UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Update 296, 11/20/97

Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Update 296, 11/20/97

U N I T E D N A T I O N S Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org

IRIN Update No. 296 for Central and Eastern Africa (Thursday 20 November 1997)

RWANDA: 300 killed in jail battle

About 300 people died earlier this week in a battle that ensued after Hutu rebels tried to free inmates from a prison in northwest Gisenyi prefecture, BBC radio reported today (Thursday). The jail, in Giciye, was holding prisoners awaiting trial in connection with the 1994 genocide. The BBC quoted the Rwandan authorities as saying some 1,200 militiamen took part in the attack. Eighty-eight prisoners died and the army says it killed around 200 rebels. Ninety-three inmates reportedly escaped. Speaking to IRIN, Emmanuel Gasana, an adviser to Vice-President and Defence Minister Paul Kagame, described the clash as a "very major battle" which lasted several hours. He said many people were involved in "this kind of terrorist activity" in the area. "There has to be a military solution and it will be very soon," he added. According to Rwandan media sources, the prison was badly damaged by artillery fire although it was unclear whether this came from the rebels or the army. Mopping-up operations were still continuing, the army said today. The government has estimated some 15,000 rebels are active in northwest Rwanda.

At least 20 killed in rebel attack

In another incident, at least 20 civilians were killed when rebels attacked a settlement near Mukamira village in neighbouring Ruhengeri prefecture on Tuesday night. The Rwanda News Agency described the victims as Tutsi returnees from 1994. It said machetes, clubs and small hoes were used in the raid. According to AFP, a defence ministry source described the attack as "swift", saying the rebels managed to escape before troops arrived on the scene. Mukamira is close to the Gishwati forest which serves as a base for rebel operations, and local villagers are believed to be sympathetic to the guerrillas, AFP said.

ICTR asks Dallaire to testify

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha yesterday requested the testimony of General Romeo Dallaire, the former commander of the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), as a witness in the case of Jean-Paul Akayesu. The latter was the former mayor of Taba commune in Gitarama prefecture, and faces various charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. According to an ICTR press release, Akayesu's defence counsel argues that Dallaire's testimony is of paramount importance to the case. Dallaire's appearance in court has to be authorised by the UN Secretary-General.

"Re-education" camps closed

The Rwandan authorities have closed the five last remaining "re-education" camps for repatriated Hutu refugees, AFP reported. The camps were used for some 44,000 people who returned home at the end of 1996 and who wanted to return to their former jobs. The government felt repatriated people needed "detoxification" after their years as refugees, AFP said. The coordinator of one of the camps told AFP that "graduates had all been re-employed".

ICRC distributes photo albums of separated children

ICRC, helped by UNICEF, is distributing 2,500 copies of a photo album containing 440 pictures of children in a bid to reunite them with their families. The albums will be sent to churches, municipal offices and NGOs throughout Rwanda in the hope that families will come forward. Most of the children are aged between one and four years of age.

BURUNDI: Bagaza to go on trial for alleged Buyoya murder plot

Former president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is to go on trial next week on charges of plotting to kill Burundi's current leader Pierre Buyoya, BBC radio reported, citing the country's justice minister. Bagaza, who has been under house arrest for several months, is due to be tried by a military court. He leads the hardline Tutsi party, Parti pour le redressement national (PARENA), which is opposed to Buyoya's attempts to negotiate with the rebel Conseil National pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD). He was overthrown by a military coup in 1987 when Buyoya came to power for the first time.

Eight killed in rebel "shooting spree"

Eight civilians were killed and six wounded in a rebel attack on a village just north of Bujumbura, Reuters reported. According to an army spokesman, the raid was launched Sunday night on Mutara village when rebels "went on a shooting spree".

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: No decision taken on Francophonie - Kabila

President Laurent-Desire Kabila has stressed his country's continued participation in the Francophonie, contrary to statements at the weekend in which he declared the DRC was withdrawing from the French-speaking community. According to Radio France Internationale, he said no official stand had been taken on the issue. Kabila reiterated the re-establishment of democracy in DRC, saying the ban on political parties should occur before 1999. A special commission had already been established to write the new constitution and the "franc congolais" would be in circulation before the year-end, he stated.

Mugabe says world seeking to "demonise" Kabila

Southern African leaders, attending a trade summit in Botswana, yesterday pledged their continued support for Kabila. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his Mozambican counterpart Joaquim Chissano said Kabila needed the support of the international community for the stability of his country, PANA news agency reported. Mugabe accused the international community of seeking to "demonise" Kabila without acknowledging the immense challenges faced by the DRC. While noting the importance of the UN probe into alleged human rights violations, Mugabe said Kabila should be seen as a "saviour of the people", rather than a "devil". UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told a news briefing the UN team might leave for the field early next week.

Eastern Kasai governor and deputy suspended

The governor of Eastern Kasai and his deputy have been suspended from their duties, DRC radio broadcasting from Bukavu said yesterday. The decision, taken by the interior minister, followed "open conflict between the two authorities which risked hindering the smooth running of the province," the radio reported. Last week, DRC radio said Kabila had accused some officials of abusing their positions.

UGANDA: Cooperation with DRC to rout rebels

The state-owned 'New Vision' today reported the Ugandan and DRC authorities were cooperating in the fight against rebels of the Allied Democratic Front, based in the Rwenzori mountains straddling the two countries. It quoted State Minister for Defence Amama Mbabazi as saying the current heavy rains were now a major problem for the rebels.

KENYA: Moi declares more areas disaster zones

President Daniel arap Moi has declared Northeastern province and the Marsabit and Moyale districts of Eastern province, devastated by floods, as disaster zones. Torrential rains have caused loss of live and destroyed property and infrastructure in the regions. Last month, Coastal province was also declared a disaster zone after areas were battered by storms.

GREAT LAKES: Donor contributions

Donors have contributed nearly half a billion US dollars to humanitarian programmes in the Great Lakes region in 1997. Of a total of $498 million, $279 million went towards UN programmes. The United States and the European Commission's ECHO together account for about half of the finance. DHA's Financial Tracking Unit in Geneva, in its latest update on the region, reports that funds received for programmes specifically for Rwanda account for $115.3 million, despite not formally being included in the UN's Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal. In 1996, $629 million was given by donors for humanitarian work in the Great Lakes.

Nairobi, 20 November 1997, 14:00 gmt

[ENDS]

[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information or subscriptions. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the WWW at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org. Mailing list: irin-cea-updates]

From owner-irin-cea-weekly@dha.unon.org Fri Nov 21 13:20 EST 1997 Received: from siafu.iconnect.co.ke (qmailr@siafu.iconnect.co.ke [208.208.120.2])

by orion.sas.upenn.edu (8.8.8/8.8.8/SAS.04) with SMTP id NAA25760 for <aadinar@mail.sas.upenn.edu>; Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:19:52 -0500 (EST) Received: (qmail 6640 invoked by uid 108); 21 Nov 1997 12:14:38 -0000 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by dha.unon.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) id OAA00789; Fri, 21 Nov 1997 14:58:06 +0300 Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 14:55:28 +0300 (GMT+0300) From: UN IRIN - Central and Eastern Africa <irin@dha.unon.org> To: irin-cea-weekly@dha.unon.org Subject: Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Weekly Round-up 31-97 14-20 Nov 1997 97.11.21 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.971121144949.650A-100000@dha.unon.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: owner-irin-cea-weekly@dha.unon.org Precedence: bulk X-URL: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc/greatlak/latest.html Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-Length: 15660 Status: RO

U N I T E D N A T I O N S Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org

[The weekly roundup is based on IRIN daily updates and other relevant information from UN agencies, NGOs, governments, donors and the media. IRIN issues these reports for the benefit of the humanitarian community, but accepts no responsibility as to the accuracy of the original sources.]

Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Weekly Round-up 31-97 covering the period 14-20 Nov 1997

RWANDA: 300 killed in jail battle

About 300 people died earlier this week in a battle that ensued after Hutu rebels tried to free inmates from a prison in northwest Gisenyi prefecture. The jail, in Giciye, was holding prisoners awaiting trial in connection with the 1994 genocide. The Rwandan authorities said some 1,200 militiamen took part in the attack. Eighty-eight prisoners died and the army says it killed around 200 rebels. Ninety-three inmates reportedly escaped. Army operations were continuing on Wednesday around the nearby Gishwati forest where the raiders are believed to be based. Giciye was also the scene of a rebel raid on a market last Thursday which claimed more than 30 lives.

In another incident, at least 20 civilians died when rebels hit a settlement near Mukamira village in neighbouring Ruhengeri prefecture on Tuesday night. The victims were mainly Tutsi returnees from 1994. The attackers managed to escape into the Gishwati forest before troops arrived on the scene. The government has estimated some 15,000 rebels are active in northwest Rwanda. In recent weeks, tracts urging Hutu armed struggle and the massacre or expulsion of Tutsis have begun appearing in the region.

ICTR asks Dallaire to testify

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha has requested the testimony of General Romeo Dallaire, the former commander of the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), as a witness in the case of Jean-Paul Akayesu. The latter was the former mayor of Taba commune in Gitarama prefecture, and faces various charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Dallaire's appearance in court has to be authorised by the UN Secretary-General. On Monday, the first defence witness to testify at the tribunal argued that Akayesu had been powerless to prevent ethnic massacres in his region and had initially done everything he could to prevent the killings. The unnamed witness was brought from detention in Rwanda to give evidence.

Biya authorises transfer of two genocide suspects

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has authorised the transfer of two Rwandans to the ICTR. Both suspects, Laurent Semanza and Jean Bosco Barayagwiza, are accused of calling for the massacre of Tutsis at public meetings, distributing weapons and money to the Interahamwe militia, and of ordering and organising genocidal slaughter. In 1994, Semanza was mayor of Bicumbi, a town east of Kigali, and regional president of the then-ruling MRND party. Barayagwiza was director of political affairs in the ministry of foreign affairs.

UN Special Representative calls for dossiers for detainees

The Special Representative of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Rwanda has urged the international community to concentrate on providing all necessary assistance to enable the government to establish urgently a dossier for every detainee. In his latest report, Michel Moussali, said this would allow "for the determination of who should be released immediately and who should be brought to trial within the shortest time possible".

"Re-education" camps closed

The Rwandan authorities have closed the five last remaining "re-education" camps for repatriated Hutu refugees. The camps were used for some 44,000 people who came home at the end of 1996 and who wanted to return to their former jobs. The government felt repatriated people needed "detoxification" after their years as refugees. The coordinator of one of the camps told AFP that "graduates had all been re-employed".

Alert over arrested Rwandan journalist

Reporters sans frontieres and the freedom of expression group IFEX have issued an alert over the fate of Rwandan journalist Joseph Habyarimana. Habyarimana, editor of the magazine 'Indorerwamo', was arrested on 28 October allegedly over an article published in the 'Intego' newspaper in December which highlighted pressures on local officials to arrest Hutus accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide. The article ended with an appeal for ethnic conciliation.

BURUNDI: UNHCR notes difficult access to Burundians expelled from DRC

UNHCR said some 2,000 Hutus expelled from Democratic Republic of Congo over the past two weeks had arrived in Burundi's combat zones where the agency was unable to gain access to most of them. Rwandan and DRC Hutus were thrown out, along with the Burundians, from around Uvira and Bukavu in eastern DRC. Burundian and Rwandan troops were involved in the operation, humanitarian sources told IRIN. Bujumbura has however denied knowledge of any forced repatriation to northwestern Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces. The DRC government has described those being expelled as "infiltrators" and a threat to security. UNHCR also reported a new influx of refugees into Rwanda fleeing continued fighting in Cibitoke. Several dozen Burundians and over 1,000 Rwandans had arrived in Rwanda over the past week. According to UNHCR, some of the Rwandans claimed they were expelled.

In a separate development, the Tanzanian army has arrested or deported more than 28,000 illegal aliens since September in a security crackdown along its western Kigoma and Ngara border regions. According to UNHCR, most of those arrested were Burundians or Congolese. Also included in the sweep were old-caseload Rwandan refugees.

Bagaza to go on trial for alleged Buyoya murder plot

Former president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is to go on trial before a military court next week on charges of plotting to kill Burundi's current leader Pierre Buyoya, BBC radio reported. Bagaza has been under house arrest for several months. He leads the hardline Tutsi party, Parti pour le redressement national (PARENA), which is opposed to Buyoya's attempts to negotiate with the rebel Conseil National pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD). He was overthrown by a military coup in 1987 when Buyoya came to power for the first time.

Buyoya rejects claims of involvement in 1993 coup plot

Meanwhile, Buyoya has dismissed claims of involvement in the 1993 attempted military coup in which President Melchior Ndadaye was killed. A statement issued by the presidency stressed that no report had ever implicated Buyoya in the coup plot. The allegation was made over the BBC's Kirundi service by Lieutenant Jean-Paul Kamana, who is accused of being one of the main coup plotters. The official statement said the claim was a lie "instigated by circles opposed to the government".

31 killed in separate attacks

Fourteen employees of a tea factory in Buhoro in the troubled province of Cibitoke were killed by rebels on Sunday night, according to an interior ministry statement. In another rebel attack, eight people were killed and six wounded in Mutimbuzi, 15 km north of Bujumbura, on Saturday. At least nine people were killed and 10 wounded when an armed gang carried out an attack last Thursday night at Kinyami in Cibitoke, state radio reported. The radio identified the attackers as belonging to the "Benjamin" group, an off-shoot of CNDD. The gang is believed responsible for the killing of 50 civilians in Cibitoke since last month.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Mugabe says world seeking to "demonise" Kabila

Southern African leaders, attending a trade summit in Botswana pledged their continued support for President Laurent-Desire Kabila. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his Mozambican counterpart Joaquim Chissano said Kabila needed the support of the international community for the stability of his country, PANA news agency reported. Mugabe accused the international community of seeking to "demonise" Kabila without acknowledging the immense challenges faced by the DRC. Last week, South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo made a similar appeal. Meanwhile, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told a news briefing the UN human rights investigation team might leave for the field early next week. The mission has yet to meet with the government's liaison committee to agree the modalities of deployment.

In a fresh attack on UN Special Rapporteur Roberto Garreton, Kinshasa last Friday urged the UN to withdraw his human rights report on the country, saying it sought to "sabotage" the UN investigation. In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, DRC's UN envoy Andre Mwanba Kapanga described the report as a "deliberate act aimed at sabotaging" the enquiry. The report described the human rights situation in DRC under Kabila as "less than satisfactory".

No decision taken on Francophonie - Kabila

Kabila has stressed his country's continued participation in the Francophonie, contrary to statements at the weekend in which he declared the DRC was withdrawing from the French-speaking community. According to Radio France Internationale, he said no official stand had been taken on the issue. Kabila reiterated the re-establishment of democracy in DRC, saying the ban on political parties should be lifted before 1999. A special commission had already been established to write the new constitution and the "franc congolais" would be in circulation before the year-end, he stated.

Eastern Kasai governor and deputy suspended

The governor of Eastern Kasai and his deputy have been suspended from their duties. The decision, taken by the interior minister, followed "open conflict between the two authorities which risked hindering the smooth running of the province," DRC radio reported.

Newspaper editor to be freed

Kabila has decided that the editor of the opposition 'Phare' newspaper should be released from detention, according to DRC television. Luboyayi Polydor was detained two months ago for an article in his paper alleging Kabila was creating a presidential guard, similar to the Division Speciale Presidentielle (DSP) of former president Mobutu.

UGANDA: Cooperation with DRC to rout rebels

The state-owned 'New Vision' on Thursday reported the Ugandan and DRC authorities were cooperating in the fight against rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), based in the Rwenzori mountains straddling the two countries. It quoted State Minister for Defence Amama Mbabazi as saying the current heavy rains were now a major problem for the rebels. At least eight civilians were killed by the ADF on Monday in the western Kabarole district.

Donors pledge $750 million to Uganda

Donor nations have pledged about $750 million in aid to Uganda for the 1998 tax year and praised the government for its economic discipline, the World Bank said on Thursday. The bank had also announced the aid would include $320 million in quickly-disbursed budget support while the rest would be split among project and programme aid handed out as concessional loans and grants. James Adams, the World Bank's country director for Uganda, told a news conference donors were urging the government to make greater efforts to control corruption and had expressed worries over the high levels of defence spending.

According to a recent ICRC report, some 30,000 displaced are returning to their villages in the West Nile area. Thousands of Ugandan refugees have also arrived home from DRC and Sudan.

CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE: Sassou Nguesso plans transitional parliament

President Denis Sassou Nguesso has proposed a "peace and reconciliation" forum for next month in Brazzaville which will act as a transitional parliament. Former president Pascal Lissouba and his political allies will not be invited to attend. In an interview on Gabonese Africa No 1 radio Sassou Nguesso said the "forces for peace" inside the country would participate in the forum. Militiamen loyal to Sassou Nguesso fired into the air on Sunday in a demonstration to demand their inclusion in the national army. "We are shooting to make the military authorities understand that we want to get into barracks, like some of our comrades," an unidentified militiaman told government radio.

Food distribution underway in Brazzaville

WFP started food deliveries in Brazzaville on Wednesday, the first distribution since the end of the five-month civil war. A WFP press release said food was being handed out to some 20,000 people still affected by the conflict by Catholic Relief Services and Caritas. The statement said the capital's population faces acute food shortages and outbreak of disease.

ANGOLA: UN halts demobilisation in Jamba

The UN is halting the demobilisation of troops from the former rebel movement UNITA in the southern town of Jamba following an assault on two UN staff. A Zambian soldier and a UN employee handling the reintegration of civilians were wounded last Wednesday by UNITA supporters, AFP said. The UN announced it had lodged a strong protest with UNITA.

KENYA: Moi declares more areas disaster zones

President Daniel arap Moi has declared Northeastern province and the Marsabit and Moyale districts of Eastern province, devastated by floods, as disaster zones. Torrential rains have caused loss of life and destroyed property and infrastructure in the regions. Thousands of Kenyans face starvation because food supplies cannot reach the flood-hit areas, local officials say. Last month, Coastal province was also declared a disaster zone after areas were battered by storms.

UNITED NATIONS: De Mello new Emergency Relief Coordinator

Sergio Vieira de Mello has been appointed as the new UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. His appointment takes effect on 1 January 1998. "I hope to contribute modestly my field experience in humanitarian and peace-keeping operations to strengthening the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator", de Mello said after his posting was announced in New York last Friday. De Mello, a Brazilian national, is presently serving as the UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees. He will succeed Yasushi Akashi as Emergency Relief Coordinator.

GREAT LAKES: Donor contributions

Donors have contributed nearly half a billion US dollars to humanitarian programmes in the Great Lakes region in 1997. Of a total of $498 million, $279 million went towards UN programmes. The United States and the European Commission's ECHO together account for about half of the finance. DHA's Financial Tracking Unit in Geneva, in its latest update on the region, reports that funds received for programmes specifically for Rwanda account for $115.3 million, despite not formally being included in the UN's Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal. In 1996, $629 million was given by donors for humanitarian work in the Great Lakes.

Nairobi, November 21 1997, 11:00 gmt

[ENDS]

[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information or subscriptions. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the WWW at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org. Mailing list: irin-cea-weekly]

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 16:57:43 +0300 (GMT+0300) From: UN IRIN - Central and Eastern Africa <irin@dha.unon.org> Subject: Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Update 296 97.11.20 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.971120165617.9980A-100000@dha.unon.org>

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D

Previous Menu Home Page What's New Search Country Specific