African press 12 May

BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
May 12, 2005

The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and other
material published in the 12 May editions of the African press. Unless
otherwise stated, the newspapers are published in English.

Take over of South African bank by UK’s Barclays “should raise some
eyebrows”

Zimbabwe’s Herald [govt daily]: “Barclays PlC’s proposed take over of
Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA), which has the largest
shareholding in the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe [CBZ], should raise
some eyebrows in as far as the future of CBZ is concerned… Of
interest to Zimbabwe is that ABSA has the largest shareholding in CBZ
with a 25.75 per cent stake… The questions now are: Should the deal
succeed, will Barclays PLC want to keep the Zimbabwean integrity of
CBZ despite the change of control of ABSA?” (Editorial – “ABSA
takeover needs scrutiny”)

2. “We believe the government should not watch from a distance but
must take close interest and scrutiny on the latest developments that
will certainly have an impact in our banking industry. Foreign
investment is most welcome, but we must at the same time ensure that
our interests are protected.” (From the above editorial)

USA “closing its eyes and pockets on Darfur”

Kenya’s Times [published by former ruling KANU party]: “We contend
that only international action may be able to protect the people of
Darfur. We also believe that the United States, as the only super
power, has a unique capacity and obligation to make this
happen. However, we also strongly believe that Washington has
completely abandoned this civilized path and has embarked on playing
politics on a crisis of this magnitude.” (Commentary by Aabdillahi
Alawy – “Can’t mighty US end this Darfur crisis?”)

2. “Scary signs all over Washington clearly point to the fact that the
White House has developed cold feet on Darfur. Whether it is
government officials openly avoiding questions on Darfur during press
interviews, or backtracking on defining the Darfur crisis as genocide,
Washington is closing its eyes and pockets on Darfur.” (From the above
commentary)

3. “The situation in Darfur is bad… We must stop the
genocide… This is a combination of Rwanda, the Holocaust, and
Armenia… The whole world knows that ‘Darfur butchery’ is a
calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and
displacement… sponsored by an Islamic government with indirect
support of the mighty United States of America.” (From the above
commentary)

Ties between Algeria, France “threatened”

Algeria’s L’Expression [French-language, daily independent]: “Without
any apparent reason, the commemoration of the 8 May 1945 (killing of
45,000 Algerians) are threatening ties between Algeria and France and,
maybe, even brings back to question the signing of a treaty of
cooperation between Algeria and France. Yet a similar treaty between
France and Germany had actually taken into consideration German
recognition of the nationalist-socialist crimes.” (Editorial – “Winter
clouds”)

2. “Everyone knows it: Colonialism was not a simple walk in the park
nor a great activity of civilization. There were crimes, massacres,
smoky chambers, during the whole occupation period. In the entire
country, there was a society of two calibres in a system that cannot
be differentiated from Apartheid. There were Europeans on the one
hand, who enjoyed all the rights, and on the other, Algerians,
subjugated under an indigenous code, which France cannot be proud of
today nor see anything positive in.” (From the above editorial)

3. “It is therefore, hard to understand exasperation on the part of
French officials when Algerians want to jog their memory and recall
their history. There is no place for acrimony between Algiers and
Paris on the evils of colonization and the colonial army’s repression
in Algeria.” (From the above editorial)

France not pleased by Algerian president’s speech on colonial
atrocities

Algeria’s Liberte [French-language, daily liberal independent]:
“Relations between Algeria and France had never been better in the
last few years… However, the past is casting its dark shadow over
these good times with threatening clouds threatening a storm. Indeed,
the president’s speech, to mark the 60th anniversary of the 8 May 1945
massacres, in which he urged France to honourably atone for the acts
committed during the colonial period did not apparently please Paris,
which has its own views concerning colonialism.” (Commentary by N.
Sebti – “Cloud”)

2. “French response is simply tantamount to a denial of reality
because that past is there and it we are just leaking our wounds,
soothing our pain, our resentments by jogging our memory… memory has
its rationale that politics knows not.” (From the above editorial)

Nigerians “do not want any more of Obasanjo’s tyrannical misrule”

Nigeria’s Vanguard [Lagos-based, widely-read independent]: “Any
attempt by President Obasanjo to succeed himself in 2007 will surely
fail. It will not augur well for the unity, peace, stability and
security of the nation… The rest of the world is bound to mount a
clamorous campaign of resistance against it. And when at the same
time Nigerians who do not want any more of Obasanjo’s tyrannical
misrule begin to rise up against him, the entire third term project
will come to a very shameful end.” (Commentary by Peter Elenwo – “No
way for third term”)

2. “Obasanjo ought to be grateful to Nigerians that despite his
semi-illiterate status, he would have ruled them for 12 good
years… Let him then go in peace. If he engages in any act of mass
provocation, he will have only himself to blame. Then he will come to
realize that he is as nothing where the whole of this nation is
concerned.” (From above commentary)

Nigerian paper says political reform can rid country of corruption

Nigeria’s Daily Champion [Lagos-based, pro-Igbo]: “Corruption has
assumed the frightening dimension of a bubonic plague… [The]
government’s swift swoop on all the guilty officials must elicit
applause. Part of what we envisage from the political reform is a
situation where no-one will be a sacred cow in this country… We
envisage, with the political reforms, a corruption-free society,
beginning from the top to bottom.” (Commentary by Joseph Ohiaba
Suleiman – “Reforms for sustainable democracy”)

Nigerian leaders “visionless”

Nigeria’s Daily Champion [Lagos-based, pro-Igbo]: “There is no hope
for Nigerian renaissance with the present crop of selfish, greedy,
corrupt, and visionless political leaders… If each one of them could
be courageous enough to search their conscience and reflect on the
pertinent issues, they would create a society that is truly beneficial
to everyone… With good leadership, Nigeria could resolve most of its
problems (corruption, unemployment, crime, social injustice).”
(Commentary by Victor E. Dike – “Is Nigeria a cruel society?”)

Kenya’s food deficits a “national shame”

Kenya’s Times [published by former ruling KANU party]: “We revisit the
issue of food situation in the country, not because it is our pet
topic but simply because, for many years, this nation has suffered
food deficits too frequently. It is, however, saddening to note that
the government has never shown serious resolve to put an end to this
tragic scenario.” (Editorial – “Government should spare us the shame
of begging for food”)

2. “Since independence, this country has suffered humiliating bouts of
famine. Regrettably, the government has displayed utter ineptitude in
resolving this intermittent national shame… It is inexcusable on the
part of the Government that after 42 years of freedom, we are unable
to feed ourselves – both under good and bad weather conditions.” (From
the above editorial)

Shortage of HIV testing kits in Kenya “disturbing news”

Kenya’s Nation [top selling daily – independent]: “The National AIDS
Control Council has disturbing news. They claim some voluntary
counselling and testing centres are closing for lack of [HIV] testing
kits, whose importation has been temporarily blocked by a court
case. Without delving into the details of the litigation, the
bottlenecks that may exist should be removed speedily to ease the
kits’ importation procedures.” (Editorial – “Resolve AIDS test-kit
snag”)

Kenyan civil servants, government urged to avert pay strike

Kenya’s Standard [independent]: “For close to a month now, talk of a
strike by the country’s civil servants has been in the air. They have
threatened that should the government not award them a 600 per cent
pay rise, they will down their tools beginning next month… A strike
involving over 25,000 government workers would have grave
repercussions on the economy and the delivery of services…”
(Editorial – “Intended strike by civil servants is ill advised”)

2. “Court ruling or no, of more importance is an effective dialogue
between the union and the government that would yield a solution to
this looming crisis. The country cannot afford the loss of man-hours
that would result from a strike of that nature.” (From the above
editorial)

Ugandan first lady says ex-US envoy’s comment on president “an insult”

Uganda’s New Vision [govt]: “As a member of the president’s family, I
feel obliged to say something about [ex-US ambassador to Uganda
Johnnie] Carson’s recent article in the press about threats to
Africa’s success story… I believe this attempt to bring bad light to
the president’s reputation is not only wrong, but also a real insult
to our family…” (Commentary by Janet Museveni – “Museveni protecting
Uganda, not family”)

2. “We live in a world where the media rises up in the morning to feed
the world with lies but the truth always gets home long before the
lies do… I, therefore, choose to forgive you Mr Carson because
precisely I believe you accepted the lies you probably learned from
the media which has really been on a crusade to demonize our family.”
(From the above commentary)

3. “President Museveni ignores the innuendos and insults of people
like Mr Carson, now, the same way he ignored them from the
unforesighted in his young resistance days… Can Mr Carson now
convince us that he knows better what Uganda needs?” (From the above
commentary)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress