wfn.org | AANA BULLETIN No. 19/03 - May 19, 2003 (a)

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AANA BULLETIN No. 19/03 - May 19, 2003 (a)

NEWS  SECTION

Nyerere Foundation Unveils Plan For Regional Empire

KAMPALA (AANA) May 19 - Six states in east and central Africa are to form a 
political union within ten years, if recommendations in a report released 
by Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation (MNF) on April 29 are followed through.

The 56-page report, drafted by a team of specialists, led by MNF 
Co-ordinator, Professor Tarshis Kabwegyere, shows how the union will have a 
stabilisation force under a common defence and uniform foreign policy, and 
states that the region's bargaining power on international  issues would be 
enhanced.

The union, if effected, will demilitarise politics, pursue a multi-party 
system of governance and favour free market economy.

MNF has set a five-year timetable, in which three East African nations 
(Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania), will be required to withdraw from Common 
Markets for East and Central Africa (COMESA) and Southern African 
Development Community (SADC) respectively.

Ultimately, the East African Community (EAC) will include Burundi, Rwanda 
and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The report notes that multiple memberships in regional development blocs, 
as has been the case with a number of countries in the region, has its 
limitations, like weakening states instead of empowering them.

"Factionalisation and absence of a common political vision has led to 
multiple membership to regional trade and economic blocs, ....which has 
undermined a common negotiating strategy on international issues," asserts 
the report.

Consequently, the report goes on, many have lost focus, and are vulnerable 
to manipulation, a situation that has compromised sovereignty.

MNF is increasingly becoming a significant vehicle in regional politics. It 
brokered the Burundi peace process, which resulted in a power deal that is 
being followed. Certainly, drafting the union strategy is enhancing its 
position.

But the Foundation came up with the proposal without input of most of the 
other states.

In addition, the plan still hangs in the balance.  The ensuing power 
struggle between Museveni and Kagame has poisoned mood for possible 
discussions on the proposal.

Indeed, the proposing team has already noted that serious challenge that 
would face implementation of the idea, would be the egotistical tendencies 
of leaders in the region.

"There is a leadership deficit expressed in personalisation and 
privatisation of the state, absence of informed and committed political 
opposition and discrepancy between what leaders say and do," the report 
observes.

Reported by Crespo Sebunya

Sub-Regional Countries Move To Mend Severed Relations

OUAGADOUGOU (AANA) May 19 - A two-day visit of a delegation from Burkina 
Faso to Cote d'Ivoire, led by Foreign Affairs Minister, Youssouf Ouedraogo 
(May 9-10) marks a breakthrough in relations between the two countries, 
which had tensed after an insurrection in Cote d'Ivoire last September.

Ivorian authorities have time and again accused Burkina Faso of being 
behind a coup attempt that ended up splitting the country into two.

The conflict between the government and a rebel Patriotic Movement of Cote 
d'Ivoire (MPCI) resulted in the latter taking charge of the north, 
including the second city of Bouake.

"From now on, we must stimulate dialogue in all fronts, so that we avoid 
what happened," said Youssouf Ouedraogo on May 10.

According to the minister, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire have "specific" 
relations in the west African sub-region and "the crisis has shown the 
reciprocating dependence of the two countries".

In a final communiqui at the end of visit, they committed themselves "to 
work closely together towards confidence restoration, by securing their 
common border".

The two countries have also decided to restart commercial and economic 
relations. Burkina Faso government, had closed their border with Cote 
d'Ivoire a day after the beginning of the September mutiny.  The move 
stopped railway traffic between the two countries.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country, and depends largely on the port of 
Abidjan in Cote d'IVoire for imports and exports.

Following the crisis, Burkinabe authorities diverted transit towards Lome, 
Cotonou and Tema in Togo, Benin and Ghana respectively, but not without 
negative consequences in transportation costs.

According to the country's Economic Ministry, the Ivorian crisis has cost 
the national treasury, losses to the tune of US$ 25 million in income, and 
an extra US$ 25 million in expenditure due to transportation.

Besides, Burkina Faso is facing a social crisis, with the return of more 
than 270,000 of its nationals from Ivorian farms. It has more than three 
million nationals in Cote d'Ivoire, who constitute the main labour force 
there.

They return every year, some US$ 140 million back home. But in recent 
years, they have been victims of harassment after being accused of backing 
main opposition leader in Cote d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, alleged to have 
Burkina Faso origins.

Reported by Brahima Ouedraogo

Govt Wholesale Ban On Meat Products Causes Major Uproar

BLANTYRE (AANA) May 19 - Malawi's ministry of agriculture has instituted a 
blanket ban on meat and its products from major cattle producing districts 
along the Shire River valley, due to a foot and mouth disease outbreak 
reported in parts of the lower southern districts.

Senior officials in the ministry of agriculture, who are engaged in a war 
of words with private sector in the meat industry over the surprise ban, 
say they have taken samples from infected animals to determine the type of 
vaccine to be administered, in order to contain spread of the outbreak. As 
at going to press, no figures of infected or dead animals had been made 
available.

Cattle farmers in the Lower Shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa, blame 
the government for announcing a ban without consulting other stakeholders, 
saying it was only a small part of Nchalo area in Chikwawa district that 
was affected.

The disease, according to veterinary officials, was contracted from 
buffaloes at the Lengwe National Park in Chikwawa.  Local cattle farmers 
have erected road blocks around their areas, while others restrict their 
herds in pens.

The ban, which the agriculture ministry says will be in effect for six 
months, has prompted an outcry from players in the beef and animal products 
industry.

"I was counting on selling my three head of cattle to assist my family, 
only to be put off on the eleventh hour," complained Maliko Zambaza of
Nsanje.

Butchers, meat suppliers and shops complain of dwindling meat supplies in 
the commercial city of Blantyre.

Gwira Issa, a prominent cattle farmer, accused the government of 
over-reacting, saying that it was only a 15 kilometre radius that was 
affected.

He argued that it was therefore unfair to restrict movement of livestock 
and meat products from all quarters.

"We are really devastated because the six months ban will cripple our 
businesses," said Issa, whose farm slaughters up to 50 head of cattle each
day.

Principle secretary in the ministry of agriculture, Dr Ellard Malindi, 
confirmed that the ban will stay for a six-month period to prevent 
neighbouring tea and coffee growing districts of Thyolo and Mulanje, also 
in southern Malawi, from being affected.

Malindi said authorities were not only fearing for meat but other products 
as well, saying the outbreak could affect Malawi's other exports to the 
outside world.

"The danger is that our tea or tobacco may not be accepted on the 
international market - that is why the ban will remain in place until the 
situation improves," asserted Malindi.

Reported by Hobbs Gama

Rwanda Unveils National Programme Against Blindness

KIGALI (AANA) May 19 - The government of Rwanda has unveiled its five-year 
programme to fight blindness in the country.

It is believed that there are 65,000 blind people in Rwanda, including 
32,400 caused by cataracts. The other causes are glaucoma and children's 
blindness.

The plan was unveiled here by the Minister For Health, Professor Abel 
Dushimirimana on April 25.

According to Dr Jean Nkurikiye, an ophthalmologist at Kanombe military 
hospital, besides the cataract problem, there is also "Vitamin A deficiency 
among children, which is serious and should be addressed".

The five-year programme will cost some US$ 3 million and will in the first 
phase, focus on the training of personnel, nurses specialised in 
ophthalmology and senior technicians.

"The World Health Organisation advises countries to have an eye specialist 
for every 500,000 people. Here we have four eye specialists treating eight 
million people in public hospitals," Dr Nkurikiye said, adding, "There is, 
in addition, need to train heads of health centres," said Dr Jean Nkurikiye.

"In the second phase, we shall focus on some hospitals and equip them. In 
the third phase, a mobile team will be set up so as to allow the population 
have access to the eye centre."

Although cataract formation and vitamin A deficiency are the main causes of 
blindness in Rwanda, most of blindness in Africa is caused by river 
blindness and trachoma.

Trachoma is the cause of blindness in more than 6 million people 
world-wide. Some 10 percent of the world population are at risk.

Rwanda is the first country in the Great Lakes region (Burundi, Rwanda and 
Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC) to focus on the prevention of 
blindness. Burundi and DRC have been experiencing wars, thus relegating 
health problems to secondary level.

Reported By Charles Bigirimana

Tsvangirai's Defence Team Takes Key Witness To Task

HARARE (AANA) May 19 - Treason trial against Zimbabwe's opposition leader, 
Morgan Tsvangirai, reopened Monday, May 12, with defence council claiming 
that police had suppressed evidence to prove that key state witness, Ari 
Ben-Menashe, lied about the alleged plot to assassinate President Robert 
Mugabe last year.

Tsvangirai's trial has attracted much media attention since it started in 
February this year, and has a bearing on political developments in the
country.

If convicted, Tsvangirai, President of the Movement for Democratic Change 
(MDC), together with his two alleged accomplices, Professor Welshman Ncube 
and Renson Gasela, face a maximum death penalty.  The two are also MDC 
party officials.

The state alleges that the trio approached Ben-Menashe of Dickens and 
Madison, a Canadian-based consultancy firm, to assassinate Mugabe in the 
run up to last year's presidential elections.

The defence, led by South African advocate, George Bizos, has maintained 
that the key state witness had set up the accused with the assistance of 
the Government.

An audio-video tape was broadcast widely in the country as one of the major 
pieces of evidence against the opposition leader. Tsvangirai was allegedly 
captured on video, holding discussions with Ben-Menashe over assassination 
plans.

Five state witnesses have been cross-examined so far. The accused trio 
surrendered their travel documents to the High Court, a move that is likely 
to have a bearing on ongoing efforts by African leaders to reopen talks 
between the opposition party and the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union 
- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).

Tsvangirai is expected to visit Malawi for talks with President Bakili 
Muluzi.  It is anticipated that there could be political intervention to 
let him get his travel documents to facilitate this trip.

Just over a fortnight ago, presidents Muluzi, Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun 
Obasanjo of Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria respectively, visited the 
country after which it was hinted that talks between ZANU-PF and MDC could 
be reopened. Earlier negotiations between the two parties had aborted last 
month.

Reported by Ntamutatanga Makombe