AFRICANEWS
Views and news on peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa
September 2001
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War andPeace
MogadishuAt least 15 people, including several children were killed and dozens more were injured when an old anti-aircraft missile exploded accidentally in the Somali capital on 12 September. The missile was left in Mogadishu by former Soviet Union. (Source: Reuters)NigeriaAt least 165 nigerians died and 928 were injured in three days of ethnic and religious clashes in the central city of Jos, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on september 11, quoting Nigeria's Red Cross.Ms Antonella Notari, spokeswam at the Geneva headquarters for the swiss-run ICRC, said the toll could rise. "The bodies of 165 people who died were brought to various Jos hospitals," Ms Notari told Reuters. "This is coming from the Nigerian Red Cross, figures they gave us on September 10. It was as much as they could see at the time." Earlier, Nigeria's plateau State government said that 80 people had died and more than 500 people had been injured. Tension has been building in Jos for about a month. Some members of the majority Christian community of the Plateau State had complained about the appointment of a Muslim at the head of the state's poverty alleviation programme. SUDANThe Government of Sudan dropped 24 bombs on the Eastern Equatoria region killing six people, including three children. There were also a number of injured in the attack carried out last Monday September 3rd. Also destroyed were a Catholic church and several houses in the Diocese of Torit. Church and relief agencies say that only civilians inhabit this area.Meanwhile, the Sudan Catholic Bishops are convinced that the increased trade in oil from their country will only exacerbate the war. In a statement issued on August 29th, the Bishops reiterate that "�We foresee that the production of oil will fuel the war � Since several countries have rushed to show interest in trading in oil with Khartoum, the government of Sudan (GOS) has lost interest in pursuing a peaceful solution to the war � We are convinced the oil revenues will not be used for the welfare of the Sudanese." On 29th August they were scheduled to have a presentation by a staff person from Talisman Oil Company (a Canadian firm) who requested the meeting with the Bishops during this Plenary. The Talisman request came as result of a letter which the Catholic Bishops wrote to IGAD (the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development) on 15th September 2000 during their Annual meeting in Pesaro (Italy). In the letter the Bishops had said, "We are convinced that the benefits of the oil production are not shared for the development of the South and other marginalized areas." A program for peace includes suspension of oil extraction until peace is achieved. The Bishops issued the statement during their Annual Plenary in Nairobi, running August 21st through September 1st 2001. (Source: CISA) ZimbabweSouthern African leaders established a committee on 12 September to monitor the restoration of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, where president Robert Mugabe has pledged to end a violent campaign of seizing-owned farms.At the end of a two-day summit to help steer Zimbabwe from a ruinous land crisis, heads of state from five countries also urged Harare to establish a multi-party parliamentary committee to tackle economic problems such as campaigns against the opposition, the media and judiciary. Malawin president Bakili Muluzi told a media briefing he expected to see results on the ground within the next two weeks to a month. On 9 September, President Mugabe endosed a Nigerian-brokered plan, struck in Abuja, to end seizures of white-owned farms in exchange for funds to implement a fair, just land reform programme. (Source: Reuters)
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