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Published 2nd April 1999

Vol 40 No 7


Battle lines in Washington and Africa

Washington's ministerial meeting raised morale but offered no new strategies for tackling the worsening regional conflicts

For a time during Washington’s 16-18 March Africa Ministerial Conference, the capital’s political hatchets were buried and politicians, business people and bureaucrats applauded the administration’s efforts to bring together more than 80 senior African ministers with senior officials from 15 government departments. Administration kingpins such as Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright addressed the meeting, as did Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Labour Secretary Alexis Herman. Only Libya, Somalia and Sudan were barred from attending, but 46 African states sent delegations, as did the World Bank, the United Nations and the African Development Bank.


Washington Who's Who

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The capital's Africanists are divided over new policies and their authors

Few are indifferent about Washington’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice, who inspires critics and loyalists in almost equal measure. The press oscillate...


Boutef is bounced back

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The generals' choice seems certain to be the people's new president

Like Nigerians last month and Indonesians in June, Algerians will get their chance on 15 April to vote for a civilian president after decades of despotic and corrupt military rule....


War in the mountains

The National Islamic Front fears the Nuba revolt will derail its partition plan

The ruling National Islamic Front has started a major new offensive against the Sudan People's Liberation Army in the Nuba mountains. Apparently alarmed at the success of oppositio...


Gouled's choice

Ismael Guelleh is set to win the elections – having an uncle for President helps

The ruling group reckons it is sure to win the presidential election on 9 April; the opposition keeps up its spirits by claiming the result is open. The probable winner, Ismael Oma...


Disunited kingdom

South Africa rescued the government but may have destroyed the nation

When they looted and burned businesses in the capital, Maseru, last September, Lesotho's young nationalists meant to protest against the 'protective' intervention in their country ...



Pointers

Lomé minus Lomé

President Gnassingbé Eyadéma's latest round of fraudulent elections, held on 21 March, could provoke Togo's suspension from the European Union's preferential trade treaty known as ...


Ulenga's challenge

Ben Ulenga, who resigned last year as Namibia's High Commissioner to Britain in protest at intolerance in the ruling South West African People's Organisation, has helped launch a n...