THE INDIAN OCEAN NEWSLETTER # 1066 - 28/11/2003

UGANDA Vanilla Enhances Greed In several years, thanks to the help of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Uganda has hoisted itself up to the rank of a global vanilla producer, with $9. (...). [Total : 641 Words]. (8,2USD) 15 2

ETHIOPIA Difficult Opposition Merger In addition to differences with the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF, see ION 1065), Hailu Shawel's All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP) is having big problems with its merger project with Admassu Gebreyehu and Lidetu Ayalew's Ethiopian Democratic United Party (EDUP). (...). [Total : 225 Words]. (4,7USD) MOZAMBIQUE No Great Success for Renamo With a weak participation rate (about 30%), last week's municipal elections didn't overturn the political balance. Frelimo (ruling party) is the big winner (with fewer than 29 mayoralties), small parties and independent tickets earned mediocre scores, while Renamo (opposition) was beaten in some of its fiefdoms in the north and center of the country and only won four cities. (...). [Total : 462 Words]. (4,7USD) ETHIOPIA Mahamooda Gass Rewarded The former representative in Europe of the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) joined the regime of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, in power in Addis Ababa), which reportedly promised him a government post. (...). [Total : 169 Words]. (4,7USD) COMOROS ISLANDS Bloody Id al-Fitr in Moroni Just like the celebration of the national day on July 6 (ION 1050), Id al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, was celebrated in division in Moroni on November 26, and gave way to serious trouble. (...). [Total : 261 Words]. (4,7USD) MADAGASCAR Questionable Dismissals Various pressures led to the dismissals of several high-level government officials in the last few months, without clear explanations from the government. (...). [Total : 348 Words]. (4,7USD)

UNITED KINGDOM/ETHIOPIA Rober Scott Dewar The new British ambassador to Ethiopia, who will take up his post in March 2004, knows the African continent well, as he has held posts in four different countries there. (...). [Total : 200 Words]. (4,7USD) MADAGASCAR Marcel Velotsara The new director of intelligence and counterespionage, the police commissioner Marcel Velotsara, was born on February 19, 1957 in Andemaka (Fianarantsoa Province). (...). [Total : 286 Words]. (4,7USD) 15 1 KENYA Jean Kamau An adviser to President Mwai Kibaki has gradually hoisted herself up to the rank of a rival to Matere Keriri in the strategic post of State House Comptroller in charge of the chief of state's schedule and of controlling his visitors (ION 1065). (...). [Total : 248 Words]. (4,7USD)