U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

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HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-up 39
26 May - 1 June 2001


CONTENTS:

ERITREA: Dissent in the ruling party
ERITREA: Ten years of freedom celebrated
SOMALIA: Polling in Somaliland referendum proceeds smoothly
SOMALIA: Opposition leaders see Kenyan president
SOMALIA: 19 killed in fighting in the southwest
ETHIOPIA: Marks 10th anniversary of victorious overthrow
ETHIOPIA: New army chief named
ETHIOPIA: Former defence minister arrested for corruption
ETHIOPIA: Academics charged with inciting student riots
SUDAN: Turabi put under house arrest
SUDAN: Government denies rebel capture of garrison town
SUDAN: Peace summit scheduled for June
SUDAN: US in "bold humanitarian gesture" 


ERITREA: Dissent in the ruling party	

Senior members of the Eritrean ruling party, the People's Front for
Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) have, for first time ever, openly criticised
President Isayas Afewerki, who is also party chief, news sources reported
on Thursday

An internal letter addressed to party members containing the unprecedented
criticism was published on an internet web site. It was signed by 15
senior members of the PFDJ central committee, including government
ministers and army generals, according to the BBC. They accused Isayas of
wielding power in an "illegal and unconstitutional manner". They also
accused him of having consistently resisted collective leadership, and of
failing to convene legislative bodies empowered to restrict presidential
powers. They said: "It is obvious that our country is in a crisis. This
crisis is the result of the weaknesses of the PFDJ and the government, and
the invasion of our country by the enemy." 

Among the signatories was Petros Solomon, the PFDJ's deputy leader and
maritime resources minister, AFP reported on Thursday. Others included
Industry Minister Haile Woldetensae, former Interior Minister Mahmud Ahmad
Sherifo and Party Executive Committee member Mesfin Hagos. 

Debates on the manner and direction of Eritrean politics have been going
on behind closed doors, specially since the war with Ethiopia. This,
however, is the first time there has been a public airing of grievances in
the 10 years of independence, according to the BBC. 

ERITREA: Ten years of freedom celebrated

On 24 May, Eritreans celebrated 10 years of independence from Ethiopian
rule. In an address to the nation, Presidents Isayas Afewerki stressed the
need to reduce the size of the army, swollen after the two year border
conflict with Ethiopia in 1998, the pro-government Visafric news agency
said. The demobilisation of enlisted soldiers and their reintegration into
civilian society would reduce government expenditure on the military and
generate economic growth, Isayas said. In a wide-ranging speech, Isayas
also highlighted the fight against corruption: "We should not be
complacent," he warned. "Unless corruption is checked at the outset it
spreads like an epidemic." The continuing democratic and political
development of the country was also high on the agenda, and a draft law on
political parties was currently under public discussion, he said. Isayas
rounded off by praising the Eritrean people for their determination and
steadfastness: "I am confident that the Eritrean people will overcome any
obstacle in the future and defend and build a country that they are proud
of." 

Eritrea, a former Ethiopian province, won independence when the Eritrean
People Liberation Front [EPLF] jointly with Ethiopian liberation forces
defeated the former Ethiopian military dictatorship of Mengistu
Hailemariam in May 1991. An international observed referendum later
established recognition of the new state. 

SOMALIA: Polling in Somaliland referendum proceeds smoothly

Long queues of voters could be seen around polling stations in Hargeysa,
capital of the self-declared state of Somaliland on Thursday.
Pro-referendum demonstrations, with women singing and waving branches,
took place on Wednesday evening and on Thursday. Voters at polling
stations told IRIN they had come to vote "yes" for the "motherland". One
man, who said he would not be voting, said he supported independence, but
complained about the administration of President Muhammad Ibrahim Egal,
saying he feared the president would use the constitution - which includes
an article on the independent status - for "self-interest". 

In Borama, the capital of Awdal Region in the east, the referendum
proceeded peacefully, but was characterised by lively debate among pro-
and anti-referendum camps in restaurants and teashops. A number of the
voters at the Borama polling stations confidently voted "no" without
apparent interference from small groups of armed guards. People in Borama
told IRIN that a group of pro-referendum youths had taken anti-referendum
elders to task on Wednesday night. "It's as much a generational issue as a
clan one," said one student. 
 
Security presence had been increased in Borama town after last week saw a
referendum vehicle stoned, and an anti-referendum demonstration which
ended in about 20 arrests. Borama is inhabited by the Gadurbursi clan, who
have complained that the politically dominant Isaq in Somaliland are
depriving them of resources and representation. 
 
Ahmed Mahmud Muhammad, the Awdal regional governor, told IRIN he felt
confident that people were voting as they wished and were exercising their
democratic choice. "We have agreed locally over the last two days to
maintain good security and to go ahead smoothly," he said. He told IRIN
the ballot boxes would be counted by a committee of four, comprising civil
and local representatives. The results from the region's 90 polling
stations would be submitted to Hargeysa and also to the local authorities.
He said every region "has the right to publicly announce the results of
the referendum". 

Observers from the United States and South Africa watched the procedure at
the polling stations both in Hargeysa and the regions, including Borama
and Erigabo. Voting continued into the evening, and counting will start on
Friday with results expected on Sunday. 

SOMALIA: Opposition leaders see Kenyan president

President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya met Somali faction leaders in Nairobi
to discuss the reconciliation process in Somalia.  A Kenyan government
statement said Moi met faction leaders from the Somali Reconciliation and
Restoration Council [SRRC], on 25 May at Moi's Harambee House office. It
said the "president and members of the council held lengthy discussions on
the way forward to national reconciliation and peace in Somalia". Moi said
Kenya was prepared to assist in any way possible, would call an
all-inclusive meeting of Somali leaders, and "would closely consult
Ethiopia and Djibouti in the process". Local media said the faction
leaders had insisted that the Somali interim president, Abdiqassim Salad
Hassan step down and make way for a more inclusive power-sharing process.

The faction leaders who met Moi included Mogadishu-based Usman Ato and
Muse Sudi Yalahow. Abdullahi Yusuf, the leader of the self-declared
autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, General Muhammad
Sa'id Hirsi Morgan, and General Adan Abdullah Nur, both of the Somali
Patriotic Movement (SPM), were also in Nairobi, Kenyan sources told IRIN. 
The meeting follows a meeting between Moi and the Somali interim president
Abdiqassim, during which the latter requested Moi to assist in the Somali
reconciliation process.

SOMALIA: 19 killed in fighting in the southwest

The Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA), which controls the Bay and Bakol
regions in southwestern Somalia, has denied accusations that its fighters
were involved in fighting which took place in and around Wanle Weyne town,
90 km northwest of Mogadishu, where at least 19 people were killed. 
Muhammed Ali Adan Qalinle, the governor of Baidoa, 240 km northwest of
Mogadishu, told IRIN that the accusations of the Mogadishu-based
Transitional National Government (TNG) were "without foundation". In
telephone call from Baidoa, the headquarters of the RRA and the capital of
Bay Region, Qalinle said: "We had nothing to do with attack. It was
probably a local uprising by people fed up with the TNG." Qalinle accused
the TNG of massing troops in the area, whose "only purpose is to provoke
the local people". 

On Wednesday, however, in a telephone call from Baidoa, Shaykh Adan
Muhammad Nur, the RRA deputy chairman, told IRIN: "It was the RRA which
carried out the attack". He said that the RRA would persevere with its
fight until "we remove the TNG and its supporters from all Digil and
Mirifle lands", of which Wanle Weyne was "part and parcel". He went on to
say that the main road between Mogadishu and Baidoa, which passes through
Wanle Weyne, would be open for traffic "on Fridays only, due to security
concerns on our part". 

ETHIOPIA: Marks 10th anniversary of victorious overthrow

Celebrating 10 years since the overthrow of the former military
dictatorship of Mengistu Hailemariam, President Negaso Gidada of Ethiopia
urged Ethiopians to actively participate in the building of a democratic
culture. He said in his speech on 27 May that no activity could come to
fruition without the participation of the wider public, the official
Ethiopian news agency (ENA) said. Negaso also said efforts were under way
to stamp out corruption: "After successfully reversing Eritrea's
aggression, our government has focused on the fight against corruption." 
Supporting the current administration, he said the Ethiopian People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front [EPRDF]-led government had been working
hard to relieve the country from poverty, and had given priority to the
expansion of primary education and to a prevention-oriented health
service. He called on Ethiopians to "actively engage in the planning and
implementation of the government's plans so that the victories of May 28
could further shine out", he said. 

The EPRDF took power when the former regime was defeated on 28 May,
replacing the notorious Soviet-backed military dictatorship known as the
Derg. 

ETHIOPIA: New army chief named

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has appointed Maj-Gen Samora Yenus,
as the new chief of staff of the Ethiopian army, Ethiopian radio,
monitored by the, BBC reported on 26 May. Yenus replaces the former chief
of staff, Maj-Gen Tsadkan Gebretensay, who was dismissed on 26 May. Also
dismissed was the commander of the Ethiopian air force, Maj-Gen Abebe
Teklehaimanot, but no replacement was named. Tsadkan served as chief of
staff for the past 10 years, while Abebe had held his command for seven
years, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), said on 27 May. The dismissal of the
two generals came as a surprise, since both men played crucial roles in
the Ethiopia-Eritrea war, said DPA. The new chief of staff was formerly
the head of the Ethiopian ground forces.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin was appointed on 22
May chairman of Ethiopian Airlines, the English language 'Addis Tribune',
monitored by the BBC, said on 25 May. The position was previously held by
Siye Abraha, one of the 12 dissidents suspended from the politburo of the
Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), said the paper. 

ETHIOPIA: Former defence minister arrested for corruption

Ethiopian police have arrested some 20 heads of government institutions
and businessmen on suspicion of involvement in corruption, Ethiopian news
agencies reported. The arrests included Siye Abraha, leader of the Tigray
People's Liberation Front (TPLF) dissident group, which recently split
with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling cadre, Ethiopian radio said. The
former defence minister is reportedly accused of using his influence to
gain "special benefits" for his family. His three brothers, Asefa,
Mehretab and Fiseha were also taken into custody. 
  
Diplomatic sources in Addis Ababa told IRIN there was general expectation
that this was just the start of the campaign against corruption and that
it was likely to continue for some time. The crackdown was also likely to
become more political in nature, sources said. The Ethiopian News Agency
(ENA) quoted the office of the prime minister as saying the arrests "would
herald the beginning of a series of steps outlined by the government
against corruption". 

High-ranking officials of the Ethiopian Privatisation Agency - including
Bitew Belay, the former head of the regional affairs bureau in the office
of the prime minister - who had "failed to heed government directives",
had also been arrested, Ethiopian radio said. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
officials Hailu Legese and Mulugeta Gebremedhin had been arrested on
suspicion of issuing illegal loans to businesses and individuals. 
Prominent businessmen were also taken into custody during the roundup,
accused of involvement in the alleged corruption of government officials. 

ETHIOPIA: Academics charged with inciting student riots

Two prominent human rights activists have been charged with attempting to
change the "constitutional order" of Ethiopia by force, the pro-government
Walta Information Centre has reported. Professor Mesfin Woldemariam,
former head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), and Dr Berhanu
Nega, head of the non-governmental Ethiopian Economic Association, were
also charged with being members of an unlawful clandestine organisation,
Walta said. 

The two academics have been detained since 8 May in connection with
April's student unrest in Addis Ababa. They are accused of making
"inflammatory remarks", aimed at dividing students along ethnic lines
during a lecture at Addis Ababa University, and inciting them to riot. 
Both men pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. The Federal High Court has
been adjourned until 1 June to consider the defendants' applications for
bail. 

SUDAN: Turabi put under house arrest

The former parliamentary Speaker and leader of the Popular National
Congress (PNC) opposition party, Hasan al-Turabi, was on Tuesday moved
from prison and placed under house arrest in a government "guesthouse", in
Kafuri suburb, north Khartoum, Muhammad Dirdiery, spokesman of the
Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi told IRIN. Turabi was moved for no other than
"humanitarian reasons", he said. This was something "usually accorded to
politicians in prison", and had "no political significance", he added.

Turabi had been in detention along with a number of his aides since 21
February, the day after he signed a "memorandum of understanding" with the
rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).

Samson Kwaje, spokesman for the SPLM/A in Nairobi, told IRIN that he
feared for the life of Turabi. "It is dangerous for him to be moved. He
was much safer with his colleagues in prison," he said. Kwaje said that
these "so-called guesthouses" were "ghost houses, where political
prisoners are tortured and killed". Kwaje said the international community
should bring pressure to bear on the government of Sudan to give Turabi "a
speedy trial in a court of law". "I am sure he will be acquitted, since he
committed no crime," Kwaje told IRIN.

SUDAN: Government denies rebel capture of garrison town

The Sudanese government has denied claims by the rebel Sudan People's
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), of the capture of the garrison town of
Daym Zubayr (7.43N 26.13E) in Western Bahr al-Ghazal State, in southern
Sudan. Samson Kwaje, SPLM/A spokesman in Nairobi, told IRIN that the town
had fallen on Tuesday. "Daym Zubayr fell at noon [local time] on Tuesday. 
Our forces are in full control," he said.

The Sudanese government rejected the claim, saying that the town was
attacked, but not captured. The deputy head of mission in the Sudanese
Embassy in Nairobi, Muhammad Dirdiery, told IRIN on Wednesday that
fighting was still going on and government forces "have repulsed the
attack". Dirdiery added that he deplored the timing of the attack. "This
is intended to sabotage the halt to air strikes," he said. The Sudanese
government announced on 24 May that it was halting air strikes in southern
Sudan and the Nubah mountains, with effect from 25 May.  According to
Kwaje, the fighting in Daym Zubayr has stopped and people are returning to
the town. 

SUDAN: Peace summit scheduled for June

The Sudanese president, Umar al-Bashir, and the main rebel leader, John
Garang of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) are to
attend a peace summit aimed at ending the country's 18 year civil war. The
meeting, scheduled for 2 June in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi is expected
to include high-level representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia,
Eritrea and Djibouti. The meeting, organised by the Inter-governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD), will be the first peace summit between
the Sudanese government and the SPLA since 1997. SPLA/M spokesman Samson
Kwaje told IRIN that he expected IGAD as a whole would review the peace
process. "We hope the meeting will push the peace process forward," he
said. 

 
During his visit to Kenya on 27 May, US Secretary of State Colin Powell
was quoted as saying that the US was "going to work hard to bring a
ceasefire into effect." Powell, who met Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi,
current head of IGAD, said the US would appoint a special envoy to press
the parties in Sudan to "re-energise" the peace process. 

SUDAN: US in "bold humanitarian gesture" 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the United States' donation of
food aid worth more than US $60 million to help in the fight against
starvation in Sudan. The donation would be used to relieve the suffering
of nearly three million drought- and war-affected communities throughout
the country, WFP said. This followed the announcement on 27 May by US
Secretary of State Colin Powell that the US was pledging 40,000 mt of food
for emergency programmes in the country. 

Emergency food aid was badly needed, as Sudan was entering the hunger-gap
months when food needs were traditionally at their highest, said Masood
Hyder, WFP country representative in Khartoum. "This gift will make the
difference between life and death for tens of thousands of innocent men,
women, and children," he added. "What the US has done is quite remarkable.  
Now they have dramatically increased their commitment in a bold
humanitarian gesture," he said.

Sudan's worst drought in decades has hit hardest the regions of Darfur and
Kordofan, where there have been three consecutive poor rainy seasons,
bringing spiralling malnutrition rates and increased migration to the
urban centres. "We've been scraping together every grain of food we could
find to tide people over, but the situation had really become desperate,
with no significant food shipments in sight," Masood said.

Nairobi, 1 June 2001


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2001
 

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