CLIPPINGS
Matutuine, MOZAMBIQUE
James Blanchard III, a North American multimillionaire, intends to invest over 800 million dollars in Matutuine region to put up and Eco-tourism project.
The implementation of the project will start after the Mozambican Government has decided to set aside a previous commitment with Mosaflorestal, a Mozambican and South African organisation (Sappi Forestry), which wanted to develop in the same area an eucalyptus plantation and had signed an agreement to this effect with the government just before the 1994 election. The present government now says that the establishment of plantations will destroy the rich bio-diversity of the area, and as a consequence has approved the launching of the James Blanchard II project that will guarantee the protection of the environment.
Mosaflorestal project was approved in 1994, and had already started experimental plantation of eucalyptus. The plantation was supposed to cover an area of 32 thousand hectares providing enough trees to feed the paper factory owned by Sappi Forestry just across the South African border. Mosaflorestal claims to have already invested - for feasibility studies and experimental plantation - more than five million US dollars, and wants to be refunded by the Government.
The James Blanchard III project will cover 236 thousand hectare . According to Oldemiro Baloi, Minister of Industry, commerce and Tourism, the two projects cannot coexist. The eco-touristic project "will be implemented in phases, starting from the area closer to Maputo and allowing the company to develop the project as long as the development foreseen in the previous area will be completed." "The project - added the Minister - will be implemented in an area of great importance for its bio-diversity and we cannot run the risk of a failing or of mistakes."
|
Luanda, ANGOLA
Following months of intense pressure by the International Community, Jonas Savimbi's former rebel movement UNITA, has sent its elected deputies to Angola's parliament, The National Assembly, and taken up positions in the new government of National Unity and Reconciliation (GURN). On April 9, this year 67 out of UNITA's 70 elected deputies were sworn in at the National Assembly. The remaining three deputies did not attend as they were either ill or unable to get to the capital, Luanda.
|
Nairobi, KENYA
Diplomats from major donor countries led by Canada, United States, Britain, Germany and France, on May 6 this year held a meeting with President Moi and key members of his cabinet at State House, Nairobi, where they (envoys) expressed concern over the government's commitments to holding a democratic free and fair general elections.
President Moi is reported to have given his word that he, too wants to see a fair elections take place.
The meeting was preceded by a memorandum the diplomats had written to Moi the previous week setting out certain critical issues they felt should be addressed before the country goes in the next general elections expected later this year. Most of the issues raised by the diplomats have previously been voiced by the opposition who have been pushing constitutional reforms.
|
Lubumbushi, ZAIRE
Rebel "Foreign Minister" Bizima Karaha of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo/Zaire (AFDL) told a news conference on May 12 this year, in Lubumbashi that the rebels would abandon a South African Peace initiative and storm Kinshasa if the Catholic Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo accepts his election as speaker of the Zairean parliament. Rev. Musengwo was elected on May 11 as part of preparations for Mobutu to hand over power to some transitional authority. Mr. Karaha declared that the transfer of power in Zaire shall only be from Mobutu Sese Seko to Mr. Laurenti Kabila leader of AFDL and that the rebels will not negotiate with anybody else other than Mobutu posing that Mosengwo is just another confusionist in Zaire's politics. Meanwhile, Zaire's radical opposition adviser Mr Mukendi wa Mulumba has rejected Archibishop the election of Monsengwo saying that he is a Mobutist.
|
Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA
An international panel to discuss a political statement in Zanzibar to take place in June this year will bring together parliamentarians, academicians and other prominent people. Among them is the renowned Kenyan Political Scientist Ali Mazrui. The panel would table proposals in ending the political stalement in Zanzibar, said the speaker of the Tanzanian National Assembly, Mr. Pius Msekwa.
The discussions in the June 6-7 this year will the attended by the members of both the Zanzibar House of Representatives, Union Parliament, political parties, and local scholars among others. The Island's government President Salonin Amour is locked in a long-running wrangle with the main opposition party, the Civic United Front (CUF). The oppositions party has refused to recognize President Amour, insisting he rigged the October 1995 presidential elections. CUF representatives have boycotted all seasons of the house since 1995 as part of their protest against the Amours government.
|
Niamey, NIGER
In defiance of a U.N. ban on flights from the Paricah State, the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi flew to the West African country of Niger urging the Muslim World to rise up and show its power in a sacred battle against colonialism and its vestiges and to impose its moral values. "From today, which marks the start of Muslim year, we should bring out the power of Islam, it is a sacred battle, it's a question of and moral values" he told 40,000 faithfuls who gathered in Niamey's main mosque on May 9, this year. Gaddafi urged Muslims to close ranks and fight colonialism and its vestiges, carry out the will of Allah and reject the resolutions of the U.N., the Security Council all form of corruption of Islamic values, and the Christian solar-based calendar, noting that Allah had recommended that Muslims follow the moon - as they did to determine the start of the fasting month of Ramadhan or the annual Haj pilgrimage. His last trip abroad was by land to Tunisia in October 1996.
|
Asmara, ETHIOPIA
The forces of Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was on May 9,1997 reported to have captured a number of officials of the Khartoum government in lakes (Buheirat) state at its capital Rumbek. Among the captives are ministers, officials of the state, senior members of its parliament and also directors of ministries and a medical doctor who works for the Sudanese Army medical unit.
The spokesman Mr. Yassir Armian of SPLA told Reuters that they also captured a radio broadcasting station in a good condition.
|
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
African Ministers responsible for economic and social development and planning ended a 5 day meeting May 3-5 at the headquarters of the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) with a set of resolutions and declaration of accelerating trade and investment in the region in which they strongly endorsed the role of information and the private sector in Africa's development. ECA ministers declared that trade and investiment are essential components in any credible strategies to accelerate the continent's development and sustain high rates of economic growth.
The declaration comes strongly in favour of partnership with the private sector in general and Transitional Corperations (TNGs) in particular as a policy choice.
|
Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty deadline reached on May 11 this year. Among the latest applicants were 26 (former) security police, senior apartheid army officers and the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom party, whose supporters have been reluctant to come forward. Figures showed a total around 6,500 people had applied.
|
UNITED KINGDOM
A new charity and campaign, Jublee 2000, supported by a wide-rage of non-governmental organisations and church groups held its first annual workshop at the London School of economics in April this year. The new campaign to end Third World debt aim is to celebrate the new millenuim by lifting the burden of unpayable debt from the world's poorest countries. Its guiding slogan is "A debt-free start for a billion people."
Susan George, an author told the workshop that the Brettonwood institutions operated a modern form of colonialis which resulted in their having power over the constitutions, monetary and trade policies and public spending of indebted countries of the South.
|
 | CONTENTS | AFRICANEWS HOMEPAGE |
USAGE/ACKNOWLED
Contents can be freely reproduced with acknowledgements. The by-line should read: author/AFRICANEWS.
Send a copy of the reproduced article to AFRICANEWS.
AFRICANEWS - Koinonia Media Centre, P.O. Box 8034, Nairobi, Kenya
tel/fax: 254.2.560385 - e-mail: afrinews@freeworld.it
AFRICANEWS on line is by Enrico Marcandalli
|