Burundi: En bref ce 23 MAI 2006 ...

BURUNDI: Bujumbura seeks UN help in reconstruction efforts
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
Ramadhan Karenga, Government Spokesman
BUJUMBURA, 23 May 2006 (IRIN) - Peace and governance; the boosting of the security and judicial sectors, human rights and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration are some of the areas for which the Burundi government is seeking United Nations support upon the total withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from the country, government spokesman Ramadhan Karenga said.

The UN Mission in Burundi, known by its French acronym ONUB, is scheduled to complete its mandate in the country by 31 December 2006. It deployed in June 2004 to help to implement efforts undertaken by Burundians to restore lasting peace in the country that is emerging from 12 years of civil war.

Karenga said the government submitted its list of priorities on Monday to the visiting Under Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Gilbert Fossoun Hungbo, who is also the director of the agency's African regional office. Hungbo ends his visit on Wednesday. He is scheduled to hold talks with senior government officials, including President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Karenga said: "The government wishes for support in peace and governance, the boosting of the security sector, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, human rights and people's rights, the boosting of the judiciary sector on the eve of the setting up of the truth and reconciliation commission and the special court, as well as support to information and communication, given the role of the press in the electoral process."

He said the government and the UN would, before 31 December, agree on major areas of cooperation on which to focus. Burundi would adopt experiences of other countries such as Sierra Leone in the setting up of a UN integrated office, Karenga said.

This UN integrated mission, which would replace the UN Operation mission in Burundi, would meet the requirements of post-conflict reconstruction, he added.

"It will back efforts of mobilisation of resources for the implementation of agreed upon development and reconstruction projects," Karenga said.

He said there should be continuity through "residual UN activities" as well as continued support to "selected sectors". He said funding for reconstruction projects needed to be "stable" and the projects must be of good quality and be well managed.

The UN and the government will hold further consultations on post-conflict cooperation, he said.

On his part, Hungbo reiterated the UN's support to Burundi in its peace and development efforts. He delivered a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Burundian government.

"The Secretary-General mandated me to inform you about the UN commitment to continue being on the side of Burundi in support to the process to consolidate peace, notably in the fight against poverty," Hungbo said, in an ONUB communiqué issued on Monday.

Hungbo said it was necessary "to go beyond the phase of peacekeeping in order to start a social and economic development phase".

In response to the UN secretary-general's message, Nkurunziza said international support to Burundi was crucial to achieving further progress.

He said good governance was a priority for his administration and would only be achieved through fighting corruption.

"There should be change of mentality, and every time one wants to change mentalities, there is some resistance," Nkurunziza said.

Burundi rights group condemns activists' arrest

BUJUMBURA (Reuters) Tue May 23, 2006 - A Burundian human rights group denounced on Tuesday what it called "continuing human rights violations" by the government after three Tutsi activists were arrested for threatening state security.

The trio, members of the AC Genocide Tutsi association,

were detained on Sunday in the central Gitega province, where they had travelled to attend a commemoration ceremony for Tutsis killed in 1993 at the start of the country's civil war.

Local media cited provincial officials as saying they had held an illegal meeting, which threatened public security.

"The impression we have is that the government wants to muzzle, intimidate those who express freely their opinions which the authorities are not happy about," said Jean Marie Vianey Kavumbagu, head of Burundi's biggest human rights group, Iteka.

"We are really concerned by this," he told Reuters, adding that the moves violated Burundi's constitution and international laws. A government spokesman was unavailable for comment.

The arrests come after Burundi's public prosecutor ordered a peace activist detained for criticising how the government handled peace talks with the country's sole remaining rebel group.

Former lawmaker Terence Nahimana was arrested this month by security agents for having links with the Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL), whose political wing he left in 1990.

Kavumbagu also cited an incident when around 20 journalists complained of being beaten by police while attending a news conference at the home of an expelled ruling party legislator.

Burundi is finally enjoying peace after 12 years of civil war that pitted rebels from the Hutu majority against a government controlled by the Tutsi minority.

More than 300,000 people died in the central African nation.

Trois militants anti-génocide sous les verrous au Burundi
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Trois militants de l'Association de lutte contre le génocide de la mairie de Bujumbura sont sous les verrous depuis dimanche dans le centre du Burundi pour avoir organisé une réunion publique non autorisée, a appris la PANA mardi auprès de leur avocat, Me Gabriel Sinarinzi. 23/05/2006

En 2005, la signature de plusieurs accords de paix a donné lieu à une diminution des conflits armés dans la région, mais de graves atteintes aux droits humains – y compris des meurtres, des viols et d’autres formes de sévices sexuels – ont encore été perpétrées au Burundi ...
Conflits armés

Au Burundi, dans les provinces du Bujumbura-rural et de Bubanza, le conflit opposant le mouvement armé PALIPEHUTU-FNL aux forces gouvernementales s’est poursuivi tout au long de l’année, malgré la présence d’une force de maintien de la paix de l’ONU. A la fin de l’année 2005, plus de 120 000 personnes, en majorité des femmes et des enfants, étaient toujours déplacées à l’intérieur du pays ou vivaient en exil.

Peine de mort
Des prisonniers demeuraient sous le coup d’une condamnation à mort au Burundi,

Le Ministre Armand De Decker reçoit la Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération internationale du Burundi
Armand De Decker : communiqué de presse Ecrit par Erik Silance

Bruxelles, le 23 mai 2006 - Le Ministre de la Coopération au développement, Armand De Decker, a reçu la Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération internationale du Burundi, Antoinette Batumubwira.

L'entretien a porté sur la coopération bilatérale entre les deux pays et plus particulièrement sur le programme d'urgence pour lequel la Belgique a mis 15 millions d'euros 'à disposition du Burundi.

Ce programme a pour objectif d'améliorer rapidement les conditions de vie de la population burundaise, principalement dans les domaines de l'éducation et des infrastructures de base, après la réussite de la transition démocratique..

Les discussions ont également porté sur la situation intérieure au Burundi, sur la bonne gouvernance, et sur les bonnes relations que le Burundi entretient avec ses voisins (République Démocratique du Congo, Rwanda, Ouganda).

Les deux Ministres ont également procédé à un échange sur les mécanismes de consolidation de la paix, d'autant plus que la Belgique et le Burundi ont été désignés comme membres de la Commission de consolidation de la paix des Nations-Unies.

Le Ministre Armand De Decker s'est engagé à se rendre au Burundi prochainement.

Burundi seeks answers on UN withdrawal

May 23 2006 - Sapa-AFP

Bujumbura - Burundi on Monday kicked off talks with United Nations officials over what happens when the world body's peace force deployed in the tiny Central African nation pulls out, officials said.

The UN is expected to wind up its gradual troop reduction by December after helping Burundi achieve peace following years of civil unrest that claimed 300 000 lives.

"We have begun consultations today on future cooperation between the United Nations and Burundi after the peace mission whose mandate ends on 31st December," first vice president Martin Nduwimana said at the start of the talks.

Currently, only 40 percent of the 5 364 UN troops deployed in the country in mid-2004 remain in Burundi since the phased draw-down began last December.

Burundi is still recovering from the ethnically-driven conflict that erupted in 1993 with the assassination of the country's first democratically-elected president, a member of the Hutu majority, by officers in the minority Tutsi-dominated military.

"We are no longer in the conflict resolution stage. The talks are about helping us in development and reconstruction," Nduwimana said.

The country installed a new power-sharing government in August headed by former Hutu rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza.

ActionAid has begun food deliveries to parts of Burundi where approximately 2 million people are facing hunger after years of poor rainfall.

Malnutrition is widespread and hundreds are believed to have died. The feeding centre in Kirundo town sees ten to 16 new cases each day. In the countryside many families are cooking wild leaves to survive. Malaria and other diseases are on the increase.

On Friday 21 April ActionAid Burundi delivered 35 tonnes of beans and 35 tonnes of maize and cassava flour, worth 35 million Burundi francs (£20,000) to two communes in Kirundo, one of five provinces where the government has declared a state of famine.

The deliveries mean 6,792 households now have enough rations to last one week. They will be followed by deliveries to Ruyigi and Rutana provinces.

Priority

Sam Braimah, director of ActionAid Burundi said: "We need a national food security policy that protects poor farmers from rich commercial wholesalers, to break the vicious circle of poverty, hunger and disease. But right now, our priority is to feed people who have absolutely nothing left to eat."

Poor rainfall over the past six years in the north, north-eastern and central provinces has brought starvation to areas which were traditionally regarded as Burundi's food basket.

Though rain has now fallen, many plots have nothing growing on them because families have eaten the seed they saved from the last crop, and are too poor to buy new ones.

Men have left their families to try to find casual work on farms in neighbouring provinces or across the border in Rwanda.

ActionAid also has active or planned emergency programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Somaliland.

Burundi Fact File:

Burundi is the second most densely populated country in Africa. A demographic explosion has resulted in the division of land into smaller plots. War and population pressure have led to degradation of the environment and the loss of most of Burundi's forests.

Burundi used to receive reliable rains twice a year and had ample supplies of fresh food. Its farmers have never had to learn the techniques of irrigation and food preservation, which are used by people in more arid areas to survive long periods without rain.

During February and March the World Food Programme and other agencies distributed food aid to more than 30% of Burundi’s households – about two million of the country's 7.5 million population. An estimated US$75 million of aid is still needed.

The effects of poor rainfall have been compounded by chronic poverty and the history of 12 years of civil war. Many Burundians have been displaced within the country. Others returned from neighbouring countries such as Tanzania after the conflict subsided.

THE caseworker assigned to a boy who died shortly after arriving in Australia was not given specific information about the toddler's case because the refugee settlement company did not open an email in time.
Information on Richard Niyonsaba's case was put to a Senate estimates committee today.

The boy arrived in Australia on November 4 last year after his family fled from Burundi in Africa.

His chronic sickle cell anaemia delayed the family's flight to Australia.

Richard's family said a caseworker from the Australian Centre for Languages (ACL), which is contracted by the immigration department, read his medical file before leaving the family at a flat in Fairfield, in western Sydney, telling them to dial triple-0 in an emergency.

Richard died hours later after his father, who spoke no English, was unable to use the phone or get help.

An independent report found no fault with ACL's management procedures.

The Senate estimates committee was told today that although ACL knew of the boy's general situation, it did not find out about specific information until after his death because an email was not opened in time.

"In that particular case the information was emailed to the service provider to that person's email and that person didn't open the email in time for the case worker to be informed about that specific information," assistant secretary of the settlement branch of the immigration department, Kate Pope, said.

"Although the service worker was aware of the general situation about that case a few days beforehand."

She said the situation was unlikely be repeated because sick refugees were now given medical escorts and emails were sent to more people.

"The service providers have created general mail boxes that a number of people can access and we provide that information to additional people in the service provider as well," she said.

"In the case you are referring to ... we've have cases travelled since then with medical escorts and in that set of circumstances we would expect similar cases to come with a medical escort."

Rwanda: Rwandans in the UK Protest Rusesabagina
The New Times (Kigali) May 23, 2006 Steven Baguma Kigali

Having been criticized by Rwandans at home, in the US and Canada, for his claims that he saved countless lives during the 1994 Genocide, Paul Rusesabagina who was featured as a hero in the Hotel Rwanda film has again come under intense criticism from Rwandans in England ahead of his week-long tour to launch his new book 'An Ordinary Man'.

In its letter to The Bloomsbury Publishing Plc on May 18, a London-based publishing company that is supporting and promoting Rusesabagina, the Rwandese Community Association, an umbrella group that brings together Rwandans working and living in the United Kingdom, warns the promoters to cease their alliance with a "Genocide revisionist who has continued to perpetuate lies about the Genocide and its survivors in order to make a living for himself."

The Community also counsels Rusesabagina not to make it a business to hurt the survivors of the horrendous tragedy that claimed close to a million innocent people.

'The fact is Paul Rusesabagina is a man who presents a false side of himself, while hiding his true self ... 'he should stop using the Genocide as his platform', the letter seen by The New Times reads in part.

In the letter, Rwandans in the UK assert that Rusesabagina is disrupting the development process.

'Rwandan people are trying to sew themselves back together after being torn apart by that human tragedy and the likes of Paul Rusesabagina are an unwanted disruption to that process,' it adds.

According to his critics, a good number of them who were at Hotel des Mille Collines during the Genocide, Rusesabagina exaggerates his 'heroism' as portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda.

The critics further assert that the hotel was under the protection of the United Nations Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) thus the lives of people he claims to have saved were not at risk.

Meanwhile, in an interview with The New Times, on April 24, François Xavier Ngarambe, the President of the survivors' association, IBUKA, castigated the producers of the film for not offering any assistance to orphans and widows of the Genocide yet they had originally pledged to give 5% of the proceeds to the survivors.

Rwanda woos foreign investors
Tue, 23 May 2006 -BiA Online
Kigali – Rwandan officials on Monday again urged investors to forget about the 1994 genocide in an attempt to attract foreign direct investment.
Officials at a conference were trying to woo over 260 investors from 32 countries to invest in the now stable country.
Officials said the country offered opportunities in agriculture, energy, finance information technology, manufacturing, mining and tourism.
Rwanda, which has averaged 7 percent growth over the past 5 years, has attracted $470mn in foreign direct investment in 2005, said officials.
This is an increase of 120 percent on 2004’s $210mn in FDI.
Rwanda’s growth has come mainly from coffee and tea export earnings. However, the country’s mountain gorillas have also created a healthy tourism sector, said officials.
Rwanda is marketing itself as a stable Central Africa country with access to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If elections in the DRC in July later this year are successful, Rwanda could provide access to a potentially massive new market.
The county’s planned entry into the East African Community would provide easy access to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Rwanda is also well positioned to take advantage of Ethiopia’s growth, which has averaged 7 percent over the past three years according to government statistics.

Tuju calls for enhanced trade between Kenya and Rwanda
By Kate Karongo http://www.capitalfm.co.ke

Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju has called for exploitation of trade opportunities between Kenya and Rwanda.

Speaking during the opening of the 4th session of the Kenya-Rwanda joint permanent Commission, Tuju noted that total trade between the two countries has increased steadily by 9.3 percent.

He says with the anticipated formalization of Rwanda’s membership to the East African Community, trade cooperation between the two countries is expected to expand.

Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Rosemary Museminari said there’s need for more co-operation in the Agriculture sector, security and military cooperation and investment promotion.

UGANDA

Guard kills at least 10 at north Uganda camp
23 May 2006 Source: Reuters
More KAMPALA, May 23 (Reuters) - A Ugandan guard shot dead at least 10 people and injured about 30 others at a camp for villagers displaced by 20 years of war in the north of the country, an army spokesman said on Tuesday.
The gunman, a member of a local defence militia, opened fire on the civilians at Ogwete in Lira district, one of scores of squalid settlements for 1.6 million people uprooted by the conflict with Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
"More than 10 people were killed, but that man is now in custody and we are investigating," Lieutenant Chris Magezi, army spokesman for northern Uganda, told Reuters by telephone.
Local media said the gunman had been drinking heavily before getting into an argument over a woman. One Lira politician told a Ugandan newspaper the killer then went from hut to hut, shooting sleeping residents with his assault rifle.
Local militia units support troops guarding the camps in the north, where fighting has forced up to 90 percent of people from their homes. Residents complain that the reinforcements are often poorly trained and undisciplined.
Ogwete is about 280 km (170 miles) northeast of Kampala.
The LRA leadership is based in neighbouring southern Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. They are wanted by the International Criminal Court, but in a surprise move this month, they called for negotiations with Uganda's government.
President Yoweri Museveni issued an Aug. 1 deadline for them to end their insurgency. But analysts saw little chance of holding substantial talks with a group that is notorious for abducting children, and has no clear political goals.

Surrender or face regional force, Museveni tells Kony
The EAstAfrican May 22, 2006
LRA leader Joseph Kony
Spurning a call for truce by Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army, President Yoweri Museveni gave the rebel an ultimatum – surrender for trial in the International Criminal Court or face the combined fire of Ugandan forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army.

Mr Museveni's decision, say analysts, was informed by two decisions. First, to end the conflict quickly so that he rediverts the resources tied up by the 20 years he has faced rebellion to the economy, particularly the power sector, which is undergoing a crippling crisis. And second, to end the image of instability the country has endured for long ahead of the Commonwealth Summit scheduled to be held in the country in July next year.

Ironically, Mr Museveni’s ultimatum to Kony, who is holed up with remnants of his fighting force in the Garamba National Park in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was delivered just over a week ago and came after he received a message calling for a truce and talks from Kony.

According to sources, Mr Museveni’s ultimatum gave the rebels up to the end of July to surrender or face joint military action by Ugandan and SPLA forces. It was underpinned by the promise of a regional agreement that would see Uganda’s neighbours join it and the UN forces in Congo to hunt down the elusive rebel leader and his top aides.

Kony's peace offer was delivered by Sudanese Vice President and SPLA Chief Salva Kiir, who stayed on in Kampala for private talks after attending Mr Museveni’s inauguration on May 12.

Uganda’s immediate former Defence Minister and MP for Kinkizi West, Amama Mbabazi, told The EastAfrican that uneasy neighbours, including Rwanda, Congo and Sudan, and UN forces in Congo (Monuc) would most likely deploy against the LRA if Kony refused to surrender.

"There is a regional security mechanism in the making which involves Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Rwanda and Monuc that will find a regional solution to this Kony issue. Obviously, when that comes, forcing Kony out of Congo will not be a problem," said Mr Mbabazi.

He said Kony, who escaped into Congo last October fleeing an onslaught by the Ugandan army on his bases in Southern Sudan, had become a regional problem, with his abductions in both Congo and Sudan and killings in Uganda.

Mr Mbabazi’s statement came hot on the heels of comments made by the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, who told a London think-tank that capturing LRA leader Joseph Kony by the end of the year had become a major goal of President Bush’s administration.

After implementation of the Sudan comprehensive peace treaty started last year and ongoing internal settlement in Congo, the LRA is increasingly being seen as a spoiler with no known set of grievances.

Officials at the US embassy in Kampala last week said that the LRA was a big threat to peace and stability not only in northern Uganda, but also in eastern Congo and Southern Sudan.

Ms Alyson Grunder, the US embassy’s public affairs officer in Kampala, said, "The Assistant Secretary emphasised that the international community, including the United States, has an obligation to work together to end this threat, and to ameliorate the suffering caused by the LRA conflict."

She said the US has for several years recognised that the conflict required a variety of responses. These include humanitarian assistance, support for diplomatic and reconciliation efforts and appropriate military pressure by regional forces.

Analysts say that it was this shift in international opinion against him, especially the indictments against him and his close aides by the ICC, that have pushed Kony into a corner, forcing him to seek a settlement.

Kony’s current position is precarious because even his allies in Khartoum now find it difficult to shelter him since they are obliged by international law to arrest him. Although Uganda says it is open to dialogue with the LRA, the ICC warrants of arrest for the rebel leaders places Kampala in a tricky position.

Outgoing Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who led the government side during the last round of failed talks with the LRA, said the important point was how to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

"I believe we can find a combination between traditional and internationally acceptable methods that will yield peace without giving in to impunity," he said.

Ending the 20-year old conflict in the north, which is taking up $85 million annually, is important for Mr Museveni’s government, which must find resources to build new power stations to stem a deepening energy shortage.

Defence expenditure has also soared to $200 million amid aid cuts by donors, increasing social expenditure on education and health as well as a $50 million bill as the country prepares to host the Commonwealth Summit.

In Mr Museveni’s assessment, Kony and his top commanders no longer have the capacity to create chaos in northern Uganda because the army had built the capacity to stop and eliminate him. But he guaranteed the rebels' safety, pledging not to kill them if they were serious about a peaceful settlement. He did not, however, rule out their trial by the ICC.

Although Kony and four of his deputies are indicted war criminals wanted for trial in the ICC, presidential press secretary Onapito Ekomoloit said the Ugandan government had guaranteed Kony safety "if he got serious about a peaceful settlement."

The announcement by President Museveni is the latest attempt by his government to hold talks with Kony. In December 2004, efforts to reach a peace agreement collapsed at the last hour. The government has since then resumed military operations against the LRA, largely decimating their ranks in Uganda and Southern Sudan, which forced the rebel leader to relocate to the DRC.

The conflict in the north is seen as the biggest failure of Mr Museveni's reign and winning it at this time could help him win back support in the north, which has been waning for years.

In a meeting last week with the British Overseas Development minister, Hilary Benn, Mr Museveni said that Kony had no chance of surviving militarily in Uganda because the Ugandan armed forces had the capacity to deal with him.

The president asked Britain and other UN Security Council permanent members to prevail upon Monuc forces to improve their operations so that Kony and other terrorists stop having a "holiday."

The Southern Sudan government last month offered to mediate the peace talks between Uganda and the LRA rebels, who have been fighting it for the past 20 years. Mr Machar then said they are in the process of bringing the Uganda government and the rebels together.

Sudan once backed the LRA against the Uganda government, which in turn supported the Sudan People's Liberation Army in its civil war against the Sudanese government.

Sudan and Uganda normalised relations in 2001 and the north-south Sudan war ended with a peace treaty last year that created the autonomous government in the south as well as the national unity government.

The LRA is infamous for abduction of thousands of children ,forcing them to become fighters, porters or concubines.

The group has killed thousands of civilians and forced more than 1.5 million people to flee their homes. The army says the strength of the LRA stands at 500 fighters, of whom less than a third are armed, compared with 5,000 in 2002, of whom 3,000 were armed.

NMDC granted licences for gold mining in Tanzania
Source: IRIS (23 May 2006)

National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has been granted two prospecting licences for gold mining in Bulyand Ombe-I and Siga Hills area by the United Republic of Tanzania, informed the Minister of State for Mines, Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy.

National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), a public sector undertaking has been carrying out geological exploration for gold in United Republic of Tanzania.

Exploration work involving survey, geological mapping, drilling, trench excavation, sampling etc. has been carried out. Further exploration work has been planned in promising blocks.

National Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NMDC) was established as a fully owned Government of India Corporation in 1958.

Since inception it has been involved in the exploration of wide range of minerals including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, lime stone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, beach sands etc.

3 May 2006 Sapa-AFP

Das es Salaam - Senior officials from mainland Tanzania and the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago met on Monday to address islanders' complaints that threaten the four-decade-old East Africa union.

As a Zanzibari court set a start date for a lawsuit seeking to void the 1964 treaty that created the United Republic of Tanzania, federal vice-president, Ali Sheni, and Zanzibar's chief minister Shamsi Vuai held talks in Dar es Salaam.

"I believe that many problems facing the union can be solved and the best way is to discuss them transparently," Sheni said.

"We should not hesitate to discuss these problems for the sake of our people."

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete had earlier this year ordered the talks in a bid to end rising discontent on the idyllic Indian Ocean island chain that is now an invaluable source of tourism revenue for the country.

The closed-door discussions that followed were the first at a senior level to deal with Zanzibari's growing frustration about alleged inequities in the confederation agreement that is now the subject of a court challenge.

Many of semi-autonomous Zanzibar's overwhelmingly Muslim population of about one million have long chafed under the current structure of the union that they believe favours residents of the much larger 35 million-strong mainland.

Although Zanzibar - a favourite of Western tourists - has its own president and parliament, there have been growing calls in recent years for the dissolution of the union, or at least major modifications to the confederation.

The divisions have been punctuated by rivalry between Kikwete's ruling Revolutionary Party (CCM), which dominates mainland politics, and the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) that has broad support on the islands.

The CUF, which backs changes to the union, claims to have been robbed of the last three elections on Zanzibar by the CCM. Violence between supporters of the two parties and security forces has marred the past two elections.

As Monday's talks began in Dar es Salaam, a court in Zanzibar allowed a lawsuit filed by 10 opposition figures that aims to nullify the articles of confederation and restore Zanzibar's seat at the United Nations.

Zanzibar High Court Justice Mbarouk Salim set a June 28 date for the start of the case.

Tanzania and Iran to create closer ties in tourism
Michael Verikios - Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Tourism authorities of Tanzania and Iran came closer and discussed the benefits of a potential cooperation between the two countries. Anthony Diallo, Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism met with Iran`s Ambassador to Tanzania Abbas Vaezi. In the meeting, the two sides discussed ways of expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and natural resources.

Vaezi said there are appropriate grounds for developing tourism activities, exchange of information in the field of natural resources and exchange of experience in the field of protection and maintenance of archaeological works between the two countries.

Tanzanian minister, for his part, referred to historical relations between the two countries and said, "Tanzania wishes to use Iran`s experiences in different cultural fields, including tourism and preservation of archaeological works." He added "Tanzania welcomes Iranians` investment in the fields of hotel building and tourism services."

He expressed hope that more facilities are provided for Iranian tourists who visit Tanzania.

RDC : Offensive dans l’Ituri

par Antonio Garcia / Source : RFI / Publié le mardi 23 mai 2006
par Le Journal Chrétien

L’armée de la RDC, appuyée par les casques bleus, a attaqué la ville de Tchei qui est considérée comme étant le plus important bastion des rebelles, dans la partie orientale du pays. Les forces gouvernementales congolaises cherchent à pacifier l’ensemble du territoire national avant les élections présidentielles et législatives du 30 juillet.
Les forces gouvernementales de la République démocratique du Congo, avec l’appui des casques bleus des Nations unies, ont déclenché une offensive contre les forces rebelles dans la région de l’Ituri, dans la partie nord-est du pays. Selon la mission de l’Onu (MONUC) les forces congolaises ont réussi à pénétrer dans plusieurs quartiers de la ville de Tchei, qui est contrôlée par des forces appartenant à une alliance hétéroclite de formations rebelles : le MRC, Mouvement révolutionnaire du Congo.

Le porte-parole de l’armée nationale congolaise, le capitaine Olivier Mputo, cité par l’agence Reuters a déclaré que l’opération a provoqué « 32 morts dans les rangs de l’ennemi ». Il a aussi reconnu que quatre soldats gouvernementaux ont été tués dans l’assaut contre ces milices fortement armées. Le même officier congolais cité par la presse sud-africaine a affirmé que les rebelles ont pu se confondre avec la population locale et qu’il était ainsi impossible d’évaluer leurs effectifs réels.

L’Onu a affirmé que Tchei était tenue par environ deux mille rebelles, dont des enfants-soldats. Près de mille casques bleus originaires du Bangladesh, du Pakistan et de l’Afrique du Sud ont appuyé les 3 000 militaires de la RDC qui ont été mobilisés pour cette offensive contre les miliciens qui s’opposent aux tentatives de pacification de cette région congolaise. La vague de violence dans la région de l’Ituri a provoqué près de 50 000 morts depuis 1999. Des hélicoptères de l’Onu ont apporté un soutien logistique en transportant des munitions aux soldats congolais et en participant à l’évacuation de militaires blessés.

Selon un porte-parole de la Monuc « la situation n’est pas encore complètement stabilisée ». Les miliciens ont déclenché une contre-attaque dimanche et des tirs de mitrailleuses ainsi que des explosions de grenades des tirs de mortier ont été entendus dans les environs de cette localité. L’agence Belga signale que la présente opération, dénommée « Ituri Explorer », a aussi permis aux forces armées congolaises (FARDC) de reprendre les localités d’Abeba, Kabona, Tshekele, avant d’atteindre Tchei dimanche, vers 17h30 locales. Un des dirigeants du MRC a été blessé et arrêté au début de cette offensive.

La nouvelle armée fait face à des rivalités internes

C’est la deuxième fois que les forces armées de la RDC tentent d’occuper Tchei, située à 45 kilomètres au sud de Bunia, chef-lieu du district de l’Ituri. Tchei est considérée comme étant une position rebelle importante dans cette région. En mars l’Onu avait du annuler une opération conjointe avec l’armée gouvernementale, suite à une mutinerie. La nouvelle armée congolaise manque d’équipements et doit aussi faire face à des rivalités très délicates, suite à l’intégration d’anciens combattants rebelles. Les Nations unies ont appelé les forces armées de la RDC à ne pas commettre d’exactions sur les populations civiles.

Le gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo veut stabiliser le maximum de territoire possible, dans les plus brefs délais, étant donné que les élections du 30 juillet approchent. Ces élections (législatives et présidentielle) vont marquer une étape décisive pour l’avenir de ce vaste pays, suite à une terrible guerre civile qui a provoqué près de quatre millions de victimes, entre 1998 et 2003. La plupart des Etats de la région ont été impliques dans ce conflit, notamment l’Ouganda, le Rwanda, le Burundi, et l’Angola. Cette offensive dans l’Ituri témoigne de la volonté des Nations unies pour que ces élections puissent se dérouler dans les meilleures conditions.

DRC cobalt production set to fall
Tue, 23 May 2006 -BiA Online

Kinshasa – Cobalt production in the Democratic of the Congo is set to fall in 2006, pushing up prices, according to the industry even though new companies are entering the market.

The DRC, the world’s largest source of cobalt, would see production fall as new large firms invest in infrastructure and smaller firms move to copper, which is has been trading at record prices.

Big mining firms, like First Quantum and Phelps Dodge, were only likely to start producing cobalt within a few years.

Russel Grant, director of cobalt miner Camec, said that the DRC’s output to the free market would drop significantly from 16 200 tonnes in 2005 to 12 000 tonnes in 2006.

Grant believes that the 2005 tonnage would only be met again by the second half of 2008.

At the same time, demand from China is on the rise. China consumed 11 376 tonnes in 2005. Analysts believe this could reach 18 492 tonnes by 2010

China’s demand for more cobalt, and the expected shortfall in the DRC, is likely to result in increased prices.

China is the world’s largest consumer of cobalt. Cobalt is a strategic resource used in batteries, jets and even prosthetic limbs.

DRC: 32 rebels, five soldiers killed in northeast, army says

BUNIA, 22 May (IRIN) - Government troops have killed 32 rebels in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in an ongoing 'Operation Ituri Explorer' mission ahead of general elections on 30 July, army spokesman Capt Olivier Mputu said on Monday.

Five government soldiers were killed and 11 wounded, he added.

Close to 2,000 government troops, backed by 500 United Nations peacekeepers, launched the latest operation in Ituri District two weeks ago. The fighting has taken place in the community of Walendu Bindi, between Bunia, the district capital, and Lake Albert, on the border with Uganda. The army is trying to re-establish state authority in the area near the lake so that residents can vote in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

The operation aims to disarm the alliance of the Front de Resistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), and the Mouvement revolutionnaire congolais, which is comprised of fighters from various armed militia groups that have disbanded. In the absence of government authority in the northeast of the country, these rebel groups have been attacking civilians. The UN estimated that there are between 1,000 and 2,000 militiamen in the region who have refused to integrate into the disarmament and reintegration process in DRC.

"We recovered several localities like Tchekele, Aveba, Kabona Bunga and Tcheyi," Mputu said.

These areas are between 70km and 80km south of Bunia. Tcheyi is nearly 100 km south of Bunia by road.

Most of Tcheyi's 4,000 residents had fled. "We have just been informed of a population movement in the direction of Komanda," Modibo Traoré, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ituri, said. Komanda is to 40 km west of Tcheyi.

A senior Congolese army officer, who did not wish to be named, said the loss of Tcheyi was a serious blow to the FRPI because the area had provided the rebels direct access to the Ugandan border, where they received weapons and ammunition. There is no independent confirmation of the militia's supply route.

In their retreat, the rebels abandoned 13 AK-47 assault rifles and some mortars. The army said the militia had retreated to Mount Hoyo, some 20km southwest of Tcheyi.

This is the fourth time the army has launched operations in this area against the armed groups. In all, six army brigades (that is some 18,000 troops), backed by some 4,700 UN peacekeepers, have set about disarming all irregular armed groups in Ituri.

Angola expected record economic growth this year

Source: Xinhua 23/05/2006

Africa's leading oil producer Angola is expected to achieve a record economic growth of 20.6 percent this year, an official said at the end of a conference on Oil Revenue Management.

Angola Press ANGOP on Monday quoted the Finance vice minister Severim de Morais as saying that similar to the economic growth rate, in the same period, public investments will be valued at 850 million U.S. dollars.

Morais said that the results had a catalytic effect on the countrys economy, especially in attracting private investments which is estimated to reach 6.3 million U.S. dollars.

He estimated that the unemployment rate will also be decreased from 74 percent last year to 29.2 percent in 2006, thus bringing about a promising perspective of a more emphatic reduction in the current year.

Morais indicated that having into account the growth of the civil construction sector, being an activity that intensely uses the labor factor, the government would create increasing opportunities to direct and indirect employment in the year 2006.

The vice minister stated that in the Public Investment Program for 2005/2006, the government has registered 1,663 projects, out of which 52 percent were executed or are about to be implemented, mainly in the fields of education, health, public works, as well as energy and water sectors.

Diamond junior erects SA-sourced treatment plant in Angola

http://www.miningweekly.co.za 23/05/2006

A mining junior active in Africa has begun to erect a new South African-sourced diamond plant in Angola, Mining Weekly Online can report. The operations of exploration and mining company Xceldiam Limited, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim), are focused on kimberlite and alluvial exploration at the Luangue concession in north-eastern Angola.

In a media release on Tuesday, Xceldiam chairperson and CEO Tim George reports that the extent of the alluvial gravels look more promising than previously anticipated: “We are now eagerly awaiting the results of the processing of the gravel samples,” he says.

Erection has begun of the front-end scrubber section of the 70t/h alluvial-treatment plant and 6t/h mobile alluvial prospecting plant, which were sourced from Alluvial Diamond Plants Metco, of Cape Town.

The initial sites for these two facilities are in the N’Gombo area and have been prepared in advance using a new Volvo earthmoving fleet, the release says.

The 20t/h dense-media separation plant and flow-sort diamond-recovery sections, which have arrived in Luanda, will be commissioned following the commissioning of the treatment plant.

The initial alluvial sampling activities will focus on a 5km terrace along the Luangue river, between the Sampoio and N’Gombo tributaries.

This area, which has been the exploration focus to date, is associated with the kimberlitic anomalies identified as priority drilling targets, the release says.

Additional artisanal-miner (garimpeiro) excavations on the west bank of the Canguvo river, some 20 km north-east of the main N’Gombo Camp, have also undergone mineralogical assessment.

Initial mineralogy is positive and the target gravel beds extend over several square kilometres.

Access tracks to this area are being prepared to allow an observation pit-sampling programme to commence shortly.

Angola Elected Member Of WHO Assembly

Luanda, 05/23 - ANGOP - Angola was elected member of the World Health Organization 59th General Assembly, whose works started Monday in Geneva.

The world assembly, which outlines WHO policies and controls the finances of the organization, will have to elect a new general director, since the previous one, Lee Jong-Hook, passed away.

The 59th World Health Assembly (WHA) opened Monday in a sombre mood following the death early on Monday morning of the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Lee Jong-wook. Dr Lee, who was 61 and had been in his post since July 2003, died following a sudden illness.

Angola`s election to one of the five places reserved for the African continent at the General Assembly Committee, made up by 25 members is given at a time that the country is being hit by a cholera outbreak that affects hundreds of people.

Other African countries elected were Gambia, Gabon, Senegal and Togo. In January 2005, the Angolan doctor Luís Sambo, was elected by the UN health organisation executive committee as WHO regional director for Africa.

The Angolan delegation present at the meeting is led by the ambassador and permanent representative of Angola at the UN in Geneva, Arcanjo do Nascimento, in the company of the national director for endemic diseases, Filomeno Fortes, and the Health Ministry`s juridical office director, Avelino Artur.

The World Health Organization Assembly meets once a year and is made up by delegates of 192 members countries.

Angola/Cuba: Angolan Official Defends Fulfilment Of Juridical Instruments

Havana, 05/23 - ANGOP - Angolan Family and Women Promotion minister, Cândida Celeste, defended recently in Havana, the need to make efforts to fulfil the international juridical instruments for the harmony of the families, based on the principles of tolerance, solidarity, peace and reconciliation.

The official, who was speaking during the Fourth International Conference on Family Rights, explained that such instruments define clearly the rights, duties and the responsibilities of the family and children.

The official added that the rights, duties and responsibilities of the parents and other people officially responsible for children were defined in various documents and international conventions, such as the African Charter on Human Rights, as well as the Family Code of Angola.

To her, the education of the families and the defence of their rights should dominate the attention of governments and the society.

AFRIQUE DU SUD :

South Africa : African Intellectuals meet in Durban

May 23, 2006 Johannesburg Bureau By Mabutho Michael Ngcobo

Johannesburg (AND) A two day meeting of African intellectuals is underway in Durban, KwaZulu Natal as part of the African Renaissance Festival.
The meeting, entitled ‘Socio-Economic Development, Africa’s New Hope’, is a part of the week long Eighth African Renaissance Festival which started yesterday.
''This year’s African Renaissance Festival is going to be bigger and better than previous years' celebrations. Our programme confirms that this festival is not only about song and dance but seeks to come up with innovative ways of unlocking the potential of our province and indeed the rest of Africa and the Diaspora.
''We are confident that after this conference we will see a KwaZulu Natal that is qualitatively better than the one we would have had before the festival,'' said the chairperson of the African Renaissance and KwaZulu Natal Premier Mr Sbusiso Ndebele.
The guests attending the conference include the Director General of the KwaZulu Natal province, Professor Mandla Mchunu, Ms Jesse Duarte, former South African Ambassodor to Mozambique and member of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) and other experts from all over the continent.
Since it launch in 1999, the festival has a attracted more than 500 delegates from all over the continent.

South Africa: No end in sight for security strike

May 23, 2006 Johannesburg Bureau By Motshidisi Baloyi

Johannesburg (AND) The South African Transport and Allied Worker’s Union will continue with the security guard strike after talks with employers reached yet another deadlock.

The union held a meeting with security employers but could not reach an agreement. The employers proposed that the union suspend its strike before the resumption of talks.

“We are using the strike as a tool and if we call it off we will not be able to negotiate,” said Simon Jackson, SATAWU’s national labour co-ordinator.

Jackson said there would not be any more marches by the guards as a safety measure for the guards. “We have stopped the marches because the guards get shot at and brutalised by police,” said Jackson.

This comes after the guards’ mass action turned violent in Cape Town last week. The striking guards looted and vandalised property.

SATAWU members have been on strike for more than 2 months and it is the only remaining union still on strike. The union turned down the proposed 8,3% pay increase. It is demanding an 11% pay increase and improved working conditions.

Members of 14 other security unions returned to work after accepting a wage deal with security employers.

AFRIQUE / U A :

Conflicts decline in Africa but abuse is rife

London, United Kingdom 23 May 2006 – Sapa-AFP

Africa saw a reduction in conflicts last year but gross human rights violations including killings and rape continued in volatile areas, Amnesty International said its annual report.

“The signing of several peace agreements in 2005 resulted in a decline in armed conflict across the region," the London-based body's 2006 International Report said.

"There was encouraging progress in peacemaking in some conflicts," it added, including in Senegal where a 2004 peace agreement in the southern Casamance region ended two decades of fighting.

But the rights watchdog said conflict continued in Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire and Sudan while "many places [in Africa] faced political instability and serious risk of further conflict and violence".

"Grave human rights violations including killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence characterised continuing conflicts," it said.

The report slammed African governments as well as opposition groups in Sudan, northern Uganda, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire and the DRC for human rights abuses.

In Sudan's Darfur region, "civilians were killed and injured by government troops, which sometimes bombed villages from the air, as well as the government-aligned nomadic Janjaweed militias".

War broke out in 2003 when rebel groups revolted against what they said was the political and economic marginalisation of the region's black African ethnic groups by the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum.

The government responded by unleashing the Janjaweed militia, a force of horse-mounted gunmen blamed for atrocities including rape and the burning of villages.

The main rebel group known as the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) signed a peace accord on May 5 with the Khartoum government.

Two other groups have resisted signing but have come under intense international pressure.

Three years of conflict have claimed about 300 000 lives and left 2,4-million homeless.

In northern Uganda, civilians continued to be victims of the 19-year-old fight between the government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, leaving more than three million internally displaced and half a million refugees moving to the south, the report said.

In neighbouring Burundi, armed conflict continued between the government and one last rebel group, the National Liberation Forces (FNL), said a foreign ministry statement.

The FNL is the last of Burundi's seven Hutu rebel groups to join the peace process in the Central African nation where fighting since 1993 has claimed 300 000 lives.

Across in West Africa, there had been no progress in demobilising around 50 000 fighters under the Côte d'Ivoire’s 's peace process, while child soldiers continued to be used there and in the DRC.

Apart from conflict, the report said many governments continued to deny rights to food, shelter, health and education.

It singled out Zimbabwe's controversial clean-up campaign called Operation Murambatsvina last year, which the United Nations said left about 700 000 people homeless and destitute.

Amnesty said the African Union continued to make efforts to address human rights problems.

UN /ONU :

CERF : l'instance politique du fonds d'intervention d'urgence des Nations Unies ouvre ses travaux à New York

23 mai 2006 – http://www.un.org Le Groupe consultatif du Fonds central d'intervention d'urgence (CERF), chargé de fournir périodiquement au Secrétaire général des directives politiques et des conseils sur l'utilisation et l'impact du Fonds, a commencé aujourd'hui sa première session de travail au siège de l'ONU à New York.

Le Secrétaire général adjoint aux affaires humanitaires, Jan Egeland, a informé le Groupe de la manière dont le Fonds avait été utilisé depuis sa création en mars, indique un communiqué du Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires (OCHA) paru aujourd'hui à New York.

« A cette date, plus de 261 millions de dollars ont été promis au budget du CERF depuis son lancement le 8 mars dernier, par 41 Etats Membres et deux organisations du secteur privé », indique le communiqué.

Quinze situations d'urgence ont bénéficié du déblocage rapide des fonds ou sont à l'étude à cet égard : Tchad, Côté d'Ivoire, Guinée-Bissau, Niger, Soudan, Suriname et Corne de l'Afrique (Djibouti, Erythrée, Ethiopie, Kenya et Somalie).

Jan Egeland a aussi évoqué les « ressources mises de côté pour les situations d'urgence sous-financées tels que le Burundi, la République centrafricaine, le Tchad, la Côte d'Ivoire, la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), la Guinée, Haïti, la République du Congo, le Zimbabwe et la Zambie ».

Les 12 membres du Groupe ont été accueillis par le Vice-secrétaire général, Mark Malloch Brown. Le Groupe consultatif a commencé ses travaux par l'élection de sa présidente, l'Envoyée spéciale pour la Corne de l'Afrique du ministère des Affaires étrangères de la Suède, Marika Fahlen.

Le CERF, premier grand fonds d'intervention humanitaire des Nations Unies, sera doté, lorsqu'il sera pleinement financé, d'un budget permanent de 500 millions de dollars, pour agir d'urgence, de manière équitable et partout dans le monde (dépêche du 9.03.06).

« Les 500 millions de dollars du CERF permettront, au lieu d'attendre que l'argent arrive lentement, de déployer immédiatement le personnel, les biens et les services là où des vies sont en danger », avait souligné le Secrétaire général lors de son lancement à New York (dépêche du 02.03.06).

LA CINQUIÈME COMMISSION EST SAISIE D’UN PROJET DE BUDGET POUR LES OPÉRATIONS DE MAINTIEN DE LA PAIX EN 2006-2007, DE L’ORDRE DE 4,8 MILLIARDS DE DOLLARS
22 mai 2006 - http://www.un.org
Cinquième Commission / 51e séance – matin /
De nombreuses délégations demandent des éclaircissements et des mesures fermes concernant les malversations constatées dans la gestion de certaines missions
http://www.un.org/News/fr-press/docs/2006/AGAB3734.doc.htm

USA :

Senior U.S. diplomat starts four-nation Africa tripKey goal is to "energize" Tripartite Process in Great Lakes region
Source: United States Department of State
Date: 23 May 2006
By Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File Correspondent

Washington - U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Don Yamamoto will attend a May 26-27 meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, designed to tackle pending issues in the volatile eastern Congo region of Africa.

Yamamoto’s participation in the meeting of the Tripartite Peace Process is part of a four-nation trip to Africa by the diplomat.

Before departing May 22 for Kenya, his first stop on an official trip that also includes Rwanda, Ethiopia and Chad, Yamamoto told the Washington File that a key goal of the trip would be “to energize and move forward” the Tripartite Peace Process hammered out by three African Great Lakes nations in 2004 with the help of then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Originally, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda were the three nations in the talks that Burundi later joined. All four neighbors have been in turmoil and conflict for close to 10 years, fighting over the resources of eastern Congo while various rebel militias have made cross-border incursions.

“I think the Tripartite [Process] is a real success story as far as conflict resolution is concerned," Yamamoto said, "because it is one of the few conflict resolution mechanisms we have that brings important leaders in the region together on a regular basis.”

The May 26-27 meeting in Kigali, Yamamoto said, will have several difficult items on its agenda including the pursuit of rebels in the eastern Congo, the extradition of warlords and militia leaders and “enhancing the information fusion cell” of the Tripartite Commission used to exchange critical intelligence about cross-border movements.

The DRC, which is set to have U.N.-sponsored elections in July, is “absolutely critical to the peace process in the Great Lakes," Yamamoto emphasized. “If Congo goes up in smoke” and collapses into political turmoil following the election, “stability in the whole region could again be jeopardized,” he added.

In January, Yamamoto told the United Nations, “The United States commends in the highest terms the governments of and people of Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda for their faith, trust, dedication and commitment to work together in the Tripartite plus commission.”

He added, “Each of these four countries is making a difference and preparing for a more secure and prosperous Great Lakes region.”

KENYA, ETHIOPIA CHAD

Yamamoto told the Washington File that in Nairobi, Kenya, he would meet with U.S. ambassadors from the East Africa region to discuss economic development and to energize overworked officers at the embassies who deal with conflict in areas like Sudan and northern Uganda.

Yamamoto said he would visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to continue the diplomacy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said would be a hallmark of her tenure as head of the State Department's Africa Bureau. The border issue with Eritrea is of prime interest, he said, along with consultations with the Ethiopian government.

In Chad, Yamamoto said he would be speaking with top officials about the path of democratization in the Sahel nation and meeting with members of the political opposition.

Yamamoto told the Washington File that conflict resolution generally is on the upswing in Africa now. “Even with Darfur we are seeing some movement toward progress, with President Bush’s recent strong commitment to expanding humanitarian assistance and the recent signing of a peace accord in Abuja [Nigeria] between the government of Sudan and a main rebel group.”

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

New Report Shows Surge in US-Africa Trade
US programs help Sub-Saharan Africa cut poverty through trade

WASHINGTON, DC - 05/23/06 - http://www.caltradereport.com

Two-way trade between the US and sub-Saharan Africa is the subject of a new report submitted to Congress by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

The report - the 2006 Comprehensive Report on US Trade and Investment Policy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa and Implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - notes that two-way trade between the US and sub-Saharan Africa has increased 115% since the AGOA's launch in 2000.

In 2005, US total exports to sub-Saharan Africa rose 22% from 2004, to $10.3 billion. Total US imports from sub-Saharan Africa increased by 40% to $50.3 billion, while last year, over 98% of US imports from AGOA-eligible countries entered the country duty-free.

Exports to the US from sub-Saharan African countries under AGOA (including its GSP provisions) totaled $38.1 billion in 2005, up 44% over 2004, largely due to oil.

Several non-oil sectors experienced increases, including footwear, toys, sportswear, fruits, nuts, and cut flowers.

However, the report said, total non-oil AGOA trade declined by 16%, to $2.9 billion in 2005, mainly due to increased global competition in the apparel sector, resulting in part from the end of global apparel quotas and the anticipated end of AGOA third country fabric provisions; an appreciation of key currencies such as the South African rand; the decreased demand for key minerals and metals such as manganese; and production shifts in the South African automotive sector.

"The United States recognizes how aid for trade helps developing countries participate more fully in the global trading system," said USTR Rob Portman. "That's why we committed $199 million to trade capacity building activities in sub-Saharan Africa last year."

According to the report, 37 of the 48 sub-Saharan African countries are eligible for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides them duty-free access to the US market for virtually all products.

On January 1, Burundi was added to the list of eligible countries, while Mauritania was removed from the list. As of last month, 25 sub-Saharan African countries are eligible to receive AGOA's apparel benefits. Fourteen of these countries also qualify for AGOA's provisions for handloomed and handmade articles.

One country, Nigeria, qualifies for AGOA's "ethnic printed" fabric benefits.

According to the USTR, the Bush Administration "is intensifying its work with US stakeholders, including Congress, private sector and non-governmental organizations, as well as with African governments, international financial institutions, and others to identify and address barriers inhibiting country and product utilization of AGOA."

The US devoted $199 million to trade capacity building (TCB) activities in sub-Saharan Africa in fiscal year 2005, up more than 10% from fiscal year 2004, and up about 50% from the preceding FY.
In addition to ongoing TCB work conducted by "Regional Trade Competitiveness (RTC) hubs in Ghana, Botswana, and Kenya, a fourth hub was opened in Dakar, Senegal in October 2005 to help eligible African countries increase their exports under AGOA.

The US was also a leading provider of foreign direct investment to Africa. At year-end 2004, the US direct investment position rose 23.4% from 2003, to $13.5 billion.

Last July, President Bush announced a new Presidential Initiative - the African Global Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI) - at the fourth annual meeting of the US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Senegal.

The AGCI provides $200 million in funding over five years to support expanded African trade and improved African export competitiveness.

More recently, Washington and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) are continuing to discuss the details of a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA).

In April, the US and SACU agreed to establish a framework that would form the basis for pursuing the FTA over the longer term, develop a joint work program to address a broad range of FTA and other related issues, and seek to conclude concrete trade- and investment-enhancing agreements.

The full report can be found on the USTR web site at www.ustr.gov.

CANADA :

AUSTRALIE :

Australian stocks flat, NZ down; Fortescue falls
23/5/2006 Sydney, Australia http://investor.ninemsn.com.au
(Updates indexes, adds Hardman, Fortescue)

SYDNEY, May 23 (Reuters) - Australian shares were flat on Tuesday as miners such as BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) recouped early losses while retailer Coles Myer (CML.AX) rose after the announcement of a share buyback and strong quarterly sales.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 (.AXJO) lost 27.5 points, or 0.5 percent, at one stage to the day's low of 5,003.3, taking its losses since hitting a peak of 5,406.7 on May 10 to 7.5 percent.

But by 0336 GMT, the index was down 0.1 percent at 5,027.4.

New Zealand shares slipped, with the benchmark NZX-50 Index (.NZ50) falling 54.3 points, or 1.5 percent, to 3,599.2, weighed down by a 3.2 percent drop in the biggest stock, Telecom Corp. of New Zealand Ltd. (TEL.NZ).

STOCKS TO WATCH

* Iron ore hopeful Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (FMG.AX) fell 11 percent to A$6.65 after the government rejected its request for access to the Mount Newman railway line, which cuts through the world's single largest ore deposit and is majority owned by BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) (BLT.L). For details: [ID:nSYD114963].

0347 GMT

* Oil and gas producer Hardman Resources Ltd. (HDR.AX) (HNR.L) gained 3.1 percent to A$1.81 after finding oil at a third well in Uganda. For details: [ID:nSYD74519].

0341 GMT

* Retailer Coles Myer Ltd. gained 4 percent to a record A$11.50 on a share buy-back worth up to A$1 billion and a 4.9 percent rise in third-quarter sales. For details: [ID:nSYD103088].

0030 GMT

* Orica Ltd. (ORI.AX), the world's largest explosives company, fell 2.7 percent to A$22.46 after its first-half profit before a one-off item fell short of analysts' forecasts. For details [ID:nSYD104118].

0030 GMT

* The world's top miner, BHP Billiton Ltd./Plc. (BHP.AX) (BLT.L), fell 0.9 percent to A$27.63. But gold miners bounced, helped by a recovery in bullion prices. Top gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM.AX) added 2.3 percent and Lihir Gold Ltd. (LHG.AX) added 4.3 percent to A$2.68. ($1=A$1.32) ($1=NZ$1.56)

EUROPE :

Le Ministre Armand De Decker reçoit la Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération internationale du Burundi
Armand De Decker : communiqué de presse Ecrit par Erik Silance

CHINE :

INDE :

BRAZIL:

Brazil to be self-sufficient in gas after 2008: state oil company
Source: Xinhua May 23, 2006

Brazil will achieve self-sufficiency in natural gas, but not until at least 2008 or 2009, Jose Sergio Gabrielli, president of Petrobras told a group of business people on Monday.

Petrobras, the state-owned energy company, predicted that it will supply 24.2 million cubic meters of gas in 2008, close to the 26 million currently imported from Bolivia. The gas will come from three domestic gas fields, namely 16.7 million cubic meters from the Espiritu Santo basin, six million from the Campos basin and 1.5 million from the Santos Basin.

Brazil did not consider giving up Bolivian gas supplies after the nationalization decreed by President Evo Morales, he added.

"We have a contract with Bolivia until 2019," he said. But he also said that the company was buying two floating regasification units, which would allow the country to import liquefied natural gas from Nigeria, Angola or Libya.

Also on Monday, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told listeners to his weekly radio show "Coffee with the President" that Brazil was aiming to be a major energy power thanks to a diversification in its energy sources, which include more natural gas, more alcohol and innovative new fuels.

Lula said that the country would achieve crude oil self-sufficiency in 2006, thanks in part to the introduction of bio-diesel, alcohol and a new substance called H-Bio: a fuel oil blended from petroleum and vegetable oils.

Brazil is also proposing building power stations that burn alcohol, calling it an "extraordinary revolution."

Petrobras has completed tests on H-Bio, and Lula told his audience it could be added to the energy mix in the next few years.