Augusta focus. ([Augusta, Ga.) 198?-current, December 02, 1999, Image 2

Augusta focus., December 02, 1999, Page 2A, Image 2

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Newspaper Page Text2A DECEMBER 2, 1999 g b AFRICA | BEPORT Zimbabwe claims Americans fighting with Congo rebels HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) American mercenaries were manning artillery and communications equipment for rebels fighting Congo President Laurent Kabila's government in violation of a cease fire, Zimbabwe's defense headquarters said Monday “The presence of white mercenaries has been noticed, 15 at Lusambo and the same number at Kabalo,” towns near the diamond mining center of Mbuji Mayi in southern Congo, said Zimbabwean spokesman Col Chancellor Diye “The mercenaries are Ameri can nationals manning communication equip ment and artillery.” The 15-month Congo civil war has threat ened stability and development in central Africa and pulled in five countries, with Zim babwe, Namibia and Angola backing Kabila and Uganda and Rwanda backing rebel troops Guns were supposed to fall silent across Africa’s third-largest nation after the August and September signing of a peace agreement in Lusaka, Zambia. But both the rebels and the government have accused each other of fresh attacks in violation of the cease-fire Diye saud violations by the rebels continued despite the deployment of the Regional Joint Military Commission, Organization of Afri can Unity and U N. monitors in Congo Artillery, mortars and heavy machine guns were used in a bombardment of Zimbabwean positions at lkela, 480 miles northeast of the capital Kinshasa, on Nov. 27, Diye said, but an attack was repulsed. Ikela's ground com munications have been cut in violation of the cease-fire, Zimbabwe alleged last week, threatening to force river resupply routes “This attack was a flagrant violation of the Lusaka cease-fire accord,” he said Zimbabwe has up to 13,000 troops deploved in Congo Abu-Jamal From page one the U'S. Embassy in Bern. She smd US officials were expecting a quick, successful conclusion to the Swiss authonties’ investiga tion.of the attacks She said the embassy had re ceived a claim of responsibility from & group calling itself Free dom for Mumia Abu-Jamal. A similar statement was faxed to news media Abu-Jamal, 45, a former Black Panther and radio journalist, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1981 shooting death of a Philatielphia police officer. Defense attorneys have filed an appeal arguing that the prosecu tion manipulated witnesses to falsely identify Abu-Jamal as the shooter, and that it suppressed and deéstroyed critical evidence. They also claim the judge was biased and that blacks were im properly kept off the jury. Abu-Jamal's detractors say the evidence against him is over whelming. Ap advocacy group known as the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal occupied the Paris of fices of the International Herald Tribune on Nov. 12. Police evicted them after some 2 1/2 hours. Fax 4= | . ads to " : Augusta ™ "y Focus . at : (706)724-8432 - Attention Emart shoppers In the Kmart December 5, 1999 '-ﬁdamhr.m"uhm the Nintendo 64 Game “Monopoly * Thi< #ém will not be available due to the manufacturer’s delay in shipping We-tegret any inconvenience this errof Einy have caused our customers o LN AUGUSTAFOCUS At 70, Namibia’s Nujoma still popular e d Ll T T hd % ‘ - : T e e \ L o . ' ES ‘-.‘4 2 G g . si § e \EP Y Vd ’.‘: . N AR I e A P B\ A v e & ; \ " . Namibian and South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO) President Sam Nujoma salutes the crowd of supporters during o campaign rally at the Indepedence Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia, on Sunday Nov. 28, 1999. The 70-year-old Nujoma is campaigning for another five. About 850,000 people have registered to vote in this sparsely populated southwest African country on Tuesday and Wednesday to elect the 72-member National Assembly and the president. (AP Photo / Themba Hadebe) By MIXE (OHEN Associated Press Wniter WINDHOEK, Kamibia After 10 years in power, and now campaign ing for another five, 70-year-old President Sam Nujoma on Sunday proved he can still pull in the crowds ahead of this country’s third democratic elections. More than 10,000 supporters swathed in the green, red and blue colors of the ruling South West African People’s Organization sat under a blazing sun on a sports field listening to Nyoma painstakingly read out a 90-minute speech detailing his government’s achieve ments. They included building seven new hospitals and more than 2,400 classrooms, increasing the number of children in school from 70 to 90 percent, and giving more than 300,000 people better access to water. “Those politicans and armchair critics who say that the SWAPO party government has I I E— : e e¥ e - Y gt : - o e Gg L 0 3 T ; ! - o '!‘ S P e| { ; 4 o o — g e : oo ' ™\ A : e Y : I an . ; ; — e 3 ; i t;\‘?? } ; ¥ 4 ; 4 .’*l»’*&; i\x k. b ,‘:‘? y 4 A bk . -Lei ¢ A o 5 ol N R T 4 At & { a ,r‘f'*.'- 7 P- 4 ; :.“‘ £.. ,enﬂ «gk k. ’ k':'k:!*‘(‘ % ,»'- N . 4 «‘. § . . AR ‘ ¢ “ Tiudy Ve Si Py g A ¢ e . W e . b Rel SR e e F : w‘M o S TN ;3 . s 3 F o - 4 ’ .W. v - b afeo o i e i 35 be Ll T e @‘ %s B i 4 ; R R g S & ; i i X ok o ha i 4N W 4 . 3 g \ \\ “I have PLENTY of things to worry about. s s / Fortunately, my electric bill ISN'T one of them” At Georgia Power, we're committed 1o keeping reliabibity hugh and rates low. In fact, today our rates are more than 15% lower than the navonal average, the lowest they've been in over a decade. We know that by providing you the most depes dable, affordable energy available, vou'll be able A GEORGIA to concentrate on the more important things in life POWER | souTHIEN commANY done nothing since independence are blind or refuse to see reality,” Nujoma said. The lively rally contrasted sharply with those held in the capital the day before by SWAPO's two main nvals, which attracted Just a few hundred people, and added weight to Nujoma's view that he cannot lose the poll. About 850,000 people have registered to vote in this sparsely populated southwest African country on Tuesday and Wednesday to elect the 72-member National Assembly and the president. In 1994 elections SWAPO won 72.7 per centofthe vote and the DemocraticTurnhalle Alhance 20 4 percent. Supporter loyalty to SWAPO, which led Namibia's 23-vear struggle for independence from South Africa, runs deep. Iyaloo Shoombee, who attended Sunday’s rally with a sign pinned to her T-shirt read ing “I was born SWAPO, | was educated by SWAPO, ] am who Il am because of SWAPO,” echoed the sentiment of party diehards. NIGERIA . Members of rival tribes reach truce after clashes By FRANK AIGBOGUNM Associated Press Writer LAGOS, Nigeria Members of Nigenia's two larg est tribes reached a truce Monday after bloody clashes in and around a suburban Lagos market killed up to 50 peopie. Hausa and Yoruba traders, who met for more than two hours at the state governor's office, agreed to set aside their differences and avoid further clashes The government in turn agreed to reopen the market on Tuesday and fund reconstruction work Charred vehicles and mutilated bodies still littered the streets in the Lagos suburb of Ketu, which was torn last week by two days of fighting. Police, who have been authorized to shoot ethnic trouble makers, maintained a heavy pres ence A resurgence of ethnic fighting in Africa’'s most populous nation has killed hundreds since Pres:- dent Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in May 29, ending 15 vears of military rule The election of Obasanjo, a Yoruba from southern Nigena, created unease among the north ern-based Hausa and Fulan:, who have traditionally dominated the military and government In Ketu, Yoruba and Hausa traders have been vying for con trol of the sprawling food market The conflict turned bloody last Thursday when the Yoruba trad ers, backed by militant vouths, clashed with their Hausa coun terparts using guns and machetes Dozens of stalls were set on fire, Focus on jobs in the Augusta Focus classifieds Are you having financial difficulties be ! ing harassed or garmished by vour cred) ’_ tors” | ’l‘\ Are vour properties being threatened l P with repossession or foreclosure” If the . answer to any of the above questions are true, it 1s possible that vou can acquire » rehief under Federal Law (Chapter 7or 13 } under Bankruptcy Act) To determine i l vou qualify for rehef call I Arthur Walker, Attorney at Law | | 796-7382 . 1-800-742-6524 | Charms of Gy Historic Augusta £ e .?; » ~ 4 4‘,":.0 LT " g o/ o o s _'o“'! Se) ' ""'::/ | bl e N iy o 'l) - Py p— L | 2/ - . :ﬂ Old Govenor s e T 7 House T e .-“ 4 - St Pauls g ) 2 / » . ' TR N »“‘w" Sacred {/ Cotton Heant 4 Exchange ' A » é! ‘ e Atken Partndge Inn O‘go"ﬁ:f" Courthouse Available in 14k gold starting at 100 or sterling silver starung at *l7 75, exclusively at R R WINDSOR zll.-‘u: _mv%m ’= " lﬂ" 16am and at least three people were burned to death when flaming tires were forced around their into surrounding streets, contin ued into Friday Also Monday, Senate President Chuba Okadigbo led a fact-find ing mission to the Niger River Delta state of Bavelsa, where 2,000 soldiers were deploved to restore order following the kill ings of a dozen pohicemen ~ blamed by authorities on ethnic Law vouths Liaw activists say more than 200 aivihans were killed when the military was sent in two weeks ago, concentrating their attack on the town of Odi Their claims have not been independently con firmed, and army officials have dechned to comment on the alle gations Okadigbo was visibly disturbed asthe delegation toured Odi Most houses were destroved, and there was an eery silence in the once busthng town, where the only signs of life were heavily armed soldiers The stench of rotting flesh was evervwhere, but only one corpse was seen The Delta remains mired in desperate poverty, despite being the source of billions of dollars in oil profits every year It 1s regu larly rocked by violence among feuding ethnic groups Western 01l companies, their workers and their installations are also often targets of Delta res: dents, many of whom feel they have been abandoned while the companies earn millhions in profits BANKRUPTCY and 30 ey 3033