In an effort to re-create a huge environmental region in southern Africa, plans are steaming ahead to "uproot fences" bordering Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe in preparation for the launch of a massive cross-border conservation area.

The Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou (GKG) Transfrontier Park brings together Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park, South Africa's Kruger National Park and Mozambique's Coutada 16, into a single conservation and wildlife area that stretches across three international borders.

The transfrontier park aims to re-establish ancient animal migration routes, disrupted by fences set up to enforce human political divisions in Africa.

The plan is for all three countries to manage the GKG park together, as a single ecological system. The natural system will hopefully strengthen the wildlife of the area and provide basis for tourism, jobs and revenue for the poor rural people that live on the borders of the three national parks. (Mmegi)

Unita kidnapping condemned

International humanitarian agencies and NGOs, as well as religious and political leaders throughout the world condemned UNITA's recent brutal attacks on civilians in Caxito, Golungo Alto and Benguela.

In the worst attack, UNITA rebels killed some 100 people, abducted 60 children and a teacher from an orphanage, kidnapped 35 other minors and forced 10s of thousands of civilians to flee their homes during a midnight raid on Caxito, a town 35 miles north of Luanda. Four Angolan aid workers were among the dead.

Eyewitnesses to the Caxito raid said the UNITA soldiers kidnapped 60 youths between the ages of 10 and 18 from an orphanage run by the People to People Development Agency. Most of the children were freed 21 days later by the Angolan Armed Forces in Ambaca in the northern province of Kwanza Norte. The children had been forced to walk 188 miles.

Two weeks later the rebel group attacked Golungo Alto in Kwanza Norte province. More than 500 children were separated from their parents after the attack and a dozen aid workers with World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that was helping 60,000 people in Golungo Alto, were reported missing. Two other World Vision employees were seriously injured. Several members of other aid organizations were also unaccounted for. Thousands of civilians, including the 500 children, fled on foot and trekked 34 miles into N'Dalatando, the capital of Kwanza Norte province, about 125 miles east of Luanda.

UNITA killed at least two dozen civilians, injured scores and took another 200 hostages in the region near Angola's southern coastal city of Benguela.

The United Nations Security Council "strongly condemned" the attacks and called on UNITA to release all civilians. The Council members also said they would maintain sanctions against UNITA and emphasized the importance of the Lusaka Protocol as the means for achieving a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

Angola's Roman Catholic Bishops described the Caxito attack as "a cowardly and barbaric act" and said the renewed violence would not bring Savimbi's UNITA to power. "Spreading death will not create a climate for dialogue," the bishops said.

The United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordination Office in Luanda and UNICEF issued a joint statement saying they were "shocked and saddened" by the abduction of the children. (Angola UN Observer Mission)

Malawi to host OAU regional office

Preparations are at an advanced stage for Malawi to host an Organization of African Union (OAU) office for the southern Africa region to cater for all OAU activities in the region.

The office, to be housed in the prestigious Kang'ombe building in follows a decision in March last year between the Malawi government and the Council of OAU Ministers. Malawi's Foreign Affairs Minister Lilian Patel and OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim signed the arrangement early last year. The agreement was later approved by African Heads of State and Government in Lome, Togo last year.

The opening of the OAU office in Malawi means it will be the first time for the southern Africa region to host an OAU administrative office since the Pan-African organization was founded in 1963. (The Chronicle)

Mswati declares state of emergency

King Mswati III has issued Decree no. 2 of 2001, effectively declaring a state of emergency in Swaziland. The decree was published in an extraordinary government gazette on 23 June.

Article 13 of the Decree reads: "Proscription: Where a magazine, book, newspaper or excerpt thereof is proscribed in terms of the Proscribed Publications Act, 1968 the minister concerned shall not furnish any reasons or jurisdictional facts for such proscription. No legal proceedings may be instituted in relation of such proscription."

In a statement, Media Institute for Southern Africa's (MISA) chapter in Swaziland, MISWA, expressed in a statement by MISWA's National Director, Comfort Mubuza:

"MISWA is aware of the impending verdict on the High Court matter between the government and the Guardian newspaper.

"Our fears are that government is aware of the fact that it has no leg to stand on in terms of the banning of the Guardian, and now hopes to use this piece of oppressive legislation to further repress freedom of expression and press freedom.

"While we are anxiously awaiting the judgement, we feel the government is already moving ahead to silence the courts and deny the Guardian a free and fair trial. We can deduce that if the government were to lose the case, it will flash this Decree as an excuse to frustrate any redress on the said matter. (MISA)

South Africa into world cup finals

South Africa booked their World Cup place at the end of a tough struggle in Burkina Faso, earning the point they needed to ensure top place in Group E of the African qualifiers and a second successive appearance at the finals. The other members of the group are Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Winners of the five qualifying groups will represent Africa at the finals jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea next year. Continental giants Cameroon are the other African team that has already qualified. (SARDC)

Top