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  • African press 12 May

    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
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