November - 2001

EDITORIAL

Sudan’s efforts to supply intelligence to the United States in the global fight against terrorism have paid off handsomely for the country that only a short time ago was singled out by the U.S. as being one of 10 countries that support international terrorism, reports Africanews staff writer Matthias Muindi. The Bush administration effectively killed off the Sudan Peace Act, the UN Security Council unanimously lifted sanctions imposed on Sudan in 1996, and President Bush’s peace envoy to Sudan, John Danforth, is visiting Sudan. In the midst of these goodies, the Islamic generals have recovered their poise and are now attacking southerners from northern Bahr el Ghazal and western Bahr el Ghazal fronts. Meanwhile, the politics and economics of other African countries are also feeling the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the resultant air strikes by the U.S. against Afghanistan. In Zimbabwe, members of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), war veterans, and their supporters have attributed a small, insignificant outbreak of anthrax in the central part of the country to biological warfare being waged by Zimbabwe’s besieged white farmers, writes correspondent Rodrick Mukumbira. Participants of a recent conference in Swaziland noted with dismay that the tiny kingdom basically has no way of defending itself against anthrax and other biological warfare attacks, reports correspondent James Hall. Tourism is way down in Zambia, according to correspondent Benedict Tembo, Muslims in Tanzania are questioning the U.S. attacks in light of what is actually written in the Qu’ran, writes Ahmed Merere, and Muslims are gaining ground in the provision of education in Ghana, according to correspondent Amos Safo.

Terrorism of a different type is happening in the countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan, where small arms and light weapons flow between and across borders. Africanews managing editor Cathy Majtenyi reports on a conference in Uganda at which the results of recent research were presented. Correspondent Brian Adeba discusses the magnitude of the landmine problem in Sudan. It is estimated that up to two million landmines exist in the war-torn country, despite the fact that both the Sudan government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) have signed international agreements prohibiting the use of landmines.

In Lesotho, 35,000 textile, garment, and leather industrial workers are calling for increased pay, better working conditions, and other measures to improve their lot, reports correspondent Thabo Motlamelle. And, polygamy is very much alive in the Swaziland, despite the fact that a quarter of the Swazi population is infected with the deadly virus, reports James Hall.