The secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, has denied that there is a rift within the 54-country body over how to deal with the Zimbabwe crisis. McKinnon said that the standard story about "the Commonwealth countries in the West taking a tough stance on Mugabe", while the African members treat him with kid gloves, is inaccurate.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is haltingly stumbling away from the eleventh war since its Independence in June 1960. The question, which is on the mind of all the Congolese people, is whether this peace - finalized in April 2003 - shall hold; whether, this time, the politicians who agreed to work together in the transition government of national unity will really work for the benefit of all the Congolese. Given the way in which the agreement was reached, there are good reasons to be doubtful. Government partners continue to be suspicious of each other. There are still signs that some people are pursuing the war by other means.

It is obvious that in order to understand the nature and depth of the Congolese crisis, it is necessary to deepen both the space and time parameters beyond the usual regional and continental limits. In addition to others, which will be made clear below, the principal reason for expanding the geographical and historical horizon is that globalization as practiced today looks, at the risk of distortion, very much like the modernization of Atlantic Slavery. This is also in response to Edouard Glissant's well known encouragement to "have a prophetic vision of the past" to which we could add "with an ancestral vision of the future". Only such an approach can really help us understand how and why, at so many turns of our collective history, we have not been able to take ourselves seriously and repair the effects and consequences of that Crime Against Humanity, as the UN Conference Against Racism, Discrimination and all forms of Intolerance (Durban, South Africa, August-September 2001) described Atlantic Slavery, the wiping out of Native Americans and other aboriginal populations.

From Atlantic and Oriental Slavery (as globalization was practiced then) to the current destruction observed in the DRC, in Africa, in the USA and many other places on the planet, we can learn more quickly from our specific histories if we approach them from a perspective which reveals the similarities: the search for resources be they slaves, rubber, diamonds, coltan, oil, timber, water or uranium shall always trigger conflicts. Conflicts and wars of conquest will erupt in order to access resources. The resulting violence will end with destruction. Conquering states, colonizing states, pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial, have been the central tools for carrying out these looting processes.

The search and thirst for the Congo's resources is not a recent phenomenon. From the days of Atlantic Slavery, the Kongo Kingdom became one of the prized destinations of slave traders. As a result of the conflicts generated by the search for slaves, the area was devastated by what has been described by historians as Jagga invasions, military expeditions in search of slaves. Kimpa Vita, a heroin resister against the onslaught was burned (like Joan of Arc) for having denounced the Kings' participation in the slave trade (1703), and the help of the Catholic Church.

As a result of the last war (1998-2003), there has been a tendency to downplay previous conflicts, which erupted in the Congo around the question of resources, from rebellions during the Slave Trade era to colonial and post-colonial rebellions.

Looking at the pattern of the history of the Congo, from the time of Atlantic slavery, it is obvious that the wealth (resources) of the country has been intimately connected to conflicts regardless of the historical period (before colonial occupation, during colonial rule or after). The use of violence and military force in order to secure and control access to these resources was crucial. When the country became Independent in 1960, in the thick of the Cold War, the US sought to ensure that the Congo stayed on the side of the West. For this alone, the US and its allies, Belgium (former colonial power), France and the others did all they could to make sure that the Congolese would only follow their dictates. Lumumba, the first and only elected Prime Minister, was overthrown within weeks of assuming power (September 4, 1960).

In order to seriously re-think the reconstruction of the DRC, it is crucial to look at the history of the country through a lens which allows us to see beyond our own borders. If we look at the DRC's Independence in 1960: when Independence began to be discussed by academics like Van Bilsen in 1955, it was envisioned as a process which would take place over a 30 year period. The understanding most Belgians had of colonial rule was a benevolent, paternalist episode in which the Belgian King Leopold II had 'sacrificed' his fortune in order to bring civilization to the Heart of Africa. When Adam Hochschild's book, King Leopold's Ghost came out in 1998 in both English and French, the Belgian historical establishment and the average Belgian were shocked to learn that the truth was drastically different: what had happened could be described as a genocide. Accessing rubber at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th led to massive loss of human life among the Congolese.

The achievement of Independence in 1960 and (insult to injury) Lumumba's speech at the Independence official ceremony, seeking to straighten the record, led to Lumumba and his acolytes being punished to such a degree that others were not encouraged. Not only was Lumumba killed, but his body and that of his companions had to be dissolved in acid. Later on, in Kisangani and in all the areas known to have been favourable to Lumumba, a witch-hunt was launched against all Lumumbists. Similarly, the successful armed struggles against Portuguese colonialism in Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Angola, in 1975 (around the time of the US defeat in Vietnam) extracted a heavy price in the form of a relentless policy of terrorism and destabilization against the governments in place in those countries, by the apartheid regime, hand in hand with the US. Most countries in Africa, around 1960, the so-called year of Independence, found themselves in a predicament: how to consolidate a victory in a most hostile context, one dominated by a determination on the part of former colonial powers not to accept the former colonies as equal partners.

As pointed out in critiques of development as a failure, scaffolding was put in place to build colonial rule, development and, before, slavery. The end of slavery, and colonial rule meant the removal of the scaffolding, but the building stayed on and served the primary purpose of reinforcing subjugation of one group by another. From Slavery through colonial occupation and Apartheid, the historical end of these oppressive regimes did not mean the end of the system. In fact, quite the opposite happened as has been shown by UN statistics about the deepening of poverty for the poorest people of the planet.

Through these common histories of ours, we have learned that changes can be transformative, politics do not have to be monopolized by politicians or state institutions. Emancipatory politics require that we remain faithful to the subject which has been fighting for the very same objectives we are still fighting today: a world freed from conquering warfare, a world driven by the concern for building sustained peace between people.

* Jacques Depelchin is with the Ota Benga International Alliance for Peace in the Congo.
* This is a summary of a presentation at the Symposium, Futures of Southern Africa, Windhoek, Namibia, Sept 15-17, 2003.

It would appear that over the past nine years civil society organisations (CSOs) and social activists in South Africa have missed many opportunities to ensure improvements in the delivery of socio-economic rights. A common thread running through the strategic failures is the absence of a coherent concept of accountability. Progressive civil society needs to embrace a new brand of social activism informed by a new philosophy of 'direct' and 'active' accountability. In terms of this philosophy, CSOs and social activists should strive to hold elected politicians and public officials directly accountable, for the performance of their duties and responsibilities, in an active and sustained manner, according to Colm Allan, Director, of the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM), an anti-corruption body.

The Mail and Guardian (M&G) reports that the forensic audit of the National Development Agency (NDA) ordered by the Minister of Social Development has revealed more irregularities. The M&G cites as examples that the NDA allegedly hired the services of a private investigation company to vet staff and conduct investigations into other Non Profit Organisations at exorbitant monthly payments.

Themba Lesizwe, a South African Network of Trauma Service Providers with more than 100 NPO affiliates, has awarded R6.5mn to 60 crime and violence empowerment projects. Organisations were awarded grants of between R50 000 and R200 000 for research, improving accessibility of trauma counselling and mental health services in poor communities, raising public awareness about violence and abuse, and training of volunteers and frontline workers in trauma management.

The Eduardo dos Santos Foundation (FESA) handed over on Wednesday to Uije provincial government about four tonnes of various medicines and other first aid items.

To replace a staff member on leave of absence, IDEA seeks a temporary Project Manager to contribute to the general development of its activities in Africa, with specific reference to the West Africa region. (S)he will be located primarily in West Africa, reporting to the Head of the Africa Team based in Pretoria. (S)he will work in cooperation with the other members of the Africa Team and with IDEA's staff at HQ in Stockholm.

The Fourth World Social Forum will be held in Mubai, India on 16-21 January 2004. The Indian Organising Committee together with the International Council of the WSF is preparing this event of great international importance with an expectation that it will bring together some 70.000 participants from all over the world. With this letter we would like to share with you information about the World Social Forum. Please find attached a two-page brief by Heinrich Böll Foundation. The web-site of the event is http://www.wsfindia.org/ where more information can be found. Further, we would like to extend an invitation to representatives of social movmemnts and people's organisation from Africa, Latin America and Asia to the WSF.

Professor Okey Onyejekwe is an expert on African governance at the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Here, during a conference in Addis Ababa on good governance, he tells IRIN why he believes the credibility of Africa’s new development blueprint, the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), is threatened by the unwillingness of African leaders to hold each other accountable.

Plans by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) to disconnect water services to all towns owing it money could trigger widespread outbreaks of disease, which the health ministry may not have the capacity to control, warned Zimbabwe's Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control. The directorate, part of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, said there was a danger of diseases spreading to neighbouring countries and blossoming into regional epidemics as people moved from one country to another.

Despite concerted efforts by relief agencies, a recurring outbreak of cholera continues to affect Kasai Oriental Province and the city of Mbuji-Mayi, in particular, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the International Federation of the Red Cross reported last Thursday.

In 2000, the nations of the world pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. These ambitious targets included a commitment over the period 1990 to 2015 to: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (50% reduction in the numbers of people living on less than US$1/day); Reduce under five mortality rate by two thirds; and Reduce maternal mortality rates by 75%. As the World Bank estimates and projections for progress show, the goals for reduction in child mortality will be achieved in only a few countries.

The meteoric rise of transboundary approaches is due to several factors, including the need to better manage shared resources; the drive for economic growth through regional integration and development; the need to promote peace and security; and more external factors such as globalization and the agendas of international donors and organisations. However, there are numerous concerns arising from these initiatives ranging from community marginalisation to inter-state inequity in the distribution of benefits, according to this paper by the World Conservation Union.

The crisis facing Zimbabwe continues to eat away at the nation's economic and social fabric. While political party actors debate the possibilities for negotiations, the standard of living for the vast majority of Zimbabweans continues to decline drastically. This update from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition outlines the critical concerns currently facing the Zimbabwean population, and then discusses scenarios for transition and prospects for settlement.

The lack of an identity document (ID) or birth certificate has denied many Mozambican children access to social services. Eighteen-year-old Manuel Fernando is one of them. Like many youths in Mozambique, his life has been a struggle from birth. And, like many other children, the basic right of receiving a birth certificate has been denied him.

Liberia's Interim President Moses Blah and the chairman of the main rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) Sekou Damate Conneh, have traded accusations over last Wednesday's shootout in the capital, Monrovia in which nine people died.

Ghanaian doctors warn that the health services will break down unless the government takes urgent action to pay health professionals a decent wage and curb the activities of overseas recruitment agencies enticing them to accept salaries up to 20 times higher.

Race has been exceptionally controversial in South African legislation through different dispensations. This has fuelled a great degree of sensitivity around the labelling of race groups. The result is that writers and analysts are constantly faced with questions on how to handle race in their work. Questions such as these are not limited to South Africa, however, says this study, which looks at the concept of racism and several other relevant terms.

Water wars are unlikely to be fought in Southern Africa, but as the region anxiously awaits the return of summer rains to accompany the new planting season, the current ongoing food security crisis has put new pressure on nations to manage their shared water resources. "Water usage has to be controlled by treaty between countries, and controlled by water policy within countries, or there won't be equitable distribution,” hydrologist Samuel Kunene of Swaziland's Ministry of Natural Resources told IPS.

Reporters Without Borders has called on the Tunisian government to stop its three-year campaign of harassment against journalist and human rights activist Néziha Rejiba ("Om Zied"), who has angered the authorities by material she has posted on the Internet and remarks she has made on foreign satellite TV stations.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed deep concern over the criminal charges that have been brought against an editor from the "East African Standard", Kenya's oldest newspaper. The organisation is also concerned about the apparent pressure tactics used by Kenyan police to try to force the journalist and two of his colleagues to reveal their sources for an article in the newspaper's 28 September edition. On that date, the paper published leaked excerpts of confessions to the police by a suspected murderer of Crispin Odhiambo Mbai, who headed a key committee at Kenya's Constitutional Review Conference. The article reported that some of the suspects had accused a prominent politician in President Kibaki's governing coalition of having masterminded the murder.

I am intrigued by the number of suggestions made to Thabo Mbeki to do something about Zimbabwe which is "dragging down the whole continent". Every African has a right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" but with most Africans still considered drawers of water and hewers of wood, happiness went out of the window a long time ago! Secondly, I wonder why Thabo should really have that mandate when South Africa is strategically closer to the keepers of the gateways to the empire! Try getting a visa into South Africa, with or without your anti-apartheid credentials now deemed irrelevant!

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has been informed by the Sudanese Organisation against Torture, a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest, detention and concerns for the personal integrity of Osman Ahmed Fagharay, a Beja tribe member, in Sudan. He was arrested following his participation in a symposium at Alnilain University, which was organised by the Beja Students Association, where he criticised the health, economic and food security policies in the Red Sea province and demanded action by the government. Those concerned are requested to write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to take all necessary measures to guarantee his safety and release him in the absence of legal charges.

The conflict in northern Uganda, one of many forgotten wars around the globe, took a dramatic turn for the worse in June 2002 when a government offensive sparked fierce rebel retaliation. The LRA has abducted at least 8,000 children in the past year alone; and an estimated 25,000 have been taken since the beginning of rebel activity in the late 1980s.

The case in which Mozambican journalist Cassimo Ginabay is suing three of his former colleagues for the crime of "private imprisonment" neared its end on 30th of September 2003, with aggressive questioning from the defence lawyer, Inacio Matsinhe, making it seem as though Ginabay was the one on trial. Ginabay claims that Evans Langa, Virgilio Mabota and Elias Cossa deliberately locked him in the offices of the weekly paper "Demos", which he was then editing, on the night of 4 April 2002.

Religious leaders in southern Africa have pledged their commitment to help resolve some of the conflicts and civil strife inherent in the region in order to maintain peace and stability.

Civil society and private business are making invaluable contributions to the war against HIV/Aids, national health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Saturday.

I will correct Nimene’s unfortunate misunderstanding about the situation in Zimbabwe. (Pambazuka News 126, Letters and Comments) It is more complex than the propaganda the Mugabe regime has been peddling at every international forum they attend.

The political violence associated with elections and the land redistribution efforts was a deliberate move. Mugabe called the actions "peaceful demonstrations" after admitting that Zanu PF has "degrees in violence". In any case, there is ample evidence that the laws and policies implemented by the Zanu PF government are worse than those promulgated during the colonial Rhodesian era. How does one explain the emergence of the Public Order and Security Act to curtail the activities of the opposition and civic society, the coming in of AIPPA to control the independent press and, even worse, changing electoral laws over five times within seven days before a crucial presidential election?

These and other actions will forever condemn Robert Mugabe as the worst dictator to emerge in the history of Zimbabwe and Rhodesia. If not contained, his actions and policies will ruin any hopes of restoring democracy and economic viability in the country. And this certainly will affect the southern African region.

Chad, one of the world's poorest countries, joined the ranks of oil producers this week with the inauguration of a $3.7bn (?3.2bn, £2.2bn) project tied to a pioneering scheme for tracking how oil money is spent.

Much emphasis has been placed on the need for the North to help bridge the 'digital divide' with the South. Equal emphasis is required on creating the conditions in the South that will allow individuals to exploit the full potential of information technology, says this www.scidev.net editorial.

Are you ready to act with poor people as a force for change in addressing the causes of poverty, suffering and injustice, and alleviating their symptoms? We are looking for someone like you to fill the position of Country Director in Ethiopia.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern over the continued imprisonment of Ibrahim Souley, the publication director of the private weekly "L'Enquêteur". Souley is expected to face trial on charges of spreading propaganda and "inciting ethnic hatred".

Perhaps it's true after all that prophets are readily dismissed, if not crucified as felons within their backyards. It's certainly true in Kenya, where a battle is afoot regarding the remains of "Field Marshall" Dedan Kimathi, a hero of Kenya's war of independence and a leader within Africa's inaugural guerrilla movement, the Mau Mau. But while Kimathi's body, currently buried in an unmarked grave within the grounds of a penitentiary, may yet find a more respectful home, his story only hints at the larger re-evaluation of the Mau Mau and their era.

When Africa entered the final decade of the 20th century, interesting words had replaced the traditional political vocabulary. In came new catchwords like democracy, transparency, accountability and human rights. It was a tremendous improvement. Sadly, by the time the millennium dawned, these new words had lost their meaning and the continent had once again reverted to its previous wretched state. The blame in many ways lies with the continent’s political leaders and their foreign allies.

Aid has become a much contested issue. Orthodox approaches treat foreign Aid as a critical factor for redressing capital deficiencies in poor nations, boosting local demand and supply and through positive multiplier effects, establishing conditions for sustainable long-term growth. Donors expect Government to adopt policies and programmes that will create a conducive environment for improved economic performance. The reality however, indicates that Aid is driven by other motivations, argues this article one the website of Afrodad, a research, lobby and advocacy regional organisation seeking to secure positive policy changes to redress Africa's debt and development crisis.

This report from the UK Department for International Development is based on a study whose overall aim was to create a context-relevant knowledge base of the implications for education and training policy of globalisation in two low-income sub-Saharan African countries, namely, Rwanda and Tanzania.

BuaNews reports that the National Development Agency (NDA) has earmarked R67 million for poverty alleviation projects in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, funded by the European Union (EU) as part of the European Programme for Reconstruction and Development.

As children go back to school after a year of disrupted classes, Cote d'Ivoire is calling on donors to help rebuild the war-ravaged school system. On Monday, tens of thousands of primary and secondary school children returned to their classrooms in government-held areas.

Araya Tesfa Mariam, a journalist with the Amharic-language weekly newspaper "Itiop", was beaten up by unidentified individuals on 1 October 2003, while on his way home. He sustained very serious physical injuries and is receiving medical treatment at Addis Ababa's Menelik Hospital.

Work on a United Nations treaty to combat corruption worldwide, including the return of assets obtained through bribery and embezzlement to the country of origin, has been completed, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailing it as a milestone in improving the lives of millions of people around the planet.

Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye and the leader of the strife-torn central African country's largest Hutu rebel group signed an agreement here early on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire deal hammered out late last year. The comprehensive agreement, signed by Ndayizeye and Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) leader Pierre Nkurunziza in the South African capital, included a compromise deal on political and military issues with both leaders declaring an immediate halt to hostilities.

In the course of 2002 the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) focused its energies primarily in two areas - strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by civil society and engaging civil society in ICT policy processes.

OSISA is inviting organisations in Southern Africa to submit proposals and engage OSISA on effective proposal development. The call for proposals forms part of OSISA’s recently launched ICT Programme Guidelines.
Grants will be awarded on the following sub-categories:
- Advocacy Initiatives in the ICT area for policy development,
- Consortia Development in Knowledge Application and New Content
- Civic Networking and Community Information Systems
- Electronic Governance, E-Democracy and Cyber Liberties
For more information please contact Mr. A. Patel on email: [email protected] or tel: +27(011) 403-3414

Mediatrice Ilibagiza, 38, is a widow and mother of three who, like thousands of other Rwandan women, lost her husband during Rwanda's 1994 genocide. She was also among the hundreds of women who were raped by Hutu militiamen known as the Interahamwe and soldiers of the old army, the Forces armees rwandaises, leaving her infected with HIV/AIDS.

There's still time to "prevent the twin spectres of starvation and destitution" from occurring in Zimbabwe, said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in a plea for more assistance from donors. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Zimbabwe, J. Victor Angelo, said the generous support of aid efforts in 2002/03 had saved lives but that "the relief needs in Zimbabwe have increased in 2003”.

The cost of health care in Zimbabwe finally went beyond the reach of most people this month when medical drug suppliers and pharmacies hiked prices by more than 1,000 percent, citing an increase by the same margin in import costs.

The Southern African Development Community has been urged to take action on threats to press freedom in the region, particularly in Zimbabwe. At a meeting with the SADC secretariat in Gaberone, the capital of Botswana, a Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) delegation raised concerns that the mandatory licensing of journalists could be open to abuse by governments.

This volume takes stock of emerging trends in Namibia's political culture since Independence and highlights the question of political liberation and tolerance - or lack thereof. The book examines in an introductory chapter the consolidation of political power and control by the former liberation movement, SWAPO. The chapters include case studies on the SWAPO ideology prior to Independence, a comparison of constitutional developments in Namibia and Zimbabwe, an overview on minority rights and policies concerning indigenous people and a case study on cultural policy with regard to music. Analyses also cover the issue of the SWAPO "ex-detainees", a critical reading of the Namibian President's biography and an exploration of the institutionalised public memory. The book ends with an essay challenging the limited tolerance currently existing in post-colonial Namibia.