wfn.org | All Africa News Agency Mar 31 03 (a)

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

AANA BULLETIN No. 12/03 March 31, 2003 (a)

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	- Acting  Editor -Elly Wamari				     
  
Bulletin APTA - Acting Editor - Silvie Alemba

NEWS  SECTION

Continued Tension In Region May Soon Spark Off War

KIGALI (AANA) March 31 - Continued tension between Rwanda and Uganda may 
soon erupt into violent confrontations.

Rwanda has threatened to send back troops to north-eastern Democratic 
Republic of Congo (DRC), if the international community fails to secure 
withdrawal of Ugandan forces from the region.

"If the international community has found it acceptable for Uganda to 
return to DRC... then it is legitimate that Rwanda should go back to DRC to 
contain this new situation," said Rwanda's foreign ministry in a statement 
issued March 14.

Rwanda, suspecting that Uganda is providing military training for Hutu 
militiamen involved in the 1994 genocide, has now openly accused Kampala of 
siding with Kinshasa in planning attacks on its territory.

The country is also accusing Ugandan army of advancing to occupy positions 
previously held by Rwandan troops in DRC.

Authorities here say that Congolese forces, Ugandan troops and Hutu 
militiamen, armed with tanks and heavy artillery, have been deployed in the 
eastern towns of Beni and Butembo, close to the border with Uganda.

The current crisis has been sparked by recent fighting between Uganda 
People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) 
rebel group in DRC.  UPC is  backed by Rwanda.

The Ugandan army announced on March 13 that it had increased its troops in 
key towns in north-eastern DRC.

This is in contravention of a February 11 accord between presidents Yoweri 
Museveni of Uganda and Joseph Kabila of DRC, in which Uganda agreed to 
withdraw all its troops from DRC by March 20. The deal was signed in Dar es 
Salaam.

Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, said recently that diplomatic channels 
would be used to avert crisis, but warned that Rwanda's security would not 
be compromised if the latest development failed to be resolved amicably.

"History has it as to who created all the factions in that part of Congo. 
Those making the allegations against Rwanda are the very ones responsible 
for the chaos going on right now," he said. (see related story on page 5)

Reported by Geoffrey Kaiza

Serious Brain Drain Hits Malawi's Ailing Health Sector

BLANTYRE (AANA) March 31 - While Malawi's health sector is already hurt by 
shortage of drugs due to constrained government budget, and a rising death 
toll because of HIV/AIDS, an exodus of medical personnel to richer western 
nations is threatening to cripple the already ailing sector.

Recent records show growing numbers of trained nurses and radiography 
technicians leaving en masse for either United States or United Kingdom in 
search of better terms, frustrating government's efforts to improve the 
patient-doctor ratio.

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) says all hospitals around the 
country, including Lilongwe Central Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central 
(both major referral centres), have been affected by massive departure of 
nurses.

Lilongwe Central, which treats over 1,000 patients a day, has only 209 
nurses. This is less than half the required 471.

Hospital authorities claim Malawian enrolled nurses and graduates from 
Kamuzu College of Nursing were much preferred in the US and UK, because 
their training was similar to that offered in the two western countries.

Minister for health, Yusufu Mwawa bemoans the situation, which he says, was 
getting worse by the day.

He regrets that medics were leaving at a time when Malawi stood among 
countries hard-hit by HIV/AIDS.  "The brain-drain is not good for the 
country at all," says Mwawa.

As one way of countering the problem, the ministry of health has embarked 
on training of auxiliary nurses, which are not as marketable to the outside 
world as the other medics.  They are referred to as "home-grown".

There are also plans to double the intake of student nurses and other 
health personnel in government institutions.

Malawi is among developing countries that registered their concerns to the 
British government about the brain-drain at a Commonwealth meeting last 
March. The countries requested for funding to train more medics to relieve 
the effects of nurses travelling abroad.

Public Relations Officer at the British High Commission in Malawi, Michael 
Nevin, said that in 2001, the department of health in Britain introduced a 
code of practice to prevent targeted recruitment of health workers from 
developing countries.

They did this after recognising the impact such a drain had on health 
services of less developed countries.

"My country's National Health Sevice therefore does not recruit nurses from 
certain countries including Malawi," said Nevin.

He added that UK's Department for International Development (DFID) was 
working to gather evidence on the exact nature and scale of the problem 
before taking action.

While the government is pleading with medical staff to stay, the workers 
cite poor salaries, lack of overtime allowances and unfavourable labour 
laws, as reasons compelling them to go abroad.

For the past few years, there have been protracted disagreements between 
civil servants and government over salary increments and improved working 
conditions.  The health sector has suffered much of these.

Commenting on the brain-drain, chief executive of the Nurses and Midwives 
Council of Malawi, Joan Makoza, said the exodus frustrates those left in 
the system, as there were too few nurses looking after increasing numbers 
of patients.

Reported by Hobbs Gama

Talks On Disputed Sudan Regions Adjourn Quietly

NAIROBI (AANA) March 31 - A round of Sudan Peace negotiations focusing on 
settlement of a conflict between Khartoum government and Sudan People's 
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) over control of Abyei, Nuba Mountains and 
Funj regions, has ended quietly without a notable gain.

And, there  is no indication whether or when another round of talks will be 
held.

The negotiations, which were being held here under the auspices of Kenya 
government started on March 4, and ended March 19.

"It has been our consistent belief that there cannot be a genuine peace in 
the Sudan unless a comprehensive approach to the  Sudanese conflict is 
adopted," said a discontented Nhial Deng Nhial, SPLM/A chief negotiator and 
head of delegation to the talks on the three disputed areas.

"A piecemeal approach will not bring about a just and lasting peace in the 
country," he remarked.

But despite the difficulties encountered, particularly during efforts to 
come up with modalities for negotiations on the three areas,  Mr Nhial 
pointed out that a modest progress had been achieved.

Delegates for example, agreed to form three committees so that each would 
tackle issues pertaining to a given disputed area.

Another significant step made was the concurrent view that whatever peace 
settlement is achieved over the three areas, must constitute part of the 
overall peace agreement between the warring parties.

But issues of  self-determination,  separation of state and religion , as 
well as power and wealth sharing, which SPLM/A considers fundamental 
prerequisites for resolution of conflict on disputed areas, have not been 
addressed.

In a statement issued after the adjournment of the discussions, the SPLM/A 
noted that the Government of Sudan had not only objected to the discussions 
of these issues, but also rejected their mere tabling on the agenda.

"For this reason, we would like to appeal to the international community 
that such attitude be discouraged, otherwise it may frustrate the talks," 
stated SPLM/A.

Mr Nhial regretted the absence of IGAD observer countries in the latest 
talks, saying their presence would have provided a conducive atmosphere to 
the sustenance of search for a lasting solution to the dispute.

"It is regretful to note that this time round, these strategic neighbours 
of the Sudan have been excluded from talks on the three areas," he said, 
adding, "the position of the movement (SPLM) is that participation of the 
region is of paramount importance, since these countries are directly 
affected by the instability caused by conflict in the Sudan."

According to SPLM/A, a successful resolution to the conflict in the three 
disputed zones is important in many ways.

Primarily, if the dispute is resolved correctly, it will serve as a model 
and promote unity in keeping with the spirit of Machakos Peace Protocol 
signed in July last year.

Yahia Hussein Babiker, head of Sudan government delegation to the talks on 
the disputed areas commended that the negotiations offered a good 
opportunity for people in the affected areas to meet for the first time and 
thrash out pertinent issues.

Reported by Makur Kot Dhuor

A Pacification Committee Is Formed To Defuse Conflict

KAMPALA (AANA) March 31 - Commitment by Uganda and the Democratic Republic 
of Congo (DRC) to restore security within the central African region was 
signified by creation of a Committee for the Pacification of Congo.

The committee is an administrative organ that brings together 
representatives of warring factions in the troubled Ituri province in 
eastern DRC.  It becomes effective April 24.

Its formation was preceded by signing of a peace treaty between most rebel 
factions in Bunia on March 20, and was witnessed by Uganda, DRC, United 
Nations (UN) and Britain.

Among the signatories to the cease-fire are Front for National 
Integrationists (FNI) of Ndjabu Floriber Ngagi, Popular Forces for 
Democracy of Congo (FPDC) led by Unen Chan Thomas, and Party for the 
Safeguard of Integrity of Congo (PUSIC) of chief Kahwapanga Mandro.

The belligerents have agreed to refrain from all forms of military 
engagements, cease expansionist ambitions, withhold re-armament and avoid 
getting involved in moves that will in any way frustrate functions of the 
committee.

In the arrangement, Ugandan troops will secure the region until April 
24.  However, the committee has fallen short of dampening likelihood of a 
conflict between Uganda and Rwanda.

Rwandan backed Union of Congolese Patriots of Thomas Lubanga declined to 
play party to the arrangement, a move that excludes Rwandan role making the 
committee lopsided in favour of Uganda.

Another point of contention has been the fresh deployment of 2000 Ugandan 
troops in the region, which Rwanda fears, would threaten peace in the
country.

Reported by Crespo Sebunya

Fresh Bids For Legislators To Practise Accountability

NAIROBI (AANA) March 31 - For the first time, Kenyan legislators are being 
put to serious pressure to consult with their constituents and enlighten 
them on national debates.  They have been challenged to do this as a way of 
exercising accountability to the electorate.

Prof  Kivutha Kibwana, a member of parliament (MP), said there was a 
serious gap between MPs and the people they represent because after being 
elected to the august house, MPs  forget about the people.

"It is important to devise mechanisms of going back to the people and 
inform them of every development in the house, seek their opinion on laws 
they want passed," he observed.

Prof Kibwana was speaking here on March 25, during an open forum titled 
Making Parliament Accountable to the Public.

He also called upon his fellow legislators to in turn pressurise the 
government to deliver, saying, "the government is the implementing agent of 
policy, not parliament."

He added: "when you have dysfunctional systems, the public will run to MPs 
accusing them of mismanagement, when in true sense the government is to 
blame."

Prof Okoth Ogendo, an outspoken commissioner in the Constitution of Kenya 
Review Commission (CKRC), described accountability as a powerful tool of 
governance.

He said sovereignty belonged to the people and all organs of the state drew 
their power from the masses, hence the need for parliamentarians to account 
to the people.

He cited the new draft constitution (published towards the end of last 
year), which makes provision for a non-performing MP to be recalled and be 
subjected to re-election. "This will make legislators so cautious to do 
their work well, knowing that if they fail, they will answer to the 
people," he noted.

Executive Director of International Commission of Jurists, Ms Kagwiria 
Mbogoria, said accountability was a "new tool" here since it had not been 
entrenched into the system. "It is a new whip with which we can whip those 
in authority to line," she pointed out.

To facilitate this, Mbogoria said there was need to build structures for 
consultation, where the public could meet their representatives, strategise 
and even ask questions.

The forum was organised by the Women Political Alliance of Kenya (WPAK), a 
network of gender-based organisations, women legislators, civic leaders and 
professionals, that aims at campaigning for active participation of women 
in democratic structures of governance at all levels.

Reported by Olwira Betty

Minister Sacked From House For Not Dressing Properly

ACCRA (AANA) March 31 - Parliamentary dress code was effectively enforced 
against a Ghanaian minister who went to parliament recently on official 
duty improperly dressed.  He was sacked.

Minister for Economic Affairs and Regional Integration, Dr. Paa Kwesi 
Indoum, appeared in Parliament in haste to explain issues affecting his 
Ministry, just a few days to the presentation of governments budget 
statement to parliament a few weeks ago.

He was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, which he must have worn to office 
on the day in question.

The minister sat confidently in preparedness to contribute to proceedings 
in parliament, when a member of the opposition raised an objection to the 
attention of the speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey.

"There is a minister in the house who is improperly dressed..." said the 
member, who went ahead and pointed at Hon Dr Kwesi Indoum, saying, "There 
he is, honourable Minister for Economic Affairs and Regional Integration, 
dressed in a simple short sleeve-shirt."

Before the speaker could pronounce judgement on him, the Minister hurried 
out of the house, but returned shortly afterwards smartly dressed in coat, 
complete with tie to rapturous cheers of members of the house.

To appear in parliament in Ghana, one must conform to the dress code of 
western style attire of coat and tie, political suit or decent African 
traditional attire.

Reported by Felix Amanfu