltering near
the border would be moved to it, thereby resolving one of the Kenyan
government's concerns. According to this source, the current troubles in
Bulo Hawa "will most likely subside soon and they will go home", and
therefore there was no point in relocating this particular group to Dadaab
or Kakuma refugee camps.

[ENDS]

IRIN-CEA
Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
Email: IRIN@ocha.unon.org

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
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KENYA: Thousands displaced by flooding

2002-05-16

Floods and landslides triggered by weeks of heavy rains across Kenya have killed at least 20 people and affected over 120,000, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes. One of the worst-hit areas was Migori District, southwestern Kenya, where some 13,000 people had been displaced due to swelling of the nearby Migori and Kuja rivers, humanitarian sources told IRIN on Wednesday. "If it continues raining we could see another 20,000 people forced to leave their homes in Migori," sources said.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

KENYA: Thousands displaced by flooding

NAIROBI, 10 May (IRIN) - Floods and landslides triggered by weeks of heavy
rains across Kenya have killed at least 20 people and affected over 120,000,
many of whom have been forced to flee their homes.

One of the worst-hit areas was Migori District, southwestern Kenya, where
some 13,000 people had been displaced due to swelling of the nearby Migori
and Kuja rivers, humanitarian sources told IRIN on Wednesday. "If it
continues raining we could see another 20,000 people forced to leave their
homes in Migori," sources said.

Sources told IRIN there was an urgent need for drugs to treat waterborne
diseases, as sanitation in the district was poor and floodwaters had covered
wells, leading to a shortage of drinking and cooking water.

In addition, four schools in Migori District had been forced to close to due
flood damage and, at a further five, no children were attending as their
journeys to school were made impossible by the flooding, sources said.

According to humanitarian sources, several priority regions for assistance
across Kenya had been identified, and included, Migori, Nyando, Busia and
Kisumu Districts, all in western Kenya.

Col Bonventure Wendo, spokesman for the Kenyan National Disaster Operations
Centre, was quoted as saying by the BBC that the worst flooding was in the
low-lying districts of Kisumu and Busia near Lake Victoria.

Meru, Mount Kenya, Murang'a, all in central Kenya, had also been badly
affected, sources said.

The Daily Nation newspaper reported on Tuesday that more than 30 people had
been killed across the country, with 22 reportedly killed in landslides in
Murang'a and Meru in the past week.

In two separate incidents, mudslides have killed 15 members of two families
near Mount Kenya, according to the BBC.

Reuters quoted a Kenya Red Cross official as saying the floods were the
worst to hit the country since 1998, when heavy rains linked to the El Nino
phenomenon killed more than 80 people in 24 hours.

The long seasonal trains in Kenya are normally expected to run from April
through to June each year, and more heavy rains are expected, according to
the Kenya Red Cross.

Despite heavy rains in Nairobi, water supply had ceased to many of the
Kenyan capital's 3 million residents. Nairobi City Council has blamed the
shortage on mud that has got into pipes bringing water to the city from
nearby reservoirs. The BBC quoted water engineer Lawrence Musyoka as saying
the daily supply was down 40 percent from the usual 410 million litres.

In recent years the city has suffered frequent water shortages, most often
caused by drought in the East African nation. Nairobi Mayor Dick Waweru last
year asked residents to bear with the city council, and said the situation
would improve if there was some rain.


[ENDS]

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: Irin@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
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Liberia: Fighting Reported Closer to Monrovia

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205130587.html

Fighting between Liberian government forces and armed opponents was reported on Monday to be moving closer to the capital, Monrovia, humanitarian sources told IRIN. Attempts by humanitarian workers to conduct a rapid needs assessment among the internally displaced people (IDPs) were delayed due to the security situation. But it was estimated that some 6,000 IDPs had reached Ganta in Nimba County while another 5,000 had reached Totoka, south of Gbarnga. The total number of IDPs in Liberia was estimated to be at least 40,000.

RWANDA-TANZANIA: IRIN focus on Rwandan refugees in Tanzania

2002-05-16

Eight years after the Rwandan genocide of
1994, there are approximately 25,000 Rwandan Hutu refugees living in camps
in Ngara District, western Tanzania. Both the Rwandan and the Tanzanian
governments are keen to see the repatriation of all of these refugees. At
the same time, however, the case of each individual Rwandan refugee case is
currently assessed by the Tanzanian authorities, which give refugee status
to over 99 percent of them.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

RWANDA-TANZANIA: IRIN focus on Rwandan refugees in Tanzania

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]


NGARA, TANZANIA, 9 May (IRIN) - Eight years after the Rwandan genocide of
1994, there are approximately 25,000 Rwandan Hutu refugees living in camps
in Ngara District, western Tanzania. Both the Rwandan and the Tanzanian
governments are keen to see the repatriation of all of these refugees. At
the same time, however, the case of each individual Rwandan refugee case is
currently assessed by the Tanzanian authorities, which give refugee status
to over 99 percent of them.

The message from the Rwandan government to the refugees is that the
situation is conducive to their return. "We are calling them to come back
and work together to rebuild our country, which was devastated by the
genocide," Abdul Karim Harelimana, Chairman of the Joint Commission for
Repatriation and Reintegration of Rwandan Refugees, told IRIN.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
considers the residual refugee cases in Tanzania to be "very difficult".
These were people for whom it would not be simple to return, a UNHCR
spokeswoman, Ivana Unluova, told IRIN. Therefore, UNHCR, which is organising
and facilitating the return of the refugees, continues to insist on the
voluntary nature of the repatriation.

Since the beginning of 2002, just over 1,000 Rwandan refugees have gone home
with the assistance of UNHCR. In the last couple of months, the numbers have
dropped significantly, with the weekly convoys in April carrying as few as
between 24 and 62, totalling only 156 for the month. Meanwhile, 511 new
refugees have arrived in the camps since the beginning of the year.

A UNHCR official confirmed to IRIN that rumours about a possible forced
repatriation of the refugees were circulating among the Rwandans. The
precedent set by the "massive repatriation" in 1996, when "the refugee camps
were surrounded by the army with guns and sticks, and when refugees were
beaten" and forced to depart, had left an indelible mark on the collective
memory. "Due to what happened in 1996, even now refugees are worried about
what may happen," one refugee told IRIN.

Because of these fears, for the last six months a steady trickle had been
leaving the camps and going to surrounding countries such as Malawi,
Mozambique, Kenya and especially Uganda, said the UNHCR official. The
Ugandan government was widely perceived by refugees to offer a better deal
than the Tanzanian government, because in Uganda they were given land to
work on, whereas in Tanzania refugees were strictly confined to the camps.

Another UNHCR official added that if it should occur that the Rwandans were
ordered to go home, "they would turn into Burundians overnight" -- meaning
that in order to avoid forced repatriation, they would temporarily leave the
refugee camps, then return, re-registering as Burundians, who are allowed to
remain in Tanzania. Such incidences had already happened in the past, he
confirmed.

UNWILLING TO GO HOME:

In the Lukole B refugee camp in Ngara, several Rwandans told IRIN why they
were not prepared to go home. "The Tutsis are dominating the Hutus in
Rwanda. If you are in a bar, and a Tutsi demands that you offer him a
drink - you have to do it. If you don't, you will see. He can make a dossier
about you and allege you committed genocide. Then you will face problems.
The dossier will be respected and taken seriously," said one man.

A woman said she would not go home, because there was no peace. "When I was
there, I saw the problems in the prisons. I used to visit two of them to
bring food to relatives. But after seeing how people were being dumped in
the prisons, I was scared and fled in 1998."

"People who were well off were being attacked during the night. They used
bullets for the men, but would not waste the bullets on the women. For women
and children they used tools to knock their heads," she continued.

"My aunt, uncle and their eight children were killed in Birenga commune. My
uncle Raphael was a strong businessman. He used to invite the army to have
drinks with him. One day, they said they would come, so he prepared
everything. He invited them to eat and drink. Then they left, but came back
during the night in an army vehicle. They shot him dead and used hoes to
kill my aunt and eight cousins. Afterwards they stole all the money in the
house."

"They were killed because of their riches," she added. "Another family I
know, of 20 people, were killed because they were well off. They were killed
on the spot at a family party they had." She added that prominent leaders
were still fleeing from Rwanda, but could not mention any names.

Asked why he did not consider Rwanda to be safe to return to, one man said:
"There are still people who are fleeing, and also those being imprisoned
without trial in Rwanda. Some prominent leaders are escaping [from] the
country. We hear this from the radio and from people who have escaped
themselves."

Another refugee told IRIN that it was not a good time to go back home. He
said repatriating "would be very painful" and that he was still hoping he
could stay in Tanzania.

"Firstly, if I repatriate, I will have a problem with my wife's family,
because I am a Hutu and she is Tutsi. My wife would be unable to testify
about what she witnessed during the genocide, because she is married to a
Hutu. If she did so, I would get into trouble from the Hutu community. They
would ask why I married a Tutsi who is testifying against them."

"Secondly, I have a house, big farm and other properties. I can't get them
back because there is a Tutsi living there now, who repatriated from Uganda.
When I was in Rwanda in 1995, he used various methods to have me put in
jail. He accused me of killing my wife's 'real' husband and stealing her."

"Thirdly, for a man like me married to a Tutsi, it is very dangerous for us.
It creates disharmony within a family." He said his wife had already
received threats to her life 1997, and that if ever insecurity occurred in
the camps in Tanzania, people knew she was a Tutsi. "There is always the
risk," he said.

GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY:

Gasana Ndoba, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission in Rwanda,
told IRIN that it was untrue that Rwandan refugees in exile were presumed to
be guilty of committing crimes during the 1994 genocide. "Of course there
have been arrests after refugees have returned from exile, but there is no
automatic presumption of guilt about those who come back."

"The judicial system is not perfect, but it is certain that the attitude of
public institutions is to welcome the refugees back, and to help them to
resettle. There are of course imperfections in the system, but there is no
pattern of systematically arresting those coming back from exile.

"I think such beliefs are related to the circumstances of the refugees who
left the country in 1994. This was organised by those who planned,
implemented and executed the genocide. They forced or managed to persuade
many people who bore no responsibilty at all to go with them into exile, so
they could hide among them. The same leaders still have an influence on the
refugees," Ndoba said.

Asked about the accusations relating to extrajudicial revenge killings of
Hutus in Rwanda, he said: "One must be reasonable. In the post-genocide
period, there was no organised state or judiciary in place. There were no
professional structures and no nongovernmental agencies working in the field
of human rights, so the climate was not favourable to professional justice.
There were abuses which must be acknowledged, but with time and organisation
of the state these are becoming rare and exceptional. They may still happen,
but there is no specific targeting of refugees or ex-refugees in those
matters."

Harelimana told IRIN that the Rwandan government did not believe that the
refugees still in exile were genocide perpetrators. He said of the estimated
25,000 refugees in Tanzania, probably 100 were either intimidators or
ex-soldiers who had been involved in the genocide. "There are intimidators
working in the camps, spreading propaganda, who were involved in the
genocide and who are using the others as human shields."

He said the Tanzanian government was working with the government of Rwanda
to identify the genocide perpetrators in the camps, and that some people had
been arrested there. Realising that they were being investigated, others had
fled to Zambia and Uganda. There were also some who continued to live in the
refugee camps, but had not registered and were therefore very difficult to
identify.

He acknowledged that in 1995 and 1996, some soldiers had "gone astray" and
taken revenge on Hutu civilians in Rwanda. These were individual cases,
however, and the government had taken action against the perpetrators.

GACACA JUSTICE SYSTEM:

On 8 April, the training began of almost 255,000 judges who will preside in
Rwanda's gacaca courts - a form of popular or traditional justice for those
accused of involvement in genocide. All but the highest category of genocide
crimes will be judged by these courts.

Rwandan law divides genocide suspects into four categories, to be judged at
four administrative levels by the gacaca courts. Category four consists of
those accused of looting or destroying victims' property during the
genocide; category three of those defined as "the person who has committed
or became accomplice of serious attacks without the intention of causing
death to victims"; category two of those accused of killing; and category
one of those accused of rape and other sexual torture. Those assigned to
category one will be sentenced to death if found guilty.

Following the training, due to last for six weeks, pilot trials are due to
take place, after which it is hoped that the gacaca system will begin
operating in all parts of the country. Asked about his hopes for the new
justice system, one refugee said: "I don't know how it operates. If it
operates well, I will be able to go and stand against anyone who charges
me."

"Gacaca is not operating yet. It needs time for it to start, so we can see
if it is doing its work properly. Then we will repatriate," he said. "We
will closely follow the news about gacaca on the radio, and we will also
expect to be given news from UNHCR," said another.

"If gacaca is working properly, all of us will be pleased to go back home to
face the challenge of those who say we are all killers. If it doesn't,
nobody will think of going back," another commented.

[ENDS]

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: Irin@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002

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UN crackdown on refugee sex abuse

2002-05-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1978000/1978472.stm

The UN refugee agency has promised a policy of "zero tolerance" to eradicate the problem of aid workers sexually abusing refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, said new measures included an increase in the number of female aid workers, and a ban on sex between employees and young refugees.

Corporate Bribery on the Rise Worldwide

2002-05-16

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=9712

International conventions have not stopped multi-national corporations from trying to secure valuable contracts by bribing government officials in the world's emerging economies - especially in the arms and defence, and public works and construction industries. ''Fine words are not enough. Until people are brought before the courts, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Convention (OECD) convention on bribery will not make a difference to the developing world, where money is siphoned off from schools and hospitals and essential public works projects,'' said Transparency International Kenya Director, John Githongo.

Kenya: Kosgei Launches Book On Graft War

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205100761.html

The campaign against graft received a boost when a source book was launched on corruption prevention in the Public Service. The book is to be used in the Public Service Integrity Programme. The ceremony was led by the Head of the public service, Dr Sally Kosgei, at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi.

Kenya: World Bank project official arrested over 103,000 dollar bribe

2002-05-16

http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020514004494&query=bribe

The Kenya Urban Transport Infrastructure Project director has been for allegedly receiving 8m shilling [equivalent to about 103,000 US dollars] bribe from World Bank officials in Washington DC. His arrest comes in the wake of the return of a team of local investigators from the US, where they had been to investigate the bribery claims.

Kenya: World Bank Worried Staff Are Aping Crafty Nairobi Officials

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205150047.html

Improvement of key Kenyan roads stopped abruptly or never even began as a result of multimillion shilling corrupt deals involving World Bank official Gutam Sengupta, a top Kenyan civil servant and a string of international contractors.

SOUTH AFRICA: Ban proposed for corrupt contractors

2002-05-16

http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1086052-6099-0,00.html

CONTRACTORS used to receiving lucrative tenders through bribery of state officials may be blacklisted and barred from participating in the procurement system of the government for three to five years.

SWAZILAND: Corruption said to be rife at deputy prime minister's office

2002-05-16

http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020515007313&query=corruption

Corruption is rife at the deputy prime minister's office as government officials and senior officers are said to be enriching themselves from the King's [Mswati] 40m emalangeni Regional Development Fund.

TANZANIA: Government challenges /

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205130042.html

The Tanzanian government has reacted strongly to Transparency International's (TI) most recent report that gave Tanzania the "filthy" tag, reports this week's East African newspaper. Asked about TI's Corruption Perception Index 2001 that gave Tanzania a 2.2 rating out of 10, thereby classifying it as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Wilson Masilingi, the minister responsible for good governance, denied the existence of rampant corruption in the country, and described TI as "an enemy of developing countries".

Transparency International Reports

2002-05-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205150014.html

The global anti-corruption organisation Transparency International's Bribe Payers Index for 2002, released on Tuesday, shows very high levels of bribery in developing countries including South Africa. Corporations from Russia, China, Taiwan, South Korea and several leading industrial nations were most likely to offer bribes to developing nations.

Uganda: Danida writes to Matembe over Rakai corruption

2002-05-16

http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=35238

The Danish Agency for Development Assistance (DANIDA) has threatened to stop grants and loans to Uganda, citing high level corruption in district councils. The Danish Ambassador, Flemming Bjork Pedersen has written to the Minister of Integrity and Ethics, Miria Matembe and the Inspector General of Government demanding action against Rakai's district chairman Vincent Semakula Kiwanuka who allegedly misappropriated millions of shillings.

Africa at the Crossroads: Time to Deliver

Oxfam Briefing Paper

2002-05-16

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/policy/papers/africacrossroads/africacrossroads.html

Africa is at a crossroads. Despite the development efforts of the past two decades, Africans are getting poorer. Over 300 million people live on less than US$1 dollar per day. Life expectancy is 48 years and falling. Twenty-eight million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 40 per cent of children are out of school. The responsibility for this crisis lies within the continent and outside it. There is a glaring absence of accountable governance at national, regional, and global levels. Only by ending the 'business as usual' approach to Africa can the situation change.

AFRICA: IRIN interview with OAU secretary-general

2002-05-16

Amara Essy was appointed secretary-general of the Organisation of African Union (OAU) in July last year to oversee the body's crucial one-year transformation into the AU and the launching of the new organisation. OAU experts have now recommended that the transition period be extended - just two months ahead of the AU's scheduled launch in July. Essy told IRIN why the AU was critical to the continent's future development, and about the complexities and difficulties faced in the transition process.
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

AFRICA: IRIN interview with OAU secretary-general

ADDIS ABABA, 13 May (IRIN) - Amara Essy was appointed secretary-general of
the Organisation of African Union (OAU) in July last year to oversee the
body's crucial one-year transformation into the AU and the launching of the
new organisation. OAU experts have now recommended that the transition
period be extended - just two months ahead of the AU's scheduled launch in
July. Essy told IRIN why the AU was critical to the continent's future
development, and about the complexities and difficulties faced in the
transition process.

QUESTION: Why is the OAU recommending that the transition period to African
Union be extended?

ANSWER: To transform the OAU into the African Union is not a simple matter.
I have tried to bring together all the brains of Africa to look and ponder
over the African Union. What do we need to launch the African Union? We need
the four main decision-making organs - the Assembly of the Union, the
Executive Council, the Committee of Permanent Representatives and the
Commission. When you have these organs, then you can launch the African
Union. Now we have to look at a time frame on whether we need - and the
heads of state will have to decide - on a kind of transitional period.

We have to set a time frame. We have to know what we are going to do in the
next two or three years. What are the urgent priority issues that have to be
taken up? What is the medium- and long-term work that has to be carried out?
So, we will have a timetable. We have to have a schedule, and then the heads
of state will have a clear vision of what kind of transition period we are
going to have, and then they will know the work that we will have to do.

There is no postponement of the launching or the transfor