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Al-Ahram Weekly 5 - 11 August 1999 Issue No. 441 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 5 - 11 August 1999 Issue No. 441
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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A week in the world
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Focus Interview Features Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Summer of discontent
By Faiza RadyThe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire, witnessed a renewed spate of attacks by rebel groups this week. Allied South African forces, representing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were quick to denounce the cease-fire violations, warning that they would retaliate "with all means at their disposal". SADC said its base at Dimbelenge came under fire, while other attacks took place in the northern region, where heavy rebel troop movement was noted.
SADC was instrumental in engineering the Lusaka Peace Accord of 10 July signed by Congolese leader Laurant Kabila and the leaders of six neighbouring countries -- including Uganda and Rwanda, which are militarily involved in the conflict, and various guerrilla factions.
Drafted in the Zambian capital and sponsored by South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia, the accord stipulates the creation of a joint military command by all parties to the conflict, the choice of a "facilitator" who would initiate an "open national dialogue" about the DRC's future, placing the currently divided nation under the authority of a central government, the withdrawal of foreign forces, and free elections.
Kabila, who ousted former dictator Mobuto Sese Seko in 1997, is a self-declared leader who was never democratically elected as president of the DRC. However, as a result of internal leadership squabbles, three main rebel groups refused to sign the accord, including the powerful Rally for Democracy (RC) that is backed by Rwanda. These groups' failure to comply with the accords, but more importantly Rwanda's reluctance to call the RC to order, has put Congolese peace on hold.
Conflict of another kind erupted in South Africa this week as teachers and other state workers staged large-scale strikes. The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) and the Health and Allied Workers' Union (HAWU) rejected the government's offer of a 6.15 per cent wage increase, demanding instead a 10 per cent increment. In full swing by Friday, the work stoppage closed half of the country's schools, limited health services to emergency care and even involved the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (PPCRU). Reportedly 65,000 union members started a nationwide go-slow.
According to SADTU and HAWU estimates, some 300,000 workers have been on strike since last Thursday, a claim immediately contested by the government. Yet, by Friday hospitals were so under-staffed that the state was forced to dispatch soldiers to assist health workers, and the Ministry of Education warned the teachers that they would forfeit their wages if they continued to strike.
The strike wave threatened to spread further when members of the 190,000-strong Public Servants' Association (PSA) and three affiliated unions took to the streets in several cities during their lunch time and staged militant solidarity rallies with the workers. Thousands of slogan-chanting protesters defiantly marched to the office of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in Pretoria, while Cape Town workers rallied in front of parliament.
PSA spokesperson, Anton Louwrens announced in no uncertain terms that the workers would start a full-blown strike on Tuesday if the government refused to comply with their demands. Should negotiations remain stalled, the strike could snowball into the largest labour action since 1994.
In Colombia, further negotiations between the government and the nation's largest guerrilla organisation the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) seemed doomed when the Marxist rebels allegedly detonated a powerful car bomb outside an army outpost in the northwestern industrial city of Medellin on Friday. An army spokesperson claimed that the bombing was in retaliation for the recent arrest of seven FARC guerrillas. Ten people were killed and 38 were injured, even as government envoy Victor Ricardo met with the FARC leadership in southern Colombia, but failed to resume stalled peace negotiations aimed to end the 35-year long war which has relentlessly pitted the guerrillas against the state and claimed 35,000 lives.
FARC's central demands include a radical redistribution of property, sweeping land reforms and a brake on foreign investment -- all of which would ultimately lead to the creation of a socialist economy.
The third largest recipient of US military aid worldwide, the Colombian government's military assistance was tripled by the Clinton administration last October. This was backed up by an emergency International Monetary Fund loan of $3 billion. Washington has explained its massive military aid to the Colombian regime in terms of "fighting the war against drugs", even though a drug cartel affiliated with the political elite controls the export of cocaine.
However, despite the high-powered, high-level assistance, the rebels are rapidly gaining ground. Their growing strength can be determined by recent overtures initiated by a clique of international financiers. A case in point: on 26 June the head of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Grasso, flew into the rebel-controlled area of southern Colombia to meet with Raul Reyes, a prominent FARC leader.
FARC has a standing army of 30,000 soldiers and aspires to effect social, political and economic change through the armed struggle. Since the guerrillas started the struggle, they have conquered about half the nation's territory.
