AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - August 11, 2002
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, August 11, 2002
TEXT:
News of the week provides updates to recent developments around the world, from identity cards in Japan to prospects for a US war against Iraq. Democratic Republic of Congo is the subject of this week's feature article. It contrasts the prospects here with those of Sudan, and sets the stage for the conclusion of the 3-part series next week.
Dr. Joshua Sinai has added more reviews to the Terrorism Bookshelf, so make sure to take another look at this ever-expanding list.
CONTENTS:
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
1. Africa
2. Americas
3. Asia Pacific
4. Europe
5. Middle East
6. South Asia
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
8. Finance
9. Human Rights
10 Law and Legal Issues
11. Narco-terrorism
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
Opportunities in Africa, Part 2: Democratic Republic of Congo
1. Africa
In Algeria, up to 40 members of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat have been killed by security forces. At the beginning of the week, dozens of ethnic Berber political prisoners were pardoned and released from prison.
Burundi's power-sharing government, established in 2001, is beginning peace negotiations with two Hutu rebel groups who were not party to the agreement. The Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) called for a ceasefire and is actively participating in the plan that closely matches its political goals. It is not yet clear whether the National Liberation Front (FNL) will also participate.
Troops clashed on the border between Chad and the Central African Republic, although relations had been improving recently.
In DR Congo at least 90 people, mostly women and children, were killed, found in mass graves in the northeastern part of the country. They were caught up in violence between rival rebel groups, ethnic militias, and the Ugandan army.
The new President of the Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, has formed a government of national unity, including his main opposition party, but the opposition is considering whether to continue with this plan.
Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya, will complete his second five-year term, after which he will retire, turning power over to the person chosen in this December's elections. His successor faces a country that now has the worst crime rate in Africa, higher even that in notoriously crime-ridden South Africa.
The United Nations has sent a medical team in to Madagascar to try to identify a mysterious virus that has infected more than 5000 and killed at least 374 people in the last two months.
Moroccan police have detained some 30 Islamic activists from the Salafiya Jihadia and Takfir Wal Hidjra militant groups.
Niger troops have defeated a soldier mutiny over pay and conditions that lasted ten days.
Nigeria's local elections, scheduled for Saturday, have been indefinitely postponed because of a number of problems including lack of voter registration. In other events, police in the southeast have arrested more than 30 members of the Bakassi Boys vigilante group and closed down one of their torture centers. And in the southern port of Warri, hundreds of women blocked the gates at Chevron and Shell oil company offices for two days, asking for community development concessions like those recently granted in other locations.
In South Africa, the Anglo-American mining company is making AIDS drugs available to any workers who need it. This move reflects the desperate situation in the region where the infection rates are so high that treatment must be given; prevention cannot be relied upon. AIDS is having a significant economic impact throughout Africa. Some 20 percent of Anglo-American's workforce is HIV positive.
Ugandan rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are holding four aid workers hostage and have ordered that all of the 24,000 Sudanese refugees and aid agencies must leave the border within one week. Earlier in the week, 15 LRA were killed when they attacked two army units and kidnapped the aid workers.
The deadline for white farmers to vacate their land has come, but most of them are staying put to see what will happen in the face of confusing legal positions and the urgent need for food. So far there have been no arrests, but the government has made its position on land redistribution very clear, even despite court rulings to follow legal procedures.
2. Americas
Bolivias congress has selected right-wing millionaire Gonzalo Sanchez to the presidency, over the left-wing pro-coca candidate, Evo Morales.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels continue their campaign of bombs and kidnappings. The 17,000 strong FARC is responsible for most of the attacks and for a curious story in which all but eight of the 700 inhabitants of the southern town of Puerto Alvira disappeared prior to the arrival of the Colombian army. It is not clear whether they were FARC sympathizers or if they were temporarily moved, kidnapped, or forced out by the rebels.
In Haiti, supporters of local leader Amiot Metayer, drove a bulldozer through a prison wall to free him and 150 other prisoners. This was the culmination of three days of protests at his arrest. Authorities are attempting to round up the escapees and restore order.
In face of violent protests by local farmers, the Mexican government has abandoned their plan for a new airport.
In the US, a Homeland Security bill was passed in the House, but the Senate has tabled it until after the summer recess. The Senate hosted hearings this week regarding US policy towards Iraq, expressing the need for a full hearing and agreement before any actions were taken. Media leaks regarding this issue have drawn protests from Defense and Justice officials and a proposal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation use lie detector tests to investigate congressmen whom might be responsible for the leaks.
Facing economic collapse, Uruguay has taken emergency measures to stabilize the banking system. There have been a number of violent protests and a general strike in response to the situation.
In Venezuela, pro-Chavez demonstrators have again clashed with police.
3. Asia Pacific
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called for the release of all political prisoners. Of the 1,000 or so in prison, the military junta released 14 this week. Burma and Thailand have met and set up a telephone hotline to avoid misunderstandings in the event of more border clashes or other problems.
Taiwan canceled a military exercise and modified his statement following President Shui-bian's suggestion of Taiwanese independence that greatly angered China.
Indonesia's Consultative Assembly approved constitutional changes to directly elect the president and vice president and eliminate seats reserved for the military. Introduction of Sharia (Islamic) law was rejected. Prior to these decisions, thousands of protestors, mostly students, had demonstrated in favor of the reforms.
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has said a crackdown against the Free Aceh independence movement is imminent. She met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and although they reached a number of agreements, treatment of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians illegally in Malaysia was not one of them. Malaysia has convicted the first seven illegal immigrants under their new immigration law and sentenced them to caning and jail terms.
The introduction of identity cards in Japan has led to widespread protests and civil disobedience. (Watch for a story on identity cards coming up in the next couple of weeks.)
Malaysia has told Singapore it wants to raise the price of water. The price has not increased since the early 1960s and is much less than Hong Kong pays mainland China. However, Singapore is investigating the use of treated waste-water.
North Korea and South Korea have agreed a timetable and confidence-building measures to reduce tension.
Sir Michael Somare has been elected Prime Minister for Papua New Guinea. This is the third time the Parliament has chosen him.
Philippine troops have captured seven suspected Abu Sayyaf militants. The Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA) has need declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US Department of State.
4. Europe
Austrian police have seized a large arms cache and arrested three suspected right-wing militants.
The web site of the far right Radical Unity group has been ordered shut down. A French Court accepted the argument by the Union of French Jewish Students and J'Accuse that it violated laws against incitement of hatred and racial violence. Radical Unity has been linked at attempted presidential assassin Maxime Brunerie.The French cabinet has also approved a ban on the group.
Georgia has accused Russia of again violating its air space. Russia says Georgia is allowing Chechen rebels to operate in its territory and have asked that a group of rebel suspects be handed over to Russia.
German employers, concerned about privacy, have refused to grant access to their internal files to government investigators who want to use them for terrorism profiles. See Ian Johnson and David Crawford's article "Germany's Hunt for Terrorists Hits Unlikely Obstacle" in The Wall Street Journal, August 9, 2002 and Charles M. Sennott's "In Europe, concern for rights slows terror war" in The Boston Globe, August 5, 2002.
Greek authorities continue their investigations into November 17, aided by the cooperation of the accused terrorists eager to provide extensive details of their operations and plans.
Romania has become the first country to sign an agreement with the US not to turn Americans over to the International Criminal Court.
Russian human rights envoy for Chechnya has confirmed that 284 people had disappeared and that efforts to end abuses against civilians by the Russian military had failed.
In Spain, the Basque separatist group ETA continues its bombing campaign targeting tourist areas. First, a car bomb killed two, including a six-year-old girl. Another bomb went off in a restaurant, but a warning had been called in so it was evacuated and there were no injuries. The Spanish government is launching a procedure to outlaw the Batasuna party, the political wing of ETA.
Turkey and Israel signed an agreement for supplying water. Israel will buy some 1.75 billion cubic feet each year for the next twenty. This will help relieve the chronic water shortage and also help to close a sale of Israeli weapons to Turkey.
UK officials will continue meetings with various Northern Ireland groups in order to begin addressing recent serous sectarian violence and a wave of threats of further action.
In Northern Ireland, the son of the leader of the loyalist paramilitary organization Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), Jonathan Adair, was shot in both legs, probably by his father's own organization.
5. Middle East
The severe limitation of movements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank has contributed to widespread malnutrition among Palestinian children. Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with three senior Palestinian representatives. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon objected to the meeting, saying they were "a gang of corrupt terrorists and assassins".
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, withdrawal of occupying forces and an end to all violence.
At the beginning of the week it looked as if a truce would be drawn up between Israel and the Palestinians. It suggested "Gaza First" to begin withdrawal of Israeli troops. But even as the Palestinian cabinet was accepting the offer, Israeli authorities moved in 30 tanks and began house to house searches.
Among those killed in Gaza this week was Ali Ajouri, suspected of planning the Tel Aviv suicide bombing. He was killed and his family's home demolished. Others included a gunman, a man with grenades strapped to his body, and four Jewish settlers.
Iran arrested 16 al Qaeda fighters as they fled Afghanistan and has turned them over to Saudi Arabia in June. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is concerned that Iran is putting pressure on Afghan refugees (some 1.5 million) to return home prematurely.
The imminent or otherwise invasion of Iraq has been widely discussed. A selection of articles includes: Economist "Windy soldiers: The military is decidedly less enthusiastic than the government about the prospect of war with Iraq" in The Economist, August 10, 2002 Hussein, Saddam. Extracts from a televised speech provided as "Saddam Hussein: God protects Arabs and Muslims: From a televised speech by the President of Iraq broadcast to the country's citizens" published in The Independent, August 9, 2002 Nicoll, Alexander. "Harking back to 1956 and all that" in the Financial Times, August 10, 2002 Reynolds, Paul "Saddam's Tactics" Same old story?" in BBC News, August 6, 2002 Usborne, David and Nigel Morris. "UN chief warns against Iraq war" in The Independent, August 6, 2002 Watson, Roland, Tom Baldwin and Andrew Norfolk. "Sceptics unite over US action against Iraq" in The Times (London) August 6, 2002 Whitaker, Brian. "War games: Iraq can play the victim card in a bid to stave off a US attack, but America's momentum could prove unstoppable" in The Guardian, August 5, 2002
Sunday, August 4 saw a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israeli targets that killed 14 and injured 80. (This was covered in last week's issue.) Retaliation was swift and widespread. Travel restrictions and curfews were tightened. An Israeli court cleared the way for destruction of homes without notice. More tanks and troops were sent in.
The Israeli interior minister has said he plans to revoke citizenship of Arab Israelis involved in attacks on Israelis. A good discussion of Arab Israelis can be found in an article by Karry Leggett, "Conflict Takes Toll on Arab Israelis" in The Wall Street Journal, August 9, 2002.
Israel will buy some 1.75 billion cubic feet per year from Turkey for the next twenty years. This will help relieve the chronic water shortage and also help to close a sale of Israeli weapons to Turkey.
Jordan has banned the al-Jazeera television channel.
Libya has stated it is willing in principle to pay compensation to the families of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing. Colonel Gadaffi has also promised to help fight al Qaeda. These moves seem designed to reopen doors to the west. See Bridget Kendall's article "Gaddafi comes in from the cold" in BBC News, August 10, 2002 available online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2183716.stm
Cracks in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US have surfaced this week. A report in the US that cited Saudi Arabia as an enemy was rejected by the US administration. In Saudi Arabia, the press launched an attack against US Christian fundamentalism. Saudi Arabia said it would not allow use of its air bases for any attack on Iraq. Both countries deny there is a rift.
Syria has released Haitham Naal, its longest political dissident, from 27 years in prison on grounds of ill health.
The occupied West Bank is not subject to a total travel ban, even between towns. Despite this, an Israeli settler was killed and her husband wounded by a gunman.
Yemen has formed a National Security Agency to combat terrorism. Details have not yet been announced. This week, two bomb-makers were killed when their device detonated prematurely. A good article on Yemen is by Frank Gardner, "Yemen's al-Qaeda supporters" in BBC News August 3, 2002 online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2168543.stm
6. South Asia
An explosion in Afghanistan that killed 21 is the result of an accident, not terrorism as had been considered earlier. A gunfight between police and al Qaeda gunmen killed 12 al Qaeda, 2 police, and one civilian.
The Christian Science Monitor reports on other attacks that may point to resurgence in al Qaeda. See Scott Baldauf's article "Al Qaeda massing for new fight" on August 9, 2002. Also see the series of special reports from Afghanistan by Robert Fisk of The Independent. The series began on August 6, 2002 and is available online at http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/
In India, the Chief Election Commissioner has visited Gujarat to see if state elections could go ahead. He has strongly criticized the local authorities for saying the situation was normal given the continued atmosphere of fear and uncertainty among the Muslim population, many still in refugee camps.
A major attack by Islamic militants in Kashmir against Hindu pilgrims killed nine and injured 37. A general strike to protest the attack led to new violence that killed eight. Later, four family members were shot dead by suspected Islamic militants.
Nepal's Supreme Court upheld the dissolution of parliament to clear the way for general elections in November. Maoist rebel leader Prachandra has called for an end of the state of emergency and talks towards a political solution. The Maoist All Nepal National Independent Students Union took responsibility for a bomb that injured six. They were protesting commercialization of education.
In Pakistan, a sectarian attack seriously injured a Brigadier Bartar Hussain Naqvi. A grenade attack on a Christian hospital chapel killed four and injured 19. In another incident,gunmen attacked the Muree Christian School, killing six and wounding three. They were prevented from entering the school When police stopped three men who matched the description of the attackers to investigate, they blew themselves up.
In Sri Lanka, peace talks could take place as early as September. However, a spat between the President and Prime Minister over constitutional amendments to reduce presidential powers threatens to delay matters.
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
Japan's Defense agency and electrical group Fujitsu admitted that internal computer network information had been leaked to a third party who had attempted blackmail against Fujitsu. This breech fueled fears of privacy and security related to the introduction of identity cards.
In a move towards greater privacy, the US Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with Microsoft regarding security and privacy of its Passport service. The FTC is requiring changes to Microsoft's advertising and promotional policies and will be supervising compliance for the next 20 years.
On the other hand, US President Bush's administration has dropped the written consent provision of the medical privacy rules, HIPAA.
Evans Data Corporation has published a research report stating that 20 percent of respondents have experienced a database security breach, up from 12 percent six months ago. Virus attacks were most frequent.
8. Finance
The European Union will allow rough diamonds in only if they have a certificate proving they do not come from a conflict zone. This is the first concrete action taken to comply with the Kimberly process.
Germany has banned the Al Aqsa charity for close links to Hamas and suicide bombings.
9. Human Rights
Australia's High Court has ruled that in not presenting all evidence on paper according to Refugee Review Tribunal guidelines, two Indonesian asylum seekers were treated unfairly. This may open the way for review of thousands of other cases.
Burma's military junta has freed 14 political prisoners.
Colombia has ratified the International Criminal Court treaty, bringing the total number of ratifications to 77.
Thousands of Haitian children are smuggled into the Dominican Republic to work as manual laborers, according to a UN report just released. DR has said it will investigate and track down the human traffickers.
Israel has signed an agreement with the US not to turn Americans over to the International Criminal Court.
Romania has become the first country to sign an agreement with the US not to turn Americans over to the International Criminal Court.
Russian human rights envoy for Chechnya has confirmed that 284 people had disappeared and that efforts to end abuses against civilians by the Russian military had failed.
Syria has released Haitham Naal, its longest political dissident, from 27 years in prison on grounds of ill health.
In the UK, the Ahmadi family who was forcibly removed from a mosque in which they had taken refuge, are held in detention. The 4-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl have been detained rather than returning to family friends after a visit to their parents. A court had ordered the children returned, but the Home Secretary has decided to keep them in custody.
The US State Department has asked a court to dismiss a human rights lawsuit against Exxon, saying it could undermine the anti-terrorism activities. The suit accuses Exxon of complicity in murder, rape and torture of villagers in northern Indonesia. There are a number of similar suits against companies such as Del Monte, Unocal and Coca-Cola.
Guantanamo Bay now holds 598 prisoners. New cells are being constructed and should be ready October 1 to hold 816.
10. Law and Legal Issues
A US federal judge has ordered the release of the names of all those detained after the September 11 attacks, with certain limitations. The government has ignored the deadline and will appeal the ruling.
The trial of Volkert van der Graaf for the murder of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn has begun.
Yasser Esam Hamdi's case regarding his right to legal protection when the prisoner was classified as an enemy combatant, has been suspended pending clarification of whether a stay that was ordered earlier was still in effect.
A US federal judge has asked prosecutors of Abdallah Higazy, detained in connection with the September 11 attacks, to investigate how the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained his alleged confession.
Sulayman Bilal Zain-ul Ibidin has been freed by a British court. He had been accused of Islamic terrorism links.
Sentences have been handed down for the assassination of Tucapel Jimenez, a Chilean union leader, in 1982, as follows: Retired Major Carols Herrera: life imprisonment Retired General Ramon Alvarez: ten years Hernan Ramirez Rurange: suspended sentence Hernan Ramirez Hald: suspended sentence Fernandez Torres: suspended sentence Jimenez's son will appeal against the light sentences.
The judge in Zacarian Moussaoui's case has introduced him to a legal scholar and mideast specialist who may be able to help with his representation in the trial. Meanwhile, his court appointed lawyers have asked for a 2-month delay in order to give them time to review the court documents.
Rustem Mustafa was arrested in Kosovo on suspicion of murder and torture in his role as a regional commander of the former Kosovo Liberation Army.
Reza Pankhurst, Ian Nisbet and Maajid Nawaz, members of the militant Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir, have been arrested on charges of attempting to overthrow the government. These three men are British, and join 23 Egyptians facing similar charges.
In Northern Ireland, Lawrence Wray has been charged for counterfeiting British and European paper money worth some 250,000GPB. A colleague was charged with money laundering in connection with the counterfeits.
11. Narco-terrorism
A fight over the local cocaine crop and gold in the north of Colombia killed 30 right-wing paramilitaries and 20 members of the rebel ELN and FARC.
Jeff Hecht writes that "Cultivating crops of illegal drugs in Colombia is threatening some of the world's rarest birds and plants. Half the forest cleared in the country each year is being lost to the burgeoning number of coca and poppy fields...." in New Scientist, August 3, 2002, "Ecological hotspots named as latest casualties in Colombia's drugs war"
Cocaine is cited as a major influence in Jamaica, dubbed "The New Wild West" in a report from BBC correspondent Colin Grant (August 10, 2002 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2168229.stm).
12. Transportation
Piracy on the high seas is on the rise. In the first half of 2002 more than 170 attacks took place, most in East Asia around Indonesia. The latest incident is a British ship that has apparently been hijacked off the coast of Somalia. A ransom was radioed in and a search is on to discover the whereabouts of the ship.
The US State Department has been approaching several countries to give the US ship interdiction rights against suspected terrorists even in other nation's sovereign waters.
Airport security and the looming federal deadline in the US are under scrutiny. Staffing checkpoints is proving difficult because many applicants fail the required test, most from poor English language skills. Equipment for baggage screening is not in place. The House of Representatives has voted to delay the December 31 deadline but the Senate has not yet changed the date from November 19. James Loy has been appointed the new head of the Transportation Security Administration. He seems to enjoy more confidence from congress than his predecessor.
The US Coast Guard has invested in additional systems to step up maritime security. Among these are new security zones around potential terrorist targets. It is taking recreational boaters time to learn where the new security zones lie and people have therefore experienced more random boardings and investigation than usual. Its organizational status is under debate as the White House has proposed to move it into the proposed department of homeland security, but congress is concerned to preserve its traditional search and rescue role.
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Dr. Steven Hatfill gave a press conference on Sunday angrily denying allegations that he was involved in the anthrax letter attacks in the US last fall. A leading biological weapons expert, Dr Hatfill's name has been widely circulated in the press as a probable suspect. FBI has searched his home twice and questioned his girlfriend. Hatfill denies having had access to anthrax and accuses the FBI and press of turning his life into a "wasteland". He has been suspended from his job despite the FBI's insistence that they are interested in some 20-30 others and that he is not a suspect. While his is the only name that has made its way to the headlines, the FBI has pointed out the lessons learned in false accusations against Richard Jewel following the Atlanta Olympics bombing.
A report coming out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes an antibody treatment developed by Dr James Mark and team at University of California, San Francisco, that could neutralize the effects of botulism and be mass-produced.
International arms sales have fallen to their lowest level since 1997. The largest purchaser was Israel. (Congressional Research Service "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1994-2001")
Iraq has invited US congressional representatives to inspect suspected arms sites for themselves and has written to the United Nations asking for more talks regarding arms inspectors. Both offers were rejected. Only open, unfettered access by UN weapons inspectors is considered acceptable.
The US has told North Korea that it must allow nuclear inspections in order to complete two nuclear powered reactors.
Check out Scott Peterson's article "Uzbeks block Central Asia's nuclear corridor: America pours cash and training into Uzbekistan to stop transfer of nuclear materials" in The Christian Science Monitor, August 7, 2002.
The US Bush administration has decided to no longer contest medical claims from nuclear weapons workers who were exposed to toxic chemicals during the cold war. The new Energy Department regulations now meet the congressional rule to help the victims get workers compensation.
14. Recently Published
Baldauf, Scott. "Al Qaeda massing for new fight". The Christian Science Monitor, August 9, 2002.
Belkin, Lisa. "The Odds of That: In paranoid times like these, people see connections where there aren't any. Why the complex science of coincidence is a conspiracy theorist's worst nightmare" in The New York Times Magazine, August 11, 2002
Economist "Windy soldiers: The military is decidedly less enthusiastic than the government about the prospect of war with Iraq" in The Economist, August 10, 2002
Fisk, Robert. Series of special reports from Afghanistan beginning on August 6, 2002 and available online at http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/
Gardner, Frank "Yemen's al-Qaeda supporters" in BBC News August 3, 2002 online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2168543.stm
Grant, Colin. "The New Wild West" BBC News, August 10, 2002 online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2168229.stm).
Economist. "Special Report: Muslims in Western Europe. Dim Drums Throbbing in the Hills Half Heard" and "Leader: Europe's Muslims" in The Economist, August 10, 2002.
Elliott, Michael. "They Had A Plan", Time, August 12, 2002
Hussein, Saddam. Extracts from a televised speech provided as "Saddam Hussein: God protects Arabs and Muslims: From a televised speech by the President of Iraq broadcast to the country's citizens" published in The Independent, August 9, 2002
Johnson, Ian and David Crawford. "Germany's Hunt for Terrorists Hits Unlikely Obstacle" in The Wall Street Journal, August 9, 2002.
Marquis, Christopher. "For Each Audience, Another Secret Plan to Attack Iraq" in The New York Times, August 11, 2002.)
Nicoll, Alexander. "Harking back to 1956 and all that" in the Financial Times, August 10, 2002
Peterson, Scott. "Uzbeks block Central Asia's nuclear corridor: America pours cash and training into Uzbekistan to stop transfer of nuclear materials" in The Christian Science Monitor, August 7, 2002.
Reynolds, Paul "Saddam's Tactics" Same old story?" in BBC News, August 6, 2002 Usborne, David and Nigel Morris. "UN chief warns against Iraq war" in The Independent, August 6, 2002
Ricks, Thomas E. "Briefing Depicted Saudis as Enemies, Washington Post, August 6, 2002
Sennott, Charles M. "In Europe, concern for rights slows terror war" in The Boston Globe, August 5, 2002
United Nations. "Eleventh report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo" UN, June 5, 2002.
Watson, Roland, Tom Baldwin and Andrew Norfolk. "Sceptics unite over US action against Iraq" in The Times (London) August 6, 2002
Whitaker, Brian. "War games: Iraq can play the victim card in a bid to stave off a US attack, but America's momentum could prove unstoppable" in The Guardian, August 5, 2002
Opportunities in Africa, Part 2: Democratic Republic of Congo
Shortly after the welcome announcement of an agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army to end over four decades of civil war, another announcement came from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The bloody regional conflict that began in 1998 and has left some three million dead could also be drawing to a close.
Like neighboring Sudan, DR Congo is a huge country of vast natural resources that has been despoiled by years of dictatorship and conflict. It, like Sudan, is as large a quarter of the US -- a space as vast as the entire area east of the Mississippi.
There are as many differences as similarities, however. DR Congo is home to over 200 tribes. The majority is Bantu, whose four largest tribes make up about 45 percent of the population. Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, at 50 percent, followed by Protestant at 20percent, Kimbanguist at 10 percent, Muslim at 10 percent, and other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs at 10 percent.
Nine countries surround DR Congo: Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and Republic of Congo and there is a small opening to the Atlantic Ocean.
Belgium colonized the Congo in the 1870s. Their legacy included a legal system and French as the official language, both interacting with the tribal rules and languages.
Belgian Congo was granted independence in June 1960. By July the army had mutinied and one area, Katanga, declared its own independence. Belgian troops went in, followed by UN troops.
Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister, was dismissed in September and in February the next year he was murdered, with help from Belgium and the US (both protecting mineral interests).
With help from the UN, the situation stabilized and President Joseph Kasavubu appointed the rebel leader Moise Tshombe Prime Minister. They were ousted in a coup in 1964.
Joseph Mobutu led the coup that put him in power for over thirty years. He changed his name to Marshal Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga and the country's name to Zaire. Under his corrupt rule, Zaire was used as a staging post for US operations against Soviet-backed Angola.
On May 16 1997 Laurent Desire Kabila, backed by Burundi, Eritrea, Rwanda and Uganda, overthrew Mobutu's government. Kabila renamed Zaire the Democratic Republic of Congo. He said he would hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced they would be postponed until all foreign military forces had withdrawn.
What foreign military forces were these?
In April 1994 a massacre began in neighboring Rwanda that by July had killed over 800,000 people in a shocking attempt at genocide whose aftereffects continue to this day.
Two million Hutus, including the Interahamwe militiamen responsible for the genocide, fled Rwanda into DR Congo. They occupied refugee camps that now became targets of the Rwandan army.
It was the unrest in Rwanda that had opened the way for Mobutu's removal. Now, the anti-Mobutu rebels turned on Kabila and a new conflict began. The rebels, supported by former Kabila allies Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, marched toward the capital. Kabila's government was defended by troops from Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Laurent Kabila was assassinated under mysterious circumstances by his own guard (who was killed immediately after) in January 2001. He was succeeded by his son, Joseph. Joseph Kabila's first job has been to end the war.
At this time, Kabila is supported by:
Kabila's opponents include:
This is a war in which most of the victims are civilians, deliberately targeted and terrorized by both sides. The abuses include deliberate, large-scale killings, disappearances, torture, rape, dismemberment, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, arbitrary arrests and detention, harassment of human rights workers and journalists, forcible recruitment of child soldiers and trafficking of women and children.
An example of a recent atrocity was the massacre in May by rebels of RCD-Goma. More than 100 civilians and 80 security forces were killed by indiscriminate shooting, and executions in which throats were slit or the victims were hacked to death with machetes. The bodies were thrown into mass graves and into the river, where the decapitated and disemboweled bodies floated by. Since this event, more mass graves have been uncovered.
This April, MLC, led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, reached a power-sharing agreement with the government. RCD-Goma, led by Adolphe Onusumba, was excluded from power sharing and refused to join the agreement. Rwanda was also not a party to the deal.
The exclusion of RCD from this agreement meant it was unlikely to succeed. RCD controls more than half of the country, including areas with important reserves of gold, tin, copper and diamonds as well as a large stretch of the Congo River.
RCD is not alone in usurping the natural wealth of DR Congo. Everything is up for grabs by the countries with a military presence, rebels, criminal gangs and the government. Illegal poaching for game and ivory has devastated the wildlife. Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe dug for diamonds. Coltan and timber are also attractive to Uganda. Angola and the government are investing in oil.
For details of the plunder and violence from all sides, refer to the "Eleventh report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo" released on June 5, 2002.
In July, there was a real breakthrough. President Kabila signed a peace agreement with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. The agreement was mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki and will be monitored by both South Africa and the UN.
Under this agreement, Rwanda promised to withdraw their troops within three months in exchange for the disarmament of the Interahamwe in DR Congo.
RCD-Goma's Onusumba has warned that peace would not come until all parties inside the country are involved. Identifying and recalling the Rwandan forces will be difficult. And disarming jungle-roving rebels will not be easy. As far as the current levels of violence indicate, there is been no sign that the RCD expects the new agreement to have an effect on its operations.
However, the World Bank has provided grants and loans to help recovery, reconstruction and disease prevention. And without the Rwanda backing the rebels, but with support from South Africa and the UN, peace may have moved at least a fraction closer to reality.
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