Africanews

Views and news on peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa

April 1996

NEWS

ALGERIA

An Algerian journalist Khaled Aboulkacem aged 30 years, died in hospital after being shot by three suspected Muslim guerrillas. His counterpart Noureddine Guittone, a French-language L'Independent's editor who was to celebrate his birthday on 15 January 1996 sustained stomach injury which was not life threatening the day before. The attack occurred at 9 PM (2000 GMT) near the newspaper headquarters at Larbi Ben M'hidi Street in Algiers. The attack came four days after gunmen pumped several bullets into the government owned newspaper EL Moudjahids journalist Mohammed Mekati, near his home in Ain Naadja suburb, Southwest of Algiers. The 39 year old Journalist died of injuries. On 2nd February 1996, suspected Muslim guerrillas in Algeria slaughtered 11 members of a family, including a baby and two women, by slashing their throats, according to an Algerian newspaper al-Khabar. The 11 people from the village of Dahia al Gualb near the town of Messaad were killed an hour before the sunset breaking of the Muslim fast during the month of Ramadhan.

BURUNDI

African Elder statesman Julius Nyerere was given international blessing yesterday to mediate between Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi where ethnic conflict could spin out of control. This was proposed on 28 February during a one day talk by African, European and UN representatives. Hutu rebels killed more than 70 civilians in 5 days of attacks in North-western Burundi, raising fears of a new bout of intense blood starting, UN Security forces said on Tuesday 5th March.The UN Security Council wants the United Nations to consult on an intervention force in case of a sudden escalation of killing in Burundi but is shying away from approving such a venture.

SIERRA LEONE

Rebels in Sierra Leone massacred women acting as intermediaries with the authorities, the day before the talks between rebel leader Foday Sankoh and head of state Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio, the army sources reported on 26th March. Undetermined number of women had been killed and 25 admitted to hospital with wounds after a rebel sergeant opened fire on them when they failed to respond to rebel demands. The members of the Women's Forum from Kenema, 240 Km East of Freetown, were acting as intermediaries with rebels of Revolutionary United Front (RUF), who had said a week ago they were ready to surrender but had demanded guarantees of their security, the army said.

EGYPT

Gunmen thought to be Muslim militants shot dead 8 Christians in an ambush on a farm in south Egypt on 24 February as reported by security force. The attack took place in a farm called Ezbet el-Aqbat near Bandari town about 340Km south of Cairo.

MOZAMBIQUE

Mozambiquan President Joaquim Chissano and former rebel leader Alphonse Dhlakama announced on Tuesday 6th February this year, that they had agreed to form a joint commission to control the dismantling of arms and the collection of illegal arms. Mr Dhlakama who led his Mozambiquan National Resistance Movement (RENAMO) in a 16 year civil war against the government until a peace pact in 1992, said however that Chissano had rejected a proposal for the creation of a joint commision to deal with armed attacks on Mozambiquan roads.

RWANDA

The meeting on 16th March this year by the five Central African leaders were divided over the root causes of the conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes who seem unable to cohabit in the two countries, Rwanda and Burundi. They are equally split on the solution and the choice of distant Tunis (capital of Tunisia) as the venue for the talks partly because one or other President would feel unsafe or unwelcome in any city closer to the conflicts. The agenda is vast but at the top are the fate of nearly 2 million Hutu refugees in the "great Lakes" region and attempts to prevent an ethnic holocaust in Burundi. The final communique did little more than endorse the measures agreed in Cairo last November at the first "great lakes" summit.

AFRICANEWS

AFRICANEWS is the initiative of a group of lay Christians. It wants to strengthen the Christian and African presence in the media world. AFRICANEWS editorial staff wants to prove that the media can be used to promote peace and solidarity. In particular, AFRICANEWS expresses its preferential option for the poor. All news and their analysis will be given from the perspective of the African grassroot people, their struggle for freedom, dignity and justice.

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PeaceLink 1996