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Central and Eastern Africa
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 3
15-17 January 2000



CONTENTS:

BURUNDI: Burundians "must get down to business" - Mandela
BURUNDI: Annan warns of "humanitarian catastrophe"
BURUNDI: 10 regroupment camps to be closed
TANZANIA: UN High Commissioner visits Burundi refugees
RWANDA: New parliamentary speaker sworn in
RWANDA: New list of genocide suspects
DRC: MSF stresses urgency of Ituri situation
DRC: JMC to revise peace schedule in light of slow progress
DRC: Annan proposes force of over 5,000 peacekeepers
UGANDA: Relief work disrupted by western insecurity
UGANDA: Talks with Sudan in Nairobi
SUDAN: Eight aid workers killed in south
SUDAN: IGAD mediators consulting with government, rebels
SUDAN: Rebels, government extend humanitarian ceasefire
ERITREA: Embassy reopens in Khartoum
ERITREA: Update on figures of displaced, deported
SOMALIA: UN representative to visit Djibouti
KENYA: WFP finalising emergency operation
ZANZIBAR: Treason trial riot
CAR: Much remains to be done - Annan


BURUNDI: Burundians "must get down to business" - Mandela

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has said the misery of the
Burundian people "affects us all and diminishes the humanity of all of
us".  Addressing the UN Security Council on Wednesday, the new Burundi
peace mediator said that despite the grave difficulties facing Burundi,
there had been much progress since the start of the Arusha negotiations 18
months ago.  He said he came away from his preliminary meeting in Arusha,
Tanzania, on Sunday "impressed by the potential and quality of the
leadership present in Burundi". "But it is time for Burundians to get down
to business!", Mandela stated. "No-one can reach an agreement on their
behalf. 

BURUNDI: Annan warns of "humanitarian catastrophe" 

Welcoming Mandela's appointment as mediator, UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan told the session that of the many crises and conflicts affecting the
continent, none was perhaps more urgent than Burundi. He reiterated his
opposition to the government's regroupment policy, warning of a
"humanitarian catastrophe". Annan also urged the international community
to assist Burundi, noting that diplomatic activity must be combined with
economic assistance. 

BURUNDI: 10 regroupment camps to be closed

Addressing the Council, Burundi's Foreign Minister Severin Ntahomvukiye
denied there was a widespread national catastrophe or massacres in his
country, according to a UN press release. On regroupment, he said the
government had taken special measures for the protection of people and
rejected accusations that the camps were part of a policy of ethnic
cleansing. He however announced that 10 out of about 50 such camps in
Bujumbura Rural province would soon be closed in the presence of monitors,
and gradually all the camps would be dismantled. 

TANZANIA: UN High Commissioner visits Burundi refugees

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata arrived in Tanzania this
week, where she visited Burundi refugee camps, according to a UNHCR
briefing. While in the Kirago camp on Monday, she told the BBC she wanted
international pressure on governments "that harass their populations and
force them from their homes". News organisations quoted Tanzanian Home
Affairs Minister Ali Muhammad as telling Ogata the camps were beset by
problems, such as a shortage of vital working tools including vehicles and
radios. He also called for refugees to be issued with identity cards. It
was "discouraging" to note Burundi continued to accuse Tanzania of
training Burundi rebels, he added. 

RWANDA: New parliamentary speaker sworn in

A new parliamentary speaker, Dr Vincent Biruta, of the Social Democratic
Party (PSD), has been elected to replace Joseph Sebarenzi Kabuye who
resigned amid accusations of abuse of office and trying to divide the
army. Sebarenzi has denied the allegations. The Rwanda News Agency (RNA) 
said Biruta gained 75 percent of votes during an extraordinary session of
parliament on Wednesday. "Taking the oath is very easy, but more is
required to fulfill the responsibilities," Biruta was quoted as saying. 

RWANDA: New list of genocide suspects

The chief prosecutor, Gerald Gahima, this week released a new list of
genocide suspects, classified as "category one", RNA reported. The new
list contains 2,133 names and is "quite different" from the first one,
Gahima was quoted as saying. He added that about 643 names were removed
from the initial list, and 830 new names appear on the revised one. "It is
true that the first list had a number of errors and this was partly due to
lack of necessary personnel," he admitted. "This time, errors were by all
means minimised as the list was solely prepared by the chief prosecutor
himself." 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: MSF stresses urgency of Ituri situation

The NGO, Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), has expressed deep concern over
the rapidly worsening humanitarian situation in the Ituri district of
northeast DRC. In a press release, received by IRIN on Thursday, MSF said
that due to growing insecurity it could not reach many of the victims. The
area has been wracked by an ethnic conflict between the Hema and Lendu
tribes over land rights. MSF said that over the past six months the area
had also been ravaged by epidemics such as measles, plague and cholera. 
"International attention is fixed on the frontline hostilities between
government and rebel troops, but the most serious humanitarian crisis is
unfolding behind the frontline in Ituri district where the authorities
have been unsuccessful in guaranteeing the safety of the civilian
population," the press release said. It urged next week's UN debate on the
situation in DRC to give the most serious attention to the Ituri problem. 

DRC: JMC to revise peace schedule in light of slow progress

The Joint Military Commission (JMC) on Sunday concluded its fourth plenary
session in Lusaka, Zambia.  The session covered the general status of
ceasefire implementation, release of POWs and the need for a revised
calendar for implementation, which has lagged far behind the schedule set
in the Lusaka accords, a press release stated.  Continuing ceasefire
violations, the action to be taken about them and possible changes to the
structure of the JMC to enhance implementation of the peace process were
also discussed, the press release said, without elaborating on decisions
reached. 

DRC: Annan proposes force of over 5,000 peacekeepers

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed deploying a total force of
5,537 UN troops in the DRC, given the deteriorating situation in the
country. In a report to the Security Council issued this week, he said the
proposal was based on the assumption that the parties to the conflict
would respect the Lusaka peace accord and the relevant Security Council
resolutions.  The force would be concentrated around four reinforced
infantry battalions and located at four separate sites, identified
provisionally as Mbandaka, Mbuji Mayi, Kisangani and a point yet to be
determined in the southeast.  According to the report, the military tasks
of the expanded MONUC force would include military liaison, monitoring the
cessation of hostilities, investigating ceasefire violations and verifying
the disengagement of the various forces. He stressed the troops "would not
serve as an interposition force nor would they be expected to extract
military observers or civilian personnel by force". 

UGANDA: Relief work disrupted by western insecurity

Precarious security conditions in the Bundibugyo district of western
Uganda have curtailed humanitarian activities, forcing the suspension of
most activities for some 105,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) and
relocation of staff members, an emergency report by WFP said. Attacks
continue to be reported along the main transport routes and on IDP camps,
although the Ugandan army was now providing protection for the camps, it
said.  "WFP is ready to resume food deliveries and food distributions once
clearance is received and improved protection measures are put in place
for its food convoys," the report added. 

UGANDA: Talks with Sudan in Nairobi

Talks between Uganda and Sudan, that started on 19 January under the
auspices of the Carter Center, were scheduled to end in Nairobi on Friday. 
The delegates were discussing the implementation of a peace agreement
signed last year by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Sudanese
President Omar Bashir.  The talks were divided into three joint committees
on political, security and humanitarian affairs. 

SUDAN: Eight aid workers killed in south

Eight aid workers from a consortium of relief agencies in southern Sudan
were killed last week by attackers believed to be rebels of the Ugandan
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) told to IRIN
on Monday. "The eight were on a joint relief and rehabilitation assessment
mission in the area around Magwi, Imoruk and Obbo," NCA Country Director
for south Sudan Kristen Flogstad told IRIN. He noted that the incident
would make it difficult to implement NCA's plans in Parajok and the Acholi
corridor and assist the local population. "This is a setback after an
improvement in the security situation last year," he added. 

SUDAN: IGAD mediators consulting with government, rebels

Sudan peace talks, mediated by the Inter-Governmental Authority on
Development (IGAD), continued and the Khartoum government on one side, and
the rebel SPLM/A on the other, continued in Nairobi this week, SPLM/A
spokesman Dr Kwaje told IRIN. Discussions are focusing on the Declaration
of Principles (DOP) and the issues of self-determination for southern
Sudan and the use of shari'ah law. The talks opened on Sunday. Kwaje on
Thursday told IRIN the two sides could not agree on the "main substantial
issues", namely self-determination for the south. The SPLM wants the
inclusion of south Kordofan and south Blue Nile states, which its says
have been marginalised by the government. 

SUDAN: Rebels, government extend humanitarian ceasefire

Both the rebel SPLM/A and the Sudanese government extended their
respective humanitarian ceasefires for three months last week. An SPLA
statement said the ceasefire was extended in order to "enhance access to
populations in need of humanitarian assistance". The government, for its
part, said it had also extended its ceasefire to support peace efforts and
allow humanitarian organisations to transport aid to people. However on
Saturday, the SPLA accused the government of bombing the rebel-held town
of Yei in violation of the proclaimed ceasefire, AFP reported. 

ERITREA: Embassy reopens in Khartoum

Following the recent rapprochement in relations between Eritrea and Sudan,
Asmara reopened its embassy in Khartoum on Thursday, Sudanese radio
reported. The ceremony was attended by Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa
Uthman Ismail and his Eritrean counterpart Haile Woldetensae. The two
ministers said they hoped the gesture would contribute to peace in the
region. Ismail added that Sudan was "exerting tremendous efforts to
maintain good relations with all neighbouring countries". Relations with
Eritrea "would not be at the expense of other states," he said. The
Sudanese news agency SUNA reported that the Lafa border crossing between
the two countries was due to reopen on Saturday. 

ERITREA: Update on figures of displaced, deported

The UN Country Team in Eritrea has conducted a comprehensive humanitarian
needs assessment mission, following which it stated that the total number
of displaced people in the country now stood at 258,300. A report put the
total number of deportees at 67,326, after a further 840 arrived from
Ethiopia in December. The number of host communities directly affected was
77,000. The report also said an estimated 200,000 people were affected in
drought-hit areas of the country. 

SOMALIA: UN representative to visit Djibouti

The Secretary-General's Representative for Somalia, David Stephen, is to
pay a two-month visit to Djibouti to help organise a reconciliation
conference for Somalia. According to the Secretary-General's spokesman
Fred Eckhard, the representative will advise on the "conceptualisation and
organisation"  of the conference as part of the Somali peace initiative
put forward by Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. "With this latest
expression of support for President Guelleh's efforts, Mr Kofi Annan
reiterated his view that the establishment of a central authority based on
wide consultations and agreement will be the only way to reach a lasting
settlement to the conflict in Somalia," Eckhard said. 

KENYA: WFP finalising emergency operation

WFP is in the process of finalising an emergency operation for the
famine-hit Turkana region, a WFP spokeswoman told IRIN on Thursday. The
Kenyan government in December launched an appeal for US $70 million and
for food and non-food items to assist people in the Turkana district.
Concerning claims of misappropriation of food meant for the organisation's
ongoing school-feeding programmes in the area, the spokeswoman said WFP
was taking the reports "very seriously". "WFP will be investigating the
problems further with the ministry of education," she said. "If there is
such a problem, then it means the children are not eating. That means they
are not going to school, hence the WFP programme is not working properly." 

ZANZIBAR: Treason trial riot

Political supporters of 18 opposition Civic United Front (CUF)  members,
charged with treason, on Wednesday clashed with police in the stone town
in a two-hour fracas that left several people injured. A government
official, Eddy Mugheiry, told IRIN on Thursday the 18 were due to appear
for their trial at the Zanzibar High Court. The trouble started, he said,
when a "huge number" of CUF supporters who milled around the court were
denied entry because there was not enough space in the courtroom to
accommodate them. "It was an event that shocked both the government and
citizens," Mugheiry said. 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Much remains to be done - Annan

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said "much remains to be done" in the
CAR, following the planned withdrawal of UN peacekeepers on 15 February.
In a report released on Wednesday, he noted that important elements of
Bangui Agreements, such as restructuring the armed forces, had not yet
been implemented. Consolidation of the progress made so far in the CAR,
with UN support, would depend on the determination of the parties -
particularly the government - to honour their commitments, he stressed. It
also depended on the continued support of the international community. "By
successfully conducting two national elections and the ongoing reforms,
the people and the CAR government have already demonstrated their strong
commitment to democracy and peaceful development," he said. 

Nairobi, 21 January 2000, 12:45 gmt


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