Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 June 2004 — Page 6

Page 6 • The Muncie Times • June 17, 2004

Ugandans divided over extra term The Ugandan government is split in a debate on whether to allow President Yoweri Museveni to stay in off for a third term. Current law limits presidents to just two. Since last week, Museveni has been chairing meetings to map out what will happen after his second term ends in 2006. Those in favor of allowing him an extra 4 year term argue that this would save 30,000,000 shillings about $16,300 on a referendum scheduled to let Ugandan’s decide, reports the local Sunday Monitor newspaper. Others are opposed to the extension and argue that it goes against the 1995 constitution and could open the way for Museveni to become a “president for life.” The meetings were due to finish last Friday, but have been extended.

Deployment of troops to Haiti hits resistance The countries of the Southern Cone region of South America are sending troops to Haiti to take part in the U.N. peacekeeping mission there, but without the wrong domestic support usually enjoyed by such ventures of solidarity with nations in conflict. The 1,200 Brazilian troops will take on a “police role” in Haiti that the armed force do not even play in their own country, since the government “refuses to free up federal troops to guarantee public order in large cities where crime reigns supreme,”

AFRICIAN BRIEFS

parliamentary Deputy Antonio Carlos Pannunzio told IPS Pannunzio, a lawmaker with the opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party, also accused the government of violating the constitution by deciding to send the peace keeping troops without prior parliamentary approval. A convoy of 58 armored military vehicles, already painted with the UN insignia, set out last Wednesday from southern Brazil on the way to the port of Rio de Janeiro, where they will embark for Haiti. But the mission has not yet received formal ratification from Congress. The Chamber of Deputies passed the proposal last Thursday, and the Senate vote - also expected to be broadly in favor is scheduled for this week. The fact that the military has already begun to mobilize troops and equipment drew protests from many parliamentarians, even lawmakers that support the government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “If Congress does not ratify it, the troops will be sent,” said Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who along with Defense Minister Jose Viegas was summoned to explain the peacekeeping mission to parliamentary commissions in the two houses of Congress last week. The Chilean government faced even stronger criticism in early March, when it announced that it was dispatching 300 soldiers to take part in the first multinational peacekeeping force in Haiti, led by the United States and France, without consulting

parliament first. In Brazil, lawmakers also criticized the expenses involved in posting troops to Haiti at a time when the Brazilian people are suffering the effects of fiscal austerity efforts that have stood in the way of increasing the minimum wage and expanding social programmers, while aggravating poverty. They also point to the uncertain situation in Haiti, where armed gangs continue to fight, and which has no Congress and only a government with questionable legitimacy, the product of the Feb 29 U.S. ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, seen by many as a coup d’ etat. Similar resistance from part of the political spectrum is faced by the governments of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, which plan to ad their own military continents to the multinational force that will continue peacekeeping efforts in the Caribbean island nation as of June 1, under Brazilian leadership. The three countries are also planning to include police officers. Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil along with Paraguay are partners in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) trade bloc, of which Chile is an associate member. But each country is participating “in an independent and sovereign manner,” Uruguayan Defense Minister Yamdu’ Fau explained to IPS. Belgium returns historical bird to Zimbabwe Belgium has returned a historic state of a

bird to Zimbabwe, after more than 100 years, reports Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper. The statue was taken from an ancient kingdom, named Great Zimbabwe, which still recognized by tribal chiefs in the area. The statue of the Zimbabwe bird, the kingdom's emblem, has now been replaced on the monument from where it was taken and where traditional rituals continue to take place. Also on the monument is a statue of a crocodile. President Robert Mugabe had asked Belgium to return the statue in 1998, when he saw it on show at Belgium’s Royal Museum for Central Africa. Tribal leaders witnessed a ceremony during which the bird was replaced, and they spoke of its symbolic importance. “This ceremony shows that our elders have strength,” said Chief Charmubira. “They have fought for years to ensure that the Zimbabwe Bird can finally rest at its proper place,” he added. “In much the same way, this complements the fact that the land has also finally returned to its rightful owners, the people of Zimbabwe.”

Nigeria hosts 3rd global book fair Nigeria the capital city of Lagos hosted the third annual Nigeria International Bookfair last week. It brought together authors, readers, publishers and booksellers from around the world. But the focus remained on the work of Nigenan writers. As well as

showcasing new books, there were workshops, including one on copyright laws by the newly established Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria; a writing workshop for children; and numerous panel discussions featuring members of the Association of Nigerian Authors. The book fair ended with an award ceremony, which this year honored Nigerian writers Amos Tutola, who died in 1997, and Cyprian Ekwensi. Even though he only had 6 years of formal schooling, Tutuola published two short story collections, nine fokloric narratives and a book of traditional folktales. Ekwensi, who is 82, is a renowned novelist in Nigeria. His works include, “Jagua Nana” and “An African Night’s Entertainment.” Nigeria has a strong literary tradition, and the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature was Nigerian poet, playwright and novelist Wole Soyinka.

Kenya’s Museums to get face lift The European Union is giving $9.5 million to the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) for renovations and upgrades. The intent is to make the 74 year old NMK fully independent and better able to attract and keep top rung staff. The program, agreed in 2001, is billed as Africa’s largest museum development project. However, part of the plan; may involve laying off 37 percent of the staff, 382 continue on page 7.