wfn.org | ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY 09/03 March 10, 2003 (a)

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY 09/03 March 10, 2003 (a)

P. O Box, 66878, 00800 Westlands, NAIROBI, Kenya
Tel: 254-2-4442215, 4440224
Fax: 254-2-4445847, 4443241
Email: aanaapta@insightkenya.com , aanaapta@hotmail.com
AANA Bulletin	-  Acting  Editor -Elly Wamari				     
  
Bulletin APTA -  Acting Editor - Silvie Alemba

NEWS  SECTION

Relief Situation In Liberia Becomes More Complex

MONROVIA (AANA) March 10 - Conflict in Ivory Coast and recent fighting in 
Liberia, between the government and a rebel force, Liberians United for 
Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), have worsened the already complex 
humanitarian crisis in the country.

According to reports, recent fighting over the past weeks in Liberia has 
forced close to 36,000 people to flee their homes and head towards refugee 
camps in the capital, Monrovia.

Close to 190,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are already housed in 
these camps. The fighting in Ivory Coast in turn, has forced thousands of 
Liberians who had been living as refugees there to flee back home, 
consequently increasing the number of IDPs in Liberia.

In response to the crisis, church organisations in the country have come up 
with a co-ordinated response to assist the IDPs and refugees from 
neighbouring countries in Liberia.

They are the Lutheran World Federation/World Service (LWF/WS), Lutheran 
Church in Liberia (LCL), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and 
the Liberia Council of Churches/United Methodist Church (LCC/UMC).

The organisations are members of a global humanitarian alliance, Action by 
Churches Together (ACT-International).	They have issued an appeal 
totalling US$ 2,099,170.

Their assistance will mainly focus on camp management, shelter, water and 
sanitation, social services, food and non-food item distribution, health 
services, trauma counselling, education and agriculture.

"The very high number and sudden influx of displaced people coming into the 
existing camps require that thousands sleep in the open and compete for the 
community's very scarce resources," says Charles Pitchford, the 
representative of LWF/WS in Liberia.

Pitchford says food rations have been cut in an attempt to make the present 
World Food Programme stocks last. "The vast scarcity of safe water poses a 
serious potential problem, which will result in water-borne diseases from 
unsafe drinking." Of grave concern is the possibility of measles and 
cholera outbreaks.

According to United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the 
situation is expected to worsen, as thousands of Ivorian refugees and 
Liberian returnees wait in limbo along border points for an opportunity to 
flee Ivory Coast into Liberia.

Reported by Callie Long
ACT Communications Officer

Human Rights Body Condemns  'Unfair'  Executions In Uganda

KAMPALA (AANA) March 10 - Amnesty International has condemned last weeks 
cold-blood execution of three Uganda soldiers. The human rights 
organisation has also expressed concern over death penalty policy that 
Uganda army has adopted as an "expedient form of punishment".

In a terse press release on March 6, the organisation accused Ugandan 
government of failing to prevent unfair trials within the army (Uganda 
People's Defence Force), saying the executions were carried out in a hurry, 
and denied the accused chances of seeking appeal.

"The manner in which these men were tried and the speed with which their 
executions were carried out, without any possibility of appeal, constitutes 
a denial of the men's right to a fair and independent judicial process," 
said Amnesty.

According to the press release, two of the executed soldiers, Privates 
Kambacho Ssenyonjo and Alfred Okech, were sentenced after a two-day court 
martial near Kitgum in northern Uganda, and executed an hour after the 
sentences.  They had no legal representation.

The two had been accused and found guilty of having killed three civilians 
(Charles Labeja, Patrick Olum and Peter Ayela on January 4, this year.

Their colleague, Private Richard Wigiri, was executed earlier the same day 
(March 3) by a firing squad in the same area (near Kitgum), after being 
found guilty of having murdered Monica Achiro, also a civilian, in December 
2002.

Last year, Corporal James Omeido and Private Abdullah Muhammed, were 
executed in public in the same manner, after a military court found them 
guilty of killing Irish priest, Rev Fr Declan O'Toole, his driver, Patrick 
Longoli, and his cook, Fidel Longole.  The court martial had lasted only 
two hours.

In view of these, Amnesty said: "The unfair trial and execution of the 
soldiers is in violation of Uganda's obligations to observe internationally 
recognised fair trial standards, as contained in the International Covenant 
on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' 
Rights."

Reported by Elly Wamari

Church Leaders Ask Warring Parties To Respect Peace Pacts

PRETORIA (AANA) March 10 - A meeting of Sudanese church leaders in South 
Africa ended on February 26 with fresh calls for respect of agreements 
signed so far in the ongoing peace talks in Kenya.

They cited lack of transparency on the part of negotiating parties as an 
issue to worry about.

"The war in Sudan must stop now-our people have died," said Sudanese Bishop 
Paride Taban, in an address to Ambassador Jesse Duate of the South African 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bishop Taban went on to stress the urgent need to conclude nearly 20 years 
of civil war in Sudan, with a just and sustainable peace agreement for the 
entire country.

Bishop Taban spoke at the Eighth Assembly of Sudan Ecumenical Forum 
(February 24-26) in Bronkhorstspruit, near Pretoria in South Africa.

The meeting brought together more than 60 senior representatives of 
churches in the Sudan and their international partners.

Participants affirmed support to the ongoing Sudan peace process, and 
acknowledged the significant progress made at the talks between the 
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's  Liberation Movement/Army
(SPLM/A).

"We welcome the framework agreement and in particular, the incorporation of 
the right of self-determination for the people of South Sudan," said the 
church leaders.

"We strongly commend the cessation of hostilities achieved in most parts of 
the South,  and urge that it be fully respected .... while the parties 
strive to achieve a successful conclusion to the peace talks," they stated 
in a communiqui adopted at the end of the meeting.

The communiqui stresses the need for a peace agreement that covers the 
entire Sudan, including the so-called contested areas of Nuba Mountains, 
Abyei and Funj.

It however, draws attention to some of the obstacles for a lasting 
settlement to the war. In particular, the delegates were troubled by recent 
reports of violations of the cessation of hostilities pact.

Based on information from parties in Sudan, the delegates warned of 
accelerated mobilisation and troop recruitment by the warring parties.

"This is lack of transparency within the negotiating parties.  It calls for 
a need for wider participation to achieve a greater sense of ownership of 
an eventual agreement," the participants observed.

The church leaders committed themselves to continue actively supporting the 
peace process, and recommended that wider sections of Sudanese society be 
given opportunities to influence the peace talks and take part in the 
formulation of an inclusive vision for a post-conflict Sudan.

The Sudanese church leaders and their international ecumenical partners met 
to reflect on the continuing conflict in Sudan, and their on-going efforts 
towards achieving a just peace in the country.

Held at the invitation of the South African churches, the Assembly was 
informed and inspired by experiences of the struggle of the South African 
people and their churches.

This experience highlighted the essential role of united ecumenical action 
and co-operation with other faith groups in transforming conflict-ridden 
societies.

Among church leaders present at the assembly were Archbishop Joseph Marona, 
Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Archbishop Paulino Lokudu Loru, 
President of the Sudan Catholic Bishops  Conference, and Rev.Taban 
Andarago, chair of the Sudan Council of Churches SCC of Khartoum, Sudan.

Others were Fr Mark Kumbonyaki, chair of the New Sudan Council of Churches 
based in Nairobi, Kenya, and Rev Eberhard Hitzler of the Sudan Ecumenical
Forum

Reported by Makur Kot Dhuor

Botswana Govt Defends Mineral Exploration Plans

GABORONE (AANA) March 10 - Botswana government has responded angrily to 
accusations that it is relocating Bushmen to clear way for diamond mining.

This follows revelations by Survival International (SI), an international 
human rights organisation, that linked the removal of the San Bushmen from 
the country's Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), to the recent financing 
of a diamond exploration concession in the game sanctuary.

Kalahari Diamond Limited, a company with a Botswana diamond exploration 
license was in mid February given US$2 million by the International Finance 
Corporation (IFC), to explore diamonds in the country. IFC is part of the 
World Bank.

In a strong worded statement by Clifford Maribe, the assistant director of 
information and research in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
International Co-operation, the government dismissed the claims as a dirty 
attempt by SI to misinform, mislead and deceive unsuspecting international 
public on the government's policy towards development needs of the Bushmen.

"There is no connection between the relocation exercise in the CKGR and 
mineral exploration in that area," said Maribe.

He said this was an attempt to discredit the country's diamond industry, 
which was the main source of prosperity and means to provide for the 
welfare and developmental needs of all Batswana, "including the Basarwa 
(Bushmen)".

"Should a commercially viable deposit be discovered in the CKGR, the merits 
and demerits of mining will be assessed," said Maribe.

He added that the relocation exercise was intended to alleviate poverty and 
empower the Bushmen, as well as to avoid land use conflicts within the CKGR.

"Allowing for permanent settlements, the growing of crops and rearing of 
livestock inside the game reserve would not be compatible with the 
government's aims of preserving wildlife resources within the game 
sanctuary," said Maribe.

He dismissed claims that the government forcefully relocated the Bushmen, 
saying it was done in consultation with the people residing in the game 
reserve, non-governmental organisations and interested parties.

"The people who relocated consented to the [exercise] and even selected the 
areas where they wished to resettle," he said.

He said only 17 Bushmen from a total of 689 who resided in the CKGR in 
2001, remain in the game sanctuary, and the government was continuing with 
efforts to persuade them to relocate.

However, there has been precedence for relocations of communities from 
protected areas in the country.

The government has relocated non-Bushmen communities such as the Mababe, 
who were moved from Moremi Game Reserve, near the resort town of Maun in 
north-western Botswana.

But it is currently locked in controversy with the Wayeyi community of the 
Okavango Delta, south of Maun.

The Wayeyi have appealed to the UN General Assembly for intervention, 
following allegations that they are being moved from the delta to make way 
for tourism projects that will only "benefit the rich".

Reported by Rodrick Mukumbira