Your Excellency, I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect freedom of expression around the world, to express our grave concern over the detention of 10 Eritrean journalists currently on a hunger strike.

A journalist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Jose Feruzi Samwegele, remains in detention after seven days with no charges brought against him, the international freedom-of-the-press advocacy organisation, Reporters sans frontieres (RSF), reported on 10th April.

The Gambian parliament will debate on 24 April, a media bill that would empower a new National Media Commission to enforce a code of conduct for the media, register journalists and judge complaints from aggrieved parties. The Gambia Press Union has expressed concern over the new bill. "The impending enactment of the National Media Commission Act [is] not only quite draconian but a visible threat to press freedom in this country," the president of the union, Demba Jawo, told IRIN on Tuesday.

The editor of Zimbabwe's only private daily newspaper has been arrested after publishing a story that last month's election results were falsified, his lawyer said.

Medical experts and researchers are concerned about the accuracy of health information on the Internet. A study of 121 Web sites offering health information on five topics found information on credible Web sites is not always accurate.

Zambians have a right to know how Zambia National Oil Company (ZNOC) "lost" US $100 million, Lusaka Central FDD member of parliament Dipak Patel has said. Patel said it was inherently wrong for the government not to cause an inquiry as to why and how ZNOC "lost" approximately $100 million. "By simply appointing a liquidator the government is attempting to cover up mismanagement and corruption that took place at ZNOC," Patel said.

President Robert Mugabe's government gave notice on Tuesday that it would ignore court orders that restrained police in security issues, according to state radio.

Zimbabwe's maize crop has failed and South Africans are starting to pay the price. Eastern Cape DA leader and Bedford farmer Athol Trollip warned that land invasions and political chaos in Zimbabwe has had a direct impact on the spiralling price of maize in South Africa.

Today, more than a month after the presidential election, Nyasha Chinhamo (not her real name) chokes as she recounts how vicious youths supposed to be campaigning for Zanu PF raped her. "If only someone can explain to me how raping someone would enhance a party's chances of winning an election then I may understand," said the 55-year-old Chinhamo.

A senior member of the Zimbabwean opposition says his party will pull out of talks with Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party, if they fail to reach an agreement to re-run last month's presidential elections within four weeks of negotiations. Tendai Biti, a spokesman on foreign affairs for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) told Tim Sebastian for BBC HARDtalk that his party would call off negotiations with the Zimbabwe Government if the matter was not addressed.

A rival meeting to the civil society forum of the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) is being planned, after a split in the South African committee organising the meeting of non-governmental and community organisations.

A circular giving public hospitals and clinics the go-ahead to provide the anti-Aids drug Nevirapine to HIV-positive pregnant women is being distributed, health authorities said. The document outlines the circumstances in which Nevirapine can be prescribed, the required doses, and topics for patient counselling.

A group of doctors have warned their South African colleagues against becoming accomplice to a new wave of "atrocities" by refusing to administer anti-retroviral drugs. In a statement published in the latest edition of the South African Medical Journal (SAMJ), the group says doctors have a moral duty to prescribe the drugs.

Five months ago in Burundi, on 1 November 2001, a transitional national government was inaugurated in which the majority Hutu ethnic group would share power with the minority Tutsi, who have dominated politics for most of the country's 39 years of independence from Belgium. IRIN asked Senate President Bararunyeretse about the role of the Senate in moving the country away from years of civil war towards peace and stability. Also discussed was the ongoing repatriation of Burundi refugees from camps in western Tanzania, as part of a tripartite agreement between the UN agency and the governments of both countries.

5 months after sanctions against the Somali company, several American officials said the government has only limited evidence of a direct tie between Al Barakaat and Al Qaeda. One senior official said the information came from a single source.

Conserve Africa International (CAI) is a diverse UK-based non-profit international environmental. One main of its objectives is to promote medicinal plants and traditional medicine in Africa. CAI is planning to organise an International Symposium on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in Rabat, Morocco on 2- 4 May 2002. More information can be found on their website.

Support for conserving biodiversity -- the wide variety of plants, animals, micro-organisms and ecosystems that make up the web of life -- is closely tied to global efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and tightly integrated into UNDP programmes worldwide, UNDP have stated.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has assisted in the publication of a guide to humanitarian law which aims to explain the rights of victims and humanitarian organizations in times of conflict, tension and crisis. Titled “The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law” the book presents humanitarian law in a new light: from the perspective of relief action carried out for the benefit of victims. By contrast, most books on humanitarian law explain the rules from the point of view of states and armed forces, the most powerful actors.

Meeting increased demand for biomass energy has become a priority challenge for Lesotho Government. In this context afforestation has thus been singled out as the most realistic means of meeting the future energy demands of the mountain households, given the problems in extending the electricity grid and the prohibitive cost of fossil fuels.

Gender Links, a Southern African NGO specializing in gender, media and development is pleased to announced the launch of a new website, containing detailed information on our work and several of our publications. We look forward to receiving any feedback you might have.

Wouter Basson’s acquittal on a host of most horrendous charges in the Pretoria High Court is a shameful day for truth and justice in post apartheid South Africa, Jubilee South Africa said in a statement.

Hundreds of business executives from Africa, Europe, America and further afield, squeezed into the main conference centre on Monday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, to hear about possible commercial opportunities and to acquaint themselves with Nepad, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

We the Children: Meeting the promises of the World Summit for Children is a landmark report issued by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The report assesses the progress made in meeting the commitments made to the children around the globe at the 1990 World Summit for Children. It also includes best practices and lessons learned, obstacles to progress, and a plan of action for building a world fit for children.

The accused at the Afro-Brazilian tribunal run at Porto Alegre during the second World Social Forum were the Brazilian government and its associated partners, including the governments of the G7 countries, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organisation, the world’s biggest banks and corporations and the Roman Catholic Church. The alleged crimes were those of genocide, racism and destruction of the lives of indigenous people and blacks over the centuries right up to the present.

The Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee (SECC) has experienced dramatic developments in its struggle for electricity in recent months. First, the SECC tasted victory when Eskom temporarily suspended electricity cut-offs. Then it faced renewed attack in the form of the government’s Service Delivery Framework. Earlier this month, the organisation went through a period of consolidation at its first conference.

The world’s governments have a unique chance to tackle the global education crisis and pave the way for universal primary education, Oxfam has said. The opportunity comes at the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC, April 18th – 21st, when Finance and Development Ministers will be considering the World Bank’s new action plan for primary education.

A senior Kenyan cabinet minister has asked the Ogiek and Maasai tribes who were being evicted from Enoosopukia in the Narok District in southwestern Kenya to defy the order.

The POSITIVE ACTION Society in Lesotho, a small Mountain Kingdom in Southern Africa, is experiencing a dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS infection rates. Latest published figures show that over 42% of pregnant women in the capital Maseru are testing HIV positive and 65% of patients seeking treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections are also testing HIV positive.

We at the POSITIVE ACTION Society are a group of infected and affected people trying to make a positive impact in regards of behavioural change and improving the living conditions for PLWHAs (People Living With HIV/AIDS). Within the last three years we have implemented various activities to achieve our goals with mixed successes. More and more PLWHAs want to join our group, which provides a conducive environment for infected and affected people, to assist us in our fight against the pandemic. Unfortunately whatever we do is not enough to significantly improve the debilitating impact the HI Virus causes to the lives of our people.

Please have a look at our web site and try to provide us with some ideas, advice, proven strategies etc. which can enable us to achieve a greater impact.

Hoping that you will find some time to assist us with advice, prayers or other support.

I am writing in regard to a news item (Lagos Bomb Explosion: Appeal for help) whch appeared in your PAMBAZUKA NEWS NO. 59 PART II.

I doubt very seriously the authenticity of this news item. As a Nigerian and a journalist who has lived in his country since birth, I can smell '419' (an attempt to scam) in this so-called appeal for help for the Lagos bomb victims. The "Lagos Explosion Relief Aid Agency" is a strange name and looks every inch suspicious. Relief efforts for the unfortunate victims of the bomb explosions are being coordinated principally by three agencies: the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Federal Government and this is very much public knowledge.

I would seriously advise anyone to verify the authenticity of the so-called "Lagos Explosion Relief Aid Agency" before sending any monetary or material donation to them. I will also encourage the editors of Pambazuka news service to restrict inclusion of articles soliciting for donations in the newsletter, whereever such letters may come from. Fraud is a universal phenomeneon.

In his book We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, Phillip Gourevitch quotes an American military intelligence officer he met in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, who equates genocide to "a cheese sandwich" and the Genocide Convention to something that "makes a nice wrapping for a cheese sandwich." The military officer is a non-Rwandan genocide denier, who refuses to admit that a crime against humanity was committed in Rwanda. Sadly, there are many like him, among them Rwandans.

The divide between Africa and the West never seemed wider than after Zimbabwe's recent election. As Western governments condemned President Robert Mugabe, African presidents - all except one - rallied behind him or greeted his stolen victory with silence. The critical voice belonged to Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, who was elected president two years ago in this West African nation after struggling in the opposition for 26 years.

Foreign development aid to African countries has dwindled to its lowest level in at least a decade despite deepening poverty and the growing ravages of Aids in the region, new statistics compiled by the World Bank show.

Africa's international commitment to fight gainst international terrorism recieved a major boost when Norway donated R5 million to boost its capacity.

Malawi has to wait for IMF to review it's fiscal discipline prior to receiving US$47-million in Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility funding.

An innovative scheme to help illiterate women learn to read and write has been launched in two regions of Eritrea.

Kenyan Women want changes to the Kadhi's Act in the Constitution so that it can cater for women more effectively. The women said most rulings by Kenyan Kadhis are outdated and do not conform to the changing times.

In Zimbabwe, the life of gays and lesbians is an unhappy one. Families disown gay relatives, while some employers refuse to hire homosexuals. Homosexuality is not openly discussed in Zimbabwe, a largely conservative African country.

The African Institute of Corporate Citizenship is hosting the first ever African Corporate Citizenship Convention over 24 & 25 April 2002 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) is now inviting applications for funding under the 2002 round of the AGVF.

To be based in our National Office in Johannesburg. We are looking for a person who has a passion for peace and against violence; who does not own a gun and is committed to remaining gun free at home and at work.

The Programme Manager: Projects will be responsible for the management of the technical components of the programme. This will be achieved by the direct line management of the project managers in each sector and ensure effective communication of information between the members of the LMT and projects. These projects include the livestock, water sanitation and hygiene, education and child protection projects. The role requires the promotion of an integrated child focused approach to programme design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, with an emphasis on child participation.

The associate provides critical administrative and clerical assistance to the Arms Division, including: information management, maintenance of files, formatting reports for publication, production assistance for press releases, official letters and mass mailings, maintaining communication among HRW's domestic and international offices, responding to requests for information, tracking advisory committee matters, preparing for staff and advisory committee meetings, drafting and editing correspondence, managing web page content, arranging travel, recruiting and supervising interns, coordinating the hiring process for and training of new staff, recording departmental finances, taking minutes at meetings, word processing, photocopying, filing, faxing, answering phones, and processing incoming mail. The associate will primarily provide assistance to the Arms Division's work on landmines.

This weekend, the US will attempt to kill off the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the multilateral body with responsibility for enforcing the Chemical Weapons Convention. In what the activist George Monbiot, in this week’s UK Guardian describes as an international coup, the US this Sunday will finally seek to oust the director-general of the OPCW, a Brazilian called Jose Bustani, after a sustained campaign over the last few months to get Bustani to resign.

Bustani’s record at the OPCW, Monbiot points out, is exemplary. In the five years he has been in the post, two million chemical weapons and two thirds of the world’s chemical weapons facilities have been destroyed; and the number of state signatories to the Convention has risen from 87 to 145. So successful has Bustani been that last year he was unanimously re-elected to the job by member states, and even received a plaudit from Colin Powell over his “very impressive” work. Yet, since January 2002 he has faced charges from the US State Department of ‘financial mismanagement’, ‘demoralisation of his staff’ and, more tellingly, ‘bias’ and ‘ill considered initiatives’.

After failing in March to carry a vote of no confidence in Bustani, the US have finally taken the gloves off. In direct contravention of the Convention, they have called for a ‘special session’ of member states this weekend where they will try and get rid of him, by using familiar US tactics: threatening to withdraw funds unless other member states support them. Monbiot reports Bustani as saying that the Europeans are so scared the US will abandon the Convention they are likely to support US demands, which means the only effective resistance to the US move would come from the UK government. Given Blair’s increasingly sycophantic relationship with Bush, this seems implausible, which means the US are likely to get their way.

US dissatisfaction with Bustani is twofold. First, they are unhappy with the impartiality with which the OPCW examines facilities. Just like Iraq, the US has refused to accept inspectors from countries it considers hostile, and has controlled access to sites to those inspectors it has let in. Perhaps more significantly, it does not want Bustani to succeed in getting Saddam to sign up to the Convention - something Bustani believes is achievable with UN Security Council backing – because Bustani’s success would take away their only excuse for war on Iraq. In Monbiot’s words, “Bustani must go because he has proposed a solution to a problem the US does not want solved”.

As Jim Lobe and Tom Barry point out in a recent edition of Foreign Policy in Focus, the US are increasingly willing to abandon four decades of multilateralism in foreign policy in favour of a self interested ideology that is being driven by fundamentalist right wing think tanks like The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), who have extremely powerful allies within the administration such as Vice President Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, and his chief deputy, Paul Wolfowitz.. Such a fundamentalist vision is driven by several core beliefs that include: an almost messianic belief that the US and Israel are the same and face the same enemy; that the PLO is a terrorist organisation and need not be negotiated with; that the war against terror will not be completed until Saddam Hussien has been politically – and like members of Al Qeada probably literally – destroyed; and that diplomacy and moderation have no role in this new world vision.

It is bad enough that the US administration should exercise such double standards, hypocrisy and corruption when it comes to any form of multilateral agreement they do not wish to abide by. As Monbiot says, their attempt to oust Bustani and close down the OPCW means that no multilateral organisation is safe from US bullying. But what is even more worrying is that the US should use such lawless tactics to overtly and actively court the destabilisation of the Middle Eastern region in the name of a fundamentalist agenda. This abandonment of multilateralism means, not only that no organisation is safe from the long reach of US influence – wherever in the world they are based, but that such an agenda should be used to promote regional war, with its own potentially devastating global implications.

George Monbiot: A War Against the Peacemaker:

U.S. Middle East Policy: "Enough is Enough":
http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2002/0204pnac.html

Liberian refugees fleeing to Guinea are in extremely poor physical condition and up to 20 percent of them suffer from malnutrition, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees reported on Tuesday.

The Southern African Non-Governmental Organisation Network (SANGONeT)is currently expanding the focus and scope of its ICT activities in support of Southern African CSOs. An important part of SANGONeT's work is providing access to and implementing a range of web services. This includes website design, development and maintenance of existing websites. It is looking for a web designer.

The Government has been named as the biggest violator of the freedom of expression in Malawi followed by the general public, politicians and then employers. Surprisingly, the Malawi Police Service is seen as the least violator, according to a recent survey conducted by Media Council of Malawi (MCM).

A Rwandan musician accused of writing songs and poems that incited the killings of ethnic Tutsis in 1994 pleaded not guilty to charges of genocide before a U.N. tribunal on Thursday.