Vol 38 No 20 | MALI Ill-gotten gains 10th October 1997 Mali's diplomats are congratulating themselves. Swiss banks will repay just over 1.5 billion CFA francs (US$ 2.7million) from accounts held by Boubacar Dembélé, ex-he...
Vol 38 No 19 | GAMBIA No sanctions here 26th September 1997 Donor pressure for democratisation is having only a limited impact Possession seems to be nine-tenths of the law for Gambia's external partners. They have grown resigned to dealing with President Yahyah Jammeh since he converted his military regim...
Vol 38 No 19 | GAMBIA 'Corruption where it exists' 26th September 1997 The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are looking closely at Gambian government finances and especially at June's mini-budget for the six months to December. The budget wa...
Vol 38 No 19 | GHANA Not so accountable 26th September 1997 The accounts are confused and people are saying so more loudly President Jerry John Rawlings' government is increasingly coming under public attack after a spate of financial controversies. Ghana's longest-serving cabinet minister, Attorney Ge...
Vol 38 No 19 | NIGERIA Oil glistens 26th September 1997 General Sani Abacha's regime may be a pariah for Western and Commonwealth governments but it's determined to win friends in his own region. Not content with being Chairman of the E...
Vol 38 No 19 | LIBERIASIERRA LEONE Taylor's stitches 26th September 1997 Under President Charles Taylor, Liberia has quickly showed symptoms of instability. On 19 July, the day after voting, 'armed robbers' killed Christine Davis, a leading election wor...
Vol 38 No 18 | BENINNIGERIA Cross-border crimes 12th September 1997 As pressure mounts on Nigeria's military regime, Abacha tackles his border problems Chairing the Economic Community of West African States has pushed the reclusive General Sani Abacha into the limelight with Nigeria's neighbours. None, perhaps, is more important t...
Vol 38 No 18 | MALI Murder charges 12th September 1997 Ten opposition leaders were charged with murder late last month after a policeman was lynched at a Bamako rally. President Alpha Oumar Konaré's reputation as guardian of Mal...
Vol 38 No 17 | NIGERIAAFRICA Fela and his heirs 29th August 1997 As millions mourn the passing of the Afrobeat King and his pioneering work, Africa's music industry is stronger than ever 'When I am President', intoned Fela_Anikulapo_Kuti">Fela Anikulapo Kuti at the height of his political campaigning, 'all Africa will dance to my music'. His political ambitions were unfulfilled but the...
Vol 38 No 17 | NIGERIA The oil hostage 29th August 1997 The oil business is being held hostage, not by foreign sanctions but by the government Nigeria's oil industry is beginning to seize up. The state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has received no budget allocations for seven months. Except for a small con...