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Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

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CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 110
09 - 15 February 2002


CONTENTS:

AFRICA: Life expectancy set to reach lowest levels ever
GREAT LAKES: European ministers promote Lusaka accord
DRC: ICJ rejects Belgium's arrest warrant for Ndombasi
DRC: UN aircraft fired on in Kindu
DRC: RCD rebel group withdraws from Geneva talks
DRC-UGANDA: HRW decries ethnic tumult in Ugandan-occupied area
DRC-CAR: WFP extends emergency operation for DRC refugees
RWANDA-UGANDA: Bilateral relations improving
REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Twelve candidates for presidential election
BURUNDI: Buyoya "100 percent happy" with trip to US, Belgium
BURUNDI: Insecurity reported throughout January
TANZANIA: Critics decry purchase of air traffic control system


[ALSO SEE: KENYA-UGANDA: New focus on preventing measles at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20667;

DRC-RWANDA: Three weeks on, no quick-fix solutions for Goma at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20532;

BURUNDI: IRIN interview with HIV/AIDS Minister Sindabizera at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20674]

AFRICA: Life expectancy set to reach lowest levels ever

The life expectancy of Africans is set to reach one of its lowest levels
ever, it was revealed on Monday. By the year 2005, most Africans will die
before they reach their 48th birthday, the fourth general assembly of the
African Population Commission heard. And disease, the main killer, has
become a risk to the national security of African countries, threatening
the very survival of some communities, the conference in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa, was told. The spread of HIV/AIDS in particular, and
wars and poverty, have driven down the life expectancy by 15 years in the
last two decades.

Lawrence Agubuzu, the assistant secretary-general of the Organisation of
African Unity, said many of the continent's 700 million population were
blighted by poverty, civil war and disease. Speaking at the opening of the
four-day conference, he said women and children were the most vulnerable
group, and their needs must be addressed. "Today Africa is distinctly
characterised by abject socioeconomic conditions and unprecedented extreme
demographic trends with far-reaching consequences," he stated. "The
population factor is at the centre of these problems," he told delegates
from across the whole continent. "The high population growth, coupled with
an unstable political, social and economic climate, and widespread
poverty, are factors that jeopardise the socioeconomic situation of
African countries and contribute to the degradation of the environment."

"The statistics of morbidity and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are very grim
on our continent," he added. "Suffice to say that because of HIV/AIDS,
life expectancy at birth and GDP [Gross Domestic Product] have decreased
significantly in badly affected countries, and will continue to do so for
many years." He said diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and related
infectious diseases had become a risk to security and a major threat to
socioeconomic development. In some African countries, like Mali, 130
children per 1,000 die before they reach the age of one year. Agubuzu said
part of the problem was that ignorance "pervades" all sectors of society
so that people did not take preventive measures. [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20517]

GREAT LAKES: European ministers promote Lusaka accord

A delegation of international development ministers from The Netherlands,
Norway and the UK arrived in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, on Monday at the start of a four-day tour of the
Great Lakes Region, during which they would visit the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda
and Burundi. The purpose of their tour was to champion regional peace and
assess development needs.

In Kinshasa they had "positive" talks with President Joseph Kabila and the
DRC government. The delegates were Clare Short, the UK International
Development Secretary, Eveline Herfkens, Minister of Development
Cooperation of the Netherlands, and Hilde Frafjord Johnson, Minister of
International Development and Human Rights of Norway. Short told Reuters
that there had been a notable change in mood in the DRC in the past six
months, noting that previously "the atmosphere was extremely negative with
everyone blaming everyone else", she said. "Developments have been stuck,
but now it's different. In both meetings that I had [with the president
and Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu], the atmosphere was very
positive and we were looking for ways forward." [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20687]

Short, Herfkens and Johnson called for the full implementation of the
Lusaka peace accord for the DRC. "We have come to try to drive forward the
Lusaka peace process... and we want to engage our countries and any
influence we've got in just pushing everybody to implement Lusaka. That's
why we're here," said Short on Rwandan Radio on Thursday. "We have all
agreed to stick to Lusaka without any amendments," AFP quoted her as
telling reporters in Uganda on behalf of her counterparts.

Following a closed-door meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on
Wednesday, the trio addressed a press conference in which they hailed
Uganda for "striving to bring peace to the region", the government-owned
newspaper The New Vision reported. "There was a time when we wondered why
Uganda had troops deep inside the Congo, but things have changed since.
His excellency here has ably explained the situation to us. We applaud
Uganda for making the first move to implement the Lusaka accord," The New
Vision quoted Short as saying. Referring to Uganda's partial withdrawal of
its troops from eastern DRC, the paper quoted Frafjord as saying: "This is
a window of opportunity for African leaders to help end crises on this
potentially rich continent. Uganda should be commended for making such
bold steps." [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20915]

DRC: ICJ rejects Belgium's arrest warrant for Ndombasi

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday rejected Belgium's
international arrest warrant for Abdulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, a former
foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for
alleged crimes "constituting grave violations of international
humanitarian law". The Court found that "the arrest warrant of 11 April
2000, and its international circulation, constituted violations of a legal
obligation of the Kingdom of Belgium towards the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, in that they failed to respect the immunity from criminal
jurisdiction and the inviolability which the incumbent Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo enjoyed under
international law." The Court also determined that Belgium "must, by means
of its own choosing, cancel the warrant... and so inform the authorities
to whom it was circulated". The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the
principal judicial organ of the UN. Its judgment in this matter "is final,
without appeal and binding for the Parties".

The case was initiated after Rwandan and Congolese Tutsis alleged that
Ndombasi had incited hatred against them in speeches referring to "vermin"
and "extermination". Ndombasi reportedly made the comments shortly after
Tutsi-led rebels attacked the DRC capital, Kinshasa, in August 1998.
Ndombasi said he was referring to invading forces from Rwanda and Uganda
who backed the revolt, and not to a specific ethnic group. The DRC brought
the matter before the ICJ in October 2000, asking for the immediate
revocation of the warrant against Ndombasi, claiming that it violated the
principle by which one state cannot exert its power on the territory of
another, as well as the principles of sovereign equality and of diplomatic
immunity. Belgium subsequently asked the court to reject the DRC's motion.
[Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=21166&SelectRegion=Great_Lakes
&SelectCountry=DRC; for complete details on the ICJ ruling, go to:
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/ipresscom/ipress2002/ipresscom2002-04_cobe_2
0020214.htm]

DRC: UN aircraft fired on in Kindu

A UN aircraft carrying 14 passengers was fired on when coming in to land
at Kindu, Maniema Province in eastern DRC, on Tuesday. At least one bullet
hit the fuselage, but none of the passengers was hurt, said Hamadoun
Toure, a spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (known by
its French acronym, MONUC), in Kinshasa. "MONUC is the wrong target to
fire at," said UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the
DRC Amos Ngongi, who condemned the attack as unacceptable. He said the
incident looked like "a covert attempt to block or slow down the
installation of the MONUC at Kindu". Kindu, a city surrounded by jungle,
is to be the main base for Phase Three of MONUC's mission, involving the
voluntary disarmament of foreign armed groups in the DRC.

An inquiry into the incident has already begun, and the bullet has been
identified as having been fired from an AK-47 assault rifle. The exact
time when the shot was fired has not so far been determined, but it seems
to have been a few minutes before the aircraft landed.

The first UN troops are due to deploy in Kindu on 20 February. The initial
force will consist of 200 Uruguayan infantrymen and 200 Uruguayan
engineers. They will be reinforced progressively, and up to 2,500 troops
will be deployed for Phase Three during this year.

DRC: RCD rebel group withdraws from Geneva talks

Representatives from the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la
democratie-Goma (RCD-G), withdrew on Thursday from talks being held in
Geneva, accusing President Joseph Kabila's government of failing to
observe the cease-fire agreed in 1999 under the Lusaka peace accord. Four
days into the talks, RCD-G representatives chose to remain silent,
participating merely as observers, while debate concerning future national
institutions, the army, and a transitional period ahead of elections
continued among the other participants.

The UN-sponsored Geneva talks, held between 4 and 7 February, brought
together ministers from the DRC, representatives from the Ugandan-backed
Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC) and from the Rwandan-backed
RCD-Goma. The informal talks were held ahead of the resumption of the
Inter-Congolese dialogue negotiations, due to open in Sun City, South
Africa, on 25 February. [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20522]

DRC-UGANDA: HRW decries ethnic tumult in Ugandan-occupied area

Uganda should be held responsible for grave human rights violations taking
place in territories it occupies in northeastern DRC, Human Rights Watch
(HRW) said on Wednesday. A resurgence of ethnic fighting there has claimed
scores of lives over the last few weeks, and displaced at least 15,000
people. The dispute, rooted in conflict over land, had flared up in an
area contested by three Ugandan-supported Congolese rebel factions - the
Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC), the Rassemblement congolais pour
la democratie-Kisangani (RCD-K), and a lesser-known group, the
RCD-Nationale, the international rights organisation said.

In the light of the discussion due to be held in this week by the UN
Security Council on the Secretary-General's report on the deteriorating
security environment in the DRC, HRW urged the Council "to address the
government of Uganda as an important agent of unrest in the eastern part
in the country, and to hold it liable for the grave rights violations and
massive human suffering taking place in territories under its occupation".
HRW also encouraged MONUC to "exert maximum pressure on local contenders
to cease fighting and [to] send additional military, humanitarian, and
human rights monitors to the area".

Uganda has occupied the area militarily since 1998. Under the terms of the
1999 Lusaka peace agreement, Uganda has withdrawn some troops from the
DRC, but maintained others in the area. "Uganda wants to keep enough
control to continue getting rich from the Congo, but doesn't want to take
responsibility for protecting civilians," said Alison Des Forges, senior
adviser for the Great Lakes region at HRW. Ituri Province is rich in
timber, gold and diamonds, among other resources. [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20919; for further information
and analysis, the background paper "Attacks on Civilians in Ugandan
Occupied Areas in Northeastern Congo" is available from HRW at
http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/bunia0213bkg.htm]

DRC-CAR: WFP extends emergency operation for DRC refugees

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced on 8 February that its
emergency operation for refugees from the DRC in the Central African
Republic (CAR) has been extended to 15 April 2002.

Following a joint food-needs assessment conducted between December 2001
and January 2002, WFP and the office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agreed to continue providing over 5,000
refugees with food aid. Of these, 2,800 are settled in a camp where they
are receiving full rations. The remaining refugees reside in the capital,
Bangui. While most of those in Bangui are considered to be largely
self-sufficient, the assessment mission suggested that 35 percent of them
be given a partial ration to supplement their limited coping capacity,
bringing the total caseload to 5,030.

RWANDA-UGANDA: Bilateral relations improving

Uganda and Rwanda have agreed to allow their respective armies to move
freely in both countries, a Rwandan army spokesman told IRIN on Thursday.
"It is a measure of confidence-building," Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Bosco
Kazura said. "Anyone who wants to move from Rwanda to Uganda and
vice-versa can do so freely." The movements are, however, subject to
notification and identification procedures.

Ugandan Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi held a five-hour meeting in Kigali
on Sunday with his Rwandan counterpart, Colonel Emmanuel Habyarimana, The
New Vision reported. A joint communique issued at the end of the talks
said the two ministers had agreed to nominate military attaches in each
country. The two had also agreed to exchange liaison officers in border
areas, and that there should be regular contacts between the chiefs of
military intelligence of the two countries, The New Vision said. [Full
report at: Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20911]

The Rwandan and Ugandan presidents, Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni, had
"meaningful and fruitful discussions" on Thursday, during a meeting to
reduce tension between the two countries, Kagame said at a press
conference afterwards. Held in Kabale, Uganda, the talks were brokered by
British Development Minister Clare Short. The Rwandan and Ugandan defence
and finance ministers were also present at the meeting. In a joint
communique issued by the presidents afterwards, they said the progress
that had now been made had "led to a significant reduction in tension
between their two countries". They reconfirmed their commitment to "full,
normal relations" between the two countries, and to their "goal of frank
and open discussion of all areas of common interest or potential concern",
while emphasising their desire to resolve misunderstandings through
bilateral channels as opposed to public statements or press articles.
[Full report at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=21167]

REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Twelve candidates for presidential election

Twelve candidates are expected to vie for the presidency of the Republic
of Congo (ROC) on 10 March, Jeune Afrique reported on Tuesday, citing an
interior ministry source, where the applications were received.

Current President Denis Sassou-Nguesso announced his candidacy on 10
February in the capital, Brazzaville. The other candidates are:
Bonaventure Mizidy of the Parti républicain libéral; Kignomba Kia Mbougou
of the Union Panafricaine pour la démocratie sociale, the party of former
President Pascal Lissouba; André Milongo of the Union pour la démocratie
et la république; Luc Adamo Matéta of the Convention pour la démocratie et
la république; Martin Mbéri, former urban minister; Anselme Makoumbou
Nkouka, an independent candidate; Antoine Miété, minister without
portfolio; Côme Manckassa of the Union congolaise des républicains; Angèle
Bandou of the Parti des pauvres; Jean Félix Demba Télo, also an
independent; and Pierre Bouka, "little known in political circles",
according to Jeune Afrique.

The first round of presidential elections will take place on 10 March,
with a second round due to be held on 7 April. Under the new constitution,
approved in January, the president, who is elected by universal suffrage,
may serve two seven-year terms. In accordance with electoral law, all
candidates were examined by a panel of three doctors designated by the
supreme court, and required to submit a deposit of 5 million francs CFA
(US $6,756) to the interior ministry. [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20916]

BURUNDI: Buyoya "100 percent happy" with trip to US, Belgium

President Pierre Buyoya is "100 percent happy" with his 10-day trip to the
US and Belgium, which ended on Wednesday, a presidential spokesman,
Apollinaire Gahungu, told IRIN on Friday. "The purpose of the trip was to
convey a message. Firstly, to brief people on the Burundi peace process
and to ask them to put pressure - diplomatic and political - on the rebel
groups to come to the negotiating table. Secondly, to ask them to
materialise the pledges of US $832 million that were made to Burundi in
Geneva last year." Gahungu added that Buyoya had asked the Bretton Woods
institutions - the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund - to
help Burundi reconstruct its country. He said Buyoya had appealed to the
US administration to put pressure on the institutions to respond
positively.

The Burundi delegation, comprising Buyoya and his ministers of External
Relations and Cooperation, Civil Service, and Finance, had a series of
meetings with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, US Assistant
Secretary for African Affairs Walter Kansteiner, representatives from the
UN Security Council, President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and
World Bank President James Wolfensohn, among others. In both the US and
Belgium, those whom the delegation had approached had promised to do what
they could to find positive responses to Burundi's requests, Gahungu said.
Buyoya was not told what methods would be used to bring the rebel groups
to the negotiating table, but he was told that pressure would be applied,
he said. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=21165]

BURUNDI: Insecurity reported throughout January

The movement of armed rebels into Burundi from Tanzania and the DRC
continued in January, contributing to a volatile security situation
throughout the month, according to humanitarian sources in the capital,
Bujumbura. Reports of such incursions were received from the border
communes of the provinces of Bubanza, Bujumbura Rural, Makamba, Rutana,
Ruyigi and Cankuzo, between 8 and 15 January. During the last week of the
month, skirmishes between Burundi government security forces and an armed
group (which had reportedly crossed over from the DRC) took place only 15
km south of Bujumbura, resulting in fatal casualties, including civilians.
In the provinces of Bubanza and Cibitoke and in Bujumbura Rural,
particularly in areas close to Tenga and Kibira forests, movements of
armed groups continued throughout the month, sources in Burundi told IRIN.

This had resulted in an increased likelihood of ambushes on the national
routes RN5 and RN9, such that on the RN5 in Cibitoke alone, six ambushes
were recorded during the three last weeks of January, resulting in six
deaths and some 10 wounded, they said. In order to drive rebels of the
Forces nationales pour la liberation (FNL) out of Tenga and Kibira
forests, the Burundian government military used heavy artillery and later
employed bulldozers to destroy any existing rebel fighting structures,
according to informed sources. These military operations had caused major
temporary population displacement movements within Bujumbura Rural and
into Bujumbura Mairie. In response, the army distributed firearms to
sections of the population in the outskirts of Bujumbura in mid-January,
they added.

TANZANIA: Critics decry purchase of air traffic control system

Tanzanian civil society organisations on Tuesday criticised President
Benjamin Mkapa's government for "secretly" deciding to purchase a
controversial US $40 million air traffic control system despite criticism
from aid agencies, international financial institutions and Tanzanian
politicians. "We, Tanzanian civil society organisations (CSOs), note with
concern that the negotiations for the radar system have been going on
secretly for a number of years, and a down-payment made, during which time
we and other like-minded organisations have been campaigning for debt
cancellation," a statement released on Tuesday by 10 organisations,
including Action Aid Tanzania and Oxfam (GB) Tanzania, stated. The
statement called for wider participation of the Tanzanian people,
including the country's parliament, in any future Tanzanian government
decisions to take on multilateral, bilateral or commercial debts.

"We strongly condemn the decision by the UK government to issue a licence
to BAe for the radar, an act that is inconsistent with their international
aid, debt relief and sustainable development policies," the statement from
the Tanzanian CSOs said. "We would like to see the demands for public
interest scrutiny such as the radar extended to all major investment
projects," it added. It went on to urge the governments of Tanzania and
the UK, as well as the donor community in general, "to take seriously
their collective commitment to open government and pro-poor policies,
which will fail miserably if such murky deals are allowed to proceed
unsanctioned". [Full report at:
Http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=20848]


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


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