Vol 43 No 7 | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Enemy's enemy 5th April 2002 French troops may have withdrawn from Central African Republic but their barracks are now being taken over by Libyan and Sudanese troops. Even more bizarrely, some Paris officials ...
Vol 43 No 6 | CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE Back in Brazza 22nd March 2002 Demoralised opposition leaders must now decide whether to bother contesting the forthcoming legislative elections. President Denis Sassou-Nguesso won a crushing, Cold War-like 89.4...
Vol 43 No 4 | CONGO-KINSHASA High stakes at Sun City 22nd February 2002 Slow-flowing funds and covert bargains put peace-talks at risk Peacemaking in the Congo has been a gamble so it's fitting that the next venue for talks is South Africa's casino capital, Sun City. First, though, the man in charge has to get his...
Vol 43 No 2 | CONGO-KINSHASA Under the volcano 25th January 2002 Even the latest catastrophe in Goma isn't pushing the combatants into negotiations The mile-wide river of lava spewing from Mount Nyiragonga last week devastated the rebel capital of Goma but hasn't changed the combatants' entrenched positions in the war. Preside...
Vol 42 No 24 | CONGO-KINSHASA Santa's leopards 7th December 2001 President Joseph Kabila and rebel leaders Jean-Pierre Bemba and Adolphe Onosumba are due to meet in Abuja, Nigeria on 13 December to speed up negotiations to end the war and set up...
Vol 42 No 22 | CHAD Desert fox 9th November 2001 President Déby wants oil, needs friends and fears prosecution President Idriss Déby's arbitrary rule worries regional allies and foreign investors. There is growing anxiety in the consortium, led by ExxonMobil of the United States, whi...
Vol 42 No 22 | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Pressing Patassé 9th November 2001 President Ange-Félix Patassé seems to be suffering from the presidential paranoia where successful protégés become political threats; the prophecy may y...
Vol 42 No 21 | BURUNDICONGO-KINSHASA Piecemeal 26th October 2001 Nelson Mandela's plan annoys almost eveyone but there's no alternative in sight We are on the verge of reaching a breakthrough which will bring permanent peace and stability', said Nelson Mandela, former South African President and Burundi's peace mediator, on...
Vol 42 No 21 | BURUNDICONGO-KINSHASA Walk out 26th October 2001 The Kinshasa government's abandonment of the Inter-Congolese dialogue on 19 October raises new doubts about its commitment to the Lusaka peace accord. Foreign Minister Léona...
Vol 42 No 21 | CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE In absentia 26th October 2001 The latest leader accused in Belgium of 'crimes against humanity' is President Denis Sassou Nguesso. He joins the distinguished company of: Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Laur...