wfn.org | All Africa News Agency June 9 2003 (a)

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

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
P. O Box, 66878, 00800 Westlands, NAIROBI, Kenya.  Tel: 254-2-4442215,
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Fax: 254-2-4445847, 4443241; Email: aanaapta@insightkenya.com , 
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AANA BULLETIN No. 22/03, June 9, 2003 (a)

NEWS  SECTION

Cases Of Ugly Sexual Assaults Emerge During Testimonies

FREETOWN (AANA) June 9 -  A Kenyan lawyer, Binaifer Nowrojee of the 
Coalition on Women's Human Rights in Conflict Situations (CWHRCS) told the 
Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that sexual 
violence has remained Sierra Leone's invisible war crime.

Nowrojee, who was recently testifying before the Commission during a 
special two-day thematic hearings on sexual violence said, "thousands of 
women were raped during the decade-long war".

The decade-long conflict in Sierra Leone from 1991, resulted in thousands 
of women and girls being subjected to individual and gang rapes, as well as 
to sexual assault with objects such as firewood, umbrellas, and pestles.

The victims of rape were of all ages and cadres of people.  The commission 
also heard that sexual violence was perpetrated by both rebel and 
government forces, but mostly by rebel groups.

According to Human Rights Watch, child combatants raped women who were old 
enough to be their grandmothers.  The rebels raped pregnant and 
breast-feeding mothers. Fathers were forced to watch their daughters being 
sexually assaulted.

Some women were forcefully made "wives" of the combatants.  Young women and 
girls whom the rebels thought were virgins were particularly targeted for 
rape and forced "marriage".

The Canadian based International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic 
Development (CHRD) says "many women were raped so violently that they 
sometimes bled to death".

These hearings will allow the TRC to fully examine and record crimes of 
sexual violence that were inflicted against Sierra Leonean women during the 
conflict.

Sexual violence has remained Sierra Leone's invisible war crime.  Until 
recently, says CHRD, little attention has been paid either nationally or 
internationally to this human rights abuse, although sexual violence was 
committed on a much larger scale than the widely reported amputations for 
which Sierra Leone became notorious.

CWHRCS urged the TRC to ensure an enabling environment that will provide 
rape victims with the comfort and privacy they need to come forward to 
testify.

It also called on the TRC to ensure that the experiences of women during 
the war are fully reflected in their findings and recommendations to the 
government and the international community.

Since 1996, CWHRCS comprised of lawyers, legal scholars, women's rights 
activists and non-governmental organisations concerned with international 
justice, has struggled to expose crimes against women and push for such 
cases to be adequately examined and those responsible prosecuted.

By AANA Correspondent

Television Evangelist Becomes Mwanawasa's Right Hand Man

LUSAKA (AANA) June 9 - Zambia's renowned television evangelist, Dr. Nevers 
Mumba,43, is the new Vice-President of of the country, replacing  Mr. Enock 
Kavindele, sacked by President Levi Mwanawasa at the end of May.

The president did not state the reason for sacking Kavindele, other than 
hinting at "corruption".

Mumba has an honorary doctorate from Flint College in Michigan, USA, which 
he received in 2001. He has no visible political experience.

His appointment has embittered many in President Mwanawasa's cabinet 
because he is viewed as an upstart who crossed over from his own party, 
National Citizens Coalition, to the ruling Movement for Multi Party 
Democracy (MMD) a day before his appointment on May 27.

He is known for his evangelical belief in the salvation of Zambia. With his 
Victories Ministries International, he regularly features on television in 
Zambia, Namibia, Uganda, Canada and South Africa.

He has argued before that Zambia is endowed with plenty of natural 
resources, yet poverty stalks 70 percent of the population.

Many Zambian politicians in the MMD, like veteran politician, Vernon 
Mwaanga, who worked with Kaunda in the cabinet in the 70s, are not the 
least amused by his appointment.

They say the President left out many people who had stood with him in the 
party during difficult times, only to see a newcomer from another party 
become vice-president. They charge that with this move, the President has 
weakened his own party.

Reported by Sam Gonza

UN Criminal Tribunals Could Soon Harmonise Activities

NAIROBI (AANA) June 9 - The spokesman for the United Nations International 
Criminal Tribunal for  Rwanda (ICTR), Roland Amoussouga, last Tuesday said 
that the Arusha-based ICTR and the International Criminal Tribunal for 
Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, Netherlands, will harmonise their work 
within the next few months.

Speaking to journalist in Nairobi, Amoussouga said that this would cut 
costs for ICTR, which has been experiencing financial constraints.

"Transporting witnesses from Rwanda to the Arusha's ICTR offices and The 
Hague has been a nightmare," he revealed, adding, "sometimes the roads 
between Kigali and Arusha are impassable, yet we have to think about the 
security of the witnesses."

The harmonisation will be made possible through joint telecommunication 
projects, which would enable the two tribunals exchange data, and view the 
proceedings live.

The spokesman, aware of past criticisms over the slow pace of the tribunal, 
said it ought to be understood that ICTR came into being in 1994, but it 
started trials in January 1997.

"In 78 months of judicial activities, the ICTR has rendered 11 decisions, 
one every seven months," he explained.

Six people are on life sentence, three on 25 years imprisonment, one on 15 
years jail term, and another two on 12 and 10 years sentences respectively. 
There has been one acquittal.

The tribunal says that out of the 80 people suspected, it has apprehended 
65 of them. A total of 49 people are awaiting trial, three of whom are 
religious leaders. There are a total of 55 people in the United Nations 
detention camp in Arusha.

"This is a significant progress, given that the tribunal does not have an 
army or a police force," said Amoussouga.

Last month, between May 6 and 8, African Union's (AU) Ministerial 
Conference on Human Rights expressed support for ICTR.

The ministers also noted AU's commitment to pursuing those responsible for 
genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But intimating that this was not enough, the ICTR spokesman urged 
governments to also offer material support to the tribunal.

"We need the support of governments. We need their financial commitment. 
Only one African country has financially supported the ICTR," he stated.

Reported by Muuna Wamuli

NRM's Third Term Intentions Irritate Some Christians

KAMPALA (AANA) June 9 - The Catholic Church in Uganda has come out strongly 
against suggested constitutional changes that could result in President 
Yoweri Museveni extending his rule beyond 2006, when his second term ends.

The current Constitution sets a two-term limit for Presidency.	But the 
ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), which is reorganising into a 
political party, is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow 
a head of state to continue leading as long as he was popular. To the 
Catholic Church, this is unacceptable.

Says Rev. Joseph Obunga, Secretary of Uganda Episcopal Conference: "If we 
are to reach where we want, we must make a lasting constitution which can't 
be broken by any person to suit his needs".

Obunga's views come at a time when NRM is faced with mounting opposition 
within its ranks, which led Museveni to purge the cabinet in a bid to 
restore his authority.

Five Ministers, three of whom openly opposed extension of Museveni's 
leadership were sacked on May 23.  The president also inflated his cabinet 
to a staggering 67 ministers, from 46. Most of the appointees are Museveni 
loyalists.

The move is seen as a measure to pave way for easy approval of NRM's 
proposals on constitutional changes in parliament.

The Catholic Church observes that the government has a duty to stick to the 
constitutional rule and follow a democratic path. "We have a national 
constitution and we don't want people to tamper with it," Obunga warns. 
(see feature on Uganda's political situation)

Reported by Crespo Sebunya

Catholics In Kenya Now Set To Launch First Radio Station

NAIROBI (AANA) June 9 - A new FM Radio station owned by the Catholic Church 
in Kenya will soon start operations.

Radio Waumini will be launched on July 6. Waumini is Kiswahili word for 
believers.

The station is expected to beam religious programs from its transmission 
studios situated about 10 kilometres from Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

In an exclusive interview with AANA, Rev. Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana of the 
Comboni Fathers Congregation, said, "The launching of the radio will 
coincide with the marking of the World Communications Day (Sunday, July 
6)".  Fr Kizito has been appointed the director of the radio station.

He noted: "The local bishops are currently mobilising Christians to turn 
out in big numbers in their respective parishes and donate generously on 
that particular Sunday. All proceeds will go towards the radio project".

The Comboni Father disclosed that the church-owned radio station had been 
allocated a frequency of 88.5 on FM (frequency modulation), and will 
transmit within a radius of between 100-120 kilometres.

"We intend to broadcast in English, French and Kiswahili, some of the 
widely spoken languages in East and Central African countries," he said, 
adding, "We intend to co-operate fully with Radio Vatican in terms of 
programming".

Fr Kizito, who is also a renowned journalist here, noted that by launching 
the radio station, the Catholic Church in Kenya would join her counterparts 
in Tanzania and Uganda, who are ahead in that direction.

"In both countries, the Church has managed to launch more than one FM 
Radio," he noted, and added: "Within the Eastern and Central African 
region, only Ethiopia and Eritrea have not yet moved towards that direction".

  Reported by Osman Njuguna

Mass Protests Threaten To Cripple Zimbabwe Further

HARARE (AANA) June 9 - A man died while more than 277 supporters of the 
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested since the 
start of mass demonstrations in Zimbabwe on June 2.

President of MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, was also temporarily detained last 
Monday after he vowed to defy a high court ruling barring the party from 
carrying out the protests.

The first victim of the mass protests is believed to be a supporter of the 
ruling party, and was stoned to death by more than 50 MDC supporters in one 
of the high density areas south of the capital city.

The mass demonstrations were dubbed the "final push", and were aimed at 
removing embattled President Robert Mugabe from power.

Protestors were expected to march from their residential areas and converge 
in the capital before proceeding to the Munhumutapa Building, where the 
president's offices are located.

They were also expected to march to the official residence of the president 
less than three kilometres from the city centre.

These marches were however foiled after some military and police personnel 
were deployed in the high density residential areas, some 48 hours before 
the proposed demonstrations.

Roadblocks were also mounted on all major roads leading to the city centre. 
Only a handful of university students made it to the capital's centre on 
Monday but it did not take long before the police and army details 
descended on them with dogs, tear gas, and water cannons.

Many people have complained of beatings in the streets and in the high 
density suburbs in the aftermath of the foiled protests.

There are allegations that the army and the police are even going from door 
to door looking for suspected MDC supporters.

Nights in the high density suburbs were uncharacteristically quite, which 
is a deviation from the loud noises from beer halls and night clubs, that 
usually punctuate the nights.

But the protests were mainly restricted to the major cities.  There were no 
reports from the rural areas which are the ruling party's strongholds.

Business people responded to the call from the opposition political party, 
and on the start of the proposed protests, less than one percent of 
businesses in the capital's central business district were open.

The situation was the same in the country's second largest city, Bulawayo, 
where business started off at a very low pace.

But following a government threat to withdraw operating licenses from 
traders who remained closed, there was a marked increase in businesses that 
opened on Tuesday and Wednesday.

About 40 percent of the businesses heeded the call to operate, most of them 
being large chain stores and banks.

The mass protests come against a background of high unemployment, a 
hyperinflation, serious shortages of basic commodities, including cash and 
a contracting economy.

The opposition has pointed out that the use of brutal force on the part of 
government had foiled their bid to march into the city centre, but 
maintained that they would regroup and "complete the change".

Reported by Namutatanga Makombe