wfn.org | AANA BULLETIN No. 18/03 May 12, 2003 (b)

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

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AANA BULLETIN No. 18/03  May 12, 2003 (b)

Liberation Movements Finally Unite Under One Command

KAPOETA, Sudan (AANA) May 12 - Requirements by a Nairobi Declaration on 
Unity, Peace and Reconciliation, signed on January 6, 2002 between Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and Sudan People's Democratic 
Front (SPDF), have finally been fulfilled.

SPLM/A and SPDF have agreed to work under a single command.  The final seal 
was made at a three-week long workshop (April 6-30) organised by the SPLM/A 
Peace Desk, and attended by what was described as the "greater" Upper Nile 
political and military leadership.  It was held in Kapoeta County in 
Eastern Equatoria, in southern Sudan.

The Nairobi Declaration on Unity, Peace and Reconciliation had called for 
unity among southern Sudanese. The merging of activities of SPLM/A and SPDF 
was listed as one way of achieving this.

The latest move therefore, signals an achievement to this 
process.  Participants agreed that the SPLM/A and SPDF will be unified 
under one command. This means that all the former SPDF forces will be 
organised to take orders from one commander (to be appointed soon) in the 
Upper Nile region.

Integration of SPDF soldiers into SPLM/A was completed last year, but 
command remained separate. Other resolutions adopted at the workshop for 
immediate action include the appointment of a fresh team to run the new 
Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC).

Early this year, Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SRRA) and 
Relief Association for Southern Sudan (RASS) merged to form SRRC. The two 
were formerly relief wings of SPLM/A and SPDF respectively.

The workshop was attended by among others, SPLM/A chairman 
and  commander-in-chief,  Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the deputy chairman, 
Dr.Riek Machar, and Secretary General, commander James Wani Igga.

The resolutions and recommendations of the workshop will be presented at a 
forthcoming Upper Nile Regional Congress, scheduled for May 30, 2003.

Reported by Makur Kot Dhuor

World's Largest Crocodile To Become A Tourist Attraction

BUJUMBURA (AANA) May 12 - The world's largest crocodile, which was recently 
discovered by a French environmentalist, Patrice Faye, on the Burundi side 
of the Rusizi Delta, will soon become a tourist attraction in the country.

The seven metre long reptile, weighing about a tonne, is believed to be 
between 80 and 100 years old.

Gustave, as the environmentalist named it, has devoured 17 known people 
this year alone. It is believed that it has been feeding on human flesh, 
mainly swimmers, for the last 30 years.

A documentary titled Discovery and Attempt to Capture Gustave, has already 
been produced by a French team called Gedeon Programme.  Another, titled If 
Gustave Was Captured, is in preparation.

The French team has failed twice to capture the crocodile. There are plans 
to make a third attempt during the period between May and December, when 
crocodile males eat and move less, while waiting for females. The best time 
is believed to be when there are no rains, when water levels are low.

Gustave is already attracting tourists despite the war on both sides of 
Rusizi River, along Burundi's border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Two Burundi rebel groups, the National Council for Defence of 
Democracy-Forces for Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), and the Party for 
Liberation of Hutu People (Palipehutu-FNL), are fighting government forces.

Environmentalists have already embarked on rehabilitation of Rusizi natural 
reserve - at the border between Burundi and the DRC - by clearing up roads 
leading to Gustave's habitat, as well as hiring uniformed guards.  There 
are hopes that the capture of Gustave will generate publicity for the
reserve.

Reported by Charles Bigirimana

Presidential Visits, Talks, Cause Political Speculation

HARARE (AANA) May 12 - Talks between an African troika comprising 
presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Bakili Muluzi of Malawi, and 
Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and Zimbabwe's major political parties, have 
raised speculations.

The talks, which were held here separately on May 5, were, according to 
President Obasanjo, aimed at resolving an impasse between the ruling 
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the 
opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

It is also hoped that the two parties will reopen talks, which aborted last 
year in April. "What we have come to try and do is to get the negotiations 
to resume," said Obasanjo.

He went on: "We are delighted that both President Robert Mugabe and his 
government are anxious for the resumption of negotiations. They raised 
points which I believe can be ironed out. We met Morgan Tsvangirai, and he 
and his people are anxious to get negotiations resumed."

There was so much talk about the visit, with some media reports suggesting 
that it was aimed at negotiating for an exit plan for President Mugabe. 
Many Zimbabweans believe that the resumption of talks would help resolve 
the country's worst economic crisis.

There is massive fuel shortage resulting from a foreign currency crisis, 
and a serious scarcity of the basic commodities, which when available on 
the black market, are exorbitantly priced.

Unconfirmed figures show that the level of unemployment has reached 70 
percent. The official rate of inflation is 228 percent.

Last year's talks between ZANU-PF and MDC aborted following a number of 
differences between the two political parties. The talks were aimed at 
reaching an agreement, following acrimony that had intensified between the 
parties in the run-up to last elections.

MDC argued that the presidential elections held in March 2002 were flawed, 
and there was need for a re-run. The party had already filed papers in the 
High Court, seeking nullification of the election results.

MDC also wanted treason charges levelled against the party's president, 
Morgan Tsvangirai, Secretary General, Welshman Ncube, and Benson Gasela, 
dropped.

The three had been accused of plotting to kill Mugabe before the 2002 
elections.  ZANU-PF on the other hand, argued that they would only engage 
in serious talks after the opposition accepted election results.

Reports say that officials of both parties have been meeting leaders from 
within the region to find ways of including the opposition in a 
transitional government, after an exit plan for the president is finalised.

The ruling party has, however, dismissed this as "wishful thinking", 
arguing that the president will complete his term of office, which ends in 
2008.  President Mugabe has indicated that he might retire, but his fear 
was that there would be infighting within his party.

In a widely televised interview to mark the country's 23rd anniversary last 
month, the president said he encouraged debate on the issue of succession.

Reported by Nyamutatanga Makombe
Widespread, Heavy Rains Leave Trails Of Grave Damage

NAIROBI (AANA) May 12 - Heavy rains have continued to pound most parts of 
Kenya, killing more than 30 people and displacing thousands.

Among those killed is a Member of Parliament (MP), who drowned on May 1, 
when a car he was travelling in was swept away by floods.

The MP, James Mutiso, drowned with two other people he was with, in Mbakoni 
River, 70 Km from Machakos town.  Machakos is about one hour drive to the 
South East of Nairobi.

A District Commissioner narrowly escaped death on April 29 when his vehicle 
was swept away 30 feet down a river in West Pokot, in the Rift Valley
province.

More than 4,000 people have been left homeless as rivers burst their banks, 
resulting to extensive flooding, following torrential rain in western Kenya 
and the North Rift.

Among regions worst hit are Budalangi and Nyando in Western and Nyanza 
provinces respectively. These are perennial flood areas.

Semi-arid North Eastern province in East of Kenya has also been affected, 
after most seasonal rivers burst their banks and flooded homes, displacing 
hundreds of pastoralists.

Thousands of refugees have also been made homeless after the rains 
destroyed shelters in Dadaab refugee camp in north-east Kenya.

Several refugees' homes in two of the three camps in Dadaab; Ifo and 
Dagahaley, collapsed on May 1 due to heavy rains. The two camps house more 
than 60,000 refugees, mainly from neighbouring Somalia.

"There have been no flood-deaths but considerable damage has been 
caused.... Several structures have collapsed or have been washed away," 
said UNHCR Representative in Kenya, George Okoth-obbo, in a press statement.

Meteorologists predict that the rains will continue in several parts of the 
country, to end of the month. "Rains may stop in a month in some areas, 
while in others, it may subside within the next two weeks," said Samuel 
Muchiri, an official of the Meteorological Department here.

In a telephone conversation with AANA, Muchiri observed last week that in 
highlands East of the Rift Valley including Nairobi, rains will subside 
towards end of this week, stating, "Come end of the month, there will be no 
rain in these regions."

In western Kenya, rains will continue into June, but will fall at a reduced 
rate, he said, and added: "Flooding will also reduce as the rains subside."

Responding to damage caused by the floods, Vice-President, Kijana Wamalwa, 
last week (May 6) launched an emergency fund to assist flood victims.

In the same vein, relief agencies and church organisations have responded 
to the crisis by providing items such as shelter materials, cloths, drugs 
and food to those affected.

UNICEF has donated relief items including drugs and mosquito nets, worth 
US$17,500 to flood victims in western Kenya.

Reported by Joyce Mulama

SPECIAL REPORTS

As the All Africa Conference of Churches marked its 40th Anniversary on May 
3-4, critical issues about Africa's development took centre stage of the 
presented reflections. They included concerns of the New Partnerships for 
Africa's Development (NEPAD), and regrets over the continent's widespread 
donor dependency syndrome, as higlighted in the following reports.

New Wave Of Terrorism, Militarism, May Thwart NEPAD

NAIROBI (AANA) May 12 - The world has been plunged into an international 
crisis marked by terrorism and militarism. As a result, the momentum 
towards realisation of NEPAD dream has been interrupted.

This observation was made in Nairobi by Rev Dr Frank Chikane, the Director 
General in the Office of the President of South Africa.

Dr Chikane was guest speaker at a fundraising dinner and celebrations of 
the 40th anniversary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) on May
3.

Dr Chikane, who is also Secretary to the South African Cabinet, recalled 
that "the newly born baby called NEPAD was tempered by the new dark cloud 
of the tragic event of September 11."

Said he: "For about a year, many of us who were in the engine room of this 
noble African project, hoped against hope that the response to the 
September 11 and the possible consequences would not put this noble African 
project on the back burner, and thus set us back many years".

Dr Chikane noted that events of the last six months suggested that "what we 
feared would happen is about to engulf us.  New forms of terrorism and war 
as a means of resolving human problems have returned."

In war and terrorism, he added, "moral standards become re-calibrated to 
lower levels. Here, the noble ideas of human rights are bound to be the 
first casualty."

Dr Chikane expressed fear that "our little light of hope could be smothered 
by the weight of this new international crisis.  The reality is that this 
is no ordinary crisis.	It is a kairos, a moment of truth, which calls on 
all of us to make choices and act decisively".

Referring to Africa renaissance, he said, "we need to put all we can into 
believing that the Lord will make a way for it to survive.  Statements made 
by the major players in the crisis of our time suggest that our course is 
so morally correct, that even in the midst of all this, none can find fault 
in it."

He went on, "let me reiterate that our course is a just one.  It is a moral 
one.  It is people oriented.  It represents the basic thrust of the message 
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.	Accordingly, we are called upon to 
pursue it with all that which the Lord gives us."  This, he said, was the 
challenge for the Church in Africa.

Church leaders from all over Africa attended the anniversary 
celebrations.  Diplomatic and business communities were among guests at the 
event.

Rev. Chikane recalled that the environment within which the new African 
continent was born was not a levelled playing field, both within the 
continent and internationally.

At international level, the Cold-War was intensifying at the time, forcing 
African countries to take sides between the East and West, between 
socialism and capitalism.  This resulted in proxy wars and conflicts, whose 
theatre was in lands other than of the main protagonists.

He observed that other external strategic interests like oil, diamonds and 
other minerals became part of the 'curse' of the African continent.  Where 
Africa was endowed with such precious mineral deposits or oil, it never had 
peace.

Within the continent, Africa had to contend with leaders who were good 
students of their colonial masters. They established oppressive and 
exploitative regimes, which served their own self-interests and those 
of  external forces, rather than its people.

At the end, many Africans were subjected to enormous pain and suffering, 
many died, millions were displaced and others turned into refugees, he noted.

"All this led many parts of Africa on a path of further regression and 
degradation, rather than development and growth.  Fortunately, prophetic 
and progressive voices within and outside the Church and African societies 
were always there to keep the vision for a free, united, just and 
prosperous Africa," he said.

Currently, he said, Africa was mopping up remaining pockets of conflicts. 
He added that what was now required was a culture of good governance, 
respect for human rights, and good corporate governance in the private 
sector, among others.

Reported by Mitch Odero